Cargas grumbles as he begins to sort the booty/plunder for cash to pay for Brood.
Cargas looks at Budos.
"Might want to slow down our drinking, not sure we'll have enough to pay for that and Brood."
Nim straps Magilla up with his training harness, then departs the ship for local exploration. When they encounter strangers, any fear or uncomfortable reaction is met with the half-orc signalling the ape to tumble. Magilla complies, and occasionally embellishes the gesture with a slap of a hand to Nim's cheek, followed by covering his eyes. Nim mostly complies, though he starts flinching at times when Magilla comes out of his roll.
Maneuvering through the village, they head for fresh food, especially fruits and vegetables. For the drought, Nim's not hopeful, but he has to try, at least. They pass into the surrounding treeline, where Magilla takes his leisure with some climbing, and generally walking about the trees. Nim supervises the time, then beckons the ape to join him, strapping on the harness again, and wandering back into the settlement.
Nim takes a look through the market, but doesn't set to purchasing right away. There's time for that later.
Gezza spends some time studying the skull-spell book, taking 10s on his checks to scribe the spells into his own spellbook. He also spends time walking the paths on the island, his feet in the sand, deeply happy to be alive.
"Inside voice, please!" she whispers plaintively. "You don't need to be so loud!"
"Yea, yea" soothes Bud quietly, "Was wondering if you might know of some work in these parts for me and my crew this next week?"
Nim and Magilla find mostly heavy jungle around the facility, though a treacherous, winding path along the knife-edged ridgeline leads to a watchtower on the far promontory, though it's little more than a covered platform elevated 60 feet atop wooden poles and accessed by a crude stair. Only the covered platform rises above the ridgeline of the headland, obscured from sight by the jungle canopy.
---
The woman gingerly shakes her head at Bud's question.
"Not unless you know how to squib a ship, and since that's what you're here for, I assume you don't," she says. "Take a load off and relax. That's what I like to do. Grog's good here."
"Captain, what are you planning after we leave here?" Cargas asks Budos over a mug or two or six of ale.
Cargas looks at Budos, still waiting an answer.
"Did you want me to see if we can find work around here? Just want to know what we'll be eating if we cast off again, Budos," Cargas says, wondering if he needs to find another job.
"Did you want me to see if we can find work around here? Just want to know what we'll be eating if we cast off again, Budos,"
"I asked and couldn't find a rumor of work, but yer welcome to ask again."
With no work to be found the captain joins his crew at the tap house. "All of you swabs, enjoy the rest and go light on the drinking. We'll set sail as soon as the ship is squibbed and we'll all be eating maggoty biscuits in a month if we don't find more plunder. Make some friends while we're here, we need new recruits." Acting on his own advice, the captain turns his focus from finding work to finding new recruits.
As the others move about the port, Brood continues to... brood.
Cargas sticks near Budos, acting as muscle and yes-man to the captain. This is Cargas' first time in the leadership circle and is worried about blowing it.
"Yeah, you swabs, don't drink too much! Captain's orders!" Cargas says overly menacingly.
Cargas will follow Budos, drinking when Budos drinks, moving when Budos moves, and tries to fit into the leadership team.
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Budos spends the whole next day recruiting crew to replace the lost sailors. "...and we have fresh red shirts for all of you!"
Gezza studies the skull, The rest of the time he spends watching the Squibbing, interested in the tradecraft that Rickety displays.
Budos spends the whole next day recruiting crew to replace the lost sailors. "...and we have fresh red shirts for all of you!"
"Yeah!" Cargas yells from beside Budos' elbow/shoulder. "Redshirts for the lot of youse!"
Diplomacy to aid
"C'mon you lubbers! We'll get youse some nice shirts and get you to work."
Despite Cargas' help, five sailors agree to join your crew, apparently ready to move on from the squibbing industry, and the rest of the day and evening passes with a pleasurable amount of food and drink, likely the best evening you had since you left Port Peril.
The next day, you loiter at Rickety’s Squibs with nothing else to do while despite the horrid heat, work continues on the Man’s Promise. In the distance, you can see a cloud of birds rise from the jungle beyond the construction and fly over the dry dock.
The workers there suddenly begin to run for cover, some risking serious injury as they leap to the ground below.
You realize after a few minutes that they aren't birds but in fact giant wasps, and as you see workers all around you scramble toward cover, three of the wasps are heading right toward you, between you and the Commons!
Ghoul Fever Day 5
Success! That's the 2nd in a row and that should cure me!
We don't need her fake, crappy spells! I want my money back!
Round 1, Init 25
Cargas moves someplace where he can protect the most yahoos, and readies to strike a WASP as it comes closer.
to hit; (2H,PA,FFocus)
damage.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus):
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+3[/dice] damage.
"Take cover, you lubbers, we'll handle this." Budos moves forward to intercept a wasp as it nears the commons.
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Round 1, Init 16
AC = 17
HP = 20/20
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = None
AC = 16
HP = 22/22
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect(Bear)
Nim flicks a hand in the direction of the approaching wasps, and Magilla doesn't hesitate to move forward, never having dealt with flying stinging things. The ape will help work on a wasp engaged with Budos, should the opportunity arise.
The half-orc focuses fire, unhappy at how large the wasp has become, now that it's closer.
Cargas: 25
Nimrod: 16
Budos: 15
Antagonist: 12
Sicarius: 11
Gezza: 7
Cargas and Budos rush toward the nearest wasps, which jitter skyward momentarily, avoiding their blades, before dropping back down to attack. Dwarf and half-orc manage to fend off their stingers however.
Magilla rushes in to help, pawing Budos' attacker, which then takes an arrow from the gorilla's master. It thrusts its stinger at Magilla, but the big ape easily avoids the blow.
Stupid dice...
W1:
W2: 13
W3:
Gezza swears loudly at the violence inherent in the system and does his best to repress the WASPs. He takes aim at the healthiest one and casts scorching ray! for fire damage!
Grumpier and more dour than is usual over the swindling of gold at Steward Bistlejerk's hands, Brood scowls at the descending wasps. With an impatient snarl, he rips his cutlass free and sends a pair of jagged bolts zipping through the air at the most injured wasp.
HP: 18/18
AC: 14 (13 T / 11 FF)
CMD: 15
F/R/W: +3/+1/+3 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep)
Arcane Pool used: 0/4
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (2) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (2+1) - magic missile [X] [ ], monkeyfish [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Ghoul Fever (cured): -7 Dex, -3 Con
Round 2, Init 25
Cargas grunts and swings again at the annoying affluent attacker!
to hit; (2H,PA,FFocus)
damage.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus):
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+3[/dice] damage.
Bud slashes again at a wasp as he struggles to keep them from the commoners.
Round 2, Init 16
AC = 17
HP = 20/20
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = None
AC = 16
HP = 22/22
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect(Bear)
Nim gets a little skittish, as he continues to fire at the wasps of unusual size, worrying a bit about the first time Magilla learns what a beesting this size'll mean.
Magilla gets his hands and teeth onto the same wasp, if it's still hovering, or another, if it's time to move on to fresh.
"Attaboy, Magilla! Strike First, Strike Hard!" Although he contributes with an arrow strike, he still feels a bit cowardly, for not joining the ape in the attack, face-to-face.
Sicarius: 11
Gezza: 7
Cargas: 25
Nimrod: 16
Budos: 15 (Magilla poison)
Antagonist: 12
Cargas nearly splits the insect attacking him in half, as Magilla tears apart the one fighting Budos, ignoring his own safety for the moment as the insect reels back from magic and mundane missiles.
Gezza's bolt of flame flies into the sky, a bright bolt that distracts the ape long enough for it to get stung by one of the wasps .
W1 (Cargas): 17
W3 (Magilla):
Round 3, Init 25
Cargas continues to fight the entitled and priviledged beast in front of him.
to hit; (2H,PA,FFocus)
damage.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus):
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+3[/dice] damage.
Budos continues flailing at the wasps.
Still grumpy and feeling wretched despite his fever breaking, Brood brings another pair of jagged bolts to bear against the wasps.
HP: 18/18 (includes -3 max from Con damage)
AC: 14 (13 T / 11 FF) (includes -3 from Dex damage)
CMD: 15 (includes -3 from Dex damage)
F/R/W: +3/+1/+3 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep) (includes -3 from Dex damage)
Arcane Pool used: 0/4
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (2) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (2+1) - magic missile [X] [X], monkeyfish [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Ghoul Fever (cured): -7 Dex, -3 Con
Round 3, Init 16
AC = 17
HP = 20/20
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = None
AC = 16
HP = 15/22
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect(Bear), -1 Dex
Nim cringes as Magilla bellows in pain from the wasp sting. He drops his bow, pulling a dagger free, and positioning for flank, so Magilla can strike back with more precision.
Magilla goes, uh, apesh.t on the wasp, assisted by the half-orc's move into melee.
Sicarius: 11
Gezza: 7
Cargas: 25
Nimrod: 16 (Magilla poison)
Budos: 15
Antagonist: 12
Sicarius again blasts the wasps with magic and Budos and Cargas hack it into pieces as Gezza's own arcane power is for naught, his spear of wood flying far wide.
Nim and Magilla tear into the other wasp, but despite nearly losing a wing, it clings to life and stings the big gorilla a second time.
W3 (Magilla): 24
Round 3, Init 25
Cargas moves over to help the ape fend off the advances of a privileged member of wasp society, the bully, the entitled.
to hit; (2H,PA,FFocus)
damage.
to hit; (2H,PA,FFocus)
damage.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus):
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+3[/dice] damage.
If there are still wasps flitting about stinging folk, Brood draws his crossbow and struggles to line up a shaky, trembling shot.
HP: 18/18 (includes -3 max from Con damage)
AC: 14 (13 T / 11 FF) (includes -3 from Dex damage)
CMD: 15 (includes -3 from Dex damage)
F/R/W: +3/+1/+3 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep) (includes -3 from Dex damage)
Arcane Pool used: 0/4
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (2) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (2+1) - magic missile [X] [X], monkeyfish [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Ghoul Fever (cured): -7 Dex, -3 Con
Round 4, Init 16
AC = 17
HP = 20/20
Weapon Equipped = Dagger
Condition(s) = None
AC = 16
HP = 8/22
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect(Bear), -1 Dex
For a moment, Nim thinks about turning tail, as he watches the ape get stung again. When Magilla quickly pushes the creature away, the half-orc can see its venom drip onto the ground. Better than into Mag's veins...
Magilla continues his attack, almost appearing to be trying to get at the half-orc on the other side.
Gezza stomps again and another spear rises and flings itself toward the wasp! for damage and 1 bleed!
Sicarius: 11
Gezza: 7
Cargas: 25
Nimrod: 16
Budos: 15
Antagonist: 12
Your combined blows are enough to bring down the wasp, giving you a moment of respite as more of the creatures swarm around the area. Most of the inhabitants of the squib shop seem to have made it safely to cover from what you can see.
Cargas looks around to see if anyone else is in danger from the wasps. If he sees them, he will double move toward them, otherwise, he will ready for another attack.
"Ah, this place is fun. I like it here! This is nice!"
Gezza stops and stares at Cargas. "Oh gods, you're not going to cook these, are you?!?"
"Oh gods, you're not going to cook these, are you?!?"
Cargas looks down at the wasp.
"Uh...I hadn't considered it. Not really on the ship now and I've been planning on eating in the taverns. But you're right, Gezza, we do need to save money...I'll see what I can do."
Nim sheathes his dagger, and moves directly at Magilla, without thinking. He can only react viscerally to the ape's gaping wound in his lower back. Magilla feels the half-orc at his side, but mistakes him instead for another wasp, so swings.
Fortunately for Nim, the ape swings wide, allowing Nim to gesture wildly, calming the beast down.
"Well, that went well, I think." Nim makes his rounds, starting with his own crew, then working his way outwards, should anyone be injured enough to require a burst of healing.
Magilla, on the other hand, wanders closer to water, in case he needs to take advantage of its cover.
"Take cover, lads." Budos slowly backs towards the commons and safety as he continues to hack at the wasps.