Budos watches Sicarius reach for a dagger as he eyes the blabbing dwarf and intervenes. "Likely yer cooking will keep anything away from here, now bandage yer wounds and get ready for a hike."
Explaining their new mission to Captain Pegsworthy, Budos drops some coins on the counter and promises to share a pint soon. "We'll be right back, my officers are tough lads, likely we'll be sharing laughs and stories by nightfall."
Eager to earn the discount from Hake, Bud is grateful for Nim's ambition to take point and trusts in the man and ape's instincts. "Stay careful lads, remember the ambush tactics of those grindylows, maybes they done the same at the watchtower."
Brood concedes with a nod, accepting his captain's theory, "The one with the magic did get away."
"The grindylows would have to carry a pretty strong grudge to keep plaguing us, for the distance we've traveled." Nim nocks an arrow, and keeps moving along the path that will see them to the watchtower.
"Cargas, keep up. Your weapon'll come in handy if there's foul play waiting for up there."
Gezza keeps his eyes peeled.
The trail winds through the jungle behind the Commons, then follows the knife-edged ridgeline as it climbs along the headland. The way is rocky and steep, overgrown with jungle foliage, and drops precipitously to the cove 50 or more feet below.
As you round a curve, you come upon a pair of wild boars that are hungrily rooting around. Looking up, they immediately attack. The trail is only 5 feet wide, which on the bright side means only one of you are really in danger, but also means only one of you can get to them. Worse, plummeting off the side looks like it would be highly painful.
"Ah! Now this I can help with!" Gezza steps forward and casts his spell of color spraying!
Nim bids Magilla hold position, and takes a shot on the front boar, allowing Gezza's magic to possibly end things before they begin.
"Stop drooling, Cargas. We haven't killed 'em yet, let alone turned them over to you to barbecue 'em."
Bud brings his axe against the first participant in this evening's unexpected Luau. "Ho, lads, we'll be eating good tonight!"
Startled by the sudden onset of combat, Cargas displays the trait that earned his family their suname.
Sicarius: 4*
Nimrod: 20
Cargas: 19
Budos: 16
Gezza: 17
Antagonist: 15
Nim fires an arrow toward the leading boar, though it goes far wide as he tries to make sure he doesn't hit Budos, who stands between him and the wild animal and potential future dinner.
Cargas waits, unable to get to the creature, while the big half-orc captain swings wildly.
Gezza's spell is more effective, sending the front piece of pork into unconsciousness, though it also catches Budos, who's blinded and stunned as he looks back.
Not realizing it's coming, Budos can't avoid the second boar as it charges forward, clambering over its companion's body.
When Offal begins to yammer about building a big, beautiful wall around the cove and how the pirates would be the ones to pay for it, Sicarius considers ending the dwarf with a quick flash of one of his daggers but, in the end, reins the murderous instinct in and instead contents himself to simply scowl and shake his head.
"Stop drooling, Cargas. We haven't killed 'em yet, let alone turned them over to you to barbecue 'em."
"You ain't Capt'n! I'll drool at what I want to drool at, but we're going to have a fine fire on the beach tonight! HAWHAW!" Cargas draws his greataxe, getting ready to chop some meat.
Round 1, Init 19
Cargas tries to get at the meat, hefting his axe menacingly with food on the line.
"Lemme at them!" Cargas says, looking for an opening.
If he can get in, he swings:
to hit;
damage.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus):
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+3[/dice] damage.
Brood tries to thread the needle and snap off a bolt from his crossbow, but his arms are still weak from fever and the the press of bodies is hard to navigate.
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
Gezza, seeing the rushing pig, withdraws and tries to stay out of the way of the flying bodies and bolts!
Round 2, Init 20
AC = 17
HP = 20/20
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = none
Nim draws another arrow, and fires over the crowd, hoping to discourage the boar from moving in their general direction.
He waves Magilla off, not seeing an easy way around or past the bacon blockade.
After a little work, you manage to dispatch the final boar .
As you collect yourselves, a large, colorful parrot laps down toward Nim and squawks, “Shoo, fly, don’t bother me!” several times before turning and flying back along the trail toward the watchtower.
Following it, you find a number of broken rum bottles on the ground below the tower. Climbing the ladder to the tower’s simple wooden platform, you discover the twisted remains of a rope hammock and a few scattered items of clothing. Lying beneath the hammock, with one boot on and the other lying across the floor from it, is the flyspecked corpse of an elderly man. He is recently deceased, and one side of his neck is black and swollen to the size of a melon. A dried ring of foam cakes the man’s beard and moustache around his lips. The parrot flaps
over, alights on the corpse, and squawks again, “Shoo, fly, don’t bother me!”
Cargas wrenches his war axe from this skull he done porked good, wiping the sprayed blood from his face and beard.
"Oh yeah, m'boys! We're gunna eat good tonight!" Cargas says, drawing his dagger and beginning to issue orders. "Nim, can you and your funky munky go get us some long poles from the forest, we're going to want to spit these two. Gezza, get over here and hold open the rib cage while I carve out..." Cargas drives his dagger into the beast's belly and begins to saw it open, showing Gezza where to put his hands to help keep the cavity open while guts are pulled out.
Survival - prep meat
Profession (Porter) - prep food for transport
* * *
Cargas puts his hand to the dead man's neck, looking for pulse.
"I think the dead man is dead. Maybe it was Harrigan?" Cargas' eyes open in alarm. "HE FOUND US!"
Cargas looks out to sea to see what he might see in the sea, especially looking for Harrigan's ship.
Perception
Crawling up the ladder after leaving Cargas to hoot over his pork, Gezza shakes his head. "Man's dead. Bad reaction to the sting, most likely. Poor fool. Anyone want to say any words over him?" In the meantime, Gezza casts a spell of magic detection to see if anything shows up.
Brood shakes his head at the invitation to offer words, the dour elf seeing little point in the gesture. Frowning at the scene, he climbs back down and lets the others poke around as they see fit.
"Guard the meat while you're down there! I think I saw a chipmunk eying the good parts!" Cargas watches as Sicaris leaves, yelling at him as the elf descends even lower.
Cargas also declines to saw words, but is happy to toss the body over into the water if the others feels that is appropriate.
Gezza finishes with the man after glancing about, only to find Cargas elbow deep in the pork. Hearing his offer, he smiles. "I get enough practice putting your guts back in! I think I'll let Brood give you a hand with the pork, thank you very much."
Gezza does detect magic, eventually leading him to what he assumes was the lookout's morningstar, which had rolled under the hammock.
There is, however, no sign of Harrigan's ship in the water, which seems clear and blue as far as Cargas can see.
Bud says a few words and props the old man up in a more dignified position. "From the sea, back to the sea, better you than me."
Their task complete, Budos leads the party back to camp with fresh pork and a valuable weapon that might increase their barter position.
"Nim, can you and your funky munky go get us some long poles from the forest, we're going to want to spit these two."
Looking at the boar, Nim licks his lower right tusk, then nods at the dwarf, hoping it won't take too long to locate something suitable for lugging at least one of the carcasses. If his understanding of the local flora allows him to secure the wood, he does so, with Magilla's help.
Magilla doesn't seem to care much for the dead boars, but seems interested in Nim's quickened pace. The gorilla uses his sizeable weight to bring down several branches, most of them useless. Nim tries and fails to convince the ape about their need, so waits until fortune favors them all, and something appropriate falls to the ground.
The half-orc welcomes his fellow half-orc saying words over the body. Seems the right thing to do.
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Words said, you bring the pork back to the main grounds, where it makes a fine feast -- fortunately prepared by the cook on site, not turned into hot ham water by an inexperienced dwarf. The meal does much to help ease the spirits of the injured and mourning, as does Hake's urging to get everyone back to work -- no time for tears.
The next several days pass without incident, fortunately, Brood recovering his strength (much to Sandara's pleasure). The two bands of pirates mingle and swap stories -- Pegsworthy's more exciting than yours thanks to far more experience. Finally the night before work is set to be done on The Man's Promise, Pegsworthy approaches you in the Commons.
"So, is it the Lusty Dwarf you've settled on, or will I be giving her a different name tomorrow?"
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Cargas snorts as he tears into a bit of blubbery pork shoulder, enjoying the mixture of gristle, fat, and meat.
"Lusty Dwarf is fine, not as good as the Felc#$%@ Wh#$% or the Grand Taldan Steamer," Cargas says, spitting out a few chunks of cartilage and sinew that he can't masticate through. "Yeah, lots of good names. Lusty Dwarf works."
"Oh, I don't know. 'Lusty Dwarf' sounds more like a pleasure cruise. Nim looks over at Cargas. [b]"And new crew members are gonna think he's likely to pay them a visit at night when he's good and drunk. I think we can do better. What about 'The Dour Dwarf', or 'The Dandy Dwarf', or 'The Dapper Dwarf', or 'The Dirty Dwarf', or 'The Hard Wharf', wait, no that sounds too much like..."
Half-orc shoves dwarf, which makes gorilla grunt-laugh.
"The 'Don't Eat the Dwarf's Cooking' seems apropos. Or the 'Caged Ape'? The 'Escapee'? The 'Sea's Freedom'? The 'Pressed Lubber'?" Gezza looks happier throwing out names than he does eating the pork.
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Sicarius grimaces. "You all really care to sail aboard a dwarf?" He shakes his head then casts a glance over to Sandara. After a pause he adds, "How about naming the vessel after Badger? Don't care what adjective you pick, that's an easy sight better than 'dwarf'."
"The Badger's Vengeance maybe? I don't know. Something with some heft though. I want Harrigan worried when he hears it's our ship on his miserable rudder."
Nim loses all humor with the dwarf, turning solemnly to the elf.
"Yeah. That should do just fine. You've got my vote." Nim puts his plate down, no longer hungry.
"I first promised meself that I'd spill the blood of Scourge, Plugg, and Barnabas when they hauled that lad Jake across the keel. Badger was a fine crew member, and not to be forgotten, but I say we call the ship The Thieving Magpie in honor of the boy Jake, a simple lad that just wanted to get his gear back from the thief Harrigan."
"I can support either. Harrigan's men have caused enough blood to warrant either. Though we did steal the ship... Perhaps The Magpie is more accurate."
"If you're thinking 'Thieving' and 'Magpie' are strong enough to make Harrigan $%#£ himself, then ok." Sicarius shrugs and takes another bite of bread then, his eyes smoldering. It's plain from his expression he doesn't think the proposed Magpie has the strength he'd like, but he also doesn't care enough to belabor the point.
Cargas wipes his mouth of more boar grease and smiles.
"I could do the 'Thievin Magpie', I ain't care that much."
Cargas lets loose a silent fart and pauses to enjoy the odor. He smiles as he does so.
"We've settled on The Murderin' Murder for our new ship's name. And Cargas' cooking."
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"Well, if nothing else, it'll be a memorable ship. Not as dignified as Boaty McBoatface, may the saints bless it, but memorable."
Brood nods and affirms stoically, "Suits me fine."
"A good name," Pegsworthy says with approval. "The seas'll carry tales of it and have the merchants quaking in their boots, I'm sure."
The last night passes without further incident, and in the morning the crews of both ships and many of Hake's workers gather at the docks.
Moments before the chocks are released and the ship slides down into the estuary, a bottle of Sargavan wine is smashed upon its keel.
"Besmara look over The Murderin' Murder," Captain Pegsworthy toasts. “Good fortune and sure sail await what one can crack the Tidewater Rock.”
The Free Captain's toast refers to a small castle called Tidewater Rock that commands a small, protected harbor on a remote island south of Motaku Isle. It is said that anyone who can claim Tidewater Rock as her own will have good luck, as the castle makes a strategic watch point from which one can strike the nearby shipping lanes. Most Free Captains have better things to do than pursue old wives’ tales, but a new pirate captain would surely find a boost to his reputation were he able to claim that he had “cracked the Rock.”
The crew of the former Man's Promise boards quickly and with a cheer at Capt. Kaloz's command, begins heading back toward the ocean.
Cargas goes through the MMurder, taking in every change and every imperfection, trying to understand what was done and the changes to his ship. He climbs the riggings, examines the sails, even inspects the poop decks.
He is only satisfied when the ship has been examined from bow to stern.
- anything notably wrong?
"Aye. The Murderin' Murder seems to be fine. I think."
Gezza hears the toast and smiles. He slides over to the others once onboard. "It occurs to me, the Captain's toast. Tidewater Rock is a castle that commands a protected harbor near the shipping lanes. Legend says if you command the Rock, you'll have good luck and more to the point, build your legend. If you truly want to frighten Harrigan, we ought to crack the Rock."
Brood regards Redfingers' as he offers his thoughts upon Tidewater Rock and nods. "Not a bad idea."
"It occurs to me, the Captain's toast. Tidewater Rock is a castle that commands a protected harbor near the shipping lanes. Legend says if you command the Rock, you'll have good luck and more to the point, build your legend. If you truly want to frighten Harrigan, we ought to crack the Rock."
Cargas scratches his beard, thinkin'.
"And why do we want to frighten Harrigan? Don't we really want to stay well away from him and, more importantly, avoid his notice. If we take the 'Rock, he'll know exactly where we are, won't he?"
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"...And it was there in the dark of the squid goblin cave, the dwarf floating like a raft and me life's blood dripping into the water, when Besmara herself blessed our master of arms. Like a wave he crashed against the bloated beast, hacking at it until the creature's growls had turned into gurgles. Godblessed he is, Nothing can stand in Brood's path..."
"A Castle to call our own. A base of operations for searching out the cyclops' treasures. I like it, Harrigan will never know it's us until we're ready for him. To Tidwater Rock lads!"
"Stay away from him? No, I want to split his belly wide open and strangle him with his own entrails."
Gezza nods at the Captain's words and raises an imaginary toast to strangling the bastard Harrigan with his own entrails.
The Murderin' Murder makes its way out of the estuary and into the open sea as the sun begins to set, when Budos is approached by Fishguts.
"So *hic* Cap'n," he says, swaying slightly and eyes crossing a bit, the reek of alcohol rising off his dirty clothes. "What'll it be y'r orders for chow?"
Cargas barks orders (sometimes not even contradictory ones) and assigns roles to the new pirates as the MM gets underway. He does all the things he would expect a bo'sun to do, including bo'sunning, scratching, swearing, spitting, and yelling indescriminately. The one time he shouts orders at someone not there, he moves to the next able body and repeats the order.
He does his best to bo'sun the s*@$ out of things. Only after the ship is sailing and people are doing things, he will approach the Capt'n.
"Yar, I got me men working on things. There are a few over there and up there," Cargas points to deck and up the mast. "Now what?"
Budos surveys the piratin' with appreciation. "That's it lads, remember to say 'Aarg' with each action." As the drunk Fishguts staggers up, Bud turns him back towards the kitchen and calls after Cargas, "Get this lout back to the kitchen, or bunk if he can't stand, and cook up a good meal for the crew." Sure that change is needed before the cook can spoil the broth, Budos makes a request from Brood. "From now on Fishguts only gets metered portions of drink after the meals are completed. That man needs some incentive to keep him on task."