Gezza is happy to take over the management of day to day operations and makes charts and graphs as needed to optimize.
Cargas sees to his mate, Fishguts, and tries to help out around the kitchen. After all, he sees no reason that the quality of the food shouldn't be better under the new management of the ship.
Cargas is happy to take a shift at watch, using the time to familiarize himself with the boat more.
Budos nods in approval at the fine work of the officers. At least he thinks it's fine work with his limited experience. "Don't be shy with those holy stones, we don't want any slippery patches on our deck. Get a man fishing, we'll save our stores and have fresh meat."
Brood nods at the instruction. "Right."
In his taciturn, almost frightful manner, Brood approaches Fishguts after Offal has the meal under control once more. In no uncertain terms and with arms crossed, the elf conveys to Fishguts that he is limited to one mug of drink before dinner if he wants to keep his place aboard the ship. He can get as drunk as he likes after the final meal of the day, but that getting caught drunk before all his duties are tended to again would be categorically unwise.
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Nim and Magilla take to the ship, and become mostly comfortable with the routine of its running. With Nim tasked to maintain the quartermaster's stores, Magilla tends towards the riggings unsupervised, enjoying the sea air, and harrassing those hard at work. He goes as far as poking the riggers, then retreating, expecting to be chased. When it doesn't happen, he tries doggedly to provoke a response, until his lack of success has him wander off dejectedly for the beautiful view at least.
It's enough for several complaints to be lodged with the quartermaster, requiring a heart-to-heart between ape and half-orc. When Nim manages to wrangle Magilla down, the two retreat below deck, where the two enter conversation of a kind, with hands slapping, and light shoving punctuating the emotions. After a while, the shoving stops, when both realize they are understanding something of each other's feelings, above the shortcut words their hands can convey.
With Magilla returning to a slightly-less provocative attitude towards those 'working' among his ropes, Nim fails to rest assured. He keeps to working below deck, inventorying and organizing similarly to Grok's organization, with modifications for the space allotted. As he does so, he begins to push his mind's eye out and above, curious to know if he could in fact monitor the monkey, even though wood by floor separated the two. It turns into a rough day, as his sight suddenly shifts to the ape's eyes, dozens of feet in the air. A blind half-orc begins to stumble about his newly-organized store, like bull in crystal shop. The view is indeed exhilarating to the half-orc below, as the gorilla wisely chooses to hold his position, and defer to its own blindness, while Nim uses ape eyes temporarily.
Over days, Magilla becomes inured to the new utility imposed upon him, and he becomes tamer as a result, not risking grander swings for fear of suddenly losing sight, and losing grip due to poor hand-eye coordination. An understanding is eventually reached, as Nim feels the ape's frustations. He learns when the beast is at rest, before pushing sight. He even goes so far as to push the quickness of snapping sight back and forth, applying the gorilla's position during nighttime card games over competitors' shoulders to leverage his 'luck', with swift sight to peek, then return to his own hand. He applies his skill sparingly, wise enough to know when to walk away, so he won't have to run...
The gorilla and half-orc always share the same watch, preferably the one just before Cargas, as Magilla enjoys waking the dwarf by pinching his nostrils closed for the noises he makes.
Fishguts frowns as Brood issues his command.
"Huh. Harrigan may've bin right b'st'rd," he slurs, "but least he let a man drink in peace. Thought Cap'n Budos would do a man better'n'that."
Other than that one disruption, however, The Murderin' Murder's first day at sea in her new incarnation seems to go smoothly, and you leave the estuary and make for the open seas. Cargas shows off his own acquired skills in the kitchen, and you have a fine celebratory dinner before drinks and an evening of merriment as Rosie breaks out her fiddle.
All the sailors seem in fine spirits with happy boasts accompanying them as all but the five on night watch head for their bunks.
Brood takes up position behind the ship's wheel while the rest of you turn in to your bunks, Budos heading for the spacious captain's cabin and the others making your way to the officers' quarters.
As you enter the cabin, you realize you're not alone. After a moment of concern, you realize the cabin's other occupant is a red-headed woman, who's holding a thin blanket up in front of her.
"Bought time you got here," Sandara says, "it's getting chilly!"
She drops the cover she's holding, revealing just why she's feeling cold -- other than the hat and choker with Besmara's holy symbol, she's not got a single stitch of clothing on.
"Wait, blast it! Where's the damn elf?" she asks.
Gezza whistles. "I'm no elf, but I can see why his ears are pointy!"
Cargas looks amused.
"Elf? Elf?" Cargas asks himself, trying to think of any elves amongst the crew. "We don't have any of...oh wait! You mean, Brood? BROOD!?"
Cargas looks side to side at Gezza and Nim to see if they see the humor in this situation.
"Why would you want that grumpy, bony sourpuss? Wouldn't you want a real dwarf instead? If his dingaling is as narrow as his eyes or arms, you'll barely feel a thing with him? Why would you want him?"
Cargas checks out what he can see while he can see it.
Nim startles at the sudden appearance of fine human flesh. Looks like the coral matches the kelp. A true natural beauty, she is. He turns to the others, smirking.
"You'd think she'd know better 'bout our shifts. I'm not complaining. She'd do wonders for morale, if she took to deck looking like she does." He laughs, waving his hands at Sandara, trying to indicate he's only joking.
"You'd do better to hang your tricorne on the doorknob, to indicate you'd like your own private time."
A sudden thought occurs to the half-orc. He snaps his vision up to the ape languidly swinging from the riggings, giving Sandara a moment of privacy from himself, while inviting Magilla to take over his own eyes in the meantime. The change of demeanor in the ape's arousal confirms that Magilla is perfectly capable of using his own eyes, while he's renting the ape's. He's happy to oblige the gorilla's newfound curiosity in women's anatomy, before returning gazes to their proper heads.
"Looks who's talking, crabby. Besmara likes him, and that's good enough for him!"
She seems completely unconcerned with her nudity and lets you get a good look as she collects her clothing, putting them back on.
As she finishes, she gives you a smirk.
"Keep in mind, that's what the elf gets to see whenever he wants. You should be so lucky," she says, sauntering out past you.
As you wait at the wheel, Sandara saunters over. Grabbing your face, she kisses you deeply, molding her body against yours. She finishes, takes a step back and slaps you hard across the face.
"Next time, f%@+ing tell me you're going to be on first watch!" she growls, before turning and walking away, clearly with an extra swish in her step in case you're watching her leave.
The rest of the watch goes smoothly, as does Nim, Cargas and Budos' when they take over.
Gezza's seems to be passing slowly, when he suddenly realizes he sees some odd movement on the deck, where he was keeping a close eye on the still barely trusted Fipps. He notices the big man is lying on the deck, where three shadowy figures seem to have struck him down!
Before he can draw breath to speak, the lizard-like men pad silently across the deck and plunge tridents into one of the other sailors, who had been picked up at Rickety Squibs and he collapses to the deck too!
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Brood watches the fiery haired human depart as heat blooms in his cheek. He rolls his jaw as the sharp sting slowly spreads. The first thing to flash through his mind along with the sudden anger is to bare his blade, but he's disciplined enough to quash the instinct. Instead, he enjoys the added swish, a gesture he recognizes as a tease for his benefit and the russet skinned elf cracks an all-too-rare grin, though the only one present to see it is stalking off in the other direction.
Despite Gezza's shouts above decks, Sicarius remains deep in the throws of sound sleep beside Sandara.
Gezza shouts as loud as he can shout while leaping to his feet!
Gezza casts mage armor on himself!
"Besmara likes him, and that's good enough for him!"
Cargas looks offended.
"Hey baby, I like Botmorda too! I could totally like her if this is was on the praying menu!" Cargas argues his point before Sandara leaves.
Cargas gives Nim & Gezza a look.
"Can you believe the nerve of her? What's that elf have that I don't have double size or length?"
Round 1, Init 26
Cargas dreams of Sandara...
Perception
...and wakes up screaming as Sandara's moaning face slowly morphs into Gezza's screams!
With a start he utters his own loud scream and draws his axe, clearly meaning to end Gezza's life.
"Can you believe the nerve of her? What's that elf have that I don't have double size or length?"
"Initiative, from the looks of it. He musta clubbed her, and dragged her off by the hair. Looks like she's into that kind of thing." Nim chuckles, picturing Brood's grumpy sulk still fixed to his mug, even while bumping uglies.
Nim also gains his weapon, then his feet, expecting a deck full of squidies, knowing their luck. He barks at Magilla, who tends to sleep like the simian dead.
Gezza: 16
Cargas: 26
Nimrod: 11
Sicarius: 6
Budos: 6
Antagonist: 20
Gezza casts his spell, not knowing whether anyone else is awake to realize they're under attack, as one of the scaly humanoids starts making its way toward him. It jabs at him with its trident, but he's able to duck behind the wheel, just avoiding being hurt.
The other two turn toward Barefoot Samms on the foredeck, one of them stabbing her in the gut with its trident. Gezza can see her swing back weakly with her cutlass, but the blow seems to just slide off the attacker's tough scales.
Fipps: 16
RS: 12
Samms: 9
Gezza continues his rebel yell, which sounds more like a frightened scream and steps back five feet. He quickly casts hydraulic push and aims to knock the lizard back five feet south, over the railing!
Budos sleeps contently while battle rages on the deck.
Round 2, Init 26
Cargas opens the door, and moves 20' out and up the stairs to the sounds of Gezza's wailing.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus):
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+3[/dice] damage.
Brood's eyes pop open with a start at the strange sound of curdled milk shrieking through a kettle. His brow furrows in confusion for a moment before he realizes it's Offal shouting as the dwarf flops out of his bunk and hurries off, tromping up above deck.
Sitting up suddenly, the elf cocks his head to one side for a moment before hearing the rest of the ruckus up above. Flying from bed, he snatches up his cutlass, leaving the sheath behind, and rushes for the deck with a furious scowl. He mutters darkly as he dashes onward, "So help me if it's more of those squid-goblins."
HP: 27/27
AC: 18 (17 T / 11 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +4/+4/+4 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep)
Arcane Pool used: 0/6
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (3) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (2+1) - magic missile [ ], monkeyfish [ ]
Level 2 (0+1) - frigid touch [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Budos continues to rest peacefully.
Round 1, Init 11
AC = 17
HP = 25/25
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = none
Nim rouses Magilla, and the two bolt through the door opened by Cargas. Both try and assess the waiting scene, and both conclude that their side of the ship requires the more attention, for the two hostiles rather than the one. Nim decides to heavy up his arrows, before letting loose.
Magilla senses the direction required, so continues to move in the direction of the skirmish.
Gezza: 16
Cargas: 26
Nimrod: 11
Sicarius: 6
Budos: 6
Antagonist: 20
Gezza's spell has its desired effect, the creature tumbling back over the railing into the ocean.
On the other side of the ship, Cargas, Brood, Nim and Magilla spill out of the officers' cabin, as one of the creatures drives his trident into Barefoot Samms' chest. As she collapses, the other turns and jabs down the stairs toward Cargas, though the dwarf's habit of sleeping in his armor keeps him safe -- barely -- from its jab.
They're sahuagin, a cruel oceanic race.
Fipps: 17
RS: 12*
Samms: 19
Round 3, Init 26
Cargas knows what to do with invaders to his ship, using his axe in two hands.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
damage.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus):
[ dice]1d20+7[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+6[/dice] damage.
Cargas drops the nearest creature to the deck with a single swing of his axe.
Gezza lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding as Cargas cuts down the fishy-man. He looks around, trying to spot any more attackers and keeps his spellfingers flicking, just in case.
Brood frowns. "More fish-things." Shaking his head in disgust, he instills a bit of additional magic into the blade of his cutlass as he dashes for the nearest foe, the weapon flashing in a deadly arc as he strikes.
HP: 27/27
AC: 18 (17 T / 11 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +4/+4/+4 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep)
Arcane Pool used: 1/6
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (3) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (2+1) - magic missile [ ], monkeyfish [ ]
Level 2 (0+1) - frigid touch [ ]
Ongoing Effects
arcane pool (1/10): +1/+1
Brood strikes it down, apparently ending the combat on the deck, though three sailors continue to bleed badly.
Sicarius kneels down beside Barefoot Samms and tries to stauch the bleeding. "Redfingers! Hurry up!"
Cargas moves to another of the wounded, jabbing fingers in this cut and that slash, hoping to staunch any bleeding.
Heal
"MEDIC!" Cargas yells as his pinky gets lodged in the sailor's aorta.
Budos rolls over in his sleep and his snores are briefly interrupted.
Gezza frowns and casts the bit of magic he figured out earlier while laying in his bunk. Elementary stuff, really, it staunches the flow of blood by constricting the...
As Gezza ensures the wounded sailors aren't ushered to the Boneyard just yet, Brood slips back into his cabin and rouses Sandara with a shake. "Sandara. Sandara. You're needed on deck. Fish-things raided. Samms and several others are down."
Round 3, Init 11
AC = 17
HP = 25/25
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = None
AC = 16
HP = 34/34
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect, Bear
Magilla climbs the stairs, and takes a swing at the spearfishman.
If the ape can't finish off the invader, he takes a shot, too.
It's a close call, but Gezza's about to get to Barefoot Samms and Fipps in time to prevent them from bleeding out.
As Brood shakes Sandara, she wakes with a start, a dagger flying toward the elf's throat before she realizes it's him and stop the motion.
"Careful, elf, wake a girl that way and you could end up with a dagger in the eye that even Besmara's blessings can't help you recover from," she says, somewhat groggily.
She accompanies him to the deck where she's able to finish Gezza's ministrations and heal the badly injured sailors.
Cargas removes his fingers from the man's heart in time for the healing of others to take effect. He avoids leaving his axe inside the man.
"C'mon now, you loafing lagabout. On your feet," Cargas orders, offering a hand to man. "Maybe you'll remember to keep your eyes open when you're working. This was a good lesson in paying attention."
Cargas isn't too harsh, but that they were so quickly beset with baddies before alarm was raised is clearly a concern for Cargas.
He will do a stump of every deck to make sure no more foes remain, before returning to strip search the dead invaders, looking for loot or shiny coral.
Nim and Magilla look about the ship for further incursions, as soon as they recognize the absence of foes in the immediate vicinity, joining Cargas in the effort, taking to the sides of the ship in particular. Magilla seems to be less put off in dealing with the corpses than he initially did when dealing with the chokers in the trees.
"The sea keeps coughing up enemies like that, we're gonna need more crew."
Gezza looks around and notices the Cap'n not among them. He nods at Nimrod. "Take watch, will you? I'll check on the Cap." He heads below to ensure Budos is alive and well, and to fill him in if he is.
"Ah, didn't realize he wasn't about. I was confused for sleep. I'll stay awake, yeh." He motions to Magilla, and both of them take to the riggings, on opposite sides, overseeing the upper decks for signs of renewed hostilities.
Sicarius catches Sandara's wrist as she strikes blindly, shaking his head. "If people weren't bleeding out on the deck, I'd have woken you differently." He nods to the deck. "Now hurry. They don't have long."
---
With the crew saved and some of the raiders dead, Brood stalks the perimeter of the vessel in a fashion similar to the others, ensuring no other raiders had secreted themselves on board.
Budos eyes flicker open at the knocking on the cabin door. "Right, who's there?" Slipping from the bed he grabs his axe and strides toward the door swinging it open. "Gezza, lad, what's all that stomping up on the deck? The men should be gettin' their rest."
"We were ambushed by fish men. Light injuries, no dead. We repelled them, but there's no telling why they attacked. Sandara's up top healing." Gezza reports, in a matter of fact tone.
Cargas continues his search of the ship, only reporting to the Capt'n after he is sure there are no more.
Nim starts to recognize the limitations on using Magilla's eyes, as the ape's low-light vision doesn't really compare to his darkvision. The color is nice, at least, but the half-orc finds himself trusting to Magilla's own perceptions and reactions to keep aware of more than one place on the ship.
He thinks over the dead creatures, and their ecology.
If he has any thoughts on their dwellings, he shares it with the others, trying to mark the rough area of their passing, and where they might have been boarded.
Sahuagin are sea raiders, Nim. Likely this was some sort of scouting party. It was likely just bad circumstance they came upon your ship, though of course you never know.
Happily, though, a search of the ship doesn't find anymore evidence of the raiders.
Cargas goes to find Fishguts before the fishmen are tossed overboard.
"Hey yar, Fishguts! Are these fishmen edible? Any good meat on them or should we toss them over?"
Profession (cook) - are they edible?