"Ah, the vanara speaks well. Trial by combat is an ancient tradition respected from the Hells to the most savage barbarians. Lend me a blade and I will stand against the champion of your choosing. If you win, dispose of me as you will. If I win, leave me here with a waterskin and a weapon. What say you?"
I thought we were leaving him here already...f*## that shit. Cut off his balls with a spoon and let us be on our way.
Veltisiel glances over at Ordrax and guesses what he's thinking, "Better idea: we just leave you hear and skip the fight. Here's a waterskin and, Ravenna, do you still have that extra mace? Let's just be done with this."
"Alright, Veltisiel. I was just trying to add some flair to the whole affair."
Ravenna obligingly tosses the spare mace onto the sand. "Don't spend it all in one place."
The crouches to pick up the mace, somehow keeping his back straight and his upper lip stiff.
You can fairly easily make your way back around the island toward the Man's Promise.
With new hands at the oars, the launch fairly flies around the island. You come around the knob at the end of the crescent shaped island to find that the crew has managed to raise the Man's Promise off of the reef that it was caught on when the tide came in. The ship now rocks gently in the swell, apparently waiting your return. You can see that they are keeping a small watch, but most of the crew seems to be below decks. The sun is setting by the time you arrive.
You beach the ship for a few hours rest before nightfall. The sun sets into clouds stretched across the horizon. The night is dark, the moon a sliver and the stars covered by racing clouds. The dwarves and half-orcs among the crew will be able to see short distances, but most of them will be nearly blind to your approach.
You settle yourselves into the dingy, the spicy fetid smell of the ghoul joining you in the close quarters.
As you round the small point, you see the ship sitting in the water, at anchor, with lanterns bow and stern, leaving the midships shrouded in shadow.
You row your way back to the Man's Promise, making no efforts to conceal your approach. There is only a small night watch on deck. They are Giffer Tibbs (Female Gnome Swab), Narwhal Tate (Male Dwarf Rigger), and Crimson Cogward (Male Human Swab).
Narwhal takes the lead hoisting your overloaded launch onto the ship.
"So, the prodigal explorers finally return. While we've done the hard work of dragging the hull off of the coral, you've been vacationing on a tropical isle. And look here, you've brought us more mouths to feed. What is this shark bait you've brought us?"
Thank you captain obvious.
I told them we would not be able to get anything past you. Yes more mouths to feed also means more people to do your work for you.
Ordrax laugh slightly...
I did find this spoon and I am looking forward to using it soon.
Pulling forth a spoon from his pocket, the Kobold holds it up with a rather wicked look to his eyes.
"We're running with a skeleton crew, Tate, we've no time to be doing the job of three people. Just be glad we found some more-or-less willing deckhands."
"Y'others can hold the deck a moment? I've to talk to Sandara."
"Well, come dawn we'll see if they are of any use. Did you find anything else on the island, or should we sail out of here come morning?"
Raush swings across the deck and descends to the bunks, finding Sandara well asleep.
Raush gently shakes Sandara to wake her up. "Rise and shine, Bright Eyes, for plunder is close. We confirmed that Plugg's sleeping the long sleep, and found some stranded souls to join our motley crew. We're trying, Besmara willing, to get this ship from that inept Scourge. Are you with us?"
Sandara awakes instantly, jolting upward, causing her hammock to swing. "Taking the ship from Scourge, I'm in." She rolls quietly out of the hammock and onto the deck. She grabs her belt from a hook, fastening it and checking her rapier and dagger.
"So what's the plan?"
"The plan is, we go upstairs and beat Scourge with a big stick until he keels over. As elegant as it's simple. D'you think Owlbear would help us? The big lug didn't seem too keen on our whip-wielding captain."
Grak scans the deck of the ship, then looks back to Narwhal. "The island? Ah, there was a farm on the far side that we might want to check out for some supplies. Based on the posts with heads on the top, it seemed the farmer wasn't interested in visitors so we didn't stop," he replies.
"Glad to see the ship's off the reef. Any damage?" he asks.
"Owlbear appreciates our kindness. I think he will stand with us. I think we can count on Shivika, Owlbear, Concobar, and Barefoot Samms given her fondness for Velt. Shall we wake them? Or let everyone awaken to the noise? Do we call Scourge out and do this in front of them all, or do we move with stealth and take control before they know what has happened? The Pirate Queen favors the bold, but does not always reward folly."
------------------------
Up on deck:
"Some cracks in the burden boards, but nothing serious. The pumps will handle it until we can get to Rickety Squibs and get her refitted. Now that yerve brought us a crew, we can be on our way and get to business."
Narwhal seems only slightly suspicious of your intentions.
Raush scratches his head. "The deck is currently quite empty, good circumstances for stealth. A careful heist should be in Her favor as much as a daring robbery, and work wonders for our survival. But maybe we should at least warn those four, to run interference when things go south. Then, once the snake's head is cut off, hopefully there won't be too many loyalists."
Raush and Sandara make their way carefully to appropriate hammocks, quietly awakening their allies and leaving their opponents unaware. Shivika, Conchobar, and Barefoot Samms are easy, but Owlbear will be a more challenging task, as he is still chained to the mast belowdecks.
"I'll see if Ordrax wants to come pick the lock."
Raush sneaks back upstairs. "Ah, glad to see we've still got friends on board. Ordrax, there's someone back there who's burdened by the chains of his responsibilities, maybe you can help relieve him. Otherwise, it should be all we needed to do."
The big monkey leans against the railing, playing with his quarterstaff and enjoying the tension.
Well let us see what we can do to remedy that situation...shall we.
Ordrax's first attempt at the locks on Owlbear's chains fail. A few of the other pirates stir in their hammocks, but none of them wake. After calming himself and regaining his focus, he is able to open the locks. Owlbear wakes loudly, moaning as he comes to consciousness. He loudly declares,
"Raush, Or-drax, you are back. Scourge say you would never be back, that the island might eat you. But I am glad that you are back."
Owlbear lacks any sense of discretion. He is certainly waking up the other sleeping sailors.
Grak grins nervously in response to the noise below. He keeps an eye on Narwhal, ready to step forward and throw a bomb at him if he makes any aggressive moves.
"Come then, big guy. We're taking this ship for ourselves, and you'll never be chained again."
As subtlety is dropped, Raush smacks his quarterstaff on the ground. "Reaver Queen, I take your blessing for myself! Freedom!" is his call to Besmara as he heads upstairs.
Ready when you are
Ravenna draws her blade and prepares for the conflict that has been brewing this whole time!
Veltisiel raises his hand and summons arcane energy, "You have two seconds to surrender, then I blast you."
He doesn't even give them that long, though, and shoots off a blast of force at Narwhal.
Veltisiel's force blast slams into the dwarf, but moves him only slightly.
Ravenna advances on the dwarf, following on the heels of Veltsiel's magical blast, and then at the last moment double-steps quickly forward and stabs with her rapier.
Ordrax moves to the top of the steps but just shy of coming out. Drawing forth his mace, he waits.
Surprised by your sudden backbone, Narwhal unleashes his most potent offensive magics. He slides away from Ravenna's assault and unleashes his own magical assault.
The dwarf calls out, "Scourge, we have trouble on deck...!"
Crimson Cogward moves to attack Ravenna while Ratline move to attack Veltisiel, both of them swinging wildly, surprised by the sudden attack.
Back to our mutineers...