There's no immediate fall-out from the raid on the quartermaster's store and the heavy diluting of the vile rum. The weather remains unusually bright and calm, but then again, the Wormwood seems to be sailing further away from the unnatural Eye of Abendego and not toward the eternal hurricane and its spawned storms. Plugg and Scourge assign the daily tasks.
Day #4 Job: Upper Rigging Work: Work in the upper rigging, 50 feet up, requiring DC 10 Climb checks (NOT required, good weather), followed by a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check.
DAYTIME SHIP ACTIONS
Work Diligently: Gain a +4 bonus on any one check for a job’s daily task.
Influence: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and attempt to influence a single NPC.
Sneak: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and briefly explore one part of the ship (the PC can make a single Perception check or other skill check with no chance of detection).
Shop: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and visit the quartermaster’s store (area A9).
Shirk: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 10 on a single perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered.
Co-Workers None: Peace and quiet!
Day #4 Job: Rope Work: Handling the ship’s ropes, including coiling them, stowing them, and securing them to cleats and single and double bollards, requiring a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check.
DAYTIME SHIP ACTIONS
Work Diligently: Gain a +4 bonus on any one check for a job’s daily task.
Influence: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and attempt to influence a single NPC.
Sneak: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and briefly explore one part of the ship (the PC can make a single Perception check or other skill check with no chance of detection).
Shop: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and visit the quartermaster’s store (area A9).
Shirk: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 10 on a single perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered.
Co-Workers (2): Fellow halfling “Ratline” Rattsberger and the dwarf, Tam “Narwhal” Tate. Rattsberger's not the chattiest fellow, but he's civil. You notice that Narwhal barely talks to him as well.
Day #4 Job: Swab the Decks: Backbreaking work mopping the decks and scrubbing them with sandstone blocks called holystones, requiring a DC 10 Strength or Constitution check. Failing either check results in the PC being fatigued at the end of the shift.
DAYTIME SHIP ACTIONS
Work Diligently: Gain a +4 bonus on any one check for a job’s daily task.
Influence: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and attempt to influence a single NPC.
Sneak: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and briefly explore one part of the ship (the PC can make a single Perception check or other skill check with no chance of detection).
Shop: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and visit the quartermaster’s store (area A9).
Shirk: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 10 on a single perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered.
Co-Worker (1): Joy! Aretta Bansion! :D
Day #4 Job: Rat Catcher: Catching rats and other vermin belowdecks, requiring either a DC 10 Stealth check, Survival check, or Dexterity check to catch and kill enough rats, cockroaches, and beetles for a good day’s work.
DAYTIME SHIP ACTIONS
Work Diligently: Gain a +4 bonus on any one check for a job’s daily task.
Influence: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and attempt to influence a single NPC.
Sneak: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and briefly explore one part of the ship (the PC can make a single Perception check or other skill check with no chance of detection).
Shop: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and visit the quartermaster’s store (area A9).
Shirk: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 10 on a single perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered.
Co-Workers (3): Sandara Quinn, Shivikah (Maheem's woman), and the half-orc, Jape...although you'll be alone or teamed with Sandara and hunting in different areas of the ship from the others. Also, Scourge stresses that he expects results: the rats, in particular, are turning up all over the ship, creeping out some of the officers. This job's nature gives you access to most of the other swabs at least briefly, and to all areas of the ship save the officers' quarters.
Day #4 Job: Bull Session: Drinking with Ambrose Kroop and listening to his stories. The cook’s mate must drink an additional rum ration, but is able to take an additional ship action during the day. [I'm still in the process of deciding how to handle the diluted rum: Give me a couple of Fort checks to be safe.]
DAYTIME SHIP ACTIONS
Work Diligently: Gain a +4 bonus on any one check for a job’s daily task.
Influence: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and attempt to influence a single NPC.
Sneak: Make normal checks for a job’s daily task and briefly explore one part of the ship (the PC can make a single Perception check or other skill check with no chance of detection).
Shop: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and visit the quartermaster’s store (area A9).
Shirk: Take a -2 penalty on all checks for a job’s daily task and take time exploring one area of the ship. The PC can take 10 on a single perception check or other skill check, but must make a check to avoid being discovered.
Co-Workers: Ambrose Kroop
Jordan shrugs away the dagger from Aghon. "If you're going to take it, give it to someone else. I can get plenty of knives from the kitchen." Closing and locking the door, Jordan returns to the room Grok and Ambrose share. Moving quietly, Jordan tries to pull the same trick again, substituting the keys for the knife he left in Groks pocket.
The rest of the night passed peacefully enough. Jordan spent his time drinking coffee and working to stay awake, until Grok would come and relieve him.
In the morning, Jordan did his best to hide his exhaustion, but luckily Ambrose was in a talkative mood, wanting to sit and tell stories more than having Jordan do chores.
Jarvis waits until the dwarf is turned away from him and rolls his eyes slightly. After that, he decides to keep his mouth shut around the surly rigger, not wanting to be overly chatty with him around.
About midway through the day, Jarvis grumbles to himself, I'm going to have to get to the quartermaster at some point. I need a fid and a dagger if I'm going to continue on working with rigging and ropes. Working without tools is just futile.
Culder's mood is foul when he wakes up. He barely speaks throughout breakfast and several times can be seen rubbing the wrist that until recently had an anchor chain secured around it. As he climbs up into the rigging his mind swirls with doors he'd like to kick in and faces he'd love to smash.
Something unexpected happens, though, when he reaches the high rigging... there alone in the peace and quiet, with untold miles of clear skies and open waters stretching out in every direction, he forgets everything else and relishes the sea. Hanging among the highest ropes he feels the gentle rocking of the wind and waves, and feels the sun and the salty air against his skin and everything seems alright. He skips lunch and is the last one down at day's end.
After Aghon returns from diluting the rum, he does his best to slip into the cargo hold without waking anyone.
He then sidles up to Jarvis' hammock and gently shakes the halfling songslinger awake, whispering Jarvis, here, for picking the food out of your teeth. And slides the dagger into his palm.
Aghon awakes less than rested, and when he learns that not only is he swabbing the deck, but doing it next to his new nemesis Aretta Bansion, his mood completely sours. During the day Aghon waits and watches, carefully, not avoiding Aretta, but not buddying up to her either. When the days work is just about done he does his best to surreptitiously cast his new spell advanced scurvy.
It's obvious that Aghon's night time activities made him a less than stellar swabber today, but he tries to placate his own anxiety with the knowledge that what he does next could make up for that. After finishing the work and holding the charge of his spell, he walks directly up to Aretta and says, No hard feelings Aretta, hope we can go on peaceably. As he speaks he gives her a good pat on the back, releasing the magic.
Visiting the quartermaster's store would probably qualify more as a Sneak than a Shirk.
In the course of your daily task, you notice that the ship's rats are particularly sneaky: You catch a glimpse of a rodent scurrying around a corner or behind a crate, but when you move in for the kill it's nowhere to be found.
Please make a Perception check as well.
seeing that today, scourge really expects results and at the same time wanting to keep a low profile, vincent decides to work diligently
treading softly vincent is able to sneak up on what few rodents he's able to find, and he uses his magic to dispatch them quickly and efficiently however, much to his frustration he's never able to find many. sighing in defeat he heads back with the few rodent's he has to show for his day's work.
It's still morning when there's a sudden commotion on the main deck near the bridge. The lady bard--who you've come to know is named Tilly Brackett--stands before Scourge, soaked in brine, sweat, and...a lot of blood.
"I tell you--there were no rats in the bilges when I started workin', then all of a sudden they came at me from all directions! 'Twas unnatural--like they waited in ambush and all attacked at once! I was lucky to get out alive! If it weren't for my healin' magic, I'd be on death's doorstep right now, I swear on my mother's soul!"
Scourge seems ready to send the woman back to the bilges when he considers the amount of blood covering the bard's clothing. Then Scourge smiles his trademarked evil smile and says, "This looks like a fine test fer the new blood!" Sandara Quinn immediately steps forward but Scourge waves her off just as quickly. "Ye're too valuable to the ship, Red. Nah...let's see.... How about the other priest an' the young mage? They oughta be able ta handle a handful o' ornery rodents, no? Agwom! Vincenzo! Or whatever yer damned names be! Front an' center! Poor li'l girly Til says a rat nibbled her bum in the bilges. Git down there an' don't come back out 'til it's rat-free, understood? Fipps--take 'em to the quartermaster an' get 'em each a dagger, hear?"
As Fipps leads Aghon and Vincent to Grok's store, Sandara slips away, ostensibly going back to work. She makes her way to the galley immediately, telling 'Banner' that his friends are going into what might be a dangerous place...and suggesting that if he might slip away and help them it could prove invaluable. When Fipps walks in and takes Aghon and Vincent to the store, they all see Sandara chatting rather urgently with the cook's mate.
Sweaty and already tired from swabbing the deck, Aghon still doesn't hesitate to answer the call to arms. After flipping Fipps' dagger around in hand for a moment to get the feel of it, and taking a couple practice swings he addresses Fipps. Would it be possible to get a torch as well? In my experience rats hate smoke and flame, and we might be able to drive them into a kill-box with it?
Conversationally, Jordan says "Aye, and I'm assigned to the kitchen. I can't be running around all willy-nilly like you rat catchers." Looking around to make sure no one is noticing, Jordan leans in and whispers "Yeah, I'll follow'em, but I don't know how much help I'll be. Haven't slept a wink what with guarding the storehouse and Aghon getting sick all night." he whispers with a wink, slipping a kitchen knife into his pocket.
After Aghon an Vincent leave, and finishing his rum, Jordan hands his mug to Kroop and says "Here Ambrose, top'er off and leave her waitin' for me. Don't want you gettin' all the rum while I'm out for my morning stroll." Walking nonchalantly, Jordan makes his way to the bilges.
Vincent puts the dagger on his belt, and then rubs his hands and separates them by about half a foot and lets sparks fly between them and then looks up and gives fipps a mischievous smirk"we mages work better with just our hands, the steel is a nice last resort though" and then after hearing Aghon's comment on the torch "Aghon is right, simple creatures can often be intimidated and herded when you wave a flame in front of them"
"No open flames on the ship," Fipps replies, shaking his head. "You can take a lantern for light if ya need it, but I wouldn't wanna get caught by Scourge wavin' a torch around...not even in the bilges."
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vincent just points at fipps "we'll take the lantern, my sight isn't the best and I at least could use the extra light. Aghon I'm ready to go as soon as you are."
Really? No torch? You can't seriously think that we'd start the boat aflame in the middle of the damned ocean?! Ah well, off we go. Aghon hands the lamp to Vincent and then heads for the bilge room, moving cautiously down the steps, keeping his head on the methaphorical swivel, and watching for any signs of the little buggers.
Aghon's worked this dark steamy room before, but this is Vincent's first visit to the hellhole. A ladder beneath a trap door in the lower hold leads down to the bilges, an abominably humid and stinky pit of darkness. 1-2 feet of filthy water sloshes about much of the area, and there are a pair of dirty bilge pumps near the stern. The corners of the low ceiling are cluttered with thick cobwebs. Six sets of manacles are fixed to the bulkheads in the forward portion of the chamber, although none are currently holding prisoners. Near the walls are a few old wooden crates and boxes; at least one lies tipped on its side, empty of anything except some bits of old straw.
Aghon sees no signs of any rats. The bilges seem perfectly safe...at least at first glance.
It'd be just like rats to make a nest in some upturned crates. Aghon says aloud as he notices the mess. Vincent, cover me for a bit, I'm going to take a closer look at the crates and straw. Aghon descends fully into the muck, and makes his way, still warily and slowly allowing for Vincent to be right on his heels, toward the crate and straw mess. Damn if this isn't the exact type of situation I prayed for the spell spark for...
A ratly squeak comes from the shadows near the fore part of the bilges and, as if on cue, low lanky rat forms emerge from behind the mast, bilge pumps, old crates, and even out of the water.
Around the same time, a second attack occurs in the ship's rigging. A small creature--no more than 2 feet long--detaches from the mainmast and flies furiously up to the crow's nest, harrying Slippery Syl, who's drawn that duty this day. Syl totally freaks out, abandoning her post and attempting to swiftly climb down to the safety of the deck. After descending 15 feet, the woman almost falls. She then seems to calm a bit, considering whether to return to her post or report to Plugg. She chooses the later. Meanwhile, the winged creature--which looked like equal bits lizard, frog, fish, and maybe even dragon--claims the crow's nest as its new lair.
Plugg listens to Syl's report before calling out: "Culder an' Jarvis! Climb up an' kill or drive off whatever that little beastie be. On the double!"
"With wha'?" Culder calls back furious that his first bit of peace all week has been interrupted. "Yer trai'orous goons stole our weapons 'stead o' signin' us on like hones' pirates."
Climbing down, angrily, he approaches Plugg and says, "Ye got a bow what won' break when I pull i' back? Else ge' me a sword or a' axe or somethin'. Beddar yet, gimme my gods-dammed anchor back an' I'll kill whate'er ye want."
Jarvis grimaces as he watches Syl almost fall out of the rigging. Having done that a few times over his career, he knows the heart-wrenching, stomach-churning, terror-inducing feeling that falling free of rigging without warning can trigger.
Aye, I'll get up there double quick, if you'll give me summat to poke at 'im with. My rapier, or a fid, hells I'd take a broken chair leg. He says as he turns to follow Culder over to Plugg.
Aghon swings his dagger at the first rat that gets close.
vincent just sighs wearily as he hears the rat's clawing thier way out of thier hiding places. “Aghon, do you ever get the feeling that they're haveing us do this because we're the least popular shipmates aboard a ship made out of driftwood and piss?”
Plugg's face goes from angry (when Culder shows him a lack of proper respect) to bewilderment (at the Captain's mention of an anchor) to a sort of cunning thoughtfulness.
"I don't know nothin' 'bout no anchor an' I don't much care! Ye gots them knucks ye used to damned near cave in Narwhal's face--don't think I don't know 'bout them! Scourge said to let ya keep 'em--that ye'd hang yerself by killin' another crewman soon enough--an' so I did. Knucks oughta be enough to mash a flimsy li'l lizard-skinned...kite, or whatever that thing be. But I be a fair man...an' I'll make ye a deal. You an' li'l Tar-Toes here git rid o' that flyin' pest an' I'll see what I can do to get Scourge off yer backs. An' I'll have ye both armed with daggers ta kill the flappy li'l pest, an' ye can keep 'em to help in yer work goin' forward."
"Tibbs!" he cries out to a scrawny female gnome with bright lemon-lime hair and wearing an eyepatch, one of the day's runners. "Take a message to Cut-Throat! Tell her Mr. Plugg needs you to deliver two daggers to him pronto! When she tells ya to piss off, tell the greenskin that ye knows it means a keelhaulin' fer you iff'n yer lyin' but that it'll mean one fer her if I don't have those daggers in me hand inside o' five minutes. An' make one runt-sized. Now SCRAM!"
A few minutes later, a nervous yet somewhat relived looking gnome with neon hair is handing Plugg the requested weapons, which the First Mate in turn hands to his riggers. "Now git that flappy-winged...whoozermawhazzit...outta the crow's nest!"
Aghon's first slash fails to connect, but it looks like he'll have plenty more chances to cut into rat-flesh...about a half-dozen of the foot-long rodents (not counting their long tails) are scurrying out from behind cover, converging on his position. Being a long-time resident of Crescent Harbor isle, the cleric recognizes the rodents to be a species called 'Peril Rats,' known for their longer limbs, almost fingerlike claws, and the goofy yet somewhat intelligent and humanoid bent to their eyes and other facial features. They're also known to be bigger, stronger, fiercer, and--some say--more intelligent than other rat species.
is up.
You got a pretty good look at the creature when it harassed Syl but have no clue what it actually is. Your first impression is that it's some sort of hatchling dragon, though it looks mighty scrawny to be that. It looks like its wide mouth of sharp teeth might be able to inflict a bit of damage, but its claws looked weak...more like little hands, actually. You might be able to take it in a one-on-one fight; Culder should be able to turn it into paste with one hit.
Jarvis turns to Culder with a slightly feral grin on his face. Let's get 'im! He says, venom on his breath.
With a turn, he starts up the rigging...
About halfway up the rigging, Jarvis stops and casts a spell on whatever bit of rope he can see over the edge of the crow's nest. Strands that bind and knot, let this poor creature learn what its bought!
Jarvis will get most of the way to the crow's nest, doing his best to arrive near to the same time as Culder, with the intent of providing whatever flanking bonus he can with his dagger.
About 20 feet up the rigging, Jarvis sees the creature's froggy--not draconic--face peer over the edge of the crow's nest at him. The halfling could swear he hears the thing snarl, "Grrrr! Taking advantage of this golden opportunity, Jarvis casts his spell, trying to ensnare the tiny intruder.
With a squeak of surprise and maybe outrage, the little critter escapes the rope trap, flopping over the edge of the crow's nest and flying/diving at Jarvis, needle-sharp teeth almost grinning in its wide mouth as it lands on the halfling's back.
vincent just reaches out and pat's Aghon on the back, "nice try, im sure you'll at least hit one next time" and as he pat's his back he cast's mage armor "there that should give some protection for a little while"
Culder climbs far slower than usual in order to stay side by side with his halfling companion. When the creature lands on Jarvis' back he directs all his anger at the little beast behind a wicked thrust of his new dagger...
,
Culder runs the weird flying critter through; its eyes widen almost comically in surprise before it slides off the dagger and spirals to the deck below.
Plugg strides over to the tiny corpse, wondering aloud what the thing is before telling the gnome runner to take the carcass to the ship's Lady Mage for examination. Then he actually flashes Culder and Jarvis a thumb's-up before snarling for everyone to get back to work.
Vincent casts a defensive spell on Aghon just before the rats surge forward to attack. The tiny animals have to scurry right up to your feet to bite, leaving them open to attack while they close.
There are too many rats coming from too many directions, however; some get through the two men's defenses to nip at their legs and feet with sharp, yellowed teeth. Vincent dodges an incoming rat bite and Aghon dodges two before a third set of teeth nibble at his ankle .
On the deck above the bilges, Jordan waits for Fipps to clear out before he can move to the trap door leading down.
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fumbling with his knife vincent tries to slash at one of the scurrying little pest's and fail to hit anything. "knife fighting vermin isn't what I thought I'd be doing today"
Aghon slashes at the rats at his feet trying desperately to keep the swarm at bay. Oy! Vincent, back up the ladder, we need to bottle-neck these bilge-rats so you can drop a snowball on 'em!
Aghon and Vincent miss the surging rodents with their dagger slashes, but both their foes manage to connect on weak nibbles .
On the deck above, Fipps has departed the premises and Jordan's now free to move to the trap door unseen.
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Seeing Fipps gone, Jordan slips over to the trapdoor and listens to the chorus of shrieks and yells. Glancing about what he can see of the bilges, he pulls out one of the knives taken from the kitchen and throws it at a rat.
Jordan's arrival is timely and takes the targeted rat unawares. The blade embeds itself deep into the rodent's back but is not quite enough to kill the unusually tough critter. It's twitching in severe pain, however.
you don't have to tell me twice Aghon! and with that vincent scurries up the ladder and as he get's halfway up the ladder he stop's, turns around and spot's the bloodied rat "oh you actually got one" he then extends a hand at the rat as lightning jump's from this palm to the rat
As Vincent makes his escape, the rats milling at his feet chomp at his legs, each scoring hits and drawing sorcerous blood with their bites . The young sorcerer tries to gain a measure of revenge when he reaches the ladder, but his magic attack misses the small and agile target.
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As Vincent climbs halfways up the ladder, the poor starving rats are deprived of one of their targets; as a result, they all swarm Aghon. All except the badly-injured rodent, that is. Another squeak sounds from the far end of the bilges and the wounded rat starts scurrying in that direction. Three other rats manage to bite the cleric despite Vincent's protective spell
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Culder doesn't even look down to see the creature splat on the deck; instead he tucks his new dagger into his belt and silently climbs back up to the serenity of the upper rigging.
Plugg don't know nothin' 'bout my anchor... guess I don't need to kill 'em, also means I got no need to keep him alive neither though.
Aghon follows Vincent up the ladder, but does so with his dagger held out in front, waving back and forth, trying to keep the little critters at bay.
Seeing Aghon and Vincent begin making their retreat, Jordan slings his second knife at another rodent.
"Thought you were a wizard or something," Jordan saysd to Vincent. "Why don't you give me that knife and start casting some spells. "