Oops, I missed that. I'll influence him then.
Alessandra rolls her eyes. She might have guessed that she'd end up back here. So much for staying out of their way - she throws a rueful glance at Sandra Good advice you gave me, don't seem to be able to stick to it...
Whether it's practice, or just the fact that last night's fight loosened her muscles nicely, she is able to perform her task with ease.
At some point, she slips out of the bilges and visits Grok in the quartermaster's store, gold in hand.
|
"Net. Bow. Fish. Yeah, I got it. I'll be right back, an' bring ye the biggest grouper ye have ever laid yer eyes on."
As instructed, Rogar heads to Wormwood's bow and casts the net, hauling his catch back on deck.
Back in the galley, Doc gives the fish to Fishguts. "'ere ya go. Now lemme see ye workin' yer cookin' skills on 'em."
---
Evening
---
Rogar is in good mood, having spent the day on the deck. And to keep the good mood going on, he keeps drinking heavily.
Calling Rogars state 'intoxicated' would be quite an understatement. The drunken dwarf staggers around the Wormwood, ranting tales of his former, and perhaps somewhat imaginary, adventures to anyone who isn't able avoid him. On moment, the Doc finds himself face to face (face to waist, more like) with Maheem, and cannot help but notice the man's trademark scowl.
"Oi, mate, why t' face? 'ere, 'ave a drink, 'n cheer up. It's bad fer yer health to be so sour all day..."
Belowdecks, Diego makes his most of the day by making a game out of catching rats. He hums to himself the tale of the Tailor, who would make an article of clothing for every vermin he caught before releasing them into the wild. As the story continues, and people discover these rats and voles sporting scarves and knickers and petticoats they began to believe in a society of mice that must occupy a steading nearby. Superstition grew, as did compassion for creatures that now seemed to have personality and stature. But as compassion for the rats increased as did the diseases they carried, until the entire village either passed of the pox or fled to safer locales. And in the end, the superstition came true... a vacant town filled with rats, sporting clothes that were custom made.
For every rat Diego caught he'd assign a name before tossing them into the surrounding ocean. "Swim home, Angelo. Bon voyage, Sharonna. You're better off away from this ship anyway. Tell your friends of the tattooed man that freed you from its bondage."
Being fatigued, and knowing she'll have bilges again tomorrow, Shaeda goes to bed early tonight.
Not wanting to get beaten again, Alessandra takes her normal rum ration. Looking around thoughtfully, she spots Cog. The girl is a little afraid of him: anyone who relishes violence for its own sake is best avoided, in her view. Still, better to have him as an ally. "Good fight last night, didn't you think? Made Owlbear cry... And humiliated Plugg in front of everyone! "
Shaeda looks forward to getting assigned a job other than the bilges!
The day passes easily enough for most of you, though Shaeda, once again stuck in the bilges, finishes the day both exhausted, and dreading another day in the stinking hole tomorrow, although she does manage to steal a few moments to chat with Jack, finding the lad both likeable and friendly . As a consequence she heads below-decks straight after the food is served, for an early night. During the day, however, Alessandra manages to make her way to the Quatermaster's store where she finds Grok idly organising the ship's stores. "We got all sort've stuff lass. I'll tell yer what, after yer stuck it t' scourge last night i'll give you an' yer friends all the gear ye came in with, if yer give me that purse yer won. Just make sure yer don't carry weapons around on deck or ye'll earn herself a beatin' - knives is probably alright up to a point, but nothin' bigger, yer hear?"
That evening, after spending the day chatting amiably with Fishguts Doc descends into a drunken, rowdy state, stumbling around the deck and drawing a number of laughs and nudges. Weaving his way towards Maheem, he begins by accidentally jostling the large Rhadoumi, and makes matters worse by calling the big man 'Marian' by accident. With a scowl the man simply pushes past and goes to join Jape, where they both sit shooting evil looks at Doc. . As Doc makes a fool of himself, Alessandra wanders over to Cog who greets her with a gleeful smile. "Good show last night lass, when I fought the brute he put me on me arse right quick! Not that I didn't hurt him a bit myself though! Pitty yer didn't follow through an put him out've it though. You should hear it when he squeals. Sounds like a stuck pig!" The conversation continues, with Cog making all sorts of nasty comments about Owlbear, which reminds you of nothing so much as the bullies back on the streets - the kind who'd knife even those who gave up without a fight, just for the fun of it.
Shaeda & Alessandra: Bilges with Sandra (DC 12 Str & DC 10 Con or fatigued)
Diego: Ratcatching with Cog (DC 10 Stealth, Survival or Dex)
Bellara: Rigging repair by herself (DC 10 Profession or Dex)
Doc: Turtle catching, however, Fishguts is drunk! – you need to both cook and catch turtles with a -4 modifier! If you do anything else (daytime actions including work diligently) you automatically fail!
Cooking: (DC 10 Profession: cook or Int)
Turtle catching: (DC10 Profession: fisherman or Survival)
AND DC 10 Con save or fatigued)
Everyone can take daytime and evening actions.
Day shift swabs:
Alessandra (PC):
Diego (PC):
Sandra Quinn
Rosie Cusswell
Giffer Tibbs
Jack Scrimshaw
“Badger” Medlar
Aretta Bansion
Crimson “Cog” Cogward
Night shift swabs:
Shivikah
Tilly Brackett
Jaundiced Jape
Fipps Chumlett
Riggers:
Bellara (PC)
“Barefoot” Sams Toppin
“Ratline” Ratsberger
Maheem
Slippery Sly Lonegan
Tam “Narwhal” Tate
Conchobar Turlach Shortstone
Doc: (PC)
Fishguts:
Bilges: Shaeda
And diplomacy with Sandra
Go to bed early.
Alessandra listens carefully to Grok's advice about carrying weapons. Looking regretfully at her short swords, she stows them away for the time being. Her glee at being able to give Bellara her pistol back makes her almost insufferable...
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
The half-orc girl scowls as she's assigned here yet again. Still, could be worse, she could be catching rats like Diego had to yesterday. She shudders at the thought. Besides, at least she has some company... Grinning at Shaeda and Sandra, she's sure that there'll at least be some good conversation.
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
DAYTIME ACTION
Besides getting to know Sandra a bit better ("So, what led to you to the pirate life? Didn't you say you'd served on other ships?"), Alessandra will search the bilges to see if anything turns up. She remembers Shaeda's luck with that earring
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
EVENING ACTION
Alessandra will drink her rum ration as normal - after seeing Doc's experience, she's cautious about overdoing it.
She will try to influence Badger: "You said to leave you alone until we'd been in a fight. Don't know if you noticed, but I damn well put Owlbear on his back last night - if that doesn't count, I'm happy to do the same thing to you, ok? Don't be so high and mighty: we may be new but we're not soft. You'd be better on our side."
|
|
"Cheers, lass. I hope I won't be needin' 'em, but I reckon I do", Rogar thanks Alessandra, and pockets his sling a couple of bullets.
--- Daytime actions ---
"Turtleee... Come 'ere little turtle... Ah, bugger it.. Why can't they eat fish like proper sailors." Despite suffering a terrible headache, Doc manages to try fishing for a couple of hours, before giving up. Heading back to the galley, the dwarf digs up random ingredients he can find from the shelves, and tosses them in to the cooking pot, and adds a lot of salt and fat.
--- Evening actions ---
After the horrible day, Doc needs a drink. This time, however, he manages to drink just to calm his nerves and sooth the headache. And then, he heads to the bed and snores heavily the rest of the night.
Diego smiles in stunned silence as Alessandra at the return of his equipment. "You're serious?" he wonders outloud. "I owe you! I could make you a..." his voice trails off suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he thinks better of it. Then he begins to nod, "I will find something. Thank you!" He goes to hug her, but recalling her past his offers his hand, with another appreciatively on her shoulder. "Thank you, again!"
The young man wraps one of his whips around his waste, like a belt but beneath his tunic. Something feels very right about having it back. He doesn't worry about much of the rest, save for the other two most important treasures he owns: His pipe, and his tools.
He pockets the pipe, so glad to have it near, and stashes his tools until evening.
Diego works diligently beside Cog. They converse when they can, but the bard's mind is clearly occupied elsewhere, back in his footlocker. This causes the day to drag on almost endlessly.
--------Night Time Actions---------
For the evening, quickly after the meal Diego retreats below deck. Here he lights a pinch of his loose tobacco, which has not been kept well the past week but still is better than nothing, and pulls out his artisan tools. He turns the old leather cuirass of his over to the back where sketches of swallows, sirens, and kraken are spread across the brown canvas.
It will be a good release of creative energies to get back to tattooing again, but he'll need to spend a bit of time with the tools again before he offers his talents as it's been a bit. This patchy armor has served him well in the past, so he looks for a blank space large enough to ink something new just beneath the surface.
Alessandra:
You can aid another as a daytime action, so you can either do that or search the bilge water. I've added this to "Daytime Actions" in the Campaign Info tab. (you suffer a -2 penalty to your own tasks to aid another).
You each have a footlocker, although you'll need to buy a lock if you want it locked.
Doc:
Addiction: If you don't have a drink for a day you have to make a DC 5 Fort save or be at -2 Str and -2 Con, and you can't recover from the penalty to Will naturally. If you make three consecutive saves (i.e. don't drink for three consecutive days AND make the save) you are no longer addicted.
PS: Need a Con check (DC 10) and Nighttime actions.
PPS: Sorry for missing out Barefoot. He is "Friendly"
EVERYONE:
Should have mentioned.... The gear you get back does not include cash or precious jewellery (worth more than 20gp).
And,.. see my reply to Alessandra (above) re. storage.
Down in the bilges, Alessandra works well, chit-chatting with Sandra and Shaeda as they go about their tasks. Shaeda, however once again struggles to perform her tasks, but Sandra manages to put in some extra effort that, at least, sees Shaeda's job performed adequately, although the halfling is still exhausted by the end of the day. Alessandra even has time for a quick search of the bilge water, but her efforts are for naught, and she finds nothing.
Doc, busy all day with the tasks of both fishing and cooking, fails to catch enough turtles to feed the crew. Despite this, the meal he actually dishes up is pretty good, somehow the Dwarf manages to turn salted pork and the remaining dried fish into a tasty soup. Whilst Diego, once again running from place-to -place belowdecks, is rewarded for his efforts by catching more than a few large rats.
That night Shaeda, Doc and Bellara (who seems very sick and pale), both slip off to bed early, whilst Alessandra approaches Badger. Although the half-orc's threat seems to quieten the woman, you do notice that both Plugg and Scourge are on deck much later than usual, spending most of their time in close conversation with Giffer and Fipps.
As Diego works on his tattooing below deck, Sandra approaches. "I think you and yer friends need to know that PLugg 'n Scourge 'av started to notice that yer makin a lot've friends 'round here" she says as she sits next to him on the floor. They're up there now tryin' to lay down the lore a little. Be careful, if they think yer getting to big fer yer boots, they'll do something about yer,.. whether we're short've crew or not."
The next morning you are woken by the terrible crash of thunder and flashes of lighting as the sky opens up. Almost immediately the ship's bell begins to ring, and the crew hurry to the deck, jostling as the now-massive waves seem to toss the ship around like a cork. In the driving rain Scourge barks out some quick orders. "All Hands on Deck! Yer all going to be needed in the rigging if we're to see this storm through! Hurry yer blaggarts! Get to yer posts!" quickly you are all assigned rolls and, in the driving wind and rain you hurry to your posts...
Doc & Diego: Mainsail duties: DC10 Profession (sailor) or Strength and Con DC 10 or fatigued.
Alessandra: Rigging repair: DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dex and Climb DC 10
Shaeda: Upper rigging work: DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dex and] Climb DC 10
You can not take daytime actions today (so no taking 10) AND all these checks are at -2 because of the driving wind and rain, and the tossing of the ship.
Scourge: (Giffer)
Plugg: (Fipps)
Doc:
Alessandra:
Shaeda:
Diego:
Oops, I missed the -2, so those are 19s.
The evening before the storm, Diego makes a point of warning the others of what Sandra brought to his attention. In many ways, it's encouraging to hear that Plugg is beginning to feel threatened by this small band and their influence. But in others Diego would have preferred to remain beneath his perception a little bit longer.
Diego works hard through the tearing winds and sea-mist, shredding his hands on the ropes and freezing in the spray. But in spite of the incredible toll on his body he works alongside dock to keep the mainsail from bursting in the wind while still keeping the ship moving to avoid being capsized by the rolling waves.
""I owe you! I could make you a..." his voice trails off suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he thinks better of it.
Alessandra raises an eyebrow - she is intrigued at what Diego was thinking of saying, but since he doesn't finish she lets it drop. Maybe she'll bring it up at a later point.
From the top of the sails, the half-orc girl looks with something approaching glee at the force of the wind, the driving rain, the crashing waves... it's all so amazing. She has no trouble adjusting to the conditions, swinging easily through the ropework as if she were born to it. Maybe it really is in her blood, just like her mother had always insisted.
She does her best to keep an eye out for the others.
"Diego, be a dear and give us a good chantey if you would please!"
"As you wish." Diego calls out with a smirk, pulling hard at the ropes.
It's a somber song, but one with a flowing chant that eases the sailors into a matched rhythm. Those who have been further north toward Andoran likely recognize the tune.
Snaefell, Tynwald, Ben My Chree
. Fourteen ships had sailed the sea
. Proudly bearing Andoran name
. But there’s one will never again
. Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Augustana Company
. Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Inner Sea
At one a.m. in Aspo bay
. Captain Teare was heard to say
“Our contract said deliver the mail
. in this rough weather we must not fail”
Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Augustana Company
. Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Inner Sea
. Ocean liners sheltered from the storm
. Ellan Vannin on the wave was borne
. Her hold was full and battened down
. As she sailed towards far Almas Town
. Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Augustana Company
. Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Inner Sea
With a crew of twenty-one August-men
. Her passengers Almas businessmen
. Farewell Andoran shores farewell
. This little ship was bound for hell
. Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Augustana Company
. Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Inner Sea
Less than a mile from Hopes great cape
. By a mighty wave Ellan Vannin did shake
. She sank in the waters of Aspo Bay
. There she lies until this day
. Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Augustana Company
. Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Inner Sea
Few August-men now give chorus
. Of the third in the month Arodus
. The terrible storm in Four-Six-Nine-Nine
. Ellan Vannin sailed for the very last time
. Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Augustana Company
. Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Inner Sea
Alessandra listens in dismay as Diego sings. Not knowing anything about sailing, she hadn't even CONSIDERED the possibility that the ship might be in danger...
"Could you try for something a little LESS gloomy?!" she hisses when she finds a spare moment. Dammit, now she's worried. The hurricane seems a little less exhilarating than it did earlier.
The whole crew work ceaselessly to try to keep the ship under control, with Captain Harrigan standing calm on the deck as he is lashed with wind and rain, and the ship lurches alarmingly from the crest of waves which wash over the deck. As the day draws to a close the storm shows no sign of abating and you are bound to be required to continue to work onwards into the night. As evening draws in, crew are rotated down to the deck to grab a simple meal of ship's biscuit - a stale and unpleasant brick of thrice-baked flour water and salt which is kept in the galley as emergency supplies.
Finally your turn to descend to the deck arrives and, bedraggled and tired, you begin to make your way down the rigging as a sudden crack of thunder, accompanied by a huge wave, rocks the ship.
comes the shout. Diego's voice is raspy from already singing as they toiled against the storm and strained from the weather, but he shouts with all the fullness his lungs can muster. This time it's not a tale or an ironic play on the situation, which is obvious in his ashen face.
Diego rushes to the side rails, watching in the rolling waves for Jacks body. he yells once again.
Should he be able to see the man still, Diego will quickly grab a nearby roll of hemp (or search for one) and throw it out in hopes of giving the man something to cling to.
Hearing that Diego has noticed the same thing, and alerted the others, Alessandra sprints for the side of the ship, looking for a rope. With the benefit of darkvision, she does her best to keep an eye on the figure of Jack as he bobs in the water.
If she finds a rope, she'll throw it to him.
Shaeda yells, "only throw him one end, keep the other for yerself," as she moves towards Alessandra (or Diego) to help hold the near end of the rope.
Diego pulls a pinch of powder from his pockets and tosses it into the air in front of him (though it's hardly necessary with the air already as charged as it is by the storm). He then begins to hum a low almost guttural growl, the basement pitches all but lost in the chaos of the tempest and commotion aboard the ship.
But the vibrations begin to ignite the air, electrical charges bolstered by the catalyst he's thrown and excited by the focused frequencies of his humming cause flickering lights that float in the air like fireflies. As the bard continues his low humming, the flickering lights push out from the ship and hover around where Jack is struggling against the waves (assuming we can see him)--helping to make him much more visible as well as bolster his confidence that we are working to retrieve him.
Round 1:
We're into action rounds as soon as the shout "Man Overboard" goes out. If you are trying to throw a rope to Jack you'll need a ranged touch attack (range increment 10ft).
On the first round you can reach the rope and the stern. By the time you get there Jack has already drifted 20 ft. behind the ship.
Drift: x 10 = 10
Swim check:
Round 2:
We'll make initiative the same as posting order for this encounter. In the storm and the current, Jack is quickly getting washed away! You'll have to be quick!
Alessandra rolls her eyes at Shaeda's remarks "I may not be much of a sailor, but I'm not *********** stupid" she snarls at the halfling.
Grabbing a rope, she hurls one end toward Jack, making sure to secure the other end
"Look, I'm not saying it wasn't obvious, but I've seen excited sailors toss the whole thing overboard before."
"I've seen excited sailors toss the whole thing overboard before."
Alessandra rolls her eyes at Shaeda's remarks "I may not be much of a sailor, but I'm not *********** stupid" she snarls at the halfling.
Grabbing a rope, she hurls one end toward Jack, making sure to secure the other end
The rope sails out into the storm, passing over Jack as he flounders in the water and landing within reach. The boy frantically reaches for it and manages to grab hold, using it to begin pulling himself back towards The Wormwood. As Rogar runs to the jollyboat, Sandra runs up. "We won't be able to get the boat down in this storm" she shouts, "and even if we did you'd like as not get washed away. Bast to help with the rope!"
Catch Jack, Catch:
Swim Jack, Swim:
As Alessandra does her best to pull Scrimshaw back to the boat Sandra continues past Rogar to join her at the rope, joined almost immediately by Aretta. Both grab hold of the rope and join in hauling Jack...
Alessandra shouts encouragement to Jack, but over the waves and the storm her words are lost - which is probably just as well, given her language
"Alessandra, is there anything I can do to help?"
As you are lashed with rain and wind Jack, despite being tossed around by the waves, manages to make his way some way back towards the ship....