Nakon picks his way slowly through the pigs and animals and listens at the first door he comes to . He hears loud snoring coming from within. He moves carefully around the bottom of the steps up and listens to the door there . From within comes a faint scratching sound, and some quiet clucking. Neither door is locked.
"Sandara Quinn, Cleric o' Besmara from Hell Harbour, at yer service. All I got were the holy symbol an' the book. I didn' steal 'em: I ain't intendin' ta join Jakes Magpie. Cut-Throat gave 'em ta me after a bit o' hagglin'. She takes 'er job serious like, but she can be reasoned with. Besides, I 'elp 'er, she 'elps me. Ye can't 'ave too many friends on a pirate ship. Let's just say I'm not Scourge's favourite at the moment an' indeed, I could use some friends ta watch me back. An' since ye lot so endeared yerselves to 'im, I figure we c'n arrange somethin'."
Of course Sandara, you have been most helpful to us so far. Consider me one of your friends. I am Sevien. Hopefully we will have a chance to get to know each other better.
We can arrange to look out for each other.
I have a question about the tactics on this ship.
How does this vessle normally attack others, do they arm the entire crew at that point and then disarm them later or just a select group takes on attacking a ship?
She gasps and pulls away from him slightly, her fingers creeping up to tug his hand down to her waist, although once she's relocated it, she keeps her fingers tangled with his, intimately. "Jack, I... I'm sorry," she blushes in confusion. "Whatever was in that drink... it's gone to my head. I...." She glances around at the other people still on the deck self-consciously before looking up into his eyes to appeal to him. "I don't mean to be a tease. It's just, I know what it can be like below-decks." She rolls her shoulder to gesture to the rest of the crew in plain sight. "If they all get the idea that I'm... that I'm easy... well, I'm not armed, and you can't follow me around to protect me day and night. It's my first day, and I don't know who I can trust and who I can't. Give me a little time, Jack? And maybe," she smiles promisingly, "a little privacy?"
OK I'll leave A7 for now and try the door to A8.
I suppose it won't surprise you, Sandara, that I have been rallying the other press-ganged together; for protection, as much as for looking for a way to improve our lot. I shall extend this protection to you as well, although you seem to have a comfortable place here on the ship.
Obsidian- going it alone the way you have may get you killed. Allow me to tell you- I too was appalled by the gruesome death that poor man suffered. Ally with us, and we will add revenge to our eventual plans aboard this ship... We could use your strength he offered, extending his hand to shake Obsidian's if he accepted.
"Dunno 'bout attackin' vessels. Been here less than a week. Figure they'd have to arm us, unless th' officers do the fighting while we... dunno."
"And thanks for the mutual protection. I learned right smart to avoid trouble, but there's so much aboard the Wormwood ye're never truly safe. Even the quiet ones." She looks sympathetically to Lysandra.
"Sure, Miss Aemilia. I didn' mean... Uh, I don't think ye... I, the rum's 'fectin' me too. I better head below." He stands, offering you a hand, leans forward, leans back, looks around, can't quite meet your eyes, then heads below decks. "G'night."
"Dunno 'bout attackin' vessels. Been here less than a week. Figure they'd have to arm us, unless th' officers do the fighting while we... dunno."
"And thanks for the mutual protection. I learned right smart to avoid trouble, but there's so much aboard the Wormwood ye're never truly safe. Even the quiet ones." She looks sympathetically to Lysandra.
Noting the Besmerian priestess look, Lysandra asks, "If we are never truly safe, how have you managed to stay out of harms way so far?" Glancing over toward Sevien and Obsidian, "I have no desire to deal with what they had to earlier today."
Up on deck in the evening air, Aemilia is in no hurry to retreat to the dark and smelly hold but feels vulnerable sitting by herself among strangers. She looks around the deck for a group of men, either talking or playing cards or dice, who don't seem too closed off to intrusion by an outsider.
Nakon steals into the kitchen, carefully closing the door after him. Moving into its depths and checking the gleam he looks for a knife (or a spike or small cleaver at a pinch he's looking for something he can hide in his vest). He's not bright but cany, he'll look for a spare one if he can, assuming something sitting on the chopping board is more likely to be missed, rusty or in need of a sharpen is fine particularly if he can grab an oilrag or whetstone as well.
Afterwards he will listen at the next door and check for a lock.
Perception
Stealth
Perception
Obsidian- going it alone the way you have may get you killed. Allow me to tell you- I too was appalled by the gruesome death that poor man suffered. Ally with us, and we will add revenge to our eventual plans aboard this ship... We could use your strength he offered, extending his hand to shake Obsidian's if he accepted.
Mata looks Casmirre up and down then accepts his hand. "So what are your other plans?"
Then he glancing across at Lysandra and grins "Don't worry that wasn't revenge, revenge looks quite different." he pauses "Well for one person it might look exactly like that."
"I know enough 'bout boats t' avoid th' whip when I focus on their work. An' th' lashes heal. Their other punishments are more severe, though that's th' first keelhauling I ever saw."
Creeping towards what might be another door disturbs a black chicken which squawks underfoot. The next door is silent and locked.
As the first people come down (outside of our press ganged group) come down to sleep mata will say "I think Scourge might kill me next time, I'm going to be doing anything I'm told to do. And believe me you don't want end up strung up in the bottom of the boat."
He will then move to his hamock. He'll try to set his internal clock to wake up before everyone else to do a little spell memorisation.
With little more to say, Xantrius shook Mata's hand and whispered to him in reply to his question-
I would be master of my own vessel- not merely a press-ganged slave. When the time is right, we'll act.
By the time Aemilia descended, Xantrius had finished his conversation and moved to intercept her, he bowed low in greeting but did not block her passage as he noted her eyes.
Having got what he came for and realising he's isn't making any headway against the door without a lot of noise and any more headway here without some light, he heads back the way he came, stopping only to scrape a few fish scales off the chopping block and carefully closing the door after him.
Nakon makes his way to the lower hold quite late, after most have found their hamocks. He finds one with the fewest exposed sides as possible.
"I know enough 'bout boats t' avoid th' whip when I focus on their work. An' th' lashes heal. Their other punishments are more severe, though that's th' first keelhauling I ever saw."
"I practically grew up on my father's ships and know my way around boats as well, but how do you focus on the menial tasks given and yet show what you do know?"
We are practically slaves until the opportunity presents itself to be something else. We should make the best of it Lysandra. We will get out of this if we work together.
As it seems we are about done for the day Sevien goes and lays down as his head is already starting to hurt from the drink...
Not sure what is in the rum, Sevien switches one of his cantrips for Purify Food and Drink, just to be sure tomorrow. He moves his holy symbol to a secure location hidden in his privates for the moment.
Most of the free hammocks are down the far end of the hold. You all quickly drift off into an exhausted sleep, swaying in your hammocks from the ship and swaying in your heads from the rum.
"Well, stay outta me bed then, slut!" he hisses. He treads on the candle stub, plunging the hold into total darkness, and Aemilia hears him climb into the warm hammock.
"Hey Fipps. At least now ye' can say you 'ad girl in yer bed."
There's some sniggering and voices from nearby.
"Shut it. Tryin' sleep o'er 'ere."
"Yer jus' jealous."
"Shut it!"
"Shhh!"
Left in the darkness with no other options, Aemilia lowers herself to the deck and finds her way by feel under the hammocks to the edge of the hold, resigned to another night sleeping on the rough wooden planks, though this time without a knot on her head to help her rest.
Xantrius rested, satisfied with his efforts thus far aboard the ship. He had made several allies already and no doubt his stellar performance would be remembered.
You all sleep soundly, helped by the fatigue from rum and chores. By morning, the aches and pains are reduced to a gentle throb and your heads barely swim, except Aemilia who is stiff and sore.
Mata has woken early and studied his book despite the darkness, while the occasional sailor claws their way out of bed, one lighting a dim candle to see by. When someone lights the bullseye lantern and its piercing beam illuminates the lower hold, more bodies move, writhe and clamber slowly from bed. However, after a few seconds a bell tolls on deck and the mass of pirate bodies becomes a whirlwind of activity as they leap from their hammocks and race up the stair.
You rush to follow, possibly guessing why the hammocks near that end of the hold were already claimed, but six pirates block your access as you reach the stairs.
"In a hurry?" laughs Narwhal.
The muttering human female with the wide smirk and constantly moving eyes stands beside him, and the half-orc mute beside her. On Narwhal's other side is the fat man with the shaved head and beside him, the tall, graceful, large eared woman.
Behind them, at the base of the stairs stands a big Rahadoumi male human with a permanent scowl, whom Nakon recognises from the crow's nest. None of them are holding weapons, but none of them move to let you through.
A couple of sailors loiter on the stairs to watch.
Syl
Jake
Fipps
Aretta
Mahaeem
Xantrius raised an eyebrow at the men blocking his path as he attempted to recall if any of them had looked upon him favourably thus far. While he did not shy away, he had made sure that at the least the big man Nakon was further forward than he was.
I'll venture a guess. Xantrius said slowly. This is the part of the drama where the new press-ganged are beset by the cronies of the villain of the vessel- and soundly sent sprawling to the deck by said press-ganged, much to the amusement of the audience he threatened, his eyes fixed on the scowling Rahadoumi's after a friendly wink to the assembled sailors who watched.
Init (seize domain power)
Nakon moves forward nearly cheek to the jowl with the sailors in front as if to walk straight through them. He growls.
Whispers to Lysandra, DC15 perception
Lysandra, move quickly to the back of the boat at least 30 feet away, trust me I can protect us, but I don't want to hurt any of us, please trust me?!?!
Initiative:
Ok...I think." she says, doing as was asked of her.
Mata will use his "Forewarned" to hide his spell book when people light candles and wander the around the cabin. Assuming I have a full hour? I will update my profile tomorrow with the spells I have memorized.
Initiative:
He will attempt to properly hide the spellbook and then roll out of bed onto his feet.
Xantrius' jibe brings a chuckle from the stairs and the big man looks back uncertainly at the audience.
Lysandra and Aemilia back away down the hold at Sevien's suggestion, but Nakon marches straight forward into the pirates, and fists start flying.
Aemilia
Laying Down the Law
Round 1
Initiative
Aretta
Lysandra
Sevien
Jake
Narwhal
Mata
Maheem (Shaken)
Syl
Aemilia
Nakon
Fipps
Xantrius
Aretta
Fist
Damage (nonlethal)
The big eared woman swings at Nakon, a mighty blow that he casually sidesteps, as the bald, fat man comes for him also.
As Lysandra moves back and away from the rest of them...suddenly a duplicate of Sevien appears
You wish to see what we are capable of, feel the Kiss of Asmodeus
A wave of death eminates from Sevien, washing over everyone except for the small group defending themselves.
Lysandra stays back, waiting to heal any of fellow press-ganged crew members that are in need.
By throwing himself against the hull of the ship and falling back away from Lysandra, Sevien is able to exclude the viewers on the stairs and his allies hanging back.
Still, the burst of power almost completely fills the lower hold, slamming into the brutes before you.
Syl
Jake
Fipps
Aretta
Mahaeem
They all scream in anger and surprise as the lethal damage burns away at their very being.
The half-orc and the dwarf retreat away from you all, Narwhal scowling behind the stairs while Jake pushes past the onlookers and heads above decks.
Hmmm, that seemed to break them, I could probably just walk up onto deck.
Mata moves up to the apparent leader (Narwhal?) "Conflict makes you stronger" and hits him in the stomach.
Possible critical
Mata pushes past the big Rahadoumi man and the wiry woman before they can react. There is an audible crack as the half-orc's fist smashes round into the dwarf's chest. Narwhal is lifted into the air, slams into the hull of the ship and slides unmoving to the floorboards.
The big Rahadoumi steps away from the stairs, his hands palm outwards as he backs to the hull trying to keep his distance from both Sevien and Mata, a task made harder by now being between them.
The wiry woman flees up the stairs muttering in a low voice, "Keelhauling for murder, fun if you're neither."
Aemilia hangs back keeping her distance even from Lysandra.
Looking disdainfully at the pirates, Nakon simply keeps walking up the steps and toward the deck, swinging his fists only at anyone offering resistance.
With no one blocking the way anymore, Nakon moves easily to the stairs and climbs them.
The tall woman doesn't interfere and the fat man with the shaved head lets Nakon go, instead advancing on Sevien.
"You wanna play for keeps, eh?" he snarls pulling a dagger as he moves.
Dagger
Damage (lethal)
The blade slices across Sevien's chest, glancing off some ribs and leaving a line of blood.
With two pirates heading upstairs, two standing back warily away from Sevien and a fifth in a heap on the floor, only the bald fat man remains.
Lysandra and Aemilia are at the far end of the hold, but only Lysandra, ready, could reach Sevien with a move.
Xantrius, having held back just a step is almost halfway between the stairs and Sevien, easily able to reach everyone.