Bratix appears bored with this display of 'Ship Law', and picks at her nails while she watches. Her eyes follow to Lorin, perhaps wondering if he get the hint.
If the pirate survived he might prove useful...assuming he could fight worth a damn while drunk.
Like a shark smelling blood, Plugg's grin widens.
"Having admitted your guilt, you are sentenced to Keelhauling. Master Scourge, administer the punishment." Scourge too smiles and gathers a group of pirates - the same ones who collected you that morning.
At the mention of keelhauling Magpie cries out, but is too broken to resist as the pirates wrap a lengthy rope around his chest. He is lead by scourge to the port side of the boat, whilst the other seven uncoil a long amount of the rope into the ocean below. Having fed most of the rope into the ocean, the clamber onto the upper decking and around to the starboard bow. Seeing his followers are ready, Scourge turns back to Magpie. Suddenly he throws a punch into the man's stomache before pushing him over the edge of the boat.
"On my count... one!" the Master-At-Arms yells. At his count, the six other pirates pull in unison against the rope. "Two, three, four," Scourge continues to announce every few seconds, the line remaining taunt in between. 30 seconds later, the line suddenly goes momentarily slack. The front most keelhauler peers over the bow, and announces Magpie is through. A few other pirates grab the end of the rope, and help haul the body onto the deck.
As he comes over the wooden railing, you see the would-be burglar hanging limply from the rope. His body is covered in small lacerations, and his eyes are glazed over. As his is set on the deck, a thin pool of water begins to run from his mouth.
Now that the man has died, Mr Plugg seems totally ignorant of him.
"Let me remind you all that theft and murder are not permitted on this ship. Master Scourge, you may now proceed to any other punishments owing to crewmen". With this Plugg heads marches away into the Officers' Cabins. Scourge administers a few lashings to pirates for laziness or incompetent work, and then the crew are dismissed for dinner.
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As the crew disperses and Astein finds himself with some free time during the evening, he sets out to do a Harrowing for himself to try and figure out the best course of action. He invokes the full power of his abilities to know that the results will be as true as fate can determine with his efforts. He tries to determine whether it would be worth it for one of his companions to try to influence Plugg or Scourge.
Bratix just wants to find a quiet corner after all that. She spends some time slinking about exploring, starting with the lowest she can go and the least likely to be disturbed: the bilges.
Lorin went into a deep slumber, for tomorrow would be imporant hopefully the number of ill pirates would be many...
Grunt watches the keelhauling unfold with out much of a reaction. He has seen plenty of violent deaths happen and as far as he can tell for much the same reason... apparently none.
Grunt greedily scarfs down all the food that is given too him and drinks as much rum as he can hold, which is quite a bit, have you seen the big guy?
Once dinner is finished he wonders about the ship until he comes across a few pirates playing some kind of dice game. He watches for a bit before trying to join them, Grrr-huh points to dice board He then more or less forces himself between two of the pirates and grabs the dice.
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Nico grimaces at the face of the man thrown over the side of the ship, and turns away when they bring him back up.
When he's anywhere private, he'll spit onto the deck in anger, and kick the nearest ship wall.
After a short time of brooding, he stands up with a determined look in his eyes.
someone mentioned a quartermaster named Grok...and stealing. Hmm...
Nico sets off to find this man, 'Grok'.
When he finds him, Nico says to the man "So I hear you're the quartermaster here? Captain must put a lot of trust in you to put everyone's things in your hands. Guy like you seems like a good guy to know."
Astein barely finishes laying out the cards before he is immediately struck with a sense of Woe: any attempts to influence Plugg or his second-in-command will only end badly. Like always, his reading is coldly accurate, but for once it seems to have more to tell. The nine-cards before him each whisper to him: The Unicorn, The Empty Throne, The Crow, The Forge, The Dance, The Beating, The Uprising, The Locksmith and The Foreign Trader all stare up at him. .
The crew are spread out through out the lower decks and making the most of their time: gambling, drinking contests, shows of strength and tales of piratical escapades abound. Bratix doesn't have too much trouble slinking away from this, although someone nearly notices her as she tries to open the cover to the bilges. Like Nico she is hit by the heat of the room. Even though the sun has set, there is still a thick mugginess to the room. Hanging from the walls are sets of manacles, clearly very well crafted. Stacked randomly around the room - half sunken in water - are a variety of boxes. Digging through them all, Bratix finds a suit of leather armor, three heavy maces and 12 silver pieces. Satisfied with her hunt, she starts to head back up again. Just as she reaches the stairs, her foot lands on something hard in the floor below. Reaching down, she finds a small wax box, covered in grime but waterproof none-the-less. Opening it she finds two tindertwigs, their alchemical mix still functional and free from water.
Nico starts searching for Grok by asking a few pirates where he can find him. The first two merely burst into laughter, one of them saying he's never seen him in his life. Finally, he approaches Sandara for directions. "You'll find her - yes, her - around somewhere, probably involved in a game of Heave or something. Look for a near drunk half-orc."
Nico finds the Quartermaster in a gaggle of cheering pirates. The group encircle a small gnome in flamboyant clothes and an older woman with stripes shaved into her hair, both of whom are sculling half-pints of rum as if they're life depended on it. The gnome is clearly swaying, stumbling from foot to foot, and Grok is drunkenly cursing him with some of the most foul words you've ever heard spoken. Grok is a lean half-orc, dressed in mostly dark clothing. Her most noticable feature (other than her heritage) is a huge scar runs the length of her throat. Hanging from her waist are a variety of throwing axes, which she repeatedly threatens to throw at the gnome if he doesn't "finish the f### shit tits drink".
Meanwhile, Grunt and Astein settle into the dice game. A few of the pirates seem annoyed that the Orc has joined them, but aren't willing to be the one to tell him to leave. The game is common pirate game called Hilo, which Grunt has played before. The pirates inform the Grunt and Astein that the minimum bet per hand is 1 gold piece.
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Nico thanks Sandara for her help with a short bow and a quick "Thank you very much" before setting off to find the quartermaster.
Seeing the orcish woman engaged in some sort of drinking game, Nico stands back until the game is completed.
"You're an impressive woman, Grok. I hear you're the quartermaster here. I can see why, you look like you can handle weapons better than most of the men here. M'name's Nico, by the way." Nico extends his hand to be shaken.
"Bah, I can drink better than most of the men too. Especially this shit cunt f&@@er pissant here" Grok bellows, taking a swing at the back of the gnome's head as he struggles back to his feet. The blow knocks his bright purple, feathered troubadour's hat to the floor. It also knocks him to the floor, where he groans and proceeds to vomit rum across the deck.
Grok ignores the offered hand, and instead goes for a punch to the shoulder. "Where as you look like you could put a pint or two away. How about it? Up for a little Heave-ho?" Grok seems excited by the prospect of a challenge, and seems to be getting along amiably with Nico.
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whew!
Nico laughs a hearty laugh - finally, someone with a real idea of fun on this ship!
He clutches his tiny wooden shotglass as he's led over to the barrels of rum, making a quick and silent prayer. Cayden, thank you for showing yourself on this ship. I know I can get through anywhere that rings so soundly with your presence.
"A drinking game? I'll gladly drink you under the table, if that's what you mean by challenging me." Nico follows up his jab with a quick chuckle to show he was joking.
When indicated, Nico drinks deeply from the rum he's given, pulling the cup away only when it starts to spill down his face.
"You'd better give up now, Grok - I'm quite the practiced drinker!"
Bratix scuttles with her goodies, giggling to herself and going to find a little corner of her own to stash them. She particularly likes the tinder twigs, sure she can use them to make some kind of little explosive if she needs to.
fort check
Did a kobold piss in this?
Grunt thoroughly enjoyed the shackles rum this evening.
*grabs the dice but doesn't place any money down* [b]Hhe[b] *points up*
= 11
Bratix sips her rum once, wrinkles up her nose. She could easily make explosives out of this, though, too. So she looks for a place to stash the nasty stuff without drinking it.
As the night wears on, the already worn-out crew begin to finish their merriment and head to sleep. The hammocks that were strung across the lower deck when you first awake are again hung up, each pirate having their own space. As the five newest sailors, you are relegated to hammocks hanging at the aft of the boat. Despite the horrors that the Wormwood had brought, you all have more important things on you mind.
For Lorin, it is plots and ploys, to be the healer and the harbinger.
For Astein, it's the tumultuous future unravelling before you, it's uncertainty both a thrill and a worry.
For Nico, it's the prospect of allies to break this oppression (as well as the grim certainty that tomorrow's hangover could raise the dead and then kill them again).
For Bratix, it's the joyful prospect of mixing her new toys together in a barrel and seeing how big the explosion is.
And for Grunt, it is staring at the 5 shiny gold pieces he somehow won at dice, despite never placing a single bet.
Eventually, you all drift to sleep.
As you settle in to sleep, you think back to the harrowing of that night. In particular, The Uprising floats through you mind. Given all the talk of the day - of mutiny, arson and captaincy - it'd be surprising if it didn't haunt you. It echoed superiority of strength and number to overcome an opposition, but also a sense of being caught up in something greater than the individual. The card had fallen in the column regarding futures, and you know that even the most accurate Harrow cannot curb the chaotic nature of the future. Still, you fall asleep with the word hope on your lips.
You wake in the morning to the sound of that same mournful bell-tone you'd heard at the bloody hour. Around you, the Pirates are rushing to get themselves ready and up the stairs to the deck. Some are barely into trousers before they're up the stairs, and most are bitterly cursing and stumbling from rum or it's revenge. Even though you are below deck, your bleary-eyes tell you it must be somewhere around dawn.
As you stumble to get up and follow the others, you notice you are not quite the last ones to head up to the deck. Blocking the stair way are four pirates. At the front is a runtish looking Half-orc, his mouth open in a gaping smile. His eyes are vaguely yellowish, and his tongue appears to have been cut out which leaves him drooling from the side of his mouth. Next to him stands a pair of women who could not be more different. The first is a well-endowed woman with make-up poorly plastered to her face, scowling at you all. Her long brown hair is carefully brushed to try to cover her large ears, but ultimately fails to do so. The other is a thin, wirey woman with crazy frizzy hair that appears to have been cut almost entirely at random. She bounces from foot to foot every few seconds. You realize that they seem familiar, and at least a couple of them helped escort you upstairs yesterday.
Behind them all stands Fipps Chumlett, the man Lorin intimidated yesterday. He is stretching his fingers until his knuckles crack, and watching the five of you intently.
"I'm guessing you're not here to welcome us to the ship." Bratix nods dryly, squirming out of her hammock. She scrambles around for her rum under her with a little frown.
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Astein grins easily as he sees the threatening pirates. "Is it time for this now?" He looks to his companions and looks back.
"Here is how this will go... You may win or you may lose this little brawl, but if violence here happens - all of us will be trying to do one thing. Chumlett - you will not survive the fight. All of us are going to try and kill you and ignore everything else until you are dead. We might go down, but you can be certain that you, Chumlett, will be dead. Agreed Grunt?"
Lorin focused his power and gripped his holy symbol in his hand
Ah Chumlett can't me beat by yourself so you bring friends eh? You have experienced Dagon's power brought to bare already, do you wish to experience it again?
intimidate
Looming from the back of the party Grunt grabs Lorin by the shoulder and pulls him back slightly moving past him. He moves up to the half-orc and snorts in his face, baring his teeth slightly, hot breath cascading down over the face of the shorter half-breed.
Grunt knocks his head to the side quickly, indicating he wants the drooling half-orc to move out of his way. As soon as the runt moves Grunt punches Chumlett in the gut.
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Nico follows his fellow prisoners up onto the deck of the ship, and quickly takes stock of the situation.
Looking between the group of prisoners and the people Chumlett brought, apparently to menace them, Nico raises his arms, and speaks slowly and in a conciliatory tone. "Now gentlemen, I'm sure whatever slights you may have felt, and whatever intent you may have against my compatriots here is well-misplaced. This ship is short on crew, yes? And we have to live together while we're at sea, yes? I'm sure we all want the same thing - a well-staffed and functioning ship while at sea, and a comfortable environment in which to work. Am I wrong?"
Bratix grabs her mug of leftover rum, and one of her tindertwigs, but remains in the back.
As Grunt stalks towards the group Fipps just laughs at both Lorin, Astein and Nico's words.
"Master scourge said you'd try to scare me off. He said weak people like you always try to scare them who has real power. But you don't scare me, cos I ain't here on my own. And Scourge don't like you lot. Hasn't liked you since he first saw you. So, you lot ain't going past -". At this point Grunt reaches the group and snarls into the face of the smaller Orc. His eyes widden and his toungeless mouth utters a weird guttural gasp. He drops his head and shuffles out of the way. The wifey haired woman next to starts to giggle and sing things in a child-like voice. "The yellowy orc is just too little, he gets scared by a grunt and some spittle". There's no recognizable tune.
When Grunt suddenly throws the punch, Fipps deftly moves aside, despite his considerable bulk.
"HAVE AT THEM!!!" he screams, as the fight starts for real.
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To himself, quietly, while Fipps speaks, "So, Fipps. You think we won't scare you? We have the gods and a massive angry orc on our side!"
When the group lunges at them, Nico will leap quickly into action.
"You think we ain't scary, Fipps?" Suddenly, to Fipps, the world grows very dark, and every around corner, behind every object, behind every wall and door, there seems to be something watching him. And they aren't happy with him.
*eyes narrow* rrrrrrrRRRRAAAHHH!
Bratix fiddles with her jug of rum, keeping an eye on the fight. She's not going to lob anything until it becomes dire - if it becomes dire - until then she readies one of the tinder twigs and the alcohol, all ready to make a bomb.
Initiative
If you will not bow before Dagon, then you die! With that Lorin raised his unholy symbol and unleashed Dagon's power.
Channel energy negative damage , will save to reduce it by half is 12, targeting only the pirates thanks to Selective channeling feat.
Bratix changes her mind, as she is wont to do, and jerks into action quickly. She scurries right into center field of the brawl. She looks around shiftily for a moment ... and then darkness seems to seep from every pore of her, snaking out of the tiny woman (how did it all fit?) and throwing the lower hold and the area around her into an inky darkness, illuminated by the square of light that is the door up onto deck that seems quite far away now.
And then she scampers to duck past combatants and others to get out into the light and away from the fighting.
The well-endowed woman gasps at the darkness, before scowling and spitting at the floor. She assumes a rough fighting stance, as Bratix reaches the stair case and tries to sneak past her. The woman throws her arm back and attempts what would be a crippling uppercut. However, the tendrils of darkness in an already dark ship leave the woman with an empty swing, and she staggers forward slightly. This gives Bratix just enough room to sneak past and sprint up the stairs. Oblivious to Bratix’s escape, Grunt roars at Fipps and throws another punch at him. Unlike before, this one connects solidly with the fat man’s multiple chins. There is enough force in the punch that Fipps is physically spun almost 180 degrees, but he manages to stay standing.
Despite this, he seems determined to stay in the fight. He sees the dagger and hears Nico’s words but just yells back ”Master… eugh…. Master Scourge said you ain’t scary, and I believe him! Master Scourge said to rough youse up, and that what we’ll do.”
The orc and the well-endowed woman don’t seem convinced. As soon as the cowering half-orc sees the knife, he turns and runs up the stairs after bratix. The woman cries out ”Scourge said nothing about you being armed. He said you’d be easy. I ent getting stabbed for pay that little.” She too turns and flees. The wirey hair woman continues to sing, but her tune changes ”Two little mousey ran away, the harlot and jaundiced jap! One to fight another day, and one to earn a greater pay! Hehehehehe”. There is still not tune.
Astein’s scream (inaudible to everyone else) seems to again stagger fipps only momentarily. A thin rivulet of blood trickles down from each ear, but he seems hellbent on fighting his foes off.
The wirey-haired woman finally notices the daggers, looks puzzled for a moment then calmly walks away. Unlike the others, she doesn’t flee upstairs, but just walks over to the lockers as if the combat weren’t happening at all. She continues to sing, but it is softly to herself now instead of to an audience.
Despite his obvious pain, Fipps grabs a dagger from his belt. He turns past Grunt towards Lorin and throws the dagger with a mighty swing. Unfortunately, he forgot to account for the low roof, and the dagger sticks into it a few feet away from him. Lorin’s return volley of dark energy hits Fipps, and it seems to be the final blow that knocks him to his knees. He collapses on the floor unconscious.
Bratix (24)
Grunt (18)
Nico (10)
Pirates 1&2 (8)
Astein (8)
Pirate (5)
Fipps (3)
Lorin (3)
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"Quick, hide the daggers... Someone is sure to come quick! The question now, is do we let him live? If we kill him then Scourge could accuse us and send us over the bow. If we let him live, he will surely try again. There are no knife wounds, so I say he lives. Others?"
Seeing Bratix much worse of than himself, Astein walks over and heals her with his magic.
Up top, Bratix scrambles off to the Galley to report to work. She wants nothing to do with that fight!
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"The truth is, the only apparent lethal action is the knife Fipps threw at Lorin. I say we take him upstairs and turn him in for attempted murder, asking him to be keel-hauled for the offense. If the others want to speak up, let them, though I don't think they will. If he survives, we can see that he has an 'accident' if he doesn't settle down. Nico, Grunt thumbs up he lives thumbs down we let Lorin have him now. Either way we have to get above decks now."
Astein's hair lenghtens and shoots out to grasp the unconscious Fipps, lifting him up off the ground.
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Nico sees a very quick resolution to what could have been a difficult fight, and quickly secrets his dagger away again. He feels a pleasant drunkenness as divine energy wraps itself around his wounds and his flesh reknits itself together.
"No, Astein, I don't believe anybody was truly badly injured. I'm going to want words with Lorin today, though."
"I am not quite ready to be keelhauled, so I have to say that this man remains alive. Remember, that Scourge threatened to heelhaul ANYBODY that's caught killing people. Surely we could bring up a grievance of our own, about this man, to Scourge?"
While speaking, Lorin is checking the man's injuries, and will attempt to bandage or stabilize Fipps if he is near death.