Ghilda, Jane and Barnabas II all have a vague hint of an infamous pirate who sailed the Shackles about twenty years back. Captain Alexandria Kent. The 'Bloody rose', she was said to have teamed up with two other captains and gone hunting a fabled lost treasure.
Who the other Captains were you don't know, clearly Alexandria didn't make it back. You've found her famous rapier though, and her part of the map.
You'll need to find more information on who Alexandria was with to find more of the map.
Jane looks at the symbols on the sword, "The Bloody Rose... I remember something my parents always complained about... Her and two... or was it three more pirates who teamed up." Jane tries to think harder... eventually sighing in frustration. "I can't remember any more.. sorry."
"Our first booty!" Marnir exclaims in excitement. "Looks a bit flimsy though." He looks around conspiratorially at the others." We should make sure we stash it somewhere before we get back. We don't want to lose this stuff, especially that map. Maybe we can hide it in a crab pot and sneak it into the kitchen?"
"Kung doesn't know Bloody Rose, but it good name. Sword looks nice, but so tiny. Is it good? Make lots of small holes in someone, I guess." The half-orc continues to tread water as the party discusses options.
"Oh, it makes lots of small holes like a thorn on rose, I get it!"
"The rapier is magic, perhaps it could be smuggled aboard inside a reefclaw. It is very valuable and recognizable, if caught an assumption might be made that you could be tortured for the location. "
Back on the Wormwood there is much pleasure at the Reefclaws, even Captain Harrigan looks almost happy. He congratulates the party and tosses a potion of Cure moderate wounds to Kung.
Jane is happy to be back on board. She will just chat a little with the other female gnome crew-mate. "Okay, remind me to learn how to swim. It's not fun almost drowning and eaten by our supper." hopefully the female know will laugh and they can be good friend.
After a while, Jane will try to talk to Shivikah. "Can you swim well?" without waiting too long for a reply, Jane jumps onto the rest of her sentence. "Even after living on boats most of my life, I never took the time to learn. Not many sailor do. Do you know why?"
@ Kung
"Save the potion lad, I can patch you up at least a little and a full belly and good rest will for the remainder."
Healing hex on Kung
@Louisiana
"I too have only my hex craft to aid my swimming, that and a water lung, but truth be told I am a poor swimmer."
Jane You shift Shivakah's attitude back to indifferent.
She looks at you when you ask her about swimming. "Lotta people think knowing how to swim will just prolong their death if they go overboard. Me, I think that's stupid, long as yer alive you got a chance."
Jane You shift Shivakah's attitude back to indifferent.
"Would you be able to teach me?"
Jane You shift Shivakah's attitude back to indifferent.
"Would you be able to teach me?"
Shivakah brushes your request off, but she's more relaxed around you now.
Kung gladly accepts Barnabus' healing, and pockets the potion for a later date. He will conceal this as he does the brass knuckles so that he has it at the ready whenever he needs it.
We move along several more days to day 14:
Day 14: Boarding School.
You are excused from your regular work today, as you are to be trained in boarding. This training is carried out under the watchful eye of Riaris Krine, the Wormwood’s master gunner. Krine’s skin is darkened from countless days on deck under the sun, and her nose has the appearance of having been broken several times over. One of her legs has been replaced with a wooden peg leg, the result of a wayward catapult shot that took off her leg below the knee.
She may be the most viletongued wench you have ever met, and her language makes Rosie Cusswell sound like a nun.
Grappling hooks are an essential part of piracy, used to grapple enemy ships and draw them closer for boarding. Being able to use them is therefore considered a vital pirate skill.
Krine orders the jolly boat on the main deck (area A3) to be launched at dawn for the day’s work. She takes two characters out at a time to instruct them in using grapples.
The exercise consists of the characters in the jolly boat throwing grapples onto the Wormwood from 40 feet away, tying the rope off, and then boarding the Wormwood by climbing along the rope.
To make it interesting, however, Krine has instructed four random crew members to hurl objects at the boarding characters in an attempt to knock them off, simulating a real attack.
Throwing a grappling hook (Core Rulebook 155) requires a ranged attack roll, treating the hook as a thrown weapon with a range increment of 10 feet. The Wormwood’s rail is AC 5. At 40 feet away, the PCs have a –6 on their attack rolls.
Once the hook is set, the PC must tie off the rope as a move action, then shimmy along the rope, requiring DC 15 Climb checks. As they climb, the four pirates aboard the Wormwood hurl a variety of rotting food, garbage, empty bottles, and buckets of bilgewater at the PCs. These items (which count as improvised weapons) do no damage, but any character struck must make a DC 10 Reflex save or lose his grip and fall into the water.
Krine is determined to make the characters learn this exercise. If any character fails to reach the Wormwood, she makes that character do it again, but this time alone, with the four pirates on the ship throwing things solely at that character.
Barnabas II
Ghilda
Jane
Kung
Marnir
Oh my. Jane & Ghilda are our first contestants.
You are taken out in the jolly boat and told to start.
Jack Scrimshaw, Giffer Tibbs, Barefoot Samms & Shivakah are given the pleasant task of pelting you with filth as you attempt to board ship.
Marnir spends the next few days keeping his head down and working hard, watching the crew go about their duties and sizing up the 'opposition' for when the inevitable confrontation comes.
When the time for boarding practice approaches Marnir sees the 'opposition' looking on expectantly, relishing the prospect of pelting him and his friends. "Ignore those troll-dicks," he says to Ghilda and Jane, "just concentrate on holding on."
Marnir spends the next few days keeping his head down and working hard, watching the crew go about their duties and sizing up the 'opposition' for when the inevitable confrontation comes.
When the time for boarding practice approaches Marnir sees the 'opposition' looking on expectantly, relishing the prospect of pelting him and his friends. "Ignore those troll-dicks," he says to Ghilda and Jane, "just concentrate on holding on."
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Ghilda will keep focused on her tasks as the day wears on, sensing that conflict is inevitable either within the crew or with other ships. Her suspicion is confirmed when she and Jane are summoned to the jolly boat. Wearing only her robes and the masterwork dagger, she drops down to the boat.
Chorley chitters encouragingly as Ghilda takes a grappling hook and heaves it at the Wormwood.
The hook reaches the gunwhale of the ship and stays secured. Ghilda begins to shimmy along the rope.
Halfway to the ship, Ghilda loses her grip and falls to the sea, to the delight of the onlookers.
Kung gathers with the others at the rail, a little bit disappointed that he couldn't try it first. He cheers on Ghilda and Jane, hoping they do well. He positions himself close to the four assailants, so that he can respond if they try anything underhanded.
"Yay Ghilda, yay Jane! Hold on tight!"
Clad in his full battle gear, with his beard and hair plaited and out of the way, Marnir waits nervously for his turn. He sees Ghilda do a fantastic job of grappling the ship then pulling herself along the rope. "Argh!" he cries in disappointment, seeing Ghilda get so close before losing her grip.
Jane
Jane
Jane
Jane
Ghilda, you have two more attempts at climbing before Krine gives up and changes who is in the jolly boat.
Kung groans seeing both Ghilda and Jane fall. He looks over at the four opposing pirates to see their reaction.
Ghilda swims back to the boat and clambers aboard. Ghilda heaves the grappling hook again.
[dice=Ranged Attack (Grappling Hook)]1d20 - 6
Ashamed, Ghilda tosses the hook again.
[dice=Ranged Attack (Grappling Hook)]1d20 - 6
Encouraged by her final accurate throw, Ghilda starts the trek on the rope to the ship.
[dice=Climb]1d20 + 3
[dice=Climb]1d20 + 3
[dice=Climb]1d20 + 3Back into the drink!
Yes, it's just the climb you need to reroll, the grappling hook is fixed on.
Barnabus watches the game as it happens, he is torn between the idea of just trying it and hoping he can make it without falling. A fall will reveal the powers of the flight hex....or to use the urban grace spell so he can look good......
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Feeling Krine's stare bore into her, Ghilda gathers her wits and lays herself on the rope, one leg on the rope behind her, with the other dangling down to try to balance her. Chorley grips her shoulders much like a dragon rider.
No matter, for Ghilda fails for the third time, yelping in despair as she holds the rope, feet in the water. She lets go, surfaces, and looks at Krine while treading water.
OK, time to switch, Riaris Krine gives both Jane and Ghilda her colorful, and unflattering opinion of your abilities. "Maybe when there's sharks under ya ye'll learn to hang on!"
Marnir and Kung get taken out in the boat and told to start.
Barnabus looks on, and thinking of the sharks nudges Ghilda.
"Do you know a spell that makes a person invisible to sharks? I think that spell might prove useful one day, maybe sooner rather than later."
Marnir checks that all of his equipment is properly secured, picks up the grappling hook to check it's heft, and starts to spin the rope. He launches the hook towards the ship, watching it fly though the air.
The hook bites into the ship's rail, and Marnir tugs the rope to make sure it's secure. He looks up at the vegetable-wielding pirates on the ship, then looks back at his friends on the boat. "Let's do this," he says with a smile, then swings himself onto the rope and begins to pull himself along.
He makes it halfway along the rope before a well-aimed apple cracks him across the head, causing him to lose his grip on the rope and go plummeting into the sea below.
Kung tries to put his best into his throw to catch the rail of the ship.
The hook bounces off the side of the ship near the rail. Kung reels it back in and gives it another toss.
It lands just over the rail and Kung pulls it tight. He ties it off on the dinghy and starts his climbing.
And he immediately falls into the water. He pulls himself back into the lifeboat and gives it another try.
He almost makes it to the ship but falls in as he's reaching for the rail to pull himself in.
Kung looks to Marnir before attempting his final climb. "Got a climbing song, friend?" He waits for Marnir to start singing/chanting before heading out on the rope again.
Climb: (10) + 5 = 15
Climb: (10) + 5 = 15
Climb: (10) + 5 = 15
Climb: (10) + 5 = 15
He moves slowly and carefully, using the inspiration of the skald's song to focus his efforts and to keep his grip strong.
"Not a song so much, but I wonder whether the saga of Linnorm King Tharin Tharinson will inspire you. He climbed the tallest tree in the Grungir Forest to battle the linnorm that lived atop it, in order to proclaim himself a Linnorm King."
Marnir begins to recite the epic, hoping to encourage a similar feat of climbing from Kung.
And make your own climb rolls as well.
Marnir's second attempt at the rope climb ends with a dunking as she slips from the rope before he's even made 10ft.
As does his third!
OK. That leaves Barnabas to make his tries.
Barnabus looks at the task at hand and decides to not use magic, so he takes the hook and throws for the ship....
Ranged touch grappling hook
The rope was under his foot he laughs and tries again
He ties the rope off and attempts to climb across....
Climb
He does very well until the last little bit, but manages to hold on and haul himself aboard....
"It throws better when your not standing on the rope."
Barnabas, your last roll was a failure. DC15 climb checks.
Barnabus nears the rail and loses his grip, he tumbles into the water....
With so many of his friends earning themselves a dunking, Marnir is beginning to hope that any boarding actions they find themselves in are more like those he took part in in the cold north - ships ramming each other and warriors climbing the bulwarks, rather than all this nonsense with ropes.
"Give my magic more time and I will just fly over and raid the ship on my own."
Barnabus returns to the boat checks his line and attempts the climb again....
Climb
And again
Barnabus shakes his head....
"It is not my way....."
Krine is not impressed by the teams showing.
The days continue for another week.
At this stage of the journey, the PCs and their allies and Scourge and his followers have become more polarized.
NPCs who are already hostile to the PCs can no longer be influenced by the PCs.
Mr. Plugg begins making more appearances at this point, taking a personal interest in the PCs, soundly abusing them, carefully noting each mistake for punishment, and generally bullying and trying to humiliate them.
With the exception of the cook’s mate, you should no longer roll for random tasks each day. From now on, Mr. Plugg assigns the PCs the worst duties or the duty they most hate every day.
Day 20.
Things are getting very tense now, Plugg and Scourge are actively trying to provoke an incident, becoming more and more overbearing and obvious about their hostility.
Before matters come to a head though there is a shout from Barefoot Samms in the crows nest. "Ship ahoy!" It's late afternoon and Captain Harrigan immediately turns the Wormwood to pursue its prey. As the evening wears on, the Wormwood gradually gains on the other ship, and by dawn, less than half a mile separates the two.
Day 21: Piracy!
You are about to get a taste of real piracy as the Wormwood closes in upon a Rahadoumi merchant vessel called the Man’s Promise.
As soon as she spots the Wormwood, the merchant ship flees, but her sails
are no match for those of the pirate ship, which closes over a period of 12 hours.
During the last hour, Captain Harrigan instructs Kroop and the PC cook’s mate to slaughter half a dozen pigs, slit their throats, and throw them overboard to attract sharks to the scene of the battle.
The Wormwood closes with the Man’s Promise and grapples it, allowing the Wormwood’s crew to board the Rahadoumi vessel.
As the Wormwood closes to within half a mile of the Man’s Promise, Riaris Krine summons the PCs to the Wormwood’s poop deck (area A2) to give them their task for the upcoming battle. The PCs’ orders are as follows.
“The ship’s wheel is on the aft deck, just below the sterncastle. You’re going to grapple over, kill the guards on the sterncastle, take the wheel, and guard the ship’s boats. Kill anyone who tries to
get away on one of the boats. Don’t move from the wheel until the fighting’s done, or you’ll have to answer to me. Oh yeah, as we get
close, it’s going to get foggy. Just stick to what I told you to do.”
Krine puts the PC who performed best in the boarding training in charge of the boarding party, (Kung).
The PCs can make a DC 15 Bluff or Diplomacy check to convince Krine of the importance of their mission and choose two NPC pirates to accompany them, but characters such as Grok, Kroop, and Owlbear are all busy elsewhere.
The PCs can choose two hostile or unfriendly NPCs if they wish, people do die in battle after all.