Randall will descend the ladder into the bilges first, turning around to offer Sandara a hand into the brackish water "Aahh, alone at last." he says with a mock leer in his eyes. More seriously he continues "I'm afraid I must apologize. It was my big mouth that got us assigned to this dreck duty, it's always getting me into all kinds of trouble and I feel bad that you got tarred with the same brush." Wading over to the pumps Randall looks nervously at the water around them "You don't suppose there are rats, do you? Other than the ones on deck, I mean" he says with a big grin on his face.
Randall will spend his shift manning the pumps with Sandara, telling stories and jokes or singing songs to make the work go faster. "So...what's your story? You're not the Captain's daughter or anything like that, are you? I don't think I want to go through that again." Randall asks once in passing, in an attempt to find out more information about the enigmatic redhead.
During their shift Randall will spend some time exploring the bilges, kicking around the water searching for any useful piece of flotsam or jetsam that may have found it's way down here.
At the end of the shift Randall climbs the ladder out of the bilges and, again, offers Sandara a hand. "A pleasure working with you, my lady. Parting tis such sweet sorrow, until we meet again" he says with a smile.
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Percival was about to avail himself to the red head with the tricorne hat but Randal moved faster causing the tall chelaxian to smirk. When the fellow (randal) got a much dirtier duty for his attempt Percival was glad he had waited. She certainly however was worth noting. Ordered to tend to the ropes almost made Percival smile, he did have some experiance on the deck of a ship, though he decided that he would keep that knowledge close to the vest at the moment. "Aye Aye Mr. Plugg." He said like he had been ordered to do so by the man a hundred times before. He had seriously been looking at joining a crew while he had been in the port before, there was no sense at the moment to get angry just yet.
I wouldnt have imagined that I would find a boat with so charming a woman aboard. Been here long my lady?" He would begin sharing small talk and innocent flirtations as he worked. Trying to just get to know the crew little by little.
After Xiakon put on some food He looks to his this 'Fishguts' and asks.
"So do you wish me to clean up about here a bit, you know scrounge around and maybe wrangle the goats and what not?" he says.
Lilly says nothing, and heads towards the hold to try and make some sense of the pest problem...in addition to finding some tasty snacks for Eyeball. He had flapped down on the rail near her when he saw her, squawking with delight, but she had given him one of the commands they shared, and he had he stood down.
Survival
Thought distracted by thoughts of freedom, and Eyeball, and maybe the aftereffects of the poison, she is not able to concentrate, and barely finds enough pests to get by. Hmmm. Nothing for Eyeball. I'll have to get a good nights sleep tonight, and do better tomorrow.
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Jaina
The sheer amount of work that the fiery-haired woman was putting in certainly didn’t go unnoticed, though with the sound of sails flapping and wood groaning as the waves lashed the side of the ship, it was difficult if not impossible for her to make out what it was that the other riggers might have to say to her about it over the matter.
When the bell rang at dusk, the other riggers began to descend from their positions and congregate on the main deck, the ratty-faced Halfling that she’d seen earlier who’d helped ‘escort’ them abovedecks walked close to her for a moment and said, “Meet winnae kip some’o yer coal in the stoove bournin’ sloo lassie! Ootherwise yee’ll nae haf th’steam tae kip uh like tha’ foor tae long, eeh?” before moving away from her and heading to talk to a human woman with long, braided black hair wearing a long-sleeved white blouse and purple pants with no boots on.
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Radval
During his time spent scrubbing and running holystones over the main deck, Radval was able to avail himself of several extended looks into the Captain's quarters, which the rugged Garundi had left the door open to, without drawing the watchful eye of either Mr. Plugg or Master Scourge. The interior had a relatively sumptuous mattress atop a wooden bed, and four portholes inside helped give enough light for him to see the intricate carvings of krakens eating whales along the walls. His viewing time also let him see two other important things of note: a large, ornate metal chest at the foot of the bed, and what looked like a staircase descending into mid-ship before the door was closed by a dark-haired young woman as she passed it.
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Percival
A slightly older human woman, possibly in her early thirties, was mending some sails as Percival worked diligently on knotting rope and laughed out loud when he said what he did, looking around for a moment to make sure nobody was watching. Her otherwise pretty face was slightly lined, with a slightly reddened nose that her cheeks started to match at his compliment. Pushing a shock of her short, unruly brown hair out of her eyes, she said, “My lady? Where d’you think we are, the opera or something? Name’s Tilly Brackett, and aye, been on here ‘bout a week, almost two maybe? Days sorta bleed together when you’re sailing about! Didn’t mean t’join up, but the rum’s strong and the work’s not so bad, so I can’t complain. Don’t want to have the wrong people overhearin’ if you do anyhow, haw haw!”
Though she wasn’t overly chatty, she did have a few things to say about growing up in Port Peril and taking onto a ship in her youth as the two passed each other during their work. Seeing he was a bit worn-out as the dusk bell rang to signal the end of the work-day, she slapped his backside as they headed to congregate with the others for the Bloody Hour and said, “Hopefully you’ve got more stamina than that when it counts, Mr. Fancy! Be a shame to see a queer bit of talent like you disappoint and what-not, especially what with how good your hands seem to work.”
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Xiakon
“Aye, laddie,” the cook bellowed, “round ‘em up if ye’d be a dear, ‘nd get some bowls out fer suppertime. Last thing we wanna do is keep Cap’n Harrigan waitin’ or what have ye. Man’s not t’be trifled with.” While the cook was still busying himself with making the fish stew for the evening’s meal, Xiakon’s wandering eyes settled on a tremendously sharp and well-made looking blade with a wooden handle that’d been stained a bright turquoise and bore a tiny garnet at the end of its hilt, and it was a relatively easy matter to tuck it into the folds of his clothing.
After locating another loose knife, Xiakon was in the midst of grabbing it and secreting it away as he’d done the other one when a tremendously strong grip wrapped around his wrist, slamming his hand down onto a cutting board and causing the knife to skitter away, followed seconds later by a cleaver the size of a handaxe slamming down between two of his fingers as the cook loomed over him. “Now ye listen here, laddie!” the man said in a tense but quiet tone, his normally glassy eyes focused and his pupils down to pinpricks. “If ye need t’borrow sommat from here, ye ask, ye got me?! Ye’ve got one o’ the cushest jobs aboard ‘nd here ye are takin’ lib… takin’ chances.” Shaking his head as he lifted the axe back up, he added, “Theft aboard’ll get ye lashes, then a good keelhaulin’ if yer not careful! They’re doin’ poor Jakes tonight, may the Lady ha’ mercy on his soul!”
Leaning in even closer, the smell of strong rum reeked as Kroop said, “Ye see, it’s poison, this ship, but don’t let anyone hear ye say it aloud. The hull listens, see, and the Cap’n hears it all. Poison the Wormwood is, though, rotten to the core. Ye’ll not meet a more nasty, sour piece of work than Cap’n Harrigan in all yer days at sea, and his crew’s the same, ’specially the first mate, Mr. Plugg. Vicious little sod, he is. He’d take his own mother’s liver to the butcher to make pies with, he would. But they leave me alone, mostly. They know I can’t ’arm ’em. Make sure they think the same of ye.”
Letting go of Xiakon’s wrist, he heard footsteps and turned as an attractive woman with dark hair and a patch over her right eye said, “You got the chow ready, Fishguts, or will Scourge have to put you and the beak-face to the lash?” Ladling out a bowl of stew for the woman to taste and handing it over, Kroop watched as the woman held it up to her mouth with both hands and took a taste, only to spit it out on the floor. “Criminy, did you leave any damn spices left for tomorrow? Tastes like an arse!” Slamming the bowl down, she stalked off as Kroop wrapped a length of cloth around the handle of the cauldron of stew. Looking exasperated, he motioned for Xiakon to grab some bowls as a bell rang up above decks and said, “Come on ‘en, laddie, best t’get up there ‘nd face the music. Then ye can have some drinks ‘nd go t’sleep t’try and ferget this horrible place.”
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Lilly
Despite her best efforts, a number of the smaller rats and insects that she attempted to catch found various nooks and crannies to hide in, keeping her from making as much of a dent in the vermin population as she would’ve liked. Around the late afternoon, as she missed another rat that went scurrying behind a barrel, she could hear the click of footsteps, and a woman with short, sleek dark hair wearing a red tunic with a corset over it, a long coat, and sailing boots, an eyepatch over her right eye, snorted, “Stupid slag! Bet you’ve been eatin’ ‘em when you catch ‘em, haven’t you?” as she breezed by and headed into the galley area. An hour or two later, she could hear the ringing of a bell upstairs, and heard someone call from abovedecks that it was time for the Bloody Hour, and to get their useless arses topside unless they wanted a whipping.
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Randall
As they got down into the hold and got to work, the red-headed woman snorted at the bard’s comment about being the Captain’s daughter and said, “No, ye’ve my assurances, I’m no more the Cap’n’s daughter as ye are Mr. Plugg’s boy. As fer rats, only yer usual kind, nothin’ too afrightful from what I’ve seen. What ye’ve gotta worry about down here is the spiders. Little bastards’ll drop down and bite ye if ye’re not careful. As it is, I been in here enough times over the past week or such that is ain’t no big thing, t’tell the truth. This isn’t me first time on a ship, nor’ll it be me last if Besmara’s got anything to say on the matter.”
While she was working the pump and Randall was doing a little exploring, there was the sound of chains rattling at the aft-section of the ship and a groan, and she stopped pumping, turning and speaking to the darkness. “Aye, Jakes, ye poor bastard, ye’ll wanna hold yer breath tonight and try to bounce as much as possible. If there be anything left of ye, I’ll see to it that yer fightin’-fit for tomorrow. I’ll be prayin’ for ye, ye barmy sod!” Turning back and looking to Randall, who still couldn’t see who else was in the bilges, she murmured, “Poor bugger got caught stealin’ twice now, and he’s got a quick keelhaulin’ comin’ to him tonight. Ship this big, that’s a tough sentence. Name’s Sandara, by the way. You’re one’a the ones what Scourge isn’t fond of, right? Works good enough for me. Bloody pervert put me down here today ‘cause I wouldn’t let him get into my knickers.”
When the faint sound of a bell ringing above was heard, she let go of the bilge pump she’d been working and said, “Time for the Bloody Hour. Come find me after supper belowdecks. Think I have a few things that might cheer ye and yer friends up some,” before she started to head up and join the throng on the main deck.
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As dusk was rapidly approaching, the crew was gathered above decks as Master Scourge brought a young man, still clapped in irons, up from the bilges. The jaunty sailing outfit he was wearing was stained with bilge-water, and as a rope was wrapped around his wrists and ankles, tears were streaming down his face. While Scourge guided him towards the end of the ship, Mr. Plugg said, “Jakes Magpie, for bein’ an unrepentant thief, you’ve been sentenced to a slow keelhaulin’! May Besmara have mercy on your soul!” A few of the crew took up the lines as Jakes was pushed over the side, a loud and terrified scream coming from his mouth before there was a splashing sound in the water below. Plugg, especially, seemed to relish the slow pull of the rope line as they worked the unfortunate sailor from one end of the ship, across the underside, and then up around the other end. What emerged as a ragged mess of torn clothing, skin, and sinew that was quite obviously dead, and after the ropes and manacles were undone, the corpse was unceremoniously pushed back over the side of the ship.
After a somewhat unsatisfying supper consisting of fish stew with far too much spice and a couple of the crew finding feathers in their bowls, several of the ship’s crew decided to punish the cook and his mate. A huge, hefty man with the face of a pig and a burly half-orc with a resplendent muttonchop beard both struck Kroop with the sealed ends of a rope; the foppish gnome that they’d seen earlier tried the same on Xiakon, but the tengu cook’s mate nimbly dodged the attack, the rope sailing an inch or so over his head. A husky woman’s voice could be heard as a tall, lanky half-orc came up from the hold, carrying a bucket full of the rum rations, and began to hand out half-filled bottles to the crew as she hollered, “Drink up, drink up, it’s good for what ails ya!”
Once the ration was consumed, the crew began to head below-decks, and Sandara tapped Randall on the shoulder as they descended towards the lower hold where the crew would be bunked, saying, “Should be a sack with a couple’a hammocks for ye and yer mates, so they can bunk up. Grab yerselves keys from the lockers so ye can stow yer gear without anybody messin’ with it.”
Jaina barely acknowledges the halfling's remark about 'slow-burning coal'. Still, she did concede that he had a point.
Perhaps an early night is in order...
---------------------------------------------
The keelhauling certainly made an impression on Jaina; considering the ragged mess that used to be Jakes Magpie looked like it had been chewed up by sharks, it was good enough incentive to refrain from theft.
She didn't think much of the spices used for the stew. When other crewmen started bellyaching & b**ching about how spicy it was, she just drank it down.
You'd think the Captain took on a crew of toddlers, from all the whining. It isn't even that spicy--WHAT. THE. F**K.
The feel of a feather in her mouth causes her to spit out what little of the stew she had left into her bowl. It was a black feather, stained from both the stew and her saliva.
She snorts derisively and tosses the feather overboard. She finishes her bowl, but not before giving Xiakon a dirty look.
A small smirk is on her face when the gnome takes a swing at the tengu with a rope and misses.
--------------------------------------------
The rum was strong, but Jaina had worse. Sure, combined with her aching muscles it made her feel like weights were tied to her limbs, but aside from that she felt herself loosen up a little.
Eh, might as well chat up the rat-faced one. At least he bothered to acknowledge me.
Not quite certain as to what sort of mood the rat-faced halfling was in, Jaina brazenly approaches him. Perhaps a little too much liquid courage was used here.
"Stew was bloody awful, wasn't it?" Jaina asks, taking a seat next to him. Might as well start with something everyone could agree on.
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"In my experiance miss Tilly, being good with one's hands is often enough to sastisfy. I must admit it has been a trying first day what with the pressganging and all. He added a wink when she slapped at his backside.
The keelhauling was certainly a sobering moment, but thieves who got caught got what they deserved in his mind. It did seem a bit too extreme in his mind but he also knew that sometimes examples had to be set. That poor sod just happened to be unlucky enough to be the example. Still, he would watch carefully which way the particular winds blew on this ship. He liked his back unlashed and whole at the moment.
When he ate the fish stew Percival did his best to not make too many faces. He had eaten worse, and the feathery additions were easily enough avoided. It did make him grin though. "At least Feathers are easier to find than stray hairs in your food." His tone was good natured. He glanced about feeling tired of course very tired but chatty enough to want to get the lay of the land so to speak a bit more.
"A fellow with fine tastes indeed aboard with me on this vessal. Where might you be from good sir? Percival begins, once more just looking to get a bit of background on the fellow and perhaps make a few more faces friendly on the vessal.
The idiots are already doing my job for me Thought the grey eyed young man as he watched what these pirates took for an execution, his memory taking him away for but a few moments to his past; it was an execution not so different from this one, only differences were the captain and the ship. A frown made its way to Radval's face as he recalled Kaven, and seeing whatever was left of Jake didn't help his mood either.
It was then that he was roughly handed a bottle of rum, and he knew all too well what the true purpose of this was Somethings never change...at least I never had to drink it as a child He once more thought back to his unpleasant childhood, as he shuffled through the crowds, while trying not draw any attention to himself. Upon reaching an edge of the deck that was inhabited by a shadowy gloom he dumped the contents of the bottle into the sea. Once he was done he placed both his hands on the railing and stared out into the sky, Radval was not quite ready to handle the sight of drunken pirates yet...he knew he needed what few moments of serenity he could muster before returning back to his present life.
"Rest assured, I will look you up again Sandara." Randall says somewhat bemusedly.
Sickened by the sight of what's left of the thief, Randall sends a quick prayer to the Pirate Queen for the repose of his soul. The look of joy on Mister Plugg's face set his hackles up "Sadistic little bastard, that one. Need to keep on my toes around him lest I end up like poor Jakes there."
Settling down on the deck, Randall grabs a bowl of stew and begins wolfing it down. The mix of spices make the food almost inedible but he finishes the bowl off anyway "Food is food" he thinks to himself until coming across the remains of a feather in his bowl. Holding it up for the Tengu to see Randall raises an eyebrow and asks jokingly "A friend of yours, Xiakon?"
Taking the bottle from the half orc Randall takes a few swigs fully intending to dump the alcohol as soon as possible until he notices Master Scourge eyeing him from the sterncastle. Raising the bottle in salute he downs it in one gulp instantly regretting his false bravado.
Light headed Randall makes his way below deck with the rest of the crew but stops when Sandara taps him on the shoulder. "What gear? Bastards took it when they shanghai'ed us" he tells her, his words definitely slurred by the rum.
Taking Sandara's words to heart Randall grabs a spare hammock and claims an empty footlocker for himself. As the crew settles into their evening habits Randall stands atop his footlocker and holds his hands high "Ladies and Gentlemen, and those of us somewhere in-between. Here's a little ditty my pappy taught me when I was little.
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We kindle and char, inflame and ignite,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
We burn up the city, we're really a fright,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
We're rascals, scoundrels, villans, and knaves,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We're beggars and blighters, ne'er-do-well cads,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho."
Rand's voice singing out the sea shanty causes Jaina's ears to perk up. The fatigue plaguing her muscles practically melts away. A smile is on her face. A rare one, in fact.
Sure, it wasn't the best. But it certainly wasn't the worst, either.
She looks back to the halfling.
He looked at 'Fishguts' and shook his head. He looked to the run in his cup and shrugged as he took it and than gave it a quick look and downed it in a weird almost inhuman way.
"I swear it must be that kitchen, it is completely unorganized, I will get better I assure you"Xiakon says as he stands near Rand.
"Infact I think I will go talk with 'Fishguts' and see where I went wrong and improve, as well as clean a bit"he says after the song and walks down to the kitchen in hopes to get time with Kroop.
"Not my best work." Randall says as he gets down off the locker "Would've been better if I had my concertina." he shakes his head ruefully, as he heads over to Sandara's berth.
"True to my word" Randall says as he sits on a nearby hammock. "You said earlier that you might have some of the items that were taken from myself and the others?" he asks expectantly.
Randall will then spend the rest of the evening wandering around the hold, telling jokes and bawdy stories before settling in for the evening.
Although his timing seems to be off from the effects of the rum "As the Gods as my witness I will never, ever drink again...until the next time."
As the rum ration is passed out Lilly, expecting this all along works her way towards Xiakon, and whispers to him. "Have you noticed that little runt dinosaur flying about the boat...well he's my friend". "If you could somehow find it in your heart to toss him a few fish heads after clean up I'd be in your debt".
She then quaffs the rum in one swallow with her eyes only tearing up a bit.
Fortitude save
Fatigue {1?}
Charisma {1?}
Lilly decides to turn in early tonight, and see if she can do a better job tomorrow.
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Jaina
Despite the alcohol giving her a slightly floating feeling for a few moments, it wasn’t too hard for Jaina to find the halfling fellow, already kipped up in his hammock near the aft side of the hold and enjoying a nice bit of pipeweed. As she approached him, he offered her a bit of a smile and folded up the small clapbook that he’d been reading, a few naughty sketches of short females visible to Jaina as he shut it. “Ach, lassie,” he said with a bit of a slurred voice, “bloody bit’a crah indid, buh I cannae compleen too mooch, as me belleh was queet impteh innae ferst pleece, knowhaahmeen?” Turning so he had his short legs hanging off of the hammock, he snapped his fingers quietly as the human started to sing his chanty song and continued drawling. “Name’s Bertram Rattsboorger, lass, boot most people, ‘ey joost call me Ratty, on accoont what I ‘parently look like a rat or sommat. Soorry, I dinnae catch yuirs earlier, busy woorkin’ ‘n all’at, but I hasta see, yuir quite good’a what y’do. Y’been on a sheep afore?”
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Percival
The gnome, who was watching as a drinking game was starting up between the pig-faced human who apparently never wore a shirt and the mutton-chopped half-orc, turned his head to Percival, pulling on one of the ends of his heavily-waxed blue mustache with a slightly irritated expression. “The area of my mother’s undercarriage, tall sir! Now, I was espying a quick looking-at of my dearly beloved Rosie Cusswell, good fellow,” he said, pointing to the muscular halfling woman whom Percival had seen above-decks prior that day, “but now it would appear that I am currently holding a less-than-enjoyable discourse with you, wouldn’t it? I’d rather be bunked up in a swinging hammock with my Rosie, or better yet, somewhere that didn’t reek of fish and stale sweat. But it would seem that none of us get what we truly desire in this life, wouldn’t it?”
When Randall returned to his hammock, he would find that someone had slipped his chain shirt and the accompanying padding that went beneath it inside.
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Radval
When he’d gone to pour his rum ration overboard, Radval had hardly finished pouring it when he saw the human woman with big ears and freckles that he’d seen once or twice above-decks staring daggers at him, and she disappeared after a few moments, lost in the crowd of bodies until Radval spotted her again… talking to Master Scourge and pointing in his direction.
Despite the noise in the bottom hold of the ship, it was a relatively simple matter for him to fall asleep and slumber only slightly fitfully until the next morrow.
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Randall
Though it wasn’t exactly the reception that he was used to having, Randall’s shanty was well enjoyed by the various scallywags and scoundrels assembled in the hold, and he received a mildly enthusiastic bunch of claps, hoots, and hollers after he’d finished. His joking didn’t go over quite as well, however, and for the most part, he was ignored by the others as they set about doing what they wanted, though he did receive a few laughs for his troubles.
Sandara had slipped away after he’d asked about the things that she’d mentioned earlier, and as she came back, she had a bundle in her arms wrapped in a piece of sail. Keeping her back to the others, she lifted the cloth off of the top of the bundle, and inside was Randall’s concertina, as well as a chain shirt that seemed too large for him. “Figure ye’ll play much better’n tonight even, though I’ve gotta hand it to ye, yer pretty good without. Asides, anybody who ain’t a friend’a Scourge’s a friend’a mine, ‘nd it seems he don’t like ye or any o’ the newcomers one lick. We’ll talk more soon, lemme go get this beauty where she belongs.” Without another word, Sandara’s flaming hair whipped behind her as she moved away to take what she’d recovered to its rightful owner.
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Xiakon
After Lilly had something to say to him, Xiakon had to pick his timing carefully, as he quickly found that Ambrose Kroop wasn’t bunked up with the rest of the swabs and riggers down in the bottom hold. After letting the half-orc woman who’d been doling out the rum rations past, he slipped upstairs and found Kroop, dead asleep in a stone-cold drunken stupor, on one of the beds in a small room near the galley. A fat black hen waddled over towards him and clucked strangely, in a fashion that almost sounded like it saying, “Go back down!” before it jumped onto the cook’s bed and snuggled up next to him.
But hens couldn’t talk, right? That’s crazy!
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Lilly
The noise in the hold was enough to make her not want to rest initially, but aided by a bit of the liquor that she’d drank, Lilly managed to start snoozing right after she saw the half-orc woman with the throat scar who’d been handing out rum rations earlier come down with more in a bucket and say, “Ten pieces on Fipps! Sorry Jape, half-orc sol’darity ‘nd whatnot, but tha’ fat bastard can hold his rum, har har!”
About an hour after she’d started resting, she felt a large weight press against her back for a moment as Eyeball came into the hold and snuggled up underneath where her hammock was hanging, her companion’s head brushing her for a moment.
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As the bell chimed for the crew to awaken and get up above-deck for their daily duties, the new group of recruits started to ready themselves as well, only to find their passage blocked by four of the crew: the freckle-faced human woman with the shrill voice, the pig-faced and shirtless human man, the quiet half-orc male with the muttonchops, and a pale-faced human woman with silken long hair and pallid skin, her eyes cruel-looking, wearing an old-looking dress, black corset, and red vest who glared at them sullenly. The fat human male piped up and said, “Heheheh, where d’you think you’re goin’?” The other three fanned out to block the stairwell as he continued speaking. “Put your mitts up, ‘cause we’re gonna take the stuffin’ right out of you!”
"On a sheep? No. On a ship? Yes. Quite a few times, in fact." Jaina says, swaying slightly. "Incidentally, I'm Jaina. Been plying these waters for a while. Kinda was in between ships before now."
Well, the rum is doing its job loosening her up well enough.
----------------------
Jaina rolls her eyes as her hand slips into her pocket, her brass knuckles sliding firmly into her hand. The eye-rolling doesn't look particularly intimidating.
"Fine. You want to do this the hard way?" She says to the fat one.
Her fist, brass knuckles included, snaps out...
"'Cause I think you have more than enough stuffing for the whole f**king ship."
Randall begins to try talking their way out of a fight, until Jaina sucker punches the fat one in the gut "Well, no hope for it now" he says as he takes a swing at the pirate nearest him.
Looking somewhat sheepish,he shrugs his shoulders "What can I say? I'm a lover not a fighter. Speaking of which, not in the face, please."
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The little gnome fellow certainly seemed a bit disagreeable but then again he couldnt fault the man. When he pointed out the lovely halfling lass Percival smiled. A worthy desire indeed good sir, I cry your pardon for interupting you. Merely looking to make a seamless transition aboard the ship if you well. Good eve and good luck. He finished turning away. The tall Chelaxian was a little sullen now, He hadnt expected things to be easy getting to know the crew but... He should stick with the womanfolk... he was mostly good with women.
The discovery of his chain shirt in his hammock made him smile and he hastily slid his coat of and slid it on, replacing his coat to keep it mostly hidden. He felt a bit safer with it on of course... He would have to discover whom did this and repay them for their efforts.
****Morning****
Percival frowned as the group made their way forward to intimidate them. He would have loomed and threatened them a bit, but he wasnt that surprised that the quick moving fiery looking woman moved as fast as she did. Well if they wanted a fight...
My lady blonde i think you would be better off sitting to side of this, no sense mussing those pretty features." Percival offered with a wink as he waded in, throwing a very large haymaker at the pig faced one as well
Xiakon looks for a Cook book. Once he locates one he begins to read it until he falls asleep.
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Morning gets up and after taking a little stroll below deck to look for his former detainees. he seeks to find them. As he reaches the stairs he looks at the men and cocks his head all bird style.
"I have a beak, and I can peak your eyes out if you wish, In fact if you don't mind I might use them to improve the stew" He says standing at the bottom of the stairs looking at them
"Whoops"!" "Looks like I missed one yesterday". Lilly, looks and points at the area behind the men.
Then in a whisper "Eyeball". "Stay".
Seeing the blonde woman informing scourge of Radval's actions made the young sorcerer release a mental sigh, he would most likely have to face some kind of punishment in the morning but for now, he would try and get some sleep...
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Having woken up reasonably better than the first time he found himself on this ship, the black haired teen decided to walk about the ship and utilize this chance to relax himself before he would probably be called to perform whatever labor his captor's saw fit for him to perform. As he walked to the edge of the ship, he stopped and stared at the ship's railing, his memory showed an image of a pale boy who easily walked on the railing, without even having to worry about his balance If I'd known I would end up on a pirate ship again I would have kept practicing He thought as he placed his hand the wooden barrier that supposed to keep people from falling to their watery end.
The sound of his fellow prisoners caught his ears, he debated whether or not to join them, but in the end he decided to at least walk with them. If he had learned anything from his time as a slave its that a pirate crew usually broke up into different gangs and groups especially if the crew was large, even if they all listened to the captain...most of the time anyway, they still gathered together for mutual protection from enemies you were bound to make on such vessels.
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Radval didn't expect this ambush, he expected to be punished for what he did but he didn't think that these pirates would lump all of the newcomers into said punishment, and like most disagreements between pirates violence reared its ugly head pretty quickly. The pale sorcerer considered unleashing a blaze of flames before these pirates decided to go for something besides fisticuffs, but then he remembered the words of Percival...and despite how much he hated the older man's opinion, he knew that it would mean a more likely chance that they'd survive.
Noticing the pirate that the warrior was engaging, Radval focused a small amount of arcane energy and started with a simple illusion, if all worked as intended the pirate Percival was fighting would hear the sounds of someone dashing towards him with no hint of slowing down.
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Jaina
The rat-faced halfling looked entirely pleased by her introduction and said, "S'ae yoonique name, innit? Jaina, Jaina... well, Jaina, well meet indid, 'nd I'll be meekin' sure tae kip an oi out fer yiu abooveboords. We riggers gorr stick toogeether, aye!"
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Xiakon
With a little bit of rummaging in the galley, Xiakon was able to find an immense cookbook of Chelish origin, though written in the common trade tongue, that gave him a number of wonderful ideas for shortcuts in cooking and delicious recipies.
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Fight!
Initiative order is as follows:
Jaina (Swift, get it?)
Fipps Chumlett, the fat piggy-faced human male
Xiakon
"Slippery" Syl Lonegan, the pale and scowly human woman
Percival, Randall, and Jaundiced Jape, the mutton-chopped half-orc male
Radval and Arietta Bansion, the big-eared, freckly human woman
Lilly
As the fisticuffs began, Jaina said, "Fine. You want to do this the hard way?" before her arm lashed out. Her strike was sure and quick, and as she buried her fist deep into the ample belly of the man, she smartly commented, "'Cause I think you have more than enough stuffing for the whole f**king ship."
Angered and holding his stomach, Fipps hollered, "Ye daffy b!!@#!" and swung at Jaina with his left hand, her as she ducked underneath the blow, and smashing her brass-knuckled fist into his face so hard that his nose broke with an audible pop, covering her in a spray of spit, blood, and a few newly-removed teeth. In the span of a second, he had collapsed into a chubby pile on the ground, breathing raggedly.
As Xiakon postured and threatened the three remaining crew members by saying, "I have a beak, and I can peak your eyes out if you wish, In fact if you don't mind I might use them to improve the stew", his words seemed to faze nobody at all, and indeed, the dark-haired woman snickered at him as she aimed a kick between his legs , grunting in frustration as his thigh blocked her kick harmlessly.
Glancing at his unconscious friend, the mute half-orc scowled as he saw Percival moving in close, and swung a at Percival as Percival's haymaker missed its mark. Percival managed to evade the blow at the last second, and his opponent's lack of experience in the sweet science of hand-to-hand brawling opened up an opportunity for Percival to drive an into the soft skin beneath the half-orc's jaw and snapping his head back hard. The blow distracted the half-orc enough that he completely missed Randall's swing at him, though the statement "What can I say? I'm a lover not a fighter. Speaking of which, not in the face, please," drew the half-orc's squinty-eyed attention, but only for a moment.
Staggering back, the man's head twisted as he a noise that made him crane his now-aching neck with great concern. The timing needed to cast his spell left Radval open, however, as the freckle-faced woman lunged at him, swinging her balled-up right fist wildly but the dark-haired sorcerer by a mile as he felt a cool breeze move before his face.
With the general insanity going on, nobody directly saw Lilly's spell happen as she shouted, [b]"Whoops"! Looks like I missed one yesterday!", and her dire rat appeared between the tall half-orc male currently fighting with Percival and Randall, and the dark-haired woman who'd tried a cheap shot on Xiakon. The rat, freaked out by all the feet around it, at the dark-haired woman's feet but couldn't break through the leather of her boots.
Jaina gives 'Ratty' a grin.
"So, how'd you get aboard? On your own two feet or were you dragged on?" She asks, swaying with the ship before leaning against the wall.
"Because I kind of picked a fight with a press-gang. Hey, they were harassin' some local kid or other who looked like he was fresh from his mother's skirts."
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Jaina grins as she feels the spray of blood on her face. She missed that feeling... it was almost as fulfilling as the spray of the sea.
Just as salty, too. Ew.
"Cute. You ready to start fighting for real?" She says as she turns her attention to the freckle-faced b**tch who took a swing at Radval. Her fist (brass knuckles included) swung out at the freckled one...
Jaina smirks. "I'll take that as a 'no'."
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[on his inititive]
It was obvious to him that these pirates had come down her looking for an easy mark, that or they were just really really bad when it came to unarmed combat. He was certainly glad he had spent hours with the guard captain growing up learning how to defend himself. The rat half startled him. and he took a five foot step closer to the sorcerer while at the same time offering an olive branch to their opponents... in a way.
Collect up your fallen friends here mates before we decide to ugly up you all.
Randall will spin low, trying to knock the legs out from under the half-orc.
As the man lands on his back with a thud Randall will whisper conspiratorially "I'd stay down, if I were you. Otherwise "Crazy" Jaina is going to kill you. Just look at the bloodlust in her eyes."
Turning to face the others he says in a louder voice "Let's say we call this one a draw and let it go at that. None of us want to be late for muster, and us only on our second day, now do we?"
Grey eyes widened as a punch that had promised to redecorate his face, flew past its mark, the affect it had on the wind caused his black hair to shift very slightly Focus He screamed at himself mentally as he turned to face the the freckle-faced woman preparing himself to retaliate but then he saw Jaina lash out at her with a mean looking swing.
Radval was unused to being helped, and it showed by how long his attention was focused on the tall woman before he recalled that they were still in a fight, it was then he noticed Percival edging closer to him and begin trying to defuse the situation with words Is he trying to lead by example? Wondered the sorcerer, his face still expressionless save for a minor frown But I won't be taken unaware if he fails Thought Radval before turning towards his freckled attacker.
Xiakon seeks to take down the woman who tried to kick him. Reaching up to grapple her. When he has her he places his beak next to her eye and speaks." Maybe you would look better with an eye patch"
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After saying, "Cute. You ready to start fighting for real?", Jaina stepped in and swung her lethally-trained fist with an aim to subdue and not kill her target, her blow landing right between the cheekbone and nose of the freckle-faced woman and sending her spinning with the impact as Jaina quipped, "I'll take that as a no". With the fat man down on his face and oozing blood, Xiakon attempted to grip the dark-haired woman who'd attacked him as he said, "Maybe you would look better with an eye patch", but she slipped between his outstretched arms, popping back up and whipping her head for an attempted and then following it up with another that collided with the tengu's chest, knocking the wind out of him for a second and sure to leave a nice bruise as she said, "Maybe I'll make a cloak outta ye!"
Looking enraged but lacking a voice to demonstrate his anger, the mutton-chopped half-orc male lashed out at Percival with a backhand, even as Randall was ducking down to sweep the half-orc's legs out from under him. A greenish-tinged missed Percival's face by a mile, slapped away by the Chelish strongman as he countered with a straight jab from his non-guarding hand in a that only missed as the half-orc's legs were scythed out from under him, causing him to nearly land atop his unconscious, piggy-faced chum. Randall's warning made the half-orc's eyes go wide, but the sly bard's suggestion to the others went more or less unheeded by the others in the fracas.
The numbing discharge of frost that came from Radval's outstretched hand hit the wood of the nearby staircase before its energy dissipated, but for all the freckle-faced woman knew, it'd never even happened. Howling a nasty curse at Jaina, she lashed out with her hand outstretched, with her fingernails and just barely missing the ifrit warrior-woman's face. As a reflex, Jaina ducked backwards, her arm snapping out and at her but missing in the chaos.
By now, it's becoming obvious that the fight is decidedly one-sided in her team's favor. How it is the pirates trying to fight them haven't decided to cut and run by now, Jaina doesn't know.
What she does know, however, is that fighting them was boring.
She sighs and swings again at the freckled one, her knuckledusters spattered with blood...
"You're boring the s**t out of me." At this point, it's obvious that she isn't even trying anymore.
Randall motions for the downed half orc to stay still as he tries to trip the woman fighting Xiakon.
Xiakon coughs and sends his fist out to try and connect with her stomach
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"You should have ran. Now i have to strike a lady." The well built and tall chelaxian said sounding like he was lamented that choice. He ignored the fellow sprawled atop his friend on the ground and took a short (five foot step is possible) step to flank the woman with the bird. He struck out with his fist aiming to hopefully incapacitate her with one simple blow.
I would suggest we hasten to the deck. Go! The broad chelaxian suggested, though it almost sounded like an order to his press-ganged friends. He didnt appear to be moving to exit, he was going to make sure they got out first.
The wave of chaos that surrounded Radval soon became a typhon, as more fists flew, people fell and he even thought he witnessed a headbutt thrown in. Looking about himself once more, Radval did his best to remain out of reach as he quickly considered what he should do next; once more he considered simply letting loose with a blast of flame, but knew that he would probably end up hitting his allies as well, what collateral damage he'd cause to the ship was welcome though.
Before he could act the young sorcerer held back his aggression, reminding himself that he had other options besides mindlessly assaulting his foes, his time amongst Kaven's pirates had taught him the usefulness of guile and trickery and Radval knew that this battle called for just that.
Shifting his feet towards Jaina's opponent, he crouched down as if he was about to lunge at the woman with the broken nose, but relented at the last second and kept watch over her reaction.
Feeling very uncomfortable with all the verbal jousting, and the chaos below decks, Lilly spends one round making sure that Eyeball is well hidden in a protected area, then steps forward going full defensive, and ready to help out any wounded comrades.
Round #3:
Jaundiced Japes, the half-orc, begins to get up from the floor until he hears Randall's whispered warning and seeing the wild look in Jaina's eyes thinks better about it and stays prone on the floor.
Jaina's punch catches Slippery Syl square on the jaw accompanied by the sound of breaking bone. Randall's attempt to trip the woman go unnoticed by the two battling women. Radval attempts to distract Jaina's opponent also go unheeded as the two women remained focused on each other. Wiggling her jaw to make sure it's not broken, Syl spits out a cracked tooth before hissing in fury "You're going to pay for that, b**&$." as she strikes back at the Ifriti woman
Unfortunately her wild swing leaves her open to Jaina's counter punch
which sprawls her out on the deck unconscious.
As Percival steps over the unconscious body of the loudmouthed Fipps Chumlett to engage the woman fighting Xiakon, the Tengu attempts to land a punch in the woman's midsection just as she turns to face the approaching Chelaxian causing his strike to miss its target. Expressing his regrets Percival lands a solid blow to the woman's shoulder spinning her to face him.
Aretta brings a knee up to connect with Percival's inner thigh, missing the family jewels by a hairsbreadth. All trace of regret vanishes as he responds by punching the woman in the solar plexus.
Causing the air to rush from from her lungs.
Jaina's face stung a bit from Syl's wild swing. No technique, no thought put into it. Just wade in and start throwing punches. Easily punished. Deplorable.
Looking over at the remaining combatants, she shrugs her shoulders. "You guys have fun. I'm going to work."
With that, she steps over Fipps' and Syl's unconscious bodies and heads above deck.
The pure shock and surprise that stormed didn't show a single bit upon the scowling face of Radval, he couldn't believe that Jaina simply walked away from this fight What is going on through her head?!Thought the sorcerer before turning his attention to the only fight left among their enemies.
They have her cornered but... Radval extended his right arm forward, a beam of pure cold sailed from in front of his palm and slightly chilled the air as it made its way towards the woman.
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Go on everyone Our friend here is about to stand down i think. Percival said with a grin. He had a feeling she wasnt especially with what he had planned as his next action. Since she had been so willing to fight them and make them late, he had no doubts he didnt have much chance of convincing her that being an occasional ship board lover was possible. . . and if that wasnt possible why not have some obnoxious fun with her.
He moved in closer attempting to grapple and push her back against the wall. Last chance beautiful to put down your hands and go peacefully, after this chance Im going to kiss you, with lots of tongue. Probably remove your shirt, then leave you hear with your sleeping friends to figure out what to do next. He warned her holding action to either counter her attack or barring that, initiate the forced embaressing makeout.
"Hurry". "If any are injured, let me help, then we must head topside before we get in trouble.
Xaikon rushes past so he can get to deck."Come before it gets to suspicious"
Looking to his feathered companion Radval glowers back at the pirates and then turned and followed after Xiakon Scum He mentally insulted them as the deck came into his view.
"Oh no you won't" the woman shouts at Percival before she taks a swing at his face.
Her punch misses as the fighter continues to bob and weave, setting herself up for Percival counterpunch.
Knocking her to floor unconscious.
Japes, the half orc, with all traces of fighting gone begins to get up off the floor holding his hands out in front of him in surrender.
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Percival in all his time in Cheliax, was certainly vidictive. He was sorely tempted to make do on his threat... actually he smirked and did just that pulling the womans shirt up over her head before turning to go. "You shouldnt pick fights you cant finish." He called out to the half orc as he passed darting up the ladders and tossing the woman's shirt on the ground just before he hit the deck.