Gan leans hard on the wheel, turning it as far as it'll go. The rudder cuts hard in the water and the boat begins to turn just the slightest.
It seems inevitable that the ship will collide with the reef. Seconds pass by as the ship hurtles down the wave, the fangs of a monster looming ever closer. The ship pitches sharply starboard as the ship strikes the edge of the reef, hurling people from their feet, sending loose bits of gear flying about the ship, and filling the air with the sound of breaking wood. As she clears the reef, the Man's Promise lists heavily to port.
Shouting fills the air as the crew gathers themselves and begins to work the lines again, trying to keep everything together. One of the crew, Badger comes running back up from below shortly after being sent down. "Captain," she shouts. "We're takin' on water! The ship's been holed bad!" Everyone on deck understands the implications of it and their faces fall for a moment before going back to their frantic tasks. At least the ship hadn't collided with the reef directly. At least she's still in one piece... mostly.
The island looms closer in the distance, promising at least some kind of safe haven.
We have but one chance, let´s bring us as close to the island as possible!
Yea, we need repairs, badly.
Jove laughs after righting himself, the impact having knocked him to the deck. Well, we're alive then! We are all alive, right? Maybe we should call roll, make sure no one fell off in the storm or on impact? Jove asks Gan.
After hearing Four Skulls, he nods.
Why don't some of us head belowdecks and get an estimate to how much timber we'll need to patch up the ship? Thankfully this island is here, we can chop down some trees and patch ourselves up until we get into port. I'll stay up here and get a read on the winds again, see how much more punishment we're going to have to take. Jove says.
At the Sylph outburst Four Skulls finally remembers to laugh. Yes, we are alive indeed! The game still goes on. smiling.
I will check the hull. The shoanti goes below deck to check the damages, he also looks at the bilges to see if the prisioners are in danger of drowning.
I look grim as I survey the damage. I look to the crew shouting over the noise of the storm "Not much we can do with the ship on the water. With luck that piece of land ahead will have some timber we can use to repair the ship. I am taking us ashore. All hands brace yourselves. Jove, Ragnar, Nochewa! I need you to guide me in so I don't hit another reef!" I then do my best to bring the ship ashore.
Profession sailor to steer the ship in with no further damage.
Crew to your positions! Everyone lend a hand! We need to reach that island or we will all drown in this storm!
The shoanti shouts above the storm's noise as he moves to help the men on deck.
You heard the man, secure the bow sail.
Ragnar focuses on seeing through the storm and providing directions away from the reefs.
Perception- half weather penalties w/Eye of the Storm:
Once again, Jove concentrates his magical energy to asking the shadows for guidance, and then begins the task of aiding Gan in getting the ship to the island.
Captain! There's a nice tailwind coming on the starboard side, might push us to the island, if we can just turn the sails just a bit that way... Jove calls through the storm.
With the aid of his crew, Gan guides the badly listing ship through the pounding surf, heading directly for the island. Ragnar spots another reef, sticking up high from the water, grey and dead. The ship turns starboard, the drag from her damaged side evident in her sluggish turn, but it barely slips by, the reef passing silently by on the port side as the pirates stare at it with a bit of fear and amazement.
A figure suddenly appears in the water directly ahead of the ship, too close to avoid, and is buried under the keel of the ship. Nothing appears from the stern. Ahead, the island quickly comes closer and closer, much more clear in focus and its dark silhouette visible against the bright night sky as bolts of lightning turn the heavens into a miniature sun for brief seconds.
Seconds tick by as pirates scramble for something to grab onto. The ship suddenly lurches forward as the vessel strikes the sand, pitching most of the crew forward. Bits of gear insufficiently lashed down go skidding along the deck, but most of it remains in place. The sound of groaning wood fills the air alongside the fury of the storm and a barely perceptible sound similar to sandpaper on wood.
The pirates attempt to right themselves with some difficulty as the ship slowly tips forward before rocking suddenly as it comes to a complete stop and finally settling with a slight lean to port. The sea beats against the ship's stern.
The silhouette of the dark island gives only the slightest hint of the jungle beyond the beach. The trees sway heavily in the wind and the occasional loud *CRACK* can be heard from deeper within the jungle. Nothing but darkness can be seen past the first few rows of trees.
You need to move them ASAP. Even once the ship contacts the beach, the bilges are going to still be quite filled with water until they've been pumped out. Gan (captain), Ragnar (master-at-arms), Ayaki (bosun), or yourself (first mate) would be carrying the keys.
Captain, good news! The winds are going to blow this storm out, leaving us with just some clouds and light rain by morning!
Entering the bilges, with the cold sea water to his chest, Four Skulls shouts to the prisioners:
Listen up scum, the storm pushed us to an island surrounded by reefs. We are trying to make it to the beach. You can join the crew or go for a swim, I dont really care. But as the new First Mate if you give ME trouble you are going to wish you had drowned here!
The shoanti then proceeds to unshacke the men and send them above deck. He starts with the mute half orc whom he had once befriended in a recent past that feels so distant. He gets above deck with the prisioners just in time to almost fall down with the crash.
In my campaign with DM Faol I had improved the attitude of Jaundiced Jape towards me through diplomacy rolls. Not sure if he was neutral or friendly, the guy is mute lol.
After everybody is standing again he approuches Gan. Sorry Captain, had to bring them up or the lot would drown. We have water all the way up to the main hold.
After a quick conference with the captain and the other officers Four Skulls turns to the former prisioners.
All right you all know the drill. Plugg tried his hand and lost. Now you all have a choice to make. And since we are not soulless bastards like Harrigan you will live whatever you choose. You can stay and join this crew or you can leave and try your luck in land. he points at the beach. If you stay we expect you to follow orders and do what you are told. Get that inside your heads. Other than that its business as usual, we are all pirates and we still live by the code.
Choose...
The pirates and rahadoumi look at one another for a few moments, before they begin to step forward. Apparently, the prospect of being marooned, alone, on an unknown island is not a very palatable one. Jape is the first to step forward, puffing out his chest. The rest fall in line, with one of the rahadoumi being last.
The heavy rain continues to fall, appearing suddenly from the pitch black sky. The sound of the waves crashing is more nerve wracking than soothing. Their fury falls impotently on the beached ship, which has little to fear from them now.
We should make up a camp and bring some stuff out of the ship. Repairs will take some days probably and we need our food safe. Better if could set up some tents too so we have a dry place.
Ragnar distributes weapons to the crew from what's left of the armory. With a variety of grunts, gestures and slurred words he organizes watch shifts.
Some coconuts would be nice!
Its a good idea, we need to resupplay the ship anyway. When the morning come pick your team. And since you are going out maybe you could scout the surroundings a little bit. We dont know what is in that jungle out there.
We also need to find if there is any carpenter among us. Those repairs are going to be troublesome. Pass the word around the crew and see if anyone volunteer for the job.
Well, I don't have any experience as a carpenter, but I'm good at math and know about nature. I'd probably be able to patch us up alright. I prepared a spell to give me an invisible assistant for two hours, should help with the heavy lifting and such. Jove says with a shrug.
Running the ship ashore was a challenging procedure. After the ship is firmly "parked", I give Skulls the nod to get everyone in order.
Once the crew is settled I come down from the helm and survey the damages.
I step forward to address the crew. "Okay, this isn't a vacation. We have work to do to get this ship seaworthy again. I for one am not going to let the journey end here after finally obtaining freedom. I expect most of you feel the same." I scan the crew and look to the prisoners. "If you want to earn a place with and gain our trust, I expect you to give your best effort. If you do well and prove loyal, you may spend the rest of the voyage as part of the crew instead of in the bilge." I look back to the rest of the crew. "We start our main work tomorrow but for now, get some rest. Everyone. I need you all a one hundred percent so we can get back out to sea where we belong. That is all."
I nod and step down to the other leaders in the group.
I then look first to Nochewa. "It is good to rely on the land while we are here, not to waste resources meant for the sea and all. When you take your team out scavenging. Make notes of the landscapes, and the types of lumber to be found here and if there is even a chance this hunk of land has civilized life on it. Be sure to take note of any tribal life we should be aware of too. Also, catalog any dangerous creatures you find as well. Be safe."
I turn to Skulls and Ayaki. Looking to Skulls first. "I don't trust the prisoners but I trust you. Keep an eye on them. For the time being they will be unarmed but carry additional weapons on your person should we need extra swords in a fray."
I then look at Ayaki. "I will need to to find the skilled shipwrights among the crew and set them to work making repairs. With your bardic skills you can inspire competence correct? If you would do that for me and keep them in high spirits I would appreciate it."
The crew nods and a low murmur runs throughout the group. The split apart, finding respite in berths both old and new, some re-tying hammocks or finding comfortable niches to rest in, with the ship lying at a different angle.
The night passes uneventfully as the storm's fury plays out.
The morning is windy and carries a slight chill to it. The overcast skies mean that there will be almost no bright sunlight. Fortunately, the winds are much lower than before and the rain slowly trails off, leaving occasional showers of light rain to deal with.
The broken trees of the strangely quiet forest beckon, promising things more terrible than such a swampy jungle otherwise would. There's something that feels off about this place.
A small fishing village lies directly to the west, but no one can make out anyone moving there. A spire of stone sticks up to the east, while a short mountain range rises past the village on the west. The jungle extends to the south of the ship.
Glad of the chance to get some rest after the wet night battling the storm and the grindylows, Jove goes to sleep for the requisite 8 hours, then communes with Zephyrus to obtain his daily allotment of spells.
- Cantrips Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Guidance, Message
- 1st Level Spells Command, Ear-Piercing Scream, Mage Armor, Ray of Enfeeblement
Jove spends the day (and the next if necessary) double-checking our position since we were blown off course during the storm, as well as trying to chart a course to the nearest port.
Kn (nature) +9
Kn (geography) +5 (untrained)
Pr (sailor) +6
Survival +0 (untrained)
With lantern in hand, Ragnar takes a look around the beach for tracks of any kind before too much traffic spoils the effort.
Survival:
With the rest of the evening, he concentrates on helping to move supplies and prepare the ship for an extended stay.
Ragnar nods toward the village.
"Luhz tuhg uh luhk duh, cuhd buh suhmuhn uh yuhz."
Translation:
I look to Hu. "Ayaki, you thing you could take a team to that village over there. You seem the obvious choice for a spokesperson and diplomat. I don't want to make enemies while we are beached like this and perhaps they have supplies we need."
Think i can do that. Probably should take some people, some muscle and some magic could be good, just in case. Ragnar you want to come? I´ll try to buy some supplies and stuff.
Ragnar nods.
"Hnn.", he grunts while gathering up his weapons.
Alllright, i´ll take 5 others, so we are seven, that´s a fine number. We will approach peacefully first. Might be they can and will help us or even got some shipwrights. If they come up fancy, i´ll try some charms on them. Might be good someone´s doing a diversion then so they don´t see me casting. If those landlubbers even know what´s a spell.
Noche'Wa's trip into the woods is short and uneventful, thankfully. Food seems to be largely scarce, but he manages to locate a broken palm tree, retrieving several coconuts that should help to augment the galley's supply. The wood of the trees near the beach seems sound, but it will take tools to harvest the wood and turn it into something useable, but rough.
The lack of obvious landmarks and the thick cloud cover work against Jove's attempts to place the island that you currently rest on. The best that he's able to determine is that the island is located a few days out from the Slithering Coast, still in the Fever Sea. When the clouds clear the following day , he's fairly sure that he'll be able to more accurately place the location of the island.
The approach to the village is certainly a disappointing one. It quickly becomes obvious that the village has been long since abandoned. The wood of the huts and boats are thoroughly rotted, unsuitable for nearly any task. The roofs of the huts have long since collapsed and anything of value has long since been taken. Strange holes in some of the rotting boats and old, worn gouges in the wood serve to indicate that a battle may have taken place here long ago.
While working on the boat or walking to the village, you note that there seems to be a figure standing in the water a good distance out from the shore. A quick glance reveals that there are more than one, all placed a certain distance from beach and a certain distance from each other, almost as if they formed a ring about the island. A longer look reveals that the figures are partially submerged skeletons, seaweed draped across parts of their forms.
Too bad nobody´s here and we even can´t find something usefull in this village. Those skelletons in the water everywhere unsettle me. Taken together with the signs of fighting in the village i guess we should be careful, put some lookouts at day and night and stick together in grous. I get the feeling something is wrong here. Let me think of if i heard a story about such a place. Maybe i take a look in my Chronicler.
Four Skulls joins the village expedition and is dismayed to find only ruins.
Yes, this place is bad luck. Pointing at the whole island, not just the village. Lets no linger here anymore than we have to. He examines the skeletons from the shore as best as he can.
We're a few days out from the Slithering Coast, but I can't tell any more precisely than that, Jove sighs, still fussing with his charts. The weather will clear up tomorrow, hopefully I'll be able to use the position of the sun and stars tomorrow to pinpoint us.
Can´t find anything ´bout this place in ma book nor do i remember something. Still it gives me the creeps.
I spend my time helping with the repairs on the ship and directing those who remain to help me. I gander at the figures off shore. Their presence is ever unnerving to me.
I simply continue to work hard until the other teams return. I go out to meet them. "So, any good new?"
Ragnar shakes his head, salt-crusted hair almost immobile.
"Nuh. Luhgz luhk uh buhttuh tuhg pluhhz. Pruhlluh wuh duh guht duhm skuhluhtuhnz. Wuh guhttuh uhgzpluh muh uhn kuhp uh buhz cuhmf suhcuh."
Translation: