Jack grabs Tams dagger and smiles wickedly.
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Jack steps back momentarily as he grasps for the handle of Tam's dagger before he steps back to defend himself from the onslaught.
Fipps sees an opportunity as Jack steps away to look for the dagger and takes a couple of slices at him in quick and precise concession. Jack uninjured in the first strike as it just rips his clothing but the second strike slices through his soft skin.
Jack
Viviana
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Tam (E) (DEAD)
Fipps (W) (-2 HP)
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Jack swings his dagger at the man as he slides out of the way while Viviana moves into place and slams a fist into Fipp's body.
Fipps stabs the sharp blade in Jack's direction and he sinks the blade into Jack's shoulder.
Jack
Viviana
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Tam (E) (DEAD)
Fipps (W) (-8 HP)
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With a final lashing strike, Viviana slams her fist into the nose of Fipps, breaking it and (hopefully), killing him instantly.
The birds feathers ruffle as it takes off in flight and lands on the fallen Fipps to steal the shiny trinket he always kept in one of his pockets. "Aark. The lash for you." With the token in his beak he flew back to Sarrien to show him his prize from the dead men. His master would understand what happened.
Viviana frowns "We ought to clean this up somehow, I know it was an unprovoked attack, but I doubt Mr Plugg will see it that way." Thinking quickly, she tries to look at possible options.
"We could make it look like an accident, or simply dispose of the bodies and hide the evidence, both paths have their pros and cons I fear"
Looking down on him Jack smiles. "I am the only one really badly cut. What now? I am in favor to throw them overboard, but I am afraid we won´t be able to pull that off. OR we could take care that it looks as if they got in fight among themselfes. Like Tam wanted to stab me but I dodged and he hit Fipps, who thought it was for something done in the past and in the end they fought like madmen to kill each other off. Maybe I can pull it off. Maybe. But who knows better than go up and stand tall."
Viviana considers "If you had no weapon, then its difficult to say you killed two pirates...especially if we concealed the physical blows I did, and made them look like they were done with a knife. For obvious reasons, I cannot be seen here"
Unless Jack objects, or still needs her for something, Viviana makes her escape with all due speed, so as to not get caught.
"Ok, I might need you for another minute. Give me Fipps knife, yes now Tam needs a stab right here, and a cut here, here and here. And Tam, you naughty boy you stabbed Fibbs in the leg right here. Excellent!Now help me clean myself and you can move it. Giving the two a nice little fight Jack stages it as if Tam slashes Fipps by accident, then they went after each other with a vengeance.
After giving Viviana a few minutes, Jack casts guidance and runs up.
"Help me, help me. They are mad. Those lunatics, they kill each other.
I didn´t do nothing and suddenly Fipps attacked me but he missed me on the second stab and hit Tam. And Tam, he went ballistic and they killed each other!"
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Soon after calling for help Master Scourge and a few other pirates, Sandara, Jape and Slippery Sly rush down to the bilge and find the bloody mess that has taken place. Master Scourgedoes not look pleased at all. After hearing Jack scream for help that the men had killed each other Master Scourge looks at Jack with a glare.
Now do not lie to me Boy. I can tell that you are lying. Tell me what really happened and get up to the damned deck so that the Cap'n can hear about this shit and get it taking care off. He will not be please that his crew be killing each other though. I can tell you that
Master Scourge grabs the still wounded Jack by the scruff of his clothing and pushes him up towards the deck as he looks back with a look of disdain at the two.
Walking to the top of the deck Jack is quickly surrounded. Clearing his throat Jack starts ro speak "Now this morning i was told that my duties of the day were the bilges and I went there, without complains to do my duty as commanded by my superiors. On the way there our fine officers took care that I am clear of weapons, and many eyes saw that. In the bilges I started to work my ass off, but suddenly tams and fipps got crazy and started to pull knives. They told me why , but dead people can not speak tales so I will keep their words. They started to attack but I was lucky and apart from on slash I was not able to touch them. Now they are dead. I for sure did not kill them. That is the truth and you can whip me, you can kill me, but it won' t change the truth." While his first words come slowly he warms up and in the end every words is spoken in the utter conviction of someone who knows that he speaks the truth.
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Captain Harrigan looks out among the crowd after hearing jack's full tale. First Mate Plugg! I must maintain control of my crew at all times. Obviously my crew does not fear me enough to respect my simple rules of NO KILLING OTHER CREW MEMBERS ON MY F$%*ING SHIP! OBVIOUSLY I WILL NEED TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE! With the Captains words MIster plugg and master Scourge move off to the side and begin whispering.
Captain harrigan continues Take..... him to the sweatbox. Tomorrow evening during the bloody hour make sure he is keelhauled and Mister Plugg..... If any more of my crew does something like this again. I will personally keelhaul you myself. The Captain walks away and slams the door to his cabin.
Two pirates grasp jack and drag him to the sweatbox for the evening as they lock him in the cramped quarters.[/b]
His head held high Jack walks himself to the sweatbox. He knows the only victory he can now achieve will be to remain silent about Viviana.
"An unfortunate event. It seems Plugg gets what he wants but also loses two of his closest allies in the crew. Maybe the others with think twice now. There is a chance, though small, you can survive the keelhaul. We will see if there is anything Sandara can do to help." Sarrien talks to Jack through his message spell.
That night he asks Sandara and Viviana if they might be able to say something tomorrow to convince the captain to make the keelhaul a fast one to give Jack the least chance of drowning.
Aishe gasps when she realizes what's happened below. I'm sorry, Jack...I didn't know, or think...that Plugg would do something so vile.
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The crew goes to sleep as Sandara eases Jack from the elements as she did with Owlbear previously.
The three remaining members awaken for the day as they are given their tasks for the morning.
Mainsail duties. Tough work raising and lowering the mainsail, requiring a DC 10 Profession Sailor or Str check followed by a DC 10 Con check
Man the Bilges! Vile and sweaty work cleaning out the bilges. DC 12 Strength check followed by a DC 10 Con check or be fatigued at the end of the day.
Aishe attempts to get some sleep, but becomes increasingly aware of...a presence. Not in their sleeping quarters, surely, but somewhere nearby. She stands and quietly makes her way down to the hold, following the strengthening emotions within her. As she moves through the hold, she finds a small cage with a monkey in it, and immediately a new sensation flows through her, changing from fear and loneliness to happiness and contentment.
Aishe opens the cage, and the monkey makes its way onto her shoulder. "What shall we call you, hmmm?" She carefully makes her way back to her bunk, all the while stroking the small monkey's head. Another mouth to feed, but at least he'll provide some relief during our down times, and some companionship, besides...
The next day, concerned that she may soon bear Jack's fate and realizing that she's done almost as much as she can to sway the rest of the crew, works diligently to avoid bringing unwelcome attention to herself.
Agnry about the unfair treatment, Jack still manages to sleep for a while, and spends his time saying good-bye to his life. There have been good days and bad days, but he just tries to remember the best, the two sisters he bedded, the bride during the celebration, the afair with daughter and mother, the first great dinner he gave, the beautiful moments of happiness.
Day 19
Night Action: Rest
Day 20
Viviana is angry that while she ended up saving Jack, it was only a temporary measure. She spends the night thinking up various ways to get even with Scourge and Mr Plugg.
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The remainder f the party works throughout the day with Jack in their immediate thoughts. As the afternoon heat rages on soon a cry erupts around the ship. SHIP AHOY! The lookout screams from the top of the crow's nest.
As the party looks out to the sea they are able to see a merchant ship off in the distance. It looks as if the ship is picking up speed and fleeing but not nearly as fast as the Wormwood.
The ship, very quickly, becomes a flurry of activity as the Captain leaves his cabin and is immediately on the deck giving orders to Plugg. Within a few minutes you see Conchobar and Sandara pleading with PLugg and Krine who speak with the Captain. In a matter of minutes there is a sailor unlocking the clasp on Jack's sweatbox as Mister Plugger and Krine are standing near. You are lucky that we need every able bodied person to board this ship. The Captain sees it as he would rather see you get killed taking the ship than by drowning below. Hell maybe I will see a shark eat you. As he leans in Either way watch your f@$%ing back cause I will have your body by the end of this
I won´t be killed... today. What you threaten me, lord casterly. We will see how the rain falls on your roof!"
"Aye,Aye, SIR!" Knowing the best way to piss the brass off is by offering him no excuse to punish him, Jack runs down to grab his belongings. Feeling the warm welcome of his friends, Jack hugs Vivianna, kisses Sandara for good luck and then speaks to Aishe. "If we attack the other boat, can I ask for a special song? The rains of Castermere? I tried to be nice but it is time to show true colours!"
Sarrien toils away in the bloody bilges again, keeping Xavier out to watch how things go on deck and watch the box. Every 20 minutes Xavier returns so he can recast his message spell to continue communicating with his familiar.
As soon as the cry goes up Sarrien both hears it and Xavier telling him through the message spell. "Looks like the Captain found what he was looking for." he says to Aishe, "We should get up on deck. They trained us to board after all. We aren't needed down here right now." He hewds up on deck and Xavier finds his shoulder and Jack is being freed.
Aishe nods at Sarrien and runs from the bilges to the deck, suddenly nervous about her performance in their boarding practice. When she arrives and sees the events taking place, she smiles broadly.
When Jack is free, and she realizes what's happened, Aishe approaches Sandara and Conchobar. "I saw what you did, pleading with Mr. Plugg, and wanted to give you my heartfelt thanks. If there is anything I, or we, can do in return, let me know."
When Jack approaches her, she responds with a wry grin, "I'm sure we can work something out, when it's appropriate..."
When she gets the opportunity, she makes her way to the quartermaster's store. "I don't suppose you've anything in there that I might keep this little guy in? A satchel, perhaps?"
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Grok looks to Aishe with a smile. Actually, I may have just the thing. I just emptied out this sack that had all of the crossbow bolts in it for the boarding here soon. Take it for your friend. Before you go though take these daggers for Jack. He may need them as I heard his were taking from him.
As the night wanes on the crew rests in shifts as the Wormwood slowly creeps closer to the merchant ship.
As the sun crests over the waters, with it's multi-hued rays glimmering off of the oceans waves The Captain yells out to Ambrose and Jack. We are about an hour out from killing these scurvy dogs. Kroop and Jack get to the hold and pull out six of the hogs and bring them to the deck, slit their throats and throw them overboard so we may have an audience with the sharks when we throw these bastards overboard!.
As the ships continue to get closer they are now within a half-mile of each other. The four of you are summoned by Rairis Krineto the main deck as she gives you further instructions in your roles for the boarding of the mercantile ship.The Ships 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 onone of the boats. Don't move from the wheel until the fighting's done, or you will have me to answer to. Oh yeah, as we get close, it's going to get foggy. Just stick to what I told you to do. Viviana you will be in charge of getting this crew over and making sure that you complete your part of this.
"Aye,Aye,SIR!!"
"No Problems here", Viviana answers
The night before, Aishe makes sure to give Jack his daggers, and acclimatizes her new familiar to riding in the satchel.
Hearing her boarding instructions, Aishe nods at Krine. "We'll take care of it, trust in us."
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Soon the two ships begin to get close enough that the party is able to make out shapes aboard the vessel. (120 feet). The two ships soon enter reasonable firing range as the Wormwood is bombarded by missiles from the mercantile vessel named "the Man's Promise", mainly crossbow bolts but a few ballista missiles rip holes into the main masts in an attempt to slow down the Wormwood.
As the vessel close the Mans Promise is soon enveloped in a banks of heavy mist.
Within moments the two ships collide violently and pirates begin to hurl grappling hooks and lowering planks to board the Man's Promise. Peering over the edges of the boat there looks to be quite a few sharks in the calm waters, drawn in by the slaughtered pigs thrown overboard.
Across the ship where the Wormwood crew has crossed you hear the sounds of clattering swords, cursing within the fog, once in awhile you see a pirate fall, screaming the whole way down, into the shark-infested waters below and soon becoming silent as the waters turn a darker shade of red.
Jack
Aishe
Viviana
Sarrien
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Sailors
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Aishe makes her way up to the poop deck and tosses a grapple across to the enemy ship.
First try - take that, Krine... She congratulates herself briefly, then prepares herself to help the others cross however she can.
Sarrien prepares himself before crossing with Mage armour. "Stop them from escaping on the boats. Doesn't seem like we will be in the thick of it. Let's go."
With a little luck Jack throws the grapple on the other ship.
Viviana moves quickly, throwing the grappling hook, before giving it an experimental tug to make sure it caught. After that, she quickly prepares herself to climb accross.
"Dear Besmara, for what we are about to receive, make us forever thankful. For Besmara, for the wormwood, for plunder!
Sarrien joins in with Jack, "For gold and glory." He raises his pike above his head.
"Stay among the sails, let me know how the battle lies," he whispers to Xavier who is connected to him through the message spell.
He will move to follow behind the others at first and secure their boarding location. "We need to take the high ground first, then we can secure the boats!"
"Viviana, what are your orders?"
Viviana considers our options, according to our strengths and weaknesses.
"I'll climb across, and try and get in close somehow, Aishe, if you can get Sarrien, Jack, and yourself in unobserved, we can take them by surprise. Once we take them down, you and Jack should be able to pick off anyone trying to unload a boat from a safer position, while I try and hold off anyone else trying to storm our position. Sarrien, you know better than me about your own skills and magic, so I trust you to stay out of trouble, and aid us in any way you see fit."
Viviana continues in a slightly lower tone "Lastly, keep an eye out for trouble, a certain pirate on board this ship has already made it clear he wants us off this boat, and a battle would be the perfect chance to do so, that said, there is nothing stopping ourselves from using that to our advantage either if an opportunity presents itself, after all, accidents do happen".
Xavier flaps his wings and soars above the battle field, in among the enemy sails scouting the ship and watching his master. "Six humans in the stern master...
"Well thanks to someone more powerful than me, one of the captain's officers I imagine, my fog will not be useful here. But I can use this," he waves the boarding pike, "and my extra set of eyes will alert us to anyone coming our way. That said, I do have some small illusions that may come of use."
"Thats excellent, any sort of distraction that draws their fire, upsets their position, or aids us in some other way is most welcome."