Magnus glances at Citali's spell effect, and grins.
"Nice. DO yo always get dressed up for a day out on the ocean?" He grins.
The poop deck above the stern castle is relatively clear of debris. The ship’s wheel looks to be intact and undamaged. Spent crossbow bolts pepper the woodwork, most sunk deep into the bleached wood of the vessel. The mizzenmast is still intact, its sails tied
down and secure. Two arbalests stand atop the deck here. Oiled leather tarps secured with sturdy rope cover them. Between the arbalests is a wooden crate covered by an oiled leather tarp.
DC 12 Perception:
"When my sight tells me danger is all but guaranteed, yes I do." she replies gripping her spear.
"Ah. Well in that case I fully approve of your wardrobe! In fact, I would love to have the name of your tailor!" He replies jovially, looking around.
"This,... doesn't look recent. Like it happened weeks ago. Does that make no sense to anyone else?" He asks with what might be an actual hint of concern. His hand now rests constantly upon his rapier hilt.
"I see what you mean, but it can make sense. Whatever happened to this ship, happened some weeks back. Our erstwhile crew came aboard a few hours back, saw this, and decided to investigate below decks. Where something bad and nasty probably happened to 'em. I'm guessing, but that seems reasonable to me."
San holds Ghostfetter at the ready, then he suddenly seems to recall something. "Hold up, everyone. I got something that may be helpful here."
He immediately retrieves a scroll from his pack, and casts detect undead, beginning to scan the boat with the 60' cone, pointing around and even through the wooden deck.
"This,... doesn't look recent. Like it happened weeks ago. Does that make no sense to anyone else?" He asks with what might be an actual hint of concern. His hand now rests constantly upon his rapier hilt.
"You scared, posh boy? Don't worry, I'll protect you."
Vilya sticks out her tongue at the magus. Drawing her mace and kukri, she starts looking for shadows big enough for her to lurk in.
"You scared, posh boy? Don't worry, I'll protect you."Vilya sticks out her tongue at the magus. Drawing her mace and kukri, she starts looking for shadows big enough for her to lurk in.
Magnus sticks out his tongue in return.
"Scared? No. I'm only afraid I might have missed the fun. But thanks for the offer. It's very sweet. I didn't know you cared!" He smirks.
Magnus watches San read his scroll, and watches for any signs of recognition from the warrior-mage.
"Well. Let's get this party started then, shall we?" Magnus says with a big grin.
Vilya commences lurking, and heads for the forecastle.
The sun is sinking into the darkening sea as the party orients themselves onboard. A scattering of reddining clouds arc overhead as the calm seas gently rock the Green Lady.
Perception rolls:
15:
20:
25:
perception
1d20 + 4
Vilya spies a shark off the side of the Green Lady opening its mouth and biting into a school of smaller fish. That monster has to be 18 feet long if it is an inch!
Once he sees the others aboard with no great mishap, Egan sends Whisperwing aloft to keep an eye out for things and tying his canoe off to the ship nimbly boards her.
Perception.
Then holding up a hand, he shushes the others.
"Shhhh"! "Do you hear that"? "A faint thumping sound from below deck".
Magnus raises an eyebrow.
"All I see is that that despite the mess, the deck is surprisingly clear of post-battle debris. Namely bodies."
He glances at Egan slyly.
"You must have the hearing of a hyperactive bat! Can you tell which way? Or just below?"
Perception
"I don't hear anything."
"I don't hear that thumping, but there may be a body up in the crow's nest." San points upwards towards the shape.
Perception
"I hear it, Egan." Iz says. "I'd like to check this body in the nest first though. Think your feathered friend could investigate that for us?"
"Oooh, look, a shark!"
The light is rapidly fading. Whisperwing flufs his feathers, an awaits Egan's directions.
San doesn't detect any undead auras with his spell
.
"Investigate the crow's nest? Certainly! That can be arranged!" Magnus declares cheerfully. He swaggers over to the rigging and begins to climb it,...
Annnd,... Magnus makes it a few feet from the deck before slipping and catching himself by cleverly tangling his foot in a rope.
"You know, this would be a lot easier if the ship would stop swaying."
"Let me show you how it's done, fancy pants."
Egan sends Whisperwing aloft to check on the figure, without getting too close.
"SHowoff!" Magnus calls cheerfully after her, still dangling upside down from his foot. He pauses and makes a rest for his head from his interlocked hands, enjoying the view of Vilya scrambling up the ropes,...
"Let's not forget the missing crew," Kessel calmly says to Magnus and Viliya, "There may be people dead or dying below deck and possibly monsters creeping about. Let's try to keep that in mind."
"Let's not forget the missing crew," Kessel calmly says to Magnus and Viliya, "There may be people dead or dying below deck and possibly monsters creeping about. Let's try to keep that in mind."
"Why should I worry about dead people? They're dead. And that means they won't complain if I take their stuff."
"THAT'S what she got out of that statement? I heard 'monsters' and 'dying'. An unpleasant if not unusual combination." Magnus says to Kessel, still watching Vilya's climbing form with appreciation.
"However your point is taken." He adds, forcing himself to take his eyes off of Vilya, untangling his foot and flipping right side up to stand on the deck once more. His hand resting lightly upon his rapier, he pads softly towards the aft.
"Why should I worry about dead people? They're dead. And that means they won't complain if I take their stuff."
"One should always be leery of dead things until one can be certain what caused their deaths. There are plenty of things that are catching. Plenty of creatures that can hide just below the skin. Just because there are no undead doesn't mean that we should throw caution to the wind."
Kessel pauses then quickly adds:
"Besides one should never loot friends, allies, or higherlings. It's bad for moral. People have family and loved ones. Sending their belongings back to them is the proper thing to do."
"No power in the universe can stop me. And I've got the scars to prove it. Afraid I'm going to loot your corpse, music man?"
Vilya continues climbing the rigging.
Vilya (and Whisperwing):
Vilya can tell by the tatters of his colorful silken clothes and the dreadlocks on his dessicated scalp that he was a native Parakeet Islander*. Several crossbow bolts embedded in his corpse speak to the manner of his demise. The smell is still ripe, though it looks as if the seabirds have had their way with most of the gooey bits
*
"Dead guy's halfling, from Parakeet Island. Shot full of crossbow bolts like a pincushion."
Ignoring the smell, Vilya begins to rifle through the corpse's pockets.
Felicia Keeps an eye on any entrances to below decks whilst the others focus on the body in the rigging.
"No power in the universe can stop me. And I've got the scars to prove it. Afraid I'm going to loot your corpse, music man?"
"While I would argue the claim, I'm not going to try to stop you, folly is it's own reward and I only seek to advise you on the ways of the world. And now that you bring it up, yes it would pain me to think an ally would loot my corpse, that she'd view any friendship and decency shown to her as pittance compared to few coins she could get for my belongings. Moreover, this lute was crafted by my father's hands, and is one of the few physical things we have to remember him by. I would sadden me greatly to think it in some pawn shop somewhere rather then in the hands of family. My twin sister Morra doesn't play but he was her father as well and I'm sure she will have children some day. I suspect that you spoke in jest but such matters bring out very real emotions in people as death is the one thing that haunts us all. We want to think our bodies looked after once we die. Ours is a high risk profession. If I know my companions weren't going to respect my body after my death would quite simply cause me to seek new companions."
"No power in the universe can stop me. And I've got the scars to prove it. Afraid I'm going to loot your corpse, music man?"
Magnus murmurs with a smirk,
"I'm afraid that she'll do SOMETHING to my corpse, and that I might enjoy it!" The elf steps lightly towards the stern, casting an eye on the higher deck.
EDIT_ And seeing nothing amiss, he steps lightly up the steps,...
"Let's keep focused here, people. Now's not the time for lectures on grave robbing or necrophilia. And FYI, Vilya's only real focus is on nice shiny things, and frankly, she works best that way. My suggestion (not that it's worth much)? Let her take a few coins or trinkets if it keeps her happy. Most of those folks ain't gonna miss it, and those that do'll need to be dealt with, anyway."
"Ay-aye captain San! We're on the hourglass!" Magnus replies with a quirky grin and lop-sided salute. He turns back to the top of the aft deck.
"Dead guy's halfling, from Parakeet Island. Shot full of crossbow bolts like a pincushion."
Ignoring the smell, Vilya begins to rifle through the corpse's pockets.
Vilya:
"Ay-aye captain San! We're on the hourglass!" Magnus replies with a quirky grin and lop-sided salute. He turns back to the top of the aft deck.
Magnus:
There are two arabalests mounted on swivels here. They are covered by oiled tarps secured tightly. Another tarp covers a large wooden crate between them.
The ship's wheel sits behind the two arabalests. The wheel spins slightly, looking still in functioning order.
Vilya: ** spoiler omitted **"Dead guy's halfling, from Parakeet Island. Shot full of crossbow bolts like a pincushion."
Ignoring the smell, Vilya begins to rifle through the corpse's pockets.
"Mine"
Vilya takes ALL THE THINGS.
"Hm. Same battle debris up here! Sails are rags. The wheel looks alright!" Magnus calls down to the main deck.
The light is fading, and shadows pool along the bloodstained deck of the Green Lady.
Magnus looks around to make certain there are no 'surprises' hiding behind the crates on the upper aft deck. Once he is satisfied that nothing (he wants to find) is up there, he slides down the rail to rejoin the others on the main deck.
"Well, nothing deadly lurking up there. Shall we see what's behind door number one?!" He asks with a grin.
After making sure that at least one other is going to back him up, he heads over to the nearest door.
"Ready?" He asks, seeming almost eager. He silently holds up fingers to count to 'three' and (After gingerly testing to make certain it is not locked) pulls the door open, stepping to the side as he does so he is not in front of it when it opens.
"Ready?" He asks, seeming almost eager. He silently holds up fingers to count to 'three' and (After gingerly testing to make certain it is not locked) pulls the door open, stepping to the side as he does so he is not in front of it when it opens.
Magnus opens the door and leaps back to the foot of the stairs leading up to the Aft deck he had just explored. It is a good thing he did, because a burly form charges out from the darkness, bellowing loudly.
The sunset twilight shows a large half-orc clad only in a pair of tar-stained pants and a head rag. Sailor tattoos wreathe his exposed upper torso and bluging arms and gold rings pierce his eyebrows, ears and nipples. Magnus recognizes the sailor from the Laugh.
The sailor is one of the original boarding party, a surly mate named Kraken. A hot fury glows in his eyes as he raises a huge orcish-style great axe.