San comes in near the end, a light spell cast on Ghostfetter to brighten things a bit more.
"Well, if I had to guess, I would think whatever was able to control their minds could probably manage some darkness too. But that's just my thought. And we should recall this ship was the property of a wizard at one point. At least, that's what I remember hearing."
MAgnus gives a theatrical shudder. "A spell casting slime?!? NOW I'm officially grossed out!" He jests. Mostly.
He reaches out to lightly tap the mug on the table with the tip of his rapier.
"Well, we should move swiftly then. And hope that when we find this, creature, that putting it out of its misery will restore the others!"
MAgnus gives a theatrical shudder. "A spell casting slime?!? NOW I'm officially grossed out!" He jests. Mostly.
He reaches out to lightly tap the mug on the table with the tip of his rapier.
"Well, we should move swiftly then. And hope that when we find this, creature, that putting it out of its misery will restore the others!"
The mug thunks, obviously empty. The cask tops are fitted with handles for ease of access.
Magnus purses his lips, obviously disappointed. (Whether due to the mugs lack of grog, or lack of spell-casting slime is unclear.)
"Well, shall we?" He asks with a grin. Moving casually but swiftly towards the door.
Magnus opens a room that is also gloomy, but not magically darkened. It seems to be the ship's galley. There is a small cooking area with three built-in cabinets and a few beat up pots and pans on secure hooks. A small wood stove mounted on a gimbal to keep it upright in pitched seas The sound of buzzing flies is strong here, as is the stench of rot. A few large black-and-blue flies dart past Magnus' face, seeking escape.
Felicia follows behind Magnus
Give the room a good looking-over.
Perception
Give the room a good looking-over.
Perception 1d20+11
San:
Magnus makes a face of revulsion.
"I think I'll pass on the meal. It seems the restaurant has gone downhill." He says wryly.
He looks around the room,...
San: ** spoiler omitted **Give the room a good looking-over.
Perception 1d20+11
"The flies are buzzing around the cabinets, mostly. My guess is there's something ... unpleasant in there. Anyone want the honors?"
Izkrael will nod at San and step toward the cabinet. Ready to spring back, Iz reaches out and opens the cabinet.
Iz opens the door. It swings open with a screech of rusty hinges. The buzzing sound increases as a cloud of shiny big flies erupt from within. A wave of noxious rotting meat stench hits the group.
Nestled among the pewter plates and cups within the cabinet is a severed human head. It seems to move, but closer observation reveals that the head is covered in writhing vermin. From what is left, Iz deduces that the head belonged to a fat fellow, a trace of heavy jowls still evident in the putrified flesh. A large gold hoop still adorns one tattered ear.
Kessel will take the time to tie up the crew in case they aren't crazy and this mind control/insanity is a passing thing. After he's sure there won't be any surprises from behind he'll follow the others.
Magnus holds up a perfumed kerchief to his nose.
"Well. That's one way to get ahead." He says drolly.
"So, I suppose that proves that whatever happened to our crewmates also happened to the original crew. The story is that the wizard liked, strange creatures as pets. I'm guessing one of them got loose. The question is,... what IS it?"
Egan and Whisperwing keep watch above decks, after hearing the retching from below, and realizing that nobody seemed to be in mortal danger.
The room has no other doors in it, but does have two salt-spray-fogged windows of wavy glass that look out on the ocean. The small room is quiet save for the flies buzzing. If there is anything else alive in these cramped quarters, it is doing an excellent job of hiding
Egan and Whisperwing keep watch above decks, after hearing the retching from below, and realizing that nobody seemed to be in mortal danger.
Egan and Whisperwing keep watch on deck. Kessel finishes tying up the four unconcious crewmen. As he ties the last knot they begin to stir. They awaken fairly quickly, and are soon bellowing and trying to force their way out of the ropes.
DM rollings:
The three smaller crewmen struggle to no avail, but the large wounded half-orc called Kraken manages to break his bonds and stagger to his feet. He snarls and runs towards the front of the ship.
Magnus, kerchief still held firmly over his nose, nods towards the door.
"Next cabin then?" He says moving casually, but swiftly, towards the door.
Magnus heads to the next door. This door looks to have been forced, the knob crudely hacked off, and the door wedged back into place with a hinge askew. A few rents in the door show a line of weapon racks within, but no observable weapons
"Hm. Seems to be the armory." Magnus says softly, peering carefully through a large hole in the door.
"Or at least it was before the party started, seems to have been cleared out,... stand by." He says, stepping to the side of the door once more.
He leans sideways and kicks the door open with the heel of his tailored boot,...
The three smaller crewmen struggle to no avail, but the large wounded half-orc called Kraken manages to break his bonds and stagger to his feet. He snarls and runs towards the front of the ship.
Vilya dives from the rigging at the fleeing sailor, her machete and kukri flashing downward toward the half-orc's back.
"Hm. Seems to be the armory." Magnus says softly, peering carefully through a large hole in the door.
"Or at least it was before the party started, seems to have been cleared out,... stand by." He says, stepping to the side of the door once more.
He leans sideways and kicks the door open with the heel of his tailored boot,...
Magnus kicks the door literally off it's hinges. The abused piece of wood collapses into several pieces, revealing the narrow armory. A five-by-ten room, the armory's wall is studded with weapon racks, now empty. A broken crossbow bolt lies on the floor, the only indication that there were arms here once
The three smaller crewmen struggle to no avail, but the large wounded half-orc called Kraken manages to break his bonds and stagger to his feet. He snarls and runs towards the front of the ship.
Vilya dives from the rigging at the fleeing sailor, her machete and kukri flashing downward toward the half-orc's back.
1d20 + 9
Vilya dives from her perch among the rigging, aiming for the fleeing half-Orc. She misjudges the distance, and her foot snags a rope as she plummets to the deck.
The rope breaks her fall somewhat, but whipsawed painfully up her leg, taking a lot of skin off
"Yep. Looks like all the toys are gone ..."
"Yep. Looks like all the toys are gone ..."
Magnus looks crestfallen.
"We missed the party." HE says sadly.
"Oh well, NExt door?!?" He grins.
Kessel will cast grease on the deck in front of the fleeing half orc. If he's running he's pretty much guaranteed to fall, what Kessel is hoping to do however is to send him overboard ;)
Kessel points and the deck under Kraken becomes slick and shiny with grease. The burly half-orc's flight turns into an uncontrolled tumble.
Kraken falls hard, but the ship's rail saves him from pitching over the side
Magnus goes back through the room,...
He heads back outside the cabin, blinking into the light just in time to see the fleeing Kraken slide on a shiny spot of deck, and go careening hard into the side rail.
"Oooo,... THAT'S going to leave a mark!" MAgnus winces sympathetically.
The rope breaks her fall somewhat, but whipsawed painfully up her leg, taking a lot of skin off
"... Ow."
Magnus looks a the flailing Kraken, trying to rise on the greased deck, and Vilya picking herself up from same deck.
"Well. As long as you have everything under control out here." He says straight-faced. He ducks backs inside the cabin before any sharp, pointy things start heading his way.
"They're good. Seems like that burly mate slipped his bonds, but it looks like they have it under control." He says positively, heading for the last door in the cabin.
Magnus examines the door, then testing it quietly to see if it's locked.
The door's latch seems open to Magnus
"Here. Allow me the honors this time. After all, you don't get all the fun." San takes a listen at the door first (perception ), and assuming he hears nothing, opens it.
Felicia will circle round the grease to get closer to Kraken
Vilya limps toward Kessel, a dangerous look in her eye.
"YOU. You distracted me just so you could steal my kill."
She gestures toward the fallen half-orc with her machete and utters a feral sound that only incidentally happens to be a word.
"Mine."
Magnus bows and grandly gestures for San to take the spot next to the door.
"So sorry. Terribly rude of me! By all means!" He grins.
"Here. Allow me the honors this time. After all, you don't get all the fun." San takes a listen at the door first (perception 1d20+11), and assuming he hears nothing, opens it.
San hears nothing but some more fly buzzing, so he opens the door. Inside he finds what must have been the officer's mess. A large oak table and 4 benches dominate the center of this cramped dining cabin. The cabin is a gory mess whose only living occupants are a swarm of buzzing flies. Blood and brains splatter the walls in gory abstract.
Among the litter of wooden plates and overturned cups on the top of the table is a scattered mix of rotting food,spilled grog, copious amounts of dried blood, and a severed human hand still clutching a wooden spoon.
Magnus looks a the flailing Kraken, trying to rise on the greased deck, and Vilya picking herself up from same deck.
"Well. As long as you have everything under control out here." He says straight-faced. He ducks backs inside the cabin before any sharp, pointy things start heading his way.
Felicia nears the fallen swab, who is attempting to stand. Vilya follows, limping slightly.
He slips and clutches the rail, howling incoherently. His bound companions howl in sympathy, trying their best to break their bonds
"Give it up you cant escape." Felicia points the edge of her rapier at the man.
Vilya limps toward Kessel, a dangerous look in her eye.
"YOU. You distracted me just so you could steal my kill."
She gestures toward the fallen half-orc with her machete and utters a feral sound that only incidentally happens to be a word.
"Mine."
"Distracted you how?" Kessel asks, his dark piercing eyes meeting Vilya's, "Because I used my magic after you fell not before. I am not a mover of divine providence, you loosing your balance might have been bad luck, but I didn't will it to happen. I would suggest to you though, if you believe in such things, that fate would seem to want this half orc alive, perhaps you should rethink your strategy? Clearly he and the others are under some sort of mind control."
"Well, someone must have tripped me up... Someone come get me when he dies. I want his stuff."
Vilya backs off and goes to sulk in a corner.
Magnus once again rescues his nose with his silk handkerchief.
"I'm beginning to sense a theme here." He says, carefully picking his way past various refuse,...
He cautiously prods various bits, including the hand with the spoon, with the tip of his rapier.
Magnus doesn't see much besides the evidence of a massacre. One thing he notes is a lack of bodies
"Okay,... so one of the mage's pets got loose and caused the crew to turn on each other. I get that. So where are the bodies?!?" Magnus asks with a theatrical, but not-entirely-unfeigned, shudder.
"Unless,... 'It' needed them as food?" He adds more quietly.
Magnus makes his way past the others back into the central cabin,... Not hurrying, exactly.
"Give it up you cant escape." Felicia points the edge of her rapier at the man.
Kraken struggles to rise again. He eyes Felicia warily, but makes no sign that he comprehends her words. A feral snarl issues from his throat and his massive muscles bunch as he tries to regain his footing
He rises up and slowly heads for the doors at the head of the ship
AoO
Damage
Magnus steps outside onto the deck.
"What? He still wants more?" The elf smiles.
"He's tougher than he looks. Still, I suppose the captain WOULD appreciate the return of his crew intact if possible?" The elf sighs dramatically and saunters over to assist,...
:)