Day 15
Baltzar discusses the Bloody Hour events with people, but otherwise does nothing special.
Day 16
Baltzar goes to bed early, to rest off the day's fatigue.
No, no loose coins. You can wager any of your equipment, rum rations, worse job (loser gets the worst job), dinner, or even favors with a successful diplomacy check. Favors should be something you don't mind others knowing about. Yeah, still make checks. Too many no progress results may anger the officers. They may think you're slacking.
Fargrim looks over Japes equipment with a keen eye. "I'll put my axe on the table. What you got that's comparable, Japes?" He removes his boarding axe and sets it on the table.
Japes unhooks his throwing axe, tosses it up into the air and it spins a few times before landing and chopping into the top of the barrel. "You're on dwarf" he spits with obvious contempt. At the sight of the two pirates squaring off for an arm wrestling match, several more crew members gather around both cheering and placing their own wagers.
Barefoot Samms walks up and puts his hands on top of Fargrim's and Japes's. He counts off "One, two, three, Go!" and releases the two to start the match.
Not singing that night, Nivian instead watches as Forgedri...Fardrimm...Forgrimm...the Dwarf sitting with them at Dinner challenged someone for an arm wrestling match.
He can climb...but was that skill or pure strenght?
When a crowd gathers, Nivian takes note of the bets being placed...if this little wager would turn into a political affair, she would have to partake...and hope the Dwarf wins.
Heh, he . . . He, he , he Rillum chuckles silently to himself, nodding on the outside with exaggerated solemnity as the ragged carcass slips under the sea again. Now who is funny, makes giggles. Is funny to die gutted in sleep. Funny as water fills lungs and skin flensed across barnacles. They know how to make good jokes now. He, ha . . .
That evening, the exotic flavors are finished, an interesting variation on an old recipe. And the innovation proves itself valuable in several ways. The last calculation for a potion to reduce size falls into place – one more step to access the lab above. But also, something of even greater value. The rotting corpse of the giant rats from a week ago, with the numbing, poisoned, filth that the pirates call rum combines with Rillum’s own flesh, stewing in a mass of venomous blood. A delusional moment of genius creates LIFE! The twisted body stirs and pulls itself under Rillum’s skin to feed and gestate, to grow strong and complete itself. Finally a true servant, one who’s mind and body are a smaller version of himself. A protector and scout, whose loyalty will never come into question.
He can be made small . . . He can scout and steal, for me, for us. Now to deliver the product to the Blue Lady. She will help to open the lab, then we can take, can sabotage. Oh the spices we will stir together!
Rillum mentions to Nivian the next day her poison and flavoring is ready. The next night they can complete her part of the bargain.
As soon as Samms's hands come off of the entwined fingers, muscles flex and grunts are heard. Japes does his best to stay neutral for almost a whole second before Fargrim begins showing his strength. Japes's hand begins to lower slowly at first, but four seconds later, he screams out as his hand is slammed into the rusty nails that permeate the lid of the barrel. The boos seem to drown out the cheers, but the scream is heard above all.
Afterwards Fargrim receives several pats on the back while Japes is taken to the lab by the ship's surgeon to have his hand looked at.
Sandman smiled at the results of the arm wrestling match. He could use this...
Rillum scrapes a few drops of blood from the rusty nails. This might be useful as well.
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Fargrim grins widely at the scream of pain echoing from Japes' lips. He scoops up the throwing axe with an appraising eye before slipping into his belt. "Thanks Japes, this'll go nicely with my other axe. Thank you, for your donation!" He shouts after Japes as he is escorted away from the table.
He rolls his neck and looks around with a challenging smile. "Who's next?"
No one else dares challenge Fargrim after his display of power over Japes.
By day 17 aboard the Wormwood, the lines of division couldn't be any clearer. Anyone friendly with Nivian is guilty by association. You continue to get stuck with crappy jobs as Mr. Plugg tries to wear you down. Mr. Plugg is almost always on deck at this point, and Master Scourge follows Nivian around with a disturbed sneer on his face.
Fargrim - Lookout -
Rhemus - Turtle Hunting -
Rillum - Man the Bilges -
Nivian - Hauling Rope and Knot Work -
Baltzar - Swab the Decks -
Sandman - Runner -
The third day of running around all over the ship didn't go as well as the first two for Sandman.
Being overly tired already, Baltzar just does her work...
and once again goes to sleep early after the evening meal.
As with the past few days, Fargrim shimmies up the mast without much difficulty. Once up in the Crow's Nest he gets comfortable and keeps his eyes to the horizon. Though he also keeps his keen eyes out for his companions below...
Knowing she is closely followed and watched, Nivian does her work perfectly well. She does, however, conserve her strenght. It would be needed, later.
Don't draw more suspicion, don't exhaust yourself...just keep working, and ignore your watchdog...his time will come
For the second day in a row Rillum does less than acceptable work in the bilges. Though he works diligently, he seems distracted. He has taken to talking to himself in a low voice and often has a small handful of grain which slowly disappears, but he never seems to eat.
@Nivian
"You have spices . . . now, what is the plan, plot. What will you do, when will you do? Chaf is shedding. But slow. It is slow. Suspicious looks, glances, are everywhere. I feel, fear, hope time to strike is soon."
As the work day draws to a close, the bell tolls and the crew gathers on deck for the Bloody hour. Master Scourge nods to two of the pirates and they grab Rillum and drag him up to the mast. "For failure in his duties, the bilge rat is given three lashes" he says with a sneer. He proceeds to administer the punishment with his whip, ripping chunks of bloodied, matted fur off in the process, smiling the whole time.
The ratman is released and pushed aside as the two pirates approach the Sandman. They escort him up to the mast and anchor his hands. "For failure in his duties, Sandman is given three lashes." As the first strike lands, but no welt is made, no flesh ripped, Scourge's grin quickly turns. At first he is dumbfounded, but then it quickly turns to anger. He lashes again and again to no avail. The more he lashes, the angrier he gets. Until Mr. Plugg comes over and pushes him aside. "Out of the way lout! Have ye lost yer touch?" Scourge falls to the deck in shock, and for the first time since you've been on board, looks scared and vulnerable. Mr. Plugg unleashes his cat-o'-nine-tails and raises it high, striking the back of Sandman. But again, it has no effect. Mr. Plugg becomes enraged and strikes again and again, all to no avail. The murmuring of the crew can be heard by most, until it happens. "Demon!" At first its a single cry, heard above all else, as if in a moment of silence. But it does not stand alone for long. Soon others join in the cry of "Demon!" Mr. Plugg staggers backward and looks perplexed. First at Sandman, and then at the rest of the crew. The pirates holding Sandman let slack their grip and stand in awe.
"QUIET ya curs, the lot of ya!" the Captain shouts. "Thar be no demons on me ship, ya daft fools. He be tough is all. Now clear the deck, all of yeas, before yeas face my wrath! Get your rum and gits to bed before I keelhauls every last one of ya's." With the orders given, the crew quickly disperses. Rhemus and Fishguts arrive carrying the rum rations. The halfling looks around. "What'd I miss?"
The crew does not approach Sandman the rest of the night and gives him a wide berth if they see him coming. The murmuring is constantly heard through out dinner and a few pirates even move their hammocks.
Nonlethal damage
Fargrim watches the bloody hour with a grin as Sandman frustrates the officers to no end. Once they are dismissed, he helps Rhillum to his feet and offers a hand in getting back to his hammock. That night, he offers an opportunity for anyone interested in arm wrestling again... If he has no takers, then he spots Conchobhar Shortstone and decides to engage his fellow rigger in conversation...
Sandman was amused, but it didn't show. He was passively stoic through the whole ordeal. He said nothing to anyone, treating the whipping as if it hadn't even happened.
Fear they wanted. Anger they expected. Dismissal they simply could not handle.
That was the way of all bullies.
Now everyone had seen Scourge and Plugg undone and unnerved. It marked the beginning of their end.
Sandman obeyed the captain, spending his first night in the crew quarters since he had arrived. He did not sleep. He simply sat in his hammock, his mask covering his face, unmoving until dawn.
That night he sowed the dreams of Japes and Maheem with thoughts of escape. Plugg and Scourge clearly could not handle the crew. The captain didn't care. There was something terribly wrong on the ship, and if they didn't do something about it they were going to die.
Rillum accepts the help of the dwarf, ". . . three more, three more . . ." he mutters to himself as he slinks back to his bunk.
At a time of relative privacy, he turns to Nivian, Sandman and Beltzar. "This cannot last, must end soon, in our deaths or those of our enemies. Nivian, you have the spices. What is your plan, plot? Sandman, you goad, challenge, and frighten the crew. Urine fills the boots of the crew, but what next? Beltzar, you are quiet, quiet can be dangerous, can be content. Which is it? Do we bring in others? The dwarf, the cook? Our singer's pets, admirers? The officers will make their move soon. We must move first, sooner, or accept we will die."
Baltzar covers her mouth to hide the fact that she's laughing at the cries of "Demon"
Later, with Rillum and the others...
"Yes, I can be dangerous, when need be." she says. "I agree, we should be on the lookout for a chance to make our move."
Earlier...
As Nivian's song carries across the boat, more and more of the crew join in until about half of the pirates are singing along. The song echos through the narrow corridors and even reaches the galley and the quartermaster. It's enough to make the officers sweat, if they weren't already. A unified crew with intentions not aligning with the officers was not painting a pretty picture for the masters of the vessel. Master Scourge began to yell at pirates as he walked his rounds "Shut up, or I'll be makin' ya sing during the Bloody hour." The pirates quiet down for a moment, but as soon as he moves on to the next ones singing, they start right back up again. It appears they will not be silenced for long.
Sandman, you goad, challenge, and frighten the crew. Urine fills the boots of the crew, but what next?
Sandman gives Rillum a small smile and speaks very quietly. "You are not the only one skilled with poisons. Yours weaken the body. Mine weaken the mind. Madness has already claimed two. More will follow."
"I welcome any who would stand with me. The dwarf would be a good choice. I am unsure of the cook. Rhemus knows him better than I. Speak with Nivian about bringing others into the fold. She is our voice."
As the crew wakes the following morning, before the morning work bell is rung, several of the pirates head up to the main deck for a quick bite to eat. Suddenly Japes wakes up screaming, jumps out of bed, and takes off running up the stairs. Those left on the lower deck can only stare in wonder. A brief scuffle is heard above before an unconscious Japes is carried back down the stairs and tossed back into his hammock. Maheen simply stares on as he slowly rocks back and forth in his hammock while clutching his knees to his chest and sweating profusely.
"The plan? If I just give it to her for drink, and someone sees me, they will assume I poisoned her. That would be a dangerous game. As such, I intended to play in public. Come to her when others are around, apologize for my behaviour a few days ago, offer to share the spiced wine I found in Aerel's lockbox. Drink with her, and make sure she drinks faster and more, which should not be hard. Maybe even with the cook, too. Then, in time, cast my magic on her in an unobserved moment, and drink more until I pass out. I expect when we wake, she should be dead, and me and whoever else drunk with us should have a serious hangover. If they ask what happened, I'll claim not to remember anything. If they check whats left of the fluid, hopefully they will find there was nothing lethal, and assume she drank herself to death. I fully expect they will take it as an excuse regardless to try and get rid of me. I made sure of that during work today. I would expect that will be the time to strike, and I hope my trust in the crew is not ill-placed...just in case, I will show you where your holes will need to be placed tonight...IF something were to happen to me or I need to flee."
If Nivian can simply take 10 to show Rillum what he needs to know, she'll show him when they are alone.
Then she would go find Grok. BUT: Since you want a full crew and Rhemus is gone, I'm fine with post-poning that. In that case, there's still Ratsberger and Conchobar only friendly...
Day: 18
Time: Morning
As the crew gathers on deck, Mr. Plugg and Master Scourge pass out the same duties as the previous days. Today the Captain stands on the poop deck overlooking the day's activities. One pirate stands guard on each stair leading to the poop deck, crossbow in arms. Master Scourge's sneer appears to be even larger than usual. Mr. Plugg, however, carries a new scar on his left cheek and stands at watch with a grimace.
Fargrim - Lookout -
Rhemus - Turtle Hunting -
Rillum - Man the Bilges -
Nivian - Hauling Rope and Knot Work -
Baltzar - Swab the Decks -
Sandman - Runner -
Syl manages to find you during the work day and approaches briefly. She tells you "I overheard some of the crew this morning. They will come for you tomorrow, on orders from Master Scourge." As quickly as she approaches, she departs, constantly looking over her shoulder.
It was very clear that Sandman wasn't cut out for this job. He did as well as he could and never flagged, but he was not nimble. The rolling of the ship and the need to avoid other sailors was beyond his ability to keep pace with. He stumbled. He fell. He bumped into people.
He also stayed under the captain's gaze as much as possible, knowing the captain would realize Sandman was a bad fit for the job. To a seasoned sailor it would be impossible not to notice that Sandman was not shirking his duties, and that this was a failure of leadership to play to the strengths of the crew.
Once again, Fargrim has no difficulty in scaling the crow's nest; however, he spends more time keeping a close watch on his new allies than he does keeping an eye on the horizon. He keeps his throwing and boarding axes readily at hand should the need come to defend one or all of them.
With the Captain personally watching the shifts, Nivian makes sure to do a fine job. And not be seen slacking or doing anything that would oppose his interests. It's strenuous work, but experience allows her to ration her strenght, and she's not fatigued at the end of her shift.
During dinner, she will speak with Rillum:
"A little bird whispered to me. Scourge will send his lackeys to come for me tomorrow. I will need to deal with Grok tonight, then. I assume that will end with me locked up and all the officers interested in my fate. Not great, but definitely better than having Scourges attention, only! If I end up in the water, could you aquire something Romello has hidden for me, and throw it into the water tomorrow night, at the starboard side?"
Even later, she will ask Romello to place something else in the bag with her tool. Something she used to carry in the folds of her clothes. Something small and wriggling and reluctant to leave her. She also addresses Baltzar:"If...for some reason I should not survive the next days, then could you take care of Carth for me? He's still very young, and needs someone to be there for him..." If Baltzar is reluctant, she will ask the same of Sandara Quinn.
Then, after Dinner she will take her prepared waterskin, and head to Grok: "We did get a bad start. I did. You were just doing your job. Remember the elf that went missing? I found something in his lockbox that may be interesting to you. Some spicy rum such as I have never tasted before. Too much for me to drink alone, surely, so I guessed we could try and start over while drinking it? I dunno how he got a hold of it, but surely it's enough to share with more people, if you want-"
Baltzar actually does pretty well today, and nods silently to Nivian and takes Carth that night.
Romello helps Baltzar keep Carth hidden, making sure he(?) stays safe but out of sight.
Grok welcomes Nivian with a scowl and a stare. She cleans off the table and offers her a chair. "I don't like you much, but I suppose I can still drink your rum." The two begin a girls night of drinking that lasts a few hours. Into the third hour, with Grok's senses dulled somewhat by the drink, Nivian seems her opportunity and makes her move. Grok fails to notice as she pours another round for herself.
You wake up a few hours later as an empty bottle rolls along the floor and smacks into your head. You're still in Grok's and Fishguts's cabin. Fishguts is in his hammock snoring loudly. Grok lies on the floor, face down, apparently suffocated to death. It's still dark out.
I don't want to lock this option in, but I dunno if I will get to post tomorrow, so I'm already doing the rolls so no need to wait for me if things continue. I think I will try and knock myself out again.
Then I don't even have to pretend I'm sleeping when Kroop wakes up...
Day: 19
Time: Morning
As the morning work bell sounds, almost everyone is on deck for duty assignments. As Master Scourge and Mr. Plugg hand out jobs for the day, it becomes apparent that one of their favorites is not present. Mr. Plugg dispatches two pirates to search the ship. In the mean time, the following are given their assignments.
Fargrim - Lookout -
Rhemus - Turtle Hunting -
Rillum - Man the Bilges -
Baltzar - Swab the Decks -
Sandman - Man the Bilges -
Its not long after the crew begins work that Nivian is dragged onto the deck and hauled to the Captain. Fargrim and Baltzar can see her unconscious body carried onto the deck. The pirates and the Captain along with some of the officers exchange some words before Nivian is dropped into the sweatbox. Rumor travels fast among the ship. Nivian was found passed out in Fishguts's and Grok's cabin, Grok is dead, and Nivian is being blamed.
I hope she can endure this.
It will not be up to hope.
The sweatbox is a cramped metal box left on deck and exposed to the sun. It is terribly confining and replicates unbearably hot conditions. Each hour a character spends in the box, she must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. The DC of this ave increases by +1 for each consecutive hour the character spends in the box. Any creature with fire resistance or under the effects of endure elements is immune to the effects of the sweatbox.
Yay
Otherwise, thats 2+1+4+3 nonlethal= 10 nonlethal, and I am staggered after 5 hours. Hour 6 puts me unconscious from nonlethal damage, and I am taken to -5@nonlethal from hours 7 and 8.
Well, I'll sit in my box and plead not guilty, asking what happened and why I'm in there...claiming I found the rum in Aerel's lockbox if asked.(basically sticking to the story as originally written).
Since the work is so hard, Baltzar works diligently...
and she's still fatigued.
Fargrim has only a slight issue in climbing up to the Crow's Nest; however, once up there he is much more concerned about Nivian being inside the hotbox... Several times he debates climbing down and attempting a rescue, but the others with her to not appear as concerned and so he waits and watches for any sign she may need assistance. He just started working his way into this group and he cannot afford to show signs of hesitation.
It's only about 2 hours into the work shift when the trapdoor opens and Jaundiced Jape slides down into the bilges. He is brandishing a cutlass and a snarl on his face. "You will die here in this shithole demon." Still standing up at the trapdoor is Aretta Bansion. Both pirates are armed and were present during your welcoming brawl.
Initiative
Sandman
Rillum
Jaundiced Jape
Aretta Bansion
Sandman seemed momentarily surprised as he took in the pair of pirates. Then he rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Don't kill them, Rillum." he rumbled quietly. His scars darkened, looking like inky shadows.
He stepped back away from the sword and glanced up at Aretta for a moment.
The mask on the wall laughed as well. It's eyes flared.
Before Aretta even gets a chance to climb down, she collapses into a heap on the floor. Japes notices the mask on the wall and suffers a brief relapse of a bad dream a few nights before. His sword hand shakes a little more than it should for a hardened pirate.
Witnessing the keel hauling did not go to waste on Rillum. The patient ratfolk follows Sandman's advice and empties the contacts of a flask into his mouth and then hocks a ball of phlegm right at Japes. However Japes is able to maneuver out of the way and avoid the incoming spit wad. Japes glances at Rillum briefly "now that's just gross, even for a ratman." He turns his attention back to the Sandman and lunges with his blade, but only manages to nick one of the support beams. Aretta snores peacefully near the trapdoor.
Initiative, Round 2
Sandman
Rillum
Jaundiced Jape
Aretta Bansion
Japes shaken for 2 rounds [-2 attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and ability checks.]
Sandman stepped closer to the ladder, risking Japes' cutlass as he crouched to lift Aretta but the front of her shirt and crack her head against the ladder.
The mask continued its disembodied laughter...
Japes sees an opportunity open in Sandman's defenses, but he's not quick enough to bring his cutlass around to take advantage of the opening. Aretta's eyes open for a brief second as the pain of the blow brings her out of her slumber, but unconsciousness quickly retakes her as everything goes black. Rillum tries to harass Japes and help out Sandman, but Japes ignores the little ratman and focuses on the demon threat. Japes tries again to slice into the Sandman but between the support beams, the entangling goo, and his own fear, he is unable to find his mark.
Initiative, Round 3
Sandman
Rillum
Jaundiced Jape
Aretta Bansion
Sandman turns from Arreta and gives Japes a look that tugs at his consciousness.