The Mwangi Expedition

Game Master TerraNova

Alright, thank you all for staying with me despite the lengthy selection process. Here is what I have planned out:

You generate your characters, using either the heroic method (2d6+6, 6 times), or a High Fantasy purchase method. Feel free to talk to other players about your planned route, and mix and match as you like. Some of you will probably be quite similar in outlook, so these players should take extra care not to be exact copies of each other.

At the same time, I encourage you to expand your description. Since there is not a whole lot of "across the world" travel involved in this AP, most story "back home" will probably be going to waste, but you spend a (potentially very long) time in enclosed spaces. Did you interact at all, and if so, how did you fare.

I've decided to stick with the standard NPCs explained briefly in the Player's guide for starting out. If you want some history with any of them, or need further explanation, feel free to ask.

GM TerraNova, thank you very much for the invite! I'm really looking forward to participating in this game and getting to know all the characters.

In terms of coordinating character abilities and such, Zababa is basically a greedy, ruthless treasure hunter for the cause of purchasing his family out of slavery. I envision implementing this by having high bonuses in Perception, Survival, Knowledge (nature), Stealth, and Disable Device. I'm currently unsure of whether or not to take an archtype or go "vanilla rogue", or which method of ability generation to use.

I took Boarded in the Mwangi Expanse as my trait, selecting the town of Senghor. I don't recall just right now if that's the Jenivere's last stop, but most other characters should already have been aboard. I'd also like to say that if there are any other characters who'd spent a great deal of time actually in the jungle, I'd be happy to incorporate that into my background as knowing each other (perhaps small-time rivals, forced to put aside their differences?).

GM TerraNova, some questions:

How much of the UM/UC books are you allowing? I don't have anything from them specifically in mind, but it would make it easier to know to not include certain things from the beginning rather than find something and have to change it later.

Shall I assume starting cash is average?

Edit: Also, I'm totally taking Craft (hard liquor)... can't be wandering around the jungle without picking up exotic ingredients for some 'stills!

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 6) + 6 = 15
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 = 12
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 2) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14

Not my usual array, but not too shabby either.

I will add my character in a bit with back story and crunch. Gotta put the kids to bed first before I can really get going with it. Out of curiosity, how adverse would you be to using a middle aged character? Also, when are we planning on getting things started?

@GM: Of the 8 you selected, are all of them playing at once, or are you splitting them into Primary and Fills?

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 1) + 6 = 112d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 132d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 5) + 6 = 122d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 1) + 6 = 102d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 3) + 6 = 152d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 5) + 6 = 15

Many thanks for the invite! Henry Walton is a shockingly bad archaeologist with good intentions and questionable means. Full character stat sheet and background will be posted by this evening.

I will be getting a profile and sheet up. Mechanically, I plan for Siera to go straight Monk (Martial Artist), mainly hitting with unarmed strikes. I could maybe also take the Qin Qong archetype to trade off some of the more "mystical" abilities that would be hard to explain naturally. Skill-wise she'll go for the more physical and perception skills (Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Perception, Sense Motive).

If anyone has any advices on monk characters I will gladly take it, since it's my first time playing one.

Siera, having escaped the shackles of her home, feels genuinely happy serving under Captain Kovack, and is generally of a festive mood. She lives in the moment, enjoying her freedom, and is curious. She has probably interacted with some of the characters, asking questions about the lands where they come from, etc.

Of the NPCs, I'd like for her to have a more personal relationship (although not a romantic one) with the ship's captain, Alizandru Kovack. I'm thinking he discovered her stowing away among the cargo and chose to care for her instead of just throwing her overboard. He taught her most of what she knows about sailing, geography, etc.

I'll give my shot at rolling the dice so I can get the sheet going:

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 1) + 6 = 12
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2) + 6 = 11
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 6) + 6 = 16
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 4) + 6 = 16
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 6) + 6 = 16
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 13

Thanks for the invite, TerraNova! This is a nice surprise to come back to the holiday weekend some.

I will work on Misha. I will take the purchase method.

Misha is AN ADVENTURER and AN EXPLORER and I could finalize her build a few ways depending on what's needed. Current thought is multiclass bard/ranger -- I can actually go mostly ranger with a little bard for support abilities and knowledge (she's a scholar so I need those knowledge skills), or bard with a little ranger to round out her exploration skills. Not a classic sense of "optimized" but definitely will have a lot of Knowledge skills, Perception, Survival, maybe some Linguistics and even Use Magic Device (when you find that funny glowing thing at the bottom of the tomb, got to figure out how to use it, right?)

Ideally I'd like to take the archeologist archetype from Ultimate Magic, but if that's not available or would step on Henry Walton's toes, I will do vanilla bard or archivist.

As a "scholar of the Mwangi" I imagine she's traveled to many of the ports of call before, so may have had the opportunity to meet anyone from those areas -- if not even tried to recruit them for a mission or at least ply them for stories and information.

Is there anything else we need to know for character creation? Such as, do we take any traits besides the campaign trait?

Will post more tomorrow as am off to bed. Thanks agian.

Here's my first draft of crunch: http://www.disobey.com/d/2012/Rafflesia Iff.pdf. Remaining items:

• Figure out how to add the "Boarded from Varisia" trait on there.
  
• Pick a default set of prepared spells.
  
• Pick out my equipment.
  
• Doublecheck PCGen and add notes for anything missing.
  
• I know it didn't apply the +1s from my Devoted to the Green trait.
  
• Write up more back story justifying these crunch selections.
  

Hey Misha, the archaeologist archetype from Ultimate Magic is all you, Henry Walton will have archaeologist as a profession, but he'll be straight Ranger to level 6, then Horizon Walker after that.

Cheers, Adam

As a "scholar of the Mwangi" I imagine she's traveled to many of the ports of call before, so may have had the opportunity to meet anyone from those areas -- if not even tried to recruit them for a mission or at least ply them for stories and information.

If Misha's been to some of the Mwangi ports, it's certainly plausible she and Zababa would know each other as acquaintances. He's got loads of field experience, but nothing in the way of formal education which would be a hindrance when trying to decipher ancient languages, etc.

Good to be in the group! I plan for N'gawa Matije to be mostly Ranger, but I could see a level or two of Fighter in the mix. He's a big game hunter from the jungles of Mwangi itself. He's always looking for the next biggest or more exotic animal to bring down. He's going to have tanning skills, but also stealth and perception for him to sneak up on his prey. I see him as a local guide for the group.

I'm planning to go vanilla ranger with an archery focus. When it comes animal companion time, I see him getting a jaguar to continue the jungle theme. I would like to get the Jungle Fighter trait because it seem perfect, but I also could see a re-skinned Rich Parents trait to represent his past wealth from selling skins. His favored enemy is Magical Beasts since he'll be hunting them a lot.

As for connections to other characters, anyone spending time in Mwangi has a chance to know or have heard of him. He's not going to be subtle about his success as an up-and-coming game hunter. I would see him having met Zababa or Misha as he's selling his skins or if they come to consult on any local wildlife.

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 6) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2) + 6 = 11
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 6) + 6 = 17
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 2) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 1) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 4) + 6 = 12

and now for some stats...

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 6) + 6 = 18
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 6) + 6 = 16
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 6) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 2) + 6 = 9
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 5) + 6 = 13

So, to recap:

Zababa- Rogue (vanilla?)
Tshilaba- Tattooed Aberrant Sorcerer
Rafflesia- Cleric Of Gorum
Henry Walton- Ranger/Horizon Walker
Siera- Martial Artist Monk
Misha- Archaeologist Bard
N'gawa- Ranger (archer)
Vargbrandr- Fighter?

Wow, that came out to a 37 point build! @TerraNova, I'm totally cool with scaling that back to keep things balanced, if I drop the 18 to a 16 that cuts 7 build points right there, let me know if you would like more of a point cut.

Stat rolls:

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 3) + 6 = 10
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 6) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 3) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 4) + 6 = 12
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 6) + 6 = 18
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 1) + 6 = 9

Here is the first draft of Henry Walton, I'll review this tomorrow for any mistakes and probably change up the gear a little, then I'll add an expanded description.

Some questions popped up, so here's the matching answers:

Yes, you really will be an 8 person party at first. If you remained throughout the adventure, I'd be impressed, though. Usually, you lose a couple of players for various reasons, so I tend to recruit very large groups, and add replacements rarely.

Everybody who has chosen to roll rather than buy his stats, feel free to use what the dice provided. You took a chance there, and should reap the benefits.

Please fill out your profile character sheets and keep them up to date - while a printable PDF is great for a table game, the pages will be my primary reference to your characters.

As for allowed books, I ask you not to absolutely cheese out - but I'm not going through single ability vetting. As long as its from a Paizo source, you can use what you have. If you plan to use 3rd party stuff, run it by me beforehand, and beware - i have little 3pp material, and would need to have access.

As for starting cash, yes. Assume average funds, but be aware that some of the more unwieldy items are probably going to be stowed in the hold.

You all get the campaign trait you selected, and may select another trait you are eligible for - but not another campaign trait

@Siera

Regarding starting age, I have no problem with middle aged characters - but I don't like adding a cheap +2 to mental scores while dumping physical scores even lower. So if you wish to have your first speckles of gray in the hair, feel free to add them - just don't apply aging modifiers.

Plain spoken straight fighter all the way. He was born a fighter, he is living the life of a fighter and he will die a fighter's death.

2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 4) + 6 = 13
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 = 12
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 6) + 6 = 15
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 2) + 6 = 14
2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 2) + 6 = 13

So, to recap:

Rafflesia- Cleric Of Gorum

Gozreh, not Gorum. Plant/Water domains.

Can anyone suggest 1st level feats for a monk? I've looked up and down, and most of the feats I wanted to get have a silly +1 BAB requirement (Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Step Up).

Tshilaba Vadoma wrote:

So, to recap:

Rafflesia- Cleric Of Gorum

Gozreh, not Gorum. Plant/Water domains.

Oops, sorry. I will get it right next time.

Can anyone suggest 1st level feats for a monk? I've looked up and down, and most of the feats I wanted to get have a silly +1 BAB requirement (Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Step Up).

I have always been a fan of Dodge. It may not be spectacular, but you will use it all the time, it's also a prerequisite for other things too. There are a couple of style feats that you can qualify for at first level too.

Thanks Oterisk, I had looked at the style feats but almost all need at least a skill at 3 ranks and I ended up dismissing them. Following your suggestion I took a closer look and found a couple that could be taken at first level (Crane Style and Snapping Turtle), but they are of a more defensive bent and I was looking for a little more offense. Will probably end up getting one of them, though.

I don't know if TerraNova has said anything about equipment, so I'll just roll my meager d6.

1d6 ⇒ 1 times 10 equals 10 gp.

Ugh that was cruel.

@TerraNova: Would you mind if I 'skinned' shuriken as throwing daggers? I'd like to have them as a backup option, but the eastern flavor seems a bit off with this character.

I previously said you could take average starting cash. And yes, I don't mind if your shuriken happen to have just one long blade. ;)

I've added to my profile, I think, a completed stat block. If another more experienced player (or the GM) could take a look and critique it for me, please do so. As mentioned in the Recruitment thread, this is the first time I've played in a good five or six years, so I'm pretty rusty on things. Will also be the first time I've played Pathfinder.

Still todo: finish up character description/background/AP NPC.

[EDIT: I'm Medium-Encumbered, it looks like.]

Seeing as I've already rolled the 1, it would only be fair that I keep it. Equipment won't be a big deal for me, most things will only be personal trinkets.

@Rafflesia: Seeing as you're a neutral cleric of a neutral god and you have Channel Positive Energy, you can also Spontaneously Cast cure spells. You could change that Cure Light Wounds spell into something else, converting it into a cure spell if the situation demands.

Can anyone suggest 1st level feats for a monk? I've looked up and down, and most of the feats I wanted to get have a silly +1 BAB requirement (Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Step Up).

In addition to Oterisk's suggestion, you could swap your Con and Int scores to qualify for Combat Expertise which leads to various Improved Combat Manoevers.

Siera, he said you could have average cash before you rolled, so my advice would not be to punish yourself for no reason. Take or leave of course.

Here's a rough draft of Misha. Since we've got 2 rangers and a fighter I think I will forego the dip into ranger and focus on her jack-of-all-trades-knowledgeyness. I also may redo some feats and have her with sword and buckler instead of two swords, but I like the image of her hacking through jungle with 2 blades.

I still need to finalize equipment. Right now she is a tad overladen, but that is actually about right for her. :) She's the type to want to carry everything. But I may think about ways to lighten her load. I don't imagine a ship or jungle is a good place for a mule. Maybe a hireling porter... ;) (I played an earlier version of Misha in a sadly very short-lived Eberron game many years ago and her neverending quest for a porter was part of her story.)

Her alignment may be N or NG, but either way she will certainly be sociable and a team player (I just don't necessarily see her as self-sacrificingly altruistic).

Zababa--she'd certainly value Zababa's practical know-how, so we can definitely say they're acquaintances at least.

Likewise, yes, Enchanter Tim, I can see her having N'gawa as a local contact.

Final stat block is in my profile, sans encumbrance modifiers and CLW (thanks @Siera). I've also finessed the original recruitment bio to justify some of the crunch I chose. Given that Rafflesia has been on the Jenivere the longest (I think?), it's likely that most of the PCs have met her once or twice. Here's a cut and paste of the finessed bio:

It's time to move on. I've wandered from settlement to settlement for years now, this tattered map guiding my way, with the goal of establishing new temples and shrines to Gozreh wherever I can. I'm one of his more outspoken servants, yet I've met nothing but indifference and scorn -- even the most meagre of hovels strives for an ever greater and more intrusive "civilized" niche in these wilds.

For nearly four months I've been traveling on this ship, the Jenivere, and I've seen boarders come and go. I can't say I've made converts of any of them, but even the smallest seed can grow into an all-consuming kudzu. I think I'll speak to the Captain again tonight - he seems the most receptive to Gozreh's teachings [he's just being polite to a paying passenger]. If he's unavailable, I'll try Mr. Aberwhinge again... I think he's coming around to my plans about an annotated version of the Hymns [to the Wind and the Waves].

Rafflesia prefers to use "all natural" equipment (hide not chain), but her beliefs are ultimately steered by her deity Gozreh, justifying her use of the metal-tipped trident. She's been known to get a little ... "fervent" in her missionary status, and her level 0 Entangle and Command spells have been used more than once to restrain a fleeing non-believer.

Still, she's not willing to deceive for her cause, though she so deeply believes in her faith that those who don't know her might be swayed solely from her exuberance [TRAIT: Boarded In Varisia - Mind-Affecting Spells]. Those who have encountered her in the past (a relatively common occurrence given her repeat visits to settlements) have often treated her in kind: barring her from local inns in a not-so-subtle attempt to get her to move on a little more quickly [FEAT: Toughness; SKILL: Survival].

Here's N'gawa so far. GM, what languages other than Polyglot would a native of Mwangi have been exposed to?

Without checking deeply, I'd say he'd probably have a decent shot at encountering some Elven, goblin or draconic (from jungle kobolds). Abyssal is also a sadly very real possibility, with the gorilla king's expedition spreading wider and wider.

I'll have the intro post up tomorrow night if all goes well. :) Don't sweat tying down the last details, we can start without knowing exactly how many oil flasks you own.

Tshilaba is a pretty smooth operator. I am going to run him as a CN character, but not in the insane nutty way that a lot of people like to run them. He is like molasses, a little sweet, a little bitter, fits into any container, but stains and is hard to get off. Most any time you talk to him you feel like you won, and when he leaves, you feel like you might have lost. I hope I can do the concept justice in the thread.

It looks like Rafflesia, Siera and I are going to be on the boat the longest together, with possibly Vargbrandr joining us earlier on, perhaps in Cheliax as he has a long way to go from the Five Kings Mountains. (My geography is a little hazy, so bear with me.) I'm certain Tshilaba would have talked to both of the ladies, mostly because he is personable and also because he is a young man with questionable morals.

Rafflesia he would probably patronize when she was feeling forceful, but otherwise would avoid her a bit. Deep down, he feels like he doesn't belong to nature, although he does respect it's power and it's beauty. He would eventually tell her that truth, knowing that it would be the best way to aim her enthusiasm at other possibilities. He would probably even steer her toward other members of the crew which he thought would be easier marks.

As far as Siera is concerned, he would probably do his best to befriend her. But after a while he would probably try to woo her if she were unattached to any other of the crew. Her enthusiasm about fitness would remind him of the dancing girls among the Varisians at home. Feel free to reject him as violently as you like, I just think it would add some interesting spice to their dialogue.

My statblock is about done, I am having a dilemma about picking my second first level spell. When are we starting? A deadline always helps.

When are we starting? A deadline always helps.

"Tomorrow" seems likely, given TerraNova's last comment.

Tshilaba Vadoma wrote:

When are we starting? A deadline always helps.

"Tomorrow" seems likely, given TerraNova's last comment.

I didn't see that earlier. Of course its probably because he is a ninja. Either that or he edited his post after he saw mine. I'm hoping that is what it is because the other options are scary.

For all: Siera runs a nightly game of cards after dinner on the common room. All who have coin are invited, but no weapons are allowed after the great fight two years earlier. Those with puritan outlooks check them at the door; when sailors gamble the words out of their mouths ain't pretty.

@Tshilaba: I'd rather have a "will they?" situation. She flirts back and teases but hasn't yet fallen to his charms (she has some control issues and doesn't like to put herself in a situation where she might have to relinquish that).

@Rafflesia Iff: Siera might seem fertile ground for your teachings. She respects the sea a great deal (as all sailors do) and is generally curious and attentive. The two might have spent one night or two discussing aspects of the different gods or details of natural environments (which she isn't all too familiar with). You might have glimpsed that she pays respect to Desna mostly because she values too much her freedom.

About the others: If you're willing to give a detailed narrative of your great hunts, tricks, cons or even hands of cards, Siera will probably listen to them wide-eyed and offer a foul-mouthed compliment ("So the jaguar jumped at your back and you wrestled it down? Ya're a f****in hard cookie to swallow huh?").

@Rune: On an entirely unrelated topic, why do you link to d20pfsrd.com instead of the PRD hosted at Paizo? I've no opinion about either, being newbish and ignorant, so it's more of an innocent curiosity than the accusatory tone my text likely implies ;)

No idea, probably because that's the site I use. I know how to navigate it better and have been doing that for some time.

d20pfsrd.com is, in my opinion, better organized than the real PRD. It also tends to keep up with FAQs and developer posts better than the real PRD. So you tend to get the most up-to-date, most agreed upon errata. It also has 3rd party items, which can be useful too.

What he said way better than me :)

Do we have a 'tanky' character? Someone with high defenses who can take some damage? The reason I ask is because if we didn't I could take the Crane Style feats or other defensive stuff.

Vargbrandr is probably a damage soak, but I don't want to say for sure. It couldn't hurt to have another character capable of taking hits. Looks like both Rangers won't be geared for melee damage.

I would be careful of being too defensive with a monk. You risk losing any offensive power and just get ignored on the battlefield and can't affect much. One or two defensive feats/powers should be fine. Just don't go whole hog. I haven't used any of the style feats with a monk, so it's hard for me to say how Crane Style will play out. Dodge is a boring, but solid feat.

If it becomes an issue, N'gawa could probably transition into a switch hitter role later. And at level 4, he'll get an animal companion.

For all: Siera runs a nightly game of cards after dinner on the common room. All who have coin are invited, but no weapons are allowed after the great fight two years earlier. Those with puritan outlooks check them at the door; when sailors gamble the words out of their mouths ain't pretty.

@Tshilaba: I'd rather have a "will they?" situation. She flirts back and teases but hasn't yet fallen to his charms (she has some control issues and doesn't like to put herself in a situation where she might have to relinquish that).

That works for me, he will be a regular at the table. Siera, you will know him to be an excellent bluff, but not any better than anyone else when sniffing out one. (You, likely the opposite, will find him a good match and will probably break even.)

I like the "will they" angle. Haven't really done it before in role play. Hidden crush, unrequited love, but not that. It should be fun.

Despite wearing light armor, Henry will have an AC of 17 and the ability to dish good melee damage with a plethora of weapons, so although not a tank, he'll provide a solid front line fighter for the party and allow more specialized characters to do their thing. He'll be using the two weapon fighting style and feats will center around the whip to start allowing it to be used in melee without provoking AoO and providing the ability to occupy foes that threaten the spell casters.

Boarding in Port Peril, Henry has only been on the Jenivere a relatively short time. Aerys Mavato boarded at the same time, but for all appearances they have no history with each other and their interactions are short though cordial. Respectful of Captain Kovack’s strict leadership, Henry passes the days in study of the nautical charts and swapping stories with crew members and passengers. Often he can be found in the common areas discussing geography and history with Gelik Aberwhinge, lately Sasha Nevah has joined their discussions and their boisterous, mirthful banter can be heard across the deck of the Jenivere. When not picking at the knowledge and stories of the crew, Henry seeks out the wisdom of the other passengers. Rafflesia’s teaching interest him greatly, although a follower of Desna he appreciates her insight and encourages her lessons. Likewise, N’gawa’s expertise with the jungle and hunting stories are impressive. The wide eyed and foul mouthed Siera reminds Henry of himself and his first voyages into the world. Misha, Tshilaba, and Vargbrandr seem an interesting enough group, clearly they’ve spent some time together on this voyage and have bonded. Always welcoming banter, Henry encourages Misha to share her knowledge and Tshilaba to spar with wit, while the stout, fire haired dwarf’s tales of battle are a welcome diversion from the monotony of sea travel. Not quite sure what to think of the newly arrived halfling rogue, Henry keeps one eye on Zababa and one hand on his money pou...hey! where’s my gold!

"Aye ye' chatty Kathy's, ye be talking about me without a proper greeting!" a deep voice roared from the top of the stairs. Heavy footsteps began to hammer on the narrow wood stairs and the owner of the voice could be heard grumbling under his breath at the narrowness of the stairwell. A moment later the figure stepped into a few, a powerfull looking dwarf with flaming red hair dressed in a plain white tunic, leather breeches and large leather boots that went up to mid-calf. "Vargbrandr of clan Ironheart, hailing from the great city of Highhelm! Where's the mead!?"

Sorry to interrupt the RP, but I've done a few tweaks with Misha--upped Str, reduced Dex, still TWF though, swapped a few skills. She's got a bunch of gold left to spend and no ranged weapon. If it's reasonable, I might have her just buy last minute supplies when they hit port, when it's easier to determine what they might also need. If it looks like I've messed anything up please let me know. Misha has a couple items from the Adventurer's Armory, namely a waterproof bag and a hammock.

On an entirely different subject, I generally prefer the PRD myself. I find d20pfsrd hard to navigate and am frustrated by all the source materials they cite--if you could sort by source materials that would be one thing, but they list all PRD materials, other Paizo content, and fan and 3pp content in one lump list, so it takes forever to sort out the stuff that I will actually use in a campaign from the stuff I'll never use. To each his own, eh?

IC
Misha is sitting below decks, idly rotating a pair of marbles in her hand while recounting a tale to any who will listen about how she single-handedly fought off two, no five, no seven! burly sailors in a bar in the Shackles once. It has become evident to anyone who listens that her stories are about 2% truth to 98% fluff, although she is good-humored when people call her on it.

She looks up at the dwarf's hollering. "Don't drink the mead here, it tastes like fish oil in sweetened rat piss. Fact, I'm pretty sure it IS fish oil in sweetened rat piss. And welcome aboard." She flashes a smile. "Misha the Explorer here, and this is..." she trails off, letting those present speak for themselves.

"Hehe, Misha! I bet you found out the hard way how the mead tastes," pipes up Zababa with a teasing voice, emerging from his cabin. "And too bad for you, I just finished off the last of my Zababa's Famous Jungle Spirits Grand Reserve Private Collection 4652," waving a small, empty bottle.

Seeing the rest of the gathered passengers, Zababa bows with an elaborate flourish. "Zababa, most recently of the Mwangi Jungle, pleased to meet you all and, for a price, at your servce."