Jesal focuses underwater and casts a spell carefully, attempting not to inhale water as he does so sending waves of calming energy at the aggressive sea animal.
Calm Animals affects Hit Dice
Although Jesal's spell slows the eel's momentum, he feels the young, unruly creature's spirit rebel against the calming influence, and it continues to swim toward Edward!
Arhiel summons two silvery bolts of force that streak into the eel!
The eel, battered by Arhiel's magic missiles, turns in a rage in the direction the spell came from, and snaps its jaws down on the nearest creature in that direction: Jesal. Its needle-sharp teeth draw blood instantly, but it just doesn't have the vice-like grip to hang onto its prey.
Isaac: 21/26 rounds
Jesal: 22/28
Arhiel: N/A
Alabaster: 23/28
Edward: 23/28
Eel: HP: 33 | AC/T/FF: 20/14/16 | Fort +6 Ref +11 Will +3 | CMD: 24 (can't be tripped)
Jesal grunts in pain and then swims back 5 feet and sends out a burst of controlling energy.
It doesn't want to calm down? It can work for us then.
To Jesal's dismay, the young eel seems to be going through a teenaged rebellious phase! It throws off his attempt at control and keeps coming!
Isaac decides to move as much as he can. He swims and floats in front of Edward.
Arhiel sends another pair of force missiles at the creature.
His path blocked by Isaac, Edward holds, not too confident in swimming at current times.
Alabaster, never one to leave his friends in the lurch, is nonetheless taken by surprise by the giant eel's lunge from the shadows! It throws him off-balance, and a massive current nearly drags him out to sea. Gathering himself, he manages to swim toward the creature that's menacing his friends.
The eel, finally turned toward the source of the magical bolts, sees where they're coming from, and as two more strike it it lunges toward Arhiel! Its teeth rake her neck, leaving her swirling in the water; only her mystical armor's slowing of the jaws' momentum prevents it from maiming her badly.
Isaac: 19/26 rounds
Jesal: 20/28
Arhiel: N/A
Alabaster: 22/28
Edward: 22/28
Eel: HP: 27 | AC/T/FF: 20/14/16 | Fort +6 Ref +11 Will +3 | CMD: 24 (can't be tripped)
A look of grim determination in his eyes, Alabaster sets his jaw and pushes off of a part of the sunken ship, launching himself at the eel, cutlass ready to strike!
Isaac swims quite gracefully forward. He tries to make himself bigger to put fear into the eel.
Arhiel swims back 5' and fires two more missiles at the eel....
"Help guys, it doesn't like me!"
Alabaster attempts to push himself off the ruined ship, but is side-swiped by an unexpected rip current that tries to pull him out to sea; he manages to maintain his position, but only that . Isaac approaches the eel and tries to make himself look bigger, but its attention is wholly occupied by Arhiel blasting it with magic. Jesal focuses again, but just can't get the eel to obey his commands. Edward holds, uncertain how to help in this situation...
The eel, enraged by the pink swimming thing that keeps hitting it with...whatever those are...lunges at Arhiel once more! Its teeth pass right through the magical armor she's conjured and sink into her side; Arhiel shrieks (which you can all dimly hear happen in the air bubble around her head) and passes out!
Isaac: 17/26 rounds
Jesal: 18/28
Arhiel: N/A
Alabaster: 21/28
Edward: 21/28
Eel: HP: 20 | AC/T/FF: 20/14/16 | Fort +6 Ref +11 Will +3 | CMD: 24 (can't be tripped)
Isaac once again swims gracefully forward about 5 feet. He then attacks the giant eel, swinging his cutlass fluidly through the water!
Jesal gives up on controlling the unruly creature and moves in with a spear, 2 handed
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Alabaster tries to swim forward to the eel, but is still caught in the current. The look of anger at his failure is more than evident in his eyes.
As Alabaster struggles against the current, Edward distracts the eel by waving and "shouting" as best he can underwater--which works well enough for Jesal and Isaac to open long gashes on its side with spear and sword! Bleeding badly, the eel turns and swims rapidly away, hurrying toward the shelter of the derelict wreck.
Combat over!
Jesal seizes Arhiel as she starts to spin in the current. Some of you will have to surface for air in the next minute or two, but the immediate danger seems to have passed...
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Relieved the eel was gone, Edward could get to different matters.
As Arhiel was KO, he swam towards her.
Arhiel comes to as Edward revives her with magic; fortunately, she still has Jesal's air bubble surrounding her head. As some of her wounds close, the other most adept swimmer, Jesal, dives down into the wreckage. Swimming low over the wreckage, he spies a great many rusted and useless weapons, but also a set of three small clay ewers and a bundle of tightly stoppered glass bottles filled with some sort of liquid.
Isaac swims down with Jesal and searches the wreckage.
Isaac easily finds the chopsticks and pulls them out. Seeing that there's nothing else, he goes to the others and signals to surface.
"Thank you all for the rescue and you for the healing, Edward. I'm glad that creature is gone, it sure didn't like me." At the signal from Isaac, she heads for the surface.
"You're welcome.
Pity we didn't slay it, i've heard they can be quite tasty if properly prepared. Smoked or roasted make good dinner, alongside wine and veggies."
As you all break the surface, there are cries from on deck and several of your crew throw ropes down into the water. Seizing them, you haul yourselves up, loot in hand. When Sandara, standing at the rail, sees that several of you are wounded, she grasps her holy symbol and murmurs a quick prayer to Besmara. As you climb back onto the ship, you feel some of your wounds and the muscle strains from the fight easing away.
The three tiny, stoppered bottles Jesal found prove, when uncorked, to be bottles of fine perfume, no doubt Chelish in origin. Jesal is also able to identify the chopsticks Isaac found as originally crafted from a manticore's tail spikes (making them perhaps the costliest and most dangerous chopsticks to produce you've ever laid eyes on...albeit still chopsticks). Both should be easy to sell once you make your way back to civilization.
The clay ewers are somewhat more mysterious. They're sealed and actually tarred shut, making it look as though they're not meant to be opened at all. Each one bears the traces of writing on one side, although the water has already worn the word or words away too badly for you to be able to figure out what they might once have been.
As you're mulling your new prizes, Samms swings down from the rigging to join you. "Nice finds," she says as she lands lightly on the deck, "but th'tide's goin' out, and I reckon if we wanna put this island be'ind us, we'd best be off. So...where to, sir?"
All eyes turn to Isaac...except for one pair. Ambrose Kroop, who's come up on deck, coughs nervously, apparently in a bid to get your attention. "Er...wit' yer permission, sir," he says, "I mentioned t'Jesal 'ere how I thought Mr. Plugg were goin' off-course, per'aps in an attempt t'get this ship squibbed, as they say. Well, Plugg may've been a varmint, but in that I'd say 'e 'ad th'right idear. This ship righ' now is pretty recognizable, an' 'twere best that it weren'. An' yeh may be sure, sir, tha' Cap'n Harrigan will think o' us as mutineers an' thieves now, regardless o' wha' Mr. Plugg's plans were. So...if'n yer interested in gettin' her squibbed, I knows the place. Rickety's Squibs, 'tis called, on the Slitherin' Coast. I may not know exactly where we are, but I'm sure 'tis on th'Fever Sea somewheres, an' that means that if we sail nor'east fer long enough, we'll find the Slithering. Rickety's a good man, as they go, an' he'll squib the ship up, no questions asked. 'Tis how he stays in business."
There's an appreciative silence following Ambrose's brief oration, then all eyes turn to you five again. "Well?" Rosie asks, "What d'yeh say? Are we t'get this m+!&@**##~@* squibbed?"
Alabaster points at the urns.
I be suren me name's Alabaster Cain tha' those be tha ashes o' the last cap'ns o tha Infernus. Not really suren as ta what we need be doin' with em though...
Isaac says, "Aye. They be th' ol' Cap'ns o' th' ship. I be unsur' wha' to do wit' 'em as well. Open 'em an' be spill in' th' ashes into th' sea?"
Isaac looks at Kroop as he makes his suggestion. When he's finished and Rosie asks her question, Isaac smiles. "Grea' idea, Mr. Kroop. We be havin' our headin'. To yer stations! We be sailin' fer Rickety's!"
He makes for the wheel. "On th' way, we can be dividin' duties!"
As Isaac seizes the worn wood of the Man's Promise wheel, and brings the ship about to curve round the southern tip of the accursed isle, you hear a distant chattering sound, and looking out over the noon-day ocean you see a pod of dolphins racing through the water in the distance, jumping high through the air. As the crew makes themselves busy deploying the sails, and the canvas creaks and booms as it bellies with the wind, the rest of the party gathers around the wheel. Sandara pauses in the rigging to take in the sight of the dolphins.
"It be a sign from the Black Lady," she says, grinning down at Edward as she begins to climb higher. "She sees what we do, an' she be approvin' it." Breathing deep, the young woman lets out an exhilarated laugh. "To th'sea!"
"C'mon, move it, me 'earts!" Samms barks. "We're half-a-dozen short o' a full crew, an' it sounds like this squibbin' post be a couple days' sail. 'Twill be a long couple o' days until we get there."
"Don' be a f#~~ing spoilsport, Samms," Rosie cries merrily as she hauls on a line from on deck. "We're our own gods-damned crew now!" With a bellowing laugh, she makes the line fast to the rail and dashes forward.
You all stand together for a moment, watching the crew work. Then, realizing that Samms is right--you'll need all hands on deck to make any progress--you break up, everyone setting about the nearest task that needs doing. But the wind of change is in the air, and the sparkling sea stretches before you. You're on your way.
Edwards smiles.
"Good to know.", is a short response with a playful twinkle in his eyes and a quick wink.
In a moment of inspiration, he conjures a lute adorned with a Jolly Rogers, and starts a song.
Isaac laughs in joy as the dolphins dance around the ship. He turns his gaze, Edward's song playing. He says, "Now, brin' me tha' horizon."
Isaac looks at Rosie and smirks, giving her a wink.
Alabaster stands at the prow of the ship for a moment, his eyes closed, letting the spray hit him in the face, and then turns to face the crew.
We did it! We be free o' tha oafs what claimed ta be in charge! We be doin' that will o' Besmara now! Our cap'n be o' her chosen lineage, an' our crew be 'avin her favor! Cap'n Isaac! I be followin' ye to tha depths o' tha hells iffen ye ask!
Isaac smirks at Alabaster. "Let's not be goin' tha' far yet. But, I be thankin' ye!"
For days, you sail north of the accursed island on which you ran aground, following Jesal's guidance and Isaac's knowledge of the waves. The wind is fair, the water is deep, and the sun is fierce as you make your way toward the place that Ambrose thinks you can get the Man's Promise refitted into something that will let you avoid detection and subsequent decapitation: Rickety's Squibs.
The journey is strenuous, even with the fair winds, due to your skeleton crew. Every man and woman on the boat is working their hardest, trying to demonstrate their loyalty and eagerness to be aboard, but even so you're forced to stop at night so that the crew can sleep. The only significant discovery of note comes on the first night, when Isaac, curious, opens the chests in his cabin to discover what must have been Plugg's share of the booty from the original sack of the Man's Promise: a pile of gold, gems, and rare spices. On the third day, you finally draw in sight of land, which Ambrose and Jesal confirm appears to be the Slithering Coast, which runs south and east of the Shackles proper. Another day of sailing, and Ambrose spots the headland that plays home to Rickety's Squibs.
"Now, Rickety's a right ol' salt," he says, as you begin to make your way toward the coast, "An' 'e serves all the cap'ns of th'Shackles what pay 'im a call. So 'tis a rule, here, that if any captain comes to pay a call when another ship be in dry dock, Rickety'll come out an' warn the latter one away, so's to maintain the privacy of all cap'ns. E'ery sailor in the Shackles abides by Rickety's rules...they know tha' he'll sell out their secrets if not, an' they'd gain th'enmity o' the rest o' the Free Cap'ns, too!"
Rounding the tall headland reveals a hidden cove at the mouth of a wide jungle river, its sluggish brown waters staining the blue waters of the sea like an ugly bruise. A series of docks has been built upon this estuary, with buildings concealed beneath the overhanging limbs of the jungle beyond. A wooden watchtower stands upon the promontory of the headland, carefully concealed among the trees to provide a clandestine view of the seas. As you sail past, a yellow-and-red checkered flag is raised on the watchtower, and quickly answered by an identical one on top of the largest building you can see in the settlement. You see humanoid figures emerge rapidly from the buildings and cluster at the docks, and soon a single-masted longboat sets out from the dock toward your position.
As it draws near, you can make out its passengers in more detail: a crew of eight sturdy sailors, and one short, stoop-backed old man with a leathery, weather-worn face and a halo of frizzy white hair. As the longboat approaches, the old man stands and calls out, "Ho there! Ye be not a ship, nor a crew from what I see, that I seen before. Drop anchor, an' we c'n discuss terms if'n yer here t'make use of our services!"
Isaac continues to sail the ship to the Slithering Coast. He smiles as the crew works their hardest to get there. But, he makes sure that they all get their rest at night. He also tries to flirt with Rosie.
Isaac is in his quarters when he decides to open the chests. He smiles at the sight of the loot. He decides to inform the others about it.
Isaac easily drives the ship into the cove. He sees the watchtower and the flag raising. He slows down as the humanoids emerge from the building and the longboat approaches. When the old man addresses them, Isaac moves closer to the railing. "Aye. We be new to thes' parts. We be recently be acquirin' this ship an' we be needing' it squibed. Ye be Rickety?"
He turns to the crew. "Drop th' anchor! We be havin' guests!" When the anchor's dropped and the newcomers are on the deck, Isaac approaches and raises his hand for a handshake. "Pleased to meet ye. I be Isaac Sil'erman', th' Cap'n o' this ship."
Shivikah, Fipps, and Cog hustle to drop the anchor as Rosie tosses a rope ladder overboard to the waiting boat. The old man hustles aboard with surprising alacrity, followed by four of the burly sailors on the longboat. Though all are wearing daggers, they appear at ease.
Once aboard, the old man grins up at Isaac. "A Silvermane, eh? Besmara strike me down, 'sbeen a longish time since one o' your kin sailed these waters! I be Rickety Hake, aye, proprietor o' Rickety's Squibs, which yeh see o'er there. Glad yeh made yer way out to us fer yer maiden voyage!"
Rickety begins to stride around the deck, already examining the rigging, the rails, and the ship as a whole. "This ship looks like a swell'un, I'll give 'er tha' much! Rahadoumi, less'n I miss me guess; no more'n five years a-sea. Good bones 'ere. If yeh need a squibbin' ye've certainly come to th'right place! Who're the rest o' ye?"
Alabaster steps forward, his cutlass and pistol both proudly displayed on his hip. His shirt billows a bit in the breeze.
I be Alabaster Cain, first mate an' priest o tha Queen. Ye be doin' her biddin' here, for sure.
"Dis one be Salt. Bein a simple man of da sea."
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"Edward's the name. Musician and lifter of morale."
"And I am Arhiel, ship's mage. Hello and well met, Rickety Hake."
Isaac smiles. "They be me fellow off'cers an' me closes' frien's. As fer th' ship, indeed it be Rahadoumi. We be needing' a complet' o'erhaul. An' we be havin' a few ideas o' thin's on th' ship."
"Good t'meet y'all," Rickety says affably, still striding up and down the deck. "An' I'm sure y'do, sonny-jim. I'm happy t'be accommodatin' whate'er I can for yah, within reason. A complete superficial squibbin', oh aye, yeh'll need that if yeh want this boat t'go unnoticed. Fer a ship o' this size, tha'll take a little bit o'er a week--say eight days, all told. We'll putcha up 'ere, o' course, while tha's goin' on; got rooms i' the Commons there, got drinks, got fodder, the whole works. No other ship'll be allowed inta the cove while yer in dry dock, yeh have my word on that."
"Now, fer a basic squibbin' for a ship o' this class I generally charge 2,000 gold scarabs," he continues, naming the currency of Katapesh, "Though I ain't fussy 'bout the coinage. If'n yer lookin' fer some further improvements, it's easy enough t'install some hidden compartments fer 500 scarabs a pop. Anythin' fancier might increase th' time yer here, but if yeh've got expensive ideas, I'm all for 'em!" he chuckles and grins at you.
days
After a brief (strained?) silence, Rickety clears his throat. "If, eh...if tha' sounds like a lot t'yeh--new salts, I unnerstan'--we could work out somethin' else. A payment plan, like."
Isaac looks over the ship, thinking about the additions he wants to add. When Rickety clears his throat, the Captain looks at him. "Sorry abou' tha', Rickety. I was caugh' in me though's. 2,000 gold seems fair. We be havin' som' e'tra loot tha' we can be sellin'. Now, I be havin' som' ideas. Can ye be addin' a broader rudder, a ram, an' maybe a figur'head? Dolphins, specifically?"
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Rickety grins, then cackles when Isaac assents to the price. "That we surely can, laddy-buck! 'Twon't e'en take long, since those all jus' sit on th'suprstructure. Glad t'hear yer lookin' t'make 'er the best ship she can be!" Turning to the rowboat, he calls, "Head on in! They're comin' t'dry-dock!" The sailors in the smaller boat bend to their oars and a ragged cheer goes up from the deck.
Within the hour, you and your crew (under Rickety's helpful "supervision") have navigated up the mouth of the river to the docks, where you disembark and turn the boat over to Rickety's team. They give you plenty of time to remove any personal objects and valuables from the ship, and then your crew follows Rickety toward the village proper while the shipwrights haul the Man's Promise into the dry dock to begin work on her. Rickety, ever garrulous, narrates the whole way, leading you through the village as the sun beats down on your heads.
"Welcome, welcome, glad t'have y'all. We ain't got much 'ere, but what we've got's our own. Ha! This 'ere's the village, where me crew and what family they've got lives, obviously their own spaces, don' go lookin' about without invitation. An' up 'ere," he leads you uphill to a ramshackle, rather broken-down looking manor house, "is the Commons. This be where I sleep, an' where guests lay their heads. What we've got in the way o' general store an' tavern be in 'ere too, though it ain't much."
Throwing the doors open, he leads you into the main room of the Commons, a wide antechamber that's been converted into a saloon. A bar runs along one wall, with a large but mild-mannered-looking bartender behind it, and tables and chairs are scattered about the room, at which a few off-duty dockworkers lounge. Rickety points to a stair in one corner.
"Rooms be up there, grab any that're unlocked, should be more'n enough. I'll leave ya t'sort out yer sleepin' arrangements, but if'n yeh need me, I'll be down by the docks. Welcome to Rickety's Squibs, folks!" With a little grin and a quick bow, the old man disappears out the door and down the hill, leaving you to yourselves in the Commons.
Edward enjoys the sight of 'civilized life', in another form.
He was right at home in inns or places where one could celebrate.
"So erm, mon capitan, what would be our minimum required crew for the ship? I can poke around, see who might be in for sailing the seas."
If Isaac agrees, Edward will ask during the social times.
Isaac smiles as Rickety shows them around. When he makes his leave, Isaac bows back. "Than' ye fer takin' is in an' aidin' is." When Edward makes his suggestion, Issa thinks for a moment. "Aye. Be soundin' lik' a plan. We be needin' abou' 20 to fully sail this ship. In th' meantim', we can be restin' an' dividin' th' equipmen' we be needin' an' sell th' e'tras an' wha' we don't need." He smirks at Edward and says in a teasing tone, "I be guessin' ye need tha' weddin' dress fer Sandara, lad?"
O_O
"A wedding dress, what are you talking about?"
He hadn't thought about buying a wedding dress yet, not sure even what color she'd prefer, Besmara's grace he'd not press her into such a decision.
He casually rubs his chin.
"Though that's not a bad idea."
So, prior to trying to recruit, Edward chats with Samms & Rosie, discreetly, about what colors Sandara likes. What animals, or items does she find pretty.
Isaac laughs boisterously at Edward's reaction. "Relax, lad. It be a jok'." He smirks at him as the bard begins to contemplate the idea. "Me advic': wai' fer th' righ' time. May be too soon. Bu', iffen ye really lov' 'er, then go fer it. Bu' remember, I be a Cap'n. So iffen ye need anyon' to officiat'..."