Despite having been aboard for a ten day, there where still a few hand they'd yet to approach. Jack noticed one of the halfling riggers walking past, he called out "Ho tha Ratline! How ye doin'? Jus wanted ta say 'ello eh?" Jack tries to engage him in small talk and if he seems well disposed Jack suggests, "If ye ever have enny little problems, lik ye fall ill, or somebody's givin' yer grief, just let us know eh? Mebbe we can 'elp."
The evening if possible Jack spends with Badger, there where several finer points of Callistrian doctrine that needed a thorougher examination...
The next morning Jack wanders around and almost literally bumps into Giffer Tibbs one of the swabs. "Hey Tibbs, dinnae see ye thar. Top o' tha mornin' to ya. Tis a har life eh? Always more scrubbin' ta do eh? Hard work. Honest work eh? I'm sure you heard tha word eh? If ye have any troubles, just ask eh and mebbe we can 'elp. Enny time." He flashes a friendly grin and lets her get on with her day.
That evening is spent getting some rest as Jack turns in early. That is unless a certain rigger has more theological conundrums that need exploring.
Alfonso is still sore from the exhausting swim the next day, and turns in early again. The second night, however, he seeks out Barefoot Samms Toppin, so see where her allegiance lies.
"Madam Toppins, is it? I've seen you around the ship, and I regret that I never took the time to get to know you before. My name is Alfonso Felipe Emmanuel Juan Carlos d'Arribio. I'm sure you've heard me and my companions entertaining the crew from time to time. We're very interested in making the ship a more pleasant place to live, you see. Is that an interest of yours as well?"
Shikyo spends his days surreptitiously watching the Bosun and Mate. His time will come, and they will die screaming.
Shikyo is also looking for poison aboard the Ship. Any type will do.
Other than that the normally reticent Tien man stays that way. He pretends to not speak the language well and keeps his head low...better to not call attention to himself. Easier to slip the dagger into Plugg's back that way.
Treggor stops by the quartermaster's shop to inquire about a possible exchange.
"Hello again, Grok, and good health be yers. Say, now that Treggor has the full measure of his belongings restored to 'im, I be havin a fancy fer a blade fer ta match this one." the old pirate says, patting the sword on his belt. "I wonder if ye have anything that might be along'n that way?"
Treggor approaches a woman known as Crimson. While Grizzle gets drunk and sings, he offers to dance with the woman. "When was the last time ya put yer sea legs ta work trompin ta some music?"
Treggor slips away to take a stroll below deck, casually glancing around for something of value that may have been left unsupervised.
Treggor approaches the one named Fipps when he's alone.
"Say, I remember yer face. Glad ta not ave seen it much since we gave it a scuff many a mornin past. As fer me and me fellows, we be more than happy ta remain well enough out a yer business, as long as ye stay well enough out a ars. There's lines ye don't want ta be crossin, Mister Chumlett. And people at that. We be some a them people, Mister Chumlett. So just you and yer little band mind yerselves. I'd hate ta have another nasty misunderstanding scuff that dainty face a yers."
***
Grizzle spends his free moments looking around the ship. He manages to come across a tanglefoot bag while looking around in the bilges.
***
Mad Jack approaches Ratline who is a rat-faced halfling with long arms and three missing fingers. He is hesitant to talk to Jack at first, but he eventually eases into a conversation with each other. But Jack notices that the halfling refuses to talk about anything of significance, and seems to panic at the hint of becoming an ally.
The next day Jack speaks to Giffer Tibbs, a bedraggled gnome with only one eye. Like Ratline she is also hesitant to speak, but she eases into conversation easier than Ratline. By the end, she seems very friendly towards you. It seems to help a lot that Badger vouches for you.
Needless to say, Jack and Badger spend quite a bit of time in religious contemplation.
***
Alfonso speaks to Barefoot Samms Toppins. She is a former fisherwoman from the Sodden Lands, who, as her name implies, never wears shoes. She is a little dour but generally friendly.
After a while, she tells the Bard, "You need to be careful. I've noticed Fipps whispering to some of his goons lately. Normally I'd be sure he wouldn't try anything while on ship, but the way they were looking -- Just be careful."
***
Shikyomaru does a little research to find out that the cheapest poison he could get his mitts on would cost him 100 gold measures. But thanks to Dieredon he manages to get his hands on one of the venom sacks from a reefclaw. If he had a poisoner's kit he could potentially make some poison.
***
Rosie smiles and lets Treggor take her for a dance. To be frank, it doesn't go well. The rum ration must not have been quite as diluted as usual. And Treggor steps on the woman's toes more than once. And Rosie Cusswell lives up to her name when she lets out a few colorful invectives.
The next night, Treggor manages to terrify Fipps. He walks off muttering to himself.
***
After receiving the reefclaw poison sac from Diredon, Shikyo sets about thinking on how to create a virulent poison. He wasn't fully trained by his order on how to create the poison, but he knew the basics.
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The press-ganged are woken up at dawn to find Master Scourge looking fouler than usual. And beside him is a brown-skinned woman with a gold ring in a nose that looks like it has been broken many times over. One of her legs is missing and replaced with a wooden peg leg.
You all recognize her as Riaris Krine, the Wormwood's Master Gunner. And one of the ship's officers.
"Unfortunately ya lazy lot won't be under me tender mercies today," Scourge says. "Instead you're all to report to Krine here."
At this Krine smiles at all of you in a way that can only be described as "predatory".
"Let's go, you lazy land lubbers," she bellows. "Time you all learned to board a ship."
***
An hour later you're each given a grappling hook and rope.
"Being able to use a grappling hook, is a vital skill for a pirate," she tells the Press-ganged as two of them are lowered into a jolly boat along with herself.
"You will practice throwing a line from the jolly boat to the ship. You'll tie it off and then climb across. To make it interesting some of the crew will be pelting you with trash."
Dieredon leaps into the Jolly Boat, and once situated, tosses the grappling hook towards the ship.
Dieredon reels in the hook, and he tries again.
Having successfully secured the hook, he attempts to maneuver along the rope to the ship while avoiding the trash beeing hurled at him.
He teeters several times but regains his hold as he makes it to the ship.
Shikyo lands nimbly in the boat, he figures that if he excels in this the pirates might relax a little around him...and he could then use that against them.
He hurls the Hook with precision, and then begins climbing
Shikyo makes it look easy.
Riaris Krine actually looks impressed that Dieredon managed with only two throws and Shikyo managed with one. When they climb across the rope to the ship despite being pelted with bottles, stale food and other refuse, she calls out "Aye, well done! Well done! We'll make pirates of you yet!"
The jolly boat is rowed over to the ship.
"Next two maggots are up!"
Treggor, not to be shown up by the foreigner or the cook, hops in the boat and gives it a go.
It takes him a few tries, and he grits his teeth in frustration. Finally he lands the hook, and climbs aboard.
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Alfonso tries his best...
...and manages to land the hook on the first try!
However a well-aimed orange peel causes him to lose his grip, and he plunges into the water.
But he manages to swim his way back to the boat before panicking.
Jack rolled his eyes when he saw what Krine had in mind. "Ye kiddin'?" he muttered. Still when it came to his turn, Jack found he was a natural. He deftly flicked the grapple out and with great whooping and hollering, he scrambled across the line while dodging rotten unmentionables from above! Safely on the other side he roars, "YARRR!" before breaking out in giggles.
Riaris stares down intensely at the waterlogged bard.
"Get yer worthless hide back in this boat, ye hear! Try it again. I got all day, knife ears!"
Grizzle expertly throws the grapple and climbs across. "Doon this all be'fer. No'n new ta a dwarf!"
Treggor curses and spits as he sees himself outdone by everyone that isn't a limp-wristed lute player.
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Treggor curses and spits as he sees himself outdone by everyone that isn't a limp-wristed lute player.
"'Supple' wrists, Treggor. I prefer to call them 'supple.'"
After five more trips into the water, Alfonso finally manages to keep his grip on the rope and climb, sputtering and weezing, onto the deck.
Riaris curses at Alfonso each time he falls into the water, getting more and more creative about his parentage and/or presumed choice of lovers each time.
When he finally makes it up to the railing, she calls out, "Praise be to Besmara!"
She then calls for Mad Jack and Grizzle, who both manage to grapple and climb across on their first tries, impressing her greatly.
***
That night dinner is a simple but still wholly delicious affair. And Alfonso notices himself as the butt of a lot of jokes.
Dieredon takes his measure of rum and heads top bed early to rest up after the boarding training today made him weary.
Shikyo spends some time above decks in the open air after he eats his meal and drinks his rum. He enjoys the sea air, it reminds him of home, he lived near the sea for most of his childhood. He tries to find his parrot, the one he had befriended before. If possible, he'll feed it a bit more of biscuit.
Treggor spends the evening drinking rum and trying to get a song going.
As it turns out, this is apparently drunk Treggor's favorite way to annoy people.
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Eager to redeem himself in the eyes of his crewmates, Alfonso plays a baudy song during rum rations.
Jack notices poor old Treggor drowning his sorrows. He hadn't had the best of days, although Alfonso had fared rather worse. Anyway Treggor was gamely attempting to sing a song, but he'd had rather too much of the ships rum. Some of the crew give Treggor a look, as if to say - stop please. But Jack simply smiled and added his voice to Treggors and soon everyone was singing along!
"Come all ye young fellows that follow tha sea,
ta my way haye, blow tha man down,
And pray pay attention and listen ta me,
Give me some time ta blow tha man down.
I'm a deep water sailor jus' in from Abas-alom,
ta my way haye, blow tha man down,
if ye'll give me some grog, I'll sing ye a song,
Give me some time ta blow tha man down.
'Twas on a Black Baller I first served my time,
ta my way haye, blow tha man down,
And on that Black Baller I wasted my prime,
Give me some time ta blow tha man down.
'Tis when a Black Baller's preparing for sea
ta my way haye, blow tha man down,
ye'd split ya sides laughing at tha sights that ye'd see.
Give me some time ta blow tha man down.
With tha tinkers and tailors and soljers 'n' all
ta my way haye, blow tha man down,
That ship for prime seaman on board a Black Ball.
Give me some time ta blow tha man down.
'Tis when a Black Baller is clear o'tha land,
to my way haye, blow tha man down,
Our Boatswain than gives us tha word o'command
Give me some time to blow tha man down.
"Lay aft," is tha cry,"to tha break o'tha Poop!
to my way haye, blow tha man down,
Or I'll help ye along with tha toe o'my boot!"
Give me some time to blow tha man down.
'Tis larboard and starboard on tha deck ye will sprawl,
to my way haye, blow tha man down,
For "Kicking Jack" Williams commands tha Black Ball.
Give me some time to blow tha man down.
Pay attention to order, now ye one and all,
to my way haye, blow tha man down,
For right thare above ye flies tha Black Ball.
Give me some time to blow tha man down."
***
Shikyomaru tries to find Pluck the parrot.
Pluck does come out for some food, but still seems skittish.
***
Treggor, Alfonso and Jack manage to entertain the crew, despite a rocky start.
***
Dieredon heads to sleep.
Dieredon will engage in some friendly dicing with his shipmates (read...gambling) over the next two days. He will be wagering 10 SP the first night and 4GP the second.
Shikyo continues his normal working duties, attempting to fit in with the crew and lull the Mate and Bosun into overlooking him. At night he feeds a bit of biscuit to the parrot and tries to get it to take to him.
The evenings where mostly spent entertaining the crew with songs. He asked Alfonso to join in and he managed passable renditions of all the current favorites.
There was one other nocturnal activity, exploring various theological matters with Badger. It was becoming apparent that Calistrian doctrine had boundless opportunity for rigorous debate.
Grizzle gambles with Dieredon, betting a gold each night.
Alfonso spends the first night teaming up for a duet with Mad Jack.
...but ends up being a bit upstaged.
The next night, he seeks out Shivikah to feel her out as a potential ally.
"Miss Shivikah, is it? I'm sure you know who I am by now. I just wanted to let you know that I'm here if you need anything, and I'd like to know I can lean on you for help if the need arises."
Treggor spends his evenings wrestling with the other sailors, not for money, but for pride and reputation, as well as to send a message about his physical prowess to the crew.
But he generally discovers his shipmates to be much more capable than he'd expected, and somewhat embarrasses himself instead.
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Dieredon manages to break the first night as he is getting a feel for his fellow shipmates tells. On the second night he decides to go all in, but Desna is just not with him that night.
***
; Result of 12
; Result of 11
Pluck slowly warms to the quiet monk.
***
This AP does seem to have quite a slow start. Lots of flavor though!
Mad Jack entertains the crew alongside Alfonso for the first night. And they both do exceptionally well. While they notice some folks being a little more standoffish than before. It seems the music keeps the slide from being too bad.
But the second night Alfonso discovers that not everything is rosy. The tall mwangi woman Shivikah, spits at his feet when he gets near. She smiles at him and says, "You remind me of man I sold to a slaver a couple years ago. Of course, I liked him more. He made such adorable noises when I cut out his tongue."
***
Grizzle sees Dieredon doing so well, he can't help but play a few rolls of dice himself. But he doesn't do very well.
***
Treggor does some light-hearted arm-pulling. And the first night he does very well. But the second, his rum ration isn't quite diluted enough. He ends up being thrown halfway across the deck after his last match.
Jack wasn't the sort prone to panic, lets face it he was more likely to laugh with glee in the face of danger. Neither was he the sort to be overly bothered about what other people thought. Yet it hadn't passed his notice that something was afoot.
Speaking to Alfonso after their impromptu duet he mutters, "Tough f*$# crowd. Sommat's brewin' fer sure. Rekon pretty boy's crew be psychin' em selves up, but now we be armed they be thinkin' twice, know what I mean?"
Mad Jack has an off feeling about the mood on the ship. There's a hint of violence in the air lurking just out of reach. And not only do the press-ganged feel it, but so do those who have befriended them.
Master Scourge makes a point to assign the press-ganged the most demeaning and tiring jobs he can. Moving you from one station to another with little time to rest of refresh with some water. And when Scourge isn't there, Mister Plugg seems to be waiting just around the corner.
And the misery is spread around to their allies. Badger has essentially been demoted to swab, despite easily being one of the best riggers on the ship. While Jack Scrimshaw is pulling double duty in the bilges by himself, with his lantern left with too little oil to properly light the area. Little foul-mouthed Rosie Cusswell has been hauling rope nonstop. Her hands and feet are now bloody and blistered.
But Sandara gets it the worst. She is berated non-stop by either Scourge or Mister Plugg. She is called a "useless, good-for-nothing whore," and worse, countless times. And some of the crueler shipmates join in. The other officers notice, but do nothing to stop the abuse.
Grizzle prepares himself, and tries to subtly give their allies three of his handaxes, and his mace. Just in case something happens, he wants them to be prepared.
Jack freely takes a mace, but Rosie, Badger and Sandara refuse politely since they have their own weapons.
Jack didn't care much about what others thought of him or how demeaning the duties were. There was only so much bilge or latrine work one could do before you became inured to it. The things was, although he wouldn't admit it, he had a soft spot for some of the others and was less then impressed by what had been said and done to Badger and particularly Sandara. It downright rankled it did.
Jack made a point of seeing each on their friends and telling them, "We'll be there fer ye. If ye need somewhere safe ta sleep, I reckon our area's as good as any."
Later with the others Jack says, "I ain't scared o' em. Alfonso shall we sing us a song? A song ta annoy 'n' tweak their beards?"
As the brutality ramps up, Shikyo begins watching for patterns of behavior. Do any of the crew spend time alone? Who watches while they sleep? Do they guard their food, or is there a chance to slip some poison in?