"That and the old blackjack to the side of the head are their usual modes of recruitment. Don't worry, in due time you'll get your chance. But not now. Harrigan has too many allies on this ship and frankly you don't. Except for me of course. I suggest you make friends with as many on the ship. Some of course are such toadies to Barnabis that are beyond swaying. But a few hate Harrigan as much as you do. I'm sure you can tell the difference."
Kal yawns and heads up on deck to explore the ship and gaze at the ocean for a few hours. He starts out standing near the midship starboard railing, but soon decides to look for a better view. He follows the rail astern, trying to observe everything and everyone around him while keeping an eye out for the best ocean vantage point.
"I'll keep eye out. I'd appreciate it if you did too. Thanks Sandara", the bull minotaur said as he looked around to see who else was nearby.
"I think we'll be seein' more of each other in the next day or two", he continued with a raised brow.
Kal sees the same things Chubs does, various crew members engaged in entertainment.
"Of course. Though I've already done a little more than that." She looks around to see if anyone is watching the pair before reaching her bodice to retrieve a set of finely crafted lock picks. "I believe these belong to your little green friend. Might be helpful if he got them back. All your equipment is being held by the quartermaster. I got all of mine back by telling her the items were righteous artifacts blessed by Besmara that would bring a terrible curse on those who wrongfully held them."
"That worked?!" Bjorkus said in disbelief as he took the tiny metal picks and tucked them into the band of his loincloth.
"Got anything else in there?" the bull minotaur asked while his eyes plainly searched the visible surface of her cleavage.
"Do you think I could try somethin' like that? Wouldn't Scourge get suspicious if we all started walking around wit' weapons?"
Kal finds himself near the storyteller, and decides it's a fine view. Seating himself on the deck out of the way of any foot traffic, he relaxes a bit and listens to her tale.
Chubwart feels a sudden boost to his personality. Chubwart da man! Though slightly fatigued by the effects of the rum, he stumbles around with a smile on his face.
Chubwart hears the halfling describing the mythical beast. He walks over to her and stands next to her wide eyed.
On his way to the story teller he hollers out to Bjorkus and points to the arm wrestlers: Hey big fella...come rip the arms off skinny longshanks!
"Yes. She's a bit dull, and I am a follower of the Pirate Queen. I've got at least two things in there, but those aren't for you." She smiles. "He would get suspicious. That's why you only get things that you can hide. Like knives or some lockpicks. Not greataxes or bows. I'm not sure if you are aware of the concept of subtlety. In fact I'm pretty sure you aren't." She says referring to his leering.
The current tale being told about the mythical beast is of the mighty Kraken. She tells of a lone pirate who was devoured by the beast and sent to the Abyss. But only through the help of his friends does he escape to go on to fight Davy Jones himself.
Bjorkus takes one more long glance at the Besmaran's holy valley before nodding in understanding.
"Yeah. Sneaky. Got it."
"I'm gunna see what the goblin wants. We'll talk again on the morrow. Maybe we can go for a tumble if you think you're woman enough for me", the minotaur half-challenges.
"Yes, you keep telling yourself that. Heh, tri-tip..."
Bjorkus snorts and turns to head in the goblin's direction.
"What is it Chubs?" he asks while he looks around to see if anyone is paying too close attention.
Kal relaxes somewhat during the tale, breathing deeply of the sea air and realizing things aren't so bad after all.
When the story concludes, he smiles at the halfling. "Nicely told; I'd not heard that one before. Your voice as you told it... I could almost close my eyes and believe the ocean itself was telling the tale."
"Why aren't you a f&++ing charmer?" She says to you with a grin. "Names Rosie Cusswell. Who the hell are you?" Rosie grabs your hand and shakes it. Her hand feels like a vicegrip as he crushes yours. You get the feeling that she is very strong.
Kal grins to keep from wincing at the pressure on his hand. "Kal, professional bilgeswab at your service."
"Please to meet ya. So you just gonna stand there or are you going to tell us a f~+%ing story already?"
The wide eyed goblin gawks at the story. You ever seen Kraken Kal? He is speaking at a volume 2x what is needed. When the Minotaur addresses him his short attention span is sent in another direction.
Longshanks there say tri-top got gurly arms. Chubwart say it's a lie. Cowman rip their arms off and feed to hungry Kraken! Points to the arm wrestling table.
"What, me tell a story?" He pauses, considering. "Well, I've no voice to match yours, and I don't know any stories of the sea, but I suppose I could try. Yours reminded me of one that the Mwangi tell..."
With that, he sits down and begins to weave a jungle story, pulling heavily from the Mwangi tales he heard from passing traders as a child.
It is the story of a young girl who drowns and passes into the land of the dead, where she stays for a few years, living with a mysterious old woman there. Eventually, she becomes homesick. The old woman (who is actually her guide in the land of the dead) notices and gives the girl a challenge: if she can make it to the faraway dead city of Ölüm, she will be allowed to return to the land of the living.
The girl departs with only a thimble and a piece of sweet pastry to her name. Along the way, she has many adventures and overcomes many challenges, and eventually arrives at the city, where she is clothed richly and returned to her parents in the land of the living.
"That so?" the bull minotaur said with a growl. "Let's go set things straight."
Bjorkus slipped a finger into the cord of his loincloth, fished out the tiny picks, and offered them to the goblin.
"I'm told these are yours. Try to keep them out of sight. We may need them in the future."
After taking one more look around to make sure nobody was paying too much interest to their exchange, he headed towards the arm wrestling table.
Chubwart slides the tool in his pants as he follows the Minotaur over to the arm wrestling contest. Chubwart present you Honorary GobGob arm wrestling Champion Bjorkus the longshank destroyer!
"I hear someone over here is lookin' for trouble", Bjorkus says with a rumble and a crack of his knuckles.
"That story was amazing! Where did you hear it? You're alright, Kal. Let's be friends." She reaches out for another bone cracking handshake.
The odd pair walk up the group arm wrestling. You both see a fat pushy sailor slam down the fist of a scrawnier younger lad onto the top of a barrel covered in broken glass. The youth yelps in pain as he gets up and shakes the shards out of his slightly bleeding hand off to the side. The obese bully stands up and points at Bjorkus. "You're next!"
The minotaur sits down across from the man. The only thing you know about him is his name is Fipps Chumlett. He's an angry sod who likes pushing around the new recruits. He puts his arm on the barrel. "I ain't afraid of you."
"Ah, a tough guy eh? All sizzle and no steak? Bwahahaha! You talk a good game. But all I'm hearin' is bluster. Go and chew some cud or something. Come back when you got the udders to back up your words and challenge me." It is obvious that he is a little afraid of you, but to keep up his tough appearance, he isn't backing down. In fact they all seem a little scared of you which makes his banter more impressive.
"Well... I might've changed a few things from the original Mwangi's telling. But that's what storytellers do, isn't it?" He smiles back at her. "I'm not one to turn down friends, Rosie. I accept."
Looking around, Kal notices that it's a bit less crowded on the other end of the ship. "I'm still getting my legs for the sea... would you mind walking with me a bit?" he asks with another glance around.
"Of course it's what we do as g$!$@+n storytellers. Sure, I'll walk with you."
"Consider this a challenge", the bull minotaur says as he closes on the loudmouthed bully and sucker punches him.
Fipps reels back from the blow, and looks around. Pride was one thing, but he had no desire to spend the rest of the night unconscious from being knocked out. He spits up some blood at the minotaur before shaking his head and walking away. The crowd cheers Bjorkus for shutting up the loudmouth.
Bjorkus snorted derisively, as the bully sulked away.
"Loudmouthed git..."
"Where's the kid with the cut up arm?" he asks. "He needs to get that cleaned up or he's gunna lose it."
As they walk, Kal alternates between glances at the halfling and long looks out at the ocean. "How long've you been here?"
"He went to Habbly's probably. Kid's a whiner, he'll be fine." This barefoot woman tells you.
"About three days, not that much longer than you really."
"What's your story? Where were you before three days ago?"
"He went to Habbly's probably. Kid's a whiner, he'll be fine." This barefoot woman tells you.
Bjorkus nods.
"Habbly the ship's doc?"
The bull minotaur glanced as his goblin companion.
"Sorry I didn't rough him up more. Let me know if he comes back looking for trouble again."
"Port Peril, like you. I'm actually from there. I'm a sailor and a musician there. If I had my fiddle I still would. Stupid whore Grok's probably scuffing it up right now with her whore mouth or her whore hands."
"Yep, the doc and the resident carpenter. To him bone isn't that much different from wood."
"Why would they take your fiddle? It'd be good for morale — you saw how they responded to the stories. Any chance we could get it back, do you think?"
"Same reason they took all your stuff too. Could be a weapon. I tried to get it back, but I may have called her a whore to her face which may have made her angry. So you might be able to charm it out of her?"
Chubwart just about crawled under table and bit his dumb ass! Longshank no want none of Honorary GobGob!
Kal chuckles softly and grins back at the halfling, feeling daring. "What can it hurt to try? Lead on! Though you might want to make yourself scarce when I'm actually talking to her..."
"She's probably down in the Mess." She leads you down to where you and the rest of the crew had dinner. You immediately notice a good amount are already passed out. In fact the only one left standing is a rather homely looking Half-Orc woman with a broken nose and a scar on her throat. She roars as the last contender passes out. "Yea, that's her. Good luck, tell me how it goes." Rosie starts inching back up to the deck..
Kal approaches the half-orc carefully, trying to stay out of range of her rather beefy-looking arms. "Hah! Let me guess... they tried to out-drink you?" he comments with a grin.
Whispering to Bjorkus Do Bjorkus know where gear held?
"Tried? No one tries, they just fail." Grok exclaims before letting out a belch.
Tired beyond compare, Opal makes her way back to her bunk. But along the way, she passes by the Galley. Her eyes threaten to shut themselves as she suddenly hears a song. The loud singing makes her blink as she is rattled.
"No clue. The pretty one that gave me your picks said the quartermaster had our things."