Madiya continues to not care about things, though the exhaustion from running the whole day is certainly contributing. She pulls her own magic to "purify" the rum into sugar water, hoping for a bit of energy, but she isn't prepared for how disgusting it is. Reeling, she seeks out the others, but they of course can't help much. Before she falls down from exhaustion and disgust, she helps out Buhayra with the her magic and manages to stumble down to sleep.
Baolus was right about his assessment and congratulates Sven both for his victory and for how he refused himself from hurting Owlbear when the fight was already over.
With his mug in his hang, Baolus watches as the others go to their hammocks. In truth, he knew the cooking job was the easier one so he had to compensate by helping when he could. Noticing that Fipps was arm wrestling Aretta Bansion, he joined Grok, Jape and Narwhal in cheering the fat man. Since he already deeply disliked Aretta, it was easy enough.
Already inebriated, during the midnight watch Baolus notices a section of the ship that is apparently unwatched. As he moves towards it he comically falls and lands on his face as all the 'small ones' where actually there talking. Unable to hold himself, he complains about that 'low blow'.
Just before going to bad, already pretty tired, Baolus still finds some time to talk to Syl, taking advantage that she was playing a clandestine dice game with a couple of the others. It was a kind of game that he knew pretty well so he gave her a tip or too before vanishing below.
Kehlysch is able to dump his rum before heading off to bed. The Bulge separates itself from him and scuttles into the ship's bones above his hammock, and keeps watch there through the night.
Shivikah, already taken with Sven's performance against Owlbear, quickly opens up to the large man. She sharees some dark tales from her slaving days, to match Sven's limitless oral history.
Baolus once more stays up late, bringing more of the crew into the fold, and is exhausted for his efforts.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As the sounds of distant thunder approach ever closer, the ship falls silent with sleep. Morning comes, and with it, the start of a storm. Rain starts falling just after the morning meal, with more sure to come throughout the day.
Scourge and Plugg drag Tamesis out of the sweatbox, and seem disappointed to see that she's unharmed by her time. Scourge still seems ready to gloat, though, "Don't know whatcha said to the Cap'n, but yer gonna regret it. I may not be able t' whip ya willy nilly, but I can make you wish I had."
After breakfast, job assignments are handed out.
Buhayra is assigned to Hauling Rope and Knot Work
Kehlysch is assigned to Repairs
Madiya is assigned to Swab the Decks
Sven is assigned to Rope Work
Tamesis is assigned to Line Work
Baolus is assigned to Cooking. Kroop is sober.
As Sven worked he chatted with Shortstone. The gregarious Ulfen pressed the gnome for tales of his gambling past, eager to hear about what led his comrade to be on this ship.
While talking he worked the ropes. He did his job well, glad to finally be free of his churning stomach. He was starting to hate rum. What he wouldn’t do for some grog...especially given that he had apparently lost most of his prize money to his comrades gambling the night before. Of his one hundred and fifty gold of prize money he was down to just twenty five. A lesson had been learned: pay attention while gambling. Story telling had a time and place, and that wasn’t it.
Tamesis pops out of the box feeling refreshed and full of zest. She doesn't reply to Scourge's threat, instead pushing past them to go and eat something. While she sits down, she asks the others, "So what did I miss?"
Once informed of the night's events, she congratulates Sven on his victory, and gets to work.
She had intended to try to charm Shortstone onto their side, but instead it seems Sven gets to him first. Rolling her eyes, Tammy knuckles down and finds ways to work smarter, instead of harder, to avoid being drained at the end of her shift.
Baolus wakes up once more fatigued and decides that, this night, he will not drink anything and go to bed early. Gladdly, he notices that Kroop is sober so most of the job is done by the cook, leaving him small tasks and an opportunity to talk to him. "So Kroop... what is yer story?"
Finding himself remarkably ineffective at sweet-talking skeptics amongst the crew, Kehlysch keeps his head down and focuses on his work.
The falling rain slides off his oily skin in quick, crisscrossing rivulets.
Somewhat remembering the exhaustion of the last time she swabbed the decks, plus what happened yesterday, Madiya focuses on her job. She's really not in great shape for hard menial work, but she gets it done again.
As she works, she notes the weather, and smiles. Maybe Hei Feng hear my prayers.
Rope work again? Maybe if Scourge assigned people tasks based on ability instead of whatever moves his little monkey brain at the moment this ship would sail a little more smoothly
Not wanting a repeat of the tiredness she experienced at the end of the previous day, Buhayra buckles down and focuses on the work, pairing up with Sandara to lighten the load a little.
At the end of the day, it seems like things have gone better than previously. At least she isn't as bone tired as she was before.
Conchobar Shortstone is happy to share some gambling stories, though they tend to follow a trend: Going on a winning streak, then losing it all. His story about how he made it aboard the Wormwood is likely the least interesting of the lot. He was gambling with some of the crew, and someone beat him over the head. He woke up in the hold, just like Sven did.
Early on in the shift, Kroop lays a hand on Baolus's shoulder, "I heard yeh held up good while I was out. Heard yeh covered fer me, too. Yeh didn' haf ta do that. Thank yeh."
He welcomes the help from Baolus, and shares his tale. And his tale is a sad one, indeed. He was trained as a professional chef at one of Port Peril's most illustrious restaurants, but was thrown out after he started a romantic relationship with his assistant. From there, he served on a few ships before coming to the Wormwood.
While sailing, he developed a taste for rum, and quickly became addicted. One night, two years ago, he bet his life in a card game against Captain Harrigan, and lost. Now, he literally has no escape from this ship he hates so much, unless Harrigan sends him off or, more likely, kills him. As such, he does his best to dull the meaninglessness of his life by drowning in rum.
Still, he is an affable sort, and he's taken a liking to Baolus. Not only because he's put in the effort at cooking, but also for showing an interest in the old man.
Everyone else simply works their hardest for the day, and the day comes to and end in good time.
During bloody hour, Jaundiced Jape, Maheem, and Crimson Cogward are called up for punishment. Jape and Cog are each given three rope bashes, but Maheem is sentenced to three lashes.
He collapses on the third lash, and requires multiple people to carry him back to his hammock.
Kroop and Baolus are asked to bring out the evening meal, and Grok brings out the rum ration. Most of the crew opts to take the meal and evening entertainment belowdecks, to get out of the rain. There are also mutters of the storm, and nobody wants to stay up late...
As soon as Tamesis is done with her meal and drink, she takes Sandara aside and proposes an idea. With both of them acting flirty with each other, putting on a little show, while also sweet talking Shortstone, they should be able to sway him to their side.
Of course, she also uses the opportunity to work on Sandara, and maybe cross first base with her at the same time...
Unable to stomach the sickly sweet purified rum, Sven opted to drink the rum which was slowly killing the crew. He downed it, but this couldn’t last.
Excluding himself to take a leak he snuck off to where the rum was kept. And then? He poured a bucket of water in to weaken it. He liked his alcohol, but he didn’t want to die over it.
Kehlysch relies on his aquatic nature to linger on deck as the rest of the crew goes below to get out of the rain. Again, he does his best to ditch the rum in a circumspect manner.
He removes his shirt and stands in the open, allowing the rain to slide over his skin and drip into his gills. He gives a sigh of contentment, as if he were soaking in a hot bath.
Small pleasures can still be found, even on this hellhole of a ship, he thinks to himself.
Yessssss, concurs the Bulge, waking from its daylong slumber.
Watch again tonight. Most of the crew are friendly now, but I don't trust Plugg, Scourge and a few others not to try something.
Watch your back, the Bulge replies.
After a few more minutes, Kehlysch puts his soaked shirt back on, and proceeds below deck.
Baolus drinks his room and heads over towards Fipps. He sat besides him and started to tell the big man a couple jokes.
Sven poured some water into the vats of rum, but soon realized how hopeless the cause was. Still, it gave him an idea. If he could water down his rum each night...it was a good idea if he said so himself!
Buhayra ways a quick meal and purifies and waters down her rum before imbibing.
You know, that isn't entirely terrible. With some kind of fresh fruit in there it might actually be passable
With everyone else occupied, Buhayra wanders through the middle deck looking for some matches to wager on. Finding the arm wrestling area she decides to try her luck. "I'm not any good at wrestling myself, but I can normally pick a winner. Anyone want to bet on these matches?"
****Midnight
As the rest of the crew beds down for the evening Buhayra decides to use the rain to cover a little bit of sneaking.
Madiya also stays up on deck to enjoy the weather, holding an extra prayer session to the Duke of Thunder. Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately - the delay causes her rum to collect some rainwater, diluting its effect.
Once she's done, she goes down and gets a good night of sleep. Stormy weather might be nice, but it does have the side effect of making an unprepared ship harder to work on.
At some point just prior to sunrise, Kehlysch becomes aware of a digging sensation in his brain. As he tries to concentrate on it, he realizes that the Bulge is tampering with a portion of his mind.
What are you doing?! Kehlysch thinks, somewhat alarmed.
A gift for you, the Bulge replies.
After a few more moments, Kehlysch realizes that he can call a sudden, but intense shower of rain on one spot for a few seconds. The incantation is burned into his memory, just like other ones.
Reslience also, the Bulge adds. Less pain.
Kehlysch nods to himself. Very nice. Thank you.
He dozes a little longer, waiting for the morning bell to call muster.
Belowdecks, Tamesis and Sandara give the whole crew a show, locking lips and generally being affectionate. This illicits a few hoots and whistles from others on the crew, though Scourge seems absolutely livid about the display. Their intended target, Conchobar, seems to enjoy himself, though.
Sven makes a futile attempt at watering down the ship's supply of rum before heading to bed.
With some help from his friends Baolus's jokes finally break down what little defense Fipps had left, and the fat bully finally joins the fold.
Buhayra spends some time gambling, and ends up on top when the others go to sleep. While she does stay up to search the middle hold, she finds nothing of any real value.
Kehlysch and Madiya stay abovedecks and enjoy the weather before heading to bed.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
By the time morning comes, the storm is well and truly ramping up. The meal of ship's biscuit is handed out, along with work assignments.
Baolus is assinged to cooking. Kroop is sober.
Buhayra and Kehlysch are assigned as dual runners, thanks to the storm and the need for swifter relaying of messages.
Madiya is assigned to Rat Catcher.
Sven is assigned to Mainsail duties.
Tamesis is assigned to Line Work.
Sven worked hard throughout the day, and while he did the work well enough, it left him exhausted at the end.
——
That night Sven ate his meal and sipped his rum. He kept water next to him, making sure to not drink without watering it down first.
Once he had eaten and drank his fell he dragged himself to bed. It had been a rough day, and he was looking forward to getting some well earned rest.
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Madiya's second try at rat-catching seems to go much smoother that last time. Of course, it wasn't preceded by a desperate battle with Rodents of Unusual Size this time, but Madiya feels faster and stronger in the inclement weather.
Given that she has some free time from being suddenly better at killing rats, Madiya decides to pay Grok a visit down in the hold. Banking on her superstitious nature, Madiya asks, "You have my tengu rapier? Blessed by Hei Feng, will keep us safe during storm - if I pray on it. All I need, keep rest of gear safe for me."
Whether it be his aquatic nature, or something the Bulge did to his brain during the night, Kehlysch finds himself secure in his footing and balance as he runs back and forth across the deck. The effort, however, is much more exercise than he is accustomed, and certainly is a more stressful means of travel than swimming. By the end of the day's running, his sides are stitched, and he is gasping for breath.
DAYTIME ACTION:
Nighttime Action: Kehlysch is too tired to entertain much thought of doing anything useful. He isn't even convinced that he could ditch his mug of rum without being spotted. He asks Buhayra to change it to sugar water, figuring a sour stomach on top of being tired is all the more incentive to turn in early.
That wasn't so bad this time. Am I too tired to care, or is this something You did to me?
The Bulge's thoughts remain silent, offering no insight on the matter.
At night, Madiya stays out in the rain again. She does in fact conduct her stormy-evening extra prayer session over her rapier, making sure that Grok sees it. Then, she drains her again-"unintentionally"-diluted rum, locks up her blade, and goes to sleep.
Baolus woke up to find Kroop sober and ready to work. He was glad that the big man was managing to keep away from the poisonous drink. Kroop did most of the work, which let Baolus a lot of free time. He spent this time sneaking at the Officer's Quarters, looking for anything interesting.
During the night, intending to try his luck again at the hog lob game, Baolus ditched his rum overboard and prepared himself to play. Before the game, he looked for Buhayra for some coins. "Hey Blue! I'm feeling lucky today... wanna make some shinnies?"
As Buhayra wakes the next morning she hears the rain and thunder outside. That should make for a fun day
Not entirely focusing on her task for the day, Buhayra starts thinking about how to best position herself to get off of the ship when the time comes. She begins to wonder if the armory has anything else that might help in that effort, so she goes to see Grok again.
"Hey there pretty green lady! Now that I have the seed money to bet the shirts off the backs of these poor saps I have been thinking about what I should spend my earnings on. Was wondering if you have anything interesting that I or we should be saving for. Don't particularly know what I want, but I'm sure I will want it when I see it. Care to give me a brief show-and-tell of your top items?"
***
Later that evening Buhayra gladly purifies and waters Kel's rum for him as well as doing her own.
Afterwards, she meets up with Balous to cheer him on in the Hog Lob, and act as his bookie to ensure they get paid if (when) they win.
Tamesis wakes in the morning feeling like death warmed over. She also finds herself with a powerful craving for the ship's rum. No, not a craving, a need. Even as she prepares her spells for the day (and finally works out the calculations on two new ones), she catches herself reaching for her mug again and again, almost trying to lick the residue from the inside.
What is this? Why can't I focus?
As the day goes on, she does her best to focus, though her thoughts continue to drift back to the rum. At some point in the day, she has the revelation.
Wait, I've heard about this. Tales of sailors that lose themselves to the drink. I can't let this happen to me. I must be stronger...
While she is able to finish her work without any hitch, she is unable to focus on her efficiency, and is thus exhausted by the end of the day. She barely eats any of her meal, but instead absentmindedly drains her rum mug without even thinking, and heads to bed.
Excited about the opportunity to earn some more golf with Balous, Buhayra does not notice that Tamesis seems out of sorts.
With the new day comes a new routine. Having already made friends across the ship, the group is able to focus on their work. Mostly.
Baolus is able to sneak around in the Officers' Cabin, but all of the officers are at least smart enough to lock all their belongings away in their footlockers.
Madiya is able to reacquire her rapier fairly easily. Grok has grown fond of the group, from Sven's stories, to Baolus's kind and respectful treatment of Fishguts, to Tamesis sticking it to Scourge on a nightly basis. She even gives Madiya a hint that she's open to doing a few favors, if need be.
She is also happy to show Buhayra her current stock.
Come nighttime, Baolus does some indoor hog lob, winning a cool 5gp.
The crew heads to bed early, fearing the oncoming storm will make life difficult tomorrow.
They couldn't be more right.
By the time morning comes, the ship is being rocked by high winds and rough waves. The morning meal is a quick affair, and all hands are called on deck, including Baolus, to work the rigging. Scourge doesn't even have time to pick a particularly hard job for Tamesis.
Baolus and Buhayra are assigned together on Rope Work
Kehlysch is assigned to Lookout
Madiya is assigned to Line Work
Sven is assigned to Mainsail Duties
Tamesis is assigned to Rigging Repair
At the end of the normal work shift, the crew is given a quick meal of ship's buscuit and told to get back to it, all crew are needed back in the rigging to weather the storm through the night. No rum ration is provided, and there is no evening entertainment.
For the night shift:
Baolus and Kehlysch are assigned together to Line Work
Buhayra is moved to Rigging Repair
Madiya is moved to Rope Work
Sven is moved to Upper Rigging Work
Tamesis is moved to Mainsail Duties
To make matters worse, just before the evening meal, Narwhal and Rosie fall overboard! They do their best to make it back, but without assistance, they will be swept away and drown!
Recalling how badly his last attempt to climb to the crow's nest went, Kehlysch does his best to focus on the climb.
The wet ropes and rain make it impossible for Kehlysch to get a footing. He looks to his shipmates to help him reach the crow's nest.
With a great deal of help, Kehlysch eventually makes it to the crow's nest. He squints into the wind and rain, trying to spot anything dangerous to the ship.
***
Night Shift:
***
Seeing the two go overboard, Kehlysch grabs a length of rope and jumps over the side as well.
He swims towards Narwhal, seeing that Sven has gone for Rosie.
When he reaches the dwarf, Kehlysch helps fasten a line to him, then helps him back to the ship.
Seeing the two go overboard, Sven jumped in without hesitation, holding a rope. He was storm-born, or so he was told. Swimming came as easy to him as walking, and the strike of lightning was naught but a mild touch to him. Seeing how easily the dwarf swam, he shouted:
”I’ve got the lass! Get a rope to Narwhal!”
Tamesis gives a sigh of relief when given the repair assignment. SHe gets to work quickly and focuses hard on her work, trying to ignore the rum cravings chewing at her insides.
At the evening meal, she notices a small tremor from the rum addiction, but does her best to power through it.
For the night shift, she again does her best to power through, keeping her mind on her task.
---------------------------------
When her friends go overboard, and Sven and Kel go over to help save them, Tammy follows suit. Grabbing an extra line with her tail, she dives in and swims for Rosie and Sven.
Once she arrives she hands the extra line to Sven, "Sven! Get back on board and pull. Your strength is more use to us up there! I got her from here."
Recognizing the danger the storm puts everyone in Buhayra skips any other activities during the day and just focuses on her work, acquiring herself well through the morning.
**Evening**
v dc 12 (no progress)
v dc 12 (no progress)
v dc 12 (7.5 ft up)
v dc 12 (15 ft up)
v dc 12 (22.5 ft up)
v dc 12 (No progress)
v dc 12 (30 ft up)
After concerted and cautious efforts Buhayra finally reaches the area of the rigging in need of repairs due to the storm and sets to work.
Unfortunately with the winds raging and testing to rip her off of the ropes she finds out impossible to concentrate on her work.
When she sees her crewmates diving into the water she quickly makes her way back down to the deck and does what she can to help. From the perspective of onlookers it just looks like she is frozen, starting into the churning depths of the ocean.
While you cannot lift water into the air using this ability, you can create mild currents in a body of water by concentrating. These currents are strong enough to run a water mill as if the mill were being turned manually by a creature with a Strength score equal to your Constitution score. (19)
Madiya works hard throughout the day. Though the tasks are tiring, her mood is buoyed by the unrelenting weather, and she seems to be one of the few smiling people on deck for most of the day. By evening, though, her smile has faded as fatigue starts to set in. She almost doesn't notice as a few of the crew fall overboard, but the shouts alert her. By the time she can get over to help, there isn't much left to do, so she shouts a few encouraging words from the ship as the rescue effort goes.
As people and ropes are cast into the water to assist the fallen swimmers, the two start to make their way to the ship. Buhayra's power calms the current in a straight path to Rosie, making it easier for her to swim back. Baolus, meanwhile, jumps on Narwhals rope, alongside two other crewmembers. Three more pull on Rosie's.
With help from the crew and the party, both fallen pirates are back aboard the ship almost as quickly as they had been thrown from it. The crew are only able to celebrate their luck for a brief moment, though, before needing to get back to work.
The storm starts to abate by the morning bell, though the winds and rain will still make the riggers's job a hard one. The rest of the crew, though, is allowed to go back to their normal duties. However, they are not able to get any sleep.
Kehlysch, Tamesis, Madiya, and Baolus are all already fatigued when job assignments are handed out.
Baolus is assigned to Fishing. Kroop is sober.
Buhayra is assigned to Man the Bilges
Kehlysch is assigned to Rat Catcher
Madiya is assigned to Swab the Decks
Sven and Tamesis are both assigned to Mainsail Duties
Got to keep moving, Kehlysch mutters to himself, as he corners and kicks a rat to death. They're looking for a chance to beat someone. Got to stay awake.
Stay Awake! the Bulge screams into his mind every time his eyelids begin to slide closed. Kehylsch jolts upright with each painful burst of sensation in his brain.
I really hate you, he thinks to the Bulge, then adds, Thank you.
Night Shift
Sven disregarded the call to get back aboard the ship. By the time he did so she would likely be dead. Rather he stayed with her, ensuring that she got aboard safely. There was an entire crew to pull, after all.
But then it was back to work. Already having worked hard all day, and then after his jump in the ocean, it was back to work. By the time it was done he was beyond fatigued. By the time it was over he was ready to collapse. And yet...he was then assigned to another day’s work!
Day Shift
Through sheer grit and determination Sven kept up and did his job satisfactorily. When the day was done he was no longer even sweating, a sure sign of dehydration. When the call came for the end of the shift he smiled wearily, and sat down. He had planned to catch his breath, but before he knew it he had passed out on the spot.
Despite being up all night fighting the storm, Buhayra feels exhilarated after helping get Rosie back on board. There is a slight bounce in her step as the call for new assignments comes down. That is vanquished by the word that she will be working the bilges through the day.
Following Kel down into the bowels of the ship, she begins the unpleasant job of flushing out the huge amounts of water the ship took on during the past 2 days of storms.
- Fatigued
At the end of the shift the lowest level of the ship is notably dryer than before, but the past day and a half of nonstop work is finally beginning to show as Buhayra begins to trudge back upstairs to the deck.
Tamesis is all but staggering at the end of the second shift in a row. Still, the day must go on, and she forces herself to go on. Working alongside Sven, she pushes herself as hard as she can, though does need to enlist the help of one of their friends in order to finish in an acceptable manner.
Throughout the day, though, she can be heard to mutter, "Nothing a little drink won't solve. Just gotta get to the end of the day, make it to the end, get your drink..."
In order to stay awake, she takes to shocking herself with the Jolt spell. It doesn't hurt her, not really, but it invokes enough of an adrenaline response to keep her upright, to keep her awake. By the end of the shift, though, the adrenaline wears off, and the crash comes. And when she staggers off to watch bloody hour, she has to brace herself against the rail. Instead of watching the punishments, though, she finds herself staring longingly at Grok and the rum she carries.
"zzzzzzz...."
After a day and a night of hard work, the crew is already wiped out, but there is more work to be done. Unfortunately for Madiya and Sven, the toll taken by the lengthy hours gets the better of them, and both nod off for a nap during their shift, much to the ire (or delight, based on the look in their eyes) of Plugg and Scourge.
When bloody hour comes, nearly half the crew is up for punishment, for some failure or another. It is clear that Scourge is feeling the long hours, too, though. He looks about to collapse as he forces himself to raise the whip, and his lashes lack their usual bite.
Buhayra and Baolus, for their failures during yesterday's shifts, are sentenced to 3 lashes, each.
Sven and Madiya, on the other hand, are sentenced to 6 lashes each, for falling asleep on the job.
Once all that is said and done, Scourge retreats below to get some sleep. Kroop brings out a fish stew for the crew, and Grok doles out the rum ration. Most of the crew picks at their food and drink, then heads to their hammocks to sleep.
Turtle Hunting, Kroop is drunk
Hauling Rope and Knot Work
Runner
Hauling Rope and Knot Work
Mainsail Duties
Mainsail Duties
Good work everyone. We made it through! listen, with as tired as we are we should skip the rum tonight. Let me take care of that.
After a brief look of concentration the entire party's set of rum rations are changed to watered down sugar water.
Tamesis doesn't take a bowl of stew, instead just grabbing her rum ration. She mutters something non-committal to Buhayra's suggestion before draining her mug. She gags alsmot immediately, but somehow keeps it down. After a string of vile swears in Daemonic, she rounds on Buhayra, fore in her eyes, "What the hell, Blue?! Did I ask you to turn my drink into swill?"
Sven was beyond exhausted, and to make matters worse had been whipped. He took the far too sweet sugar water, gulped it down, and...barely kept it from coming back up.
To say that he was in a bad mood was an understatement. He had done his job! More than what was feasible, and yet still he was whipped. If he wasn’t so tired he would have wanted to kill someone. Bickering was the last thing he wanted.
”Say you want to be a captain and can’t even go without rum. Who would be willing to follow a captain who can’t even do that? Get a hold of yourself.”
Tammy fixes Sven with a glare for a second, but relents, "I can go without. It just tastes better than this crap."
Keenly aware that she didn't actually save any face, there, she forces herself back to her bunk and crashes out, hoping to sleep away the pain.
Waking in the morning, Tammy feels much better. The urges seem to be lessening, at the very least. She takes to her work with renewed vigor, pushing herself to perfection (or, at least, not allowing herself to fail again).
That night, she accepts the conversion of her rum to watered down sugar water. She sees no need to jump back on that wagon. She spends her night with Sandara, relaxing and joking around with their group of friends.
The next day Sven went back to working hard, though he couldn't keep his hatred for Scourge down. He spent the day fantasizing about killing the man. He originally planned to stay with the ship until they were close to land, and then making a break for it. He figured that he swam well enough that he could jump off at night and vanish. But now? Now he wanted the man dead. The indignity of being whipped when he should have been commended! Three shifts in a row, and a crew member saved, and what was his reward? To be humiliated like that?! He had never been on such a poorly run ship before. Now that he wasn't falling off his feet from exhaustion or nausea, all he could think about was vengeance against Scourge. But, he wasn't a fool. He knew that he'd have to bide his time and play the part of the loyal sailor. Keep his head low until the man could be taken care of quietly. And hopefully painfully.
----
That night Sven went back to his grog. Still sore (physically and emotionally) from the whipping, he stayed to himself, avoiding the company of others. When it was time to go to sleep he did, getting ready for another day.
Day Nine Night Action:
Kehlysch was much relieved to drink the less potent sugar compliments of Buhayra. "Thank you," he says. "So much better..."
His attention is drawn to Tamesis when she reacts so strongly to the change-out of the rum.
He begins to ask why she is so upset when Sven speaks up first. He listens to the conversation for a few moments trying to determine the subtext.
Unless anything else of note happens, he turns in for the night.
Daytime, Day 10:
The next morning, Kehlysch is assigned running duties. He keeps his mind on his job, doing his best to move quickly and with agility across the still damp deck.
Day 10, Nighttime Action:
The lashes wake up Madiya, but don't do too much more than that. She's barely conscious enough to eat and drink, then staggers down to sleep.
She's still tired the next day, but feeling a bit better. Lacking energy to think of anything else, she focuses on her work for the day.
At night, she once again downs her food and drink and retires to sleep off the day. It'd been a while since she'd had to work this hard, and it's showing.
Buhayra feels chastened by Tamesis's outburst. She didn't mean to offend. She just figured it would be best to abstain for the night. She is glad when things seem to calm down, but decides to not proactively convert anyone's rum without their permission again. She has grown to like the motley group of people that were pressganged with her, she wouldn't want to cause a rift.
Feeling a little down by the near altercation, and the weight of the day and a half of work still dragging down her eyelids, she decides to turn in early rather than stay up for gambling. It seems most of the crew has the same idea though.
**
Buhayra works throughout the day, getting a decent job done on the rope work while knowing that there are other members of the crew that could work faster and better. The stupidity of it finally gets to her and she decides to say something. Taking a moment to find Scourge, she approaches him.
"Boss man. Listen, I feel like things could run smoother if you gave us jobs that we were good at. Today, for example, you have both Madiya and I on rope work when she is better at it than 3 of me. Meanwhile, I am great at making repairs, rat catching, or swabbing the decks. I'm sure capt'n comes down on you when we don't do well. So why not give us jobs that we do better at naturally to take that heat off your back?"
"Oh, yer gonna tell me how ta do MY job, is it? Not enough ya think yer too good ta do yer own, but now ya wanna tell me how ta do MINE? Well, I'll tell you what, princess. You just volunteered to work the bilges for the next week. I'm sure the rest'a the crew will thank ya for yer sacrifice. Now get the hell back ta work, or it's a dozen lashes tonight!"
The next day and a half passes uneventfully, with the storm passing, and the temperature starting to rise, threatening a heat wave in the near future.
On the 11th day, as the Wormwood approaches the Slithering Coast, the waters become shallow, and navigation tricky. The pace of the ship slows to a crawl, and workload is light because of it. Nearing midday, Plugg calls the six up on deck. At his feet lie six crab pots.
"Alright, you worthless pissants. Cap'n Harrigan wants crab for dinner. And you lot are gonna make sure that happens."
He points to a shallow reef some 200 feet away from the ship.
"It's a task so simple even you can do it. Swim out there, fill the pots with crabs, and swim back. Come back with full pots, or don't come back at all. I'd be glad t'be rid of yeh."
With that, he walks away.
The water is clear and calm
The group reaches the reef easily enough. The water is clear and beautiful. The reef, when the group reaches it, is superb. Flickers of movement surround the reef, as various wildlife goes about its various business.
Sven jumped off the ship and swam to the reef. As much as he hated listening to Scourge, he was in the mood for crab! Finding the creatures was not too difficult, and being stormborn catching them was simple enough.