"..." Coatl shouts, glancing at the approaching crew men and back to his companions. "..."
The druid frowns as his pricey one time use item sails wide left with a pitiful sploosh into a passing wave crest.
Ortun breathes a sigh of relief as the crew calms when entering the sphere of silence. Raising the crossbow, steadying his brace arm, knees slightly bent, he pulls the trigger. The absence of noise as the string twangs back to its resting position, the scream of the blot slicing through the humid, salty air make for an odd soundless symphony of residual sounds in Ortun's head. He just hopes he gets to hear this siren scream once before it is all over.
He loads an other bolt in to place.
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Ortun breathes a sigh of relief as the crew calms when entering the sphere of silence. Raising the crossbow, steadying his brace arm, knees slightly bent, he pulls the trigger. The absence of noise as the string twangs back to its resting position, the scream of the blot slicing through the humid, salty air make for an odd soundless symphony of residual sounds in Ortun's head. He just hopes he gets to hear this siren scream once before it is all over.
[dice=crossbow]1d20+5+2
[dice=damage]1d8+2He loads an other bolt in to place.
Bolts fly through the air striking the siren who soundlessly howls in pain and glares down at the team. However, she seems to make a calculation and turns and wings away, putting on speed to put distance away from the ship....
The crew, wisely, stays in the bubble of silence.
PATHFINDERS.... Isn't it lovely music?
Setare
Coatl
Ortun
Socrates
------------------
Siren -40
Crew
------------------
Jack
Jack continues glaring at the siren, and looses one last parting shot as the creature flies away.
Coatl shakes his head, trying to shake out the confusion. "..."
He shrugs his shoulders.
Jack launches his bolt through the air after the siren, striking her back. As she turns to howl her scream of defiance, Setare's bolt catches her through the throat, and her voice is silenced as she tumbles hundred of feet through the air into the water below...
PATHFINDERS WIN! VICTORY!
As soon as the singing stops, the captain bursts out her quarters, a gun held at her side and a grim look on her face.
...
For those who can read lips, she screams "WHO DID THE B!$~@ TAKE?!" but she stops when she realizes no sound is coming out and she blinks a few times in surprise. Behind her, a rather ravishing man steps out behind her, blond haired and holding rapier in one hand and a flute in the other. He to looks surprised by the sudden quiet, blinking a few times.
Other members of the crew soon start popping up from below and the riggings, even though nobody can hear anything just yet.
Coatl looks around, pointing his finger at crew members and moving quickly between them, clearly counting.
"..."
He shrugs his shoulders towards the captain, then forms a zero with his hand.
After a second, he holds up one finger as if to say wait and then begins counting a second time.
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For a moment Socraties gets lost in his head and his dancing and grabs the person nearest him (crew or team) and starts to ballroom dance with them, slowly realizing his partner is not moving like the images in his mind are portraying he snaps back to reality to see most everyone giving him an odd look in the area of silence.
Knowing there is no way to save his embarrassment now, he runs with it and gives a bow to his unwilling partner before regaining his composure and contemplating the siren attack that just happened.
His greatest concern is the likelihood of another attack whether sirens are typically in groups or solitary and tend to claim territories.
Either way once the silence ends Socraties will offer a pair of earplugs to each of the team members (he has 7) and say Just in case
Seeing the harpy fall, Jack waits a few moments for the silence spell to drop, scanning the horizon for additional threats. Once he can speak, Jack turns to the crew in a booming voice,
Is everyone accounted for!? Any crew missing?
After roll is taken, Jack heaves a heavy sigh of relief.
Good job crew! Sirens are dangerous - it speaks well of all of you that we made it out of this with everyone still onboard. Now everyone back to work! No more excitement here - the ships beginning to list -get her back on course!
To Setare,
She'd have led every one of us to a watery grave if she had her way. Only fair we do the same to her. Don't shed a tear for that creature.
"I hear stories about sirens like that." Coatl pipes up to try to help answer Setare's question. "They use magics to charm sailors, then kill and eat them. Wear their scalps like hats and make funny faces. Very very bad. We did right thing. Good job Jack for making us not have to hear her song."
Coatl puts a hand on the ifrit's shoulder. "Everybody out here we meet is going to want to kill us and steal treasure. Safest to assume they all bad."
The captain breaths a sigh.
Thank the pirate queen I signed you lot on board.... that feathered b@**% would have made off with several of my men in the best case... terrible way to go.
The crew nods in agreement, everyone cheering the team and slapping them on the back. The handsome man smiles as he pats jack on the back himself.
Very well done! Names Jaspin, good job keeping the crew safe!
|
Zaarah looks at Jaspin a little shyly and raises her arm and waves.
”He... hello! We are the ... the new ... well ... new team mates!“ and she smiles.
Then she steps up to him and with a low voice says.
”So are ... are you the Captain’s ne... new husband? I ... I think she is ve... very sad. So ... ehhh ... yes ... “ she says lacking any further words.
Jaspin sweeps back his blonde hair and gives Setare a smile that could melt an ice elemental. He responds with the same low voice.
Not as of yet my angel, but a man can hope. I am actually her cabin boy, though...
He shrugs.
I am a bit old for the moniker now. Honestly, I just want to travel the sea, and play my music, and if scrubbing some decks and tiding up after the captain is my price to pay for that, I'm happy to do it. Though...
He looks after the captain with a wistful smile.
I can't say the thought of being "Mr. Captain" hasn't crossed my mind. It's much to soon though, for now I just play music to help the Captain sleep and keep her entertained while she works.
"You are welcome. All of you, yes, welcome. Ha!" Coatl accepts the accolades with mild discomfort, knowing he didn't really do much in the whole scene.
"You pretty good singer then? Your song better than Siren's song? Probably good thing. Would have been bad if Captain got caught in Siren's song." Coatl squints his eyes and lifts a hand to block out the sun, though in truth the eye squinting was more to take a measure of the blonde womanizer in front of him.
Better become Mr. Captain after we get treasure. No officer's share for you cabin boy...
The hairs on Coatl's neck stand up, though he can't be sure why. Probably just being paranoid. Massive amounts of gold can do that to even the simplest of jungle boys.
As they follow the coast line the next day, the captain has the team join her on the ships prow as she looks out over the water with her telescope.
Rocky islets and a massive stone arch jut out of the ocean, causing the waters to churn and foam. The arch is taller than a ship’s mast. Thick chains hang from the arch, and corpses dangle several body-lengths from the top. The island coast is only a short row from the arch, but only a few short stretches of beach are accessible along the rocky shoreline. A cave is visible on the shoreline; the ocean water flows freely in and out of it.
The Captain looks over the distance as the team sets up. It's still a fair distance down, and the seasoned sailors, Ortun and Jack specifically, can easily tell that approaching with the ship won't be possible. The last of the distance will have to be made on one of the rowboats.
The Captain grins suddenly.
There is the bastard.
She holds out her telescope to those who want to look at the grisly scene.
The rotting bastard with the peg leg is Captain Rahil Harkalm. He was a Rahadoumi... and a mad one at that. Hated priests, and would kill anyone who called on a god in front of him. He'd rather break a religious item than sell it, and put to the sword anyone who objected.
The man that dangles is clearly well past his expiration date, but his most notable feature that is still distinguishable is a peg leg.
Now, that may fly in Rahadoum, but you do that long enough out here, Besmara's folks are gonna object.
She gives a meaningful nod to Jack.
And object FIRMLY. Some of his crew where more afraid of the Pirate Queen than of him, and worked with the Besmaran priests to have him captured and hung for his crimes. They're planning on letting him mummify in the salt up there as a warning to others....
She grins.
Luckily for us, we're not interested in him. Just his leg. The wily bastard had a hidden compartment in there where he stored his piece of the three reasons to live. My sources say that the priests of besmara never discovered it. So I need you to get up there, open up his leg, and grab the piece.
She turns and smiles.
Easy as can be.
You think now would be a good time to ask questions if you have them.
The captain nods.
Exactly. I'm not about to anger the Pirate Queen myself, and her priests where explicit in their decree. "All he owns is given to the sea, and his body shall rot in the spray of salt so all shall know his crimes." Once something has been given to the sea, anyone can claim it, so what he "Owned" is fair game....
She looks over at the body and gives a frown.
And like I said, I have no intention of upsetting the queen or her priests, so I think it's best if we not mess with the punishment that's been dealt.
She shakes her head when Setare mentions going ashore.
No, there will be no need. Just get the leg, or the things inside it at least, then come back. Like I said, we're already walking a thin rope here, and I don't wanna set foot on the isle and risk upsetting folks any further.
Jack spends a few long moments surveying the arch and the bodies hanging from it.
Those dead ain't getting any peace Setare. Kinda the point of the punishment. As the Captain says, it's his punishment we need be wary of disturbing.
Any reason we need to row out there ourselves? Coatl, ya think you could summon some air elementals to fly out and grab the leg for us? If'n we have a good reason to row out and climb up ourselves, I'm not gonna shy from the task - but no reason to make it harder than necessary if we can get it done from the comfort of Captain Varossa's fine ship here. Worst case, the elementals draw out anything that might be guarding the bodies so we can engage them on better terms than in a jolly boat in choppy seas, far away from aid.
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I agree with Jack, I myself don't have a means to fly out there He turns and half mutters to himself. still working on that one then turns back and continues as if nothing happened. Coatl if you can summon something or maybe you could even do that shapechanging you did earlier except into an eagle or something, that could make a much easier time of things.
"Oh yea. Coatl can definitely do that. I am just little bit worried about how good wings can grab leg. Oh well, we figure that out later!"
Coatl closes his eyes, spreading his arms out wide and tilting his head back so his face looks up towards the sky. The druid leans forward, awkwardly far, enough that he should start to tip over and fall on his face. Before that happens though, his hindquarters stretch like rubber, point out like a tail before melding into a pair of fine black feathers. His arms stretch out, with black and white feathers sprouting along their length, black on the front and a flash of bright white on the trailing edge. His eyelids open, his eyes loll back into his head before filling with an inky blackness, his nose pouring off of his face before turning into a dark black bill.
In seconds, Coatl the jungle druid has morphed into a remarkably accurate form of a magpie.
He flaps his wings and launches from the ground, circling higher and higher as he approaches the dangling body of the cursed captain.
Coatl flies over the rough sea, churning with white froth so that nothing can be seen below the waves. He reaches the condemned captain, and his bird senses are assaulted by the smell of carrion.
He flies by the thing and grips the peg leg with his talons, which comes off with a sickening noise he'd rather not think about. While he feels the weight, and it's pretty heavy, it's not more than he can handle. With that, he flies back to the ship, completely unmolested, setting the leg down on deck.
The captain reaches out and after a few minutes, opens a hidden compartment in the peg leg. She then tilts out a horn made of what Coatl can easily identify as a Dire ram horn. The captain whistles and calls out....
THEY DID IT BOYS! LET'S GET THE WIND AT OUR BACKS!
The Captain holds up the ram Horn, and Setare can see that it has some hinges, hooks, and valves cut into it.
This, is the first piece of the Three Reasons to Live! This horn will connect with two others, to create the full instrument.
She looks down at the peg leg.
Few other things here to....
She dumps out a book, tightly rolled up, labeled "Tome of the Transmuter". and a rod with a button on it. A quick check over by the team's resident brainiac reveals that it is a immovable rod.
"Wow, that was easier than I thought it gunna be." Coatl says, back in human form now. He furrows his brow and reaches a grimy finger into his mouth, pulling out a black and white feather.
"Nice book. Rod looks interesting too. What does this button do?" he asks while reaching to push it...
As Coatl presses the button, the rod... stops moving? Even as he tugs and pulls, the rod won't move from the exact place in the air where he activated it. This becomes more of a problem as the ship moves and he starts to be dragged by it towards the back of the ship. After a few moments of struggling, he accidentally hits the button and it suddenly comes free from the air! The crew laughs at the antics.
"Haha! Good trick singing man. Coatl remember that one." The druid says with a smirk, apparently accusing Socraties of the practical joke.
Wonder what would really happen if a ship ran into this? Perhaps below the water line? Have to keep that in mind.
"I'll hang onto this. Might come in handy."
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Well done Coatl, thank you for being just the right solution.
I didn't do anything with the rod that was all you my friend. Though that was qiite entertaining.
After evaluating the book and part of the instrument Socraties speeks up again.
That book is interesting though I am unsure if any of us have any use for it. That horn is very unique, my offer to take it off your hands when this is over still stands, until then where to next?
The Captain tilts her hat Jauntily.
Next? Next we set sail to Kelizar’s Atoll but before that...
She shouts to the crew.
First, We Celebrate! Anatoly, break out the Rum for everyone! One piece down, 2 to go!
A cheer rings out from the crew as Anatoly rolls out a barrel of rum and cracks it open for all to participate. You get the distinct feeling that the Captain will once again be holding the details close to her chest. Now might be a good time to hang out with the crew and get to know them better though.
A toast to the Captain and to our impending wealth! To Coatl, our resident shapeshifter who retrieved the first piece saving the rest of us from danger and without us having to risk any hard work along the way! May we find plunder beyond our wildest dreams in Redclaw's Horde!
After his toast, Jack will slam back his first drink of rum and join the festivities. For those watching him closely, Jack drinks little more of the rum - shocking behavior based on the display he put on in Lillywhite. At some point in the evening, Jack will fill his flask, and ascend to the rigging, offering some rum from his flask to whoever is working up there and in the crow's nest, unable to partake in the festivities.
Before heading up though, Jack will attempt to find the Captain for a brief word.
Excuse me Captain! A word if I may. I appreciate why ye feel the need to keep the details of each location to yourself. That said, Coatl, Socraties, and Ortun can solve many problems we might face with their magics - if they know what we are facing. We got lucky with Coatl and his shapeshifting this time, but I think it'd be a benefit if you could fill us in on the details of each mission the night before we arrive, so our magic users might best prepare for each one. And congratulations on obtaining the first piece - we're 1/3 of our way to unimaginable wealth!
The crew raises their glass back to the
The Captain nods and tips back a bit of her rum.
Aye, your right Jack. I'll let ya know the night before next time. I can trust ya that much at least... your magicks have been more effective than 20 men so far, and I want you to have all the preparations you can.
Jack finds Anatoley up in the riggings again, and the fellow half-orc gives him a smile.
Ah! Ya a kind mate that ya are.
He tips back his drink with a smile and stares out over the ocean.
Hey Jack, you ever hear the one about the First Mate who never spilled the Captain's brew? Captain says "All through those terrible, dark, storm wracked nights, you never once failed to bring me a steaming full mug of tea on the night watch. How on earth did you manage it without ever spilling a drop?" and the First mate, he says “Well Sir, since you ask, I used to take a swig of your tea in the galley, then spit it back in the mug when I got to your door.”
He guffaws loudly and pats Jack on the back.
Ya gotta laugh out here in the middle of Gozreh's expanse. He says, pointing to the empty ocean around them.
No man died wishing he had laughed less and been more somber.
---------------------------------------------------
As Setare offers the dance, Jaspin bows and smiles.
Would be my pleasure lass!
He takes her hand in his and leads her in a simple dance around the mainsail. As he does, he sings out the first few bars to a old sailing song, and the crew around joins in, picking up the song and clapping.
I'm sailor peg
And I've lost my leg
A climbing up the topsails
I've lost my leg
I'm shipping up to Taldor
Shipping off to Taldor
Shipping out to Taldor
To find my wooden leg!
Jaspin is a better flautist than a dancer, but his dancing is still quiet good. He smiles at Setare as he spins her around, laughing and smiling. The Captain is also grinning and gives a whistle, so you don't think she's upset by the "Cabinboy" dancing with you. The rest of the crew also gives a cheer as Jaspin spins Setare around and dips her low before bringing her back up again....
Coatl grabs some rum of his own and saunters around the deck, drink in hand. He approaches a group of sailors laughing and chatting.
"Hey, wanna hear funny joke I learned in Bloodcove? Good. What you call a pirate with two arms and two legs."
The men stop drinking and stare at the strange druid.
"A rookie!" Coatl grabs his stomach and slaps his knee, laughing hysterically at his own joke. Tears form in his eyes and his face turns red.
"Wait wait." he forces the words out through gasps of laughter. "What has eight arms and eight legs. EIGHT PIRATES! HAAAAAAAA"
The pirates stare at Coatl in confusion.
He's as bad as Anatoly.
One of them mutters.
I dunno. Mutters the other. [/b]Anatoly's jokes might be worse.[/b]
----------------------------
Jaspin hugs her back, and the entire crew smiles and cheers as she nails the dance and then some!
Thank you! It is always a treasure to dance with a beautiful maid after a job well done.
Yamtisy jeers from the side.
Careful Setare, he ain't called "Heartbreak" for nothing!
Jaspin looks mock offended.
Yamtisy, you do me such disservice! Why that monicker caught on i'll never know. "Heartsooth" or "Heartbalm" maybe.
He winks at Setare.
Well, if your going to insist on coming between us Yamtisy, I've got the next tune.
With that he puts his flute to his lips...
and soon enough a beautiful happy melody floats over the water for all to hear, bolstering spirits and enhancing everyone's moods.
Coatl wipes a tear from his reddened face.
"Ok ok. Another one. You guys love this. What is a pirate's favorite letter of the alphabet?" Coatl snickers, hardly able to contain himself.
Jack sits in the rigging jabbering with Anatoly, watching Setare dance with Jaspin.
No problem bringing the drink - people who look and smell like us gotta stick together, right? People who take everything too seriously end up going crazy out here. I love the sea and sailing, but ya gotta do something to break up the monotony of swabbing the deck and adjusting the sails.
Is the Captain the jealous type? Think she'll take kindly to Setare there dancing with her plaything?
Anatoly swings his drink and gives a tusky grin.
Ya got that right Jack.
As Jack questions about Jaspin, Jack shakes his head.
If you had asked me before her husband died, I'd of said yes... though "Greedy" might have been more accurate than jealous.
He winks and takes another sip.
With Jaspin... I dunno. It's a bit odd, he's been on the ship since he was a lad, most of us still see him as the half grown ijit who got himself onto a pirate ship by sweet talking the Captain even though he couldn't tell port from starboard. Would have thought that the captain was more his mother than a lover, until he started sprouting like a weed and started looking like that.
He motions towards the handsome, almost beautiful Jaspin.
He's always in her cabin, playing her some tune or another, but between us toothy and green folks? They don't act much like lovers.
He screws up his face as if thinking of the right comparison.
They don't look at each other that way. Oh their clothes will be mussed and such, but when you got a lover, something sparks when you look at them... even if it's just for fun, ya get a hunger when you look at them ya know? Jaspin and the Captain don't look at each other like that.
He shakes his head and grins.
Bah, but that's just scuttlebutt from a bored rigger who spends to much time looking down on the folks having fun.
He takes another swig and looks down at the dancing with a thoughtful expression.