"Stairs? Yes I see..." she pulls herself up with a nod to the green haired man. "Oh and a bunch of toothless morons as well. Yay" she mutters.
Donomsail pries an eye open and brings an arm up to massage the back of her head, at the moment unaware and uncaring if her skin is showing. "Oooh, what...who did...?" Then she opens both eyes fully and looks around. Noticing the drunks from the bar she wonders how the lady can be so loud when she'd been so deep in her cups the day afore. "I'm up, I'm up. I suppose the best way to find out what's going on is to see the one in charge." With that she stands up and her hands automatically, without any thought of her own, start smoothing down her robe and makes sure that it covers up her skin. As she does she also takes inventory of the weapons that she is missing. "Welp, Gozreh if this is the way your wind is going to blow then who am I to walk agin' it." She takes a few steps and quickly realizes that the warning she'd been given regarding "getting her sea legs" is completely accurate. Stumbling she takes the opportunity to lean against Marisan and whispers in her ear. "Not quite sure what happened but you might be missing some stuff. Just letting you know I'll back whatever play you wanna go with."
With snide comments and derisive laughter, the sailors herd you all up two flights of steps steep enough to be ladders into the morning sun.
You notice the distinctive aftertaste of oily nutmeg in your mouth.
You stand blinking in the bright sunlight getting a better look at your 'hosts'.
You're on the deck of a sizable ship in the middle of the ocean. The closest thing to land that you can see is an ochre haze many miles away towards the ship's stern which you assume is Port Peril. There are easily over a dozen figures gathered on the deck and in the rigging. In addition to the six of you that have just been rousted from below, there are four others set apart by their relative cleanliness and their apparent unease with their newfound situation.
You don't get to spend a lot of time getting to know your fellow shipmates as everyone's attention seems to be focused on two figures standing up high on the stern.
One of the figures is a broad, muscular Garundi man with a shaven head, a long beard bound with gold rings, and an eye patch — clearly the captain. The other is a younger, balding man with a long black ponytail, wearing a long coat and carrying a well-used cat-o'-nine-tails.
The large man speaks and the chattering amongst the crew dies out.
"Glad you could join us at last! Welcome to the Wyrmwood! My thanks for ...'volunteering' ..." rude laughter ripples through the crew, "... to join my crew. I'm Barnabas Harrigan. That's Captain Barnabas Harrigan to you, not that you’ll ever need to address me. I have only one rule — don't speak to me. I like talk, but I don’t like your talk. Follow that rule and we'll all get along fine." He grins. "Oh, and one more thing; Even with you new recruits, we're still short-handed, and I aim to keep what crew I have. There'll be a keelhaulin' for anyone caught killin' anyone. Mister Plugg! If you'd be so kind as to make pirates out of these landlubbers, it'll save me having to put them in the sweatbox for a year and a day before I make pies out of 'em."
The captain turns and steps away from the crowd, leaving the younger man looking down at you with disdain. "You will refer to me as Mister Plugg," he says, his lip curled in distate. "I'm the First Mate on this ship and my words carry the captain's authority." He gestures to the dark-haired man with the whip. "You've already met Master Scourge, our Master at Arms."
He climbs down the steps to the main deck and points up to the platform at the top of the main-mast sixty feet above you. "Your first test is to climb to the crow's nest as fast as you can! Now!" He pulls out his cat-o'-nine-tails and snaps it in the air.
Being as gold-teeth won't releases his whip held high, Tessa nods to green hair and backs up a few steps to Harmony's groaning body on the floor. Reaching down, she slips Harmony's arm over her neck and pulls her to her feet. "We're leaving. Can you stand? Yes, my head hurts too. Come on."
"What...?" Harmony hasn't been drunk often, or poisoned, so recovery from either state is a new experience for her. Oddly enough however she knows enough to recognise the taste in her mouth.
"Poison." She whispers as her head lolls on Tessa's head, "We've been poisoned. And that man was at the tavern. Tessa... DO NOT say who I am. It won't end well."
Harmony squints hard in the light and spits once over the side, hoping desperately to lose the nutmeg taste.
The power dynamic is pretty clear, and Harmony is no fool, doing what she's told - for the moment at least - will end better than anything else. She grabs Tessa's hand and heads for the rigging.
Azadi looks wistfully at the last shimmers of Port Peril.
I could make that swim, but I’d have to abandon these women... I know we’re not really a crew—I haven’t even learned their names yet—but it doesn’t feel right leaving people behind. Plus, I’ve been looking for a ship to sail on and now I’m on one... maybe it won’t be so bad...
When the raven haired woman starts up the mast, the young sailor trots across the deck after her and jumps on. Putting to use the lessons his father taught him, he scurries quickly up to the crows nest.
Marisan nods to the tiefling as they head topside. She looks around, nonplussed, sizing up the captain and his crew. When the time comes for the climbing challenge, the muscular woman confidently and steadily clambers up into the rigging.
The bright light of the sun is blinding and just intensifies the headache that makes it feel like she's pounding her head against the decking. "SHhhhhh." she says to the all the yelling people.
Once Harmony tells her that they've been poisoned, she repeats the word as tries to figure out who would want to poison them. Though the why is a lot easier to understand apparently.
"Tessa... DO NOT say who I am. It won't end well."
"What do you mean?" she asks, not understanding.
When instructed to climb, she shakes her head and sighs "Like I've never been on a ship before?"
Without waiting for her friend, she begins to ascend at a rapid pace of up, only the green-haired elf thing keeping pace with her. After 30' she looks back and sees Harmony methodically making progress, though significantly behind her.
Looking back at greenboy, she tries to quickly ascend to keep pace but her hand misses when she tries to leap up and she only narrowly catches herself to avoid falling. She decides to pause and wait for Harmony, taking it slow beside her the rest of the way up.
At the top she looks over at Azadi and says "I could have beat you, you know. I let you win so you could look good in front of them." motioning downward.
Harmony arrives at the top panting slightly, but looking oddly happy.
"This is fun!" She whispers, "I've never done something like this." She reaches for Tessa to get an arm up and as she is pulled up whispers.
"I am NOT being ransomed. So don't say who I am. Understand Lacey? I'm just Vi."
Looking over to the green-haired man and the dark-skinned woman who climbed with her she smiles again.
"Hey, I'm Vi. Look's like we're all stuck here!"
Ohhhhh... I get it now.
Tessa nods, finally understanding. "Got it."
Looking around at the others all climbing she adds "I'm, uhm." she looks to Harmony wondering if she is supposed to use her real name or not. Surely they couldn't get to Harmony through Tessa, could they?
She pauses, thinking. No, that's just silly.
Pointing to Harmony's purple eye she clarifies "It's because she's got a purple eye. It's for Violet, do you see?"
Tessa lets go with one hand and swings out into the wind, looking around. "I'm Tessa. You've probably heard of me."
"How did you all get here?" she asks curiously.
”Oh...” Azadi answers with some confusion, ”thanks... I didn’t realize that it was a race.”
”I’m Azadi. Nice to meet you. I was at the same bar as you two last night, and I passed out a while after you, only I didn’t drink any alcohol...”
"Oil of Taggit. We were poisoned." Harmony says, keeping the smile, although it becomes a little fixed. "This was deliberate..."
”There were tons of people in port looking for work,” Azadi says more quietly, ”including me... why would they poison people instead of just hiring? They’re probably slavers or something. Have you heard of this Harrigan at all?”
"In my case, it might have been the sudden head trauma," the dark-skinned woman says, pointing to her bruise. "But you should see the other guy. The name's Marisan. Marisan Nkosi."
"Hello Marisan." Tessa says, swinging back to grab again with both hands. "Pleasure. Wish I could say it was under better circumstances." looking to Azadi she clarifies "I didn't pass out, I was taking a small nap."
"I think."
She looks down at the other two who are still climbing. "Do you think they need help?"
Polli grumbles but manages to keep her mouth shut. Especially after the fat f+$+ whispers his rancid breath in her ear. "Why didn't I memorize a fire spell last night? WHY??? Why, cause you didn't know you'd be drugged and kidnapped and threatened to be raped, that's why you stupid ninny, now pay attention to the big ass talking to you."
As the others start shimming up the rigging, her willpower at keeping quiet shatters, turning to the first mate she tries to reason "I am a surgeon. A doctor. Someone who makes you stop bleeding!" as always she can't control her tone, her attempts at explaining turning into berating way too quickly. "You lot there searched my things, maybe they are too stupid to know what-" she stops talking since she was probably hit at that point, taking her to the floor with ease. A fat lip and an even more thumping mess of a head, shuts her bitter mouth up.
Pulling herself up, she starts climbing.
Mister Plugg watches most of you take to the ropes immediately with a smile. Noticing that Polli and Domosail are still standing on the deck, his smile fades.
Taking a breath to bark another order, he's interrupted by Polli as she presents the logical argument that a ship's doctor shouldn't need to climb ropes. He returns the favor with a blow from his weapon of choice. His cat. The stranded weapon lashes out across her face before she can even get her hands up in defense.
"When I say, 'Climb', you climb!" he hisses as he leans over her prone form. "Now get up those ropes!
He turns to the tiefling.
"Do I need say more to you?" he asks in a voice filled with threats.
Donomsail's first thought is to get up there as fast as she can, after watching the others and seeing the only other one rushing almost fall she decides against that course and instead goes at a slower but safer pace. She steps up hesitantly to the rigging and attempts to climb it. Quickly it becomes apparent that she has no idea what she is doing and stops only a couple of feet up. "
Um hello? A little help please? Especially before that Mr. Plugg gets over here with his whip." She looks back nervously at the pirate to see if she has been noticed and then gives a look of exrreme gratitude to Polli as she offers assistance. Once she reaches the top she holds to wharever seems the sturdiest so that she will not fall.
Once she reaches the top she holds tightly to whatever appears solid so that she will not fall.
"Hello all, what a nice view up here. You can see all the way to..." She stops suddenly as she becomes aware of the pronounced swaying of the ship, then leans over looking down to see who might get spattered by whatever comes out of her stomach.
Seeing that Donomsail is having trouble, Tessa says "She's not going to make it. I'll be right back."
Tessa starts to descend to help the tiefling.
Seeing the other woman struggling, Polli stops and reaches out to help "No, right there. Yes, Hand there, and pull. What are your arms made of? Wet noodles." and then instantly feels bad, it isn't like this girl is who she is pissed at "sorry, we'll make it up there together, and sooner or later make them pay."
"You stay right where you are, White Ass!" Mister Plugg shouts out to Tessa, pointing to her with his cat. "I didn't say for you to come down from there!"
He stands watching Polli assisting Donomsail with sadistic fascination.
Tessa ignores the shouts of the man who clearly wsan't talking to her. White ass?! Seriously?
After twenty feet she suddenly remembers her rather breezy attire and why she's being called white ass.
Oh. Right then.
Reaching Polli and Donomsail, she gets beneath her and helps her climb back up the last twenty feet. Twice she barely is able to shove the tiefling's ass enough to get her to budge. Perhaps being on a ship will help her lose a few pounds?
Plugg and the rest of the crew continue to watch as the remainder of the new recruits ascend the rigging. Various catcalls and rude comments are called out along the way.
Once everyone has reached the top. Mister Plugg calls out again. "Very well. Green Hair! You're now a rigger and belong to me. Everyone get your lazy asses back down on deck!"
The descent is much quicker and with less drama and once everyone is back down on the planks, Mister Plugg steps up to Tessa, impinging quite closely on her personal space. Looking up at her, it's clear he carries the chip on his shoulder that all short men do. "When I give you an order, I expect you to follow it."
He turns away and then in a flash swings back around to lash at her with his cat.
He steps away now and calls out for everyone to hear.
"So who here knows how to cook?" he calls out to the newcomers.
Tessa arches her back when she gets lashed by the nine. She does her best to not scream out in pain, but it catches her by surprises and she lets a gasp of pain squeak out before squeezing her eyes shut and trying to focus away the pain.
She does not know how to cook, so she keeps her mouth shut for the first time and plans of a way to murder Mister Plugg.
Donomsail looks around to see if anyone is raising their hands "Veh hasn't allowed me in the kitchen since those beans went up the chimney, it wasn't my fault that no one told me how steam builds up pressure." She slinks down hoping that he isn't the type of man to pick on those that were obviously not wanting to be picked.
working with Plugg... maybe I should have gone a bit slower... but who knows, maybe if I get on his good side I can get him to soften up on everyone...
Azadi tenses up as Plugg lashes out with his whip again. He makes it a point not to clench his fists or make any aggressive move but a little bit of ice starts to form around his fingernails.
or maybe I’ll have to get promoted past him... or figure out some way to get rid of him...
Polli stares at the man, her face already puffing up from his whip. "Not Even A Little Bit"
Seeing no volunteers, Mister Plugg looks over the group and his eyes come to rest on Harmony.
"You look like you haven't missed very many meals. You can't climb for s+%!. So congratulations, you're our new Cook's Mate."
He turns to the man with the whip. "Master Scourge, if you would show Miss Big T*!@ here down to the galley? Hopefully she can stir up something better than Fishguts can. The rest of the this lot are all yours."
Master Scourge smiles, showing all his gold teeth. "You heard the man, ya swabs. Yer all mine. Just stay right here and I'll be back to put ya to work. Don't get comfortable."
Scourge gestures for Harmony to follow him and he heads off below-decks.
Master Scourge leads Harmony through the fore-cabin and down into the middle hold. At the rear of the middle hold, passed a stairs, lies the galley. Along the way, he mentions that the cook's name is 'Fishguts' Kroop and he's a drunk.
Into the galley he pushes the girl.
The cramped and chaotic kitchen holds two wooden worktables, several wooden cupboards, and two small stoves against the port wall, as well as virtually every cooking utensil imaginable and a frightening array of meat cleavers. A score of chickens and three goats wander freely throughout the chamber; the goats are meant to be caged, but have a distressing tendency to escape their bonds. The kitchen is a madness of dirt, food, and knives, and finding anything in here would be a wonder. The stoves are perpetually lit, and large cauldrons bubble away atop them all times. A huge array of spices mingle with barrels of rainwater, two tuns of rum, cupboards full of ship’s biscuit and salted beef, barrels of sauerkraut, and a small supply of fresh vegetables picked up in Port Peril.
The door closes behind Harmony.
A large man pushes himself to his feet from where he lay on one of the tables - swaying in the process. The man is a slovenly mess, heavy unshaven jowls hang down his face and his eyes are rheumy. His nose is red and bulbous. His clothes are filthy and his apron is smeared with foulness.
"Aye, ye must be the one they've saddled with me, huh?" the man slurs out. "You're gonna be helpin' me fashion up edible food for them lot." He gestures to the animals roaming around the kitchen. "Sometimes we'll use what we got 'ere. We gots us some pigs in the hold as well. But must o' the time it'll be fish that you and me'r gonna catch."
He looks around the room as if seeing it for the the first time. "It's a right s@&%hole we're in and no mistake." His eyes turn back to Harmony.
"It’s poison, this ship," he says. "But don’t let anyone hear you say it aloud. The hull listens, see, and the cap'n hears it all. Poison the Wyrmwood is, though, rotten to the core. You'll not meet a more nasty, sour piece of work than Cap'n Harrigan in all your days at sea, and his crew's the same, 'specially the first mate, Mr. Plugg." The man wipes at his rheumy eyes. "Vicious little sod, he is. He'd take his own mother's liver to the butcher to make pies with, he would. But they leave me alone, mostly. They know I can’t 'arm 'em."
~~~~~~~~~~~
As the rest of you wait on deck, you get a moment to take a closer look at your surroundings.
The ship’s main deck runs between the foredeck and poop deck. The mainmast rises from the center of the deck, extending 60 feet into the air and topped by a crow’s nest. Rigging connects the mainmast to the ship’s other masts. Several strands of thick rope are secured to the foot of the mainmast for use as a whipping post. The ship’s clock, a macabre brass-and-copper object depicting worms writhing through whale corpses, hangs from the mast above the whipping post. Not only does the clock keep time, but its bell strikes at dawn and dusk to signal the beginning and the end of the workday. Two 10-foot-square hatches sit in the deck fore and aft of the mainmast. These hatches are thick wooden grilles and open onto the middle hold 15 feet below. At the fore of the ship, two doors lead into the officers’ quarters, while two doors aft lead to the captain’s quarters. A large wooden box bound in iron sits just beneath the bridge.
The foredeck stands some 10 feet above the main deck, immediately behind the bowsprit, which is shaped like a rearing dragon. The foremast rises 30 feet above this deck.
The poopdeck stands 15 feet above the main deck. The mizzenmast rises 30 feet above this deck. The ship’s bridge protrudes forward of the mizzenmast, and holds the ship’s wheel. The wheel is 3 feet across and has 10 spokes decorated with silver inlays, its bolts carved to resemble kraken heads. An iron cage hangs from the side of the mizzenmast, containing the body of a human male. An ugly parrot perches atop the cage.
Only a few minutes later and Master Scourge returns topside.
"Alright, ya swabs. Now I'm gonna put ya to work," he says with a gold-toothed grin.
Azadi
Line Work: Hard work hoisting and lowering sails.
Harmony
Cooking: Assisting Ambrose Kroop in preparing the day’s meal.
Tessa
Man the Bilges: Vile and sweaty work cleaning out the bilges.
Polli
Runner: Passing messages to the crew and officers of the Wormwood in all parts of the ship except officers’ cabins.
Donomsail
Swab the Decks: Backbreaking work mopping the decks and scrubbing them with sandstone blocks called holystones.
Marisan
Runner: Passing messages to the crew and officers of the Wormwood in all parts of the ship except officers’ cabins.
Tessa crosses her arms "You've got to be kidding me. The bilges? Do I look like I'm dressed for cleaning bilges? Surely they need another hand down in the kitchen? Har-" she catches herself before saying Harmony's name, but only barely. "Har. That's funny."
"Runner..." she sighed, shaking her head.
Polli is crap at this. Pure crap. Running around on an unfamiliar ship, leaves her sliding and stumbling, much to the amusement of the cretins around her. Her poison dinner ended up being retched out quite early, once again to spiteful laughter. And to top it off she simply could not keep the tone of any message from being laced with pure hate and disdain. Which got her slapped and beaten.
Not a great day of wizardry greatness.
that whip may not kill her, but Tessa is gonna be sore by tomorrow... I wish she would keep her head down until we could all talk... she’s gonna end up on Plugg’s sh!tlist, and then she’ll be down in the bilges everyday, plus they’ll be watching her which will making talking harder...
Azadi frowns in anticipation of how Tessa’s conversation is about to end. When dismissed he goes right to work on the lines.
He performs well in his first day and finishes his long shift with a bit of a spring in his step.
Plugg and Scourge sure aren’t the type I’d choose to serve under, but it is nice being out at sea again...
At Tessa's commentary about the bilges, Master Scourge smiles, his gold teeth gleaming. "Not liking the idea of the bilges, White Ass?" He uncoils his whip. "I think of a lot more fun things to do with you."
Heading down the various stairs in the Wyrmwood, leads Tessa to the bilges. The lowest deck of the ship, the bilges are a foul, damp place with thick cobwebs above and 1–2 feet of dark, brackish water that stinks abominably below. A ladder leads up to a trap door that opens in the lower hold, and a single bilge pump rests near the stern. The bilges also double as the ship’s brig, and six sets of manacles are fixed to the bulkheads in the forward portion of the deck.
Hanging from one set of the manacles is a man in similar garb to the other sailors. He eyes Tessa warily as she enters.
"Watch out for the spiders, pretty thing," he says with a leer.
Tessa does not take Scourge up on his offer and hangs her head, relenting. With a heavy sigh, she shakes her head and follows Scourge into the bilges.
She almost vomits four times separate times before completing the task, finally losing her balance and slipping into a particularly disgusting pile of s~*!. Flopping about in the sewage, she screams and and some of it get into her mouth which finally causes her to gag and vomit.
Exhausted and literally smelling like s@@*, she exits the lower decks and makes her way back up top, defeated. Her fight has left her and she hangs her head, silent.
"A mop and a scrub stone." Donomsail, unaware that she is thinking out loud, picks up the bucket and starts mopping.
The job is similar to what she had done at the temple and muscle memory took over fairly quick. As such although her arms are sore she realizes that she isn't as sore as she expected to be or as some of the others look.
Wanting to help the others who are facing the same fate she moves towards the redhead who is definitely more subdued than she was this morning. "Names Domonsail, sorry I canna do much more, didn't have time to ask Gozreh for his aid this morn." Taking care to not expose her own skin she helps Tessa remove the pieces of her befouled outfit and does what she can to clean it, hanging them outside to dry and remove the most offensive sources of the odor.
As she lays down for the night she sets her mind on Temple Time to make certain to be up early enough to do her morning lustrations and have some spells prepared for the day.
In her heart of hearts Harmony has to admit that cooks mate is probably the best job she could have been given. Her skill set doesn't lie in anything more physical than that.
The state of the kitchen takes her aback, but 'Fishguts' seems friendly enough and Harmony cannot abide disorder. Her mom always said that came from her mother, and Harmony is quote happy with that. She offers Fishguts a smile and a wink before rolling up her sleeves.
"How about we clean up a bit before we start cooking?" She suggests. "You'll have to teach me about what food goes with what, but I can tidy like a wizard!" Which is a terrible metaphor, almost every wizard she's ever met has been a slob of the highest order, but best not to mention that!
Fishguts seems inclined to just stop and stare blankly, so Hamrony adopts the same tactics she uses on Aunt Sara. Talk loudly and cheerfully, vary her tone to keep interest and ask direct questions like 'where do I get a bucket?' 'What are you cooking there?' and 'Are you sure that's healthy?' She works harder than she has done for almost any day of her life so far but thanks to some luck and goats predeliction for hard tack, she gets the goats firmly secured and from there it's simply a matter of sweeping out the accumulated grime. As she works she tells the story of Peg-Leg Johnny, a sailor, turned ships cook, turned Corsair captain who plied the shores of Cheliax for many years.
When Plugg asks for a cook's mate, Marisan remains silent. Her parents were revolutionaries who opposed the Chelish colonists in Sargava before it won its independence, and she remembers their words of advice. Keep her head down. Keep your mouth shut. Don't draw attention to yourself, and you will be free to act as you please.
Desna smiles upon her as another woman is chosen. Once Scourge gives Marisan her assignment, she gives Donomsail an encouraging nod before setting off to do her job.
Marisan proves quite adept as a runner, eagerly racing around the Wormwood, occasionally leaping over a barrel or swinging on a rope to save some time. She exults in the exercise, enjoying the wind in her hair and the salt spray from the sea. The Bonuwat people are natural sailors and seafarers, and even though the circumstances of her arrival on this ship were sinister, Marisan still seems to be enjoying herself.
During a break in her duties, the woman explores the poop deck, peering into the cage with the corpse and eyeing the parrot suspiciously.
When Donomsail helps Tessa try to clean her garments, she offers a weak smile that's obviously fake. "Thank you for your assistance Donomsail Lishoni, that is much appreciated. I can't say this is how I expected my day to go today."
Later, when the food is served, Tessa checks in on Harmony to make sure she is okay. [smaller]"Did everything go okay? Are you hurt?" asks the injured, battered and s+~%-stained swashbuckler. Her thigh and back both still burn from the lashes today as well as all of her muscles from the fatigue down in the bilge. That does not even mention the odor that still lingers on her. Her face is weary and body droops with signs of exhaustion.
When she asks for an ale, rum or anything with alcohol in it and Harmony gives her a watered-down mug of piss she frowns. "Harm." she catches herself again, closing her eyes and taking a breath. "Excuse me, long day. Do you have something stronger by chance? I really could use something right now."
Realizing that if she does this poorly she'll get more punishment than she can handle, so Polli tries harder (getting angrier through out the day of course).
At lunch she sits with the other prisoners, resting her head on the table in exhaustion.
Azadi’s smile quickly fades when Tessa emerges on deck before the their evening gathering. Can I, uh, help you?” he asks. Then, without waiting for a response, he summons a couple gallons of fresh water directly above her, which promptly falls and splashes all over her. He repeats this several times until she’s pretty clean, then with a flourish of his hands the water in her clothes bursts out and falls to the deck leaving her mostly dry.
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Tessa places both hands on the undine, one on each shoulder. She takes a long, deep breath and inhales the fresher scent. She exhales with a soft moan and shivers as a chill runs down her body Azadi, my friend, you are now my second favorite person on this ship. I could kiss you if I didn’t have s#$@ in my mouth. Thank you, so much.”
Polli turns her head, from face down on the hard table to on the side, to look at the green haired man dousing one of the prostitutes in magic water. "No incantation? Hmmm..."
she rolls her head back over in defeat
Harmony looks her friend up and down, nods once and adds a generous slug of pure rum into the grog. It's not as strong Tessa might like, but much stronger than it was.
Marisan crouches beside the grumpy woman who served as the other runner earlier in the day. "You pushed yourself too hard, friend. Tried to rush things instead of keeping a steady pace. Tomorrow, try to relax a bit and you will not get so worn out."
The dousing of Tessa elicits an amused smirk from the Mwangi woman.
Azadi grimaces when Tessa mentions what’s in her mouth. ”If we can find a mug or something I could fill it up for you...”
"great advice" the grumpy woman responds through the table. "relax... prisoner, beaten, spellbook gone, threatening to make me a... I'm too tired to repeat." she slumps her head toward the other woman "but thanks... the effort is appreciated at least."
As Harmony sets about to attempt to clean his kitchen, Ambrose looks on in amazement. As the woman begins to actually make headway against the filth, he laughs.
"Yer a piece, no doubt abou' that," he says as he extends his hand in a formal greeting. "Ambrose Kroop," he says, introducing himself official. His expectation is clear.
~~~~~~~~
After Marisan's exploration of the poopdeck, one of the other swabs grabs her arm on her way back down the steps. "Look around all ye want. But best not go up there when the capn's up there. Then it's officer's only. Ya hear?"
~~~~~~~~
With your tasks completed for the day, you're all expected to attend the "Bloody Hour". The hour of the evening just before your evening meal when punishments are administered.
Polli is berated for her horrible performance as runner, but no worse punishment follows. After that, another sailor in shackles is presented - Tessa recognizes the man that spoke to her in the bilges.
"Jakes Magpie," Mister Plugg pronounces. "You were discovered stealing from the quartermaster's stores." The man nods, looking down at his feet. "Which is the same as stealing from Captain Harrigan's own pocket." The man nods again. "For such a vile betrayal there is only one punishment suitable - Keelhauling."
The man's head pops up, shock on his now pale face. "No!" he protests. "You said it would be the Cat!" His arguments ignored, a rope is quickly prepared and lashed to his hands and feet. Amidst his cries for mercy, he is pulled over the side of the ship. His cries only cease as he's pulled under the water.
Mister Plugg, himself, assists with the pulling of the rope, dragging the bound man underneath the ship and up the other side.
Over two minutes later and Jakes body is pulled up over the side of the ship. Or at least what's left of it. He's been cut to shreds by the barnacles encrusting the hull of the Wyrmwood. Although, if he was lucky, he drowned first. In either case, the bloody corpse is tossed back over the side to feed the sharks.
Once the show is over, "Fishguts" Kroop and Harmony serve up everyone's evening meal and rum ration.
Once the evenings ration of rum is consumed, everyone is free to do as they wish (within reason) until the morning bell.
As you gather together to commiserate over your first day, you're approached by one of the other newcomers - a tall, red-headed woman with a tricorn hat.
"Hi there," she says with a friendly smile. "I'm Sandara Quinn. I'd say welcome to the Wyrmwood, but you've probably dealt with more than enough crap today." She looks Tessa up and down with a smirk.
Looking around to make sure she's not overheard, she continues. "I talked to Cut-Throat Grok early this morning before they brought you up on deck." She displays a sly smile. "I may have implied that my gear was blessed by Besmera and would bring a curse down on anyone else but me. While I was doing that, I noticed she was stowing some other items - taken from you, no doubt." She looks around again before reaching into her bag and pulling out a bound book. "I hinted the same thing about a some of those." She holds out the book, which Polli recognizes as her spellbook. The woman then reaches to her hip and for the first time, Tessa notices that the woman is carrying her rapier on her hip. "I imagine that this belongs to one of you as well." She hands over the weapon.
"Now don't turn all stupid on me and try to stab someone with that," she says with a warning look as Tessa grasps her weapon longingly. "Even if you managed to kill Plugg or Scourge, Cap'n Harrigan will fold you up and put you in the box until the ship rots away. Just keep your head down and watch for our chance. You need to keep your wits about you to survive here. And you need to make friends. The more friends the better. If you have enough friends here ..." She shrugs. "Who knows what could happen."
She leans in close to Tessa.
"And I'd hate to see something bad happen to that lovely white lace."
After being poisoned once by these horrid people, Polli has no intention of drinking anything that they very much want her to drink. So she very quietly pours it into the cup of the gent next to her when he wasn't looking. She'd do the same with the food, but she unfortunately is not an idiot.
As night rolls in she wants nothing more than to sleep but if the other prisoners wish to talk she'll force an eye open for stunted conversation.
In the morning she raises an eyebrow at the jovial ginger. Looking back and forth between her and the ginger prostitute she wonders, hearing that human gingers are a rarity and all.
All her internal dialog full of doubt and spite pops like a balloon when she sees "My Spellbook!" she grabs it and hugs it like a newborn, not that she'd know how to hold one of those foul things, but HER SPELLBOOK.
Marisan gazes impassively at the cruel fate of Jakes Magpie. casually spills her rum ration overboard when she has a moment alone. When Sandara approaches and hands the others some gear, she extends her arm to clasp the redhead's. "I am always happy to make new friends, friend. Marisan Nkosi."
"Happy to meet you, Marisan," Sandara responds with a smile and a tip of her hat. "So where were you folks bound for before the Wyrmwood stepped into yer path?" she asks.
Polli opens the book and starts reading, just BECAUSE. Not looking up she answers for herself. "Looking for work... on a ship oddly enough. Got my wish, didn't I?"