As it turned out, hunting rats did not turn out to be a problem for the dwarf. Given her ability to infuse elemental cold into whatever she hurt, all it took was the smallest scrape to cause an offending rodent to fall over dead. Taking a broom, she tied her knife to the end and made a makeshift spear. And from there she took her time, methodically hunting down the rats one by one, tirelessly wracking up a body count.
”Ellie, I think that I’ve got the rats under control. Think ye can do something about the bugs?”
Ming is joyous at the sight of all the belongings.
She tales her pocketed scarf and one of her wakizashis for herself.
For the others, she looks for a light weapon for everyone who doesn't have one yet, or other items of crucial interest she would know about and that she can carry easily.
Then she sneaks out to again, back to her hammock.
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Something to look at eh? Can imagine everyone wants something different to look at here. Other than that ugly face... she mumbles under her breath.
Then, louder:
Aye, look all you want, but keep your hands by yourself!
Abel feel very excited once he descends down into the literal bowels of the ship. The smells and grime assault his senses immediately as he takes his final step down.
Fun times!
Abel steps about the room?, avoiding anything squishy, brown and/or moving.
The Wizard watches the actions of those that are also working down here. He attempts to mimic their routines.
During the work day, Abel does find the time to research his spellbook.
At the end of his work day, the young Sailor feels really good about his performance!
The Wizard cast Prestidigitation during the day to help in his endeavors! He even whistles while he works!
@Abel
The bilges (bottom room of the ship, used to manage the incoming water that keeps a ship stable) are full of ankle deep brine water when Abel arrives through the trap door ladder on the middle deck. A single pump is in the middle of the room, its handle sticking conveniently out of the water. It is uncomfortably warm in the bilges, and the smell is horrifyingly like a swamp. Occasionally in the water you swear you can see something crawling or swimming around. Periodically you can make out a rat in the water.
Towards the front of the ship is a series of a series of manacles anchored to the wall. All but 1 are empty, where a disheveled young man with shaggy blond hair is hanging by his wrists. Sweat pours down his face, soaking his shirt. He says nothing as Abel enters the bilges, and barely seems to even notice Abel as he goes about his duties.
@Madame Ming
Mings departing comments draw a chuckle from some of the lewd crew, with one of them even licking his lips in response if Ming looks over her shoulder as she departs their company.
@Liz
The fishing goes fine throughout the day; the crew seems smart to what Liz is doing and how it will benefit them (giving them something other than awful tack or gruel to eat), and don't interfere with the fishing Liz accomplishes.
Ambrose "Fishguts" Kroop grins as you bring the catches of the day into the galley a few hours before dinner.
"Aye lassie, now we cooking with grease!" Kroop grins, taking a celebratory swig from his flask, then excitedly taking the catch from Liz. "Good fishin'. Captain and crew be pleased." Fishguts begans quickly selecting the best fish to start first, preparing them in something direct and special. The remainder and less quality fish he uses for what looks like a stew of some sort. He uses the small stove contraption to cook them, mixing in various spice and ingredients into the select cuts of fish.
About a half hour before final bell, a young teen human girl of about 15 with a smirk and her brown hair in a pony tail enters the galley.
"Captains dinner ready Fishguts? she says, clearly irked by the annoyance of having to come down.
"Aye ma'am; plating up the officers now." Fishguts replies, hurriedly gathering the tray of plates. He gestures for Liz to give him a hand getting everything together.
"Good. I'd hate to make Captain wait for dinner at your expense old man." the teen girl says, ending with a sneer.
@Lily
As Lily is struggling through her limited vision and constant thrumming of her head from the rum ration, she spends most of the day struggling to figure out what she was supposed to be looking for. The only essential thing she missed was a rogue wave that broadsided the ship, causing some tears in the sails.
Master Scourges voice ripped from below.
"Wha' t' seven Hells ya doin' up there!? Be 1 lash for ya this evenin'!"
@Ellie and Brunhild
The rats aboard the Wormwood don't stand a chance against the combined onslaught. Master Scourge says nothing towards Ellie or Brunhild as they go about their duties; apparently he'd rather have the ship vermin free rather than yelling at them. Ellie is able to smash up remains of an old nail for the iron, and a pinch of dirt can be found throughout the middle deck.
@EVERYONE
As the days work comes to a close, Kroop finishes the stew, which Liz takes comfort in that the stew itself is at least of a pleasantly edible quality. The bell tolls, and the crew takes delight as they begin relaxing for the evening. Cut-Throat Grok emerges from under deck to with the rum rations to dole out for the crew.
The crew once again seems to segregate themselves. Sandara sits with Ming, Abel, Lily, Liz, Ellie, and Brunhild. The gnome with the hat, the foul-mouthed halfling, and the Varisian man seem to sit together, and the rest of the crew is spread across the ship, happily engaged in some conversation.
A satisfying exhaustion sweeps over Ellie after such a productive day's work. She sits down with the others and gratefully accepts a bowl of Liz's stew. "Not bad!" she says through a mouthful of fish. Better than the stupid ship's tack we get for breakfast. Is it too much to ask for two decent meals?
Her elven ears prick up at the mention of an unfamiliar but somewhat ominous term. She leans over to Sandara. "What's 'bloody hour'?"
Liz hands out some bottles of Good booze that she found. Make some friend with these. I figure the crew will like some good hooch.
Glad to have been allowed to work in silence, Brunhild sipped her rum. She wondered how long it would take to earn the right to work in peace. She stopped when she heard the others talking about ‘bloody hour.’ It sounded ominous enough for her to stop and listen for the explanation.
Cough, Cough. We gotta do something about the rum
Abel does his days work without so much as a glance at the prisoner.
After he comes up from below, he eagerly joins the others for their meal and rum rations.
There is a prisoner chained in the bilge room. I didn't talk to him.
He smiles shyly as he winces from his lashes still. He downs his rum.
Abel makes a face, but it stays down.
This does help a bit actually.
Abel continues to eat.
Lily takes her lashes silently but says afterwards, "Thank you sir!" She keeps her thoughts to herself knowing it would earn her more lashes, idiot, I coulda told ye I cannae see that well.
Lily downs her rum in one go, this time she was able brace for the impact. She feels a lot better, her shakes have stopped for the time being. She asks Sandara, "What kind o curse does the Black Lady inflict for stealing another pirates' weapon?"
After drinking her daily ration, Ming takes one of the bottles from Liz.
Mh nice. I'm sure i can become good friends with that! And yes, i need some good hooch! Thanks Liz!
What do you want to do about the rum? It's perfectly fine! And free! Well kind of.
To Abel:
A prisoner you say? Aren't we kind of prisoners as well? What did he do to make them throw him into the brig and chain him? Why didn't you talk to him?
Ah i'm tired today, climbing the rigging is exhausting...but i think something's about to go down. Everyone's pretty fired up about something. I heard them talk about "bloody hour"? Someone know's that?
Ye can't call this rotgut proper rum! Burn a hole in your tummy. If we can bribe some fellows with this to wash down the bad stuff, I'm sure they would be grateful.
Abel stops chewing his food, glances about, before looking directly at Ming.
To be honest, I was a bit worried that I would get the lash again; not gonna lie.
The youth sheepishly grins.
Also, I had to stay unnoticed, because I wanted to find time to study my Spellbook.
The Wizard then uses Prestidigitation to reheat anyone's tea, coffee, or food.
But, perhaps, tomorrow. What's this about a Bloody Hour, you say?
Sandara raises her mug, answering what questions she can. She starts with Liz and her acquired drinks, a warm smile on her face.
"Learning quickly. Spend it well, and you might make some friends."
"The rum ration serves dual purpose. Numbs the senses, and keeps crew dependent on it; if they are dependent on it, they will work harder to get it. Navies tend to tightly regulate its use; here in the Shackles its the norm."
"Bloody hour...Notice how nobody really got their hides tanned today? Maybe some lovetaps here and there. Some crews, like this one, save up the punishments and unleash all of them all at once in front of everyone. As a result; it can get....a little messy. And if the hour doesn't have much in regards to blood, Plugg and Scourge are the type to find a reason to spill some."
The pleasant discussion is broken up upon a group of sailors half-carrying a bedraggled, sickly looking man from below deck. Abel recognizes him immediately as Jake Magpie, the young man from the bilges earlier. His body is limp and weak, but his eyes are alert and panicked. He looks at Abel pleadingly, but says nothing as he is dragged towards the rear upper deck.
Several other members of the crew are quickly securing a long rope from one end of the ship to the other cross-ways. A sailor on each side of the ship seems to be using a pole to fish out another chunk of rope from the water alongside the ship. Another sailor comes out from under deck with a chicken under his arm, squawking loudly. He steps up on the fore deck, driving a knife into the chicken and letting its insides drip into the sea slowly.
A few minutes pass as they complete their work, while the group carrying Jake stand at the ready by the rear deck as Mr. Plugg, Master Scourge, Cut-Throat Grok, Ambrose, and several other presumable officers assemble. Captain Harrigan emerges shortly after, a sadistic smile on his face.
"Uh oh....not good." Sandara says as his face goes pale. She gestures to the rope strung across the ship. "Not a good sign. A keelhauling." The last bits of color drain from her face as she realizes whats coming.
Across the deck, the gnome is ghostly pale, the halfling looks concerned, and the Varisian man seems to be biting his lip slightly, sternly staring at the rope and the man from the bilges.
"Sounds like the bloody hour is about to begin." Sandara chimes in.
”He’s as good as dead then.” Brunhild said, quietly. ”This why they take so many of us at port at once? Because they’ve got a habit of killing their crew?” The dwarf asked seriously. She was beginning to think that her long-term survival depended on finding a way off the ship.
They said they were short beforehand, so why be killing?
Abel watches the proceedings with a bit of guilt. The young Wizard felt a bit of shame for not at least attempting to help the poor fellow; although he didn't know why he was being punished.
This is another test. It wouldn't surprise me if they were just selling it to us newbies to keep us in line.
He doesn't really sound as confident as his words may suggest; more hopeful than anything....
Lily looks around the room and approaches one of the not-new sailors, "So wha'd he do?"
"Ohhh that's bad. I don't think they would waste that chicken on a test. They're chumming the waters for sharks." Ellie lowers her voice. "Keelhauling is a bad enough sentence already-- this captain is just sadistic."
I don't see any wya for this to end well. If i had my kit, I could have mixed something up for him to drink, but I only just found out about him right now.
”Theyre a cruel lot. If ye ruined their fun, how would they respond?” Brunhild chimed in. ”Can easily see one of us joining him...”
Burn down the boat!
Bloody hour...grmmmmh
Ming scowls and stands ready to watch, slightly disgusted by the idea of it all.
What did that fellow do to get this honorable and unquestionable enjoyment? Is he just volunteering himself for the merryment of the crew?
Abel nervously awaits the chaotic display of pirate justice by his new employers. The Wizard expects that he will be quite glad to be on this side of the carnage.
We should probably avoid any decisions that would result in a keelhauling, I expect.
Jake Magpie is dragged to the front of the Captains Quarters while Captain Harrigan goes to the upper deck by the wheel. His silhouette is a massive bronze image of muscle and brutality with his sword at his hip. His voice booms over the decks
"Crew of the Wormwood!!! It has come to my understanding that there has been an issue of discipline aboard my vessel. This sailor here was caught attempting to steal from Cut Throat Groks stores and our plunder, and therefore from me. Now I'm a fair man; stealing from me is like stealing from the crew! He stole from each and every single one of you; his attempted theft is him stealing coin, food, rum, and vice from each of you. And that is a crime I cannot abide."
"The punishment for such mass theft and selfishness is keelhauling." Captain Harrigan nods to the group, and they begin securing Jake to their lines over the ship.
Jakes limp body begins showing signs of life, but exhaustion, dehydration, and injury have taken their toll as he attempts to struggle from the group. His attempts to thrash are fruitless. His cries and screams are barely audible in his condition.
The group begins pulling the line, sending Jake Magpie over the deck when Harrigan starts speaking again. They began calling out "HEAVE" as they pull on the line.
"Take your time boys, and keep it down. Master Scourge, your whip please..." Captain Harrigan continues, extending his hand expectantly. Mr. Plugg looks confused as he unhooks his whip from his belt and quickly dashes up the stairs to hand it off to the Captain. The keelhaulers can still be heard, but it is much fainter, and their pace is visibly slower.
"Sir, yes sir" As he bounds the stairs. After handing it off, he remains by the captains side.
"We have other business to attend to. As I said, I'm a fair man. That includes holding all accountable for their failures of discipline or their taskings. Even my officers..."
Mr. Pluggs face goes pale. The keelhaulers "HEAVE fills the silence.
"Mr. Plugg. What are the duties of the first mate?" Captain Harrigan demands of Mr. Plugg. Plugg gulps visibly.
"Captain, the first mate is charged with the security of the ship, its day to day operation, and the performance, welfare, and the.......discipline of the crew..." Mr. Plugg stammers out. He visibly figured out where this was going.
The crew on decks attention is drawn to the water, as there is a barrage of thrashing from the sides; shark fins can be seen as the water begins to turn slight shades of red.
"As you have failed t' discipline your men, you have failed me..." Captain Harrigan seems to be examining the cat, then glances at Mr. Plugg.
Mr. Plugg undoes his jacket grimly. His lean muscles stand in contrast to the Captains massive bulk and broad shoulders. He turns his back to the Captain, and extends one arm out to the side. The other grabs his long ponytail, holding it into the air. Captain Harrigan nods to a few of the other officers, and they step to either side of Mr. Plugg, sliding their arms carefully through to restrain him or support him upright.
Captain Harrigan takes a single step, the crack of the whip like a small explosion as Mr. Plugg visibly tensioned at the impact. As he keeps swinging, the volume and the rate of the swings seems to quicken. Each snap sounds like a thunderbolt. Blood begins spraying, splattering over the other officers holding Mr. Plugg. After a few seconds, it is clear Mr. Plugg is barely even able to stand of his own volition. Captain Harrigan nods to the officers, and they begin half carrying Mr. Plugg down the stairs. His grip on his pony tail long lost at this juncture, now the ends of his ponytail a dark red stained in his gore.
When they reach the bottom, they turn Mr. Pluggs back to show the crew.
Long, deep cuts are hewn into his back. Blood begins dripping onto the deck. He can barely hold himself upright, but he manages.
"Mr. Plugg...I will not be disturbed by your failings in discipline further. Else I will loose my merciful nature." Harrigans voice goes deep with the implied threat.
As Mr. Plugg is released, the sound of something leaving the water catches everyones attention on the other side of the boat. The keelhauling is complete.
The halfling woman turns her head into the gnomes shoulder as the gnome seems to be turning away as well. The Varisian man just lowers his eyes and stares at the deck.
"I believe bloody hour is now formally underway." Captain Harrigan states, clearly pleased with his work. "Though get this cleaned up." he says, gesturing to the remains of Jake Magpie. He tosses Mr. Plugg back his whip, who nods to Master Scourge.
Master Scourge calls out each crew member whom had an offense throughout the day. Before striking, he would call out their failings that earned the lash. Most members of the crew got a lash, the gnome got two.
Lily, since you already rolled ahead of me earlier in the day, this is when you'd get your lashing.
Once all the lashings are dealt out, Cut Throat Grok distributes the rum rations, and Ambrose calls Liz over to help serve the stew.
Brunhild forced herself to watch as the bloody work was carried out. It would not do to look away. To show weakness in the face of such brutality. It was horrifying to watch, and the lesson was instilled. The Captain was an evil man, who would brutalize anyone on his ship without fail. Nobody was safe from him. Seeing Mr. Plugg so viscously whipped left little doubt as to what fate might await her. She even made herself watch when what was left of Jake came to the surface. It was a sight that would not be easily forgotten.
When the time came for rum, Brunhild quietly drank, a far away look in her eyes. Part of her screamed that she had to get off of this ship. The other part warned that being caught doing so would mean that her death would not be quick.
Abel nervously watches as each moan, gasping of rattled breath, and the spilling of blood, painting the deck a ill looking pinkish tinge.
Each lash striking, each spray of grotesque flayed flesh falling fluidly, each sound of a devil's chorus screaming from the crew; Abel passed the f&&@ out!
After a few splendid moments in oblivion, the quite rattled (just recently graduate) youth sits up.
He hastily takes his rum ration!
Lily takes the scene in, her eyes linger on what passes for a corpse, the scent of blood lingers in her nostrils. Her heart pounds with excitement. She instinctively reached for her falchion but restrained herself. Harrigan's words rang hollow, perhaps the thief deserved to loose a hand, but not his life. She caught the thought and strangled it, the man meant nothing to her. She took an extra ration of rum to smooth the frayed edges. When Abel passes out she considers kicking him but decides friends are better than enemies.
She approaches the gnome, halfling, and varisian man. She whispers, "Won't be long that they kill one o' us too. I can help watch yer back. If you watch mine."
Liz is gobsmacked and shakes and sweats as she watches the butchery. Her
mind racing, she thinks that blowing up this cursed vessel is better for everyone. Far better to die sitting on a huge bomb rather than be peeled to the bone.
Seems liz will be picking up a bad habit.
Spare us the talk, captain, Ellie thinks bitterly, watching Plugg's own cat being turned on him. You care nothing for 'fair.' You just wanted an excuse to punish. When Abel passes out beside her she immediately turns and crouches next to him, grateful for the excuse to look away from the evening's gruesome entertainment.
"Whoa, there, none of that." She pats Abel firmly on the cheek to rouse him. When he comes to, she helps him sit up. "Easy now, sailor. Best get used to the sight of blood, this won't be the last of it." She lowers her voice. "Not on this ship, especially."
The rum goes down tough this evening, but Ellie at least manages not to throw it back up again.
Dotting to hide.