Carlosss is enjoying the gentle rise and fall of the waves. His pot is full, so he is taking advantage of the semi-freedom from the whip to playfully splash Draxxie. Odium already glared at him when he tried the same trick earlier.
He sprays water at the sea elf and then catches a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, "Oh sshit! Thosse aren't jusst big oness, they're reef-clawss, whatchout fer the poisson!"
(Answered in Discord)
Carlosss dives forward, sleek body easily cutting through the waves. Not as effortlessly as Draxxie or Odium, but definitely sexier than the latter.
Draxxie heads toward Samms, who doesn't seem to have heard her warning, being too far down, but her other allies certainly caught the info! Carlosss exerts himself as he swims toward the action, which is super hawt.
One of the reefclaws darts through the water toward Samms, but seeing a new intruder arrive, decides to attack Draxxie instead. It doesn't really grasp the concept of "reach weapons," however, and makes an easy target for the skald's spearing attack, goring the creature hard along its flank. Nevertheless, the violent beast keeps coming, snatching Draxxie up in one massive pincer and gripping her tight . Worse, when the claw snaps shut around one of Draxxie's arms, she feels something cold and numbing begin coursing through her limb...
The other reefclaw makes a beeline for Samms, but in its excitement to get some deliciously oblivious meat, it snaps its claw too early and misses them entirely.
[color=green]ROUND 1
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (8/10 hp, grappled)
Reefclaw 2 (10 dmg, grappling)
Carlos (9/9 hp)
Reefclaw 1 (0 dmg)
Oduim (10/10 hp)
Barefoot Samms (0 dmg, oblivious)
Asami (13/13 hp)
[/color]
A magical thorn the size of a javelin appears in the undine's hand, and with a deftness unmatched by any of the others present, bolts through the water with ease and grace, reaching the water just behind the skald.
Samms is just finishing wrestling the unruly crab into their pot when they notice both Draxxie and Oduim above them in the water looking rather alarmed. Then they see the hideous shape of the reefclaw in front of the skald and grab their diving knife and make to swim up to her to help fight the reefclaw, but at the last moment realizes the danger right behind them and turns in time to parry a snapping pincer, jabbing at the beast with their blade as they sink to the bottom, their bare feet resting on the dangerously sharp coral, but the ability to steady themself on the bottom of the reef ends up being a boon as they carve a shallow but bloody cut along the side of the creature .
[color=green]ROUND 1/ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (8/10 hp, grappled)
Reefclaw 2 (10 dmg, grappling)
Carlos (9/9 hp)
Reefclaw 1 (2 dmg)
Oduim (10/10 hp)
Barefoot Samms (0 dmg)
Asami (13/13 hp)
[/color]
Asami grunts, stretches out her shoulders, and takes a quick few steps to leap into the water!
She doesn't quite have time to swim below the surface, yet.
Draxxie wonders whether she should learn Aquan in order to unleash the power of her voice underwater, and whether she'd have to learn to breathe water first.
She fights off the reefclaw's toxin, then tries to finish the beast with a dagger blow since the creature got inside the reach of her pike.
She struggles in the monster's grasp and looks about for help.
Asami readies herself for a tussle and dives into the water.
Draxxie staves off the paralytic toxin, but struggles to find purchase on the slimy lobstrosity with her dagger, to no avail.
The reefclaw squeezes harder with its huge pincer, digging into Draxxie's flesh . Worse, she feels another dose of the reefclaw's venom pump into her arm.
[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (6/10 hp, grappled)
Reefclaw 2 (10 dmg, grappling)
Carlos (9/9 hp)
Reefclaw 1 (2 dmg)
Oduim (10/10 hp)
Barefoot Samms (0 dmg)
Asami (13/13 hp)
[/color]
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Carlosss looks down into the water. Other than shapes and shadows moving around, he can’t really see what is happening. There is definitely some blood too, hopefully not pirate.
He focuses on the waves and the protection they provide. One of them crashes slightly over him, splattering a slick protective crystalline salt layer onto his skin. He smiles, ”The ssea has our back, let uss go help.”
Carlosss covers himself with a briny layer of force magic before swimming toward the action.
Down below, the first reefclaw unleashes its snapping pincers at Samms. One claw strikes and the other misses, leaving a shallow cut on Samms' leg that still manages to fill the small wound with venom. Samms flinches at the wound, their body getting slightly lethargic.
[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (8/10 hp, grappled)
Reefclaw 2 (10 dmg, grappling)
Carlos (9/9 hp)
Reefclaw 1 (2 dmg)
Oduim (10/10 hp)
Barefoot Samms (1 dmg ,1 Str dmg)
Asami (13/13 hp)
[/color]
The reefclaw doesn't bother to fend of the magical sickness because Oduim's massive thorn gores it in the side and it falls unconscious from the blood loss.
Samms swims up toward Draxxie to help, but seeing the offender go limp in the water, they rotate in the water and slashes down at the reefclaw under them. Unfortunately, due to the strange new orientation, their diving knife goes wide.
[color=green]ROUND 2/ROUND 3
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (6/10 hp)
Reefclaw 2 (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Carlos (9/9 hp)
Reefclaw 1 (2 dmg)
Oduim (10/10 hp)
Barefoot Samms (1 dmg ,1 Str dmg)
Asami (13/13 hp)
[/color]
Asami swims downward--
--and gives the nearest Reefclaw what-for!
...She tries to, anyway.
The stinging numbness of the reefclaw venom does not impede Draxxie - she's been in enough drunken brawls to know how to fight on through.
Unwilling to cede any ground (or water) to the verminous monsters, Draxxie stabs again with her small blade at the second creature that Samms seems to have brought with them!
Asami cuts through the water like a harpoon of rippling muscle to arrive next to the remaining reefclaw. Draxxie takes the opportunity to drive her dagger into the beastie's eye socket. It doesn't quite reach the brain, but it leaves the creature with one ruined eye and a whole lot of agony.
[color=green]ROUND 3
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (6/10 hp)
Reefclaw 2 (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Carlos (9/9 hp)
Reefclaw 1 (10 dmg, needs an eyepatch)
Oduim (10/10 hp)
Barefoot Samms (1 dmg ,1 Str dmg)
Asami (13/13 hp)
[/color]
Carlosss hollers,”Alright, I’m going to dive down and see what is happening.”
There is no response. He looks around and squints, ”Oh… they all left me up here. I should probably uh… go.”
He focuses for a fraction of a second, hoping whatever threat can be hurt by his anti-water creature water power, then pokes his head underneath the water.
Carlos does a very pretty dive under the water that looks fancier than it is, bringing him just barely under the surface. But boy howdy, he's got something for that reefclaw when he gets there in two more rounds!
Samms finally seems to fend off the venom in the reefclaw's stinger.
Meanwhile, the remaining reefclaw turns its attention on the pink fleshy thing that just removed one of its eye stalks. Its first claw misses, but the second swipe latches onto Draxxie and squeezes.
[color=green]ROUND 3
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (3/10 hp, grappled)
Reefclaw 2 (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Carlos (9/9 hp)
Reefclaw 1 (10 dmg, grappling, needs an eyepatch)
Oduim (10/10 hp)
Barefoot Samms (1 dmg ,1 Str dmg)
Asami (13/13 hp)
[/color]
The reefclaw doesn't get sick because the reefclaw falls unconscious as it bleeds out from the massive hole in its... thorax? Some chunk of its torso, anyway.
The creatures are unconscious, but their lifeblood is pouring out quickly and their bodies are beginning to spasm violently.
COMBAT OVER!
Samms wastes no time swimming down to scoop up their pot which, shockingly, still contains the crab they caught, and hurrying toward the surface away from the limp forms of the lobstrosities below.
Don't want to stick around any longer than we need to; no idea where the nearest sharks are, but they're on their way, I'm sure.
She motions to her companions to head up, and is eager to swim back to the boat herself.
Draxxie pushes up to the surface, kicking away from the dying reefclaws.
Once up top, she gives a thumbs up to show she's alright despite her wounds. Sheathing her dagger, she treads water and tries to fix her injury.
Besmara, yer a fickle mistress, thanks fer sparing me from the reefclaws eh?
Before exhausting her magic, Draxxie checks her friends are alright. Seeing that she suffered the worst of the encounter, she offers a prayer to the Pirate Queen and finishes undoing the monsters' work on her.
Shoulda prayed harder first!
|
The traditionally stoic undine waits below, ensuring the others safely reach air before surfacing himself. He waits for the others to catch their breath from the encounter before asking, "Anyone good with poisons? We might be able to bring the corpses back and remove the gland in the pincers. Might be able to do it here if someone is skilled enough. Just an idea. If nothing else, they might make the captain happy."
Carlosss pops back up above the water and shakes off the glowing rune wrapped around his hand, "Apparently those overgrown lobsters were no match for you all. Well done. Once they stop thrashing around, we should be able to retrieve the bodies, but I'd wait until then. I have ssome skill with poisons, but not a lot related to harvesting them. Either way, the meat should be good on those big critters."
It's common knowledge reefclaws make excellent eating, though due to their low-level sapience , there are arguments that hunting or eating them is morally reprehensible. Still, seems wasteful to just leave them.
After about a minute, one of the reefclaws twitches hard, then spasms, then thrashes violently for a few moments. Due to its proximity to its friend, its pincers rip into the other reefclaw's side, goring it, causing it to fly into its own spasms and lash out, snapping the other already-dead reefclaw in half. The water starts to get cloudy with blood. There are no sharks yet, but you can guess they can't be far behind at this point.
"Agreed," she says, hoisting them from the water to the wood. As soon as they're ready (ie: everyone's in the boat), she grabs an oar and paddles.
"Get these bastards in the pot, Oduim. I'm gonna have a few new scars so I hope the dinner's worth it!"
Carlosss slips into the boat and helps pull the carcasses and Samms in, "Good job there buddy, way to keep your wits about you. Looks like Draxxie was their main target anyway."
He turns to the half-elf, "You okay ma'am?"
"'Ma'am'? Yer can call me 'Ma'am' when I'm Captain, Snake!" Draxxie laughs loud. "Ow!" she complains as she holds her her sides in. "I'll live. But let's not get into any fights onboard tonight, eh?"
He shrugs at the comment from Draxxie, "I usually don't get into fights."
You reach the Wormwood without issue, and offer up not just five crabs but two reefclaw corpses. Fishguts' eyes light up. "I can make gumbo outta this fer days!" Several of the crew groan loudly, to which Fishguts responds by glaring at them before turning back to the party. "Ah, don't listen ta them! My gumbo is good as any!" There's no way to be certain, but the coughing fit Shivikah suddenly suffers from is awfully suspiciously-timed.
Oduim spends the rest of the day aiding Ambrose in his quest to make boiled crab for the captain and officers, and reefclaw gumbo for the rest of the crew.
Plugg and Scourge waste no time putting the rest of you back to work as well.
----
----
----
Asami grins; gumbo is better than hardtack, after all.
Well, it should be, anyway.
She's getting to be an old hand at this-- enough to start knowing not just how to do her work in general, but the quirks of this ship in particular, even.
Carlosss does okay, probably. He gets some rats and bugs and stuff. But to be honest, his heart simply isn't in the job. Besides, most of them are all gone from all his successes earlier in the week.
He does enjoy each rat being stabbed, recalling what they did to his boi.
Draxxie tries to take it easy - knot work is pretty routine when not dealing with a raging storm, and she's nursing her wounds still.
It's a fine day on calm waters, there's gumbo for dinner - what's not to like?
Everyone nails their jobs once again, though Asami finds herself feeling winded at the end of it. Sandara is waiting for her at the base of the mainmast when she finishes, offering the brawler a ladleful of water from a nearby water barrel. She appears no less shy and uncomfortable than she did before their encounter, and in fact looks on the verge of saying something, but then decides against it, giving an awkward smile and hurrying off to join the others lining up for rum rations.
Oduim and Fishguts serve up bowls of reefclaw gumbo. It's... not as appetizing as his usual fare. Too much okra, perhaps, and the rice isn't fully cooked, making it hard and crunchy. Apparently even someone as experienced as Ambrose Kroop has weak spots.
"How d'ye muck up rice, Ambrose?" Aretta groans. "Ye been a ship's cook fer two decades an' ye can't make rice?"
"It's Brevoyan style rice!" Ambrose huffs indignantly. "S'posed te be harder'n regular rice. Gives some crunch ta tha roux!"
There is, in fact, Brevoyan style rice, but it's just shaped different. It's absolutely not supposed to be crunchy.
The burly fox grins as she reaches the deck; rather than take the ladle from her to quench her own thirst, she lowers her head down and laps the water up like a thirsty dog-- making very deliberate eye contact the entire time.
Asami bites into the rice; the rice bites right back, and she scowls, shooting a glare at the old drunkard.
He's got one job. How did he not have time to cook this? The littlest kid in Minkai knows how to make rice twice this good, fresh from his mother's womb.
S#&!, I bet oni cook better rice than this.
I bet Brevoy rice is fried or something.
Carlosss shrugs at all the whining from so called tough people and digs in. You hear loud crunching and he smiles big, ”It’s nice! Like chewing up bits of bone.” He elbows Cog, ”This sick bastard knows what I’m saying.”
S+&*, Aretta's right. How'd ya manage t' undercook rice, Fishguts?
Draxxie keeps her thoughts to herself, and washes the crunchy rice down with grog.
"What's the food like where you're from, Shivikah?" she asks the tall Mwangi. "As good as this?" she winks.
Sandara turns beet red and maybe looks like she's about to faint, but to her credit, she holds her ground and keeps her eyes locked on Asami's the whole time. As soon as the two have downed their rum rations, she makes a beeline for the stairs belowdecks, pausing only long enough to see if Asami is following.
----
Cog snorts and jostles Carlos with his elbow. "F$$%in A!" He toasts his mug in the sorcerer's direction and chugs his rum ration, finishing off with a large belch.
----
Shivikah makes a "so-so" motion with his hand. "Depends on the cook, eh? My mother, she was very good. She made the best piri piri chicken I'd ever tasted. Grandmother..." He grimaces. "Not so much. She once tried to make sadza. It is like, em..." He pauses a moment, considering. ...relish? Sort of a thick sauce? You eat it with kapenta, small fish. Grandfather cooked the kapenta, it was fine. But the sadza came out as a solid brick. No one understood how, especially not Grandmother. After that, Mother and Grandfather took over the cooking. Do not even get me started on the time she tried to make pancakes." He shudders.
----
A couple of the pirates shake their heads. "I hate to side with Bansion on literally anything," Conchobar chimes in, "but this time she may be onto something. I think I just chipped a tooth." He pinches one of the rice between his little fingers; instead of smushing, it completely retains its shape. "Honestly, man! How? It's in a gumbo! It's basically soup! It's soaking, for crying out loud."
----
Eventually the crew make their way to their bunks and crash. When the party awakens the next day, they not only feel refreshed, but as if their days at sea have strengthened them, made them more powerful, made them....
Dawn rises on the eleventh day, with the broken isles of the Shackles now specks on the northern horizon; the Wormwood is deep in the busy shipping lanes of the Fever Sea now. The mood among the crew has shifted subtly; the casual banter and easy nature seen on most days has become muted as all eyes glance across the four horizons for any signs of merchant ships. A merchant ship means a target, meaning blood could be spilt at any moment.
So it is likely no surprise then, when Plugg pulls the four of you aside once again. "You're up, newbies. Time to get your training on boarding actions. Report to Riaris Krine on the poop. Off with you!"
Riaris Krine, the ship's exceedingly angry and loud master gunner, stands atop the stairs up to the poop deck, holding a tall boarding gaff and looking impatient.
Carlosss enjoys a bit of fun with the boys, then enjoys a lot more fun with his boi.
Expecting another dreamless night as he passes out snuggling the young sailor, Carlosss is surprised the next day by his vivid recollection of the events in his sleep. He goes through everything as he does his morning stretches, barely noticing the audience this time.
Got damn, what did I drink yesterday? Was the sea really talking to me? It was a nice conversation, but was it just in my head? Did I really need that much encouragement to stay on this ship? That I'm in the place I need to be? I guess the thought had crossed my mind, but then I met a couple good people and haven't seen a good chance to split. Eesh, I don't know. I have always been drawn to a life on ships. Maybe this is the one for me, even if I don't agree with some stuff they do here. And then the zombie attack. F#~+ that was intense. I wonder if that spell I was using would actually work. It's sorta like my ray of frost, just with a half-turn the other way. Hopefully I won't ever have to find out.
He makes it up to the deck and feels the swells of the waves and hears the sound of them crashing against the hull. He looks confusedly at Draxxie, "Did you hear... nevermind."
I coulda sworn the f+!%ing ocean just said 'you belong to me.'
He follows the four to the s%@% deck, "Reporting for Duty."
_____________________
Asami follows Sandara with her eyes before she pushes off the railing and follows her with her feet.
"Cusswell! Let me know if we get any onlookers and I'll deal with them personally when I'm done."
If there's time, she pops her head in on Owlbear after to see if he's feeling sociable.
----------------------
"Ain't my first boarding," she snorts, "but may as well know what everyone else is doing so I don't trip anybody. Run us through it."
Draxxie wakes up refreshed, only a little sore where the reefclaws got her. She smiles to herself. Feels like I got friends here now. Like this tub's mine - where I'm s'posed t' be. Heh. Now when are we gonna do some piratin'?
"Hear what, Snake?"
"Oooh, training. Let's have a frenzy!"
Riaris Krine is a sun-burnt woman in her early forties, with a peg leg, a nose that has clearly been broken multiple times, and a temper as foul as the storm that rocked the Wormwood only a few nights before. She snorts as the party approaches. "I don't give a rat's arse what you say you've done. I care about what I can see with my own eyes. Now gather up!" She turns to four of the nearby swabs. "Oi! Fipps! Jape! Tilly!" A pause. "And the cripple!" After a moment's hesitation, Jack obliges. "Fipps and Jack, go gather up some slop from the kitchens. I'm sure Ambrose has some rotten scraps we can use." The two hustle off to do the Master Gunner's bidding as she turns back to the party.
"Those four are gonna help make this interesting," she snaps. "Two of you at a time will take the jolly and some grappling hooks. Row out forty feet or so. You're to aim for the ship's rail and climb up. These four will try to stop you. Let's see how you do. The demon and the snake go first! No lollygagging and no lip! Get to it!"
|
|
Oduim was happy to have another day out of the kitchen. While he enjoyed the relative solitude it afforded, there were times the close quarters made him feel trapped. As to the thought of boarding another ship? The undine was looking forward to the training. After all, if he was going to gain revenge upon the murderers he sought, he would need the skill to see it through.
Odium accepts the verbal abuse without responding. A small price to pay if she can actually teach me something. As soon as she is done giving directions, the druid heads to the skiff to help lower it down. He sizes up the pair as they prepare themselves. With a nod toward Carlos, "Don't screw this up!"
Carlosss is about to quietly climb down into the rowboat when Odium taunts him. He pauses a second then shrugs off the insult, "Mistakes are how one learns. I'm not as experienced as you all obviously, but at least I'm willing to try things."
Using what he learned watching the others the day before he rows out a bit and then cautiously stands with a grappling hook and rope, swinging it a few times before letting loose and just barely making it over the railing.
He waits to see how Fox does before trying to reel them in for the climbing.
Asami, experienced pirate that she is, slips down into the rowboat and helps Carloss take it out to sea. She stops a moment to check that the rope is affixed properly to the grapple, then grins, gives it a couple of swings, and launches it:
Her own hook latches on smoothly and securely!