Skulk & Shackles with GM Apoc

Game Master Apoc Golem

5gp and 8sp each. We're rich! Let's find an island to bury all our treasure!

"Ya want that wound patched up, Fox? Reckon ya gonna scar pretty good already."

The snake looks at the group, "Keep the holy water and tangly bag, sell the rest? Either way, I'm f#@*ing happy I can afford soap now."

If Selling Rules apply here with the Quartermaster (sell stuff for 50% cost) then the heavy maces will sell for 18g, the leather armor for 5g and the buckler for 2.5g. That is 25.5g split 4 ways equals 6.375 so... 6g, 3s, 7c for each and Draxxie gets the extra 2 copper because she found the haul? But I'll wait for the GM to indicate if those are feasible things to sell.

I don't think we have a ranged expert so any of us could be okay at using the holy water or tanglefoot bag. I'm actually, short and long term, the worst at using them but only barely at this point.

Asami shrugs. "If you've got the magic, no sense bleeding more than I have to."

"If you are so desperate for attention and glory that you need to claim an animal that was about to harmlessly bleed out on its own, I pity you. I will alert the crew to leave all our opponents on death's door so you can contribute to the combat by running about the deck stabbing those who are taking the last, listless breaths."

Oduim looks at the haul with passing disinterest. Nodding towards Carlosss, "He has the right of it. Now that we seem to have our gear back, most of that is useless to me. Sell 'n split."

He looks at the others a moment, as if weighing how to proceed. "Maybe we should talk before heading up. We came on this boat together. Actions that some of us have taken have been used against all four of us. With allies few, perhaps we should...work together. Watch out for one another." The undine looks uncomfortable as he says the words, as if it pains him to voice his concerns. "We probably have enough knives at our backs. I would like to count on three less." He offers a smile, the first you have seen, "That is, if I have my math right."

Draxxie looks askance at Oduim as the undine berates her. Then her grin returns as he asks to be friends - and he even makes a joke!

"Now that ye've found yer tongue there's no stopping it, is there?" she japes in reply.

"Ya can have half the kill. As fer the rest of yer ideas - ye've nought ta fear from me but a cussin' now an' again. Ya helped when it was needed, and I've no cause t' spurn allies. This tub's a dangerous place, ya got that right."

Asami snorts. ”Works for me.”

Carlosss’s eye ridges raise as he stuffs another pulped rat into the sac, ”Well s+~~. If all it takes is murdering vermin together to make friends, we’ll be best buds with the whole crew by the end of the week.”

Making good on her offer, Draxxie conjures healing magic to knit Asami's wounds.

clw: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"There. Can't say 'good as new', ya c'n still see the lines Scourge left. But we'll pay 'im back fer 'em all."

Feel free to finish the conversation retroactively, but just to keep things moving I'll assume you take the loot directly to Grok.

The quartermaster shakes her head in disbelief at the items you found in the bilges. "The things people throw away," she huffs indignantly. She gives you standard sell value for them. "If they were in the bilges, I doubt the captain knew they were there. That's finders keepers, far as I'm concerned. Square deal. Best not to dawdle too long getting back; Scourge is happy for any chance to lash somebody." She doesn't bother to hide her disdain when speaking about the man. "Plugg picked a helluva lackey. Sometimes I think he made Scourge bosun just out of spite."

She pauses, then shakes her head. "Never mind. Off to work with you lot. And thanks for the help. Carlos, if you have a little time tonight, and you wouldn't mind doing me that service you offered, I'd be most appreciative."

Draxxie, Carlosss, and Asami can technically lounge about if they want, though any of you who don't want to return to work directly will need to make Stealth checks to avoid being caught slacking off, and there will be penalties to your daily task checks based on how long you take.

Oduim is unfortunately in something of a bind. You are already doing the work of two people, since Ambrose is too sauced to actually work today, as discussed before. If you take too much time returning to the galley, your checks might fail automatically.

I think most of us already rolled for our dailies, if those rolls still hold up-- but I understand if, given the circumstances, you want us to reroll if we change what we're doing! Or if you just want us to reroll in general.

Either way, though, Asami's stickin' with her work today.

"Gave us three hours for it," Asami snorts. "Took us ten minutes, tops, and most of that was just picking through the trash down there."

Oduim does not even stop off at the quartrrmaster with the others. They will either keep their word or they will not. An opportunity to prove themselves. The undine rushes off to the galley alone to finish preparing meals for the crew.

Carlosss notices Odium rushing off but heads to the quartermasters to take care of things there, ”Yeah, I’ll stop by this evening to help out. Thanks again for keeping our gear safe. Do you, by any chance have a towel, some soap, a sponge, a chew stick and tooth paste for sale? I’ve been feeling awfully gross since arriving on the ship.”

As they leave the quartermaster he adds to his brand new allies, ”I’ll take storm worshipper his share and drop off these rats in case the chef needs meat.”

The vishkanya heads to the galley.

@Carlosss:

Grok snorts. "Ayuh. Shockingly, grooming kits aren't very popular wth pirates." She chuckles and offers up the item.

Standard market price.

As Oduim busies himself to get ready for fishing, Carlosss comes in to drop off the rat corpses.

Depending on how long you take, it might just be a retroactive penalty to your rolls, but if it's longer than the 3 hours I'd call that changing your Ship Action for the day, in which case I'd have to make a judgment call.

Oduim is returning straight to work. What are Carlosss, Draxxie, and Asami doing after visiting Grok to sell stuff?

Either way, though, Asami's stickin' with her work today.

This, mostly!

At this point, I don't think that Odium has told anyone he is in a bind. Carlosss is going over there to give him his share of the coinage and drop off the big rats, because they are large enough to have a fair quantity of meat on them. He doesn't have any intent on shirking his duty and if Odium doesn't ask him for any help he'll return to stabbing/trapping smaller vermin.

smaller vermin.

Like Plugg?

Got to try to make good use of that CHA check bonus you gave me, GM :)

Draxxie cleans herself off with Prestidigitation, especially her legs where she got bit, but doesn't leave herself looking too pristine. She just got sent to kill rats in the bilges, so coming back looking fresher than she went in isn't her plan.

But having dispatched the giant rats, Draxxie seeks out the ship's carpenter-surgeon and his latest patient to give the good news. Poor compensation for the loss of a hand, but she hopes it's something for Jack Scrimshaw.

"How's the patient doin' doc?" she asks Habbly Quarne.

Assuming Scrimshaw is awake enough to talk to and not about to die of his injuries...

"We got th' bastard rats for ya, Jack. All o' the buggers. How they got there I'll never know. Ya find any more tho', ya let Draxxie or Snake know, okay? Snake likes hunting them I reckon. I hope yer healin' up alright. Plenty o' pirates do jus' fine wi' one hand."

Draxxie proceeds to softly sing a bawdy tale of a pirate with one hand and seven fingers.

diplomacy + bonus, influence Scrimshaw: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 3 + 2 = 19

Using Ship Action for influence, then back to work with no dawdling.

Oduim, being the condescending poop that he is, would not dain to ask for help...this time. We'll see how it goes.

Carlosss ignores the drunk cook passed out in the pantry, drops the rat bag in the corner of the kitchen and puts the coinage on the counter as he sees Odium rushing around the kitchen, 'Alright then, there's your share."

He heads back to his original job, checking the traps he set earlier.

@Asami, Carlosss, & Oduim:
You return to your tasks.

Just realized, I don't have daytime Ship Actions from Asami. What would you like to use it on?

@Draxxie:
Habbly doesn't respond to Draxxie's inquiry. He simply stares at her with an utterly disconcerting intensity, but devoid of any emotion or curiosity. It's the eyes of one with no soul and an insatiable appetite.

It's almost a relief when he turns away from the skald without having ever spoken a word.

For his part, Jack is coherent but clearly tipsy. He was probably given rum or something even stronger to dull the pain some. He nods gratefully at her words. "Thanks. It's not much, but at least the little s%@%s are dead. Prob'ly be fine. Dunno how I'll ever carve again, though..." He stares with blank eyes at the stump where his forearm and right hand used to be. At least it's not the dreadful blankness of Quarne's lifeless gaze; it's simply the uncomprehending look of someone in denial about what they're seeing.

Well done! You moved Jack Scrimshaw from Indifferent to Friendly!

Once Draxxie returns to work, she finds herself exhausted by the difficulty of her task. Every deck, from the poop all the way down to the lower deck, gets swabbed several times, soaking the wood with seawater to help protect it from the danger of fire. She's not the only one at it, but it's still a lot of ground to cover and she finds herself utterly drained at the end of the day.

Because you failed your check, Draxxie is fatigued for her nighttime Ship Actions.

@Everyone:
The sun sets, the bell is rung, and anchor is dropped. Oduim manages to jostle Fishguts awake from his drunken stupor enough to help carry the crate of bowls and spoons up on deck to hand out fish stew. Plugg and Scourge begin handing out rum rations. Games begin anew, including a rousing game of Hog Lob and some dicing in one corner. Up on the bow, Conchobar is regaling several of his fellow crew with a humorous tale of a tavern maid turned into a goat, but he's clearly losing the crowd, so he switches to a tried-and-true favorite of singing a sea shanty. It's the first time he's performed, so far as the party knows, and his voice is a smooth, honeyed tenor.

"There once was a ship that put to sea
And the name o' the ship was the Billy o' Tea
The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down,
O! Blow, me bully boys, blow!"

He flails his arms excitedly, and all the pirates join in for the chorus.

"Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum!
One day when the tonguin' is done,
We'll take our leave and go!"

Oduim, in particular, is painfully familiar with the song, a classic tale of whaling gone wrong, and he has to wonder: where are the whalers he's after? Are they really looking for this "Mancatcher's Cove?" Will he ever get the chance to search for it himself, and perhaps find the bastards he's after?

Everyone can go ahead and make their rolls for the evening and choose their nighttime Ship Actions. Don't forget Asami, you can still take your daytime Ship Action as well, if there's anything you wish to do. (You are also free to skip it if you wish!)

I'll figure out a Ship Action after, uh, this, if there's still time somehow.

...Oh, I'm dumb.

Asami, uh... influences? Tries to, maybe?

Diplo vs. Shivikah: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

"Uh... Toildays, am I right?"

Fort DC5: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
CON damage: 1d3 ⇒ 2 halved
CHA bonus: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Draxxie, worn out after the hardest day's work so far, is drawn to Conchobar's song. I know that one! Mebbe Rosie doesn't wanna duet, but Conchobar likes the girls well enough as 'e might.

She takes up the song at the next verse:

"She had not been two weeks from shore
When down on her, a right whale bore
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take that whale in tow (Hah!)

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go"

influence Conchobar (perform?) + rum: 1d20 + 7 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 4 = 12 Only a +3 on the roll if it has to be Diplomacy, and not sure if I still have the +2 bonus from the previous night's effort.

Modifier hardly matters with a natural 1 - ouch! Although might still get up to 14 total!

Draxxie is so exhausted that she barely manages to swallow her rum ration and get through the first verse before she falls asleep. An elbow to the ribs wakes her, and she mutters an apology before sloping off to her hammock and falling asleep almost immediately.

Asami dives into her fish stew and rum ration after a long day of turning giant rats' heads backwards, working the mainsail, and failing to establish an emotional connection with her fellow sailors.

She's had a long day, so she figures it's time to just turn in when she's done.

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Con: 1d3 ⇒ 2
CHA: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Fatigue: 1d8 ⇒ 1

Carlosss spends a bit of time scrubbing the gunk off himself after his shift ends. He carefully cleans out any rat and bug nibbles he got in the course of his duties, though he is quite happy he didn't get chomped by the big ones.

Well enough used to minimal bathing options, he does take his time to do a thorough sponge bath with the freshest water he can pull up from the sea. He gives his banana hammock a good scrubbing as well and then dries everything a bit with his towel. Lastly his teeth get an exceptionally good cleaning.

FINALLY GOT THAT PIECE OF CHARRED BISCUIT OUT OF MY BACK TEETH!!!

Feeling infinitely better though his immense amount of clothes are a tad wet still, he actually enjoys his meal. His first bite is a bit surprising to taste fish and not 'other meat'. Quickly finishing he saves his rum and tracks down his next future friend. Coming up to one of the other swabs he lifts his mug for a 'clink', "Hey there Tilly, how goes?"

Fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Con Halved: 1d3 ⇒ 3
Cha: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Fatigue: 1d8 ⇒ 1
Diplomacy Befriend Tilly Brackett: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 = 11

The numbing sensation of the rum almost comes as a welcome relief after an eventful day. Oduim slumps down next to the chef. He rests his head against the bulkhead looking at the rafters, then slowly closing his eyes just to rest for a minute. He blinks them back open before falling asleep and rolls his head to the side. A wide grin nearly cracks his face, "Maybe tomorrow I spend the day draining a bottle or two? How you feeling boss?"

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Con (halved): 1d3 ⇒ 2
CHA: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Fatigue: 1d8 ⇒ 6
Diplomacy to befriend Fishguts: 1d20 - 1 + 3 ⇒ (14) - 1 + 3 = 16

@Asami:
Asami, not great with social cues, interrupts Shivikah while he's in the middle of wrestling a pile of knots, and he snaps, "I am busy!" He doesn't even look up from his work, but he's clearly very irritated.

Unfortunately, you failed by 5 or more, which means Shivikah drops to Unfriendly.

After that fiasco, and the long day of rigging and murking giant rats, Asami downs her rum ration and heads off to bed. The ration hits harder than usual, though, making her stomach turn a little. Was it a bad batch, or did all the stress make her more susceptible somehow? Either way, she feels absolutely awful as she collapses into her hammock.

Oof. Our first nat 1. I'm going to look into the addiction rules and see if I can't make them more streamlined for pbp.

----

@Carlosss:
Tilly eyes Carlos curiously, then shrugs indifferently. "It goes, Snakeboy. Whatcha want?"

Sadly not a success, but you did not fail by 5 or more.

----

@Draxxie:
Draxxie stumbles off to bed and dreams of fistfights with giants. It's a good dream.

----

@Oduim:
Ambrose, still half-sauced, glances guiltily at his cook's mate. " 'm sorry 'bout today, lad. Shouldn'a had ta do all that. I... I'll try harder tomorrow. It's just..." He sighs, staring out to sea, black on black, the obsidian waves reflecting the shimmer of the waning crescent moon. "I been dwellin' these last few months on me rotten luck. Eh--" He shifts uncomfortably, sighs, and stares down at his thick, dirty fingers. "Ah, who'm I kiddin'? Ain't luck, it were me own gullibility." He pauses to loose a long, ruminating belch as he stares off into the distance.

"Thought tha cap'n'd play fair. A pirate, playin' fair. How's... how's 'at fer a lark?" And he does chuckle at that, a mixture of genuine mirth and sad realization. "Well, were me own stupid fault for offerin' m'self up as collateral. I jes... *hic*... jes wanted ta get outta 'at hole I was in. 'is dice were prob'ly loaded. I mean, what scoundrel plays wit' honest dice?" He snorts, coughs, and spits something thick and discolored off the rail into the dark water below. "Far as the pirate's... pirate's..." He pauses and frowns, as if searching for the right word. His eyes light up and he belches, "Code! Far's tha pirate's code, Harrigan owns me now. Not a damn thing I can do 'bout it."

It's at least clear now why he spends so much time sauced: he's essentially a slave.

You have successfully brought Ambrose to Helpful!

Quick bit of BTS here. There is a 50% chance each day that Ambrose is too drunk to help and the cook's mate has to do all the work. You got lucky rolls the first few days but technically it's a 50-50 shot whether or not you actually get help that day.

However, the book also mentions he might cut back on the drinking and try to sort his life out a bit with some positive reinforcement. I'd say having a new friend who he kind of screwed over today is... well maybe not enough to get sober, but enough to try to be better. Your chance of Ambrose being too drunk to work is now only 25% instead of 50%!

Plus the XP for making another crew member Helpful, of course.

The snakely snake reads the clues pretty clearly and just tries to extricate himself, "Jusst wanted to get to know the people I work with more, but if I'm bothering you I'll ssplit, ssorry."

He finishes off his rum and heads below to hang up his speedo (to dry) and crash for the evening.

Oduim pats the chef on the knee. "The only constant in the world is change. Nothing exemplifies this more than the oceans themselves. Whatever happened to get you here does not mean stronger currents cannot pull you to something better." He winks at the man. "Besides, you're not swimming against the current alone anymore, and rumor has it I swim pretty well."

Oduim rises and helps the man to his feet. "Let's get you in your bunk. Morning is coming fast and the sun's gonna be bright tomorrow."

The cook grunts. "Ugh. Don't remind me." He lets the druid help him back to his hammock in the ship's stores, which he shares with Grok and a couple other officers, then (I presume) heads to his own hammock to get some much needed rest.

----
----

A new day dawns and the bell tolls to call the crew on deck for today's tasks.

Day 5
17 Gozran, 4712 AR
Wealday

@Asami:
Plugg sends her immediately up to the sails on the mizzenmast. "Line work, get on it."

Line Work: Hard work hoisting and lowering sails, requiring a Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check. The PC must also make a Constitution check to avoid being fatigued at the end of the shift.

----

@Carlosss:
Scourge shoves a couple simple tools in your hands. "Lessee if them claws is good fer anythin'. Get ta repairin'."

Repairs: Things constantly tear or break aboard the ship and need repairs, whether sewing sails or splicing rope all day, requiring a Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check.

----

Draxxie:
The bosun turns his hateful eye on the skald. "Put 'em feet ta work!"

Runner: Passing messages to the crew and officers of the Wormwood in all parts of the ship except officers’ cabins, requiring an Acrobatics check and Constitution check. Failing the Constitution check results in the PC being fatigued at the end of the shift. A PC with the Run feat automatically succeeds at this task.

(Out of curiosity, has anyone ever taken the Run feat? I have never seen it used in play.)

----

@Oduim:
The druid is greeted in the galley by a (mostly) sober Ambrose, who waves him over. "That rat meat ya brought in should give us jes' enough meat fer a decent stew! Stews are like... cookin' 101 s+&#e, so have a squat an' let's relax, aye? I feel bad, 'specially after ya put in all that extra work yesterday." He pulls out a dusty bottle of some dark amber liquid. He grabs a cup, blows in it to clear any gathered dust, and begins pouring Oduim a glass. "Alright lad, 'bout time ya told me o' yerself. Where ya from, originally? You tell me, an' I'll tell ya 'bout tha time I 'ad a drinkin' contest wit' a Devil."

Bull Session: Drinking with Ambrose Kroop and listening to his stories. The cook’s mate must drink an additional rum ration, but is able to take an additional ship action during the day.

"You got it, Boss."

Pro Sailor Strats: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
CON: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

"So, you're a gambler huh? Tell me a little more..."

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Con (halved): 1d3 ⇒ 2
CHA: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Fatigue: 1d8 ⇒ 5

With his tongue a little looser later in the day...morning? So hard to keep track. Oduim eventually opens up about his father to the chef. "Killed 'em like he weren't nuthin'. Harpoons...dozens of 'em. They just kept comin' like the ship was made of 'em. He saved the pod, but jes fer a day. Them bassards 'll jus come back 'nother day, 'n again, 'n again. But when I find 'em Guts? Oh. Believe me. The Surgin' Storm here is gonna send that boat 'n e'ry man on 'er to the sandy depths. You mark my words on that."

He starts to tear up. "By the currents, I miss 'im so much!"

Seems like the Runner job is ideal for exploring the ship - but the price of failing a Stealth check is likely too high. Draxxie will stick to Influencing.

Draxxie leaves her buckler and leather-and-wood armour stowed below - she can do without their bulk whilst tearing about the decks carrying messages and who knows what between the crew.

acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
CON: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Whilst about her duties, Draxxie spies Conchobar moping. "Hey Conch! Sorry 'bout the other night, I was plain exhausted. Hey, how 'bout you, me, an Rosie get a little party goin' tonight? You've a fine voice. Show it off a bit, Rosie'll appreciate it. Try an' let her fiddle shine tho', she'll like that even better."

influence Conchobar Shortstone, diplo: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
If you'll allow Performance skill to be used in place of Diplomacy with Conchobar, the result is 4 better. Perhaps Draxxie can offer the gnome some helpful singing tips sure to impress Miss Cusswell?

Carlosss just takes the items with gritted teeth and moves off to repair s+%#.

Worth anything? F+*&ing idiot, I've been worth more than anyone on this damn ship every day I've been here. I think about all he is worth right now is ballast and perhaps we need to start considering dumping it to make better time. Wherever the f~%+ we are going.

About an hour into his task with quite a few sail holes patched he realizes something and curses. Finishing up what he is doing he puts things away and slips off to look for more work.

Or at least that is what it appears he is doing. Instead he diverts to the quartermaster and enters with his head down, "S$~@ I'm sorry, I completely forgot about last night. I got all wrapped up in... you know, it doesn't matter. I f~!%ed up and I'm sorry. But I'm here now to take a look at those items for curses."

Profession: Sailor t - Shop?: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 4 - 2 = 13

I'm guessing heading to help out the quartermaster is going to cost him his work diligently bonus as well as the extra negative to 'shop'. The only argument I've got against that set of penalties is that he could claim he went to the quartermaster to 'repair' any goods that were broken. But that obviously is a GM call. I'll roll it with all the penalties applied and hope for the best.

Can we add a page to the spreadsheet of areas we have explored?

Oduim takes a walk to clear his head a bit. When on the deck, he makes certain to keep moving about. The druid keeps an eye out for his friends as well as potential allies. Catching sight of Peppery Longfarthing, the undine thinks maybe he has found a partially kindred spirit. Maybe I could even learn a thing or two from her.

He makes his way to Sail Master deferentially. "Uh...Sail Master, we haven't met yet. Name's Oduim. I wanted to inform you that I too have worked to bend nature to be useful. I have much to learn, but I want to earn my keep on this ship 'n prove my worth. If you ever decide ya need 'n apprentice, could ya keep me in mind? I gots a ways ta go, but I can work hard, I can listen, and, not that you'd know it, but I can shut my mouth. This might'n just be the most I talked since comin' aboard."

Daytime Activity (Influence Peppery): 1d20 - 1 + 3 ⇒ (19) - 1 + 3 = 21

@Oduim:
I don't see why not! You should all have editing privileges I believe. Feel free to add or subtract things as you think they'll be necessary. I only ask that you don't touch the Officer/Crew tabs for now; I'll update those as needed.

Ambrose grunts. "Not much of a gambler if'n ye manage ta gamble away yer freedom, eh? Or mebbe... mebbe that's the epitome of a gambler. So madly in love wit' Lady Luck tha' 'e tosses away 'is very soul on tha dice in order ta woo her." He shakes his head and gives a small, rueful chuckle.

He takes a swig of the rum, passes it back to Oduim, and squints. "Don't remember me own family much. Livin' this life, methinks it's better that way. Seems like family only brings pain. Pain o' loss like fer you, or pain o' disappointment, like fer Grok. She were a child o' Belkzen, rough country. Birthed tae a slave in an orc clan. Some outriders from Trunau caught the tribe an' wiped out half of 'em, rescued the slaves. Her own ma an' da pushed 'er in front o' the oncomin' outriders an' fled, hopin' they'd slow down ta kill 'er so they could escape. They rescued 'er instead, an' she got raised by a travelin' merchant who were visitin' the town. They found 'emselves in Bloodcove one day. Not a nice city, Bloodcove. Thugs murdered tha merchant an' stole all they owned. Got 'er throat slit as a partin' gift, left fer dead. Hence tha scar on 'er neck. But ye may 'ave noticed she en't a delicate water lily. Narrow as a reed but tough as nails, is our Grok." He smiles wistfully, pride clear on his face. It's a bit like the way Oduim remembers his father looking at him when he was a child. "Found by a priest of Abadar, of all things. In that city!" He barks a laugh. "Didn'ae think they even came down this far southwest, but here one was, rescuin' 'er from tha brink o' death. Abadar may be a mortal enemy of us piratin' folk, but I'll say this for 'im. 'e looks after the lost children. Course, it's only cause 'e sees potential cogs in tha capitalist machine, but it still ends with His followers lookin' after orphans." He shrugs. "Grok never became religious, but I think it still colored 'er outlook a bit. She may be a pirate through an' through, but I never met a more meticulous, organized woman in me whole life!"

He's quiet for a few moments, then says, "Bugger me all. Here ye were talkin' bout your Da, an' I go off on one o' me ridiulous tangents." He taps one of his chins thoughtfully, as the chicken on his shoulder warbles softly. It almost sounds like snoring. "Wha's the name o' them ships, again? Mebbe I've 'eard a tale or two of 'em."

----

@Draxxie:
In point of fact I will! I believe I may have mentioned it a ways back but since he's a musician, Perform feels like a very viable alternative. And no lie, the fact that you're a woman actually gives you a bonus. He's a shameless womanizer.

Conchobar gives Draxxie his most winning smile, which is surprisingly charming despite the ridiculous mustache. "My dear! You are quite the musical prodigy yourself! I would be delighted and honored to accompany two of the loveliest ladies on the Steaming Sea in a trio. It would be the highlight of my already quite colorful life!"

With the +2 for being a woman (cue my facepalm) and using your Perform instead of your Diplomacy, you sent Conchobar straight from Indifferent to Helpful! It was a DC 23 check and you beat it by 1, well done!

----

@Carlosss:
Carlos's angry ruminations almost make him tear the netting he's working on, but manages to catch himself before he does serious damage.

You beat your check but not by much!

Hustling off to the ship's stores, Grok is going over inventory with a long scroll in hand and -- of all things -- a pair of small spectacles resting on the bridge of her nose. At the vishkanya's entrance, she panics and quickly snatches them off her face to shove them in a pocket. "Carlos! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Her green cheeks flush with soft red. "Oh! Yeah, thought maybe you forgot. It's no problem. If you've got the time now, though..."

Basically mechanically, you'll cast detect magic and make a Spellcraft check. The result of the check, if high enough, will tell you if anything's cursed (and also what some of the more magical goodies in her store are). Of course the likelihood of anything being actually cursed is pretty low, but you never know.

----

@Asami:
The linework is tough; the winds have picked up today, and while it's not raining, you can see low, dark clouds far off on the horizon in the direction the Wormwood is heading; sometime tomorrow, the ship will break through the chain of islands and into the wide open waters of the southern Fever Sea.

When she comes down from the rigging as the sun begins to set, she's sweating heavily but feels invigorated rather than tired; the warm wind blowing helped to keep her from overheating like last time.

You made the DC on the Con check exactly!

When Asami reaches the deck, none other than Sandara Quinn is waiting for her with a cool, wet cloth. "Figured you might want this," she says with a nervous smile. "Hard work, what you do." Never mind that she has a mop and bucket with her, meaning the grueling and frankly tedious work of swabbing an entire ship over and over. After a long moment of staring at Asami, the cleric turns beet red and casts here eyes down and away. "A-anyway. I better um. Put my. Bucket. Back. Okay." She hurries away, muttering angrily to herself. Asami manages to catch the word "idiot" before she's belowdecks.

----

@Everyone:
The bell tolls and the anchor is dropped, signaling the end of another day. Ambrose and Oduim distribute rat stew. Ambrose seems to take delight in calling it "Chef's Surprise," which actually seems to make several crewmates more suspicious of it than leaving it unnamed. Meanwhile, Plugg and Scourge tap a fresh keg for rum rations and start handing them out.

Shivikah, the tall Mwangi man who Asami arm-wrestled on her first (second?) day, is currently over a barrel with Badger, the older woman with copper skin and lines shaved into her close-cropped gray hair. The battle between their arms is quickly turning legendary as they tilt back and forth over piles of bent, rusty nails on one side and what appears to be the shards of a shattered vial on the other. Several pirates are cheering for one or the other, while the long-nosed dwarf, Narwhal, gathers bets. After over a minute of struggle, Shivikah finally slowly, agonizingly slowly pushes Badger's forearm into the nails. The older woman bellows in pain until Shivikah finally releases her arm and leans back. The crowd erupts in cheers and cries of dismay.

As Narwhal hands out winnings, Plugg of all people pipes up. "That's all fine," he says with a wicked gleam in his eye, "but why don't we spice things up? Hm? Who wants to see the Owlbear in action? He hasn't gotten to play with anyone in over a week!"

Several cheers and laughs erupt from the crew, but a few faces go slack or even look openly unnerved. "Scourge!" he snaps. The weaselly bosun appears at the First Mate's elbow. "Go find Owlbear. Should be in the hold."

A few minutes later, Scourge comes back up, followed moments later by a hulking man wearing nothing but the tattered remnants of pants and an iron collor around his neck, to which is attached a short length of broken chain. His head is shaved, and his body is spotted with bits of tar, to which chicken feathers are still attached. He peers around with a mildly surprised expression, then capers over to Plugg and hunches, clapping his hands and stomping one foot; he appears to be attempting to carry a rhythm and failing. You have seen this giant before once or twice, usually in the middle hold, but he never approaches anyone and usually barks or growls if anyone gets close.

He's played by Dave Bautista.

"Go on, you dumb brute!" Plugg grumbles. "Stop prancing like a fool." He shoves the bigger man forward. Owlbear flinches from Plugg, but recovers his balance easily. Seeming to sense a familiar song and dance, he flexes his biceps and bellows, much to the delight of several crewmates. The biceps are... expansive.

"So," Plugg calls, "who wants to take on Owlbear? Hm? Anyone think they've got the stones for a bare-knuckle brawl?" He pulls a small, fat purse off his belt and drops it to the ground in front of the hulking man. It hits the ground with a particularly alluring heavy thud. "Hundred gold for whoever can best ol' Owlbear." He sweeps his gaze over the crowd, but his eyes lock on Asami's in the end. "Anyone?"

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Preiously...

The Sail Master, a reedy woman in her mid-thirties, comes down from where she was flying a few feet above and behind the ship. Her billowing white blouse, held down by a leather bodice, is surprisingly pristine, and her hair billows in the wind, but it seems off to Oduim, and it takes him a moment to realize her hair is blowing in an entirely different direction than the wind.

She's played by Michelle Monaghan.

She looks the druid up and down before her face twists in disdain. "I got no need some half-assed novice following me around like a lost puppy. You want a teacher, go to Absalom and pay for it like the rest of those fools. Now piss off, I'm busy."

That is a failure, unfortunately.

The sorcerer looks around to make sure no one is hiding behind a barrel or something and then takes a deep breath, "Gimme a second, this spell requires a lot of concentration."

He puts both his hands up in front of his face about six inches out and seems to pinch at the air. His arm muscles flex and then start to strain. Concentration? More like physical force. Slowly his hands seem to pull something apart and he starts slowly scanning the room, stopping occasionally to look intently at a few specific items.

Spellcraft t: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

_____________

Upon completing his forgotten task he heads quickly back outside and starts installing a replacement wheel for one of the cannons. He glances up at the clouds and wonders what they might be.

Survival: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9

Just clouds apparently.

_____________

He finishes out the work day and with very sore hands takes his bowl of soup and gulps it down. It tastes damn good. The rum isn't hitting as hard either, but before he starts feeling his oats his stomach is soured by the obvious trap layed by Plugg.

I hope she isn't that dumb.

Waiting to see how the fight goes down before doing the evening activity.

Asami snorts; she doesn't even look at the purse on the floor. She takes the axe from her belt and notches it into yesterday's rum barrel. Her knuckles pop and crack-- what remains of them, anyway-- and she grins.

"Been lookin' forward to something like this," she says, stepping forward. Not too far forward, of course-- best to keep a couple steps' distance between on a ship where the only rule is the Captain's.

When/if we're ready to fight but ideally before it starts, Asami will take Improved Trip as a Martial Flex.

Oh, I very much meant to respond to this, but the other thing grabbed my attention when I circled back around yesterday!

When Asami reaches the deck, none other than Sandara Quinn is waiting for her with a cool, wet cloth. "Figured you might want this," she says with a nervous smile. "Hard work, what you do." Never mind that she has a mop and bucket with her, meaning the grueling and frankly tedious work of swabbing an entire ship over and over. After a long moment of staring at Asami, the cleric turns beet red and casts here eyes down and away. "A-anyway. I better um. Put my. Bucket. Back. Okay." She hurries away, muttering angrily to herself. Asami manages to catch the word "idiot" before she's belowdecks.

Asami, covered in sweat and salty sea mist, grins wide; her teeth are more pointed than most humanoid races'. "Appreciate it," she says, taking the cloth and...

Oh.

She slides it across her brow, the water trickling down her face; the neutral grays of her skin catch the sunlight and come alive beneath the water, shimmering as she wipes herself down. It's almost as if she knows what she's doing as she puffs out her strong chest to reach her back, takes her time to slide the cloth along the gutter of her obliques (and then down further, below her trousers). Finally, she hands it back to Sandara, the water that once coated it now mostly replaced with oni sweat.

Earlier that day, a slight retcon...

@Asami:
Asami can practically see the cottonmouth form in Sandara as she stares, awestruck. She takes the soggy cloth, eyes still wide, and blurts "Thanks" before running off, clutching the cloth in a deathgrip.

----

@Carlosss:

Carlos detects no cursed items, but he does sort out what a few of her goods are. Among the many locked chests and footlockers, he sees many goods, including the following:

Locker 1: A random assortment of various standard adventuring gear, none of which looks to be worth more than 10 gp or so. (Read: any non-magical item from the CRB or Ultimate Equipment worth 10gp or less.)

Locker 2: There is a masterwork fiddle, a starknife, three flasks of acid, six flasks of alchemist's fire, four sets of theives tools (one of which looks higher-quality than the others), and a battered iron box containing a magical candle (it's a candle of truth).

Chest 1: This chest contains several potions, including a potion of barkskin, potion of cure light wounds, and a potion of haste. There is also a masterwork climber's kit, a disguise kit, four flasks of holy water, a magnifying glass, a set of average manacles, and two tanglefoot bags.

Chest 2: This chest holds a masterwork light crossbow, three cutlasses, a large pile (43) of masterwork darts, four saps plus one masterwork sap, six full quivers of arrows (20 in each), one full quiver of masterwork arrows, six +1 arrows, twenty full bolt cases (10 crossbow bolts in each), three masterwork daggers, and a staggering array of more mundane daggers (31 to be exact).

Wooden trunk: This one holds a suit banded mail, a breastplate, two chain shirts, masterwork leather armor, three suits of studded leather armor, 12 bucklers, two masterwork bucklers, and a small cash box which Grok does not open (no auras can be detected from inside).

Metal trunk: This heavy, reinforced trunk holds what appear to be the most expensive of Captain Harrigan's leftovers, that which he's willing to sell to any crew with coin. It contains what Grok says is a simple +1 dagger but Carlos realizes is, in fact, a +1 animal bane dagger, as well as a +1 short sword, a masterwork warhammer, a wand of bless weapon with 16 charges, and the following scrolls: cure moderate wounds, mage armor, magic missile, scorching ray, and summon swarm.

Back to the present:

Plugg draws his cat-o-nine tails and points it at the other pirates, but mostly at Carlos and Draxxie. "No magic or it's forfeit. Got it?" He pushes Owlbear forward a little. "Now, get to it!"

Owlbear bellows again, but it seems oddly more jovial than menacing, like he's playing a part for the other pirates. Quite a few cheer him on, though a few others seem displeased at the events -- most notably Shivikah, whose jaw is clenched so tight it looks like his teeth might crack.

I'm only rolling Asami's initiative to start, but if anyone else wants to join in, feel free to roll initiative for yourself. If you do not roll initiative, I'll assume you're honoring the rules and just spectating.

I'm willing to say Asami used M-Flex right before the fight started, so you will have 9 rounds instead of 10 with it, though I doubt the fight will last that long.

[color=green]ROUND 1
Characters in BOLD may act.
Asami (13/13 hp, Flex [Improved Trip])
Owlbear (0 dmg)
[/color]

Asami takes a few heavy steps forward, building up speed before she knocks Owlbear right off his feet!

Improved Tripping Charge: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 2 = 27

Carlosss holds his hands up, "I know the ruless."

He slips over next to Shivikah to try to get a feel for what the big guy is so upset about.

Charisma from Rum: 1d4 ⇒ 2

He waits for a roar from the crowd to mask his question. He asks it with a strong bit of genuine concern, "What's the deal here? What happened last fight?"

I think there is enough curiosity here for Carlosss to want to try to be nice and get some information, so I'll go ahead an roll an influence check.

Diplomacy + Booze vs. Shivikah: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 2 = 24

@Carlosss:
Shivikah's jaw remains set, but it's clear his anger isn't toward Carlos. "It is not simply the fight," he growls. Carlos follows the man's gaze and realizes he's not just looking at Owlbear, he's specifically looking at the iron collar with the broken chain around Owlbear's neck.

Jeez Carlos, way to take him from Unfriendly to Friendly in one fell swoop! :D

----

Back in the fight...

Owlbear is still flexing and whooping when Asami charges. He doesn't have enough time to set himself before he takes a tiefling to the midsection and gets gut-checked right to the deck!

Wasting no time, the big man scrambles to his feet (provoking an AoO) and roars, throwing one meaty fist at Asami (also provoking, though it only matters if you have Combat Reflexes). Asami hasn't quite set her feet, so she can't get out of the way of the massive haymaker, though she manages to turn her head just enough to keep the blow from being a KO. (6 non-lethal damage.)

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Asami (13/13 hp, 6 NL, Flex [Improved Trip])
Owlbear (0 dmg)
[/color]

All around the fight, pirates are beginning to make wagers. People seem torn; apparently Owlbear has a mean winning streak, but those who have seen Asami in action aren't willing to count her out. So far it's even odds.

Anyone who wants to bet can put money down on either Asami or Owlbear! If you pick right, you'll double your bet. They're taking bets of up to 5gp.

Oh, he provokes when he punches? Eyes Emoji

Asami squints. Bastard can't even see from that eye. Let's see what happens if I lean that way!

AoO From His Left: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Vs. prone and unarmored, though, and aimed at his weak side? I'm rolling damage just in case.
Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

As Owlbear gets up to his feet, she tries to connect with a kick; regardless of whether it works or not, though, she throws an elbow when he's back on his feet:

Punch From His Left: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Move Action if that drops him to the floor: Take TWF

...And I should mention: yeah, everything's NL.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"Ah."

Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16

"Aaaaaahhhhh... Why don't we talk about it afterwardss? Maybe I can help. If not, I can at leasst lissten."

No betting.

Oduim watches the entire affair with disgust. Fighting for practice or survival is one thing. As entertainment? Horrifying.

No bets

Where were they keeping that brute?! He don't look right. I hope Fox knows what she's doing.

Despite reservations, Draxxie is pretty sure that Asami does know what she's doing when in comes to hand-to-hand fighting. Expecting a quick end one way or the other, Draxxie puts her hand in her purse.

"Three gold says the Fox beats the Owlbear today, swabs!"