Sailor #4 sees something in Draxxie's eyes that makes him regret life, and he screams in abject horror. He flees to the far side of the boat , and huddles in a corner, feebly holding up his cutlass in defense against any oncoming threats.
Rosie turns her attention to the now-surrounded Sailor #2 and buries her handaxe in his leg. His howl of pain is oddly on-key with Draxxie's song.
The deck of the Man's Promise is well and truly soaked in blood, now, as crewmates and rivals fall in pools of blood.
Master Scourge adds to the bloodshed when he buries his hatchet in Cog's back. Ribs crack and blood gushes from the wound, hitting something vital, as Cog collapses to the ground, the fury finally dimming from his eyes as he goes into shock and slips into unconsciousness. He then steps toward Rashid and points the whip in his other hand at him. "Ye'll die wit' the other traitors, scum!"
His opponent felled, Narwhal hustles over to square up against his former crewmate, Rashid, and stabs him in the stomach. Rashid manages to pull away enough to keep the wound from being fatal, or even very deep, but it still bleeds like crazy.
Sailor #2 looks a bit panicked now that he's surrounded, and attempts to drop Rosie so he can get out of there, but Rosie deflects his swing easily.
[color=green]ROUND 1
Characters in BOLD may act.
Oduim (26/26 hp, Bone Fists)
Rahadoumi Sailor 3 (0 dmg)
Mr. Plugg (0 dmg)
Fipps Chumlett (16 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Crimson Cogsward* (25 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Maheem (0 dmg)
Rashid* (3 dmg)
Draxxie (27/27 hp, Bone Fists, AoO vs Sailor 4)
Rahadoumi Sailor 4 (8 dmg)
Rosie Cusswell* (8 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Master Scourge (0 dmg)
Slippery Sy (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Narwhal (0 dmg)
Rahadoumi Sailor 2 (5 dmg)
Asami (22/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspired Rage, AoO vs. Sailor 4)
Owlbear Heartshorn * (0 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Conchobar Shortstone* (8 dmg, prone)
Fishguts* (0 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Jaundiced Jape (0 dmg)
Shivikah* (8 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Sandara Quinn* (0 dmg)
Rahadoumi Sailor 1 (12 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Estelle (29/29 hp)
[/color]
Draxxie's bloodlust rises...
Knowing what's coming, Asami raises her bony fists and snarls.
"I'll be right back," she sneers, taking a careful step back and then retreating to the only open part of the deck she can find.
She can feel it bubbling inside her already. She grins manically at Estelle, eager to become the beast she knows she is, deep down.
Draxxie shishkababs #4, and Narwhal has to step over his twitching body to reach the now-empty space and get in Rashid's face.
Owlbear roars ferociously and brings his club down on Sailor #2's face. The man accordions to the ground, unconscious.
Conchobar uses the partial cover from the stair railing to stand up and pluck up his blade.
Fishguts lumbers over to Plugg and swings his frying pan like a mallet. You almost wonder if he's drunk again, he missed so badly, but he recovers quickly. " 's no wonder yer such a prick, Plugg, com'n up under Harrigan. Guess we can't be surprised ye'd be a bone-headed bully bastard!"
Plugg looks ready to murder Fishguts. His knuckles whiten on his sword hand.
Meanwhile, Jaundiced Jape tries to creep in on Rosie, but she sees him coming a mile away and swats his cutlass hand so hard he nearly fumbles his blade.
Shivikah has eyes only for the "captain," and hacks at his swordarm again, but Plugg doesn't even have to deflect it, he just steps forward a foot and the chop hits nothing but air.
Sandara grasps Besmara's holy symbol and mutters a prayer, before turning to Jape and bellowing in a voice that reverberates with power, "Kill Your Captain." To Plugg's horror, Jape turns to him with murderous hate in his eyes.
Sandara cast murderous command on Jape! He will spend his next round attacking Mr. Plugg.
Estelle's invocation finally takes root in Asami, and you feel your already hulking form get taller, and heavier. The wood groans slightly under your sudden new bulk--seeing as you now weigh in at around 1,400 pounds of rippling muscle.
You glance over and see Sandara quickly wiping drool from her mouth.
[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Oduim (26/26 hp, Bone Fists)
Rahadoumi Sailor 3 (0 dmg)
Mr. Plugg (0 dmg)
Fipps Chumlett (16 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Crimson Cogsward* (25 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Maheem (0 dmg)
Rashid* (3 dmg)
Draxxie (27/27 hp, Bone Fists)
Rahadoumi Sailor 4 (20 dmg, OMG somebody put s!#+ in this guy’s pants!, unconscious and dying)
Rosie Cusswell* (8 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Master Scourge (0 dmg)
Slippery Sy (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Narwhal (0 dmg)
Rahadoumi Sailor 2 (12 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Asami (22/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspired Rage)
Owlbear Heartshorn * (0 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Conchobar Shortstone* (8 dmg, prone)
Fishguts* (0 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Jaundiced Jape (0 dmg)
Shivikah* (8 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Sandara Quinn* (0 dmg)
Rahadoumi Sailor 1 (12 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Estelle (29/29 hp)
[/color]
Estelle sees a very clogged battlefield, but no one currently occupying the vertical dimension. She launches herself into the air, supported by a bevy of ropes of course, and scrambles across them until almost across the line of enemies.
Afterwards, she isn't sure if she actually said that or just thought it. But whatever, the healing was done.
Estelle scrambles up into the rigging with amazing speed, getting into a more advantageous position over the enemy crew.
Oduim finishes casting his spell, and Dustin the Giant Centipede voips into existence in front of Sailor #3, snapping at him with its pincers. Unfortunately, while the sailor was definitely caught off-guard by the giant insect magically appearing in front of him, Dustin seems to be equally discombobulated and misses horribly.
Oduim then calls forth a long spear of wild oak into his hands and moves to get a slightly clearer shot at Scourge's stupid face next round.
Plugg unleashes the cutlass on Shivikah and opens her from sternum to navel. She drops to the deck spewing blood everywhere, clearly not long for this world. The cat-o-nine tails, on the other hand, lashes across Maheem's face and chest, leaving long, angry red welts.
The cat seems to throw Maheem off-balance, because his counter-blow sails wide.
Rashid yelps when the centipede shows up and almost swings at it by instinct until Oduim calls out, "Dustin is a friend!"
Rashid pauses and mutters, "You named it...?" before turning his attention--and fury--back to Narwhal. With a bellowing cry, Rashid hacks deep into Narwhal's collarbone. Narwhal cries out in pain and looks ready to leap over the railing and take his chances in the sea rather than continue to face the party's onslaught, but for now he remains in place.
[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dustin the Giant Centipede* (7/7 hp)
Oduim (26/26 hp, Bone Fists)
Rahadoumi Sailor 3 (0 dmg)
Mr. Plugg (0 dmg)
Fipps Chumlett (16 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Crimson Cogsward* (25 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Maheem (0 dmg, 4 NL)
Rashid* (3 dmg)
Draxxie (27/27 hp, Bone Fists)
Rahadoumi Sailor 4 (20 dmg, OMG somebody put s#%& in this guy’s pants, unconscious and dying)
Rosie Cusswell* (8 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Master Scourge (0 dmg)
Slippery Sy (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Narwhal (7 dmg)
Rahadoumi Sailor 2 (12 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Asami (22/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspired Rage)
Owlbear Heartshorn * (0 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Conchobar Shortstone* (8 dmg, prone)
Fishguts* (0 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Jaundiced Jape (0 dmg)
Shivikah* (18 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Sandara Quinn* (0 dmg)
Rahadoumi Sailor 1 (12 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Estelle (29/29 hp)
[/color]
"Ride! Now the winds are a-changing
Into the breach we will sail
Flanked by the Fox and the Owlbear
Formidable charge cannot fail
Fire! With a volley of grapeshot
Blood stains the ocean this day
We are the agents of slaughter
Swift is the path to the grave!"
Draxxie eye falls upon the bloodied Narwhal. Nursing her anger and resentment at the vicious dwarf, she thrusts her pike towards him...
... and with harmonic fury, drives the point deep into the mean old bastard's guts. Narwhal wheezes as Draxxie yanks the blade back out, then collapses in a pool of blood on the deck.
Rosie snaps out of her fury and sees Cog across the way. She tries to slip past Jape but gets a cutlass to her back for her troubles.
Master Scourge, looking like a deer in the wagon's path, backpedals from his dying crewmate to go help his boss with that whole mess, instead. He lets his guard down as he passes the diminutive Rosie, who violently punishes his stupidity by taking her hatchet to his leg and burying it in the meat. He screams in pain as he hobbles off to go flank Maheem, who also greets him with a cutlass swing but misses.
Meanwhile, some unconscious people stabilize and some continue to bleed out. Sailor #4 twitches a few times, then goes still. He probably would have loosed his bowels in death, except he did that right before he got stabbed so nothing changes there.
[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dustin the Giant Centipede* (7/7 hp)
Oduim (26/26 hp, Bone Fists)
Rahadoumi Sailor 3 (0 dmg)
Mr. Plugg (0 dmg)
Fipps Chumlett (17 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Crimson Cogsward* (25 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Maheem (0 dmg, 4 NL)
Rashid* (3 dmg)
Draxxie (27/27 hp, Bone Fists)
Rahadoumi Sailor 4 (dead)
Rosie Cusswell* (15 dmg)
Master Scourge (12 dmg)
Slippery Sy (15 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Narwhal (14 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Rahadoumi Sailor 2 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Asami (22/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspired Rage)
Owlbear Heartshorn * (0 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Conchobar Shortstone* (8 dmg, prone)
Fishguts* (0 dmg, Inspired Rage)
Jaundiced Jape (0 dmg)
Shivikah* (19 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Sandara Quinn* (0 dmg)
Rahadoumi Sailor 1 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Estelle (29/29 hp)
[/color]
Asami's fearsome mien is now a problem for everyone allied with Plugg. She is more a creature of malice than a woman now, bones jutting from her flesh, eyes like lanterns burning a cruel flame, teeth carnivorous at best and predatory more likely.
She stalks forward with heavy stomps, pulling the boarding pike from her back. The instant it claps into her bracing palm, she lunges forth:
...and manages to put a nice new hole in the deck between Plugg and Fishguts. She roars, the challenge clear.
The partial cover combined with the shifting mass of bodies in battle keeps Asami from delivering the brutal blow to her nemesis that she was hoping for, but Plugg is clearly horrified by the absolute demon of a woman lumbering across the deck and swinging at him, so it's not a total loss.
Owlbear screams in terror at the sight of Asami, but calms down a little when Fishguts assures him, "It's still Asami, lad, jes' a bit o' magic, no worries."
Somewhat reassured, Owlbear lets the power of Draxxie's song back into his heart and steps up to Master Scourge, swinging his club at him with a bellow, but Scourge sidesteps the blow.
Conchobar takes a step back from his previously precarious position, considers his options, and then starts belting a deep, melodic accompaniment to Draxxie's song. Something about it just makes you feel... good.
Ambrose looks particularly inspired, but at the end of the day, he's a cook, not a combatant. He swings his frying pan at Plugg's head, but the would-be captain simply bats it aside with his Really Cool Cutlass.
Jape, with a dull, glassy look of hate in his eyes, slices at Plugg with his Way Less Cool Cutlass. Plugg was only partially aware something was wrong with Jape, so he's somewhat taken aback to find his erstwhile ally's blade digging into his back. As soon as his arm finishes swinging, Jape's eyes return to their usual beady selves, and then widen in panic. "I'm sorry, boss! I dunno what came over me! Oh gods, please don't keelhaul me!"
Plugg furiously snarls, "Just start stabbing them, you idiot!"
Sandara, looking very pleased with herself, mutters another prayer and then calls to Scourge, "Your own men are turning on you, Scourge! You're doomed. We're gonna keep you alive after this, just so we can shred you to pieces under our new ship!" A few of the crewmates still standing cheer at her proclamation.
Scourge is visibly shaken.
Sandara cast doom on Scourge.
[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dustin the Giant Centipede* (7/7 hp, Inspire Courage)
Oduim (26/26 hp, Bone Fists, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 3 (0 dmg)
Mr. Plugg (7 dmg)
Fipps Chumlett (17 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Crimson Cogsward* (25 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Maheem* (0 dmg, 4 NL, Inspire Courage)
Rashid* (3 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Draxxie (27/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 4 (dead)
Rosie Cusswell* (15 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Master Scourge (12 dmg, OMG somebody put #4’s s!++ in this guy’s pants)
Slippery Sy (15 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Narwhal (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Rahadoumi Sailor 2 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Asami (22/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Owlbear Heartshorn * (0 dmg, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Conchobar Shortstone* (8 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Fishguts* (0 dmg, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Jaundiced Jape (0 dmg)
Shivikah* (19 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Sandara Quinn* (0 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 1 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Estelle (29/29 hp, Inspire Courage)
[/color]
Estelle swings across to the next set of rigging and then just releases her hold. The drop seems to look… unnatural, somehow. Like a glitch in the fabric of reality grabs her and lowers her quickly to the deck. She leans over and grasps Crimson Cogsward’s shoulder. Vines wrap around his body and leafy protrusions grow upon his wounds, putting pressure where pressure is needed and using sugary sap to sterilize anything that shouldn’t be growing.
If he has more to prove in this life, my patron will see he lives. If not, I did what I could.
"We're gonna keep you alive after this, just so we can shred you to pieces under our new ship!"
Asami grins a devilish grin.
Cog's eyes flutter open and he coughs violently, spitting up blood. "Nine Hells," he whispers hoarsely. "You never get used to that..."
Oduim, magical spear freshly in hand, lobs a thorn javelin at Sailor #3. Unfortunately it digs into the railing next to the enemy with a loud plunk.
The conjured weapon startles Dustin just as he was going in for a bite and the giant centipede both bites and ducks at the same time, meaning he basically bites the deck of the ship, bruising his mandibles.
Fortunately, it also throws off Sailor #3's swing, which glances off the chitinous segments of the giant centipede.
Honestly, this Benny Hill-esque series of events might be amusing to the sailor, if he weren't fighting for his life. And losing.
Plugg looks around him, doing a grim calculus in his head, but for all that's happening he doesn't look like he's ready to run. In fact, he digs his heels in, raises his weapons, and says, "One thing at a time. First you, traitor." He cuts a brutal swathe across Maheem's chest. The big man cries out in pain and collapses unconscious.
Even as Maheem is falling, he turns his cat onto Ambrose and rakes them across the cook's face. "You're next, you useless slob! We'll finally be rid of your awful cooking!"
Cog slowly hobbles to his feet. That's about all he can manage right now. He's covered tip to toe in gore--some of it his, some of it Sy's. The wounds across his body still ooze blood, and he looks on the verge of collapsing again if you sneezed too hard at him, but his eyes fill with steely hatred as he glares at Scourge.
Rashid passes Sailor #3 and Narwhal's unconscious form to step into a flank with Dustin, casually kicking the dwarf in the nose as he passes. "Woop, sorry chum," he says cheerfully. This does draw an attack from Sailor #3, who gets him deep across the arm but Rashid clearly feels it was worth the risk because despite the arm practically being rendered useless, and being on the verge of passing out from blood loss, the move accomplishes 3 things.
1. It puts him between the sailor and the squishy witch.
2. It gives him an advantageous position against #3.
3. It gets him away from the massive, horrifying insect.
Rashid's gambit at least partially pays off, as he digs his blade into #3's back. "I never liked you, Vasaf! Your brother is much nicer. And has a better mustache!" It seems like the enemy sailor looks more hurt by the comment than the blade.
"Rashid, you little kiri, I'll kill you!"
Vasaf basically just called Rashid a gay slur.
Rashid, unperturbed, grins at Vasaf and says, "You're just mad I f*%+ed Ajil instead of you."
Vasaf starts spewing a series of vulgarities that you don't need to speak Osiriani to get the gist of: he big mad.
[color=green]ROUND 4
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dustin the Giant Centipede* (7/7 hp, Inspire Courage)
Oduim (26/26 hp, Bone Fists, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 3 (0 dmg)
Mr. Plugg (7 dmg)
Fipps Chumlett (17 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Crimson Cogsward* (19 dmg, disabled and prone)
Maheem* (11 dmg, 4 NL, Inspire Courage, unconscious)
Rashid* (9 dmg, Inspire Courage, Inspired Rage)
Draxxie (27/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 4 (dead)
Rosie Cusswell* (15 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Master Scourge (12 dmg, OMG somebody put #4’s s$+@ in this guy’s pants)
Slippery Sy (15 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Narwhal (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Rahadoumi Sailor 2 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Asami (22/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Owlbear Heartshorn * (0 dmg, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Conchobar Shortstone* (8 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Fishguts* (0 dmg, 3 NL, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Jaundiced Jape (0 dmg)
Shivikah* (19 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Sandara Quinn* (0 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 1 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Estelle (29/29 hp, Inspire Courage)
[/color]
Draxxie eyes the main villains - Plugg and Scourge.
Scourge is a f*+&in' coward and I c'd make 'im run now, but Plugg's the biggest danger. An' if 'e goes down I reckon the fight's over.
Seeing what Plugg just did to her allies, Draxxie focuses her magic on him.
"Three dozen dead
Plugg is defied
The Man's Promise will be mine
Sail away, set sail into the blue horizon
Ride the waves, that guide our destiny
Sail away, today we fight and there will be
No mercy for those with no grave
No grave but the sea!"
Rousing her troops, Draxxie steps up to confront her rival and live up to her ambition.
Too late, Sailor #3 realizes Draxxie is just sliding right on by and misses any chance to take a potshot at her.
As Draxxie slowly strides toward her quarry, the song finally seems to worm its way into Plugg's mind, and he screams and looks ready to flee for rounds.
Now that Cog is back up, Rosie brings it in to Jape and cuts him down with a bellowing roar. Jape screams and collapses under the force of her hatchet strike, the sound of cracking bone bursting across the deck like a gunshot.
Scourge, seeing his captain look on the verge of fleeing and already shaken himself, takes a single swipe at Owlbear, cleaving him across the chest and further enraging the big man before screaming, "I'll take me chances wit' tha sharks!" and dives overboard. Owlbear pays him back for his cowardice with a heavy club blow to the back on his way off the Man's Promise.
[color=green]ROUND 4
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dustin the Giant Centipede* (7/7 hp, Inspire Courage)
Oduim (26/26 hp, Bone Fists, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 3 (0 dmg)
Mr. Plugg (7 dmg, frightened 4 rds)
Fipps Chumlett (17 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Crimson Cogsward* (19 dmg, disabled and prone)
Maheem* (11 dmg, 4 NL, Inspire Courage, unconscious)
Rashid* (9 dmg, Inspire Courage, Inspired Rage)
Draxxie (27/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 4 (dead)
Rosie Cusswell* (15 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Master Scourge (20 dmg, OMG somebody put #4’s s+*~ in this guy’s pants, fleeing)
Slippery Sy (15 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Narwhal (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Rahadoumi Sailor 2 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Asami (22/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Owlbear Heartshorn * (7 dmg, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Conchobar Shortstone* (8 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Fishguts* (0 dmg, 3 NL, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Jaundiced Jape (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Shivikah* (19 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Sandara Quinn* (0 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 1 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Estelle (29/29 hp, Inspire Courage)
[/color]
The brawler swings in wild rage at her enemies, to no avail.
Owlbear steps up to his previous tormentor and bellows, "NO MORE HURTS! I WITH MAMA ASAMI!" and proceeds to hammer Plugg over the head with his club.
Conchobar continues his accompaniment as he pulls out his shortbow and fires off a shot at Plugg, but he overcompensates to avoid hitting his allies and fires just past Plugg's ear.
"Y'hear that song?" Ambrose roars at Plugg, swinging his frying pan like a cast iron club. The chicken on his shoulder wobbles back and forth precariously. "That's th'sound o' yer funeral dirge, ye lilly-livered, puffed-up bullywug!" He punctuates the insult by beaning Plugg clean in the mouth with his frying pan, knocking out several teeth.
Sandara strides up to Plugg, drawing her rapier, and takes an angry swipe at him, though she misses pretty terribly.
[color=green]ROUND 4
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dustin the Giant Centipede* (7/7 hp, Inspire Courage)
Oduim (26/26 hp, Bone Fists, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 3 (0 dmg)
Mr. Plugg (23 dmg, frightened 4 rds)
Fipps Chumlett (17 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Crimson Cogsward* (19 dmg, disabled and prone)
Maheem* (11 dmg, 4 NL, Inspire Courage, unconscious)
Rashid* (9 dmg, Inspire Courage, Inspired Rage)
Draxxie (27/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 4 (dead)
Rosie Cusswell* (15 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Master Scourge (20 dmg, OMG somebody put #4’s s#+@ in this guy’s pants, fleeing)
Slippery Sy (15 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Narwhal (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Rahadoumi Sailor 2 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Asami (22/27 hp, Bone Fists, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Owlbear Heartshorn * (7 dmg, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Conchobar Shortstone* (8 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Fishguts* (0 dmg, 3 NL, Inspired Rage, Inspire Courage)
Jaundiced Jape (14 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Shivikah* (19 dmg, unconscious and dying)
Sandara Quinn* (0 dmg, Inspire Courage)
Rahadoumi Sailor 1 (12 dmg, unconscious and stable)
Estelle (29/29 hp, Inspire Courage)
[/color]
With his officers slain or about to be gone the way of Carlosss (Asami makes a mental note to toss some spare blood overboard about where Scourge landed), she rears back and puts her all into it, driving her boarding pike--now as thick as the ship's railings--into Plugg.
Estelle diminutively darts across the deck while mumbling, "Excuse me. Coming through. Don't mind me. Just getting over here. Thanks!"
She stops at the other railing and leans down to tap an unconscious body on the foot. Vines again sprout, binding wounds.
Plugg does not take a swipe at the witch, because it appears doing so would cause him to pass out from blood loss .
Meanwhile, Oduim and Dustin try to finish off this damnable Vasaf fellow (also known in some circles as "Sailor #3"). Dustin finally gets a bite in on Vasaf's ankle but can't quite latch on enough to properly inject his venom . Vasaf hunches in pain from the bite, causing Oduim's thorn javelin to sail wide over Vasaf's head.
Meanwhile, Vasaf only has eyes for Rashid, still fuming over his former crewmate's cutting jabs, and swings in blind anger. Not only does he miss Rashid entirely, but he nearly lodges his cutlass in the railing from the force of the clumsy blow.
And then there's Mr. Plugg.
Surrounded on all sides by enemies, all but one of his allies dead or fled, and on the verge of collapse from blood loss, he screams in bloody terror and flees pell-mell for the starboard railing, opening himself up to attacks from basically everybody.
Vasaf finally seems to come to his senses as he sees his erstwhile captain flee , realizes he's alone, and sullenly throws down his cutlass and drops to his knees.
COMBAT OVER!
The battle's over. The ship is won. Draxxie exerts her authority.
"Alright shipmates! Disarm these f!@+ers and tie their wounds! We won't make port without enough crew.
Sandara! See if Our Lady O' Strife is willin' t' save any of these lubbers! Not Plugg! If that f@#@er still breathes he'll pay again fer all e's done! Estelle, carry on wi' y' good work.
Oduim! Summon a shark or two in Scourge's direction, I don' wan't him escapin'.
Asami, punch out any o' these f&*$wits tha' even look like they're thinkin' o' fightin' back.
Ship's mine now, mates! OURS. I ain't like Harrigan nor Plugg. Life's gonna be a lot different. Better. I don' want shipmates who don' wanna fight fer each other, like we jes done. Ship's ours.
So lets get these sorry s#*@s on their feet! Yer Cap'n's got some rules fer 'em!"
So, as it turns out, Plugg isn't going to do any more breathing without the aid of a high-level priest.
Draxxie's pike pushes deep into Plugg's stomach, to the point where the tip actually presses out against the fabric of his overcoat in the back.
Asami decides that's as good a target as any, and drives her massive, sized-up pike into his back at that location. Her pike completely severs Plugg's spine near his tailbone. With a holler loud enough to quake any dead still roaming that hellish island, Asami yanks sideways with all her considerable might, and through his flesh.
He's barely standing upright, about to collapse, but unfortunately his torment isn't finished. Fishguts grabs Plugg's stupid topknot, plants a boot on the captain's hip, and YANKS with all his might, sending his chicken friend flapping frantically off his shoulder with an indignant "Ba-GAWK!" The thin strants of meat and intestinal wall still holding the two halves of Plugg together finally separate with a hideously wet noise, and Fishguts throws the gangly man's top half to the deck with a roar.
For all this horror, somehow Plugg still draws breath. They are shallow, gasping little things as his system rapidly shuts down from shock, but for one last moment he lies on his back, staring up with a mixture of confusion, hatred, and terror on his face at his former tormentees.
Sandara kneels down and watches as his eyes slowly dim, then mutters, "I know what you wanted from me, pig. But guess what? I'm gonna penetrate you." She stands up and with a snarl, drives her rapier through his eye socket. The panicked, staccato breaths sputter and stop. After a few spasms in his fingers, the rest of Plugg stops as well.
----
The surviving crew cheers raucously at Draxxie's words, thrusting their cutlasses and frying pans (and legs, in Dustin's case) into the air. Then the summoned centipede vanishes with a loud POP! and Rashid utters a high-pitched scream before managing to collect himself. He glares at Rosie, who's standing nearby trying and failing spectacularly to hide her snickers. "I don't like bugs," Rashid says firmly, and strides off with as much dignity as he can muster.
Only one of your allies doesn't join in the cheers, though she doesn't appear to be unhappy with the skald's declaration as new captain so much as with what she herself just did. Sandara looks like she's going to be sick; she moves around the deck, healing who she can, trying very hard to keep her eyes off the hideous remains of Mr. Plugg.
Oduim steps over to the starboard rail and casts a couple of summon nature's ally spells into the water. He can't make sharks, sadly, but he can summon a pair of octopi, who he sends after Scourge with a nasty bite full of venom.
Scourge is already out of sight, but the octopi have a better vantage point and vanish as they give chase. Somewhere in the distance, screams can be heard; very Scourge-like screams. They eventually cut off. Is Scourge dead? It's hard to say, but it doesn't sound good for him. Even if he survived the octopi and made it to the island, you know what kinds of horrors await him there.
Asami, to her likely disappointment, doesn't have to punch out any of the enemies who Sandara manages to return to life--which, surprisingly, is all of them except Plugg and one of the Rahadoumi sailors, whom Rashid tells you is named Ahmed. Knowing full well they're beaten, Sy, Fipps, Jape, Narwhal, and the Rahadoumi sailors who hadn't died or joined your side already all allow themselves to be lined up without complaint. Jaundiced Jape looks like he's ready to throw up, he's so terrified.
Once they're in order, Conchobar swaggers up to them. "You lot of blackguards mind your manners and listen close to the captain, now! She's got words for you and if you want to have even a shred of hope of surviving the day, you'll listen good and gods-damned hard!"
He saunters up to Draxxie and bows deeply, complete with a flourish where he doffs his ridiculous hat. "They're all yours, captain. I believe I have made them good and pliable for you." Of course, they were likely already pliable from being almost killed, but at least he's trying?
Asami affixes Draxxie with a stern glare. Her ploy for captainhood is no more complex than a child calling "dibs." Generations of sea-scourges--actual scourges, not that hack, Scourge--crackle and roar within her blood. At over twelve feet tall and as well-armed as she is, it would be easy to grab Draxxie by the throat and dangle her over the side of the ship until she acquiesced the command--or until the spell wore off, and her grip "slipped." That would be an effective timer.
But as captains went, there were few--if any--aboard the ship that were better-suited aside from herself, and as long as the sea elf was sensible enough to choose proper officers...
Instead, she picks up Plugg's messy remains and chucks them as far as she can in Scourge's direction. Anything the octopi don't manage, the sharks will--and anything the sharks don't, the island will. She almost regrets having made it safer, even if nothing she did would save Scourge from the remaining grindylow or plague-ridden mosquitoes or who-knows-what-else, and without a lifeboat to sleep in or allies to guard him when he slept without it...
By the time she returns to the mast for a much-needed lean, arms crossed and glowering at the good and pliable blackguards, she's returned to her normal, about two meters high and decidedly un-bony.
"Good work," she says quietly to Sandara. "I want to sleep for two days."
NO! F!*$ NO!!! I can’t let this happen!!!! That piece of s&$$ a$!*%++ is no…”
A small voice squeaks out before Draxxie has a chance to reply, ”No.”
“No”
”She’s… she’s the last one we want in charge.”
And then she shuts the hell up and frankly prays she ain’t the only one thinking it.
Asami levels her gaze at Estelle, then at Draxxie.
She's not about to play the part of enforcer, here, without Draxxie earning it.
"She's better than Plugg, but I hardly think she should be captain just because she shouted it before anyone else did," she says levelly. "Vote seems the obvious way to go. Leader should be whoever most people want to follow. If that's Drax, I'll accept it without complaint."
"Mutineers only. The rest of you dogs are clearly happy enough to follow whoever beats you hardest. That'll be me, no matter who wins."
"Ha ha ha!"
Draxxie guffaws at Estelle's outburst.
"Listen up, New Girl:" Draxxie fixes Estelle with a stern gaze, though she's still grinning from ear to ear. "I like ya. I really do. When I first met ya, I thought ye were weak. A f@%#in' liability in fact. All I saw ye do was take punishment, an' ya couldn' even talk. But somethin' happened t' ya on Death Island out there, an' ye've changed. I like the change.
I told ya on th' island that I'd drop ya at the first safe port. That offer's still open. But if ya prefer, ye've a place on m' crew. Y' ain't a fighter, but ye've got magic. An' more 'n that, deep down there's a good person inside ya. I like havin' good people around. But make no mistake - I'm a pirate, an' if ye ain't, then ye're best off leavin'."
Draxxie then turns to Asami. Hands on hips, she swaggers over to face the oni. "First Mate" she grins.
"As if there's anyone else on this ship knows these seas like I do!
Rosie! Ye're Boatswain now.
Oduim! Master o' Sail!
Sandara! Chief Chirugeon!
Concobar! Chief Bard!
Fishguts! As ye were! Unless ye know a better cook! Ha!
Now I be in need o' a Carpenter who knows wood, not skin n' bone. An' Rosie, ye're t' choose yer own Boatswain's Mate.
But afore that, me new First Mate thinks there should be a vote, an' I'll entertain her in that.
So, speak up now, any o' ye scurvy swabs what thinks anyone but me'll make a better Cap'n!"
Draxxie adjusts her tricorne to a more jaunty angle and turns to face her crew, arms wide and smile wider.
Estelle releases her held breath when Asami steps in and speaks. Good, she wasn’t the only one thinking this was a bit premature. She puts on a stoic face as Draxxie makes her argument.
And it’s a good f&+%ing argument! F!&!! Why does it seem like she is a natural leader? S%~~, she knows all the important positions. Is handing them out like candy to her new followers. F!$*, she’s gonna be captain.
I…
I don’t know. But I’m interested to see where these people are going with their lives. They could do some pretty awesome things with our help.
Assuming Draxxie has re-rallied the crew.
Estelle forces herself to walk over to her, ”I ain’t got no where to go. I’ll be on your crew just fine. I was the appre…
I can handle the carpentry duties fine. But I gotta get an inspection done before we move, I don’t trust Plugg not leaving this ship unsafe just to abandon us.”
Then quickly adds, ”With your permission, Captain.”
Asami folds her arms, and the light in her eyes flickers dully.
So much for that objection. Estelle--or Star, or whoever's fronting these days--folded as soon as Draxxie played politics on her.
"Permission granted, Ship's Carpenter!" Draxxie claps Estelle on the back. "Ya c'n start yer inspection jus' as soon as I'm done with The Rules."
Draxxie turns to the waiting crew. She glares at each of the toadies and sycophants who gladly served Plugg and Scourge before addressing the whole ship's company.
"Ship's Rules!
Rule Number 1: We are one Crew. If ya ain't with us, ya ain't Crew, and if ya ain't Crew, ya ain't with us. Ya fight the Crew, ya leave the ship, no matter where the ship be.
Rule Number 2: All Crew get a Share o' Plunder. Officers get an extra share, as does the Cap'n.
Rule Number 3: Crew don' steal from Crew. Hiding Plunder is stealin'. Ya steal, ya leave the ship, no matter where the ship be.
Rule Number 4: No hand is t' hide her talents. If ya know magic, ya use it fer the benefit o' the Crew.
Rule Number 5: There will be music!"
Draxxie waits a few moments for the rules to sink in, watching the crew's reactions.
"Alright, we got work t' do afore we c'n set sail. First things first - Asami, ya better not o' kicked Plugg's plunder overboard wi' his f&$&in' guts. Ha!" Draxxie orders the nearest shipmate to Plugg's dropped pistol to bring it to her, and she shoves it into her belt.
"That bastard was runnin' from Harrigan, an' I wanna know where." The new Captain stands over what's left of her predecessor, takes his sword, and pokes about the remains with the point, looking for keys or papers.
"Rosie! Get the swabs t' work, clean th' blood off my deck! And bring up the fresh water supply!
Estelle, start yer inspection an' bring me yer report.
Asami, Fishguts, Oduim, in my quarters!"
I need a Quartermaster too, and Fishguts knows the old crew best. Mebbe he c'n take th' job himself, an' Oduim can cook?
"We make sail as soon as we're ship-shape, an' there'll be music an' dancing tonight!"
--10 minutes earlier--
Asami hefts the top half of Plugg's body, then snorts; his belt, which conveniently holds all of his on-person possessions, is strewn across the divide. As she picks up the lower half, the belt--as well as a strip of intestine or two--falls away and to the deck.
Asami lifts the previous first mate's-slash-captain's belt, soiled with dark blood.
"I got it."
Estelle gets to work quickly. Is it because she wants to get out of there before the captain changes her mind? Or before her knees buckle for standing up to the Captain in front of everyone?
Either way, her knees do buckle a bit when she gets down below and the knot in her stomach begins the slow process of unwinding.
Having something to do is quite helpful in that regard. Hopefully the ship is in better shape than her.
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The crew waits with held breath as the confrontation between Estelle, Draxxie, and Asami plays out, and nearly exhale in unison when the situation resolves itself.
Once it has, Conchobar waves his ridiculous hat in the air and yells, "Three cheers for our new captain! Hip, hip--"
"Hip, hip--"
"Hip, hip--"
Everyone kind of looks around in confusion, not sure why they yelled that. It's a really weird cheer, but for some reason it fills you with joy.
----
Sandara looks up at the brawler, stained in blood and near twelve feet tall. "How much longer does that spell last?" Before Asami can answer, she grabs her enormous hand and tugs her downstairs. "Never mind, follow me. Watch your head. And clean the blood off first--actually no. Leave it." She looks damned hungry.
Out of sight (but not entirely out of hearing) Sandara makes good use of the remaining two minutes of Estelle's spell.
----
You find, shockingly, that the repairs are not half-assed at all. Clearly someone with at least passing carpentry skill made these repairs (so definitely not Scourge or Plugg themselves). They're not perfect, but the ship is seaworthy enough to get to a port where you could make more permanent repairs.
----
Ambrose comes up to the new captain and shakes her hand vigorously. "Besmara's blessed lobster bib, this might be the finest day o' me life. While I think any o' this lot woulda made a better cap'n than that ratfink Plugg, yer definitely the woman fer tha job." His chicken struts up to him and pecks at this boot until he hunkers down and scoops her back up onto his shoulder. She coos happily as she settles into her usual position.
For his part, Fishguts scratches his ample belly and stares pensively out to sea. "I got a real good idea where Plugg was goin', cap, an' strange as it is to say, he was on tha right path." He chuckles. "See, methinks Plugg was plannin' on stealin' this ship right out from under Harrigan's nose. Harrigan's a shrewd captain in many ways, but 'e always had a blind spot when it came ta Plugg. None of the officers liked 'im, seein' as we're all pretty sure 'e murdered 'is predecessor ta get the job of First Mate. But Harrigan didn't care none, long as tha job got done. Plugg always felt like an outsider, coz 'e was."
He runs a thick-fingered hand through his greasy, receding hair. "Plugg was goin' ta Rickety Squibs, I'd stake me life on it."
Rickety Squib's is a well-known secret among the pirates of the Shackles. If you just stole a ship, you take it to Squib's. He changes the profile of the ship, swaps out the sails (and even masts, if necessary), and re-christens her for you, all at "reasonable" prices. After that, only the most thorough inspections can recognize the ship it used to be, and only by someone who'd been intimately familiar with the ship before.
"I think yer aughter take her there and get 'er squibbed," Ambrose says. "Might keep Harrigan off our tails fer a while. One man might not seem like much of a threat, but trust me when I say 'e's one helluva handful all by 'is lonesome. Add in 'is officers, an' ye got a deadly ship ta have chasin' yer stern." He shrugs. "Jes' my two coppers, cap'n. She's yers ta command now, so do as ye will with 'er. We're with ye."
Dripping with sweat and covered in bilge water, Estelle reports to the Captain the good news right after her thorough check is complete.
She waits for a while, fidgeting before finally asking, "Captain, I don't need any spoils but... there were two family heirlooms taken when I was first captured. A family signet ring and my father's pocket watch. If you run across them, I'd appreciate the consideration to have them back. Both should have my last name engraved."
And then she goes and bathes. It may only have been a couple days, but it feels like months since her last cleaning. After that, if there is time, she pulls out a scroll that had been tucked up against her right thigh and finds a quiet corner to turn it to mulch for Cry to absorb.
"Rickety Squib's..." Draxxie nods at Fishguts' guess. "Makes perfect sense. No need t' change course then!
I got another question for ya though, Ambrose. There's one more officer position I want t' fill. Quartermaster. Ye know this crew better 'n most. Anyone I've passed over ya think c'd do th' job? If not, whaddya say t' doin' it yerself? C'n Odium manage th' mess wi'out ya?
An' what's the ship's inventory now? We got water, have we got everythin' else we be needin' t' get ta Squib's?"
Draxxie takes Estelle's report. "Good. She'll get us where we're goin'. As fer yer keepsakes, Chips, ya best tell me ya last name, eh? Ha! I'll check Captain's Quarters for ya."
In her new quarters, Draxxie takes her own inventory - including looking for Estelle's heirlooms.
Hey remember when Harrigan gave Mr. Plugg a pair of pistols that are worth 1,000gp each just by existing?
Pepperidge Farms remembers.
Anyway, those are yours now.
There's also a really badass-looking cutlass, complete with a skull motif on the handguard.
You also find on his corpse the following :
- a masterwork cat-o-nine-tails
- an amulet of natural armor +1
- bracers of armor +1
- betting stash of 200gp and 100sp
- a potion of cure moderate wounds
- three screaming bolts
- shackles of compliance
In the Captain's Quarters, you find a strange scene. Next to the large, comfortable bed is another smaller bedroll, with a few small trinkets laid out around it. If you had to guess, this was probably where Scourge slept. Literally like a dog at his master's heel.
There's a chest near the bed containing another 250gp and several changes of clothing. Leaning next to the chest is that gods-damned boarding pike that Harrigan gave to Scourge! Apparently he left it in here with Plugg for safekeeping. Now that you think about it, you don't recall him having it during the fight, so that makes sense.
----
You remember Jape got your family signet ring among the spoils after taking the Man's Promise. He's technically lower rank than you now; you might be able to just demand it from him.
But the pocket watch... that went to Scourge. You search through what meager belongings he kept in the captain's quarters, but there's no sign of it. He must have had it on him when he jumped ship. How in the Nine Hells are you supposed to get it back now...?
----
Sadly the pistols are just regular pistols worth one thousand gold each. XD
----
Estelle answers the captain’s question, ”Vee. V-E-E. Thanks.”
The witch goes to Jape after she recalls seeing it given to him on the last ship.
”Hey Jape, right? Listen, new ship, new deal. But I ain’t an a&%&!~~. I want my ring back, but you deserve something for holding onto it for me. I’ll give ya two gold pieces for it.”
Jaundiced Jape gives Estelle a near-manic grin, he's so terrified, showing her a series of broken, yellow-brown teeth slick with his own blood. "Right you are, Sailmaster! I didn't know it was yours! Yer right fair, offerin' compensation, but you jes' take it on th'house, aye? No hard feelin's!" His hands shake so violently as he digs through his possessions that he nearly spills his (surprisingly light) coin purse, but he manages to extricate a couple small pieces of jewelry. Sure enough, one of them is your family signet ring. He mumbles to himself as he tries to figure out which one is yours, but before you can answer the question for him, he takes all three rings and presses them into your hands, nearly dropping it twice because he's covered in blood, and bows meekly several times as he backs away.
Well, at least you know Jape is probably not going to start s+&& any time soon.
----
After about an hour, you have a full inventory of the ship. The water barrels should have plenty to take you to Rickety Squib's, which is thankfully not more than a few days' sailing from here. The storm knocked the ship a ways off course, but not so far that you can't regain your bearings. It helps that Plugg had already turned the ship in the right direction, even though he hadn't quite managed to convince the crew to set sail and abandon your party.
The Man's Promise is repaired back to limping, the food and water are stocked, and the ship is oriented. All that's left now is for the captain to give the order...
Estelle’s eyebrows simply raise at the panic in Jape’s actions. She accepts the rings, then points at the wicked wound he is favoring, ”Crew need to be at decent health, can I fix that wound for you? It’ll be quick and safe.”
Tiny thread-thin vines stitch the wound closed, suturing it tight and oozing antibacterial sap upon the flesh.
Though Sandara has already hit most of the crew with channeled energy, Jape does still have a couple injuries. Far from being mollified by your actions, however, he cringes and whimpers even as the wounds close. He doesn't stop you, but he looks deeply uncomfortable. "Oh gods," he whispers hoarsely before bowing and cringing away from Estelle as fast as he can. "As ye please, Sailmaster, as ye please, I think I'm okay now no need fer more spells aye thankee mistress as ye please as ye please"
He continues gibbering fearfully as he runs headlong belowdecks, hopefully to find something to scrub.
His teeth, perhaps.
Only after you've hit him with magic do you remember that pirates are exceptionally superstitious and, as a general rule, don't trust magic. Then again, with a caster as his captain, he's probably going to have to get used to it eventually.
With the ship in readiness, Draxxie has the boatswain gather the crew.
"Alright, m' Jack Tars! We're shipshape. But afore we depart I've a few Spoils to share! Those of ya who fought against Plugg an' 'is lapdog, have th' coin 'e held!" Draxxie hands out a makeshift purse to each of the muntineers.
"First Mate! Yer long arms'll make good use o' this 'ere pike!"
"Chips! Fer yer protection, should ya get caught up in another frenzy!"
"Sandara! May this trinket keep the Pirate Queen's blessings!"
"An' Rosie! Besmara's Fingers fer ye. A badge o' office, if ye will."
"Now weigh anchors! We sail fer Rickety Squib's!"
In addition to the spoils from Plugg's corpse, you also find several crates of goods the Man's Promise had originally been hauling. The plunder is a tidy sum, which is good: you know by reputation that Rickety Squib's doesn't come cheap. Hopefully it's enough.
With fresh wind in the sails, blood swabbed off the decks, and an eye on the horizon, the party leads the ship toward their destination--and hopefully, no shortage of booty.
Thrashing and choked sobs burst form the water as Scourge clambers onto the shore of Bonewrack Island. His octopus assailants have since vanished back to the Aether from whence they were summoned, but the blood of his wounds attracted a pair of hungry tiger sharks. He'd managed a lucky stab on one with his cutlass, and by a stroke of luck, the other shark went into a frenzy and tore its compatriot to pieces, giving Scourge a head start on his swim to shore. He'd just finished beating the remaining shark back when he finally reached the shallows. He turns in time to see the Man's Promise unfurl her sails and begin a swift journey away from Bonewrack Isle. The sight breaks what little will he had left in him, and he collapses in on himself.
Ragged and bloody, covered in welts, bruises, and lacerations, the former boatswain of the Wormwood-cum-First Mate of the Man's Promise staggers onto the sandy beach, staring disoriented at his surroundings. To his left, eastward, is a low hill. To his right, tracks in the sand lead toward a small cluster of huts. He staggers toward them, whimpering and shivering despite the rising heat of morning.
In the--well, a half dozen huts hardly constitutes a "village"; in the commune, then--he finds most of the huts undisturbed, save one. Piled just outside the door is a trio of dead ghouls, presumably once human women, but difficult to say with any authority now; their bone structure has been violently altered by their undead transformation. They still wear the tatters of frippery that is common among the courtesans and prostitutes of Bloodcove. That port is a long way from this sorry pit of an isle. How did they get here, he wonders?
And more concerning, how did they become ghouls?
Scourge was never a man burdened with an overabundance of schooling. His school had always been the one of Hard Knocks, and it was a lesson he constantly failed. Where hard living usually led to hard men, Scourge was, is, and likely always will be, a coward. He hurts when the opportunity arises, but mostly he hides behind those more powerful than himself.
He peers into the shadowy gloom of the hut, noting the slowly fading footprints of those mutinous bastards who led to his current predicament. He knew from the moment they threw fists at him on the Wormwood that they'd be trouble, but back then he had Mister Plugg and one of the most feared pirate captains of the Shackles to cower behind when they got truly out of line. Now...
Now, he has no one.
A man with even an ounce of self-awareness might take this moment to reach an epiphany on the perils of being a bully with no backbone, or to let stronger folk do your thinking instead of being independent of thought, or... well, Hells. Any kind of lesson, really. But Scourge is also notorious for a spectacular dearth of self-awareness, as well. So instead, he slips into the shadows of the hut and curls up against the wall, shaking and whimpering. Occasionally his utterances turn feral and vicious, snarling empty promises of hateful vengeance on the mutinous dogs who left him here. Then he seems to realize the futility of such curses, and lapses back into silent, shuddering weeping. All the while, he absently swats at stinging botflies that try to land on his exposed neck, face, and forearms. Clutched in his hand is one of the only possessions to survive the combined octopus and shark attacks: a single pocket watch, its glass face cracked but otherwise in functional condition. He grips it without looking at it, winding it up and letting the steady tick of it lull him into a self-pitying stupor.
His maudlin reverie is perhaps why he doesn't notice the plodding of footsteps in the sand outside. The sun pulls the figure's shadow away from the hut's entrance, so they have no trouble reaching their long arms into the hut and snatching the boatswain by the throat.
Sharp claws dig into his flesh as he's lifted bodily into the air, and his startled thrashing suddenly halts as his limbs stiffen. Paralyzed, his eyes dart in all directions to try and see his attacker, but they remain behind him.
Slowly the powerful limbs turn him to face his attacker. A ghoul stares hungrily at him, its dull white eyes staring with an appetite that is wholly unnatural, as a long purple tongue twists and writhes over cracked black lips that hide jagged yellow fangs. The ragged remains of a noose dangles from its neck like a macabre cravat. Its throat is partially collapsed in a dark, bruised ring from where the creature had been hanged. It tries to speak, but no intelligible words come out; the damage to its esophagus is too great.
Scourge doesn't care about what it has to say anyway. It sinks its long, needle-like teeth into his shoulder, which erupts in a volcano of burning agony. That grotesque purple tongue laps at the rivulets of blood with gurgling, choking moans of pleasure. Unable to withstand the terror any longer, Scourge looses his bowels and blacks out.
----
After being attacked and paralyzed by a ghoul, the last thing Scourge expects is to ever wake up again, but wake he does.
He is still in the hut. Darkness has fallen, but a steady stream of moonlight illuminates the shadowy figure of the ghoul. It hunkers in the far corner, watching him with eyes that shine dully in the moonlight. It croaks at him eagerly, but again the ruins of its vocal cords makes speech impossible. It claws at its throat in frustration, then slams a fist into the wall. Scourge manages a small squeak of terror and curls in on himself. If the ghoul takes note of his terror, it doesn't show it. Instead, it stands up and storms off into the darkness. Scourge falls back into a fitful slumber.
----
When he wakes again, it is well into daylight. The hut has become insufferably hot, and the stench of s@!# fills the air, making him gag. It takes his brain-fogged mind several minutes to realize the smell is coming from him. He staggers out into the blazing sun, feebly shielding his eyes with his forearm, and stumbles into the ocean water. It takes several minutes to scrub his ragged clothes enough to get the stench of feces out of them. He doesn't think there's enough water in the world to scrub out the stench of his failure, though.
He looks around the beach, but sees no sign of the ghoul that attacked him. The bite on his shoulder has scabbed over, but angry red lines are already spreading from it. And under the red lines are thinner lines of pitch black, like thread made from the Dark Tapestry itself. Through the haze in his brain, he thinks that this cannot be a good sign. But the haze is powerful, and thick, and it discourages thought. Soon he lets it carry him like a cloud back to the huts. He picks one other than the one he shat himself in and collapses in exhaustion. Just the small exhertion of washing himself has taken every ounce of energy he has. He feels terrible; his stomach twists into knots that are not just of hunger, and his body aches all over both from his many injuries that are refusing to heal, and from some sickness that has taken root in him. A cold, perhaps, or some stomach bug. He patently ignores the angry red wound on his shoulder as he thinks this, instead taking the pocket watch back out and staring at the intricate web of cracks in its face as it ticks away the seconds that remain of his life.
----
How long has he been lying here? Hours? Days? It is night again, but he has the vaguest sense that he has been here more than two nights. The sun no longer burns his skin when he goes out, but something about its brightness is offensive to him, and he hisses at it, curling back into a ball inside the safety of the hut until it passes below the west horizon.
He crawls on the ground like a beast, sniffing the air, but he no longer smells anything. No longer tastes. He found some fruit at some point, but when he put it in his mouth he immediately vomited. Sweet pineapple had tasted like rot and ash mixed with grain alcohol. He needs something else. Something fresher, sweeter.
He needs meat.
He skitters through the darkness. He is joined by his friend, the Hanged Man, he calls him. They crawl through the brush in search of food. His belly aches so. Everything seems dim, flat, and dull. Everything... but the bright, wriggling outline of a viper slithering through the grass. He pounces on it. The snake sinks its fangs into his skin, puncturing through the gray, rubbery flesh that is now pulled tight over his bones, but the venom it pumps into him holds no danger anymore. It is poison poured into dead flesh. Scourge snatches the writhing serpent in both hands and bites it in half with rotting teeth. Several of them fall out in the effort, but he doesn't mind. New ones are already growing in, hideous yellow needles protruding through bloated blue gums. Those few needles already present are enough to tear flesh from bone.
It's a small meal, a meager meal, but it tastes sweet as a pastry to him. The hot, fresh blood of the viper pours down his gullet like a dying man in a desert who's just found a canteen.
The Hanged Man leaps on him, fighting and scrabbling to steal his kill from him. He fights back, but the Hanged Man is much stronger, much more powerful. A slap to the jaw knocks him completely senseless, and Hanged Man takes the halves of the snake and rips hungrily into them. That's alright, though; he got the freshest of the animal's blood. He grovels and mewls plaintively at the Hanged Man's thigh, eager to show his subservience to the stronger ghoul, but the Hanged Man simply swats irritably at him and returns to his wet, crunching, squelching meal. Scourge quietly retreats.
The Hanged Man suddenly stops in mid-chew, dull white eyes perking up and staring southward. Without word, he drops the dead snake and lopes with horrid, unnatural grace toward the southeastern shores. Curious, Scourge scrambles after him.
The moonlight pours over a single jolly boat that has been dragged up onto the sand. Far out in the dark waters, a lantern illuminates the deck of a modest-sized sloop.
The Hanged Man turns to Scourge in the darkness, the eager hunger in his eyes mirrored in Scourge's own. The two ghouls scramble quietly into the boat and begin rowing toward the sloop, each turn of the oars as slow and soft as they can make it, as they creep toward a veritable buffet of sweet meats.
Scourge pauses rowing to tug out the gold chain of the pocket watch, its slow ticking a balm to Scourge's undeath-wracked mind. He stares curiously at the picture inside the lid, a small drawing of a woman who looks distantly familiar, holding a baby in her arms and smiling warmly for the artist. The last few scraps of his humanity struggles to recall why this woman looks so familiar to him. It is remarkable she looks familiar at all, seeing as how he never met her in his life.
He did, however, meet his daughter--who aided in him being marooned here. But soon, even that thought is drowned out by the buzzing need for meat.
Scourge snaps the watch shut, tucks it into a ratty pocket, and concentrates on rowing toward his next meal with his new master.