DM Fern's Skull & Shackles (Inactive)

Game Master Evriani

That evening Lanni goes to the bar counter in the taproom to talk to Thelma. "I keep hearing about a drought. This place is on the sea. I would think it would be raining pretty regularly - though now that people mention it, it hasn't rained since we have been in the area. Is this normal for this season?"

Thelma flashed an unfortunate smile Lanni's way. "Rain comes an' goes," she replied in a cockney accent that was about twice as loud as it needed to be and made her sound like she was angry, even when she wasn't. "Usually ain't goin' for this long though. We ain't exac'ly farmers, so I ain't really all that worried about it, long as the river don't dry up complete like. None of these luggards are like to trek inland for fresh wa'er. Course, I'll be leavin' soon so don't make much diff'rence anyhow."

Samms took the bottle with a grateful nod and took a swig before returning it. "Well far as I can tell, Captain's talked half the place into coming with us. I make it a rule not to get involved with crew. Better to have fun in port and leave without strings." She belatedly realized it could be a sensitive topic and winced in apology. "Sorry."

The oracle shook her head. "It's alright. The subject's bound to come up sooner or later." Destnie sighed and took the bottle to pour another bottle which she drank handily. "I could never really do that myself. Staying in one town for most of my life means I'm bound to meet up with people more than once, and that could cause problems. Even without that... I couldn't bring myself to move further than just making out. I wanted that first time to be someone I could care about and can trust. Which makes it worse when it ended up being... her." She slide down her chair a bit as she sulked.

"Course, I'll be leavin' soon so don't make much diff'rence anyhow."

"Yeah, that's true. A few more days and we'll be out of here. I'm sure they can figure something out for keeping food on the table."

The oracle shook her head. "It's alright. The subject's bound to come up sooner or later." Destnie sighed and took the bottle to pour another bottle which she drank handily. "I could never really do that myself. Staying in one town for most of my life means I'm bound to meet up with people more than once, and that could cause problems. Even without that... I couldn't bring myself to move further than just making out. I wanted that first time to be someone I could care about and can trust. Which makes it worse when it ended up being... her." She slide down her chair a bit as she sulked.

Samms looked like she wasn't quite sure how to respond, wincing a bit. "Hey, now. Cheer up, you." She patted Des's shoulder awkwardly. She signaled to Thelma for another bottle. "Look, forget her. She's a right cunt, choosing Harrigan over us. You should get your mind off her. If you want I'll buy you a girl for the night. They're bound to have at least one pretty one, like you said."

Lanni stops by the market and finds Terry and Destinie there. "How are things going?"

After they mention the amount of coin that they can get for all of the various treasures we got.

"Hmm... I'm not sure they actually have that much coin here at the market. We might barter for things instead. We don't really need to be carrying around entire bags full of money. Money won't drive attackers away - cannons will though. I'll go talk to Rickety about getting us some of those then."

"So yeah, Des. Go ahead and pick up that wand I saw you eyeing earlier."

"Oh, did Dreamer and I miss appraising some things?"

Appraise (+spirit bonus): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 2 = 21 Corset
Appraise (+spirit bonus): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 2 = 25 Blades x12 (Art or weapons?)
Appraise (+spirit bonus): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 2 = 9 Tidewater Cutlass -- I'm gonna use Eternal Hope on that one. 1/day reroll a nat-1.
Appraise (+spirit bonus): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 2 = 28 Tidewater Cutlass
Appraise (+spirit bonus): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 2 = 22 Black Adder Venom
Appraise (+spirit bonus): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 2 = 11 Oil of Taggit

Samms looked like she wasn't quite sure how to respond, wincing a bit. "Hey, now. Cheer up, you." She patted Des's shoulder awkwardly. She signaled to Thelma for another bottle. "Look, forget her. She's a right c@#!, choosing Harrigan over us. You should get your mind off her. If you want I'll buy you a girl for the night. They're bound to have at least one pretty one, like you said."

She scrunched her face as she thought it through. After factoring into several pros and cons (as well as the alcohol), she finally straightened herself out and shrugged. "Alright, I guess."

Added values to the spreadsheet but it's 20 g corset (art), 25g blades (mundane weapons), 3395g Tidewater cutlass, black adder 120 g ea.

Samms blinked in surprise. "Oh. I... actually wasn't expecting you to say yes. But a deal's a deal. Wait here, I'll see who I can drum up." She rose from the table and took her leave, but Des saw her shake her head a bit and mumble "Talk about a quick turnaround..."

She returned a few minutes later with a woman trailing behind her. "Des, this is Dixie. She's signed on with the ship. I'm not sure Lanni understood what she meant when she told him she was an entertainer. Or maybe he did and I'm not giving him enough credit." She grinned. "I'll let you two get acquainted."

Dixie smiled cheerfully and sat beside Des. "Hello! Nice to meet you." Her voice was chipper. "Your friend said you were having a rough time of things, and might want some company, but that you didn't really 'do' this sort of thing," she laughed softly, and placed a hand gently on Des's. "Well I can be whatever you'd like. Whether you'd just like to talk, or snuggle, or the usual."

Added values to the spreadsheet but it's 20 g corset (art), 25g blades (mundane weapons), 3395g Tidewater cutlass, black adder 120 g ea.

Samms blinked in surprise. "Oh. I... actually wasn't expecting you to say yes. But a deal's a deal. Wait here, I'll see who I can drum up." She rose from the table and took her leave, but Des saw her shake her head a bit and mumble "Talk about a quick turnaround..."

She returned a few minutes later with a woman trailing behind her. "Des, this is Dixie. She's signed on with the ship. I'm not sure Lanni understood what she meant when she told him she was an entertainer. Or maybe he did and I'm not giving him enough credit." She grinned. "I'll let you two get acquainted."

Dixie smiled cheerfully and sat beside Des. "Hello! Nice to meet you." Her voice was chipper. "Your friend said you were having a rough time of things, and might want some company, but that you didn't really 'do' this sort of thing," she laughed softly, and placed a hand gently on Des's. "Well I can be whatever you'd like. Whether you'd just like to talk, or snuggle, or the usual."

Of course he didn't, Des thought. But with the company they brought in, it could be the kind of entertainment the crew needed. As for herself... she pulled away at first.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not feeling like the usual," she admitted. "Maybe I was looking for someone to talk my problems about."

Dixie smiled reassuringly and squeezed Des's hand before letting go. "I'm all ears. Pour your heart out.". She sat comfortably and turned her full attention towards Des.

She decided to simplify her story, saying that she ran away from her parents, traveled south, got shanghaied into a pirate ship and met some new friends (her crew). She told the names of the officers but not of those she mutineered against... or the woman she fel in love with.

"Even if she betrayed us, a part if me still wondered if I should have tried harder to bring her back. Hell, a tiny part of me was tempted to join her." she paused... before continuing. "I didn't have the heart to tell any of the original folks that. That feeling just feels terrible."

Lanni, After I be looking over them cannons with you, I will be grabbing my share of the loot and headed to the market. I thought I saw a thing or two there, that I might be able to use.

He pauses for a moment

Besides, I am thinking I could use an anvil and a furnace in the hold.
Or on an island that we claim. After all, I can make gear, it just takes a while

Lanni, After I be looking over them cannons with you, I will be grabbing my share of the loot and headed to the market. I thought I saw a thing or two there, that I might be able to use.

"Oh certainly. I saw a bit of armor in the market that I have more than half a mind to pick up myself. I'm worried about overspending though. We really need someone to keep accounting of money and things like that. Grok, I guess." He thinks for a moment. "I wonder if Carlotta would like that job better than climbing around in the rigging. She seems the type."

"A furnace on the ship?! That sounds interesting." He looks over to Giffer. "Would that be possible?"

"Even if she betrayed us, a part if me still wondered if I should have tried harder to bring her back. Hell, a tiny part of me was tempted to join her." she paused... before continuing. "I didn't have the heart to tell any of the original folks that. That feeling just feels terrible."

Dixie was a great listener, and as Des finished she lightly placed her hand atop Des's again. "Betrayal's hard to stomach. You don't need to feel guilty for those thoughts. Anyone's bound to wonder 'what if' in a situation like that. But you didn't join her. You chose your path. And for what little it might be worth, since you don't even know me, I think you chose the right one -- you picked the folks loyal to you, over the one who wasn't." She patted her hand. "Friends like that are hard to come by in the Shackles."

"A furnace on the ship?! That sounds interesting." He looks over to Giffer. "Would that be possible?"

Giffer's top half was a bit soot-stained from crawling into one of the cannons. "Well any fire presents a danger, obviously. But as long as we took precautions. We'd want to plate the floor around it in metal, you don't want to spill a drop of molten iron and set us ablaze. And I might feel more comfortable with it if Rickety installed a fire pump for us, just in case. But yeah, I'm pretty sure we could make that happen!" Giffer's usual nervousness always vanished when she was excited about something.

Lanni, I wasn't talking about right away. Just for something to keep in mind when we get a chance.

He continues to look over the cannons to try and determine which ones would be best suited for the ship.

Myself, I think we should go with 12 lb broadsides, along with a 32 lb carronade on a swivel set on the forecastle.
That will give us a heavy throw weight, but not weigh us down seriously.

Lanni, I wasn't talking about right away. Just for something to keep in mind when we get a chance.

He continues to look over the cannons to try and determine which ones would be best suited for the ship.

Myself, I think we should go with 12 lb broadsides, along with a 32 lb carronade on a swivel set on the forecastle.
That will give us a heavy throw weight, but not weigh us down seriously.

"Oh, I think getting a furnace and forge now seems like a great idea. Not sure which size of cannons would be best. But I bet I know someone who can figure that out. Stay here for a minute, I'll be right back." Lanni heads back out to look for Carlotta again.

-----

"Carlotta, help me out here a bit. Let's say we wanted to spend about 4000 gold on cannons. Which of these would give us the best power for that price?" If she is willing, Lanni leads her over to the cannons and lets her talk things over with Giffer for a bit.

Carlotta took off her spectacles and cleaned them with a handkerchief. "It entirely depends what you mean by power.". She and Giffer got into a lengthy, mathematical discussion regarding their options. Giffer was partial to larger guns, Carlotta saw merit in Dreamer's suggestion of having at least one swivel gun, but wondered at the coin required, and advocated for many smaller guns.

You could get 8 of the smallest guns. That's 4 shots per side, each one doing 3d10 damage with cannonballs for a total of 12d10 if they all hit. Range is only 140ft and manning all eight would require 16 crew, 8 per side.

You could get 4 of the 6 pounders. That's two shots per side, 4d10 each so 8d10 if both hit. Less dmg but better range and only 12 crew required, 6 per side.

Could only get 2 of the 9 or 12 pounders. 9's are 5d10 damage per side, 12's are 6d10 but take twice as long to reload.

Ultimately you get more damage for your money with small guns, assuming things hit, but less range and it takes more crew manning them. Depends on what kind of trade-off you want.

Lanni tries to follow along with the discussion about damage and costs and such, but got lost somewhere along the way. "Maybe it is best to just collect some of each size." He looks again at the price sheet Rickety has, then says to Dreamer, "It is a bit more than the 4000 I was thinking of, but how about four of the 9 pound cannons. That will fully fill one deck. Good damage. Good range. And we won't be spending more in firing them than they cost to begin with."

9's would be a solid choice for now. But I would be upgrading when I get a chance. But, I still strongly recommend a heavy gun on a swivel.

Seadreamer leaves Lanni to continue on the negotiations and proceeds into the market and starts perusing.

Dixie was a great listener, and as Des finished she lightly placed her hand atop Des's again. "Betrayal's hard to stomach. You don't need to feel guilty for those thoughts. Anyone's bound to wonder 'what if' in a situation like that. But you didn't join her. You chose your path. And for what little it might be worth, since you don't even know me, I think you chose the right one -- you picked the folks loyal to you, over the one who wasn't." She patted her hand. "Friends like that are hard to come by in the Shackles."

"That's true for sure." The memories how how she ended up on the Wormword in the first place stayed fresh on her mind.

"Would you mind if I didn't get of any of the usual yet? I don't think I'm ready for something like that." She pauses and considered before continuing. "I wouldn't mind sleeping overnight with you. Just for the company."

9's would be a solid choice for now. But I would be upgrading when I get a chance. But, I still strongly recommend a heavy gun on a swivel.

"Certainly. Once we have limitless amounts of money to put into it."

"I'll see what I can do about the big turret." Lanni waves as Dreamer leaves.

He turns back to Rickety. "Can we even get the swivel that he was talking about? I'm not seeing it on your price sheet here. Maybe I'm just not reading it right."

"So to convert one of the armory decks to a gun deck with four of the 9 pound cannons, enough powder and cannonballs for 20 shots, the remaining cost of the squib, and the fire pump and metal plating for the remaining armory deck, that would be 8100 GP, right?"

4500 GP for cannons, 1300 for 20 cannonballs and 60 lbs of powder, 800 for the fire pump, not sure on metal plating for the deck, 1500 for the squib (already paid 500).

"Would you mind if I didn't get of any of the usual yet? I don't think I'm ready for something like that." She pauses and considered before continuing. "I wouldn't mind sleeping overnight with you. Just for the company."

Dixie smiled reassuringly. "Anything you want, sugar." She held out her hand, and would spend the night in Des's quarters, talking if Des wanted, holding her while she slept, petting her hair, and just being a comforting presence, in general. Dixie sold her company for gold, but there was clearly more to her than a common prostitute.

----

The metal plating around the forge Dreamer wants is just for flavor. With all the gold you're dropping, he'll throw in basic crafting supplies like a forge and anvil for free.

"Swivel itself is 500 gold," Rickety said, writing down everything in his ledger. "We have a deal then? If so I'll have the men get to work on the additions at once. Might all add one more day to your stay."

Lanni goes and consults with Carlotta and Giffer for a bit. "How about if we get smaller cannons for the sides? ... Two smaller cannons on the turret instead of one big one?"

He comes back to Rickety. "It is looking like we will have to come back later for the turret that our Dwarf is wanting. Those big cannons are a bit out of our price range currently - especially if we want to be able to fire it more than once or twice."

"And no, I don't want to get it on credit. I'll take my chances with the pirates I can shoot back at." Lanni grins at Rickety at that.

"So yeah, let's schedule the four 9 pounders, and the forge and fire pump. Though give me a day or two to change my mind on the details if any of the other officers start squawking about it too much."

Alphonse gave a hearty chuckle. "I can see why she likes you. Such wit. I will leave you both to your business, I've my own to attend to as well. I'm sure we'll have more time to catch up, given we'll be sailing together. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mister Bravestone. Atia." He bowed graciously and took his leave.

Joran stares a bit quizzically at the man, not really sure what it was that he said that was so funny. He remains silent as the man walks away. Well, I think I handled that... you know... He glances over at Atia who has that 'look' that speaks volumes. Crap. Probably not very good I guess.

Atia slips her hand under Joran's shirt and rubs his lower back gently, trying to will the barbarian to calm down. She smiles a bit apologetically at Tennyson. "Joran is protective. We have been through a lot, and new people are difficult to trust." She inclines her head as he bows, a less-than-subtle acknowledgment of the difference in their station. "See you around."

After Lord Tennyson leaves, Atia turns to Joran, moving her arm from about his waist to cross her arms over her chest. "That man is not a threat, love. He's a nobody--a nobleman in name only. Eighth son, landless. He's all talk. Can barely cast a cantrip, let alone rival me in my intelligence," She sneers slightly as she describes the man, rolling her eyes. "He's harmless. All talk. Not worth getting worked up over." She waves one hand dismissively, taking a deep breath, and then takes Joran by the hands and pulls him down to her for a brief kiss. "Back to the taproom, yeah?" After any response from Joran, the couple would head back to the tavern for dinner and whatever else was in store for them that evening.

With his arms crossed, Joran avoids eye contact with Atia as he toes the ground with his boot to cover up how awkward he feels right about now. Eventually angling his 'don't be mad at me' eyes at Atia, "Well... okay. If you say so, darlin'. All that 'hand kissing' business felt like a threat though. Just sayin' is all." He toes the ground again before she forces him down for a kiss, which is a great sense of relief for the big guy. Smiling, "Yeah, okay, let's go." Taking a hold of her hand, they return to the taproom.

~~~AT THE MARKET~~~

"A rakshasa? Truly? I...I do not know what that is. It sound devilish though. Maybe...fiend-adjacent?" Mateo says, rubbing at his chin slightly. Every Cheliaxian had some experience with the devils of their world thanks to the Empress and House Thrune's infernal power. The greater details and breakdown was out of Mateo's wheelhouse though; the temple's education was only so good and the swashbuckler was a constant dropout from the dull lessons.

"I am Mateo Nikas, Morale Officer and Chief Marine upon our fair ship. Your markings are quite interesting." For a moment, the instinct to charm the young woman was there. Then he imagined Syl carving off her face. It ruined the mood instanteously. "Hmm, should speak to her about that." He thought to himself.

"What brings you upon our ship, outside of the sheer multitude of entertainment that exist here at Rickety's?" The sarcasm dripped from his voice. This place was a natural home for drunkards to exist within, too hot and too boring for anything else to be done.

~~~AT THE MARKET~~~

The striped woman nodded her head at Mateo's musings. "Trickster devils that can take on the form of humans, but have an animal's head in their true form. Usually a tiger. But the joke is less amusing when it requires explaining," she chuckled. "I forget that monsters from Vudran children's tales are not known the world over. Navi Kapoor," she introduced herself. "Word spread your Captain talks to spirits. It is a rare gift, and a good omen. Now that I've worked off some debt I owed to Mister Hake, I am eager to see what new horizons his spirit friends lead us to."

"Interesting, very interesting. I have not had the opportunity to try and kill one before. A pleasure, Navi Kapoor." He would take her hand in firm grasp and shake it, his grin growing as she mentions Lanni. "It is true, our gnome is blessed and cursed equally. We are...an eccentric group to say the least but very fair. You put in your work and fight hard alongside me and mine, you will have your place."

"Come, let us get out of the damnable heat and enjoy some more drinks, shall we?" He says, slinging an arm around her. "Let me tell you a bit of the adventures we had on Bonewrack Isle. A horrid place full of undeath and tentacled monstrosities. It was anyway...until we arrived."

With his arms crossed, Joran avoids eye contact with Atia as he toes the ground with his boot to cover up how awkward he feels right about now. Eventually angling his 'don't be mad at me' eyes at Atia, "Well... okay. If you say so, darlin'. All that 'hand kissing' business felt like a threat though. Just sayin' is all." He toes the ground again before she forces him down for a kiss, which is a great sense of relief for the big guy. Smiling, "Yeah, okay, let's go." Taking a hold of her hand, they return to the taproom.

"It's just the dance that nobles do. All flattery and flowery words. It's obnoxious," Atia says with a shrug, twining her fingers between his as they walked back. "And you have nothing to worry about with me." Atia pokes his side playfully, a wicked grin on her face. "You're more than enough for me."

--- Taproom ---

Atia walks in with Joran and glances around the tavern, spotting Lanni hard at work arranging things for their ship. She makes her way over to the gnome.

"You've been busy," the wizard comments, peeking over his shoulder at the plans and the money they were spending. The amount didn't shake her; she was used to working with larger amounts back at home. "Wise investments, I think," She says, brows raised. "Now we just need to get supplies...and pay people." She sits at the table with him and waves someone over for a drink.

"One of our new crewmen is someone I went to school with," She says after the ale is delivered, frowning over the edge of the glass before she takes a drink. "A strange, small world."

Dixie smiled reassuringly. "Anything you want, sugar." She held out her hand, and would spend the night in Des's quarters, talking if Des wanted, holding her while she slept, petting her hair, and just being a comforting presence, in general. Dixie sold her company for gold, but there was clearly more to her than a common prostitute.

----

The two women proceeded to talk about the place where they were as well as other areas of the Shackles and their various captains with drinks in hand. After proceeding to throw out a bit of those remains on a bucket, Des settles for having the other woman wrap around her as she slept. The petting was a nice touch as her drunken self eventually drifted to sleep.

------Day 3 at Rickety's Squibs------

You'd all been drawn to the sea for various reasons. A common thread among them was that life in once place could grow very boring. Life in a place as small and backwater as Rickety's, even more so.

Your third day in the little port was cloudless, the sky the color of iron, another scorching day looming before you. The jungle wilted under the unrelenting sun, and the river was shallow, murky, and sluggish, with wide swaths of cracked mud exposed along its banks.

As you all emerge from your rooms to find some breakfast, Samms chuckling at Des's comment, a couple of Rickety's off-duty workers, including the half-orc man who'd signed on with your crew and a couple of individuals who hadn't, present an invitation.

"Me n' the fellas was fittin' roll a game a' ninepins in the shade of the boathouse and keep out o' the blasted heat fer a bit. Care ta join? Got a cask a' beer we'd be happy ta share."

"One of our new crewmen is someone I went to school with," She says after the ale is delivered, frowning over the edge of the glass before she takes a drink. "A strange, small world."

Lanni's eyes open wide at that revelation. "Oh really. Is that going to be a problem? Or do you think that he can be trusted to not do something stupid?"

-------

The next morning Lanni is again in the taproom for his daily spirit guidance. He usually tries to keep it to a small group, but apparently word has gotten around and there are more than a few people there to watch and participate.

Trickster again because that is what we get from the taproom.
Trickster Seance Boon: Pick a skill, any skill. Get +1 bonus to it and count it as a class skill.

----------

"Me n' the fellas was fittin' roll a game a' ninepins in the shade of the boathouse and keep out o' the blasted heat fer a bit. Care ta join?"

"Oh, that sounds interesting. I haven't played that in quite a while."

She kept a straight face... only to giggle. "I was messing with you. Nothing really happened... but I did learn a lot about what I was going through. She said I may had been missing the intimacy after closing myself up for so long... and that I was yearning for what Joran and Atia were having. Even Mateo and Syl... don't tell them that." She pointed a finger to Samms before continuing. "Anyways, she said she'll be available if I feel the need for it again. So... I wanted to say thanks. It didn't go where I thought it would, but she's really good at figuring out what you want. It's almost scary."

----------
Destinie turned her head towards the man and smiled. "Sure. Just... fill us in now how to play first."

--- Chronomancy ---

Lanni's eyes open wide at that revelation. "Oh really. Is that going to be a problem? Or do you think that he can be trusted to not do something stupid?"

"Trust is a strong word. I don't think he will be dangerous, but making him a swab may remind him of his station," Atia says, finishing off her glass and frowning. "I remember him as a womanizer, but mostly harmless."

--- The Next Morning ---

Atia looks up from her cup of whatever passes for a caffeinated morning beverage here, sitting brazenly in Joran's lap as they relax before whatever the day might bring. She glances at the big man when the half-orc makes his offer, shrugging a little bit and nodding. "I've never played, but it sounds fun!"

--- Chronomancy ---

"Trust is a strong word. I don't think he will be dangerous, but making him a swab may remind him of his station," Atia says, finishing off her glass and frowning. "I remember him as a womanizer, but mostly harmless."

"Hmph. Well, what people do in the mates cabin is their own business as long as they are in there of their own choice. But if he starts treating the crew the way "Li'l Petey" did, I'll probably have Joran throw him overboard as we get into swimming distance of the next harbor."

"It's just the dance that nobles do. All flattery and flowery words. It's obnoxious," Atia says with a shrug, twining her fingers between his as they walked back. "And you have nothing to worry about with me." Atia pokes his side playfully, a wicked grin on her face. "You're more than enough for me."

With an eyebrow raised, Joran grins smugly, walking a lot more confidently toward the taproom.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hmph. Well, what people do in the mates cabin is their own business as long as they are in there of their own choice. But if he starts treating the crew the way "Li'l Petey" did, I'll probably have Joran throw him overboard as we get into swimming distance of the next harbor."

As Joran raises a hand to get the attention of the bartender, Joran manages to overhear the gnome, grinning mightily at the thought.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

--- The Next Morning ---

Atia looks up from her cup of whatever passes for a caffeinated morning beverage here, sitting brazenly in Joran's lap as they relax before whatever the day might bring. She glances at the big man when the half-orc makes his offer, shrugging a little bit and nodding. "I've never played, but it sounds fun!"

Listening in on the offer from the half-orc, Joran looks at Atia and grins. Cutting his eyes over to the half-orc, "Heck yeah! We're in. By the way, you have a name, buddy?"

Seadreamer wanders in to the taproom in time to hear sharkbait join the game.

Hey Sharkbait, you want to ask them about this weather. It seems kind of off

He will wander over to watch the game, but holds off on participating in it at this time.

"Ah, forgive my manners. Durzol Flannigan, most folk call me Durz. Ya mean ta say ya never played ninepins? I find that hard ta believe. Sure ya aren't just baitin' us inta bettin' against ya?" he chuckled. "S'an easy enough game. Roll a ball towards nine pins and try'n knock 'em down. We can show ya the specifics. Hard ta play on a ship with the deck swayin' so I figured I'd take some coin off these two knackers before we left." He patted his pals' backs and laughed, gesturing for you to come along.

The boathouse (Which I'll put up a map for ASAP) sat astride the muddy estuary dumping silt into the blue ocean waters. It was a good ten degrees cooler inside, in the shade, though still uncomfortably hot. Durz beckoned for folks who needed a tutorial to join him and started explaining the finer points, describing what the red pin was for, how scoring works, and such.

One of the men with Durz walked over to the water, pulling up a rope that was attached to a cask of ale, set in the water to cool.

That's went chaos broke loose.

A hideous creature, like a giant snake but with the face of a female humanoid, burst out of the water, erupted from the murky brown river and grabbed the man, pulling him into the water with a strangled, cut off yelp. She, and he, disappear into the river and out of sight.

"Desna's left tit, what the blazes was that? It got Roger!" Durz shouted, his other friend rushing out to sound the alarm...

Blocks:
1:Terry, Lanni, Mateo
2: Enemy
3: Atia, Des, Dreamer, Joran

EDIT: Map should be up, forgive the crappy brown water, water is about 20 ft deep -- no official map for this place and the one I snagged was the best I could find so the river is too narrow but whatever =D

"Hard ta play on a ship with the deck swayin' so I figured I'd take some coin off these two knackers before we left."

"Hope you aren't playing for too high of stakes. Too much temptation to cheat at that point."

----------

A hideous creature, like a giant snake but with the face of a female humanoid, burst out of the water, erupted from the murky brown river and grabbed the man, pulling him into the water with a strangled, cut off yelp. She, and he, disappear into the river and out of sight.

"Not sure what that was." Lanni looks over to Atia. "Can you call up Slippery Syl again? If we are going to play tug war underwater, I would rather she did it than me."

Lanni moves to the north of the building, pulls out his crossbow and loads it.

I never posted her spells for the day, so I will stick with what I posted the last time I posted prepared spells.

Atia shoots a glance at Lanni, already gathering the components for her summoning spell, and nods sharply at the gnome. "That's my plan," The wizard comments, flexing her fingers in preparation for the fight ahead. "Miss Sylvia is much better at it than I am, for certain."

Same issue as Atia. so I will state that my last spell loadout is the same as I am going to have. Air bubble x 1

"Ninepins? That sounds like a swell time." Mateo said after finishing his breakfast, rising up from his seat. Dressed in armor and weapons again, Mateo had slowly come to terms with the terrible heatwave that had emerged at Rickety's. He would pass by Syl, kissing her on the top of her head, before heading out into the shaded side of the jungle to play. Destinie seemed to be in a happier mood and the others seemed a little less tense about their future. Money was going to be tight with what they expected to pay but sacrifices needed to be made when you were entrepreneurs

"I don't have much coin...but I can bet work on the ship versus your coin. No one wants to work in the bilge, yeah?" Mateo offered, always a betting man. He took the refresher on nine pins, explaining what he could to the others. As the other man went to collect the beers that had been cooling in the muddy waters, something emerged from the water and pulled him in immediately.

"Well, this is far more interesting." Mateo said with a grin, that mad look spreading over his face. He drew his rapier and buckler both, stepping out towards the bridge. His good eye scanned the water for threats, his blade ready for violence. "Get ready everyone, I'll bring it out."

I will spend a Hero Point for a +8 on Perception.

Perception (Visual): 1d20 + 7 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 8 - 2 = 23

Entering into a defensive pose, Mateo steeled himself for an attack.

Taking a readied action to attack any enemy that comes for me. I'll have the attack rolled as well as my parry & riposte

Readied Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Parry: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23Riposte: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Actions - Move 30', Readied Action
Vitals - HP: 36/36; AC: 20

Previously...

Seadreamer wanders in to the taproom in time to hear sharkbait join the game.

Hey Sharkbait, you want to ask them about this weather. It seems kind of off

He will wander over to watch the game, but holds off on participating in it at this time.

Looking over at his dwarven buddy, "You ain't kidding about that, 'Dreamer. It's definitely way too hot." The perspiration pouring down the barbarian's face gets in his eyes and he has to drag a sleeve across his face to wipe it free. "Way too hot."

I am thinking Terry might have some irl stuff going on, so I'll bump him in the turn order and keep things rolling. Take your time Terry, no worries!

Mateo stands right alongside the water, making himself a target on purpose as Lanni takes a more advantageous position, loading his weapon. The surface of the river is still rippling with the sudden ambush, and bubbles are rising about ten feet from the edge of the platform on which Mateo stands.

The creature does not emerge, does not attack Mateo. It seems to be content, for the moment, in fully murdering poor Roger first, within the murky depths.

You're all up!

Well, we cannot let the poor laddie die. shall we go see what the hell is going on

Seadreamer casts air bubble on himself and then dives into the water.

The water is so murky, Dreamer can only see a couple feet in front of his face. He sinks to the bottom of the rover, about 20 feet deep, searching for signs of the man or the monster...

Everyone in the water has concealment. It's a 50% miss chance when one attacks, as you can hardly see anything. You can assume you get close enough to melee -- she's size large, and it's a narrow channel on the map. Plus you see Roger's bubbles at the surface.

Hitting the bottom, Seadreamer looks around as he pulls both boarding axes out.

He then starts to walk towards the bay.

Well, this might not have been the best of choices.

"Well, I'm not quite invested in rescuing..." Mateo started saying before Seadreamer leaps into the water. "...untested blood." He watches the man disappear underneath the wave and grimaces that his clothing would be hideously stained by the muddy waters.

"Right then. Carry on, I suppose." Mateo would mutter for a moment before jumping off as well into the water as close to where the bubbles were rising up from poor Roger. The muddy water obscured his vision terribly as he settled onto the bottom and moved towards the large creature that was preparing to feast. Once close enough, he would try to stab forward.

Low Is A Miss: 1d100 ⇒ 14

His blade misses it though, the mud too obscuring for him to land a solid strike.

Lanni scans the water looking for signs of the creature beneath the surface. "Hard to see anything in this muddy water."

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

As soon as he can see something that is definitely the enemy creature and not one of the people under the water, he takes a shot at it.

Readied action if I am not able to target it under the water.
Miss chance DC 51: 1d100 ⇒ 82
attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

"Alright Sylvia," Atia mutters after darting forward, pulling out the candle and the pouch. She pinches her fingers into the pouch, triggering her Summon Monster II spell to draw a giant frog out of the tiny bag and hop into the water.

Miss chance DC 51: 1d100 ⇒ 81
Frog tongue: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

If that beats the AC for a grapple then the frog has snake lady.

Frog stats: AC 12; touch/flat-footed 11. 19/19HP, fort +9; ref +6, will -1.

What knowledge check would be required to identify that thing?

The game seemed simple enough, even if she wasn't confident she had the dexterity to accurately aim at the pins. At least the area was cooler than where we were before.

But it wasn't the only thing heating up.

Once the two were in the water, the oracle cast Air Bubble on herself before she rushed into the water. It was more than enough for her to revert back to her combat state, yet this time she tried something different.

What knowledge check would be required to identify that thing?

Dungeoneering