Everyone has half of their gold that they had left after buying starting equipment. As for the booze bonus, make a Perception check...
Hraak is lambasted by Master Scourge, who is completely unsatisfied with the job he does scrubbing the deck. In addition, Hraak is fatigued at the end of the day.Ioney, Sebastion, and Hraak have no daytime action (they worked diligently).
The half-orc keeps his eyes lowered and simply nods at the verbal assault, mindful that he' in no condition for a fight...yet...and that losing his temper will only make things severely worse. Beyond a few muttered comments about trying to do better, he simply does his best to go unnoticed.
But tired and aching as he is, Hraak finds that he's simply not ready to sleep when his labors are done. As horrible as he feels, Hraak simply needs some sort of social interraction. After looking through what meager belongings and coins he still retains, he limps off towards the sound of crew members who are throwing dice...
"Well, mates, what have we here? Any chance I kin get in on this?" he rasps, his voice still ragged and scratchy.
Everyone has half of their gold that they had left after buying starting equipment. As for the booze bonus, make a Perception check...
Helgash, you find 6 bottles of Chelish brandy, worth 20 gold each, lost in the clutter of the galley.
Ioney spends the day keeping his head down and trying not to deserve the verbal abuse being directed towards him. He doesn't do that very well, sadly.
After they get left alone for a bit . . ..
"Hey, Sebastion? You finding anything with your feet? I think I've got a mace of some kind over here. Might be worth looking closer."
@ Ioney - you find a masterwork handaxe as well.
@ Onnello, the +2 is to influence, not gather information. You didn't get a +2 to your Sense Motive, your Sense Motive check was high enough to give you a +2 to influence him (either Diplomacy, Bluff, or Initimidate; based on your dialogue It looks like you are using Diplomacy or Bluff).
@ Hraak, we aren't at nightitme actions yet, I will tell you what you need for the choice of gambling when we get to that point.
[
"Hey, Sebastion? You finding anything with your feet? I think I've got a mace of some kind over here. Might be worth looking closer."
"I found a little gold and this in these broken boxes." Sebastion holds up a suit of leather armor.
"There appears to be some maces in here too."
Helgash, you find 6 bottles of Chelish brandy, worth 20 gold each, lost in the clutter of the galley.
”Grok, a little bird told me you would be the right person to appreciate this” - Helgash put forth one of the bottles of brandy from the stash he had recently uncovered, when he had a chance to speak to the quartermaster in private - ”Hope this goes a ways to make sure we are in good terms?”
Grok stares at the bottle in astonshment.
"And just how did you come by that? Nevermind! I don't need to know!"
She grasps the bottle with obvious glee.
"I been here fer about a year. And yeah, I was press ganged too. You need to be careful of who you ask that question of though, some might not be as friendly as me. You been doing good work so far, so I don't mind talkin' to you a bit." Ratline responds to Onnello's question.
Nivian, when you go to the shop in the early afternoon, Grok seems to be in a good mood.
"Oi, ain't ya' with that lot that is new? Friends of Helgash?"
Grok stares at the bottle in astonshment.
"And just how did you come by that? Nevermind! I don't need to know!"
She grasps the bottle with obvious glee.
”Good - if you don’t ask, I won’t have to lie about it” - Helgash chuckled - ”Good that you liked it. Who knows, maybe I can find more where that one came from” - he added.
As the day wears on, Hraak continues his labors, trying to avoid the harsh gaze of Master scourge as best he can. The half-orc finds that beyond his exhaustion and aches, he doesn't really mind the mopping...it reminds him of the days back at the inn with his mother.
He moves slowly, but with purpose, watching those around him, more with a mind to simply stay out of trouble than to make any real observations of the crew. That would have to wait until after he could get some food in his belly and some dearly needed sleep.
"Aye, I am with the new guys, you could say Helgash and I are friends. Birds of a feather, so to say, we ended up in these circumstances together. But more importantly, I came to prevent bad luck befalling this ship. You may have heard so, but I am a Witch of the Sea. And those who grant me my powers are the great old ones beneath the waves. I remain on the ship, but without what belongs to me. And my patrons are displeased. I want to fix that, before ill luck befalls us.", Nivian talks to Grok, pleasantly surprised at her warm welcome.
Spotting Onnello as the half-elf makes his way across the deck, Hraak gives him a small nod and rasps, "How are ye holdin' up?"
"Well, we wouldn't want that, would we?" Grok responds to Nivian's request.
"I'll fetch your stuff."
With that, Grok opens a large chest that you see contains a bunch of stuff, evidently all the possessions of the six newly press ganged sailors.
"Let's see... ah, this yours, and these too."
After a couple of minutes of digging, she returns with your gear.
@ Hraak, the other ship's officers don't mix with the crew.
@ Onnello, you are correct, any female gets an automatic +2 with Conchobar.
As the day winds down, the Punishment hour arrives. The crew is called on deck and Mr. Plugg stands by the main mast next to Master Scourge with his cat o' nine tails. The three crew members that you knocked out in the morning, Ioney, and Hraak are all pulled out of line.
"Ye lot have were late to morning call, three lashes each! You two," Plugg turns his eyes on Ioney and Hraak, with obvious pleasure, "are unable to do your work so three lashes ta motivate you."
Unless you resist, all five people are tied one at a time to the main mast and Scourge delivers three lashes. The pain is exquisite.
Under the watchful eye of the Captain, Scourge does not treat any of the people being lashed differently (he does not use his STR modifier because the Captain doesn't want to be shorted any crew for minor or first time offenses). Nobody goes unconscious.
While working in the bilges together, Sebastion will talk to Ioney about plans for the evening/
"Say, do you want to help me talk to the halfling woman, Rosie? I am pretty good at reading people, but not very good at friendly conversation and I would prefer not to try and vrowbeat her."
"Sounds reasonable. We'll have to see how the day plays out, of course. But I would much rather make friends than not!"
As his name is called, Ioney's shoulders drop and he moves forward, standing in line and waiting his turn. As he sees the third of those dropped by the spell get their lashes, he starts to think the anticipation has to be worse than the lashes will be. As Hraak gets his lashes, Ioney has actually convinced himself that the waiting is going to prove the worst part of the event.
Lying to yourself never actually helps.
Ever the showman, Ioney works hard to present as the tough man he knows these pirates expect him to be. He removes his own shirt before they grab him, displaying a back unmarred and smooth. A blank canvas for Scourge to begin decorating. Ioney manages not to cry out, scream, or simply cry, but with the third lash, a couple of quiet whimpers work their way out. Scourge can hear them, something he might consider a reward for his effort. Those much further away probably don't.
As the day winds down, the Punishment hour arrives. The crew is called on deck and Mr. Plugg stands by the main mast next to Master Scourge with his cat o' nine tails. The three crew members that you knocked out in the morning, Ioney, and Hraak are all pulled out of line.
"Ye lot have were late to morning call, three lashes each! You two," Plugg turns his eyes on Ioney and Hraak, with obvious pleasure, "are unable to do your work so three lashes ta motivate you."Unless you resist, all five people are tied one at a time to the main mast and Scourge delivers three lashes. The pain is exquisite.
Under the watchful eye of the Captain, Scourge does not treat any of the people being lashed differently (he does not use his STR modifier because the Captain doesn't want to be shorted any crew for minor or first time offenses). Nobody goes unconscious.
While he doesn't resist, Hraak tries to stand tall, but in the end, cries out in pain, as each of the men before him had. The lashes, while not deadly, tear through skin and leave him feeling like he'd been beaten within an inch of his life.
When he's unlashed from the mast, the half-orc falls to one knee, blinking back the pain. "Mr. Pugg...I sincerely mean no disrespect..." he mutters, then coughs, spitting blood. "...and I accept your punishment."
Hraak pauses, his voice becoming fuller, and he lifts his head and says, "But in such a state as this, none of us will be of any value to the ship...and so I humbly ask that Gozreh, She Who Guides the Wind and Waves, grant this ship safe passage...and keep us safe in her embrace."
With this last, the half-orc lowers his head, touches two fingers to the leaf-shaped birthmark on his neck, and a cool ripple of healing energy, almost like a wave itself, moves through everyone nearby.
When Hraak channels after the lashes you can see Plugg's face cloud with anger, but before he can say anything, the Captian laughs.
"Ah, what an excellent idea! They get to taste the pain and then they are still able to work. I like that."
After that comment, Plugg is denied any retribution, but you can tell his hatred of you is only deepened.
@ Sebastion and Ioney - Sebastion finds that Rosie loves food, drink, and tall tales; anyone who provides her with them gains a +2 bonus on all checks made to influence her. You also find out that she desperately wants her fiddle back from Grok (she lost her temper and Grok refused to give it to her). Anyone that could get it for her would probably make her very happy.
@ Helgash - the gathering the team thing is a freebie, it takes little time and you can RP that as you see fit. You still get your evening action. You are able to get a +2 to influence Shivikah (still risky as her attitude towards you is unfriendly).
@ Everyone - Anyone can declare if they are doing any late night actions.
Hraak tries to keep a smile off his face when the Captain laughs, but still ends up with the left corner of his mouth upturning slightly. He glances at Plugg, feeling the hatred resonating off the man, and knows he's made his next few days more difficult for himself.
"Worth it." he rasps quietly.
Tired and still smarting, even after the healing, Hraak none-the-less decides against heading down to his bunk right away. The half-orc stretches his shoulders, glancing about and says in his hoarse voice, "Alright, mates. Who's got some dice ta' throw?"
Since Ioney agreed to work on Rosie with me, here is my attempt to aid him.
@ Helgash - the gathering the team thing is a freebie, it takes little time and you can RP that as you see fit. You still get your evening action. You are able to get a +2 to influence Shivikah (still risky as her attitude towards you is unfriendly).
One by one, Helgash finds a way to let the others know he would like a word with them - to those who stood side by side in the morrow, he simply lets them know he wants to follow up on the ‘morning activities’, and that he has something to share.
”You definitely have some guts on you, I’ll tell you that” - he grunts at Hraak after he heals the others - ”Join us later today? I think I can make it worth your while”
Helgash stands in the dark - in front of him he has set up a simple crate, with a bottle on top of it, and a candle burning low.
”I am not one much for words, or thanks” - he begins - ”And I am not interested in bluffing, or making this much more than it is” - moving into the light he removes the cork from the glass and takes a swig - ”So this here on the one hand is some fine brandy for us to share. And on the other is my way of saying thanks to those who stood their ground this morning below decks, and shared the loot. And to Hraak for stepping forward and using whatever blessing he commands to heal some of the wounded” - Helgash paused, then passed the bottle to Onnello - ”That being said, and for whatever it is worth, if you’ve got my back, I ‘ve got yours”
Nivian thanks Grok, and spend a bit of time chatting with her, not wanting to seem impolite by grabbing her gear and leaving right that instance.
During the punishment session on deck, she watches the others. Officers. Seasoned crew members. Who enjoyed what happened, and who would have preferred to avert their eyes.
She then finds those who provided her with money to try and get their items back, and explains:"Helgash, who was press-ganged with us, already befriended her. You have a good chance of getting your gear back if you just go there and ask politely. Didn't want to waste your money before you try.", then hands the full amount back to them.
When Onello mentions Conchobar again, Nivian nods:"I will definitely go talk with him. But I'll give it some time, I'm still trying to learn about the people on this ship. I feel like one wrong word could do quite a lot of damage to how we are seen. But when the time is right, I'll act on that information."
Evening action, she would like to try and learn more about Giffer Tibs.
Later that night, she would like to try and talk to Giffer Tibs regardless.
As Helgash puts on his little show, attempting to establish some sort of dominance Ioney thinks, the entertainer sits back and lets him go. Until he comments about sharing the loot.
"Yeah, about that loot! Sebastion and I found a little something ourselves. I don't know what part of it he wants to keep, yet, and he certainly has a right to claim as he will, but we found a set of leather armor, a really nice handaxe, three maces, and some change. I figure I'll hang on to one of the maces. Not much of a fighter, really. Oh, yeah, but they were all in the bilge water. Let me do something about that." He casts Prestidigitation and cleans them all, then he casts Mending as required to get the armor past any little imperfections created by the time in the bilge.
---
"Good to know. Guess I'll need to spend some time trying to get her like me, then."
---
"Hello, Rosie! I hear you like a good tale. Think you could settle for a bad one?" Ioney chuckles at his own comment. "Many years ago, a bored man got up from his seat in a tavern and wandered outside, weaving as he walked as he so often does. He wandered up onto a ship about to leave port. When challenged, he dropped a heavy purse for passage to . . . wherever. The captain smiled, took the money, and started making plans on how he would rid himself of this happy drunk at sea, but only after taking the rest of what the man had to have on him. After they got a few days out of port, and the drunk was obviously displeased with his own level of sobriety, the captain offered him a chance to quench that mighty thirst. The passenger didn't consider hesitating, but took the captain up on the offer, and all the officers except the Bosun's Mate joined in, so that they could drink more slowly while ensuring his cup never ran dry. Much to the Captain's surprise, even having only one drink to each of the passenger's four, the passenger just wasn't that much more drunk than the captain! Well, the rest of the officers knew the game, and the ship's surgeon was avoiding drink, so that he would know when to act. When he thought the passenger was past the tipping point, he tried to lift the man's purse. Almost before he had his hands around it, there was a blade at his throat. 'That's not very sporting! I'll make you an offer. If any of you can take the purse from me tonight, you can have it. If not, you'll give me the other back.' A bad deal if ever I've heard one, but, again, the captain was nearly as drunk as the passenger, and it sounded like easy money to him, so he accepted the deal. As the men came at him, he parried with a mug, knocked some of them on the head with it, and moved the fight out onto the main deck. By the time the fight was over, the ship's surgeon was the only officer still on board the boat, and the crew were ready to do whatever their passenger wanted. And that's how The Accidental God won his first prize ship. It took him another fortnight to sell it, though." Finishing his tale, Ioney smiles comfortably. "I do love how well he shows us our failings, while never being perfect himself."
"So, what do you think of our circumstances, here? I'm still trying to get the lay of the land, as it were, myself. Too many people with too many axes in too small a space for my preferences, I think."
"I was only planning on using the armor. I also found a little gold that we can use for whatever purposes."
Sebastion sips the brandy.
"hmmm, much better than that swill they give as a rum ration! Thank you, Helgash, this is a nice."
Hraak joins the others, somewhat surprised to be asked, but grateful for the sense of comradeship. While still horrified by his current status as a prisoner aboard a pirate ship, the sense of belonging did ease the edge off...if just a little.
The half-orc nods at Helgash's opening statement, offering, "Aye. I'll have your backs." after being handed and drinking from the brandy. He then nods and grins at Nivian's advice, and makes a mental note to try and get his healer's kit back, at the very least.
Ioney brings up the loot, and instantly has Hraak's full attention. Still standing in the dark with the rest, he says,"I'd like a shot at gettin' one of them maces, if that's alright? Not really many weapons I have a lot of skill with, but I'm reasonably good with a heavy mace." Hraak pauses, then as an afterthought, asks, "We're gonna need to hide the weapons, though, right?"
The priest of Gozreh listens intently to Ioney's story, and grins as he finishes, though raises a thick eyebrow as he ponders the one called the Accidental God...
And then it hits him. "Ah, Cayden Cailean is quite the hero. I used to love hearing stories about him when I was younger. Your tale does him honor, Ioney. Bravo."
Ioney will share in the bottle as well. "A rare find in a place with so many ready to drink anything they can get their hands on." He passes it on quickly enough, but he also slows it as others try to pass it by him. He doesn't DRINK, but he takes a mouthful now and again. "Is it me, or is there a hint of apricot in this?"
Ok, here we go again, hopefully they post this time:
@ Ioney and Sebastion - With Sebastion's info, Ioney's efforts are so good that Rosie moves from indifferent to helpful for the two of you. Also, if someone gets her fiddle from Grok, they can also benefit.
@ Nivian and Onnello - neither of you gained any useful info, I'm guessing neither of you try to influence?
I have updated the current attitudes info on the canpaign tab.
@ Hraak - there three entertainments that the pirates gamble on; arm wrestking, hog lob, and heave. Arm wrestling is straight forward, you bet on who you think will win. Hog lob is a "sport" where participants try to throw a lead ingot covered in a greased pig skin as far as they can. Heave is a potentially deadly drinking game where participants chug a half pint of rum each round, last man standing wins.
Minimum bet is 1 gp, most crew have, at most, aroound 20 gp ready cash. You may also bet on yourself as a participant.
@ Hraak - there three entertainments that the pirates gamble on; arm wrestling, hog lob, and heave. Arm wrestling is straight forward, you bet on who you think will win. Hog lob is a "sport" where participants try to throw a lead ingot covered in a greased pig skin as far as they can. Heave is a potentially deadly drinking game where participants chug a half pint of rum each round, last man standing wins.
Minimum bet is 1 gp, most crew have, at most, aroound 20 gp ready cash. You may also bet on yourself as a participant.
Though his intention was to head immediately off to his bunk, Hraak's curiosity gets the better of him and he finds himself drawn to the various games of chance the crew were playing. If nothing else, he decides that he might get some insight on some of the other sailors and pirates.
The half-orc immediately rejects trying to join 'Heave' as an option, what with his time throwing up over the rail so recently etched in his brain.
"Ah, what the hell..." he mutters to no one in particular, and in the end, decides to stay only on the betting side, rather than particpating side, of the games. He ambles up to each of the other two games and says, "So...what are the rules here?"
After sharing the brandy with the others, Helgash took note of their reactions - who seemed interested and who might just be going along for the ride. He didn’t know this people well enough though, so it was harder to read them - some of them seemed more trustworthy than others, but he left it at that for now.
——-
During the night he found a way to approach Shivikah - ”Funny thing, I thought one could just get by without choosing any sides or allies on board” - he started - ”Seems I was wrong, and a couple of us had to teach some idiots a lesson when they tried to jump us down below” - the half-orc pressed on - ”How long do you think you will get by without allies?”
At the gathering, Nivian partakes of the brandy, but drinks cautiously - between the rum ration and the additional alcohol, she felt a slight buzz going, and did not want to push her luck. "Glad to see we are sticking together, somewhat. I am not sure WHAT exactly this morning was supposed to be, but I suppose some kind of welcome ritual supposed to get us into trouble. Anybody alone will make for an easy victim - for bullying or worse. So watching each others backs seems a mighty fine idea. For what it's worth, I am a decent enough navigator...based on where we've been going, we're far out on high seas, heading towards main shipping routes. They are looking for a target to plunder. That means we are FAR from land. If any of you intend to terminate their employment if given the chance, you'll have to hang in there for a while, I'm afraid. Either way, it's probably a good idea to try and stick together, and blend in with others."
_______
True to her own suggestion, Nivian attempts to chat up Giffer Tibs - the female gnome had caught her eye before during work - woman didn't have it easy on these ships, and gnomes where smaller and weaker than most others. Chances are, the years toughened her up - something that might allow Nivian to strike up a conversation: "Aye, you're Giffer Tibs, right? I'm Nivian, one of the new...recruits. Saw you earlier, during my shift. Still learning the ropes on how things work on this ship, on rules and do's and don't's. I may be wrong, but I can't imagine your start in this career was an easy one - nor your first couple days on this ship, in particular. You got any wisdom or insights you'd be willing to share with a new swab?"
"Tilly, right? I'm Ioney. As one of the new guys on board, I'm trying to make some friends. You might have noticed. Honestly, that's part of the reason I start the day off with a good shanty, seeing if I can't get some of these guys to hate me less. How do you fill your limited time off? What matters to you?"
@ Hraak - You can make either Perception or Sense Motive checks (DC15) for both events. If you succeed, you get a +2 modifier, with an additional _1 for every 5 you beat the DC. Then make a d20 roll, on an 11 or higher you win your bet.
@ Helgash - YOu succeed in changing Shivikah's attitude towards you from unfriendly to indifferent. You are on a roll with these influence checks!
@ Nivian - your gather information roll was enough to geta +2 to influence her.
@ Ioney - You get the +2 to influence.
@ everyone - for the regular crew members there is no specific influence information, that's why I said it is a "generic" +2 bonus. I know I did it with Ratline, but I have decided not to create 18 characters with stories, et. al. Also, I would prefer not to spend over a week just resolving a single non-event day of ship life. So I am working on a way to streamline this part.
"I'm hoping one day to collect enough loot and secure myself a nice piece of land with a big house. Not have to bend my back for someone telling me to jump. Someday. I bet you've got a better dream than that!"
etc.