The Pirates' Life: Skull & Shackles

[Amazo]

Last night was supposed to mark a new chapter. It was supposed to be the night commemorating the start of your journey to leave your mark on the Shackles and the open seas themselves. Instead, the sentimentality of the moment and the sweet tingle of alcohol in your belly got the better of you. Before long, the night was a blur of hedonistic excess enough to make any pirate captain proud: song and dance, games of chance, tall tales, and of course more drink. It's hard to say when that happy haze became the curtain of solid blackness that plagues your attempts at recollection now. The only hint you have to your current predicament is the bizarre film and aftertaste assaulting your throat and the rocking of the floor beneath you. The room around you is dark as your eyes open and focus, but the swaying of the space you are in continues rhythmically. The stamping some great number of boots on creaky wooden floorboards pounds at your ears from the outside as your throbbing pulse batters them from within. The sound comes to a halt what seems like a short distance away from you. After a pause, your eyes are speared by the dirty yellow light of a lantern.

A grizzled man's face is backlit by the glow of the lantern. He wears a maroon bandana on his head and his beard in a mass of tangled braids. He brandishes a whip. Its crack rattles your brains further awake. You now see he is accompanied by an escort of half a dozen other people behind him. The man with the whip seems to snarl with pain, but the tone of his voice as he speaks reveals to be his face's best estimation of a warm smile.“Still abed with the sun over the yardarm? On your feet, ye filthy swabs! Get up on deck and report for duty before Cap’n Harrigan flays your flesh into sausage skins and has Fishguts fry ye up for breakfast!” Listening to his words gives you enough presence of mind to realize you've been stripped of everything that would let you show this man and his entourage their places. You've gotten yourselves into quite the predicament.https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ea9mxqIZGs/T1kr3rFBHDI/AAAAAAAAAKU/Kc0g_EPTzlw/s1600/Adventure+-+Master+Scourge.jpg

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora sits up, dazed as the crack of the whip gives her a rude awakening. She rubs her eyes and feels absolutely no weight on her shoulders. Standing up sharply, she glances at her back to notice that her armor and her crossbow are both gone. She feels naked without any sort of protection, especially knowing that these clothes were likely put on by this greasy thug in front of her. Covering herself self-consciously, she responds, "W-where do I start?"

Zora knows better than to try and fight back here. As a captive on a ship before, she knows what happens to women who talk back. As long as she kept herself out of the captain's eye, she could find a way to sneak off at the next port, just like she did before.

[TheEmperor]

Julius awoke to the horrid mental sensation that he'd been familiar with for many more mornings than just that one, and he recognized it as a hangover. It was much more powerful than he was used to, and he didn't recognize the smell in his breath. It was usually booze, dirt, and sometimes the smell of companions of the last night, but today it was booze, dirt, the smell of last night companion, and something else.

He groggily opened his eyes to wood, and some ugly arse munchkins that he recognized as either actors, people wearing the clothing of a pirate, or actual pirates, and the minute the man's words hit his slow mind, he realized they were definitely the third.

Bollocks, I've been ganged, haven't I?

He looked to his side to find a woman, who he gave less importance to for the moment, and pulled himself up to a sitting posture. Of course, this was hardly something he was worried about. He'd been planning to make some sea captain bend over today itself, to mark his ascension into the ranks of the heirs of the high seas, so why not use this one?

"I suppos'd that wom'n would have gangered me. " he said , and arose in a terribly shaky manner. He slowly made his way right up to the decks in order to do what the man had told him to do.

[Amazo]

The man visibly slackens a bit as the two of you choose to come quietly. He walks towards wherever he came from earlier, his entourage encircling you to lead you after him. "Good choice. Ye swabs may just get spared the lash today yet!" he boasts loudly while passing a set of stair leading further down into the ship. On the other side of a wall adjacent to those stairs, a man watches your approach vacantly. He wears nothing save for a tattered set of orange trousers of some kind and the chain collar keeping him securely attached to the wall of the ship. A sharp left after the wall takes you up more stairs to the daylight and ocean spray ready to assault your senses. Even so, as your minds clear, this is the best time you've had to try to analyze that foul taste in your throat.

On the deck, hands are already at work up and down the ship's three masts and a good deal more swabs are scrambling about for their other duties. Casting an eye to the upper deck, you see two looming figures overseeing the work, clearly the authorities on this ship. The taller is a Garundi man with skin of an appropriately deep brown, a shaved head, and a braided beard trimmed with signs of all of the plunder he's seen throughout his days. Such a flagrant display of wealth designates this man as the captain. His partner is a younger balding man dressed in a navy blue trench coat to match your captor's black one. His cat o' nine tails also seems to mirror your captor's whip.

As you are brought towards the upper deck you catch sight of a group of four more people in bondage standing and waiting to be addressed by the captain. Their colorful clothes relatively untarnished by life at sea and cleaner appearances mark them as fellow new "recruits". Among them are two humans, one a red-headed woman and the other sun-tanned man with a shockingly blue bandanna, a gnome wearing a foppish purple hat, and a halfling wearing a red scarf to match her auburn locks.

http://www.lby3.com/dnd/images/a/af/Barnabas_Harrigan.jpg

The captain waits for your captor to fully lead you to him before beginning a speech that he has clearly used before either in rehearsal or in previous press gangings. “Glad you could join us at last! Welcome to the Wormwood! My thanks for ‘volunteering’ to join my crew. I’m Barnabas Harrigan. That’s Captain Barnabas Harrigan to you, not that you’ll ever need to address me. I have only one rule—don’t speak to me. I like talk, but I don’t like your talk. Follow that rule and we’ll all get along fine." He walks stiffly across the upper deck, letting his many ornamentations jingle and ring as he moves. That last bit seems to be addressed even to those pirates already under his employ.

“Oh, and one more thing. Even with you new recruits, we’re still short-handed, and I aim to keep what crew I have. There’ll be a keelhaulin’ for anyone caught killin’ anyone." He turns to bark at the balding man, apparently his first mate "Mr. Plugg! If you’d be so kind as to make pirates out of these landlubbers, it’ll save me having to put them in the sweatbox for a year and a day before I make pies out of ’em.” With that the captain returns to the ship's wheel, no longer concerned with you or the subordinates he himself ordained with authority.

You're entitled to a Perception checks and either a Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (nature) check to identify the poison used on you. You have to try both skills to succeed. The first is to identify enough of a flavor profile left behind to then wrack your brain for the poison that that flavor matches up with. If you're more concerned with what the first mate is saying, just say so and I'll proceed with his introduction.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora takes careful note of who the captain is, and listens well to his words. She also does her best to scope out her fellow crew members, before turning to pay close attention to what the first mate says. The first thing she needed to do was behave. Keep a low profile, and don't stand out either too much or too little for now, and she could probably make it out of this in one piece.

Sense Motive on the other captives: [roll0]

[TheEmperor]

Already Julius had a low opinion of the captain in command of the ship he was on. The kind of aura he put out was one of sheer terror, a terrible style of lording over one's crew. If he knew jacksquat about captaining a ship, he knew that the "good cop, bad cop" approach was the only way to properly keep your crew in line, without having a mutiny on your hands, or a lazy crew.

And a mutiny he would get, soon enough. That was, of course, after his hangover wore over, and the poison he'd ingested had run it's course


No way to win, but alright...
Perception [roll0]
Craft Alchemy (Thank heavens for untrained rolls) [roll1]

[Amazo]

From the way the first mate moves to be as out of the captain's way as possible then mimics his fierce stance and face, Zora pegs him as a sycophant before the first word passes his lips. The crew around her skitters by too quickly with their tasks for her to get much of a feel for them. Even her captor's escort of pirates has dispersed. This leaves your fellow "recruits" as the only people around to reliably observe. The human seems to be chomping at the bit, though not for escape as one might assume in this situation. He seems eager to work, seems enthused at the opportunity even. The mate can't talk fast enough by his estimation. The woman stands boldly and stares directly into the eyes of whoever speaks. She wears a red corset that accentuates what passes for a spectacular bust for humans, and the teased open appearance of her white shirt imply she is incredibly aware of it. Her rouged lips are curled confidently. In stark contrast, the purple-clad gnome is quaking with fear while his halfling counterpart's eyes are ablaze with seething hatred.

Julius' brain starts to work itself in other directions. Knowing how he was fooled can help him avoid looking the fool next time, after all. The sensations is definitely oily in his throat and after some consideration, he knows it to taste remarkably like nutmeg. However, without more than a cursory knowledge of alchemy, trying to remember what has the right properties to be slipped into food or drink or... other places (if that's even possible) and leave that residue and knock someone out... It doesn't pan out to an answer nearly as quickly. Perhaps remembering a simple anecdote for travelers and sailors would work more favorably?

Feel free to try the Knowledge (nature) check too.

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/223/6/e/6e15cdbc004b23c0b5b9f12ceaf91800-d5aof0b.jpg

In any case, the man the captain referred to as Mr. Plugg makes his voice known once he descends from the upper deck to level your lot are on. He speaks with a degree of refinement and distinction. Whether he has earned either, you likely doubt. "Well then! It seems you're the sorry lot I've got to fill the gaps in my workforce. I'd say, 'You'll do,' but looking at you, I don't want to disappoint myself later. I've a simple question for you all before starting: who knows how to cook?" The hand that isn't tucked into his belt right next to his weapons gestures with an open palm as if expecting someone to pat on the back next to him.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora shakes her head. Cooking was not her forte, though she was intuitive enough to prepare a little something if she had the right ingredients. Still, a basic instinct is nothing compared to actual formal training, and she had more of that on the deck of a ship (and in a captain's bed) than anywhere else. She waits for someone else to step forward, before raising her hand. If Plugg gives her his attention, she will volunteer, "I have some experience with rigging, sir." Rigging work was rough, but at least it was less repulsive than washing the deck all day.

[TheEmperor]

Julius grinned, as an idea struck him like lightning, and he nodded. A cook, eh? He had no formal training, but he'd worked in a pub for multiple years, and had picked up how to roast peanuts. It couldn't be that hard, could it?

And, of course, all he had to do was make food for a few days, and then one day, boom, the food had something in it that sickened the captain and crew. And he'd be easily able to either take control of the ship, or get the hell off it. It was a dangerous gambit, since his capacity for failure at cooking was large, but he'd give it a try.

And who knew, maybe he'd discover a new talent?

"Aye, I have some experience with cooking." he said, lying right through his teeth.


Do I need to roll bluff?
I'll roll it.
[roll0]

[Amazo]

Plugg's outstretched hand curls into a fist with his thumb extended. He jerks it over his shoulder pointing back to the stairs you came up through. "Then get your lazy bones back below deck before Fishguts hurls in tonight's stew again. I expect something as good as we'd get on land, sailor, or I just might recommend that the bosun or the captain follow through on their cannibalistic predilections." His eyebrow quirks as if daring Julius to challenge his threat. Once he sees him off, he turns to the rest of the remaining acquisitions.

"As for the rest of you, I've one more opening for a rigger. You'll be working directly for me since you'll be responsible for something that actually keeps this ship sailing. The rest of get to answer to Master Scourge and whatever he has for you to do." He takes a pause to walk over to the nearest mast, the mainmast. He places a hand on it to lean lightly against it before ushering the rest of you over. At this point, Zora volunteers her services and expertise on the matter, but Plugg shakes his with a facetious look of disappointment and pouting lips.

"My dear, though you dwarves have arms the thickness and proportional length of girallons, I doubt you'd be able to keep up with one of these taller 'mates here." His eyes flick from Zora to where the two humans stand behind her. "Though I have no desire to deprive you a chance to prove yourselves. That's why we're here." He hands a rope to each of the five remaining rigger candidates. "Bring these to the top of the crow's nest and tie me a knot worth hanging sails with. If it comes loose and falls or you do, I'll make you get right back up there until your back breaks or one of you succeeds. Savvy?" With the rules established, Plugg takes a few steps back to observe the action. The two humans and the halfling step up to the task immediately, while the gnome dallies in his still shaken state. The man seems eager to get started, bouncing slightly on his heels to get the best possible start.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora chuckles and stretches a bit before setting to the task of reaching the crow's nest.

I assume I can take 10 here, in which case the result is 14, but if a competition is too stressful for me to take 10 then here's the roll: [roll0] (Climb)

[TheEmperor]

Julius raised an eyebrow at the man's threat, and simply shrugged it off. Another day, another pirate cussing at him. Were it not for the open weather about him, he'd have suspected himself to have been right back at the island! Of course, it was a tad bit worrying, once he realized that he was most definitely not on the island.

He quickly made his way downstairs, and began to get to work with cooking items. If this 'Fishguts' dared throw up in anything he'd make, even if it tasted like a sharks uncooked balls, he'd drive his knee into the bugger's face.


Profession (Cook)? [roll0]
I hope not.

[Amazo]

Once everyone takes their places, Plugg waves a hand flippantly to indicate the start of the race. Zora and the human woman take their time getting started, favoring a more measured, steady approach. The gnome man, on the other hand, springs to start climbing but immediately fails to get farther than a foot off the ground before sliding back to the deck. The halfling woman and the eager human man seem to be legitimately racing each other though. Both of them deftly grab hold and shuffle quickly up the mast a ways, the halfling keeping pace despite the human's reach advantages.

Meanwhile, Julius heads below decks once again, now conscious enough to take some note of his surroundings. The room under the upper deck he passes through has a few hammocks strung up with blankets and pillows tied down to them. A few well-to-do chests are fastened to various support beams as well. Heading back below decks, the man from earlier seems to have found some crabs because he is now tearing them apart and eating them. Upon Julius' approach, he smiles vacantly and bellows, "Tasty!" He seems to have no regard for the volume of his voice. With the light coming in from above and the portholes along the side of the ship, Julius can see the man has some sizable black splotches with plucked feathers attached to them. His silent gaze is a bit disconcerting though, so Julius moves on to meet his superior.

The main hold of the ship you were being held in also seems to be home to a few of the animals meant to be slaughtered on this voyage. The room they're attached to must be the kitchen, Julius reasons, so he presents himself to the cook there. He is greeted by a lumbering obese human man with gaps between most of his teeth. He grins genuinely and extends a hand before introducing himself, "So yer the feller Plugg's plugged me with, eh? Don't worry: me pay hasn't come through yet so I've no gold fer spirits at the moment. Name's Kroop, but e'eryone calls me Fishguts, I'm sure you've 'eard."

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/223/6/2/620a6fa20f4528e9423913701d0be2c4-d5aoevw.jpg

Go ahead and roll a mess of Climb checks if you want to speed this bit up. Throw in at least one Profession (sailor) check or a Dexterity check to make the knot correctly too.
Cog: 15 ft.
Rosie: 6.25 ft.
Quinn: 7.5 ft.
Zora: 5 ft.
Goal: 60 ft.

Climbing Contest:
Quinn: Take 10 = 13
Cog: [roll0] Accelerated Climbing
Rosie: [roll1] Accelerated Climbing
Turlach: [roll2]

Tasks:
Zora: [roll3]
Julius: [roll4]
Fisghuts: [roll5]

[TheEmperor]

Julius wrinkled his nose, and raised an eyebrow as he became introduced to Fishguts, who was far worse of a human being than he'd expected. The smell was quite overwhelming as well, and the conditions were piss-poor. He may as well have been beneath a reef, for what modicum of cleanliness there may have been in the room was quite well hidden.

"That's damn right. Where'd ya want me workin'?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora growls and scales faster, putting her back into it and knowing that the real test is at the top. Doesn't matter if these guys can climb faster than her if they can't tie a rope worth a damn.

Climb Checks: [roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]

Profession (Sailor): [roll12]

[Amazo]

Quinn: Take 10
Turlach: [roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
Rosie: [roll10] Accelerated Climbing
[roll11] Accelerated Climbing
[roll12] Accelerated Climbing
[roll13] Accelerated Climbing
[roll14] Accelerated Climbing
[roll15] Accelerated Climbing
[roll16] Accelerated Climbing
[roll17] Accelerated Climbing
[roll18] Accelerated Climbing
[roll19] Accelerated Climbing
[roll20] Accelerated Climbing
Cog: [roll21] Accelerated Climbing
[roll22] Accelerated Climbing
[roll23] Accelerated Climbing
[roll24] Accelerated Climbing
[roll25] Accelerated Climbing
[roll26] Accelerated Climbing
[roll27] Accelerated Climbing
[roll28] Accelerated Climbing
[roll29] Accelerated Climbing
[roll30] Accelerated Climbing
Sailor Checks: [roll31]
[roll32]
[roll33]
[roll34]

[Amazo]

Those opening moments for the race set the tone for the rest of it. The gnome fails to get very high as the seconds tick by but he doesn't fall again. Instead, Zora's hurry to get to the top causes her fingers to betray her, sending her plummeting twice in her attempts to scale the mast. The man and halfling are neck and neck for the mast, with the human pulling ahead steadily. He reaches the mast first and hurriedly ties the rope before raising his hands in triumph from the crows nest. Plugg calmy walks over to where the man's rope hangs, grabs the end, and gives it a fearsome yank, all of the exposed muscles of his abdomen rippling with effort. The rope comes loose and falls to his feat. Plugg cups a hand to his lips and yells, "You call this a knot, sailor! I wouldn't trust you to lace my boots with ropework this shoddy! Get back here and do it again!"

The halfling must be feeling confident in herself as the man has to start dejectedly descending the mast to try again. The small woman reaches the top and gives her own knot a try. Plugg gives it the same test, but it comes undone just as easily. "Maybe if you weren't so focused on getting there so fast you'd be able to tie a simple knot!"

The only person that seems to be able to keep her calm throughout the serial humiliations of the test are the red-headed woman who climbs without a word in spite of it all. The dissatisfied expression on her face makes it clear that she did not want to win this race, but she could only work so slowly before getting to the top. Her knot is barely secured to the crow's nest. When Plugg pulls it down, she may as well have just dropped it at his feet. He seems to pay it no mind. "Put your back into it, filth, or it'll be the bilges for the rest of your days!"

As the three begin their descent back down to retrieve their lines, Zora knows she can simply make it to the top climbing at her own pace like she started out to. In no time at all, she reaches the nest on her own and ties a knot any captain would be proud of. Plugg gives the rope its test. He then nods approvingly before saying, "This one'll do. Stay up their sailor! You're hoisting and releasing sails today! As for the rest of you, Master Scourge is already waiting. He'll show you his namesake if you keep him waiting long, so scramble."

The losers of the race shuffle off below deck to go find the bosun once again. Plugg takes his place on the upper deck behind the the captain. He leans against the rail there to bark orders to Zora and the rest of the riggers.

Below decks, Fishguts grumbles something about proper manners while turning around. He marches back into the kitchen with slumped shoulders. Approaching a boiling pot of stew, his eyes meet Julius again as he answers, "Not very much today, ye'll be 'appy to 'ear. I'll jus' be needin' ye to grab this 'n' that fer me about the galley. I've been good today like I said. No drinkin'. Though you watch yerself, this ship's poison. It'll drive ye to waste yerself away like me, but don’t let anyone hear you say it aloud. The hull listens, see, and the cap’n hears it all. Poison the Wormwood is, though, rotten to the core. You’ll not meet a more nasty, sour piece of work than Cap’n Harrigan in all your days at sea, and his crew’s the same, ’specially the fist mate, Mr. Plugg. Vicious little sod, he is. He’d take his own mother’s liver to the butcher to make pies with, he would. But they leave me alone, mostly. They know I can’t ’arm ’em.” The man is very dour by the end of his little speech. The drawn look on his face shows he means every venomous word about the ship and its officers. For the time being though, he leaves you be.

Zora fell from exactly 10 feet up, so 1d6 lethal damage unless she can make the DC 15 Acrobatics check to mitigate it.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora falls, but she quickly pulls herself back up and puts her skill with ropes to the test, easily knotting the rope more than twice as well as any of the others. When Plugg tells her to stay up there, she gives him a quick affirmative salute. "Aye aye, sir!" she calls cheerfully, staying on the ropes and doing what she can to obey his commands to the letter. Zora thinks to herself that as long as she can keep a smile on her face, Besmara will bless her with the patience needed to endure this.

Acrobatics: [roll0]
[roll1] Falling damage if I fail it.

[TheEmperor]

Julius followed Fishguts, and as he heard the man pouring out exactly how he felt about the ship, he began to feel as though there were something that Fishguts probably wished he'd done different. Perhaps the decision that landed him upon this ship?

He didn't quite know, and lacked the insight of a wiser man into his feelings, but Julius felt quite sympathetic to the guy for a brief moment, before he suppressed the emotion with a tad amount of shame. He truly believed that a real pirate had no emotion but greed, lust, and anger, and desired to emulate that as much as he possibly could.

Julius shrugged in response to Fishgut's words, and said "Alright-o, then. I suppos' I'm gonna take a look around the ship. If I'm gonna be stuck here for too long, I'd better know this ship inside out."

Perhaps, if he's not loyal like his words indicate, I can work with him...

[Amazo]

Plugg does his honest best to run Zora ragged throughout the day. Each minor shift of the wheel the captain makes is accompanied by a series of over-corrections in the sails ordered for yours truly. Despite this, Zora leaves her fellow riggers behind in the flotsam and Plugg stunned on the floor. The sun works its way through the sky slowly through Zora's toil, but as it begins to set, the orders come less frequently and the crew moves less fervently. The workday is about to end.

Meanwhile, Julius takes it upon himself to search the lower decks. He finds that the entire lower deck houses the hammocks for the crew. There are over 20 slung up, though it's hard to be sure if he's seen that many pirates aboard, even with the new additions included. In addition, he spies crude metal footlockers lining the walls. There are 20 in all, just like the hammocks, but only 12 of them seem to be in us at the moment, as indicated by the presence of fastened locks. Also on this lower deck are the entrances to the bilges below. Peering down into the bilges, Julius may be somewhat unnerved to see the countless eyes of a spider swarm watching him and scattering at his intrusion. Nevertheless, he does notice the sound of scraping against wood amidst the sloshing water of the bilges below.

Julius' care in looking through everything is interrupted periodically by Fishguts recalling him to the kitchen to assist him with a few tasks. Peeling some extra potatoes, fetching ingredients while he takes care of something more time sensitive, and other simple duties like that await him each time.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora hops down from the rigging as the day ends. "Appreciate the workout, Mr. Plugg," she says with a smile, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Care to show me where the mess hall is?"

[TheEmperor]

Julius wasn't one who'd readily admit to fear, but the large swarm of spiders that he'd seen in the ship very clearly shook him. He did not want to sleep near such things, and he began to regret his partying last night. Were he to command a ship of his own, he'd make sure nothing of the sort was there on his ship. A pirate had to have class, if he wanted to truly be remembered as a terror. Nothing was more terrifying than a polite, well dressed, and hygienically surrounded man you knew would slit your throat as soon as he could.

By the time the day came to an end, he had mostly explored the bottom deck of the ship, and had helped out a bit with Fishguts and cooking. He wasn't particularly tired, but he'd have to retreat to the mess hall to at least eat something, and so he returned to Fishguts with the question "Where's the mess hall at?"

[Amazo]

As Julius and Zora coincidentally ask their questions at the same time, a clock on the mainmast blares an ugly sound that cuts across open air. All of the remaining crew on the upper deck rampage towards the staircase to the middle deck where Julius, Fishguts, and dinner await them. Plugg simply quirks his eyebrow once more, smiling self-assuredly, and nods his head in the direction of the stampede.

Fortunately for Julius, the hideous noise of the siren drowns out the somehow more cacophonous sound of Fisghguts enjoying a heart fit of laughter from the question. Fishguts had stopped Julius at the door from the middle deck to the kitchen. When the rumble of feet starts shaking the planks of the ship, he finally answers, "Yer standin' innit, lad! Get in 'ere and get ready to serve 'em!" He attempts to wrap his meaty arm cordially around Julius' shoulder to usher him back to work as a line of hungry sailors starts forming at the kitchen door.

One by one they all receive their rations for the night: a hearty quarter-bucket of gruel ("stew" as Fishguts continues to call it) and another bucket with your rum ration. Slowest on the take are the six newest sailors of the crew, including Zora and Julius, who is only served after everyone else is. Fishguts takes a moment to explain that you must finish your rum ration before the night's through or you'll get a lashing for your trouble. He returns to the kitchen once more to haul a few more portions of much nicer-looking food on plates up a flight of stairs directly adjacent to the kitchen entrance.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora takes a seat next to the human girl from earlier and smiles at her. "You seem to have a strong head on your shoulders. We think similarly. Slow and steady wins the race. I'm Zora."

[TheEmperor]

Julius did not seem to find his own inability to recognize even basic ship infrastructure as funny, although he still grinned in response to Fishguts' laughter. He got to work along with the cook, and served everyone, although he constantly corrected Fishguts under his breath every time he called the gel he served everyone 'stew'.

Once everyone was served,and he could finally eat, he sat down near the other newbies on board the ship, since he suspected that perhaps the others would be highly unappreciative of him sitting with the veterans. He did not make conversation yet, although he tapped his foot in musical fashion to a beat, in order to entertain himself as he washed down the 'stew' with rum.

[Amazo]

The woman chuckles politely. She wears a faint smile as she extends her hand in a more formal greeting. "My name's Sandara Quinn, though I'd say your the first to say I've got a strong head." She takes a seat on a nearby cargo barrel as she speaks, lounging languidly, "I'd like to say it's more of a level head. Besmara may favor recklessness on ships like these, but only if it's aimed in the right direction."

Around the gathered trio, the other crewmembers seem to have their own usual groups already forming around the cargo hold as well. The only few that seem completely aimless are the other three new recruits, though aimless may not be the best word. The halfling woman's aim definitely involves not being near the purple-clad gnome, while his seems to be constantly insinuating himself closer to her whenever her eyes dart away.

Looking at Quinn now, Julius and Zora she's bedecked in a fair few more accoutrements than she was on deck when the day began. For starters she wears a silver holy symbol to Besmara on a long chain around her neck. The way it dips low enough to rest almost entirely on her bared cleavage is clearly calculated, though the woman gives no air of it. She is also dressed in two blades, both cutlasses judging by the hilts and sheathes. Julius' eyes notice something amiss with one of them however: one of them is his!

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora smiles. "A fellow worshiper of Besmara, are you? Well, I'm glad to see you found your holy symbol. They took mine from me when I was unconscious, apparently. It's a shame, really, but I don't need a symbol to feel close to my goddess, not when I'm so close to the sea itself." She closes her eyes and breathes in the salty air. "So, Sandara, have you been a member of the Wormwood for long?"

Zora looks around curiously, taking in view of the other crew members. She will examine any of them more closely if they happen to be something odd (like, say, a half-orc).

[Amazo]

She chooses that moment to finish the last few mouthfuls of her rum at once. As she swallows harshly, her face immediately shows her regret. She says everyone's sentiments aloud, "Awful stuff, isn't it?"

A Knowledge (local) or Profession (sailor) check at DC 10 automatically tells you that the rum ration served to the crew of press-ganging pirate ships is designed to keep the crew docile and easy to defeat should they get uppity. Even so, as a form of hard liquor, it carries a chance of minor addiction. Make Fortitude saves at DC 5 to avoid addiction and take the following damage as specified after the save. regardless of outcome of the save.
Zora: take Con damage, receive a +[roll][1d4 alchemical bonus to Charisma, and become fatigued for hours.
Julius: take [roll2] Con damage, receive a +[roll][1d4 alchemical bonus to Charisma, and become fatigued for [roll3] hours.

"Back to your question though..." she adjusts her weight on the barrel to reach for something out of her back pockets. She outstretches her arm before opening her hand to reveal it to be Zora's holy symbol. "I suppose I can hold on to this then?" she kids with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Either way is fine by me. Actually back to your question though, Rosie, Conchobhar, and I started today, the same as you. They actually press ganged us the night before you, so we've had a whole day to sleep it off in the meanwhile. I tried to get everyone something back as peace offering of sorts. Don't go turning into a momento mori now..." she cautions uncharacteristically seriously.

Zora's perusal of the crew turns up a veritable melting pot of a crew before her. Among them are: a yellow-skinned half-orc, a dwarf man whose sizable, warty nose dominates his face, a rat-faced, long-armed halfling man with only two fingers on one hand, an older human woman with her hair shaved down save for a central white stripe and two black ones beside it, a Mwangi woman who is the tallest person in the room, a Rahadoumi man with an impressive, though frayed moustache, a one-eyed gnome, two human younglings barely much taller than the two dwarves, and a few more nondescript humans dressed as expected on a ship such as this. Even Rosie and Conchobhar have an extra bit to them that missed the eye on first glance: Rosie has a handaxe tucked into her waistband with a flowery inscription adorning the edge and Conchobhar seems to take every opportunity possible now to tilt his hat up with his newly acquired cane.

[TheEmperor]

Julius wrinkled his nose, as he downed the last of the rum in the mug, and listened to the woman speak. Of course, as his eyes drifted down, back to his food, he noticed that at her sides were two cutlasses, one of which seemed oddly ornate, and familiar. He ignored it, taking it for granted, and went right back to his food.

And then it hit him like a cannonball. That's what he'd been missing the entire day! His inherited cutlass! And this woman had it?

Oh, I don't care if you worship Besmara, or if she favors you, but if I don't get that back willingly, it won't be a pretty sight when I'm done.

He looked right back at her face, and spoke "Dandy, ain't it? But you'll forgive me if I ask how you got that cutlass.", while gesturing towards the sword in question.

[Amazo]

At Julius' question, Sandara begins to unfasten the sheath holding his cutlass. "The same way I got all of my effects and some of yours too! The quartermaster is a superstitious sort, so I just convinced her that keeping a cleric of Besmara's belongings away from her on a pirate vessel is a surefire way to get yourself a divine curse on your head. I even managed to convince her of some of your things too, despite the difference of scale," she gestures an open palm towards Rosie and Conchobhar. She is quite animated in her explanation, her hands waving to and fro like the most experienced storytelling of salts, "She assured me the captain wouldn't care if the stuff all went missing as long as their value was accounted for, but since they took my gold along with my things, it only seemed right to get it all back for free!" Her story concluded, half of it using Julius' cutlass to gesture, she presents the blade to the irked young man with both hands, as if reverently presenting an official with a ceremonial blade.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora attempts to drain the cup without any liquid passing her lips, instead letting it slowly spill onto the ground. She sets the cup down and makes a face. "Ugh! Simply disgusting! I've had better quality rum from the taverns in mainland towns."

When Sandara offers her her holy symbol, Zora brightens and takes it from her, slipping it around her neck. "Thank you so much! I honestly feel kind of naked without this."

[roll0]

[TheEmperor]

Julius stood up, and graciously accepted the cutlass, with happiness on his mind. He felt particularly inebriated at the moment, and so he let the cutlass sit right next to him, as he downed the last of the food, instead of putting it at his side safely. "Thankee, you've returned something of value to me! Now, what can I do for you in return, beautiful one?"


DIPLOMACY!
To not get slapped, of course.
[roll0]

[Amazo]

Sandara straightens up on her seat and crosses her now-freed leg over the other. "I do suspect that we'll be able to help each other, friend. The captain seems to have made a habit of kidnapping and working poor sailors to the bone against their will, but I doubt he's ever tried to press two of Besmara's favored into his service. I do believe a little mutiny is in order... Perhaps sharing your name would be a valuable start though."

[TheEmperor]

"Aye, mutiny's been on my mind since I awoke. The name's Julius. Julius Dampier." Julius said, although not very loudly, obviously never giving it thought that maybe she was a spy for the captain, since he was not a very wise fellow. "The taking of a ship from a captain can be easily done... Especially since I'm going to be cooking, and who knows what can get into the food on board a ship?"

[Amazo]

"Two blesseds and a Dampier! This little excursion grows more interesting by the moment!" Despite her enthusiasm, she sighs dejectedly at the prospect, "Sadly, I don't think we can take the ship quite as easily as that. If we foul the food, we'd only be harming the crew. The cook seems to be making the officers' meals separately if those separate dishes he took up the stairs are any indication. The fouled meal may also hurt some of our potential allies," she points with her chin at Rosie, Conchobhar, and the bandana-wearing man sulking in the corner. "Then we'd have to take on the whole of the officers, of which there are half as many as there is crew, and if Harrigan's rather sizable treasury and horrific reputation are any indication, we likely wouldn't stand a chance even with the whole crew on our side."

[TheEmperor]

Julius grinned even harder, upon her recognition of his family name. He then put his elbow on the table, and rest his head on his hand, which was wrapped around his jaw in a speculative manner. "It will be quite difficult to do much in the way of a direct mutiny, for now, if he's as powerful as you say. Of course, I could try to become trusted enough to cook the officer's food too, but that's a long shot. Killing him in his sleep seems difficult, too, since he probably has people and stranger magics guarding him during that night. Of course, we could force a confrontation with another captain who's just as powerful, but... well, that's like treating poison with more poison, isn't it? We'll have to exhaust more ideas over time..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora stomps on Julius's foot under the table. "You idiot!" she whispers. "Don't talk so openly about such dangerous things. If you want to escape, you need to take it slow. And don't be so open about it. If you want to talk about it with others, don't do it in the mess hall in front of the rest of the crew!"

She glares daggers at him. If he was found out and she was punished for not turning him in...damn moron! "Anyway, Sandara, I find myself at ease when I pray aboard a swaying ship. The gentle rocking of the boat feels like Besmara's stroking my back. It's safe, calming. How do you stay in touch with Her?"

[Amazo]

"I do believe Zora is correct, Julius, though there's no reason we can't try to start building our resources already. The rest of your equipment and the definite loyalty of our follow conscripts should likely be our top priority. Aside from that, I've got some coin we can possibly turn into some more with some luck," she indicates a game of liar's dice already underway on the floor across the deck, "which, in turn, we could turn into more useful things through the quartermaster. Mayhap we could make some more friends, or at least fewer enemies, by ingratiating ourselves to the crew a bit more. I notice a disturbing lack of shanties being sung..."

With business settled, Sandara notably slackens when she finally answers Zora's question of faith, "Friend, I've always felt Besmara with me in my heart since I was but a girl. This being my first time on a ship doesn't change that but I can't say if I won't feel her even closer once we all make it out of this."

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora shakes her head. "You should definitely keep strong, Sandara. Would you like to pray together sometime? Your faith will get you through this, give you the strength and determination you need to make it out of here alive and in one piece."

[TheEmperor]

Julius immediately retracted his foot from underneath the table, and brought it into the loving, and caring grasp of his hands, and he squeezed it in an attempt to not feel the pain. He failed terribly, and so looked down as the woman gave him looks that killed.

"What the bugger drove you to do that?" he mumbled under his breath, noticeably keeping quiet about his rebellious words. He kept quiet as the two discussed religion, and rolled his eyes. He made his own fate, especially upon the seas! And he'd be damned if he bowed his head before a god any time soon!

"Lemme handle the lack of a shanty, shall I? You guys keep talking if you want," he said, instead, and he got stood up, and gave the image of a ridiculously drunk fellow. He yelled "Whaddya say about a shanty, ye mates?"

And then he began to sing one.


Oh lordy
Perform (Sing) [roll0]
The pain...
EDIT: At least that's not getting tomatoes thrown at me.

[Amazo]

As Julius' song beings, the crew still in the mess hall actually pipe down to tune in. They seem eager for anything new to while away the time.

Quinn takes the opportunity to continue her more personal conversation with Zora. "I've always taken mine before bed ever since my fa-" she stops her thought there. Despite her openness, she still values some of her privacy. "Since forever. I understand that's a bit unusual for those who share our calling."

Before Juluis' song, and the crowd's reaction to it, truly get underway though, the siren blares its ugly noise once again. The sun has fully set at this point, so it is unsurprising when Master Scourge once again appears with a lantern to light his way. "We've got a special treat in store today, lubbers! Get yer flanks topside 'fore the Cap'n do the same to ye!" The words aren't even fully out of his mouth before the more experienced crewmembers are already raucously making their way to the staircase behind him. Some express excitement and whatever is about to happen. Others feign indignation for interrupting a good game. Some grumble in earnest but keep their complaints firmly stowed. Quinn makes no bones about ending the conversation there to continue her charade of not rocking the boat.

From the way she looks back at you as she walks and jerks her head back over to Scourge, she seems to want both of you to follow suit.

[TheEmperor]

Julius looked down at Zora from his heightened point of view, and shrugged with an expression questioning on his face. It was a tad bit irritating how his singing had been cut short, since he was actually doing decently enough. "I wonder what the bollocks this is..." he said, before he followed Quinn, not in any hurry.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora's eyes float up towards the crew, waiting for them to all stand up as she gets to her feet and steadies herself. She doesn't have a very large build, so she does her best to give the impression that she is a little buzzed from her first exposure to this rum. Once a good number of men are topside, she follows Sandara to the Scourge.

[Amazo]

On deck, Captain Harrigan and Mr. Plugg already stand at the head of the ship on the upper deck. Beside them is a man soaked to his skin in filthy brown water, bound and gagged so as not to interrupt Harrigan's planned "show". When Scourge arrives from the lower decks and indicates that everyone is present, he begins.

"Aye, welcome to your entertainment for the evenin'! Some of you are already familiar with poor ol' Jakes Magpie over here. One of you even knows that he's a dirty, stealing rat of a man. Now, in addition to talkers, bellyachers, and killers, I won't be sufferin' any thieves on this little sojourn of ours. Jakes knew it, and he's earned himself a keelhaulin' for going against the Captain's word! Now, I'm still a fair sort: if he makes it out the other side, his debt's paid. However, if I know the sorry state you good-for-nothin' swabs have left the ship in, I doubt that'll be coming to pass."

The captain walks around the upper deck for maximum dramatic effect during his speech, but he ends it right where he started next to the bound man. Without further ado or any sense of weight to his action, he simply pushes the man overboard, letting Mr. Plugg control the line that will bring him up the other side. For those that wanted to see some violence, the next minute is enough to make one's blood boil with anticipation. You spy a few giddy faces in the crowd, including a Mr. Plugg himself and the bandanna-wearing man you were brought in with. For those that know the worth of a mortal soul or that respect dignity enough to swear torture a sin, that same minute is an eternity for an entirely different reason. You don't know when this man dies, but you know that he will and that it will have been the most cruel, awful way to die possible on a ship at the command of one's own superior.

The captain marches himself down from the upper deck, crossing the ship in the same amount of time it takes Jakes to. No one dares approach him for fear of what Plugg or Scourge or whoever else may be watching will do to them. When at last the grizzled remains of what used to be Jakes arrives up the other side, looking more like fresh fish to chum the water for sharks than anything that was human once, the captain merely shrugs. He informs the crew, "He didn't make it." Then, he tosses the remains back overboard even as he already starts moving back towards the upper deck where he started from. "That'll be concludin' tonight's entertainment. Mr. Plugg tells me that Scourge's whip won't be scourin' any of your hides tonight. I'm proud of you boys and girls! Truly does my heart good after such a dizzying loss in Mr. Magpie. Keep up your work and you may be gettin' something special for dinner sometime soon."

He dismisses the lot of you with a flick of his wrist. Scourge begins the task of corralling you back below decks from the back while Plugg does the same from the front. In short order, you're all ushered back below decks. It seems like an eternity since you last saw the remains of tonight's dinner, but in reality the proceedings above couldn't have taken more than ten minutes. Still, the crew seem to set about resuming whatever they were doing before. Some of the conversations turn to the much fresher topic at hand, but no one seems particularly somber about the man's untimely end.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora glares at Julius. "There you go. That's what a real pirate ship is like. So don't you dare talk to me about mutiny, not where another soul can hear you," she whispers. "I'm willing to help you, if only because I want to help Sandara get to shore as fast as I can. She doesn't deserve this fate. But if you're going to be an idiot about this, I'll turn you in and organize it myself while you sink to a watery grave. Got it?" She looks very annoyed.

[TheEmperor]

Julius rolled his eyes in response to Zora's angry outburst, as he saw the poor fellow die a rather horrid death. To be truthful, it did scare him, and quite a bit, but he refused to accept that as fact. He did not feel fear, and that was that.

He stared into the dead body of the thief, frowned, and then followed the rest of the crew as they went down into the lower decks once more. He was pretty much done with all of his food, so he left it, and returned to his thoughts on how he'd be able to take control of the ship, or get off it. He wasn't doing too well with his progress, since Quinn had essentially shot down all his ideas with the problem they'd present.

[Amazo]

Your hearts and minds weary with what your eyes were forced to witness, the uneasy trio wander below decks to claim hammocks to deal with their shock more than their exhaustion. Mercifully, the rocking of the waves drowns out the drunken frivolity taking place up above and sends you all to a much-needed night of sleep. You are awoken bright and early the next morning by the same heinous siren that marked last night's atrocities, but thankfully neither Scourge nor Plugg are present to salt your wounds with their power trips any further. The rest of the sailors who fell in for the night grumble their disdain for the workday ahead of them, but otherwise pay you little heed as they stumble their way to the stairs to report for their duties.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora heads up to the deck and climbs aboard the rigging. Today she decides to take things a little easier, so she decides to try and make conversation with one of the other riggers.

Daytime activity: Influence with one of the other riggers. Waiting on Amazo to give me a description, and then we can RP it.
Climb checks for the day: Take 10, total of 14
Profession (Sailor) for the day: [roll0]

[TheEmperor]

Julius awoke with a splitting headache, something he was entire used to after so many years of working in a pub with hardly any laws to govern the rights and limitations of children. He awoke, and looked around, as the rest of the crew left to do their jobs. It was another day, and he was feeling particularly cautious after last night's... entertainment, so he decided to push back any of his attempts.

He arrived at the mess hall, and looked for Fishguts.


Well, Influencing Fishguts. He seems nice. What should I roll?
Diplomacy? Cause if that is it, here you go
[roll0]

[Amazo]

Quinn walks alongside you two, planning to accompany Zora topside before reporting to Master Scourge for duty, when the three of you are accosted by a group of four other pirates. You certainly recognize them from around the ship, but you're not quite privy to their names. Zora in particular notes the yellow-skinned half-orc she thought stood out from the crowd earlier. The rest of the group is made up by a shorter bald, fat man, a tall woman with rouged cheeks, big ears, and a tattered evening dress, and a man whose shifty gaze gives him an air of unhinged danger. They say nothing as you approach, but as the group tries to split off for the day, the fat man steps forward and pokes Sandara squarely in the shoulder. "In a hurry, love?"

The woman laughs haughtily. "You 'aven't earned calling 'er that, Chummers." The group's intentions become painfully clear when she cracks her knuckles showily. "Though I s'pose a beatin's a good start to intimacy!" While none of them throw the first punch, the stances each of the pirates assumes shows that they're looking for a scrap before work.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora smirks and snaps her neck to one side and another. "You don't want to be doing that. She's with me, and I'm not someone you want to be in a tussle with. But if you are looking for the position of 'Help Zora Look Good to the Captain', then please, step right up."

Intimidate: [roll0]

[TheEmperor]

Julius's hand went to his cutlass, quite obviously rearing for fight, but his mind was attempting to hold back, since there had been explicit order to not have any killing, and the remnants of last night left a rather cautious taste in his mouth. It would wear off, but for now, he was going to try and stick to the rules.

He let Zora do all the talking, but once she was done, he simply did what he knew best, and exuded an aura of terror the best he could. He also attempt to put on an expression of 'Don't mess with me'/


Intimidate to back her up.
[roll0]

[Amazo]

Julius' fingers glancing with the hilt of his blade seems to inspire some real trepidation in them along with Zora's threats, but the quiet resolve of the half-orc in the back keeps the rest of the rooted to their task. The scrawniest man, however, scoffs with a whiny pitch, "Hee hee hee! The cap'n, eh? And how d'ye plan on getting his ear, eh? At least, 'fore us 'n' Scourge get to Plugg first!" And with that you have a name and an orchestrator behind this little rapidly-approaching incident. That wily boatswain seems decided on being the proverbial thorn in your side on this ship.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora raises an eyebrow. "Mr. Plugg is a hard worker who has earned his place at the captain's side. If Scourge wants to be first mate, he'll have to work harder and show the captain he is worthy of the title, as Mr. Plugg did. Killing him is not going to help anything, except perhaps hasten his trip overboard. Now why don't you scurry along before I snap your neck?"

[TheEmperor]

Julius tightened his fingers around his cutlass, causing his knuckles to go white, and quite frankly, didn't feel like getting into the conversation just yet. He let Zora do all the talking, and leaned to Quinn, just to say "What on Earth are these idiots going on about?"

[Amazo]

Quinn's lips stretch thin and her eyebrows raise in response to Julius' question. The subtle roll of her shoulders completes her expression of bewilderment. She tries to keep her voice low as she responds, "Scourge was doing his best to suck up to Plugg all day yesterday. Who knows what the power dynamics are on this backwater ship?"

At Zora's threat, the half-orc man's eyes widen with rage though he does not make a sound. He shoulders his way through the rest of the group to face Zora at his full height, towering over her. The beady-eyed man produces a knife from his open shirt, then immediately returns it to its hiding place. "We were plannin' on keepin' this civil, whelp," he says, "but try me and you'll see why Harrigan thought it best to save me from the gallows." He snickers gleefully again, clearly hoping Julius pays his threat no heed.

The woman sighs and shakes her head disapprovingly. "I would've settled fer ye all to get a lashin' fer bein' late." She gathers up her dress with her hands and throws the bunched up fabric behind her, a hidden split allowing her to enter a more effective battle stance.

Roll initiative please.
Quinn: [roll0]
Half-orc: [roll1]
Woman: [roll2]
Chummers: [roll3]
Shifty: [roll4]

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora chuckles and slides down low. "It's a good thing I don't have a weapon. Saves me the trouble of stopping myself from killing you."

Assuming that I healed myself before I went to bed last night, even though I forgot to mention it.
Init: [roll0]

[TheEmperor]

Julius
AC 16
HP: 10

Julius grinned, as it became quite obvious that it was a fight, and was quick enough to draw his weapon as soon as he knew he had to. "Are you daft buggers and scallops really shore you want to start something? Alright then!"


Initiative
[roll0]

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora waves her hand in front of her and she glows with divine power, and then she punches the half-orc in the face.

Using Zora's Judgment ability to give her +1 to damage.
Unarmed strike: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (nonlethal)

[Amazo]

Zora's experience is with armed combat, not fistfights. Her uppercut swings wide even with her target not reacting to the sudden attack. He snarls noiselessly, bearing his tusks as he throws a lumbering haymaker Zora's way. The three humans, meanwhile, react quickly to Julius' continued threats to use his weapon. They move up to him and let loose a flurry of fists to try to put him down quickly. Sandara takes the opening to step back and cast a spell. The effects of the incantation are not readily obvious, but the fluttering lace of her blouse and laces of her corset seem to suspend themselves in midair after her gestures are through. Ever honorable, she refuses to draw her own cutlass to meet these assailants.

Despite the woman's preparations and the orc's ferocity, the two brutes miss their attempts at putting their targets down. However, the two wily men manage to land a pair of unorthodox blows, a kick to the shins and an ax handle club, in quick succession onto Julius.

Quinn casts instant armor on herself.

Half-orc attacks Zora.
Attack: [roll0] vs AC 13
Critical Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] nonlethal
Critical Damage: [roll3] nonlethal

Woman attacks Julius.
Attack: [roll4] vs AC 15
Critical Confirmation: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6] nonlethal
Critical Damage: [roll7] nonlethal

Chummers attacks Julius.
Attack: [roll8] vs AC 15
Critical Confirmation: [roll9]
Damage: [roll10] nonlethal
Critical Damage: [roll11] nonlethal

Shifty attacks Julius.
Attack: [roll12] vs AC 15
Critical Confirmation: [roll13]
Damage: [roll14] nonlethal
Critical Damage: [roll15] nonlethal

[TheEmperor]

Julius
HP: 10 (5 Non Lethal)
AC: 15

Julius took the punches, and they were quite terrible, since they seemed to hammer at him in a thundering fashion. One of them missed, but that was hardly any consolation, was it? With irritation on his mind, and saliva dropping down from his mouth, Julius simply wiped away the saliva from his mouth, and then let loose on one of the crew mates attacking him.


Attacking the first guy.
[roll0]
Critting on 18-20/x2
Confirmation
[roll1]
[roll2]
Parry and Riposting the next guy to attack me
[roll3] If I roll higher than the next attacker's roll, his attack misses.
Then, as an immediate action, my riposte
[roll4]
[roll5]

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora blocks the thug's attack and tries again to knock him upside the hide.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Amazo]

Julius does not hesitate in the slightest running through the man they called Chummers. The blow is thankfully not lethal, but it is gruesome to behold nevertheless. The oozing wound gives the other combatants pause enough to back away from the three entirely. All, of course, except for the gallowsman wishing to make good on his word earlier. The wiry thin man draws his knife and tosses the blade between his hands to try and disorient Julius before lunging at him, not knowing he had drawn a blade on an artisan of bladeworks. Julius easily deflects the small bit of metal with the tried and true heft of his family blade and follows through with a lunge of his own. The unarmored man is completely unprepared to be the second mortal impaled on the blade so soon.

The half-orc and woman flee without another word, while the two injured men have stood down but glare the daggers into your eyes they wish their flesh were still able to dry into them.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora picks up the dagger that Julius deflected and pockets it. "Come on, we're going to be late!" she exclaims, heading up to the deck of the ship.

[TheEmperor]

Julius grinned, winked at the two, and sheathed his cutlass. He followed Zora to the top decks, hurrying along, but still giving himself some time to quietly pat himself on the back for a good job.

[Amazo]

As you ascend the stairs, you see more than a few other crewmembers scurrying up ahead the stairs ahead of you. The transgression below has already spread to the top deck, and when you arrive, the crew seems to be divided along party lines of some sort. Each side eyes the other warily, but no one lifts a finger in retaliation for fear of being witnessed by the captain himself. Master Scourge himself is clearly fuming when you arrive before two of his own lackeys do, but even he can't risk punishing you in front of the captain without any official offenses against you. The tension persists as the boatswain and first mate dole out the day's assignments, only breaking when the crack of Scourge's whip reminds them what happens to those who dally. When the workday officially starts for everyone else, Plugg dismisses Julius from him to go see what Fishguts needs.

Zora's assignment earns a few groans from her fellow riggers. She is only handling rope today: repairing frays, spooling and unspooling it, and fastening it to the various points of the ship for the masts to work properly. The task is quite simple and suited to her skills, a far cry from the grueling sun-beaten afternoon she spent yesterday. Julius, meanwhile, is also in for a pleasant surprise below decks. Fishguts slams an extra bucket of rum rations into his hands as soon as he enters the kitchen and proudly announces that there is enough left from last night's meal to not have any work to do today. As such, he pulls up a drink and a rickety chair to a tiny little card table he has in the kitchen, inviting Julius to take the other seat and spin some yarns with him for the day.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] Julius gets two dayttime ship actions today.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora is pleasantly surprised by her assignment, wondering if it is a reward for her hard work yesterday, or perhaps simply because she has so far demonstrated terrible climbing skills. She sits down and gets to work.

I already rolled my Profession (Sailor) check for the day, I think it was 27. And I'd like to talk to one of the riggers, so I'll use my daily action for Influencing.

[Amazo]

To Zora's chagrin, one of the brutalized men from this morning, the wily one with the knife, is also part of the rigging crew. He gingerly makes his way up to Plugg, indicating his mauled shoulder. Plugg immediately pulls his cat o' nine tails from his belt, his face flashing with rage, but he thinks better of it. With a groan audible over the see and scurrying workers about, Plugg walks over to the purple-clad gnome, Cohchobhar, and apparently designates him to take the man's place for the day. Fortunately for Zora, that means there are plenty of riggers who don't already hate her guts. Including the gnome, there is also a broadly muscled human woman, the Rahadoumi man with the impressive moustache, the rat-faced halfling with the missing fingers, and the prominently-nosed dwarf.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora walks over to the human woman and sits down as she works on rope. "Hi there. My name is Zora," she says, testing the waters.

[Amazo]

Her duty for the day is a bit more animated than Zora's so she takes some time to respond. Waiting patiently, she is rewarded with a relatively polite response, "Name's Samms, though everyone's taken to calling me Barefoot instead."

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora smiles. "Which do you prefer? It's nice to meet you. You look like you've been on a ship before, or perhaps been here a while, at least."

[Amazo]

"Ain't no bother to me neither way. Now if you really want to impress me, you'd call me by my last name, but I ain't giving you that just yet." Despite the negative response, her tone is still cordial. "But yeah, I've been on ships long enough to realize shoes ain't really worthwhile, just like back home."

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora nods, though an experience with a rusted nail aboard her previous ship would prevent her from ever going barefoot on deck again. "It certainly would make climbing the rope easier. I might give it a try next time I'm up there on the rigging. So, where's home for you? I come from a small port town north of here."

[Amazo]

"T'wer the Sodden Lands for me, though you'd be right if your first thought were, 'That's hardly a home at all.' Last ship I could manage for the Shackles was this one. Wouldn't you know it would be leaving right away after? Still, if the captain's got any ounce of honor in him, we'll still be getting paid fairly." It's hard to say if she knows something about the man that Zora doesn't, or if she's simply more inexperienced than she initially let on.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora shrugs. "Yeah, I suppose we'll find out at the end of the week, won't we?"

[TheEmperor]

Julius gave Fishguts a grin, and accepted the ale with grace. He sat down in front of Fishguts, and said "Thas' amazin' news, I'll tell ya. Good times to be had I s'ppose. In any case, did ya hear about the fellas who got mauled today, before the day started proper?"

[Amazo]

Fishguts clumsily scratches at his his hair, knocking his hat off in the process. His partly unfocused eyes don't belay any sort of reaction to it. "Can't say that I 'ave? Plugg 'n' Scourge stirring up trouble again? We're the only ones s'posed to be stirrin' on this ship, ain't that right lad?" He laughs heartily at his own poor pun.

Meanwhile with Samms and Zora, Barefoot answers matter-of-factly,"Think we'll run into another ship that soon? We would've spotted them on the horizon by now if'n we were to engage by the end of the week, I think. Takes a few days to run them down after all."

[NeoSeraphi]

"There's always a chance that a merchant will be sailing toward us and we spot him before he spots us," Zora points out. "You just need to stay positive and trust that the captain knows what he's doing."

[Amazo]

Samms shrugs while nodding her head in agreement. "You're very right about that, Zora. I must say, trusting in the captain is about the last thing I thought I'd be hearing out of you and yours so soon." She passes by Zora to retrieve a bucket of wood sealant and a brush before hoisting them and herself back to their perch on the rigging. "I know press-ganging's a pretty often way to drum up a crew on short notice, but the folks you get are usually sore about for it at least a while after. Heck, first captain I ever sailed under still held a grudge about it!" She is squinting in concentration at her task. Her tongue peaks out between her lips as if protecting the mast from water damage was a masterpiece that enveloped her fully. With a particularly careful stroke complete, her eyes open fully again, and she asks, "Are the rest of your lot quite so understanding?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora shrugs. "I've only really spoken to two of them, how close do you expect me to have gotten in one night? Not to mention, the captain didn't exactly leave a good taste in anyone's mouth with his trial by shark last night. I understand the necessity of it, but this is the first time that Sandara has been on a ship. Right now I'm more worried about keeping her safe than about whether she's on my side or not."

Zora is telling the truth here, by the way. She's much more accepting of her situation and she would like to believe Harrigan and Plugg are both good men that she can trust. Considering no one has tried to manhandle her here, that's definitely an improvement from her last captivity.

[TheEmperor]

"Well, buncha folks decided they wanted to get some fighting done, before the day actually started. Of course, ended up with a blade up their ribs, 'cause disrespect to women ain't a nice thing to have onboard a ship, now can we? In any case, Scourge's doing the ole 'become first mate by killing the current one' thing."

[Amazo]

Samms chortles a bit at the revelation that Quinn has never been on a ship before, "Fehehehe. Didn't think anyone'd be popping their cherries this voyage. Amazing what some officers will do, even one's as famous as Harrigan, to fill out a crew on the cheap and with lower commission."

Fishguts wears a vacant, perplexed look about him from the first word out of Julius' mouth, as if every word seems impossible to him. "Well, I dunno how much disrespectin' of women'd get about really. Between all ye fresh 'uns an' the crew we 'ad, ship's about half a woman's ship as it is a man's. Even the officers be half made up of women. As fer Scourge, I'm findin' that a tough lick to stand, matey. Word around these decks has been Scourge 'n' Plugg are in bed with each over running the ship about as much as they can be without actually doin' the deed." He draws breathe through teeth in a sharp hiss, adding, "Ugh, never been fond o' gossip meself, though if you want some o' that with yer tales, I got someone dyin' to meet you."

Fishguts raises a meaty arm and wraps his knuckles against the wall to his right. "Oy, Grok, get yer thin little neck out 'ere before I finish that necklace o' yours." He is answered by a greataxe swinging through the wood wear his fingers just rested, a yellow eye peaking through after it peels away.

"Kroop. You show off as much as you need to, but keep me out of it will ya? Unlike you, though, I can deal with some gossip, and lucky for you, ain't no one shopping today." The woman's voice trails as she approaches a door behind Julius with even steps. She opens the door and drags a chair from inside to join the two of you at your even more cramped table. When she strides out, you can see all of Fishguts' statements plainly for yourself. The woman is a towering half-orc with a surprisingly slender neck. It is, however, adorned with a gruesome pink scar from some nasty old wound.

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora chuckles. "Well, he didn't exactly sit down with me and go over my resume before he brought me here either. So I guess he's lucky that she seems to be the only newbie here." Her ropesmanship goes along smoothly and she seems to be completing her task almost effortlessly and with great skill (Nat 19 baby). "Do you have any skill with a blade? If we're to be raiding ships, I need to know which crewmates I can count on to watch my back."

[Amazo]

"I've no great skill in with my cutlass," she seems bashful to admit before she quickly recovers with, "but I'm scrappy enough to handle my own self, thank you very much." She gives Zora an intense glare if she seems in any way bemused by the revelation. "They haven't yet invented a weapon able to capitalize on my ability to use a fishing hook so well. As a result, I am rather handy with a grappling hook, so getting myself or someone else on board is no trouble at all. I did manage to pull a man to his fate off an enemy vessel once. Dumb sods shouldn't go around with plate on a ship."

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora smiles. "If you've got the aim for a hook to pull a man off, then perhaps you should consider a crossbow or a firearm? Might be better for you if you have the space to take your time and aim than charging right into battle thoughtlessly. There's no shame in being more confident with a ranged weapon. I'd take a crossbow over a hammer any day."

[Amazo]

"The aim only comes with the heft of what I'm flinging, sadly. I'm a poor shot still with a bow and a crossbow, but I've had some luck with the throwing axes and hammers I've come across. Wish I'd run into one of those fancy returning ones one of these days. It's not very useful to just give your foe your weapon, after all." She grabs a small leather pouch and a simple leather strap from her belt. Holding them up for Zora, she concludes, "I make due with a sling in the meantime, but the nature of our business means we still all have to cross blades more often than not."

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora chuckles. "That's funny. You look more like Goliath than David to me," she quips. "Well, you should sit with us at dinner. My group is a small one, but they're not drunken idiots like the experienced pirates. Who knows, maybe Julius or Sandara is your type?"

[Amazo]

She gives the arm holding up her weapon of choice a flex and laughs before putting it away. "Tossing the fisherman a line, eh? That's a new one by me. Just one question: if they're not drunken idiots, what kind of idiots be they? Landlubbers by the sounds of 'em before, hehe."

[NeoSeraphi]

Zora rolls her eyes. "Julius is a take-charge macho type. All ambition, no effort. He thinks he should be in a position of authority just because he believes he deserves it. Be nice to have you there with me to help put him in his place. And Sandara is...well, she's polite, and friendly. She's trying her best to make everyone like her. I think she's scared of us."

[Amazo]

"Sounds more and more like you're looking for a rescue than someone new to gab with. I suppose that's just as well. Being a fisherman by trade most of my life doesn't lend itself too well to spinning exciting yarns."

I'm fine with continuing this as long as you'd like. I want TheEmperor to be happy with his side of things before moving on from both conversations.

[TheEmperor]

Julius raised an eyebrow, and looked at the newcomer with an expression of questioning. "Hol' on, right there. Who be you? And running around with a greataxe ain't exactly making me not wanna run away, so I'll hope you're gonna be quick about it."

[Amazo]

The woman enjoys a laugh at Julius' expense before respond. "Like the man said, name's Grok. Cutthroat Grok if yer one fer nicknames. Quartermaster if yer one fer titles. Previous owner of that cutlass of yers too, least until the cleric was kind of enough to tell me about the curse on yer kin. Glad to part with the piece, really." She seems rather confident in her statement of Quinn's lie. She evidently buys it completely.