Othniel's Pirates IC I

[Othniel]

https://riotousgm.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/pathfinder-pirates.jpg

At the conclusion of “The Wormwood Mutiny,” the crew mutinied against Barnabas Harrigan’s prize crew under Mr. Plugg and Master Scourge, and claimed their own ship, the captured Rahadoumi vessel Man’s Promise. Though they are now free to commence their own careers as pirates, the crew must clear up a few matters first. They now control a ship that was seized by one of the most notorious Free Captains of the Shackles, and he likely still considers it to be his property. The wrath of Captain Harrigan, should he catch up to the crew and the Man’s Promise before they are prepared for such a confrontation, would be terrible indeed.

Most ships that sail the Inner Sea region, such as the Man’s Promise, were crafted by hand in shipyards throughout Avistan and Garund. Though ships of the same type are similar in attributes and size, they each have their own look and lines, which the practiced eye of an experienced sailor can recognize in the dark by the silhouette alone. Successfully stealing a ship and hiding it from its owners requires more than a name change and a new coat of paint—there must be a complete rebuild of the superstructures and rigging in order to change the way it looks. Such an overhaul is superficial in nature and changes none of a ship’s characteristics, but it does give a ship a different appearance and lines so that even someone familiar with the original ship can only determine the falsehood after several minutes of careful study.

Changing the identity of a ship in such a way is not cheap and must be done in secret or word would quickly get out of the ship’s new identity. Powerful Free Captains with their own home ports are able to do such modifications in their own private shipyards and dry docks, and captains with access to skilled carpenters and shipwrights among their crews often make such changes far out at sea away from the shipping lanes or while beached on some distant shore. But not everyone has access to those sorts of resources. As a result, a side industry of sorts has grown into existence at remote locations throughout the Shackles and just beyond its borders, where captains can find discreet craftspeople willing to do the work quickly and with the promise of silence for the right price.

Another obstacle (perhaps the most important) remains, however—the matter of sailing within the Shackles. Even if the crew manages to remake the Man’s Promise into a new vessel that will not be recognized by Captain Harrigan or his associates, they still face the prospect of being a new ship into pirate waters with no reputation to back them up. The Free Captains of the Shackles have a name for this sort of vessel: prey. Unless the crew wants to constantly fend off attacks from their fellow freebooters, they have to make a name for themselves as pirates along the fringes of the Shackles first in order to be accepted and respected as peers among the other Free Captains.

In order establish this name and acquire a reputation, the crew must accumulate both plunder and Infamy by performing acts of piracy. The crew should keep track of both of these scores, as they must acquire a sufficient amount of each to enter the society of the Free Captains successfully. It is important that they achieve high scores in both of these attributes, as pirates with a high Infamy score but not much plunder will be seen as merciless and cruel raiders, interested more in brutality than profit, and will thus be accepted by few and trusted by none, while a lot of plunder and a low Infamy score means that other pirate crews will see the crew as fresh meat just waiting to be butchered and looted.


The Godsend is a three-masted carrack (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/vehicles/water-vehicles/sailing-ship), 105 feet long and 30 feet wide (see the Skull & Shackles Player’s Guide). A minimum crew of 20 is required to sail her. Unless otherwise indicated, interior walls on the ship are of wood, 2 inches thick (hardness 5, hp 20, Break DC 20). Doors are of good wooden construction (hardness 5, hp 15, Break DC 18). Interior rooms are unlit during the day (except for those with windows or portholes), and usually have a single hooded lantern for light at night.


http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/195597/Man_s_Promise.jpg

B1. Main Deck: Two 10-foot-square hatches sit in the deck forward of the mainmast and open onto the middle hold. Between the hatches and mast, a steep set of wooden steps descends into the middle deck (area B8) 15 feet below.

B2. Foredeck: The foredeck rises 10 feet above the main deck. The ship’s nameplate on the hull reads Man’s Promise, but upon closer examination, you notice a second nameplate beneath it. This second nameplate reads the Motley. Further investigation reveals marks in the wood of the hull that indicate that a previous nameplate existed before that one, but it has long since been removed.

B3. Aft Deck: The aft deck sits 10 feet above the main deck, and steps lead up to an even higher deck behind the mizzenmast. The ship’s wheel stands just before the rail overlooking the main deck.

B4. Sterncastle: This high deck sits behind the mizzenmast, 20 feet above the main deck. A pair of light ballistas sit upon this deck, next to a box containing a dozen ballista bolts.

B5. Ship’s Boats: Two ship’s boats, a cutter and a gig (see the Skull & Shackles Player’s Guide for statistics), hang from davits on the gunwales just forward of the aft deck. The boats are lashed to the ship and require three DC 10 Profession (sailor) checks or Dexterity checks to launch. Each such check is a full-round action. Each ship’s boat has four oars and a single mast. The cutter can carry up to 12 Medium passengers, while the gig can carry up to 8 Medium passengers.

B6. Officers’ Quarters: This tidy cabin has two portholes to allow light and fresh air to enter. A hefty trap door sits in the floor, leading to the middle deck (area B8).

B6a. Officers’ Storage: These two storerooms are both unlocked and hold the lockers and personal effects of those pirates berthed in the officers’ quarters (area B6).

B7. Captain’s Cabin: The rear wall of this luxurious (by pirate ship standards) cabin holds four gilt-framed windows that rise the full height of the chamber. The cabin contains a luxurious hammock, a dining table and chairs, and a few chests and bookshelves. A trap door opens directly into the cook’s cabin below (area B11). The two doors opening onto the main deck and the trap door are locked with good locks (Disable Device DC 30, captain has the keys). The windows do not open.

B7a. Captain’s Storage: These small storerooms do not have doors, but are separated by sliding walls that can also be removed and made into a folding table. The starboard compartment contains a small writing desk and a couple of chests. One of the chests is locked with a good lock (Disable Device DC 30) and trapped with an electricity arc trap (Core Rulebook 420).

B8. Middle Deck and Armory: The middle hold of the Man’s Promise is currently empty, though the weapon racks along the walls only need to be restocked to turn this hold into a working armory. Steps behind the foremast descend into the main hold (area B12). A second set of stairs against the aft bulkhead lead up to the main deck (area B1).

B9. Crew Berths: Ten supporting pillars behind the mainmast fill this spacious compartment, with room for over a score of hammocks.

B10. Galley: This sizable galley contains a large stove against the aft bulkhead and a single porthole in the starboard wall. In one corner, a derrick stands next to a trap door that opens into the secure storage below (area B13). The door is locked with a huge, good padlock (Disable Device DC 30). It takes a full round to raise or lower the line on the derrick, which can lift up to 200 pounds of cargo. The galley has been stocked for the journey to Port Peril, but the food is scant at best.

B11. Cook’s Cabin: This filthy cabin contains two dirty hammocks and a single porthole in the port wall. A rickety ladder ascends to a trap door in the ceiling, leading to the captain’s cabin (area B7). Ambrose Kroop sleeps here, and he has also stashed a small barrel of rum he managed to secure from Cut-Throat Grok before leaving the Wormwood.

B12. Main Hold: Essentially empty after being looted by the crew of the Wormwood, the main hold of the Man’s Promise contains a large water barrel secured to the starboard wall. Stairs behind the foremast lead up to the middle deck (area B8), while a trap door near the mainmast leads to the bilges, which contains two bilge pumps, forward and aft. If anything, there are more bilge spiders there than in the Wormwood.

B13. Secure Storage: This large compartment aft of the main hold is locked with a good lock (Disable Device DC 30), but is presently empty.


At some point, the PCs will no doubt be interested in acquiring more sailors for their crew. They may do so (once per day) at any port or settlement, or upon the successful capture of another ship, by making a DC 20 Bluff (to trick sailors on board), Diplomacy (to convince people to join the crew), or Intimidate (to press-gang new crew) check. A successful check results in new crew members for the PCs’ ship (GM will roll). Unlike many other NPC hirelings, pirate crews do not have a daily wage. Instead, they are paid shares of the ship’s plunder taken in acts of piracy, when that plunder is sold. Rather than try to recreate the complexity of share amounts for historical pirate crews, the PCs should simply deduct 1 point of plunder from their total each time they attempt to sell plunder. This represents the shares of the plunder paid out to the crew, regardless of the actual amount of gold received for its sale.

Important Documents (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ytpnYQ4kW4P6xUbjqF93d9tGdLblVubabsKf2R5nS00/edit#gid=0)

Our story begins with the crew of the ship formerly known as The Man’s Promise having sailed into Rickety’s Squibs. Rickety’s Squibs lies in the estuary of a nameless river on the Draconic Coast. The river mouth is concealed from passing ships by a protruding headland, so that it is difficult to find if one doesn’t know where to look, and the facilities are hidden under the eaves of the encroaching jungle, further warding them from prying eyes.

Rickety’s Squibs refits and modifies the lines and profiles of ships without changing a ship’s size, characteristics, or deck layout, providing both discretion and a new identity for a price. These rebuilt vessels are referred to as “squibs.” In fact, “It’s like as not to be a squib,” is a common saying among the pirates of the Shackles for a ship of suspicious origin. Rickety’s Squibs is run by old Rickety Hake, a retired buccaneer and former mate aboard the Bearded Whore under Free Captain Ella Gurnett (“Who fed the kraken at the battle of Nolis Point,” as Rickety is fond of relating).

Rickety’s workers have spent the last few days repairing, refitting, and modifying The Man’s Promise into the new ship captained by self-proclaimed Captain Ramsay Blake, leader of the mutineers against Plugg and Scourge. You have spent the last few days exploring the tiny village of Rickety’s Squibs, boasting of your experiences (whether real or invented), recruiting new crew-members, and generally trying to stay out of the heat of the sun. You’ve all been gathered together on the main deck of your ship for the rechristening of The Man’s Promise into The Godsend. The ship is currently held out of the water and resting on a sloped decline gently angled toward the waters of the estuary. It is held in place by a set of wooden chocks. Your new crewmen are at their stations, and ready to begin their work once the ship is launched.

"Well, it's all done!" Rickety Hake proclaimed proudly. "Even threw in a small bonus. You'll find a pair of what I like to call "custom's free cargo compartments" hidden in the forward bulkhead of the Main Hold. Should be enough to avoid some of those pesky cargo inspectors or other unsavory sorts should the need arise." Hake stood hunched over with an look of avarice in his eyes reminding you, "Please remember Rickety's Squibs for all your refitting needs!"

After making his short sale's pitch, Rickety Hake stepped over to the bow of The Godsend, a hand resting upon the lever that will release the chocks that will allow the ship to slide slowly into the estuary. "Good fortune and sure sail await what one can crack the Tidewater Rock!” he shouted, and slammed his hand down on the lever. The Godsend slowly slid backward into the estuary, sending a small flock of seagulls hurrying out of the way. With a sudden splash of displaced water, your vessel moved backward through the water, rocking back and forth a bit until it evened out.

"Captain!" A clear, feminine voice shouted, "The wheel is ready for you!" Sandara Quinn stood holding the wheel in place, ready to step aside. "Where to, sir?" she asked.

The two of you recall the Shackles adage, "Good fortune and sure sail await what one can crack the Tidewater Rock!" It refers to a small castle called Tidewater Rock that commands a small, protected harbor on a remote island south of Motaku Isle. It is said that anyone who can claim Tidewater Rock as her own will have good luck, as the castle makes a strategic watch point from which one can strike the nearby shipping lanes. Most Free Captains have better things to do than pursue old wives’ tales, but a new pirate captain would surely find a boost to her reputation were she able to claim that she had “cracked the Rock.”

Go ahead and make your introductions, and then pick a direction. Remember, you all know each other from having been fellow mutineers against Plugg and Scourge.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Ramsay Blake had used the time in the shanties of Rickety's Squibs to recover somewhat from the ragged state he and the rest of the crew had been in when they arrived. The rags they'd been allowed by Plugg and his toadies had been replaced with fine clothes, and Blake himself had laid claim to a long black coat found among Squibb's possessions. The former Captain hardly needed it any more. Placing a practiced hand on the wheel, Blake looked out over the assembled crew, noticing the trepidation a few of the new hands still showed when confronted with the likes of Erebus or Roscoe. Funny - they had more to fear from Rhagor than the dragon or the ogre.

"Well, my trusty salts, it's been a fine few days in paradise while we waited for Master Rickety to return to us our prize! Our sail is trim, our bellies full, but I've a different hunger in me! These holds are dreadful empty, and it's high time Besmara's Godsend takes an offering! The sea calls to us, and it's there we'll take a fortune and make a name! Mister Gorestream, prepare to cast off!"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Lounging in the midday sun on the sterncastle rail above the aft, deck, a tiger-striped catfolk by the name of Branna Lachlan lay sunning herself, a rather bored look on her face. The past few weeks had been terrifying, even exciting, no doubt - being press-ganged into service as the carpenter on a pirate ship will do that to you. Mutinying against Plugg and Scourge once they'd split away from the main group had been the climax of that particular adventure, and it had been adrenaline-pumping - a reminder of days long gone, of that first escape.

Briefly, a frown crossed the humanoid feline's face.

Be safe, sis. Whatever you're up to now.

Waiting for the newly named Godsend to be refitted, however, had gone from a welcome calm to utterly boring. And if there was one thing Branna hated, it was being bored. Telling stories to pass the time and entertaining herself by doing acrobatics on top of the buildings had helped, but she'd quickly found all the best spots and grown bored with them just as quickly. And to top it off, none of the names she'd suggested had been picked. The tigress frowned grumpily, tracing her clawed fingertip on the railing.

I still say that The Fluffy Unicorn or Our Hold Is Full Of Bees would have been awesome ship names.

Turning over from her front onto her back, Branna stretched out, exposing her cream-colored belly to the sun as she yawned. Having no reason to suspect a knife in the back, she had elected to dress down a touch into her 'fancy' gear - cream-colored pantaloons with silver thread embroidery, and a very immodest top to a swimsuit that had allegedly come from Absalom, being composed of little more than two black triangles of fabric that just covered her breasts held together by string.

Then, the calls rang out, and the christening was over.

Oh thank Besmara!

Quickly, the catgirl leapt back into a position that looked somewhat like paying attention as Rickety Hake sent the Godsend out into the wild blue yonder. As Sandara gestured to the new captain-elect Blake to take the wheel, Branna cocked her head to the side, a thought occuring to her.

"Nya?"

Now that our beloved retrofitter brought it up...

Smiling, Branna sidled over to Blake. Never a bad time to start getting in good with the new management. At least until this all went down in flames.

"Sooo... We've got ourselves a ship now. Or, should I say, you've got yourself a ship now, cap'n. And we can go anywhere we want, do aaaanythin' that strikes our fancy." Branna gave a sly cat's smile. "So I was thinkin'. Like I said, new ship, new digs, we can do whatever. But even with our-" She pouted briefly. "-name change-" She perked right back up as if nothing had happened. "Even if we ain't gotta worry about Harrigan anymore, at least not for the moment, we still gotta make a reputation for ourselves, or else we'll be fighting off every ship from here to the Arch of Aroden." She leaned in close. "That Tidewater Rock place Hake mentioned. Imagine what it would do for our reputation if we could find that! What do you say, nyan?" Branna opened her eyes wide and put her hands up as if begging for a treat, tilting her head to the side cutely.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Almost overlooked amidst the intimidating shadows of the more bombastic members of the crew, a dark, short tengu stood in a black hooded robe. Barefoot, a black-taloned foot tapped on the deck, whether out of impatience or nerves it was hard to say.

Blackbeak was happy to be on the move again, certainly. And mutiny against a pair of abusive louts was all well and good. But now the 'responsibility' of piracy was squarely on their shoulders, and it was an odd burden to be sure. Blackbeak had always been essentially a criminal, but he had always stuck to larceny, con jobs, and hustling games of chance. Piracy was a new enterprise. He sincerely hoped the rewards outweighed the punishment if they were (gods forbid!) brought to justice.

Having just retrofitted, Blackbeak barely had to give a cursory glance to the state of the ship to give a report. It felt like the time to say something, though, so he piped up, his voice loud, high-pitched, nasally, yet carefully groomed not to be too annoying.

"Godsend's as sea-worthy as she'll ever be, Cap'n. Give us a heading, and we'll get there on Gozreh's farts if need be."

Blasphemy? Sure. You're a pirate now.

[Nefarion Xid]

Perched on the forecastle railing, Erebus rumbles to himself, his voice darker and brassier than it perhaps should be for a creature of his size, "Nya-n? What is 'nyan'? Is that some sort of Taldane slang? How do the lesser races communicate at all if they just get to make up words as they go along? You should all speak Azlanti and be happy about it -- perfectly serviceable language with established rules. Hasn't changed in ten thousand years and I can guarantee you there's no translation for 'nyaaghn'!"

Having now annoyed himself by attempting to understand mortals, his dorsal spines rise up and he twitches his tail, oblivious to the sound it made as it slapped against the hull.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Blake turned his eyes from the deck to regard the catfolk exhibitionist.

"A fine idea, Branna, but before we start thinking about assaulting mythical castles we'll be putting some coin in our pockets. Now, to your post if you please. Wouldn't want to have our inaugural voyage be some slipshod affair."

Knowledge (Geography) to see if there are any shipping lanes nearby:
[roll0]

[Othniel]

You recall that there is a basic map of The Shackles in both the Captain's (your) cabin and the Officers Quarters (see the document (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ytpnYQ4kW4P6xUbjqF93d9tGdLblVubabsKf2R5nS00/edit#gid=504961695)). More importantly, you recall that the Inner Sea's primary trade route near the Shackles actually bypasses most of islands, extending from Rahadoum to Mediogalti, and just skirting the pirate-infested Shackles before swinging south to Sargava. There are, however, minor trade routes between all of the main settlements (listed on the map) in the Shackles. At any point in between settlements, you are sure to find ships hurrying their way toward a port's open arms of safety.


Everyone, please remember that I'll be rolling Appraise, Disguise, Linguistics, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive. If you think you should have one of these rolls, let me know (either on skype, pm, or one of the threads) and I'll make it for you.

[Lord Of Mantas]

"Nya-n? What is 'nyan'? Is that some sort of Taldane slang? How do the lesser races communicate at all if they just get to make up words as they go along? You should all speak Azlanti and be happy about it -- perfectly serviceable language with established rules. Hasn't changed in ten thousand years and I can guarantee you there's no translation for 'nyaaghn'!"
Branna drew her hands to her side and frowned a pouty frown. "It's a verbal tic, nyan! I can't help it if some wizard decided to merge cats with humans umpteen bajillion years ago or however catfolk came to be!" She sidled up to Erebus. "C'mon, Erebus, don't be such a grumpy-pants. Turn that frowny upside-downy! We're all working together now! We should be friends! Especially now that you're out of that nasty cage." She perked up her ears. "Tell ya what, how about-"

Whatever Branna was going to offer at that point was cut off as Blake interjected.

"A fine idea, Branna, but before we start thinking about assaulting mythical castles we'll be putting some coin in our pockets. Now, to your post if you please. Wouldn't want to have our inaugural voyage be some slipshod affair."
Waggling her ears, Branna jumped up and saluted. "Aye-aye, cap'n!" Running below deck, Branna began to conduct an inspection of the hull, checking to see if Hake's repair job was, in fact, holding...

Branna will go throughout the lower decks and use Perception​ to make sure that everything is holding together and that there are no leaks or such.

[Othniel]

Branna, The Godsend, Main Hold


Branna drew her hands to her side and frowned a pouty frown. "It's a verbal tic, nyan! I can't help it if some wizard decided to merge cats with humans umpteen bajillion years ago or however catfolk came to be!" She sidled up to Erebus. "C'mon, Erebus, don't be such a grumpy-pants. Turn that frowny upside-downy! We're all working together now! We should be friends! Especially now that you're out of that nasty cage." She perked up her ears. "Tell ya what, how about-"

Whatever Branna was going to offer at that point was cut off as Blake interjected.

Waggling her ears, Branna jumped up and saluted. "Aye-aye, cap'n!" Running below deck, Branna began to conduct an inspection of the hull, checking to see if Hake's repair job was, in fact, holding...

Branna will go throughout the lower decks and use Perception​ to make sure that everything is holding together and that there are no leaks or such.

Branna's inspection job goes well. In point of fact, there is not much to inspect, the crew of The Godsend having paid off Rickety Hake in nearly everything not nailed down aboard the ship. Hake's workers lived up to their reputations, and all of the battle damage from The Wormwood's assault on the ship appears to have been repaired by experts. The ship is probably the cleanest it has been since originally launched, the decks having been scrubbed, trash having been removed, and rats having been (mostly) caught and disposed of. Branna passes by Crimson "Cog" Cogward who is in the Crew Berths taking a nap amongst several of the other sailors before their post as night crew. Ambrose "Fishguts" Kroop is in the Galley preparing lunch, and Rosie Cusswell is keeping him company, listening to (and laughing at) Kroop's stories of his adventures before he met Barnabas Harrigan.

As Branna descends to the lower deck, entering the main hold, she hears a scuffling sound coming from the stack of crates leaning against the wall of the secure storage*. Branna's low-light vision allows her to see much more than most would in the dim conditions. She recollects that the only cargo currently on board The Godsend is the crew's food, much of which is fruit collected in the jungle surrounding Rickety's Squibs. As she draws nearer, a bright yellow object soars out from behind the crates and lands at her feet. It is a banana peel.


*There are two keys to the secure storage, one held by the Captain, and the other by the Quartermaster.

[Lord Of Mantas]

The heck? Is someone eating our food?! ...did a monkey sneak aboard?

After quickly pondering on whether monkeys were even native to the area, Branna's hand went to the hilt of her rapier. A well-made weapon of war, it was solid steel, with a basket hilt decorated with serpentine imagery. What was truly precious to Branna, however, was the fine lace wrapped around the hilt.

Rapier in hand, her feet light, and her natural hunter instincts kicking in, Branna crept toward the spot where the banana peel had come from, trying to get a good look at the culprit.

Branna will make a Knowledge (Nature) check to see if monkeys or any other fruit-eating animals live in the area. She will also attempt to sneak up on whatever's eating the bananas so that it doesn't notice her.

Stealth: [roll0]

[Othniel]

Branna, The Godsend, Main Hold

Branna slipped into the shadows and crept up toward the pile of crates. As she got closer, the sounds of multiple creatures rose to greet her. A muttered chewing, scratching, banging, and rattling assaulted her feline ears, and she caught a glimpse of pale brown fur through the crates. A small glance, perhaps, but enough to confirm her suspicions: there were monkeys on board, three of them at least! Another banana peel flew over the piles of crates, nearly missing the pirate's head. It was clear that the monkeys were enjoying the fruits of the pirates' labors.

Branna thought back to her time at Rickety's Squibs, and quickly remembered seeing monkeys playing in the jungle. It came as no surprise to find several had stowed away. Excellent climbers, monkeys were as fast in the trees as they were on the ground. Though their bites could be painful, they were not particularly dangerous.

The crates count as difficult terrain for those without a climb speed.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor rubbed his bloodshot eyes, his bulky and hulking frame leaning against the side railing of the ship, head drooping down groggily from a night of far too much booze and ill remembered shouting. A migraine assaulted his temples and he couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol depravation or some unremembered concussion during a bar brawl. Either way it didn't matter to him, he was finally in the position to accomplish the dreams he had since he was a little cub. A pirate! The thought of being his own independent pirate made him feel warm inside, warmer then any shot of the pure could possibly make him feel. Not that a little of it now wouldn't make him feel all the better of course.....

Lightly shaking his head to fight off the impulses of any sailor worth his salt, Rhagor continued to think on the events that lead up to where he was standing now, his eyes vacantly examining the salty sea below and the occasional fish that swam past. Being knocked unconscious and press ganged into servitude for a pirate crew wasn't exactly the glorious beginning he had imagined for his career of piracy, sure, but any good tale had to have adversity even at the start, and great heroes come away all the better upon surmounting the odds stacked against them. It certainly didn't hurt that the crew was made of quite the menagerie of spectacles, a fantastical collection of raiders that sounded more like the beginning of a strange bar joke then an actual crew, and yet here they were united on one ship by one will. Rhagor was perhaps most thankful for the fact that he had a captain he knew and trusted already in the past, granting him a level of assurance in all of their endeavors. Sure in his ideal vision of himself in the epic was that of Captain of a Dread Fleet, but Rhagor knew Ramsay since he was a young cub, and Ramsay had never given him a moment of doubt or anger. He was different, he never demeaned or belittled Rhagor, and when Rhagor participated in his schemes it always felt like a sincere request or invitation. He knew what he wanted, he knew what he needed to get it, and he didn't hold any judgements to get in his way. That's how Rhagor knew he would be a good captain, a captain to be remembered with a crew for the ages, and the world's greatest First Mate to accompany him.

Speaking of which, Rhagor was currently being called to his duty. At last it was time to begin, the beginning of a saga that Rhagor already knew the ending to. Covered in an assortment of furs collected from random animals and stitched together, Rhagor looked like a massive heap of hair curled up into a lump over the railing, and with his rise the furs spread apart to reveal his bruised and muscular countenance. His Falchion strapped closely to his waist in his sheathe, weapon chord connected to its hilt as it dangles about with his left hand drunkenly waving about to indicate objects of interest to his hemorrhaging brain cells. A green bottle was clutched tightly in his right hand, sharp claws greedily rubbing against its cold surface as he raises it to his cut and disfigured lips. He began to stumble forward, his disorganized lope carrying from one side of the ship all the way around its borders. His stumbling drunken speech was punctuated with whipping about gestures from his bottle, the occasional swig, and other disorganized sounds.

"Yahar Cap'n! She's, she's as ready to cast off as the day she was made! You *BURP* heard the man, everyone at attention! I want hands on the bow and ssstern, if we get moving fast we can catch the, get the breeze and sail this baby by the lee. Unfur-Unfurl the sails, get this ship moving by the time I *Glugglug* get back from below deck or so help me."

Throwing open the door to go down through the ship, Rhagor began to go about inspecting the activities of all his crewmen, making sure they were doing their jobs and emitting a low growl if they weren't. It was up to him to ensure the crew was nice and orderly for their first expedition, and Rhagor wasn't about to mess that up. All the while as he inspected and managed the ship, moving through her body in a meticulous manner in order. A grin plastered on his face, Rhagor sang a song as he went about his duties. "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...."


Perform Sing:[roll0]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Well, then... Good thing I have a climb speed. Of 20 feet, to be precise. XD

Filthy monkeys! Eating our food and ruining our clean ship! This won't stand, I tell you!

Silent as a tiger in the night (pun intended), Branna reached into the enchanted messenger bag on her back. More than just an ordinary bag, it was enchanted to always have the exact thing she was looking for on top. And so it was that she drew out an alchemical extract of her own creation, drinking it down. Immediately, her arms twisted and contorted under the effect of her distilled magic, growing as long as her entire body.

"You're not getting away with this, nyan! Game meat's on the menu tonight!"

In the event a Stealth check is necessary to retrieve and drink an extract of Long Arm beforehand: [roll0]

Branna's reach is now increased by 5 feet.

Branna will then sneak up and skewer the first monkey in range!

Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[barticus]

Seamus did enjoy the break from the sea for the first day but grew bored and restless quickly. He was to excited to get back out to the sea. But nonetheless, there was not anything he could do to get their ship finished any faster so he hit the town taverns and enjoyed some of the "local talent" as he called them. He hated negative and derogatory terms for people in certain professions. They are working and doing a job just like everyone else, at least they are not just giving up and begging on the streets. Seamus sincerely believes that if you need to beg to live you are wasting resources others could be using to survive instead, others that have not given up on life. A drunken night at a tavern would usually end up well for Seamus, for some reason the younger ladies loved an older man, but those nights were never as good when dealing with amateurs instead of professionals. There is just something about the transaction that made the process easier. Both parties knew that there would be no contact made after the evening and there were no loose ends to be tied up, well at least not before the time he paid for was up. After hearing Rake, Seamus is excited to get back to sea and quickly makes his way on board to see the finished work. He gathers with the other crew before they set off and introduces him self to the new members who signed on.


"A fine idea, Branna, but before we start thinking about assaulting mythical castles we'll be putting some coin in our pockets. Now, to your post if you please. Wouldn't want to have our inaugural voyage be some slipshod affair."

"I agree Cap'n. We should find something smaller, otherwise I fear my services might be needed to soon. Not to mention the new crew. We should find out what they can do before going up against something that challenging. If you don't need me at the moment, I'm going to head below to scope out a spot where I can set up a med room or such space I can use for treatment of the crew."

[zabbarot]

Roscoe looked around the ship in dismay. Two blasted ballistae were all the dock workers had left them, and if he hadn't stood guard over them they might have looted them as well. At least he had kept them away from his cannon. And he'd only had to threaten to eat one of them, so that was nice.

"Cap'n, if I might 'ave a word? We've barely got crew to get this wreck mobile, and we ain't got 'ardly anything for weapons. If we go af'er a ship in this state, we'll be runnin' on pure bluster." The ogre seemed genuinely concerned. "Not that we ain't capable of a mighty fine bit o' bluster, but still. We'll need to pick careful.

[Othniel]

Well, then... Good thing I have a climb speed. Of 20 feet, to be precise. XD

Filthy monkeys! Eating our food and ruining our clean ship! This won't stand, I tell you!

Silent as a tiger in the night (pun intended), Branna reached into the enchanted messenger bag on her back. More than just an ordinary bag, it was enchanted to always have the exact thing she was looking for on top. And so it was that she drew out an alchemical extract of her own creation, drinking it down. Immediately, her arms twisted and contorted under the effect of her distilled magic, growing as long as her entire body.

"You're not getting away with this, nyan! Game meat's on the menu tonight!"

In the event a Stealth check is necessary to retrieve and drink an extract of Long Arm beforehand: [roll0]

Branna's reach is now increased by 5 feet.

Branna will then sneak up and skewer the first monkey in range!

Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Branna, The Godsend, Main Hold

The still-oblivious monkeys continue the feast on their ill-gotten gains as Branna creeps closer through the pile of crates. One of the diminutive primates looks around suddenly, but fails to notice her. Just as it goes back to its meal, Branna springs and skewers the monkey upon her rapier!

Surprise round for Branna. She one-shots one of the monkeys, and combat has now started...and she won initiative.

Above deck

As Captain Blake gave his orders and Mr. Gorestream relayed the commands more specifically to the crew, the sailors started casting off lines and preparing to set sail as they joined in cheerfully with the Skald's song. The ship moved slowly through the estuary until it rounded the horn of Godwin's Watch and entered the open sea. The sails were hoisted and a nice south-easterly wind coming from Sargava propelled the caravel forward along the coast. At their current rate, The Godsend should be within range of shipping lanes in a day or so.

Seamus, Middle Deck

As Seamus descends into the middle deck, he notes that there is plenty of space here to set up some sort of makeshift medical area...on the floor. Having sold nearly everything not nailed down to Rickety Hake to pay for the ship's squibbing, there are no tables or chairs to spare here, so all Seamus is left with...is a (relatively clean) floor.

I forgot to add, as part of your geography check earlier, Blake knows where Tidewater Rock is, and it is marked on the map in the document.

[Lord Of Mantas]

A quick thrust, and it was all over.

"Hah hah! Take that, you filthy primates!"

Lunging forward, Branna attacked yet again.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak lingered near Captain Blake and the others. He spoke up at Roscoe's concerns.
"Aye, Roscoe, it's a bit of a dilemma. For the time being you might as well be the firepower of the Godsend. But I figure between the sight of you with your armament, the dragon, and one of Rhagor's songs, we'll paint quite the intimidating picture."
Leaning a bit closer to the captain, Blackbeak muttered under his breath,
"I believe I'll keep a close eye on dear Rhagor. Pick up any of his duties that might... slip through the cracks, as it were. Seeing as he's successfully keelhauled his liver..."

[Nefarion Xid]

While all hands make ready the ship, Erebus slinks around the deck and inspects their work. He'd had a certain fascination with ships for years, but only recently set his mind to learning exactly how they worked. The notion that he was now an able sailor after only days of observing humans at their work neither surprised nor impressed him.

Unless Captain Blake gives him an order, he slips into the water soon after and skims the bottom looking for mussels, particularly those specimens that might yield pearls. He also keeps an eye out for any fish big enough to impress the officers at dinner.

[roll0]

[Othniel]

Branna, Main Hold

A second monkey falls to Branna's blade, and the third lets out a shriek so loud, the entire crew can hear it. Throwing dropping the purloined banana the monkey had hitherto been holding, it darted past Branna and made for the stairs up to the Middle Deck.

The monkey's acrobatics roll was high enough to avoid an attack of opportunity. :smalltongue:

Blackbeak and Captain Blake, Aft Deck

"It's a concern for me as well, sir," puts in Sandara. "Drink's all well and good off duty, but I've seen sailors go overboard drunk, or unable to do their duty, and the rest of the crew has to pick up slack. Also sets a bad example for everyone else, and other folk may not want to take up the slack of the First Mate," she adds with a tone of distain.

Erebus, Under da Sea (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC_mV1IpjWA)

Lacking any orders from Blake, Erebus dove into the waters near the estuary. The sea floor was close enough here that he could easily sea the bottom and many objects resting upon it. Littering the seafloor were the remains of a number of ships, many no doubt having been cannibalized over the years for the squibbing of other vessels. Several small schools of fish swam nearby, but darted away as they caught sight of Erebus. Out of the corner of his eye, Erebus noted some color; a coral reef had begun to form over the remains of a wreck, and amongst the coral, something he was searching for: Oysters. There were several in the area, appearing to be of a variety unfamiliar to Erebus.

[Lord Of Mantas]

"Oh no you don't, nyan! Get back here!"

Running like a madman, Branna took off after the third monkey, intent on finishing the job she had started.

Branna will take off after the monkey, using Perception and sufficient movement as necessary to find and kill it.

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus explores the wreck first, on the off chance something valuable went down with the ship. If he finds nothing interesting, he sits on the ocean floor for several minutes, greedily prying open oysters with his claws and sucking down the meat after checking them for pearls. Once he's eaten his fill, he'll carry an armful back to the ship.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak casts Sandara an incredulous glance.
"You're one to talk, Sandara. Isn't drunken incoherence on deck a sacrament to your goddess? Why, I'd say Rhagor's attempts at issuing orders was close to a prayer!"

Lacking lips, the tengu cocked his head and tapped the side of his beak with a clawed finger, and gave Sandara a wink. It was the closest equivalent to a smile he could give the human woman, as if to say he was only joking. Blackbeak had developed a body-language shorthand of his own over the course of his dealings with the ever-present humans.

"No complaints from me just yet, Cap'n. If and when I have any, you'll be sure to know, to your consternation no doubt. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've a drunk gnoll to chaperone."

With that he set off after Rhagor to make sure he was getting along, and to double-check the crews efforts as they set sail.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Blake sighed at mention of Rhagor's...behavior, a sentiment that only deepened as Blackbeak chose to add his own commentary.

"Come now, Sandara, we can allow for a bit of celebration today of all days. Once we're out at sea Rhagor will shape up. That, or we'll be out of grog in less than a week and he'll have the entire crew out for his blood. He may be impetuous, but he's not stupid, and despite appearances there is nothing he takes more seriously than this life we've chosen to lead. Mister Blackbeak, I'll thank you to make sure he recovers his sea legs with all possible haste."

The matter resolved, Blake had almost managed to return his full attention to the wheel before an animalistic shriek resounded from the lower decks.

"Mister Blackbeak! While you're down there I'd thank you to check that we're not being overrun by jungle creatures!"

Finally able to focus on the task at hand, the captain took hold the oiled wood of the ship's wheel with reverence.

"Unfurl the sail, lads! Let's see what our Godsend can do!"

With that, Blake set course for the nearest trade route through the southern Shackles. The ship would have her plunder, and then mayhaps they'd set their eye on Tidewater Rock.

[Othniel]

Branna, Main Hold

The final monkey screamed loudly in a mix of anger and fear, hollering at the top of its tiny lungs as it sped away from the pirate and up the stairs. By this time, Cog and the other night crew were starting to wake up from all the noise, and one angrily demanded, "Besmara's ****'s what's all that racket?!"

Erebus, Underwater

Unfortunately, anything of value in the shipwreck has been long picked over by scavengers, but Erebus finds a veritable treasure trove among the oysters. (http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/education/images/creature_black_pearl_oyster.jpg) Nestled safely in the coral, Erebus found no less than several dozen of the black-lipped species. Knowing little of oysters, he couldn't tell whether they were good to eat (by human standards) or not, but it was common knowledge that pearls sometimes formed within an oyster's shell. Forcing them open one-by-one with his claws, the dragon searched for pearly treasure, eating his fill of the oysters as he went. They tasted slightly briny, but had an undeniably sweet flavor. From the oysters he searched, a whopping six black pearls were discovered!

Check the OOC to find out how many pearls Erebus finds!
Erebus estimates each black pearl to be worth at least 2000gp.


Blackbeak and Captain Blake

Sandara (http://brennor.dyndns.org/~steve/SkullAndShackles/Images/Characters/NPC-Sandara.jpg) looked at Blackbeak for a moment, unsure of how to take his comment, but grinned as he winked, finally catching on. As the captain gave his orders, Sandara shouted out to the crew (in absence of Rhagor), "You heard the cap'n! Unfurl sails and we'll make like Besmara herself is at our heels!"

Rhagor, Middle Deck

As the hulking gnoll descended to the Middle Deck, he caught sight of the jungle escapee, standing defiantly on one leg and hooting loudly. Unsure of what to make of the gnoll, it looked around for something to throw, but was dispatched into whatever passes for a monkey afterlife as Rhagor smashed his bottle against the monkey's cranium. Blood spattered against the once-clean wall of the deck, and silence once again reigned.

Edit: Assume this post happens AFTER Tychris's below.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor scratched his head as he heard the shrieking of some lower intelligence being running rampant in the bowels of his ship. Grumbling angrily and incoherently to himself, Rhagor finished the last of his drink before smashing the bottle and brandishing it like a crude dagger. Drunkenly stumbling down through the bowels of the ship, Rhagor grit his teeth and angrily muttered enough curse words to make a sailor blush.

"C-c-c-come out, you little bastard. I-I-I-I *BRUUUUUUUUGHP* got a treat, got a thing, right here for yah. It's in my hand, right, right here in my hand, and I wanna show you it. I wanna, you know, give you a real personal tour right here with it, show you the, show the whole thing on display for yah. IN HELL!"


Make a perception check to find the origin of this noise and stick my broke bottle right into its face.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Scampering down into the bowels of the ship with practiced grace, Blackbeak soon caught up to Rhagor, brandishing a razor-sharp broken bottle.

"Rhagor, my good gnoll, there you are! Careful with that. Wouldn't want to put an eye out, 'lest you're aiming for the cycloptic look. Seems to be in vogue amongst certain pirates these days... heh. I believe we're under way presently. Fantastic job setting things in motion, by the by. You should see the crew hop to it. Any idea what's with all the hooting and screeching? Stowaways?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Scampering up the stairs, Branna raised her rapier as she caught sight of the monkey-

And then visibly deflated as Rhagor beat her to braining it, her shoulders slouching and her alchemically elongated arms dragging on the floor.


"Rhagor, my good gnoll, there you are! Careful with that. Wouldn't want to put an eye out, 'lest you're aiming for the cycloptic look. Seems to be in vogue amongst certain pirates these days... heh. I believe we're under way presently. Fantastic job setting things in motion, by the by. You should see the crew hop to it. Any idea what's with all the hooting and screeching? Stowaways?"
Branna turned to Blackbeak and nodded vigorously. "Three of them, nyan! They were in the hold eating our bananas and ruining our clean ship! I got two of the filthy monkeys but then this one gave me the slip." She cocked her head. "I don't suppose either of you know if monkey meat is edible?"​

[barticus]

After hearing all the commotion and scampering coming from the lower deck, Seamus spins around in his place drawing his bow and knocking an arrow. He trained the arrow on the monkey ready to fire. At least until he saw Rhagor skewer the monkey with his cup. After seeing that his mind wandered to a time back to a memory from his late teens or early 20's when he watched a man kill another man with a tea cup. Seamus couldn't even believe what had happened even after seeing the incident occur. Who would have thought a tea cup could be so lethal?

Seamus catches his mind wandering and shakes his head snapping back to the present time and looses the draw on the arrow and puts it and the bow back into his quiver.


Branna turned to Blackbeak and nodded vigorously. "Three of them, nyan! They were in the hold eating our bananas and ruining our clean ship! I got two of the filthy monkeys but then this one gave me the slip." She cocked her head. "I don't suppose either of you know if monkey meat is edible?"​

"Three monkeys? Well done with the first two, Branna. I can't say I've ever eaten monkey before. But I'd be willing to try it at least once. Maybe it tastes kind of like horse?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna gratefully nodded at Seamus' praise before considering his words. "Well, only one way to find out, I guess! I'm gonna go grab the monkeys and throw their trash overboard!"

Grabbing the monkey Rhagor had killed and dragging it behind her, Branna hurried back into the hold. As the catgirl vanished below deck, she also cried out, "And somebody grab me a mop!"

Branna will collect the remaining two monkeys and put the trash they've made in her sack to dispose of later, trying to salvage what bananas went unmolested. She will then deliver the dead monkeys to Kroop.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak made a distasteful 'click' with his beak.
"A human eating a monkey would be like me eating a chicken. No thank you. Mammalian humanoids notwithstanding, I suppose."

As Branna went running off, Blackbeak shouted after her.
"We clean up our own messes aboard this ship, nyan! Find a mop, or you'll be using your tail!"

He turned back to Rhagor a bit cautiously. The fact that he was able to murder a monkey with an improvised weapon while soused was a bit disconcerting.
"...You see what I did there, Rhagor? Giving orders? Motivational phrases? I hope you're taking notes. Look, why don't you lay down for a while, yeah? I'll pick up the slack in the interim. Call me 'first-and-a-half mate' for the nonce."

[Othniel]

Branna, Galley

"What d'ya got there, lass?" Kroop asked, as Branna hauled in the pair of dead monkeys. "Monkeys, hmm? Well, I suppose I can see if I got a recipe for 'em," He muttered, turning and reaching for a cookbook. "Leave 'em there; Miss Cusswell can help me skin and clean them. Do you want the furs afterward?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

"Yupparoni! No point in letting stuff go to waste; there's got to be something useful we can use them for." Grunting a little, as she lacked significant upper body strength, Branna placed them where Kroop had indicated. "Thanks a bunch, Kroop! Gotta run, though!" Leaving the cook to his work, Branna started looking for a mop.

Branna will now attempt to find and procure the necessary materials to clean up the blood and such from the monkeys.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor sniffed at the monkey corpse, the heady perfume of blood and alcohol mixing together in his nostrils to form an odor that greatly appealed to him. Licking some of the blood off of the bottle, Rhagor lazily eyed the short Tengu following behind him. Jabbing his improvised weapon at a random swab watching the scene, Rhagor growled and ordered him to help Branna with cleaning this mess up.

"Don't just stand there slack jawed, you grubby bastard, go help the las out while I figure out how these monkeys got here. Unless y-y-y-you want end up like one of them too, bastard."



"Three monkeys? Well done with the first two, Branna. I can't say I've ever eaten monkey before. But I'd be willing to try it at least once. Maybe it tastes kind of like horse?"

His voice ripped out of his lungs like iron grating against steel, a rumbling and almost growl like chortle. "Hehehaha, actually, y'know, Monkey tastes a lot more like people. Not gr-*GRUP*-eat but eh, had worse." He grinned stupidly at Seamus, licking his booze stained lips in the process. Whistling a little ditty to himself, Rhagor prepared to go down to the origin of this mess to try and figure out how they got on board.


"...You see what I did there, Rhagor? Giving orders? Motivational phrases? I hope you're taking notes. Look, why don't you lay down for a while, yeah? I'll pick up the slack in the interim. Call me 'first-and-a-half mate' for the nonce."

Until this happened.

Fumbling around, Rhagor leered at the Second Mate who thought he could step up to Rhagor's mantle. Growling, bits of spit and phlegm escaped between his cut lips and chipped teeth as he bared his fangs. Slowly he stalked towards the second mate, bouncing his stabbing instrument gingerly in his paw.

"What's that little birdie? Y-y-y-you gotta speak up if'n you want me to hear you over all that **** in your beak...."

He stepped close to Blackbeak, close enough that his alcohol stained breathe was now grazing over the Second Mate's beak. He stood there for a second, his entire body tense, almost ready to pounce, and yet instead he reached around with one arm and gave the Tengu a burly over the shoulder hug. Bursting into laughter, Rhagor poked his finger at his fellow mates chest. "Hahaha! I like the cut of your jib, Blackbeak. Keep an eye, y'know, keep things locked down here mid deck whilst I inspect the hold to see how these buggers got in." Dropping the Tengu away from him, Rhagor descended into the hold with Branna, angrily barking at a swab to help the lass clean up.

[Nefarion Xid]

After collecting his pearls (and securing them in his cheeks like some sort of monstrous hamster) Erebus jets from the water and takes to the air to catch up with the Godsend. Alighting on the sterncastle, he gives Captain Blake a circumspect salute before shuffling off towards the his sleeping area with one arm still clutching a few spare oysters. After securing his new treasure in his bag, he slinks off to the kitchen to steal a lemon before finally returning to the wheel.

Wordlessly, he sits by Blake and offers him an oyster on a half shell with a squirt of lemon. Sandara can have one too if she's around. Otherwise he continues to pry open the mussels hoping to find one last pearl.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak could feel his hand moving toward the hilt of his blade as Rhagor's anger built... and he let out his breath as the gnoll laughed. He never felt completely comfortable around the creature, but figured it was part of how he simply was.

"Aye-aye, sir. I imagine the monkeys simply climbed aboard, but you solve that mystery. Cheers, yeah?"

Blackbeak returned to the fresh air on deck. The sound of wind in the sails, the smell of salt spray... He could get used to this.

"Tie that down firm, lads! Give the Captain some space up on the quarterdeck, dammit! Let the man do his job! Eyes to starboard! That better not be a reef! Smiles, damn you, smiles! Somebody start a song, for Besmara's sake!"

[Othniel]

Rhagor and Branna, Main Hold

After some investigation (mainly involving poking around the crates where Branna found the monkeys), you both discover that one of the banana crates was packed with straw and a bucket of water for the monkeys to drink, and the box had several holes knocked in it for air.



The next morning...

The Godsend made good time away from the Slithering Coast, making its way first westward, and then north keeping the mainland to starboard. Soon the cliffs of Motaku Island became visible, and the crew realized they were once again in well-traveled waters. The sun set, and an uneventful night passed. Morning came, and soon the cry of "Ship ahoy!" was heard. The crew prepared for battle, but first they had to catch their prey...

Ahead and slightly to starboard is a longship, its slave rowers being worked hard to stay ahead (and out of reach) of The Godsend. The longship appears armed with two light ballistae, mounted fore and aft. By estimation, your ship will be within the longship's rear ballista range in moments (about 3 rounds), and its fore ballista range shortly thereafter (4 rounds from now), at which point The Godsend's light ballistae will also be within range.

"All hands on deck!" Shouted Sandara before turning to Captain Blake, an almost feral grin displayed upon her face. "Time for our first catch, aye captain? What are your orders?"

You are now in combat!

[Nefarion Xid]

Perched on the edge of the crow's nest, Erebus calls down. "Captain, I believe these men mean to deface your new paint-job. Shall I have a word with them about vandalism?"

With a cold nod from Ramsay, Erebus takes to the sky and races towards the enemy ship.

Fly 300 feet, altitude of 30'.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Hearing the cry of "Ship Ahoy!", Branna promptly leapt into action, dropping her alchemy tools where she had been working in her section of the ship before running up to the deck, pulling on her mithril chain shirt over her swimsuit-clad torso. Looking to the horizon, she grinned in anticipation of the chance to buckle someone's swash, and clambered up the rigging and onto the mast, grabbing a robe and crouching down as she poised herself to swing aboard the longship when it got in range.

Branna has a 20-ft climb speed and a racial bonus to boot, so I'm not sure if an actual roll is needed. Just in case...

Climb: [roll0]

[zabbarot]

Roscoe rushed to set up his cannon at the prow of the ship. Maybe he'd even beat that dragon to the punch. He reached into his bag of holding and pulled out a barrel of powder to get started packing it.

Move to prow, start loading the cannon.

[barticus]

"All hands on deck!" Shouted Sandara before turning to Captain Blake, an almost feral grin displayed upon her face. "Time for our first catch, aye captain? What are your orders?"
You are now in combat!

Music to Seamus's ears. Finally some action! He briskly makes his way up to the main deck and over near the front of the ship and takes out his bow and readies an arrow to let loose. He does his best to be patient until the other ship is within range.

Takes time to go up to main deck at new spot shown on map. Readies attack for when other ship gets within range.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

At the cry from the crow's nest, Blake breathed deep the sea air before bellowing across the deck.

"Look alive, ye swabs, we've a prize to take! Mister Roscoe, make ready to fire on any gunner bold enough to try and scratch me ship! Mister Gorestream, make ready a boarding party! The rest of ye, stand to your stations! I smell blood on the air, me hearties, blood and plunder!"

Rolling to Stay the Course:
[roll0]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak's heart began to race with the rush of adrenaline. Now it was do-or-die time.
The tengu takes cover near the gathering boarding party, short bow at the ready. He does his best to hide by the railing, keeping an eye on the range between the ships.


Stealth check to hide by the railing: [roll0]

[Tychris1]

Rhagor took a deep breathe in, his fur blowing with the salt stained breeze, his cut lips stinging from the salt water splashing into it. A manic grin was plastered across his face as he reached for his ensorcelled falchion, unsheathing it and raising it to the cloud choked sky in one fell swoop. Rhagor had long since a abandoned the comfortable fur coat he wore for the armored protection of his scale mail. Prowling the deck like a predator ready for the kill, Rhagor began shouting and gesturing for members of the crew to form up and make.a boarding party. Clutched tightly in his free hand was a scarred leather bound book that Rhagor was reading out of, his gruff voice roaring over the crashing waves and whipping winds, shouting a prayer to Besmara.

"We gather here before ye Besmara, salt in our eyes and greed in our hearts, and we prepare to offer upon you tribute! Grant us the strength of krakens so that we may encircle and break our foes, imbue us with speed so that we may outrun the law, and give us strong livers so we may celebrate afterwards! Protect us as we journey on through the vagrant gypsy life! Yaaaarrr!"

Read out of my Book of War Prayers to give everyone in the boarding party a +2 to their first Fear test.

[Othniel]

The longship ahead of you starts to unfurl its sails, but it will be several moments before it can catch enough wind to speed away. The aft crewman manning the ballista takes aim at the whatever-it-is flying behind and above them, fearful of some strange menace.

Your turn, everyone. You aren't close enough for the other ship to really do much, but they are trying to get away.
You all might want to move yourselves up to prepare for boarding though.

[Nefarion Xid]

Now gliding in to attack, Erebus gives the unwitting gunner a courtesy roar before opening his jaws and spewing a stream of quasi-magical acid at his face.

[roll0] Acid Damage, Save (Ref 14) for half damage. Trying to line up the gunner and the marine on the aft if he can get close enough. At least the aft gunner if Erebus can get close enough this round -- otherwise ignore this.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Lacking any viable ranged options of helping out the boarding process, Branna maintained her place atop the masts, rope in hand, waiting for the chance to swing into action.

She did, however, reach around into her haversack to retrieve one of her famous extracts, sipping it down.

Move Action to retrieve extract of Alchemical Allocation, Standard to drink it. Additionally, Branna has two extracts currently in her spring-loaded wrist sheaths: One of Combat Awareness, and the other of True Strike.

[Othniel]

Erebus

The gunner is surprised, but Erebus' roar was enough to alert the entire crew of the longship of attack from above. Both Gunner and Marine dodge out of the way, taking only slight damage from Erebus' acid breath.

Both made their saves, amusingly. And now you made them angry. :smallbiggrin:

[Tychris1]

Rhagor continued shouting and hollering, raising his prayer book high to the blue sky as he repeatedly banged his falchion against the railing. Waving his arms about, Rhagor began to pull on the arcane strings that tie the world together, his nostrils flaring at the tang of salt water. As he prepared to cast his spell of warding, Rhagor shouted out to the gathering boarding party.

"Come close me hearties! Unite together in the face of death and we shall rise all the higher! Yahar!"

He extended his Falchion to interlock blades with the other members of the boarding party, and spread his magical shielding across to the rest of them.


Cast Protection from Evil, Communal dividing the 5 minutes into 1 minute durations over 5 different people. One of them will obviously be Rhagor, the other 4 minutes will have priority given to any PC's present for the sword clash, and then the remainder handed off to random NPC's.

[zabbarot]

Roscoe continues packing away at the powder, and humming to himself. "Pack it right, Nice an' tight, Load up the cannon to end the fight"

[Othniel]

As acidic death rained down from Erebus, the enemy ship's rear ballista crew fired at Erebus. The ship then immediately swung about, and the fore ballista took aim at The Godsend.

Attack vs Erebus: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Slightly disappointed that they were still not close enough for her to swing on board - but excited that they were no logner running - Branna cocked her wrist. A vial fell into her hand, and in a single gulp, she swilled it down. Seconds later, thanks to the power of the potion she'd downed previously, she spit it back into its container, but the power within still swirled in her veins.

Swift Action to discharge an extract of combat awareness from my spring-mounted wrist sheath.

Using Alchemical Allocation to ingest an extract of Combat Awareness as a Move action, thanks to Accelerated Drinker.

Move Action to store the CA extract in Branna's haversack.

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus tucks his wings in close and dives the last few feet, falling on the ballista gunner like a fanged cannon ball. Naturally, he aims his mouth for the man's throat to give him a quick and relatively painless death -- less painful than acid at any rate.

Bite Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] and Fort save DC 14 vs Nausea for 2 rounds.

[Othniel]

Erebus, Enemy Longship

As Erebus landed, he elicited many cries of surprise and fear from the longship's crew. Despite his accelerated descent, the dragon failed to actually cause any damage, save perhaps for the soiling of several pairs of undergarments.

[Othniel]

The Godsend, Main Deck

Before the ships come together for boarding, Sandara gathers you around and Blesses you with Besmara's favor.

This will take effect just before you board, to maximize the duration of that spell, which shall be 3 minutes.

The rest of you can now see the flag flying atop the mast of the longship: it is a golden snake on a shield.

Branna sees the flag, and recognizes it as the symbol of the Aspis Consortium, a secretive trade organization with interests in many parts of Avistan and Garund. What distinguishes them from other trade groups is the size of their operations, and their willingness to do whatever is necessary to accomplish their goals. While it is not unknown for merchant groups to sell weapons to both sides in a conflict, the Consortium might take it further and actually have a hand in starting the strife to begin with. Others might praise the Consortium for providing desperately needed grain to a famine-struck region, without knowing that agents helped cause the drought. They are loyal to no government, having members from many countries and nationalities. This also allows them to take neutral positions in any disagreements and appeal to all sides.

[zabbarot]

Roscoe stood up all at once slinging the cannon under one arm. "All right baby girl, time to set someone free." He lined up the shot, and yelled across to the other ship, "Oi Big Hat, I got a present for ye!" He fired before he finished talking.

Fire the cannon!
[roll0]

[Othniel]

Roscoe's shot goes wide, but not before catching the attention of the enemy captain. With a glare strong enough to make any normal seaman wilt, he points at the ogre and shouts several commands. Several things happen immediately thereafter. The ship's foreward ballista finishes aiming and lets fly at the ogre, a shot which once again goes wide, missing the ogre by several feet despite the large target. The enemy ship finishes swinging around and heads toward The Godsend. As it does so, the sound of a drum is heard, and the longship's oard pull in to avoid having them snapped off as the ships near each other. Several well-armed soldiers are visible on the lower deck of the longship, their steely gazes aimed up at the larger vessel. They are clearly spoiling for a fight. As the ships near, seamen from both sides fling grappling hooks across, and the ships begin the slow process of nearing each other. Several long moments pass until a loud crash is heard: the ships are now locked together.

Initiative: It is with the Crew of The Godsend, and you may now act!

Please position yourselves on the Battle Map (Boarding) tab on the map document. You've had plenty of time before the battle joins in earnest to get where you want, so pick any spot on your ship.

Erebus stands aboard the enemy longship, and both the gunner and marine he is next to take swings at him!

Zab - please remember that Roscoe is a large character, and therefore takes up 4 squares. Please act accordingly. :smalltongue:

See OOC for attack rolls vs Erebus.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Yelling in excitement, as the ships drew closer together, Branna gave that little hop... and swung over to the other ship, flying through the air like a tiger striped eagle. Angling her sword downwards, she aimed for what looked like the captain of the enemy marines.

"Yahar, matey, nya! Prepare to get yer swash buckled!"

Climb Check to hold onto the rope: Autopass
Acrobatics Check to successfully swing: [roll0]

Since Branna is charging, she takes a -2 to AC. Because of her aerial nature, she may or may not get the +1 from attacking from higher ground; I leave that to the discretion of the GM.

Also, I forgot to add the +1 from Bless. Not that it matters, since her attack hit, but still.

Attack (Charge): [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Successfully holding onto the rope, Branna tumbled through the air, completing a full two somersaults before moving on to an aerial piroutte, landing behind the captain - and her sword found its mark, scratching his cheek.

"Yaha! Take that!"

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus fury is briefly delayed by his need to mock the two. "That's it? You get to fight a dragon and that's all you can manage? I hope you've not any children to suffer the shame of their fathers ignominious demise. Well... ta."

With that he explodes into a flurry of teeth and claws.


Targeting the marine first then move on to the gunner if the marine drops.

Bite [roll0]
Claw [roll1]
Claw [roll2]

Bite Damage [roll3] (1 is acid damage, Fort 14 vs Nausea)
Claw Damage [roll4]
Claw Damage [roll5]

[Tychris1]

"WHAT WILL WE DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR EARLY IN THE MORNING!" Rhagor bellowed at the top of his lungs as he grabbed a hold of some rope and began to swing over to finish the job Branna had started. His muscles flexed as he gripped his falchion tightly, it's ensorcelled properties flaring at the sound of Rhagor's hate filled sea shanty.


Climbcheck to stay on rope: Autopass
Acrobatics:[roll0]

Charging Power Attack at the Captain
Attack:[roll1]
Crit Confirmation:[roll2]
Damage:[roll3]
Crit Damage:[roll4]
Crit Temp HP:[roll5]

[CockroachTeaParty]

With the enemy ship close, Blackbeak taps into a little magic he'd picked up during his travels, disappearing from sight. Then, unseen by anyone, he sprouted a pair of wings from his shoulders. He took to the air, seeking the enemy captain, drawing his razor-sharp wakizashi as he flew.


When the ships are about 60 ft. away from each other or so, Blackbeak will activate his Vanish spell-like ability, which lasts 5 rounds. On the following round he uses his Tengu Wings feat to sprout wings, then proceeds to fly toward the enemy ship. He'll have 3-4 rounds of flight, at a speed of 30 ft., before he becomes visible again. He's aiming to land next to the enemy captain. Hopefully the boarding begins before his invisibility is used up. Regardless, on the last round of his invisibility, he'll attempt a sneak attack against the enemy captain, following his target as close as he can and trusting to his invisibility to shield him from enemy eyes.
Stealth (if needed) - modifier is +35 while moving

Sneak attack: [roll0] vs. flat-footed AC, includes +2 for attacking a target from invisibility.
Damage: [roll1] includes +1 for a surprise-round attack with the Ambush Training trait.

If it hits, Blackbeak will choose a disorienting debilitating injury, imposing a -2 penalty to the enemy captain's attacks for 1 round (-4 to hit Blackbeak).

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

As the two ships collided, Blake abandoned the wheel and drew his rapier with a flourish.

"Have at them, lads! We've naught to fear from the likes of them!"

With that the Captain was over the side and hurtling towards the deck of the longship. As he landed, he laid eyes on the captain of the enemy ship near the mast, facing off with Rhagor and Branna.

"Skin that sea dog, you wretches! His audacity offends me senses!"

Running jump auto-clears the gap between the ship. Drawing a weapon as part of the move action.

Acrobatics to absorb the fall: [roll0]
Derring-Do (Will activate if the above is below 15): [roll1]

Activating Freebooter's Bane on the Captain of the enemy ship

[Othniel]

Posting for Seamus since he had readied an attack and hasn't posted.

Seamus steps up to the railing and lets fly with his telekinetic blast, aiming for the enemy captain.

Attack: [roll0] (including Freebooter's Bane and Bless bonuses).
Damage: [roll1] (including Freebooter's Bane and Raging Song bonuses)

Dark reminded me that Seamus does not, in fact, have Freebooter's Bane, and thus only does 20 damage. Oops.

[Othniel]

Enemy Longship

Erebus

As Erebus embarrassingly missed with all of his attacks, the two enemies near him took their chances at attacking the dragon. The marine stared at him with a steely look of determination, but the gunner stepped forward and sneered, "I'm gonna make me a new pair of boots!"

Marine (M1) Attack vs Erebus: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Gunner (G1) attack vs Erebus: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Branna, Rhagar, and Blackbeak

The three other marines, concerned for the safety of their captain (who had just been smote by some sort of blast from Seamus aboard The Godsend) rushed to his defense. Two rushed over to Branna, thrusting at her with their blades, while another came from the other side to attack Rhagor. The captain focused his attention on Blackbeak, a wicked gleam in his eye.

Marine (M2) Attack vs Branna: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Marine (M3) Attack vs Branna: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

Marine (M4) Attack vs Rhagor: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]

Captain (C) Attack vs Blackbeak [roll10]
Damage: [roll11]

Captain Blake

The second gunner, confident or perhaps aiming for the glory of striking down his captain's counterpart, stayed where he was and stabbed at Captain Blake.

Attack (G2) vs Blake: [roll12]
Damage: [roll13]

The oarmen of the longship covered their heads, hoping not to get stabbed by either attacking or defending party.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

As the gunner's shortsword found a gap in his armor, Blake growled with a ferocious gleam in his eye. He screamed defiance in the man's face, before shouting over the growing din.

"Take heart, me hearties! These insects can't do aught but prick us with their stings! Show them how real sailors fight!"

Before he'd even finished speaking, he lunged towards the offending gunner.

Activating Freebooter's Bond as a move action - all allies within 30 feet gain an additional +2 bonus to attacks while flanking.

Power Attacking the gunner:
[roll0]

Damage:
[roll1]

[Tychris1]

Rhagor continued to roar, his body moving like a massive meat windmill, his biceps crashing down with staggering force that could break bone and turn wood to splinters. "WAY HEY AND UP SHE RISES!" Barring his rage induced fangs, Rhagor flared his nostrils and punctuated the verse with a snap of his jaw aimed at the throat of the enemy captain. His eyes began to dilate as he focused in on the enemy captain, ignoring the enemy marine who so pathetically tried to stop the Gnoll's vicious assault.

Rhagor howled madly as his falchion broke bone and cut through the inferior captain's shoulder, chunks of meat bursting open like a ripe watermelon getting crushed by a hammer. Blood splattered onto Rhagor's nostrils as he succumbed further to his bloodlust and tore at his throat, taking a chunk of the dead captain to eat greedily.


Power Attack Full Attack
Falchion:
Attack:[roll0]
Crit Confirm:[roll1]
Damage:[roll2]
Crit: [roll3]
Heal:[roll4]

Bite:
Attack:[roll5]
Crit:[roll6]
Damage:[roll7]
Crit:[roll8]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak certainly felt like a heel. He was invisible, perched for the perfect sneak attack, and what does he do but slip on a slick patch of the deck, breaking his invisibility spell and missing entirely.

Nimbly avoiding the enemy captain's counter attack, Blackbeak ducked and rolled, putting a hapless marine between himself and Rhagor. The crazy gnoll provided the perfect distraction as the tengu attempted to familiarize his mark's kidneys with the business end of his blade.


Acrobatics to avoid AoO: [roll0]
Attack with flanking and Bless: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Should the attack land, Blackbeak will leave a disorienting debilitating injury (-2 attacks for 1 round, -4 attacks against Blackbeak)

[Lord Of Mantas]

As the two marines came at her with swords, Branna expertly dodged their attacks, contorting her body back and forth before turning back to the captain.

"Yaha!"

Unfortunately, before she could engage the captain in a duel, Seamus knocked him senseless with a blast of kinetic energy, followed by Rhagor tearing into him with his claws and teeth.

Recoiling slightly in disgust, Branna decided to instead turn her attention to one of the marines, lifting her rapier and quickly shifting to an en garde position as her vertically slitted eyes flickered over him. Spotting a chink in his armor, the swashbuckler-gone-investigator lunged forward, her rapier aimed for his vitals...

Swift Action to use Studied Combat on Marine 2, thanks to Branna's Quick Study talent.

Then, Branna will lunge forward and attack him. Bonuses from Bless, Studied Combat, and Piranha Strike apply.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
While it was not the most accurate strike she had ever performed, it nonetheless found its way through the marine's armor, sinking deep into his flesh and leaving a great gash.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Stop moving around, you jackasses! Die with dignity!" Erebus snaps before lunging for the marine's throat.

Marine first, then move to the gunner
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3] (1 acid, Fort 14 or nausea)
[roll4]
[roll5]

[barticus]

Seamus moves briskly to the corner of the Godsend as he reaches back and pulls out a javelin from his quiver. As he reaches the end of the ship he throws it at the gunner, hoping his next attack will prove as effective as his last.

Attack: (7 Base, 1 Point blank shot, 1 higher ground)
Damage: [roll1] (Kinetic Blast +3, Con +3, +1 PBS, Con +3 (substituting Con for Str on thrown weapons))

Attacking G2 on the map.

[roll]1d20+9

[zabbarot]

Roscoe put his cannon down in a huff and drew his pistol as he headed down the stairs towards the railing. He aimed at the nearest gunner, who was making a go at the dragon, and took a shot.


Firing into combat: -4
Point Blank Shot: +1
Captain's Buff: +1 (forgot what it was called already :P)

[roll0]

[Othniel]

One by one, the remaining marines and gunner dropped their weapons as realization that they'd lost the battle dawned upon them. "We surrender!" Cried the remaining gunner.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Twirling her blade with a flourish to remove the blood, but not yet sheathing it, Branna looked to the captain for orders.

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus searches the two dead (or nearly dead) men closest to him. Anything he finds, he leaves in a neat pile on the deck near their corpses. He then stands by with a twitching tail, eager for Blake to reward his efforts with something shiny.

[Othniel]

As the men, living and dead, are despoiled, a pile of loot is formed. While this is being done, the remaining gunner looks imploringly at Captain Blake, "Sir, please have mercy! We'd be glad to join you if you let us! We were simply hired by Captain Tharkidor to help him get to Senghor. He didn't tell us there were slave rowers until we set sail, and by then it was too late to back out." As the gunner utters those last few words, a laugh is heard from one of the slave rowers.

6 x Potion of Cure Light Wounds
6 x MW Studded Leather Armor
6 x Light Crossbow
60 x Crossbow Bolts
6 x MW Boarding Pike
6 x Short Sword
6 x Grappling Hook
6 x 50' Hemp Rope

1 x Elixir of Swimming
1 x Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
1 x Chain Shirt +1
1 x Heavy Crossbow
10 x Crossbow Bolts
1 x MW Rapier
30g

Additionally, pulling up grates of the deck where the battle was fought, you discover a (relatively) small cargo hold with crates full of cargo and a small box. Popping open some of the crates, you discover them to be full of well-crafted arms and armor, worth 2 points of plunder. Under a plank near the mast, you also discover what must be the captain's private treasure: A small, well-crafted box with a locking clasp. It is inlaid with gold, and the clasp looks to be of silver.

1 Scroll of Silence
1 Scroll of Unseen Servant
1 Potion of Eagle's splendor
1 Potion of Bear's endurance
1 Potion of Invisibility
5 small coral gemstones, worked and polished worth 50g each
1 gold and silver hand mirror worth 120g
1 silver statue of a dragon, worth 90g
337 cp
241 sp
109 gp
11 pp
1/4 of what appears to be a map
The box itself is of splendid craftsman ship, and looks to be worth about 50g

Various other provisions are stowed amongst the cargo, chiefly consisting of cheap rum (10 bottles), and hard tack and waterskins (about 10 days' worth for the longship's original crew of 27). Lastly there are the two light ballista, which are in perfect condition, and 18 ballista bolts, evenly divided between the two siege weapons.


Forgot XP: You all (each) earn 460 XP

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Pushing the gunner back with the point of his rapier against the man's neck, Captain Blake looked over the pathetic remains of the longship's crew and smiled.

"Mister Gorestream! Be so kind as to relieve the survivors of their weapons and keep them in line! Mister Blackbeak, Mister Lachlan! An accounting of the prize, if you will. Mister Roscoe, kindly make your way down here to assess these ballistae! Mister Erebus, keep a weather eye to the horizon in case this ship has friends! The rest of you!"

He turned to yell up at the crew of the Godsend.

"Get this ship lashed to us! I won't have the tides rob us of our first prize."

The orders given, Blake crouched down alongside the slave berths and tapped one of the chains with the tip of his rapier.

"And what's your story, eh?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna pouted, and briefly thought about snapping back at the captain.

I'm a Miss, not a Mister, buster! I know the chain shirt flattens me out but for Besmara's sake, I spend half my time showing off the girls! It should not be that easy to forget!

Out loud, however, she sighed and snapped a salute.

"Aye aye, cap'n."

And with that, she and Blackbeak got to work, the catfolk helping him out as the pair proceeded to inspect every nook and cranny of the ship and strip it of anything of value.

On the off chance that there's anything to loot that hasn't been listed by our marvelous DM, Branna will go ahead and Take 20 on Perception​ on the entire ship, searching it for anything and everything of value. Everything that isn't nailed down, and some things that are, will be taken.


*** Later, after everything that wasn't nailed down - and a few things that were - were looted... ***


"A good first haul, cap'n! If'n ye just wanted to take a look here, nya..."

Branna then showed Blake an accounting of all that she and Blackbeak had recovered.

[Othniel]

Blake

The slave Blake addressed looked up at the captain. He appeared as dirty and disheveled as the rest of those chained at the oars, but a spark of intelligence still burned within his eyes. "Merchant out of Ostenso, sir. I was caught by the Navy (the Chelaxians, that is) for...ah...shipping Osirian artifacts without going through the proper channels, if you catch my meaning." The man lifted his hands to point at the rest of the slaves, his shackles rattling, "About half these boys sailed with me on The Ostensobly (our brigantine). Not sure about the rest of them. Probably sold into slavery for various "crimes" <here he gave the ubiquitous "air quotes" sign> against Cheliax.

Branna

Nothing further is found of value upon the longship, save the ship itself. The ship, which Branna discovers to be named The Kurstav, appears in good shape, the pirates having taken it without any damage incurred. Papers found on the captain (along with the 1/4 map) point to the ship being registered to the Aspis Consortium under contract to deliver the ship's cargo (arms and armor) to Senghor, as the gunner had said.

There are several places where a ship such as The Kurstav might be sold. The two primary settlements that purchase ships are Bloodcove and Senghor. Buyers there typically offer about 50% of the cost of a ship in plunder, which would net the crew about 5 points of plunder in this case. There are other locations, but you likely wouldn't get the same value. You also recall that there are buyers in Bloodcove for slaves, but Senghor is unfriendly to slavers. On the other hand, Bloodcove is a notorious Aspis Consortium stronghold, and showing up with one of their ships in tow (unsquibbed) might not be a wise course of action.

[Nefarion Xid]

In an act suspiciously similar to obedience, Erebus nods at the captain and takes flight so he can spy approaching ships from altitude.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor continued to sing his sea shanty even after the battle ended, his claws tearing a chunk of flesh from the deceased captain so that he could continue eating even as he gathered all of the defeated crew into a straight line. Growling and occasionally cursing when one of them moved to much for his liking, Rhagor went about collecting their arms and placing them in a pile. Guarding over the weapons like a mother bear watches her den, Rhagor stared at each of the sailors in turn, his fangs bared. "Give me an excuse to bite, I dare you."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna revealed what she'd found to Blake, pointing out the details of the contract.

"...and as such, if'n you'll permit me to be so bold, Cap'n, I'd personally recommend making a line for Senghor. True, the contract holders are also there, nya, but walking into Bloodcove with one of the Aspis Consortium's ship is askin' to get shanked."

Also, Senghor isn't as slave tolerant. I'm no angel, but... I'm hoping you're no devil, Cap'n.

[zabbarot]

Roscoe made his way onto the captured ship and set to work detaching the ballistae from the deck. He set the surviving gunner to work collecting the ammunition and moving it onto the deck. "Ye work fer me now, undastood? Long as ye listen we'll get on fine. If ye don't I'll eat ye, and that'll be the end o' that." The ogre gave him a hard look to be sure he got the idea. It was a pretty simple idea.


Roll to inspect the ballistae?
Knowledge(Engineering): [roll0]

[Othniel]

Rhagor

As Rhagor ripped into the flesh of the captain, the marine standing nearest visibly paled, first going white as a sheet, and then assuming a lovely shade of sickly green.

Roscoe

"Un-understood, s-s-sir," the gunner stammered, quivering with fear. On one hand, the captain remained silent, while on the other, he now had a very large and imposing ogre announcing that he was in charge of the gunner. "M-m-mr Ho-hoskins rep-p-porting for d-duty!"

By Roscoe's expert opinion, both ballistae are in pristine condition. It will be the simple work of two hours' time (assuming he has the help of at least one other) to detach the ballistae from the longship and hoist them aboard The Godsend. It will take another hour's time to set them up for use.

[barticus]

Seeing that everyone else already had a job to do Seamus began leading the rest of the crew in getting the ships lashed together. After getting the crew started he makes his way over to the longship and looks for anything that he might need to begin setting up a medical bay area. A some chairs, a table or two, maybe a cot and healing supplies.

Not sure if there is a roll needed for getting the ships lashed together...
Profession (Sailor): [roll0]

[Othniel]

Blake

"Sir?" The rower vocally prods the captain, "What's to become of us, begging your pardon?"

Seamus

Unfortunately for Seamus, the longship's supplies are mostly utilitarian (longships not having extra room for frivolities). Rowers sit on long benches built into the ship, and any damage to them could lower the vessel's trade value. He does find a half-dozen small stools used by the marines and gunners, and one carved wooden chair with a stiff back, likely the captain's chair.

[CockroachTeaParty]

As Blackbeak went over the booty with Branna, he asked her the Catfolk names for various items. Learning new languages came astoundingly easy for him, and he figured he might as well learn something from the gregarious feline humanoid.

"Am I pronouncing that right? Nya-n? Is that more a verbal tic, or an accent? A grammatical artifact?"

Up above decks once more, Blackbeak could feel the palpable tension in the air as the question of what would become of the slaves and the captured crew hung in the air. He tapped the side of his beak with a taloned finger.

"Any bounties on slavers in these waters?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

*** Previously, while stripping the ship of valuables with Blackbeak... ***


Upon his request, Branna was only happy to teach Blackbeak some words in the Catfolk language, particularly those related to treasure.

"...so anyway, to say 'gold piece', as in, 'I'm going to strip down and roll around in these gold pieces', you say 'Kimu no Kōka', with Kimu being the world for gold and Kōka being the word for coin. In this case, much like in common, the adjective goes before the noun, but that can change depending on context..."

When he asked about "nya~n", however, she wilted a little bit, rubbing her arm awkwardly.

"It's a verbal tic, nya. There's not really a set way you pronounce it, it's just... Well, according to the stories I heard was growing up, originally catfolk were created by these perverted wizards from Tian Xia who liked their 'ladyfriends' to wear costume cat ears and tails while they were doing it. Eventually, they decided to actually try making a race with the 'sexiness of a human woman and the grace of a cat', and a few mad arcane experiments later poof! The first catfolk were created."

"So anyway, as you'd expect, we're not really completely like humans, nyyyn." Branna visibly fought to restrain herself. "The 'nya~n' is apparently what's left of our feline ancestor's urge to meow. We usually do it when we're feeling really excited and kind of lose ourselves in the moment - like when we're really happy, or scared, or angry."

Of course, I have no idea how Catfolk in Pathfinder actually came about, but as Branna is basically a rip-off of Nami and Luffy from One-Piece if they had read a lot of Sherlock Homes and were smushed together and made into a catgirl an affectionate parody of stereotypical anime cat-girls, it seemed appropriate. Just chalk it down to her now actually knowing a whole lot about her race, since catfolk aren't exactly that common.

And, of course, in real life 'nyan' is how the Japanese transliterate 'meow', so per the anime influence it's incorporated into Branna's character. The reason's shes listed are, of course, also all reasons why real cats might meow.

*** Meanwhile, back in the present... ***


Branna looked to the captain as Blackbeak asked his question, also waiting for a reply to her own recommendation.

[barticus]

Seamus starts to bring over the stools and chairs. After they are all on board the Godsend he begins setting up a little area below deck near the smuggling compartments. Maybe setting up here will help disguise the compartments more too? Some furniture could help distract from the walls anyway. Perhaps when they catch a larger ship he can finish off his area with a nice table or two and a couple cots.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak chuckled incredulously at Branna's strange theory on the origin of catfolk. Tengu originally hailed from that distant land; indeed, Blackbeak had visited the jade seas before, and wielded a sword of Tien origin.
"Heh. You mammals and your breeding rituals. I've seen some things, Branna, and I wouldn't put it past some lusty wizards. Never understood humans' associating cats with being sexy. They have pretty normal, boring sex. Now ducks, that's where things get kinky."
He shuddered, his feathers ruffling slightly.
"Give me bright colors, songs, and dancing; that spells romance to me. And shiny, shiny gifts. Heh. But cheer up, Branna. I'm sure by mammalian standards you're the prettiest cat-lady on the seven seas. Now let's finish robbing this boat, yeah? Nothing like a slave galley to lift the burden of guilt off a pirate's shoulders, eh?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

*** Previously, as Branna and Blackbeak were looting the hold... ***

Branna blinked. "That is far more about ducks than I ever wanted to know." Shaking herself, she smiled. "Thanks for the compliment, though. Not easy keeping yourself looking good, or even just clean - especially aboard a pirate ship. Thank goodness for alchemy, otherwise I'd be a mess of matted, dirty fur." At Blackbeak's mention of slavery easing a pirate's guilt, she nodded vigorously and resumed work with him.


*** Meanwhile, back at the plot... ***

Branna blinked.

[CockroachTeaParty]

At the mention of cleanliness, Blackbeak tapped his beak again and winked.
"Ah. Picked up a few magic tricks on my travels. Learned this little beauty."

He wiggled his fingers and whistled. Tiny motes of colored light began to dance between his clawed hands, accompanied by the soft tinkling of wind chimes.

"You can use this magic to clean, you see. Also flavors food and drink. I can suck down a bowl of white rice and have it taste like rose petals and morning dew. I'm surprised anybody would leave home without it! If'n you find a member of this crew particularly in need of... aroma therapy, feel free to send'em my way. You think if I charged a copper a casting, I'd make a decent profit on the side?"

With a snap of his fingers the magic ended. He winked another beady black eye.
"Of course, you may enjoy Blackbeak's Cantrip Cleaning Service free of charge, love."

[Lord Of Mantas]

*** Previously, on the Branna and Blackbeak Show... ***

Branna gaped in awe. "A copper? Heck, I'd pay five, maybe even a silver, nya! Of course, if you're offering it for free..." Branna briefly let out what seemed to be a remarkably scratchy purr before clapping her hand over her mouth. "Not sure about the others, though. Most pirates don't seem to care about washing. I'm tellin' ya, made those weeks aboard Harrigan's ship worse than it already was, nya! Price for an oversensitive nose."

Branna pinched her muzzle shut briefly before mildly pouting. "Wish I could cast magic. I mean, I can kind of use it when I channel some into my extracts, but it's not the same."


*** Meanwhile, back at the plot... ***

Branna flicked an ear.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Blake took a moment to ponder Branna's words and his own recollections, from time to time stealing a glace at the interplay between Roscoe and Rhagor. But then the small man chained to the oars broke his reverie. Bending down, Ramsay looked the man in the eyes.

"What's to become of you, lad? Well, truth be told, selling you is a mighty tempting proposal - even this far from the Empire of the Damned I imagine a good strong man would fetch a high price. But that would seem to spit in the good fortune Besmara has blessed you with, and it's a dreadful tiresome thing to be a flesh trader. Meanwhile, me own mighty ship finds herself with a precious small crew, but an abundance of provisions and bunk spaces. So I'll tell you, my fine merchant from Ostenso, I'm of a mind to free you. Could you sail at my command 'neath a pirate's flag?"

[Othniel]

Captain Blake

"That I could, sir!" The slave rower snapped off a salute, or rather attempted to, the shackles around his hands hindering his movement. "Willem Astor's the name, sir. Got a nose for artifacts and their value, I do! Happy to put my skills to use for you.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Blake smiled at the man's enthusiasm, and raised his rapier over his head.

"Glad to hear it, Mister Astor!"

He brought the adamantine blade down on the chain, shattering it in one blow.

"Welcome to the crew of the Godsend, me hearties!"

[Othniel]

With a cheer, all of the (now former) slaves rose up and shook celebratory fists in the air. Willem stood up and waved his hands to quiet the others. It was obvious the man had been some sort of leader amongst the slaves, or perhaps he simply had the most seniority. "Friends, we've been given a chance at a new life. Let's work hard for the fine Captain here, and I'm sure we'll be treated fairly to a man." The mini-speech finished, Willem then began the process of removing the chains from everyone else. The chain that held the rowers together had been broken by Captain Blake, and all that now remained was to work it out from the rest of the shackles. That finished, the slaves pitched in wherever they were needed, and soon the cargo of the longship was safely nestled in the belly of The Godsend.

Several hours passed in which time the longship was stripped of anything valuable and hitched to the stern of The Godsend, its oars tucked safely away and sail furled. By the time the pirates' ship was ready to sail, it was mid-afternoon, and the morning's light easterly wind had been replaced with a strong westerly. Some of the sailors grumbled about signs of a storm, but the sun was still shining happily. "A fine prize, Captain!" Sandara proclaimed. "Besmara is pleased with us!" She stood at the wheel, fine hands keeping the ship steady, and her hair whipping in the wind. "What's our heading, sir?"

[Tychris1]

Rhagor paced around the deck vigorously barking orders and getting the newly recruited crew acquainted with how things worked aboard The Godsend. Included in the list of tasks he set forth (Aside from tying down sails, adjusting knots, and getting a proper sea shanty going) was the collection of the rest of the bodies from their skirmish. No point in letting good food go to waste. Walking over to Blackbeak, Rhagor tilted his head down to look the second mate in the eyes. His breath was still tinted with the aftertaste of alcohol but his eyes held a far steelier and clear gaze then before. "Yaaargh, keep these scalawags busy me hearty. Come over to me quarters when yer finished." And with that Rhagor walked away towards the forecastle, sitting down in his quarters and pulling out the massive leather-bound book that once held the accounts of the previous owners of The Godsend but was now lovingly managed by him.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna gave a wide, genuine smile as Blake welcomed the former slaves of the longboat to the crew, finishing up her work with a spring in her step. Later on, after everything had been squared away, she retreated to her own space and peeled off her chain short, once more dressed in her casual wear. Then, she made a quick stop by Seamus' space.

"Sooo, as it happens, I've discovered that our friend Blackbeak has a few tricks up his sleeve to help with cleaning people up an' such. So I have a little present for you." Carefully, Branna handed over a water purification sponge that she'd made the night before. "It'll purify up to 25 pints of water before just reverting to an ordinary sponge. Great for a ship's surgeon."

Afterwards, Branna returned to the scene of the monkey-crime from yesterday, trying to see if she could locate any further clues before going on another inspection tour of the ship.

Branna will undertake the prescribed actions, rolling Perception as necessary (and using 20 to examine the monkey crate).

[Othniel]

Branna

Branna went down into the lower deck in search of clues as to the origin of the monkey-filled crate. The hold was much the same as she had left it the day before, save for the stack of plunder the pirates had acquired from the longship. There were no further clues to find in that area of the ship.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Scratching her chin, Branna decided that that particular avenue of inquiry would not yield anything else of note, and instead decided to approach the problem from a different angle, going to Captain Blake.

"If'n I could have a word, cap'n? You remember the invasion o' the monkeys yesterday, right? Well, it looked to me like they got brought in on a crate that was set up special for them - air holes, straw, water, everything. So the only conclusion is that they were brought on board deliberately. Who was responsible for loading the ship while we were at dock?"

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Looking up from the crewmen securing the final lines to the captive longship, Blake greeted Branna with a smile.

"Aye, t'was Miss Cusswell that supervised the loading of the provisions. If someone intentionally smuggled monkeys on board, you'd best have a talk with her to see what she remembers. Not that I don't applaud the spirit of someone smuggling their own cargo aboard, but it's caused a damn nuisance."

The task further delegated, Blake made his way to the wheel and tilted his head in response to Sandara.

"To Senghor, Miss Quinn, and fortune!"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Pleased at finally having another lead, Branna trotted off to go talk to Rosie - only to stop briefly in her tracks.

If I confront Rosie, and she was in fact guilty, there's no guarantee I can get anything out of her. My skillset's in bluffing my way out of things, not intimidating people or convincing them to talk.

Let's think. Rhagor's the first mate, so he would probably have been supervising the loading process as well - more directly than the captain, even. On the other hand...

Branna shuddered briefly. They were teammates and all, but there was no lying about it; Rhagor's cannibalistic tendencies creeped her out, and she had made it a point of fact to avoid working with the gnoll more than was strictly necessary.

Except that he was working on this, too, and if he finds out you've gone off without him, I doubt he'll take kindly to it.

Mind made up, Branna went off to find Rhagor.

"Sooo, Rhagor. Remember the monkey crate from yesterday, an' how it had the straw and water and the holes? Well, that's got to mean it was brought on board deliberately. An' I figure, the cap'n probably had you supervisin', nya?" Branna left a pause for Rhagor to affirm yes or no. "Well, I heard tell that it was Rosie who was bringing on the crates that day, an' I was wonderin' if ye could confirm that - an' if maybe ye wanted to come w' me an' talk to her."

As we have not yet split the loot, and as Branna is getting a touch low on personal funds (which she wants to have some of to blow on ale and cabana boys with cute butts), she will refrain from any further crafting for the immediate future, and instead spend her days helping to swab and maintain the ship in pristine condition.

[barticus]

---Previously---

Seamus was just finishing getting the stools lined up against the wall in his make shift area when he was approached by Branna.

"This should prove very useful, thank you Branna! If you happen upon any more trinkets like this please let me know." Seamus dumps the contents of his coin purse into his hand and inspects the junk that fell. He is disappointed to see only a small handful of lint, dirt, and a few buttons. He looks back to Branna and says, "I'd be more than willing to pay for one next time, unless of course you accept buttons as payment."

---Now---

Seamus does his best to keep busy. He tends to the crew if they are injured, and also checks on the former bunch of slaves to see if they have any ailments that need to be cured. If he doesn't find anything to work on he decides it best not to bother Captain Blake and offers to help Rhagor and Blackbeak as needed for the next few days.

[Othniel]

At the captain's order and direction, The Godsend turned slowly about, the longship dragging on lines behind slowing the larger ship down. The new wind helped them make good time, and soon they were cruising along in a southeasterly direction, making for the port of Senghor.

Seamus

Thankfully, none of the crew had sustained particularly dangerous injuries, and the captain's was but a scratch. The former slaves were also doing well, happy to be free, and pitching in wherever needed. There were, however, several former opponents in need of aid. Two of the three surviving marines were riddled with stab-wounds, and the remaining gunner had received a blow from the captain in the melee as well. They all showed up at once in front of Seamus' make-shift surgeon's station, seeking care.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor was slowly muttering to himself, his armored fingers drumming in a discordant pattern as he did the task that he tried to avoid as much as possible when growing up.

Math.

"Carry the two.... Split it between seven..... Accounting for Dragon greed..... Huh?"

Tilting his head up, Rhagor smiled as he saw Branna walk into his quarters. His crooked and gnashing teeth forming a more intimidating grimace then he intended, but it was partially rectified by his rather gregarious and loud voice.

"Ah, yahar, I remember watching it happen with me own eyes."

He continued to listen to Branna as he continued dividing the money and loot. Coinage was easier to split then the items itself, and considering the deadly nature of some of the crew members, Rhagor was hard pressed to strike a nice and fair balance for all parties. They never talked about Darun doing arithmetic or legendary pirates sitting down with an abacus and figuring out ratios in the grand epic stories of high adventure. Not that he really minded though, he was glad to be First Mate, but still it was tedious work. Forcing his eyes to focus on the shoulders up Rhagor reminded himself that dashing pirates woo maidens at port, not at sea. Though it wasn't like she was trying hard to stay bundled up....

"Yes, I remember puttin' Rosie on the task meself, an' tis good yah found me now as I was going to talk to her after I finished har'."

Sifting through the assorted coinage, Rhagor pocketed his assigned allotment of basic wage before standing up and walking over to the Catfolk and handing her payment.

"Comon, we're burnin' daylight. But 'fore we get to questionin' I got some first matin' to do, care to join?" He grunted out, throwing the door into his quarters wide and stepping outside, gesturing with his hand an invitation for Branna to follow him as he does the rounds.


Split the Loot. :smalltongue:

Afterwards go up to Rosie.

[Lord Of Mantas]

*** Previously... ***


"This should prove very useful, thank you Branna! If you happen upon any more trinkets like this please let me know. I'd be more than willing to pay for one next time, unless of course you accept buttons as payment."
"Aww, you don't have to pay, Seamus! I'm the ship's alchemist; making stuff like this for everyone's part of the job! Speaking of which, I think with the stuff we gathered off the longship I might be able to make some more Alchemist's Kindness and Tanglefoot Bags for everyone... I'll have to check later."


*** Meanwhile, back in the present... ***


Gratefully nodding as the gnoll handed her her share of the take, Branna affirmed that she would follow him on rounds. "I can inspect the timbers while I'm following ye, nya."


*** During the downtime on the voyage to Senghor... ***

Branna found that she had, indeed, received enough material as part of the distribution of loot to make some more alchemical creations, and hummed and toiled away as she crafted some essentials for the crew - and another bag for their ever-growing arsenal. She also split her stock of Alchemist's Kindness with Seamus, "'cause it makes sense that th' crew could go to me or to you to get help with a hangover, nya."

Additionally, over the next several days, Branna did her best to help welcome the new crew of the Godsend by telling tall tales and stories in the evenings, coordinating with Rhagor where appropriate.

During the downtime on the voyage to Senghor, Branna will craft the following items.

Tanglefoot Bag (Craft Cost - 25 gp): [roll0]
Water Purification Sponge (Craft Cost - 12.5 gp): AUTOPASS
Alchemist's Kindness x19 (Craft Cost - 9.5): AUTOPASS

This leaves her with 70 gp, and brings her up to 24 Alchemist's Kindness. She will split this stock evenly with Seamus, assuming he accepts. As this costs less than 1000 gp, she should be able to do this in one day.

Additionally, when she is not crafting or performing her duties as a swab and carpenter, she will attempt to help bolster morale among the crew by telling stories. If Rhagor does this as well, she will use her roll as an Aid Another action.

Perform (Oratory): [roll1]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak was incapable of grimacing, or even frowning, but he let slip a soft *quork* as Rhagor tasked him with collecting corpses.
Racial profiling, that's what this is. Just because I look like a crow...

He enlisted the assistance of Roscoe, not just because of his prodigious strength, but also because ogres were less squeamish about eating human meat then... humans.
"I suppose we'll need to salt down the choice cuts... Now I'm not saying I haven't turned down a serving of carrion from time to time, but call me a softie if I'm a little self conscious about eating 'long pork' when a decent percentage of the crew are humans themselves. The real question, Roscoe my boy, is whether I should bring this up with the Cap'n, or just let it go? Don't want Rhagor to have a reason to take a bite out of me..."


Once they were on their way, Blackbeak went to seek out Rhagor as ordered, finding him in the company of Branna as well.
"Supplementary rations have been seen to, bos'n. As always, consider me at your disposal."

[Tychris1]

Rhagor grinned as Blackbeak walked up to them, having finished the tasks set before him Rhagor dropped his fair wage within his little bird hands. "Yarr, thank ye Blackbeak. Speakin' of which, I was thinkin' about our 'new recruits' and was thinkin' of helpin' Kroop make the dinner extra tasty. You know how to use magic right?"


*** After Rhagor Discusses things with Blackbeak ***

Rhagor descended down further into the ship, turning around a few corners before finally finding Rosie. Slowly stalking forward, Rhagor inclined his head slightly to greet her before looking back and making sure Branna was with him.

"Arrr, Rosie, I've been meanin' to talk to you if'n yah got the time. See tharr be some kind of mystery pertainin' to what happened to one of our boxes ye? Yah happen to see anything suspicious Rosie? Anythin' at all?"


Diplomacy (Perform Oratory):[roll0]

[Othniel]

Main Deck, Anyone. Especially Erebus

The battle and cleanup over, The Godsend was soon underway, skipping along cheerfully at a brisk pace, strong westerly winds driving her ever forward. The crewmen Rhagor had assigned to collect the remains of the enemy crew for later consumption started to go about their task, but were stopped by the ship's cook, Ambrose "Fishguts" Kroop. Soon those standing on the sterncastle heard several plops, the telltale sign of something heavy falling, or being dumped, into the water. It took some time, but several hours later, just when the sun was beginning to dip toward evening, the crew could discern several triangular objects following behind the ship: the dorsal fins of sharks, drawn by the blood, and hoping for a bigger feast.

If he flies straight above, he can see the silhouette of the largest shark in the water. It appears to be somewhere between 15-20 feet in length. Several smaller sharks follow discreetly behind.

Rhagor and Branna (And Blackbeak if he follows them)

Rhagor and Branna found Rosie on deck, staring out across the open ocean. She was leaning against the mast and absentmindedly picking at her fiddle, a wistful look in her eyes and a slight smile on her face. She turned at the sound of Rhagor's voice and gave him a mischievous grin. "Gave the ****ing slavers what-for, I heard, Quartermaster! Wish I could've been with the boarding party, but maybe next time, hey?" She listened to him speak, and opened her mouth to reply when one of the crewmen Rhagor had instructed earlier returned, a worried look upon his face. Having nothing else to wear, he was still dressed in his slave clothing, but the formerly white linens were now splattered with blood. Rhagor could easily discern the scent of human blood filling his nostrils. Behind Rhagor Rosie coughed and retched.

"Quartermaster, sir. We did as you asked about the...the...remains. Put 'em in barrels, you see. Like we would salted pork, 'cept we didn't salt 'em. Didn't have the chance to. The cook, sir; he wouldn't have none of it. Told us to throw them overboard and to never bring sentient flesh into his galley again, or we'd find ourselves swimming with the sharks." He paused and visibly gulped, the stench of fear lingering about him. "So we did as he said, and threw the bodies overboard. Wrapped them up nice and respectful-like, as he said. Sorry sir, but...cook's orders, he said. Please don't kill me, sir."


Roscoe

Having successfully brought the ballistae on board from the enemy longship, Roscoe went about the task of bolting them down onto the deck for future use. The Godsend's two original ballistae remained at the aft end of the ship, and it was up to the Master Gunner to determine proper placement of the new armament. Hoskins (the surviving gunner) followed the ogre, looking in all the world like a lost puppy. "W-where do you w-want to set up the b-b-ballistae, sir?" he stammered out, still somewhat overwhelmed at being under the tutelage of an ogre.

Captain Blake

"Senghor!" Sandara erupted. "That's quite a long way, and back the way we came. Still, might be some fat prizes out there waiting for us along the way back to more populous shipping lanes, at least." The Besmaran priestess put a slender hand upon the captain's arm, giving him a smile. "Say, captain...the next time we go for a prize, do you think we might make an offering to the Black Lady? I think it would be wise to remain under her blessing, don't you?"

[Tychris1]

Rhagor stared at the former slave turned crewmen, his mouth turning into a snarl as he listened to more and more of the story. What an utter waste of time for him, and a waste of food aswell that could have sated him while others ate real food. By the end of the tale, Rhagor leaned down to be eye height with the new recruit and stared him in the eye. Chuckling softly to himself, Rhagor nodded his head in agreement.

"Aye, ain't your problem ye brought my food to the chef. Not erryone agrees wit me diet, I understand. Just set the barrels aside in me quarters next time, aye friend? There over thar for reference."

He patted the former slave on the back before shooing him away to continue his business.

"Yar, gave them a right proper thrashing. Now about that crate..."

[Nefarion Xid]

Exceptionally little thought went into what Erebus did next. Perhaps he imagined a full set of shark teeth might fetch a handsome price at port. Or maybe that the captain would like shark for dinner. Perhaps there was a simple and innate draconic desire to remind everyone and everything that there was only one alpha predator on Golarion.

Skimming close to the waves, he tucks his wings in, slips through the surf and bites the biggest shark.

[roll0]
[roll1] (Fort save 14 vs nausea)

[zabbarot]

Roscoe

Having successfully brought the ballistae on board from the enemy longship, Roscoe went about the task of bolting them down onto the deck for future use. The Godsend's two original ballistae remained at the aft end of the ship, and it was up to the Master Gunner to determine proper placement of the new armament. Hoskins (the surviving gunner) followed the ogre, looking in all the world like a lost puppy. "W-where do you w-want to set up the b-b-ballistae, sir?" he stammered out, still somewhat overwhelmed at being under the tutelage of an ogre.

Roscoe looked around the deck of the ship and came to a quick decision. "On the main deck, just behind here." He pointed to a spot on either side behind just far enough from the stairs to the forecastle not to be in the way at all. "That should give us better coverage to either side. Eventually we'll get some real cannon and put them on the lower deck." Roscoe sped the process up by setting each ballista in place then left Hoskins to get them properly anchored. He'd come back in a bit to check his work.

[Othniel]

Erebus

At the sudden appearance of the dragon in their watery domain, the sharks fled. All but one, at least. The larger predator, a great white to Erebus' eye, swiveled an eye over toward the movement, but couldn't react in time to avoid the smaller creature's attack.

Erebus' attack hits. End of surprise round. You won initiative, and may act again.

[Othniel]

Erebus

The shark, incensed at the violation of its watery domain, comes about and fixes its murderous gaze on Erebus, mouth full of wicked teeth chomping down...

Attack v Erebus: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
If it hits, Erebus takes [roll2] bleed damage at the beginning of his next turn.

[Othniel]

Erebus

As the dragon withdraws, swimming to the surface, and bursting into the gloriously shark-free air, something interesting goes on beneath him. The smaller sharks, previously scared away by the presence of two large predators, smell blood in the water and close in for the kill. As Erebus looks below (and anyone else may notice from the stern), the water directly behind the longship turns a cloudy red, sign of the larger shark's sudden demise.

[Othniel]

1200 XP for the shark, as noted on Skype


Rhagor stared at the former slave turned crewmen, his mouth turning into a snarl as he listened to more and more of the story. What an utter waste of time for him, and a waste of food aswell that could have sated him while others ate real food. By the end of the tale, Rhagor leaned down to be eye height with the new recruit and stared him in the eye. Chuckling softly to himself, Rhagor nodded his head in agreement.

"Aye, ain't your problem ye brought my food to the chef. Not erryone agrees wit me diet, I understand. Just set the barrels aside in me quarters next time, aye friend? There over thar for reference."

He patted the former slave on the back before shooing him away to continue his business.

"Yar, gave them a right proper thrashing. Now about that crate..."

Rhagor, Branna, and (maybe) Blackbeak

Rosie looked up at Rhagor, one hand wiping her mouth. The halfling looked nautious, but held the much larger gnoll's gaze without flinching. "What crate?"

You feel that Rosie is not sure what you're referring to.
You feel that Rosie is playing innocent, and knows exactly what Rhagor is referring to.

[Nefarion Xid]

In a few flaps, Erebus was back on the sterncastle, shaking off a mixture of salt water, shark blood and his own blood.

"Just so we're clear," he says calmly while unstoppering a potion, "That's what I'll do to anyone to touches my bag."

[roll0]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna raised an eyebrow. "Th' crate that had air holes? An' hay? An' water? An' a bunch o' monkeys that got out and tried to eat all our bananas?" Branna crossed her arms. "C'mon, Rosie, yer body language is totally giving ye away. What was with th' monkeys? I was looking forward to those bananas, nya..."

Still trying to figure out how to best consistently write a pirate accent.

Branna, sadly, is a bit out of her depth her insofar as diplomacy is concerned, having been raised in an environment where being able to bluff your way was more important. Maybe one of these days when I can afford an ioun stone...

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Tychris1]

Rhagor nodded his head as he listened to Branna and Rosie. "Yarr, the crate that stirred up quite the ruckus. Had to brain one of the chimps with a bottle." Closing his eyes for a second, Rhagor focused the arcane power coursing through his veins to send a message to Branna, placing a large claw upon her shoulder to mark her as the recipient. "Somethin's not right here, tis a heap o' effort just to bring some varmints aboard and keep it under wraps."

Cast Message at Branna.

[Othniel]

Rhagor and Branna

"You..." Rosie looked between Rhagor and Branna, giving the impression of a child facing down her parents after getting into trouble. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to hurt Belt, okay?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna shifted, mildly uncomfortable that she and Rhagor were in this position. "Well, that all depends on th' whys o' things... but I think we can safely promise that we'll keep it fair. Certainly we're not going to sink to th' depths Plugg and Scourge did, nya." Branna visibly shuddered at the memories. "What's Belt got to do with this?"

[Tychris1]

Rhagor glanced back to check on the current position of the captain and second mate before crossing his arms and nodding his head to Rosie. "Yarr, ye got me promise. I won't lay a finger on the lad, don't mean he's gettin' away scot free with it either though." Rhagor was at this point more interested in the why and how then the who anyway. He didn't like having things happen on the ship without him knowing, and having such a mystery elude him for so long was frustrating. "Now on wit' it, the little devils have vexed me long enough."

[Othniel]

Rhagor and Branna

"Okay, follow me!" In an instant, the Halfling's mood changed, becoming downright happy. Heading below deck, Rosie lead Rhagor and Branna to the Galley where she knocked on the door. "Mr. Kroop, we'd like to see Belt. It's all right, the Quartermaster said he wouldn't hurt him."

Kroop leaned out of the pass-through in the wall separating the Galley from the rest of the Crew Berths. "Harum...all right, Rosie lass. But, by Besmara's black bosom, don't let 'im out of yer sight!" With that warning delivered, Kroop turned around and moved a few crates and barrels aside. He lifted a cage and set it on the ledge, revealing a small saltwater crocodile that swished its tail back and forth, eyeing everyone with its beady little eyes.

Rosie rose up on her tiptoes to look Belt in the eye and giggled before turning around and flashing a broad smile. "This is Belt."

[Tychris1]

Rhagor stared at the crocodile for a minute, his face expressionless as he looked into those glossy black eyes. Tilting his head slightly, he cautiously walked around the cage before coming to a stop.

"A Crocodile."

He paused for another second before looking down at Rosie.

"I was going to yell at Belt and dock his pay for causin' such shenanigans, but I see that isn't the wisest choice."

Bending down on one knee so that he was at eye level with Belt, Rhagor grinned his ruthless toothy grin and laughed. His whole body shuddering from the act, he tapped a single finger against his wounded nostrils. "It ain't me yah gotta worry about, our dragon might not take too kindly to another scaley beast competitin' for food. Or think it's a mate, but yah didn't hear that from me!." Standing up and now turning his attention to Kroop and Rosie, Rhagor kept smiling as his laughter slowly died down.

"Alright, tell me from the beginnin'. Why wit' all the secrecy and stowaway monkeys?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

*** Before the previous post... ***

As Rosie revealed the true nature of Belt, Branna stood stock still.

"Honestly, I'm nae sure if'n I should freak out due to there being another great big lizard on board, hoot at the coolness o' there bein' another lizard on board, or jes' say, what th' f***." Branna slowly turned to the halfling, a smile slowly creeping across her face. "Gotta say, takes brass balls to take a crocodile on board, nya." As Rhagor began laughing, the catfolk began to giggle as well. "I 'm guessing th' monkeys were to feed 'im?"



*** After the previous post...
***


Branna's heart melted as Rosie looked between her and Rhagor. She looked to the gnoll. "I recognize you've got the authority here, bos'n, but... fer what it's worth, I think ye can never go wrong with a little extra reptilian firepower, nya." She turned the full force of her kitty cat eyes on the gnoll.

http://www.pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/puss-in-boots.png

[Othniel]

Rhagor and Branna

"He's mine," Rosie responded. "Bought him from a guy at Rickety's Squibs. My first crocodile, Boots, was caught, killed, and skinned in Port Peril before I came on board The Wormwood. This was the first chance I had to replace him. So I bought Belt. I figured he needed food, so I also brought a few monkeys to feed him with, and then I realized the food would need food, so I put them in the banana crate. I was thinking of keeping him in the bilges when he got bigger, but I'm not sure how I'd get him up the ladder. Maybe he can sleep in one of the boats?" Rosie asked hopefully. She again looked between Rhagor and Branna, giving them the most pitiful of looks.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak could do little but scratch the feathers of his scalp incredulously.
"I need a drink."

[Othniel]

Third Night, En Route to Senghor, Middle of the Night Watch*

A starry blanket covered the night sky as The Godsend sailed along, Crimson "Cog" Cogward manning the wheel with only one other sailor on watch. Huck, one of the sailors who had come on board from Rickety's Squibs, passed by Cog mid-watch on his rounds, and stopped to chat for a while. As the men talked, the wind died down to a gentle breeze, and the ship's sails quieted their flapping. As the wind ended, so did the conversation, and Huck went forward to continue his rounds.

Third Morning, EN route to Senghor, Beginning of the Morning Watch

Some time later near morning, as two men came on deck to take over for Cog and the night watchman, a cry was heard near the bow. The sound of running feet pounded across the deck, and Rhagor was roused by Willem Astor, one of the slaves recruited the other day, and the seeming spokesman for the rest of them. "Quartermaster Gorestream, there's been a murder, sir! On deck last night. We just found the body."

On Deck:

As you come on deck and move toward the bow, a grisly scene awaits: Poor Huck lies face-down in a small pool of blood. There are three somewhat evenly-spaced jagged wounds on his back.

Everyone please include a Survival Check as part of your post.


*Historical Note (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship's_bell): The ship's bell would sound every half hour to mark the passage of time during a four-hour watch, and so 8 bells meant 4 AM in the Middle (night) Watch.

Willem Astor specifically went to find Rhagor, but there's been enough commotion, so that everyone can reasonably suspect something has happened.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor scratched the back of his head, listening to two of his crew mates barrage him at the same time.

"Well... Maybe..."

And then Branna hit him with the strongest weapon in a Catfolk's arsenal. His heart shuddered for a second as he looked into those big shiny yellow eyes, his face going dumbstruck for half a second before he shook himself free and barked out.

"Aw hell, why not. Ye can keep it, fine wit' me. Just let me know about any stowaways in the future aye? I'm sure we can keep him in one of the boats if'n he starts gettin' bigger."

Patting Rosie on the shoulder, Rhagor nodded his head empathetically. "Sorry 'bout the confusion, glad to have this all sorted out," He turned his head up to face Kroop, his face growing more serious, "'Nd sorry about the unsavory business Chef. I'd like to put it behind us and help yah give the new crew a right proper feast. If'n ya let me in your kitchen."

Third Morning, En Route to Senghor, Beginning of the Morning Watch


Rhagor groaned to himself, bloodshot eyes blinking harshly as he was abruptly taken out of his restful sleep.

"Wha...." Sliding out of his bed, he absentmindedly reached around for his fur coat, his Falchion whipping out of his bed and clattering onto the ground as he tried to clothe his nude form. "Wait, did yah say MURDER?" Crooking an eyebrow at the former slave, Rhagor gnashed his teeth and jerked his right arm backwards, sending his Ensorcelled Falchion flying towards him, and effortlessly snatching it in his paw. Angrily grumbling to himself, Rhagor barged out of his quarters and onto the main deck.

"YARR, ATTENTION YE SCALLYWAGS, ASTOR GET THE CREW."


Survival:[roll0]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Her yellow eyes flashing open at the sound of pounding feet, Branna leapt out of her hammock and grabbed her haversack and rapier, wary of an impending attack. Then, just as her feet hit the deck, Rhagor burst out of his ownquarters.


"YARR, ATTENTION YE SCALLYWAGS! ASTOR, GET THE CREW!"
Following the gnoll up to the deck, Branna gasped at the sight of the dead body.

"Besmara's bosom... what happened 'ere?"

Kneeling down, the catfolk Investigator began scanning the scene...

Survival (Mandatory): [roll0]

Branna will burn a point of inspiration to augment the result. [roll1]

I would also like to have Branna Take 10 on Perception, burning a point of inspiration to augment that as well. [roll2]

Inspiration Total: 4/6

[Othniel]

Rhagor scratched the back of his head, listening to two of his crew mates barrage him at the same time.

"Well... Maybe..."

And then Branna hit him with the strongest weapon in a Catfolk's arsenal. His heart shuddered for a second as he looked into those big shiny yellow eyes, his face going dumbstruck for half a second before he shook himself free and barked out.

"Aw hell, why not. Ye can keep it, fine wit' me. Just let me know about any stowaways in the future aye? I'm sure we can keep him in one of the boats if'n he starts gettin' bigger."

Patting Rosie on the shoulder, Rhagor nodded his head empathetically. "Sorry 'bout the confusion, glad to have this all sorted out," He turned his head up to face Kroop, his face growing more serious, "'Nd sorry about the unsavory business Chef. I'd like to put it behind us and help yah give the new crew a right proper feast. If'n ya let me in your kitchen."

Earlier yesterday...

"Not if'n ye mean to cook anything smart-like," the cook responded with a shake of his head. "I'll have no man-meat in my galley, ye hear? I know ye're the Quartermaster and all, and outside of this here galley, yer in charge, but as fer what the crew eats, that's my domain, see?" Kroop squinted at the gnoll and wiped his hands on his already-filthy apron. "On the other hand, if yer duties allow, I wouldn't mind help from time to time with normal cookin' like. Though I'm not sure gnolls and humans have similar tastes, begging yer pardon, sir."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak arrives on deck with the rest of the crew, roused by Rhagor's shouts. It's a nasty scene on deck...
"...Sweet mercy..."


Untrained Survival check: [roll0]

[Tychris1]

Earlier yesterday...

"Not if'n ye mean to cook anything smart-like," the cook responded with a shake of his head. "I'll have no man-meat in my galley, ye hear? I know ye're the Quartermaster and all, and outside of this here galley, yer in charge, but as fer what the crew eats, that's my domain, see?" Kroop squinted at the gnoll and wiped his hands on his already-filthy apron. "On the other hand, if yer duties allow, I wouldn't mind help from time to time with normal cookin' like. Though I'm not sure gnolls and humans have similar tastes, begging yer pardon, sir."


Earlier that very same yesterday

"Yarr, just a misunderstandin' that's all. Twas fer me, not to offend yer sensibilities." He licked his teeth as the edge of his maw perked upward, curving towards his ears. "Yer right about that atleast, my tongue's like a hounds nose. Me mom and dad gave me anythin' to eat, wide palate you see. Made fer easy shoppin' aha!" Ruffling his fingers through his mane, Rhagor glanced back to the entrance to see how much light was bleeding in. "'Sides my watch isn't fer a few hours, I've got time to kill."

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus joins the crew on deck. After looking over the body he stands aside and says nothing until addressed, instead flicking his tail in annoyance for having been awoken for this.

[roll0]

[Othniel]

Earlier that very same yesterday

"Yarr, just a misunderstandin' that's all. Twas fer me, not to offend yer sensibilities." He licked his teeth as the edge of his maw perked upward, curving towards his ears. "Yer right about that atleast, my tongue's like a hounds nose. Me mom and dad gave me anythin' to eat, wide palate you see. Made fer easy shoppin' aha!" Ruffling his fingers through his mane, Rhagor glanced back to the entrance to see how much light was bleeding in. "'Sides my watch isn't fer a few hours, I've got time to kill."

Earlier that very same yesterday...

"Very well, Mister Gorestream," Kroop relented, "My cookbook is in the corner over there, and my spices are in the cupboard above. Let's see how well you do making meatpies..."

Presently

As the crew begins to gather, several of them notice certain things...

There appear to be several sets of watery footprints leading to and from the body, as well as trampling all around it. It is difficult to make them out aside from normal puddles of seawater, but small bits of seaweed help the two differentiate. It is also difficult to make out exactly how many sets, but following them over to the gunwale, both Erebus and Rhagor can see that there are, in fact, three distinct sets of footprints, obviously left by webbed feet.

Erebus immediately knows what left the tracks, and Branna recognizes them as well, once she has the tracks pointed out to her: Sahuagin have been on the ship.
Ravenous and cruel, the sahuagin are, unfortunately, among the most prosperous oceanic races. Great cities raised by these creatures darken the deep ocean trenches, and many are the near-coastal fortresses where they launch endless raids against their air-breathing enemies who dwell in close proximity to the shore. Warlike and proud, the sahuagin rarely ally with others, and view most other aquatic races such as the aboleths, the merfolk, and their ilk as competitors. The only creatures they seem to respect and adore apart from their own kind are sharks, for in these relentless predators the sahuagin see much of themselves. A sahuagin stands 7 feet tall and weighs about 250 pounds.

[barticus]

---Earlier that day---
After finishing setting up a little sitting area so people at least had stools Seamus lit up his pipe and enjoyed a good smoke for a job well done. That was short lived, he'd have to finish it later as he already had a few visitors. As he figured that they'd show up sooner or later he treated the marines for their wounds and patched them up. "No hard feelings, 'eh? Water under the bridge... or ship as it were. Where are you lads from anyway? Ye got names? I'm Seamus, but some call me "Sea Fin", on account of me last name. I grew up on these waters, they've been the closest to a home I have." He continues telling them his life story whether or not they want to hear it, they are always welcome to leave if he says something that offends him. Doesn't matter to much to Seamus.

Heal check for each of the new lads (just checking for infection and previous conditions):
Heal Marine 1: [roll0]
Heal Marine 2: [roll1]
Heal Gunner: [roll2]

After checking the exam I'll heal em with my kinetic healing until they are full health.

After the three leave Seamus once again picks up his pipe to enjoy a good smoke. It has been far to long since his last one.

---Present Time---

Seamus is startled out of his sleep by all of the commotion going on. He slowly opens his eyes and sits up in his cot. He slings his quiver over his shoulder and straps on his boots, and pulls out his med kit and then heads out of the crew quarters and follows the sound until he makes it to the source. Rumors of a murder were spreading through the crew. This could be an interesting night.

"E'erybody out of me way!" He shouts as he pushes through the crew so he can make it to the victim. He kneels by poor Huck and begins inspecting the corpse. He looks up to Cog and asks, "Who found the lad like this? Did ye see anything other than the body lying here? Did ye move 'im?" All important questions if he was going to help get to the bottom of this.

Mandatory Survival: [roll3]
Perception: [roll4]
Heal: [roll5]

Mandatory survival (I assume for the tracks), perception to check for anything missing or amiss, heal check on the victim to determine cause of death (poison, disease, wounds).

[Nefarion Xid]

"Sahuagin," Erebus announces, after slapping his tail against the deck for attention. "The murderers were Sahuagin raiders. Three of them judging by the wet footprints. Long gone and out of reach by now. Though, I would be happy to investigate below."

He turns his head to Gorestream and awaits orders, such as they were.

Erebus is still hurt from his fight with the shark. If anyone has a healing spell, it would be appreciated.

[Lord Of Mantas]

As Erebus pointed out the tracks, Branna slapped herself on the head and cursed for not spotting them earlier.

"Erebus is right. That's th' work o' Sahuagin, no doubt about it." She then turned to the dog-sized dragon. "Are ye sure ye wanna go after 'em alone? Dinnae get me wrong, I dinnae wanna just let 'im go unavenged, but I think yer the only one who can breathe underwater. Plus, the Sahuagin are 'uge beasties. An'..." Branna's eyes narrowed as she spotted Erebus' bite from yesterday. "Yer lookin' a bit dinged up there, Erebus. Guess they weren't kiddin' when I 'eard you took on a shark by yerself yesterday, huh?"

[Tychris1]

Rhagor nods his head as he looks at the puddle tracks. His teeth gnashed violently as he whipped his neck around to look at the Black Dragon. Looking at his wounds, Rhagor walked over to Seamus and jerked the surgeon. "Arrr, Sea Fin, make sure our scaly friend is fit to swim deep and in ship shape. I don't plan on losin' two crew mates today." After the quick healing treatment, Rhagor nodded his head in approval for Erebus to go deep diving.

[Nefarion Xid]

The dragon cranes his neck to examine the bite mark on his hip when Branna speaks to him. "Well, it wasn't really a fair fight. Once great whites can learn to fly, we'll be on even footing -- so to speak."

Edit: Once Erebus is healed, he gleefully slips over the railing to have a look below the ship.

[Othniel]

Seamus

---Earlier that day---
After finishing setting up a little sitting area so people at least had stools Seamus lit up his pipe and enjoyed a good smoke for a job well done. That was short lived, he'd have to finish it later as he already had a few visitors. As he figured that they'd show up sooner or later he treated the marines for their wounds and patched them up. "No hard feelings, 'eh? Water under the bridge... or ship as it were. Where are you lads from anyway? Ye got names? I'm Seamus, but some call me "Sea Fin", on account of me last name. I grew up on these waters, they've been the closest to a home I have." He continues telling them his life story whether or not they want to hear it, they are always welcome to leave if he says something that offends him. Doesn't matter to much to Seamus.
Heal check for each of the new lads (just checking for infection and previous conditions):
Heal Marine 1: [roll0]
Heal Marine 2: [roll1]
Heal Gunner: [roll2]

After checking the exam I'll heal em with my kinetic healing until they are full health.
After the three leave Seamus once again picks up his pipe to enjoy a good smoke. It has been far to long since his last one.
The marines introduce themselves as Dirks Daargen and Vincent Strong, while the gunner only provides a last name: Hoskins. All three thank Seamus for the healing, still all somewhat surprised at being shown mercy by the pirates. Daargen and Strong make their way to attend to the duties the Quartermaster set them to, while Hoskins spends his time in the company of the ship's Master Gunner, Roscoe.

---Present Time---

Seamus is startled out of his sleep by all of the commotion going on. He slowly opens his eyes and sits up in his cot. He slings his quiver over his shoulder and straps on his boots, and pulls out his med kit and then heads out of the crew quarters and follows the sound until he makes it to the source. Rumors of a murder were spreading through the crew. This could be an interesting night.

"E'erybody out of me way!" He shouts as he pushes through the crew so he can make it to the victim. He kneels by poor Huck and begins inspecting the corpse. He looks up to Cog and asks, "Who found the lad like this? Did ye see anything other than the body lying here? Did ye move 'im?" All important questions if he was going to help get to the bottom of this.

Mandatory Survival: [roll3]
Perception: [roll4]
Heal: [roll5]

Mandatory survival (I assume for the tracks), perception to check for anything missing or amiss, heal check on the victim to determine cause of death (poison, disease, wounds).
As Seamus examined the man's wounds, one thing became readily apparent: he had been poisoned. In the wounds found on the victim's back, Seamus found traces of rainbow jellyfish toxin, no doubt applied by the weapons of the sahuagin attackers.

Rainbow Jellyfish Toxin is a potent poison known to cause paralysis.

Erebus

Unfortunately, Erebus' words were correct, and the Sahuagin were indeed long gone. There was no trace left of the raiders, and the only visible creatures in sight were fish, darting out of the way of the intruding dragon.

Roscoe, earlier...


Roscoe looked around the deck of the ship and came to a quick decision. "On the main deck, just behind here." He pointed to a spot on either side behind just far enough from the stairs to the forecastle not to be in the way at all. "That should give us better coverage to either side. Eventually we'll get some real cannon and put them on the lower deck." Roscoe sped the process up by setting each ballista in place then left Hoskins to get them properly anchored. He'd come back in a bit to check his work.
The work done, Hoskins went to find Roscoe. "Ballistae are in place and ready for battle, Master Gunner. But...there're only the two of us assigned to the weapons, sir. Maybe if you might speak to the Captain or Quartermaster about Seamen Daargen or Strong, they were also trained how to use these ballistae, sir."

[barticus]

After investigating the corpse Seamus advances over to Erebus to patch him up. "I'd not advise going to explore to much. Our friend here was poisoned. The attacker used a rainbow jellyfish poison to paralyze his victim. I'd not recommend going down there on your own or you might end up in a similar state."

I know I don't have ranks, but I'd like to try an applicable knowledge check...
Knowledge (any except engineering): [roll0]

I know I'm limited to the total 10 cap... but I'm not sure if anyone else knows about these things...

[Nefarion Xid]

Undeterred, Erebus continues into the depths, looking for a reef or any signs of where the raiders could have come from. He surfaces and flies back after five minutes of searching at 100 feet.

[Othniel]

Erebus

Unfortunately for Erebus, his dive produces no further results, but he does manage to get a wonderful glimpse of undersea life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le13by2WM70). Several small schools of fish swim lazily by, feeding on whatever suspended food they can forage. Predator tuna graze around the edges, looking for stragglers. In the distance, the diminutive dragon catches sight of a pair of frolicking dolphins.

[Tychris1]

Earlier that very same yesterday...

"Very well, Mister Gorestream," Kroop relented, "My cookbook is in the corner over there, and my spices are in the cupboard above. Let's see how well you do making meatpies..."


Earlier that very same yesterday...

Rhagor went about collecting the cookbook and flipping through it monotonously while grabbing spices. "So, boss, what will we be makin' first?" He snickered softly to himself before starting humming a light ditty while awaiting orders. After receiving them he would flip through the cookbook and gather the appropriate ingredients. "I don't think I talked t' you much before t' mutiny, Kroop. Tell me what brought someone like you t' our high life o' piracy. You could rest a lot easier cookin' in some port tavern instead o' in t' Godsend."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak paced on the deck, a clawed toe tapping impatiently as he thought.
"Something's not right here... Wouldn't the sahuagin take the body with them to feed? Did they steal anything? Why would they just kill a lone sailor in cold blood?"

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Finally, there was a resounding bang from the rear of the ship as the door to the captain's quarters was kicked open and Blake strode out, bare chested but blade in hand. His eyes roved over the scene of slaughter on deck, eventually settling on the knot of officers attending to the body.

"And what in the nine hells do we have here!?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna rose to her feet, snapping off a salute.

"Sahuagin murdered one o' th' crew, cap'n. Several knife wounds to th' aft, laced with rainbow jellyfish poison accordin' to Seamus. Erebus is down in th' sea investigatin'."

[zabbarot]

Roscoe, earlier...


The work done, Hoskins went to find Roscoe. "Ballistae are in place and ready for battle, Master Gunner. But...there're only the two of us assigned to the weapons, sir. Maybe if you might speak to the Captain or Quartermaster about Seamen Daargen or Strong, they were also trained how to use these ballistae, sir."

Earlier than things that are current...

The ogre made quick work of examining the weapons and found them satisfactory. "Good work. Keep on bein' a better worker than meal, an' you'll go places." He said nothing else to Hoskins, but kept his advice in mind.

Don't wanna cross the time streams so I'll fast forward :smalltongue:

The next day, which is this current one, and we're all caught up now...

Roscoe usually work up early. He never had a watch shift because the crows nest was too small so he made up for it by working below deck where he could. He had been polishing his cannon when, suddenly, he was interrupted by shouting.

"YARR, ATTENTION YE SCALLYWAGS, ASTOR GET THE CREW."
He made it up in time to hear something about 'soggin' raiders' or somesuch, but was otherwise pretty lost. "What 'appened? Who died?" He looked around and saw the tail end of a dragon going overboard just before the Captain came out. Someone'll tell the cap'n what's gone on, he thought, and made his way to over hear.

[Othniel]

Rhagor


Earlier that very same yesterday...

Rhagor went about collecting the cookbook and flipping through it monotonously while grabbing spices. "So, boss, what will we be makin' first?" He snickered softly to himself before starting humming a light ditty while awaiting orders. After receiving them he would flip through the cookbook and gather the appropriate ingredients. "I don't think I talked t' you much before t' mutiny, Kroop. Tell me what brought someone like you t' our high life o' piracy. You could rest a lot easier cookin' in some port tavern instead o' in t' Godsend."

Still earlier...

Kroop took a deep breath and leaned back against the counter. "Bit o' long story, that," he said. "I'll give ye the short version." Kroop scratched his chin, trying to think back over the years. "I know I ain't much to look at these days, but I was once the finest chef in Port Peril. Head Chef at the Lobster's Armor, finest restaurant to grace these here Shackles. Or at least I were, until...er...I got a little fresh with me assistant, Daisy. She didn't take to me advances, and I was thrown out on me bum." Kroop shook his head sadly. "Turned to drink, fell into a pit o' despair, and bet me life in a game o' cards with Cap'n Harrigan. You know the rest." Kroop pointed a finger at Rhagor, "Don't get too friendly with that rum, Quartermaster. It'll ruin yer life if yer not careful."

From the corner, a loud squawking is heard. Kroop looked over to see two of his chickens getting into a fowl argument despite the fact that they were separated by the bars of their cages. "Henrietta, Gladys - stop that!" the Chef muttered crossly. "Is that any way to behave?" After muttering at the chickens for a few more moments, he turned back to Rhagor. "Better get on. I need to separate these girls, lest they peck the other's eyes out."



Waiting on the rest of you scalawags to post for more!

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna paused awkwardly over the sailor's dead body, waiting either for Erebus to leap at a dramatically appropriate moment out of the sea or for the captain to give an order - for burial, for pursuit, or otherwise.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

"Sarenrae's tits, was no one on watch last night?"

Blake looked across the gathered crew.

"I suppose Erebus went below to see if he could find some trace of them? Take in the sail before we leave him behind, ye swabs! And if any of ye have experience with fighting the fish men, now would be the time to come forward."

[Lord Of Mantas]

At the captain's words, Branna reached into her haversack, pulling on her chain shirt. "Ready as always, cap'n. O' course, that all depends on Erebus returning with good news."


*** In the event Erebus continues to spot nothing and eventually returns saying as much... ***


Branna sighed at the news, looking to the captain. "Permission to coordinate with Seamus and Sandara t' get th' body ready for burial, sir?"

[Tychris1]

Rhagor snapped to attention as Captain Blake finally came upon the scene. Standing fully erect, the vicious Gnoll Quartermaster turned to the gawking crew and snarled, his putrescent rum stained breath accompanying a blast of spittle as he roared out. "You heard t' captain! I want this ship t' stop so smartly I'll hurl me lunch all over t' poop deck! Have you got scum in your ears? Move it you lily livered skinny armed excuses for a crew!" Waving his Falchion intimidatingly, Rhagor set about carousing the crew into action.

Prowling over to the Captain, Rhagor saluted Blake before looking back at the corpse. "Aye, he was on watch last night."

[Nefarion Xid]

Eventually, Erebus leaps from the water and flaps back to the deck.

"Nothing," he shakes his head slowly and huffs, "No sign of where they could have gone either."

[barticus]

"Aye, lets get this cleaned up and get the lad buried. Branna, ye'r with me. Help me get 'im below deck. Lets get a move on now." Seamus says as he begins to lift the body.

After getting below deck, the same level his work space is on, he asks Branna, "Branna, would you fill up my bucket with water? I'll get our friend here cleaned up."

He sets the body down and goes looking for some rags while Branna is filling the bucket. If she declines he does both tasks and then begins cleaning the body.

[Lord Of Mantas]

"On it!"

Retrieving a silk rope from her haversack, Branna grabbed a bucket and lowered it into the sea, filling it up with water. Then retrieving it, she grabbed the water purification sponge she had made the previous day and then proceeded to use it to sterilize the water in the bucket, handing it over to Seamus.

"Clean as a whistle, now."

Don't forget, as long as alchemical items are being mentioned, that Branna gave you 12 of her 24 Alchemist's Kindness. Acknowledge receipt in your next post.

[CockroachTeaParty]

"Might want to double-up on night watches until we're out of these waters, cap'n."
Blackbeak suggested. He used his prestidigitation magic to help with the clean up procedure.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Shifting back and forth on her paws, a thought occurred to Branna. "I'm going t' go arrange things fer the burial while ye clean th' body. If'n ye need me just shout."

Leaving Seamus' workspace, Branna sought out Sandara.

"So doubtless ye've heard, if not seen, the poor crewman who got shanked by the Sahuagin. Would ye mind helpin' me procure the proper things fer 'is burial? I know we'll need a chain an' cannonball, or maybe one o' th' heavier things we plundered and can afford t' let go..."

[zabbarot]

Roscoe took a minute to look around the deck and think as everyone rushed off to take care of the ship, or the body. Now he had no idea what a soggin' raider might be, but he was quite capable of deducing a few things about it, and these he took to the captain. "Cap'n, if I may, I've got some concerns. Best case scenario, this was jus' bad luck. Some critter got curious and a might bit stabby. Seems unlikely though. More likely little bastard was a scout, in which case we need ta be on guard. Other possibility, it was a thief, an' since ain't nothing missing, thief might still be here." He turned and spoke to everyone, "'As anyone checked the bilge?"

[Othniel]

Branna

Branna finds Sandara quickly enough, as the woman was coming up the stairs from the crew berths onto the main deck. "A good idea, Miss Lachlan. I'm sure Besmara would approve." The Priestess then pointed over at Roscoe. "Do you suppose the big one would give us a cannonball for the poor crewman, or shall we just use chains?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna scratched her chin. "Maybe, maybe not. Cannon shot's not cheap, but I'll see if'n he can spare some." And with that, Branna went traipsing off to find Roscoe, coming across him on the deck.

"Ah, Roscoe. Quick question: We were prepping the body for a proper send-off, an' Besmara prefers havin' the body weighed down with a bit o' cannon shot or a heavy bit of plunder. Would ye mind lending one of yer cannon balls to the cause?"

[barticus]

After he finishes cleaning the corpse Seamus heads off to find a sheet and the chains that the former slaves wore. After he locates both he wraps the corpse in the sheet and chains to weigh it down. After he completes his task he goes and looks for Branna or Sandra. "Well, I think our companion is ready for his final voyage, if ye' will. I'll bring him back up so we can proceed."

[zabbarot]

"Ah, Roscoe. Quick question: We were prepping the body for a proper send-off, an' Besmara prefers havin' the body weighed down with a bit o' cannon shot or a heavy bit of plunder. Would ye mind lending one of yer cannon balls to the cause?"

Roscoe wrinkled his nose, not seeming very happy about the idea, but gave in. "Fine." He nearly growled the word, but produced a cannonball from a too-small bag on his hip, and handed it gently to Branna. "You owe me. We'll figguh it out in port."

[Lord Of Mantas]

"Thanks Roscoe!" Cheerily accepting the cannonball, the catfolk grunted and strained as she ran off to find Seamus and Sandara. "Well, I'm gonna owe 'im, but I got a cannonball for the funeral." Her face grew more somber. "I think we're all ready t' begin whenever ye are, Sandara."

[Othniel]

Everyone

"Very well. Thank you, Branna," Sandara replied, and then held up her hands for quiet. "We gather on deck to wish our fellow crewman, Huck, a speedy voyage into the crew of the Seawraith, should The Black Lady accept his service. Let any who had quarrels with Huck forget them, as Besmara commands while at sea." Sandara motioned for several crewmen to attend to Huck's body, and the next few moments were filled with the sounds of Huck's body being prepared for burial at sea. He was wrapped in spare sailcloth, the cannonball from Roscoe combining with some of the leftover chain from the longship making for a more-than-adequate weight to haul Huck down to the bottom of the sea. As the body was lifted to the top of the gunwale, Sandara bid them hold for a moment, and gestured to Rhagor. "Would you like to offer a prayer, Quartermaster?"

[Tychris1]

Rhagor scratched his chin as he watched the crew go about their duties, looking at the corpse of Buck or Huck or whoever it was that had died. Roscoe raised a good point however, and he leaned his Falchion's blunt edge against his shoulder, looking out at the water as if expecting an army to suddenly emerge and capsize the ship. Briefly walking back to his quarters, he began to rummage about for his book of prayers. There was bound to be something useful in it that he could recite in the ceremony. Picking it up, he also managed to find a discarded bottle of rum beneath his bed and as luck would have it there was still a bit left in it. Taking a swig he returned it to its dark corner before walking back onto the deck.

It appeared as if Branna and Sandara had already began discussing the funeral procedure while he was busy. The Quartermaster licked his lips, snickering to himself as a hundred perverse thoughts crossed his mind at seeing the two so close together, and continued to feed his imagination as he rejoined the crew for the proper sendoff. Rhagor nodded his head at Sandara as she asked him for a few words and he flipped through his prayer book to a page that he half-remembered as being appropriate. Thank ye' Sandara."

"Besmara our mother,
Your power brin's us mirth,
Your providence guides our ships,
And by your command we return t' t' sea."

"Pirate Queen, those few free people who die still live in your presence,
Their adventures change but do not end aboard your ship.
We pray in hope for our families,
Our crew, and our buckos,
And for all t' went t' Besmara's locker known t' You alone."

"In company with you,
Who sails t' seas o' t' Great Beyond,
May they rejoice in your celebrations.
May they find tankards o' strong mead,
May their wenches be eternally young,
And may their plunder be vast without countin'.
United once more with a crew beyond sight."

"Yarrr."

Closing the prayer book, Rhagor dipped his head and awaited for the funeral to finish.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna kept her head bowed throughout the ceremony, unaware of Rhagor's more unsavory thoughts.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Blake turned to Blackbeak with a nod as he suggested doubling the watch.

"Aye, Mr. Blackbeak, and what's more I think it prudent to move all our crew members blessed with darksight to the night watch. At least until we leave these waters. Do any of you have a guess as to the size of these Sahaguins' territory?"

Later...

Blake bowed his head at Rhagor's prayer, impressed as ever with his childhood friend's devotion to the piratic ideal. As the words trailed off and no one else stepped forward to speak, Blake's head rose and he stepped towards the wrapped corpse.

"May he find adventure and treasure unending in the farthest sea."

With that, he pushed hard against the cannon ball with his boot, sending the crewman down into Besmara's watery embrace. He allowed a moment of silence more before turning.

"Alright, that's enough tears! The ship won't move herself! Mister Blackbeak, see to getting us underway again. Mister Rhagor, Mister Erebus, with me. We'd best inspect the holds and the bilges in case one of these fish men was bold enough to stow away."

[Lord Of Mantas]

As the captain gave orders to Rhagor, Blackbeak, and Erebus, Branna approached him and snapped off a salute. "Orders for me, cap'n?"

[barticus]

"Alright, that's enough tears! The ship won't move herself! Mister Blackbeak, see to getting us underway again. Mister Rhagor, Mister Erebus, with me. We'd best inspect the holds and the bilges in case one of these fish men was bold enough to stow away."

"Mind if I tag along, Captain? Not much else for me to do at the moment."

Seamus asks Captain Blake.

"Hopefully Captain Blake doesn't think I've lost my touch in combat. I know I'm old, but that's no excuse to not keep up with the youngsters. I held my own and more when we raided the slavers at least!

[CockroachTeaParty]

With a crisp salute, Blackbeak went about getting the ship underway again.
"You heard the Cap'n! Hoist the sails and weigh anchor! Let's put some distance between us and this spot'o bad luck! Same heading as before!"

[Othniel]

The Godsend

With the end of the funeral, Sandara gave a sign and the sailcloth-wrapped body of Huck slide into the ocean with a splash, swiftly sinking out of sight. Moments later, Captain Blake gave his orders and the crew made ready to be underway.

Below deck, Captain Blake and Seamus find almost little sign of the sahuagin. A few wet footprints on the stairs matching those found earlier were almost the only signs of invasion. The only thing out of place was at the door to the secure storage area. It appeared that an unsuccessful attempt to force the lock had been made. What the sahuagin were after is anybody's guess.


The Next Day...

The strong westerly wind continued, and by the next dawn, land was sighted. A cry of "Land, ho!" gave voice to cheers among the crew as the Sargavan city of Senghar came into view:

The first sight you see is the Grand Market, a bustling place of buyers and sellers where the best goods in the Mwangi Expanse may be purchased. To the northwest of the Market, upon a small island in the canals, you can spot the city's most well-known establishment: The Wind's Rest Inn and Tavern, a place where food, liquor, and news can be had in copious amounts. Next to the tavern stands a smaller building, a building known as The Broken Promise which serves as both a brothel and gambling house. Upon The Godsend's deck, crewmen not engaged in working the ropes and rigging line the rails, taking in the sight of perhaps the largest city many of them have ever seen. Many point at the architecture, noting the giant stone blocks used in the city's construction.

The Godsend pulls slowly up to a wharf and crewmen furl the sails, while others drop down the side of the ship to tie her off. With quick work, the ship is safely docked, and the crew eagerly await orders or permission to go ashore.

Isolated on the southern end of the Bay of Senghor, the Caldaru people of the bay’s namesake city of Senghor are distinct from their fellow Mwangi natives, both racially and linguistically. While the Mauxi may claim to be racially unrelated to their kindred, the Caldaru—found only in Senghor—may actually be able to back up their own claims to uniqueness. Relatively tall, with straight dark hair, green eyes, and skin tones ranging from olive to dark tan, they don’t appear physically similar to any of the other Mwangi ethnicities. What’s more, their Polyglot dialect includes words and phrases that lack parallels in the dialects of their neighbors, and as a result most scholars and some of their neighboring cultures don’t consider them Mwangi at all, with the distant city-state of Mzali viewing them as just another group of foreigners, as alien as the Sargavans.

Of uncertain origin, the Caldaru might be the last remaining pocket of some obscure, ancient ethnic group of Garundi or even Kelish stock no longer extant elsewhere, or remnants of the original stock that the Bonuwat people mixed with in antiquity. Their own founding mythology for Senghor as a city claims that they arrived from a distant land, seeking wealth and trade, and as a result of natural or man-made reasons, lost contact with their place of origin, slowly diverged from it culturally, and finally lost the desire and need to return.

Alongside its people, Senghor’s architecture presents a fascinating historical mystery to visitors who marvel at the size and complexity of the port’s series of nested and fortified seawalls and breakwaters. Capable of sheltering the harbor from even such storms as the Eye of Abendego far to the north, and constructed to defend against naval threats that no longer exist for any nation in the modern Expanse, the city appears out of place. The massive stone blocks that make up the oldest portions of the port outstrip anything else within the modern city, or anywhere else on the Mwangi Expanse’s coastline. Combined with the unique Caldaru bloodline, explorers have long theorized that Senghor was constructed in antiquity as a distant outpost of a large, powerful, and sophisticated seafaring empire from either across the Fever Sea or farther south on the Garundi continent beyond the range of local maps. For whatever reason, Senghor lost contact with that empire, be it parent culture or colonial master, and for at least 2,000 years it has developed largely on its own.

Apparently content to exist as a city-state for much of its history, Senghor developed largely in cultural isolation. Bordered by the dense and hostile jungles of the Kaava Lands to the east and the blue of the sea to the west, the city possesses no easy land route, yet ocean trade has increased significantly in the past several centuries, and Senghor’s fortunes have waxed despite the destruction wrought by the Eye on the Sodden Lands. Though Senghor is far from being a pirate city, its lords turn a blind eye to pirate vessels as long as no piracy takes place within their claimed waters, and their own navy of several dozen ships enforces this edict with deadly force. Otherwise, any ships willing to pay a nominal duty on their cargo and reasonable docking fees are free to use the port, with one glaring exception: Senghor steadfastly refuses to admit slave ships, and often refuses ships captained or even crewed by those of Bekyar ethnicity, because of that culture’s predilection for the flesh trade. Whether on the grounds of moral disgust or racial bigotry— or both—Senghor’s actions in this regard have been the cause of bloody naval conflicts with Bekyar city-states to the south of Sargava. These conflicts have also stoked a burgeoning expansionist desire within some members of the city’s ruling elite.

Senghor’s ruling council draws its members from the ranks of the city’s nobility, but it also grants representation to the priesthood of Gozreh, the merchants’ compact, and the military. Still, most power remains inherited rather than earned, even within the latter groups. Senghor’s citizens rarely criticize the oligarchy, however, as they live in relative prosperity, with few external threats and a largely homogenous populace negating any ethnic strife.

The source of their prosperity, since the founding of Sargava, has been the huge amount of mutual trade that has sprung up between the port and its southern neighbor, particularly within the past decade. The Caldaru generally act as middlemen for trade between the former Chelish colony and outside traders and merchant companies unwilling to anger the Thrune crown in Cheliax or to deal through the Shackles Pirates. Despite several attempts to establish a trade embassy within the city, Chelish agents invariably find their ships attacked by pirates after sailing from the port, and messages to or from Cheliax lost or intercepted. The lords of Senghor claim innocence, but their own best interests lie in preventing the influence of any of the imperial powers within the city’s walls. Senghor’s status as a center of trade not under the thumb of foreign powers remains the city’s primary goal, and some on the council, including its young Speaker and his brother, who captains the city militia, even seek an expansionist change in policy that would ultimately lead to clashes with the Aspis Consortium out of Bloodcove.

At the city center, bordered by the inner ring of canals, Senghor’s grand market marks one of the biggest points of convergence in the Mwangi Expanse between the goods of the interior and those of Avistani crafting. Not just poorly crafted trade goods, jewelry, and cheap alcohol, the merchant goods that arrive in Senghor entice traders from power centers typically outside of the easy reach of northern trade consortiums, and in turn exchange these exotic goods for those of equal quality, eschewing the raw resource trade of Bloodcove in favor of quality local craftsmanship. Watched over by scarlet-and-black-clad Caldaru guards, the markets outlaw all weapons within their bounds to ensure that the frequently heated haggling at the marketplace never erupts into violence—or at least nothing more than bruised flesh and wounded egos.

[Lord Of Mantas]

*** The following post is made under the assumption that Captain Blake gives permission to go ashore, ***
and does not have any orders for Branna.


Climbing up to the top of the rigging and mast, Branna looked over the city of Senghor with a grin on her face, the wind blowing through her red hair as she assumed an appropriately dramatic pose. Obviously, life wasn't perfect, but all in all it was looking rather good, as far as the catgirl was concerned - she was out from under the thumb of yet another cruel captain, they'd freed some slaves, and - most importantly - they'd gotten some nice plunder. Now, in this crucible of opportunity, it was the time to use it.


***


Bounding down the gangplank, Branna drew the salty port air into her lungs before inviting the other officers to come join her for some drinks and food at The Wind's Rest Inn and Tavern.

"We gotta get properly soused an' fed afore we go gamblin', nya!"

Once she had determined who was interested in joining her, she promptly began interrogating passerby to The Wind's Rest. A short time later, she trounced through the doors, and took a good look around (searching in particular for any sort of cabana boys) before sashaying her way up the bar, calling the attention of the barkeep.

"Ahoy, my good man! What've you got on tap, nya?"

[Tychris1]

**This is assuming Zab and Nef are still down for the idea of playing Bones with Rhagor**

Looking over the wet footprints through the ship, Rhagor merely shrugged at the attempted break in and invited the young Black Dragon to pass some of the time with him and Roscoe. Sitting down on the deck, he engaged in some angry wordplay and low stakes gambling. Looking over the incoming city, Rhagor grinned from ear to ear as he took in the sight.

Time to get to work.


**Docked**

Leaning against the side railing, Rhagor snickered as he watched Branna bound down the gangplank and under his breath muttered "I'll give ye somethin' nice t' eat alright." Throwing his head back, he let out an uproarious howl before banging on his chest. "Time t' get riggity riggity wrecked sons! Ye comin' Sandara?"

Content to let Branna interrogate random passerby's for the closest tavern, Rhagor made quick note of the nearby brothel before lurching through the doors, growling and laughing in equal measure. Looking over whatever fine lady companions came with him, Rhagor looked over for any other buxom wenches before moving towards the bar as well.

"I don't care if it's piss water, keep it comin' and comin'!"

[Othniel]

Docked

"Not just now, Raghor," Sandara replies. "I will wait to see if the captain wants anything of me."

The Wind's Rest Inn and Tavern

The Wind’s Rest is a well-kept two-floor establishment built from wooden timbers painted a bright blue. White trim and window boxes full of local flowers decorate the facade, giving the tavern an inviting look. Above the door hangs a neatly-painted sign bearing a grinning dolphin and the tavern's name, also in the same blue and white color scheme. Inside, there are a dozen or so sets of tables and chairs scattered throughout the establishment. The Wind’s Rest is populated by an assortment of locals and foreigners, the former given away by their native garb (ubiquitous straw hats and loose-fitting clothing), and the latter by styles seafarers are accustomed to wearing. The locals speak loudly in either their own tribal dialects or Polyglot, while the foreigners speak mostly common. One table seats four dwarves drinking silently and eyeing the newcomers. Several tables away, six crow-headed Tengu speak loudly in their tongue, their wild gesticulations and volume giving you the notion that there is an argument brewing.

Across from the door on the other side of the common room, there is a bar that is decorated by carvings of dolphins depicted playing in the waves. Behind the bar stands a young human woman of cheerful demeanor. She is dressed like the locals, but she wears a bright red bandana instead of a straw hat, her blonde hair peeking out underneath. She is leaning on that bar, and engaged in conversation with a man at the bar, an elderly gentleman dressed like a sailor with loose-fitting pants and a leather vest. The man’s skin is sun-darkened, and a long white beard descends from his chin like a waterfall. There is a distinct familial resemblance between the two.

Both the young woman and the old man stop their conversation as the new arrivals enter the door. The man turns a dark eye upon Rhagor, but the woman’s smile only falters for a moment before she offers a greeting. “Good day! Welcome to The Wind’s Rest Inn and Tavern. I’m Gabby; Gabby Wind.”

“Careful, Gabby. These ones 'ave a look a wee rough,” the old man wheezes.

[zabbarot]

Roscoe packed his dominoes back into the wooden case as they approached the docks. Another human city. He didn't have high hopes for their tolerance. Not that he cared, but he didn't feel like getting in a fight today. Instead he decided to call his favor in.

"Oi Branna, you going ashore? I'm gonna stay here, but, and I ain't meanin' to offend, but I'm tired of Kroops cookin'. I want some good fatty meat. No more of these salt packed sea rations. Get me somethin' like beef ribs, or mutton. Fatter the better. Or pork ribs. Hells, a whole roast pig. Do that and I'll call us even." Roscoe was salivating as he spoke. He'd been craving a pig for a while. Hopefully she'd come back with a pig.

[Lord Of Mantas]

*** Previously, aboard the Godsend... ***

"Can do, Roscoe!" Branna smiled back at the gunner before she took off.


*** Meanwhile, back in the present... ***


"Pleasure to meet ye, Gabby." Branna tipped an imaginary hat before turning to the old man, a cheery smile still on her face. "An' don' worry, grampa - we're just in from th' sea. Jes' wantin' some food that isn't packed down with a barrel's worth of salt, nya." Branna leaned back and stretched. Currently dressed in her more civilian outfit, this motion promptly sent a ripple down through her swimsuit top clad-


***

"Coconuts!" Called a vendor in the Senghor Marketplace, several blocks away. "Fresh, ripe coconuts straight off the tree! Roast 'em on the hearth or use them for a decadent dessert!"



***

"Speakin' of..." Branna plopped down onto a stool and leaned across the bar. "The meatiest, tastiest thing ye've got, please an' thank ye, an' a list of what ye've got on tap. Ooh, and whatever latest gossip ye can give us." The catgirl paused before widening her eyes as a more important matter occurred to her. "Oh, an' another important thing! Would ye be knowin' where a lass could get herself a whole pig?"

Diplomacy (to calm down Gabby's elderly friend): [roll0]
Diplomacy (to gather information from Gabby regarding a good location to find a pig - uses INT rather than CHA from Ceaseless Observation): [roll1]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Following the group to the Wind's Rest, Blackbeak was somewhat intrigued to notice the group of tengu in the back. He hadn't seen such a gathering of his own kind in quite some time. Not wanting to rudely interrupt them, he ordered a beer (with a straw!) and grabbed a table within reasonable eavesdropping distance, and listened in to what his fellow bird-folk were arguing about.

[Othniel]

At the docks

"Where's the captain of this here vessel?" an voice called out. Over the side of the ship was a middle-aged man with greying hair, looking to be of Chelish extraction. A young, olive-skinned native boy dressed in ragged linen trousers followed at the man's heels, trying his best not to step on any cracks between the boards of the dock.

"Just a moment!" Sandara called in reply. "I'll fetch him for you, sir!" With that, Sandara left the gunwale and went in search of Captain Blake. "Some dock official wishes to speak with you, captain," she informed him. "Shall I ask him to wait?" Without waiting for an answer, Sandara launched into another question, "And what of the three men captured from the longship; do you want them kept under guard?"

As Sandara was speaking, Rosie Cusswell popped into view, interjecting a question of her own, "Pardon my asking, captain, but Fishguts wanted to know who gets to go ashore, and who he should give a list of requested supplies to. I have it here, if you want it. I couldn't find the quartermaster...I think he already went ashore with Branna and Blackbeak."


***

The Wind's Rest

Branna and Rhagor

"If 'at is a euphemism, lassie, th' Broken Promise is next duir," the old man offered with a chuckle.

"Dad!" Gabby exclaimed, a scandalized look on her face. "With your own daughter present! What would Mom say if she were still here?" The proprietress of the tavern shook her head, blue eyes rolling in exasperation. "Look, miss; if you want to buy supplies, just head across the canal southeast to the Grand Market. You can buy just about anything you want there. Unless you want clothing, that is. For that, you want the tailor's shop, on the opposite side of the Promise. And if you do go to the Grand Market, you should know that the City Guard confiscates weapons if you try to bring them in."

"As for rumors," Gabby continued, "Well, you've got the right question there. One of the big-wig merchants over in the Market came in all upset yesterday. Apparently one of his ships didn't come in on time. Some longship out of Bloodcove by the name of Kursta, or something? Kursta, or Krista...something like that at any rate. Offered a bounty of a thousand gold pieces to anyone willing to go find his ship and retrieve the cargo." Gabby began wiping down the bar as she spoke. "See the table of tengu over there? I can't understand their language, but they set out into the jungle a few weeks ago in search of some ancient buried Mwangi gold. Came back empty handed, and madder than wet hens." Gabby giggled a bit and cast an eye toward the table of tengu to make sure they didn't hear her, but they were far too engrossed in their own conversation to notice much of anything. "I do hope they have enough money to pay their bill though," she added. "Let's see, what else. Oh, the dwarves at the other table are looking for arena fighters to compete for the annual arena championship on Widowmaker Isle up in the Shackles. Apparently the prize purse is pretty big, if you don't mind risking your health to win it."

"Now then!" she said, clapping her hands together, "What can I get you to wet your whistle?" She pointed above her head to a sign (continuing the blue paint with white trim scheme) that had a list of drinks painted upon it. "If you want food, you'll have to hit the market. I haven't got a kitchen up and running just yet," she explained. "Just got the Wind's Rest here opened a few weeks ago. Refinished, repainted, and a new menu for a new owner!" Gabby was positively beaming with pride. "But if you're really hungry, I could send a runner for some food," she offered politely.


Alcohol:
Ale - 4c
Beer - 3c
Baijiu - 10g
Pulque - 1s
Rum - 1s
Rumboozle - 1s
Tepache - 5c
Wine, common - 2s
Wine, fine - 10g

Other:
Coffee - 1c
Mwangi Coffee - 3c
Tea - 2c
After waiting for Branna and Rhagor to place an order, Gabby went into the back and returned with their requested drinks, settling the bottles and a pair of mugs down upon the bar. "It's a bit early to be drinking hard, but seafaring is thirsty work. If you hang around, or come back tonight, the place will be busier, and I know folks hereabouts appreciate a good story or two. Might even get a larger crowd than usual if folks hear there are newcomers in town," she said, clearly hinting that her business would benefit from a larger crowd.

Blackbeak

As Blackbeak eavesdropped, the argument went on, the entire table of other tengu oblivious to his arrival. One was speaking now (the only female of the bunch, to Blackbeak's trained eye), berating one of the others, who was sitting in his seat, looking angrier and angrier."Chak-chak, you idiot! You told us there would be treasure practically lying around in the jungle. All we had to do was follow the map you purchased in Port Peril to the ancient Mwangi ruins, and we'd be rich! What did we find there? A whole nest of NOTHING, that's what. Not a single shiny piece of gold in the entire ruin. Now we're broke, and stranded in this cloaca-end swamp of a city without means of getting home. Just what do you intend to do about it?"

Chak-Chak waited impatiently for the female to finish before launching into his own invective, "Well, Mikacha, if the rest of you could listen properly, I was trying to explain to you that we were digging in the wrong place. That rod the woodcarver sold us to mount the medallion upon was clearly too long, as I said when I read the inscription. None of you can read the ancient dialect, but I can, and it clearly said to subtract several inches from the length as an offering to the ancient sun god. Not only that, the medallion also said that the ruins are on an island, and it read to me like it was somewhere in the Shackles. But nooo, you didn't even stop to listen to me before dragging us half-way across the jungle to the wrong ancient city. Why don't you head next door and use your other assets, because you're brain is clearly good for nothing."

Mikacha sat in stunned silence, her beak opening and snapping shut several times before she managed a weak reply. "I'm going for a walk. The rest of you figure it out." With that, the tengu got up and left, leaving the others to pay for her drink, a colorful tepache, which looked to be made with pineapple. The others fell into silence as Mikacha left, the other four looking properly chagrined, and Chak-Chak practically preening at his victory.

Several moments passed before another tengu spoke up, "Maybe...maybe we could sell the map and our supplies. Perhaps someone here would be interested in seeking the treasure. I'd rather just go home," he added miserably.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor watched with leery attention as Branna tried her hand at smoothing things over with the old annoying man and his daughter, amongst.... other activities. Nodding his head along with her, Rhagor sat next to Branna on the same side as the old man, gnashing his teeth behind cut and brutalized lips during the walk over. Every fiber of his body demanded he leap at the fool's throat and start wringing him right then and there, it felt like his brain was on fire, and all he could see was red. His whole childhood spent aspiring to surpass his bullies by being a pirate only for the first port he enters to have another one waiting for him. Another sniveling bastard judging him the moment he stepped through the door, who hid behind the crowd of fellow mockers that passes for a government because he's too old weak and infirm to stand infront of Rhagor and say anything to his face in private. A terrible smile crept across the Cannibal Skald's face as he looked at the old man and then at his seeming daughter. Listening to her explain some of the sights and rumors around Senghor, Rhagor took note of the gladiator fights before nodding to the Father. "Yar, yer father be right lassy," he boasted out rather loudly "We do be lookin' quite a bit ruff aroun' the edges. Most anyone would after fightin' an entire longship of Aspis Consortium Slaver scum!" Banging his fist against the bar he let out an exuberant bark of joy before setting his sights back on the daughter and then the old man. Haggardly snickering, Rhagor continued on with the story. "They had a hold full of slaves, craftsmen and intellects people from all over the world, ah hold on, lass if ye' could kindly I'll have some rum. Now where was I? Ah, right, Captain Blake didn't wait for the ship to come together 'fore the battle began. Must have jumped a clear twenty feet I wager! Ah but yer daughters right, sir, I should save the rest of the tale for the real crowds. Until then," he reached his claw down and grabbed the freshly dropped mug, licking his lips while flaring his nostrils "Bottoms up!"


Perform an Glorious Epic Rage Song about the crew and us kicking a bunch of slavers asses then try to raise our Infamy via Diplomacy:[roll0]

Also pay for 5 mugs of rum. To drink while he waits.

[Nefarion Xid]

When the Godsend enters the mouth of Senghor's bay, Erebus slips over the railing to explore beneath the waves again. Most shipwrecks were the result of human stupidity -- and imbalanced hold or colliding with another ship. If there were something profitable in Senghor's waters, it would be here, he hoped.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna listened attentively to Gabby before replying.


"Look, miss; if you want to buy supplies, just head across the canal southeast to the Grand Market. You can buy just about anything you want there. Unless you want clothing, that is. For that, you want the tailor's shop, on the opposite side of the Promise. And if you do go to the Grand Market, you should know that the City Guard confiscates weapons if you try to bring them in."
Branna shook her head vigorously at the mention of clothing. "Believe me, Gabby, when ye've got a fur coat like this," she gestured toward herself, "Clothing's usually the last thing ye want more of. I'm not wearin' this getup just because it makes the lads stare. An' Miss was my mother. Name's Branna." She extended a paw in greeting, a smile on her face and her head cocked to the side. "The market... can ye leave weapons with 'em and grab 'em back on th' way out?"

And would I even want to do that, as opposed to just stashing it somewhere safe or having Blackbeak or Rhagor hold it for a few minutes?


"As for rumors, well, you've got the right question there. One of the big-wig merchants over in the Market came in all upset yesterday. Apparently one of his ships didn't come in on time. Some longship out of Bloodcove by the name of Kursta, or something? Kursta, or Krista...something like that at any rate. Offered a bounty of a thousand gold pieces to anyone willing to go find his ship and retrieve the cargo. See the table of tengu over there? I can't understand their language, but they set out into the jungle a few weeks ago in search of some ancient buried Mwangi gold. Came back empty handed, and madder than wet hens. I do hope they have enough money to pay their bill though."

"Let's see, what else... Oh, the dwarves at the other table are looking for arena fighters to compete for the annual arena championship on Widowmaker Isle up in the Shackles. Apparently the prize purse is pretty big, if you don't mind risking your health to win it."
Branna listened attentively here, turning the rumors over in her head. A big tournament, eh? I wonder if we could enter Rhagor or Roscoe in the likes o' that, maybe win some -

Branna stopped dead as she realized what Gabby had said.

Of course. I remember now. The longship was due to be delivered here. If that captain spots it before we can strip and resell it, we're f***ing toast.

Keeping a calm, nonchalant expression on her face, Branna leaned forward.

"Really? What was 'is name? Sounds a good way to make a bit o' coin."

Namely, by sneaking in and stealing that money after I warn the captain.


"Now then! What can I get you to wet your whistle? If you want food, you'll have to hit the market. I haven't got a kitchen up and running just yet - Just got the Wind's Rest here opened a few weeks ago. Refinished, repainted, and a new menu for a new owner! But if you're really hungry, I could send a runner for some food."
"Ach, no need for food jes' now, Gabby. I can easily get some at th' market while I pick up tha' pig. An' congratulations on yer new venture as a business owner! Fer the drink... Nothin' too strong to start off wit' - jes' wanna get relaxed afore I go playin' cards or dice at Th' Broken Promise. So a nice ale, I think - amber, if'n ye got it, an' pale if'n ye don't, but any kind's fine."

Once Gabby disappeared into the back, Branna turned to the others. "So, old-timer, how'd ye an' Gabby come t' be-" Branna stopped and clasped her hands to her cheeks in seeming surprise. "Besmara's magnificent tits, is that a nude woman running around out there?"

Bluff (to convince everyone within ear and eyeshot to look out the window for a second, and away from us): [roll0]
Branna will attempt to communicate the following message to Blackbeak and Rhagor via hand signs.

"I'll run back to the ship to warn the captain about Merchant X. Blackbeak, you try to learn what you can about the tengu. Rhagor, you do you."

Per the page on bluff, the DC for doing this is 20.

Bluff: [roll1]


"It's a bit early to be drinking hard, but seafaring is thirsty work. If you hang around, or come back tonight, the place will be busier, and I know folks hereabouts appreciate a good story or two. Might even get a larger crowd than usual if folks hear there are newcomers in town."
"Well, we'll see what happens." Slamming back her drink, Branna licked her lips, savoring the taste of crisp malt and hops. "Well, thank ye, Gabby, but I'd best see a man about a pig now." Placing down a single silver piece (the price of the ale plus a tip), Branna strode out casually before breaking into a run once she was out of sight of the inn, ready to deliver a warning to Captain Blake.

[barticus]

- The Next Day, This Very Now-

Seamus over heard the news of a brothel near by and made a mental note that he would spend the night there today. After seeing Branna sprint down the gangplank, Seamus stuck around the ship and did a little bit of tidying in his make shift area. After it was no longer in shambles he headed over to check in with Captain Blake and asked for any last minute assignments the Captain might have for him. After completing them he heads out into the city and makes his way to the Wind's Rest to catch up with Branna, Blackbeak, and Rhagor. He pulls up a stool next to Branna, Rhagor and Blackbeak. After the greetings he looks to Blackbeak and asks, "Ye know anything 'bout the attempted murder over in the corner?" as he turns his head in a small gesture over to the group of Tengu.

Before Blackbeak gets a chance to respond Seamus flags down Gabby, " 'Scuse me miss, I'll take a rum coffee when you get a chance. I've got a feelin' it'll be a long night." After Gabby brings his drink he asks Branna, she seems to be the talkative one of the group here at least, "What'd I miss? Anything note worthy?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

"Can't talk, gotta run. 'Course, I wouldn't mind the company if'n ye decided to walk wit' me. Otherwise, Blackbeak an' Rhagor will fill ye in."

Perception (to check if anyone's watching): [roll0]

If they're not watching, Branna will attempt to signal Seamus.

"Ship in danger."

Because of the simplicity of the message, the DC is only 15.

Bluff: [roll1]

...wow. She is really not good at passing had signals.

[barticus]

"Can't talk, gotta run. 'Course, I wouldn't mind the company if'n ye decided to walk wit' me. Otherwise, Blackbeak an' Rhagor will fill ye in."

Perception (to check if anyone's watching): [roll0]

If they're not watching, Branna will attempt to signal Seamus.

"Ship in danger."

Because of the simplicity of the message, the DC is only 15.

Bluff: [roll1]

...wow. She is really not good at passing had signals.

Seamus shrugs his shoulders and continues to the tavern. "If ye' need me help I'll try to stay free. Come find me at the tavern or the brothel if something comes up. On second thought, if I'm in the brothel don't try to find me... Unless o'course yer into that sort of thing." He says with a wink. "Just leave a note and I'm sure they'll let me see it after I'm done."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak listened intently to the tengu. As the female left the bar, he got up and followed after her as discreetly as possible (leaving a few coins on the table if he needed to still pay for his drink), before following her outside.

She had a bit of a head start, so he quietly followed after her, trying not to appear threatening. When she was within earshot, he cleared his throat, careful to keep his body language open and casual.
"'Scuse me, miss? Couldn't help but overhear some of your heated... discussion back there. You alright? Need a neutral ear?"


A Stealth check to sneak out of the bar without notice: [roll0]
If needed, a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of the female tengu: [roll1]

[Tychris1]

Watching Branna exit with lecherous eyes it took Rhagor a second to realize that Seamus had joined him at the tavern at which point he patted the physician on the back. "Ach, it's good to see ye Doc, 'fore the night's end we may just be needin' ye to stitch someone back together, hah! *BUUUURP* Now, didya happen to see a butt naked women running down the dock on yer way here? I think I missed her."

[Othniel]

The Wind's Rest

Rhagor

"If you stick around or come back tonight and tell that story in full, the first two rounds for you are on the house," Gabby offered enthusiastically. "Folks will be clamoring to hear tales of the like, only keep out the Aspis references if you value your ship," she added in a low voice. "The Consortium operates here, and word could get out to their headquarters in Bloodcove that there's a ship preying on them."

Branna

Gabby shook Branna's paw pleasantly. "Pleased to meet you, Branna. You can call me Gabby, though my real name is Gabriella. Folks call me Gabby on account of the fact that I talk a lot, but that's only because there's so much to say!" she added with a laugh. "You folks must be new in town. Pirates by the look of your friend here, meaning no offense." Gabby remarked, and gestured to Rhagor. "In case this is your first time here, Senghor is an open port to pirates and privateers, so long as you don't deal in slaves or take ships flying Senghor's colors as prizes. Same goes for Sargava farther south. There's an agreement with the Free Captains. They keep the Chelaxians away from us, and we look the other way...and profit from it!"

"As for the market guards," she continued, "You can leave them at one of the market entrances if you feel like trusting the guards. Most are trustworthy, but there are always a few bad apples in every bunch, right?"

"The merchant's name was Lachance. Broderick Lachance. He sells weapons and armor. Not a blacksmith by trade, but he knows good workmanship, or so I hear. He's got a booth over in the market if you want to see his wares. He's not usually there though. Most days, his assistant Grumpy Stubbs is there. Don't ask him how he got his name," she said with a grin. "He's grumpy about it."

As Branna thereafter made her bluff, nearly every head in the establishment turned toward the closest window, hoping to catch a glimpse of naked female flesh. The old man turned so quickly that he lost his balance on the bar stool and tottered in the air before grabbing hold of the bar to right himself. Gabriella just laughed.

Branna's bluff and subsequent secret message are successful, per the retry in the OOC.

Seamus

Gabby nodded, offering the kineticist a smile, and mixed rum into a mug of coffee before handing it to Seamus. "I'm hoping for a long night myself," she remarked. "A long night, and a full till!"

Blackbeak

Combined with the sudden hubbub about a potentially nude female outside the tavern (despite the presence of the the Broken Promise next door) combined with Blackbeak's careful use of stealth, he is able to slip unnoticed from The Wind's Rest and follow Mikacha. The female tengu made her way down the boardwalk and westward past the Broken Promise. To his right, Blackbeak could see the tailor's shop next to the brothel. It was painted white, like many of the buildings in the area, and had a sign hanging above the door that had "Britches and Hose" written above a caricature of a pair of pants. At his words, she started, but relaxed slightly upon seeing another of her kind. "I don't think so, unless you can find the swindler who sold a treasure map to my idiot brother. But you are kind to ask..."

Bay of Senghor

Erebus

Before Erebus leaped upon the gunwale, he caught sight of several things before submerging himself: First, he noticed that there was a lot of activity in the port. The docks were teeming with dockworkers and crews as ships were loaded or unloaded; cargo and money changing hands all along the wharf. Further along, after the boardwalk gave way to a sandy beach, he could see people dotting the shore. Some were enjoying a morning swim, while others were combing the beach for objects of value that might wash up. Eventually the sand gave way to rocks, and a colony of sea lions played about. Farther out in the bay, dolphins played, and Erebus caught sight of a pair of merfolk appearing to sun themselves on a rock. Beyond the merfolk-laden rock, the diminutive dragon caught sight of the ruins of a city, which Erebus knows to have once held the name "Boali." He doesn't know anything of its history, however. The sun was shining and the water was a translucent blue. There was a slight breeze, and the temperature was comfortable. It was truly a perfect day.

As Erebus dove into the water and opened his eyes to gaze at the bottom, the first thing he noticed were a large number of giant stone blocks, arranged in such a way that it appeared a much older wharf must have extended farther into the bay, accommodating even more ships than the current structures permitted. Various small wrecks littered the sea floor, long picked-over by divers and scavengers. Likewise, the oyster beds were busy with city-dwellers seeking food or fortune. Myriad fish lazily swam by, avoiding the areas of the docks reserved for fishing. He would have to evict the pearl-divers or extend his search beyond the immediate area if he wished to seek his fortune in the waters of the bay.

Captain Blake

"Ah, good!" the official called up. "About time," he said quietly to the boy at his side. "I'm the dockmaster here in Senghor. Just a bit of paperwork to clear up before your crew sets foot in town, if you please. Now then, it will be two gold pieces to dock the caravel, and one for the longship. That covers your stay for as long as you wish. If you wish permanent berthing, we can accommodate you for a yearly cost of fifty gold pieces for the carrack, and twenty-five for the longship. Space is at a premium, you know." With that, the dockmaster held out his hands to the boy, who placed a ledger in them, and followed with a quill dipped in ink. "Might I have the names of your ships here, and your business in Senghor?"

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Striding out of his cabin in resplendent finery, Blake waited to take in the air of the new city before answering Sandra's question.

"Give those three to Mister Roscoe to work as hard as he can. Lets see if we can't make them earn their rum ration. Have the swabs draw lots for a skeleton crew, and let the rest go ashore."

Orders given, Blake made his way to the gangplank and the harbor master.

"Ahoy sir! I'm captain of this fine vessel. How can I be helping you this morning?"

After the harbor master appraised him of the situation, he dug out a handful of gold and passed it to the boy.

"Our ship here is the Godsend, the longship the Kurstav. Will there be anything else, my good man?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak was pleased to speak his native tongue for once; he couldn't remember the last time he had the pleasure.
"A treasure map, eh? Well, I happen to be of the 'adventurous' persuasion. But where are my manners? Folks call me Blackbeak. I haven't had the opportunity to aid a fellow tengu in years. Mayhaps I might be of service to you?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Making her way back through the streets, Branna quickly found the Godsend once more, running back up the gangplank. Seeing Captain Blake with the dockmaster, Branna quickly stepped out of sight and waited until he had disappeared before making her way over.

"Cap'n! I've got news tha' concerns th' longship we took. Ye remember how it originally were property of the Aspis Consortium? Well, I heard me a name when I went ashore - Lachance, Broderick Lachance. Apparently, 'e's a real big merchant around 'ere, an' he's reported a ship o' the exact description as the longship misin'. 'e's offerin' a reward for anyone who kin recover the ship an' its cargo - 1,000 gold pieces." Branna frowned. "If'n we be wantin' to sell the ship without bringin' 'is wrath down on our 'eads, we gotta act an' we gotta act fast."

I would like to make an intelligence or Knowledge check, as appropriate, to see if Branna can think of a good way to disguise or alter the ship in a hurry to pass it off as something else.
"Permission t' grab some canvas an' cover the nameplate, sir?"

[Nefarion Xid]

While chasing off the pearl divers was a tempting prospect, Erebus decides to behave himself while in port. Instead, he moves for deeper water, seeking sunken fortune beyond the area where humans would have explored without the aid of magic.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor cocked an eyebrow as Gabby gestured towards him to indicate his position as a pirate, and though a small flare of anger built up in his throat at once again being racially profiled he bite his tongue and just nodded his head. Once Gabby was finished talking and talking and talking he pounded down the rest of his drink before staring her down with a sneer. "Right, ye see a Gnoll stroll into town and t' first thin' yah think be that he's some criminal lootin' and plunderin'. Typical. If'n ye lads need me I'll be at t' Broken Promise till t' crowd gets bigger round here, maybe prove some stereotype be true haha!" Grunting, Rhagor stood up and walked out of The Wind's Rest and straight to The Broken Promise.

[Othniel]

Captain Blake, Branna, and Roscoe

"Aye-aye, Captain Blake," Sandara responded. She shooed Rosie in front of her, "Rosie, go ahead and head ashore with Mr. Kroop, and keep him out of trouble and from buying anything we don't need." The halfling flashed a grin, nodded her assent, and went below to find Kroop. Sandara turned to see the captain engaged with the dockmaster, and went over to Roscoe, speaking quietly, "I'm not sure if you heard the captain, but he wants you to take charge of the other two we picked up from the longship we took a few days ago. We need to keep them from going ashore."


***

"The Kurstav?" the dockmaster repeated, "Now why does that sound familiar..." Fortunately for Captain Blake, the dockmaster was unable to ponder the matter further, as his young assistant passed the pouch of gold to him, regret over so much gold leaving his hands written large on on the boy's small face, and drove the matter out of the dockmaster's mind. "Ah! Thank you, captain, thank you. A pleasure to have you and your crew in Senghor. Even some of the more...exotic members," he added, seeing Roscoe on deck. "Now then, I just want to be clear on one thing: Here in Senghor (and considering the agreement with the Free Captains) we welcome any ship to port, even pirates. Any ship, that is, except for slavers. They are unwelcome here, and pay the price for trafficking in flesh and blood. I don't know what kind of cargo you might be carrying, but if we so much as get the inkling that a ship carries slaves, the matter will be dealt with harshly." The dockmaster smiled pleasantly. "And we much prefer to keep things pleasant, don't you know? By the way, if you are carrying cargo of some kind, there's a trader over there who buys and sells cargo." The dockmaster waved his hand toward the northwest, pointing toward a warehouse with a smaller building in front. "Have a wonderful day," the dockmaster concluded, before he bowed and walked away.

Rhagor

In sharp contrast to its neighbor, the Broken Promise is painted a bright red with black trim. Window boxes seemingly a common choice of décor in Senghor, the Promise displays flowers as well. Bright tropical roses of varying hues, mostly orange and yellow, give off inviting scents. Honey bees lazily weave through the air, flitting from flower to flower and gorging themselves on nectar. Several scantily-clad young women (and one handsome man dressed in local garb) lounge about on a stone patio, fanning themselves and reclining in wooden chairs dressed with pillows, their wares on display for perusal.

Inside, the red and black colors continue, and a small shrine displaying a small golden statue of Calistria depicted as an elf gives evidence to the notion that the brothel doubles as a temple to the Savored Sting. The smell of perfume and incense lingers in the air, and a gentle breeze flows through the common area as two attractive male humans wave giant fans in an effort to keep the air fresh. A small bar is setup in the corner, offering a small selection of drinks and other pleasures, while a band set up on a small stage in the center of the room plays relaxing music for the establishment’s guests. Several prostitutes engaged in conversation with potential customers are scattered throughout the common room, which is also populated by tables seating gamblers who are engaged in myriad games of chance.

As Rhagor entered, a Kitsune woman approached, greeting him with a curtsey. “Welcome to the Broken Promise,” she said. “What will be your pleasure or pain?”

Blackbeak

Mikacha tilted her head first to one side, and then the other, looking at (one might even say "appraising") Blackbeak before she shyly answered, "Mikacha. My name is Mikacha. The female tengu bore many similarities to Blackbeak, as all tengu do when non-tengu look at them, but Blackbeak knew what to look for. The female's build was slighter and more agile than most, and she walked with a distinct grace. Intelligence shown in her eyes which flitted about as she examined her surroundings. Mikacha's beak was polished and well-cared for, and some of the small feathers around her eyes were dyed a deep red. She obviously cared about her appearance.

"My brother Chak-Chak and I combined our resources with some of our cousins after Chak-Chak purchased a map and a story from an antiquities dealer in Port Peril. Brightfeather - that's one of my cousins - took charge after we all pooled our resources to buy supplies and passage here to Senghor. There's supposed to be an ancient ruin somewhere here in the Shackles with the remnants of an ancient Azlanti city. According to the tale my brother heard, only the temple there is even somewhat intact, and its deeper reaches haven't yet been explored. We had the map translated by a linguist here in Senghor, and he gave us the location of the city somewhere in the Kaava lands to the east, but we didn't find anything matching the description in the story." Mikacha looked at Blackbeak as if trying to gauge his trustworthiness. "We intended on looking for treasures and items of historical import to bring back here, and then to sell some to pay for our passage back to our home Almas." Mikacha stifled a sniffle. "And now, I'm not sure we'll ever get home. I wish we'd never gone to Port Peril. Adventure is stupid, and I want to go home." With that, the female tengu started crying in earnest.

Erebus

As the young dragon pushed farther into the Bay of Senghor, the size of oceanlife he encountered increased. Leaving the relative safety of the harbor, Erebus ventured into more dangerous waters. For quite some time, all the dragon could see was the ocean floor and fish of varying sizes. A few small sharks passed lazily by, giving him a wide berth: they were after even smaller prey. As Erebus pushed on, the floor of the bay rose and a kelp forest came into view. From a vantage point above the kelp (which rose an astounding 100' high off the seafloor, give or take), Erebus spotted the corpse of a sunken ship. From the looks of things, the ship must have foundered, perhaps in a storm, and sunk into the kelp, which subsequently claimed the vessel.

As Erebus approached, he could see that the ship lay on its side, broken into three pieces (see map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ytpnYQ4kW4P6xUbjqF93d9tGdLblVubabsKf2R5nS00/edit#gid=72992503)). Various natural pathways ran through the kelp, creating hallways into, and between, the areas of the wreck. The ship itself appeared to be intact (save for being split in three), and could be approached either through the kelp, through one of the pathways, or straight down from above.

[barticus]

Watching Branna exit with lecherous eyes it took Rhagor a second to realize that Seamus had joined him at the tavern at which point he patted the physician on the back. "Ach, it's good to see ye Doc, 'fore the night's end we may just be needin' ye to stitch someone back together, hah! *BUUUURP* Now, didya happen to see a butt naked women running down the dock on yer way here? I think I missed her."

"No, I must've missed her too. It's strange to see a full moon in the middle of the day, but always, well at least mostly, a welcome surprise! 'Nless o' course its Roscoe's. That I could live without seeing." Seamus replies.

"Seem's tha' me mates area leaving me. Any local news of note, Gabby? An' thank ye for the coffee!" he says as he slips her a platinum piece after taking the coffee cup and gives her a subtle wink. "A full till is always a good thing! Here's hopin' I can help!"

Rolling to slyly slip the platinum to Gabby.
[roll0]

[zabbarot]

Captain Blake, Branna, and Roscoe

"Aye-aye, Captain Blake," Sandara responded. She shooed Rosie in front of her, "Rosie, go ahead and head ashore with Mr. Kroop, and keep him out of trouble and from buying anything we don't need." The halfling flashed a grin, nodded her assent, and went below to find Kroop. Sandara turned to see the captain engaged with the dockmaster, and went over to Roscoe, speaking quietly, "I'm not sure if you heard the captain, but he wants you to take charge of the other two we picked up from the longship we took a few days ago. We need to keep them from going ashore."

"Aye, tha's fine. See about having someone ashore fetch'em new clothes. Somethin' less uniform, y'savvy?" Roscoe looked around deck and spotted Hoskins keeping busy. He gave Sandara a nod, signifying the end of their conversation and strode off.

"Round up your friends, we've got some free time. Set a table in the armory." Hoskins had been doing well, he listened at the least. Roscoe trusted him to get the other two bellow deck, but waited for just a bit on deck to see him get moving. After that he went to get his dominoes. Roscoe really only had one method of making friends.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak felt a genuine pang of sympathy. He had been traveling so long, he had almost forgotten what it was like to be homesick (having never had a true home in the first place). He offered a reassuring pat on her shoulder, gently.
"Now, now, Mikacha, take heart. I happen to have recently secured some money. If you're looking for a buyer for that map, you've found him. How much money do you think is fair? I have a tidy sum on me, but if your group wants a bit more I might be able to ask some of my crew mates to chip in. Some gold would help get you folks home, yes? I'd offer you passage on my ship, but I fear the journey wouldn't be safe. What do you say? Should I speak with your brother?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

As the Dockmaster vanished, Branna looked back between him and Blake. She blinked. And when she spoke, somehow, her pirate accent, usually thick and twangy, had completely disappeared, leaving only a well-spoken Andoran one in its place.

"Um... Captain... With all due respect, did you just give that man - a person of Chelaxian descent - the true name of the longboat we stole from a Chelaxian slaver organization?"

Branna blinked again. When she spoke once again, her pirate talk was back.

"I'm goin' t' get the nameplate covered right quick. If'n ye've got a plan to carve it up an' sell it off afore we all get pillaged an' burnt t' kingdom come, call fer me. I'll be at th' Broken Promise afterward otherwise."

As Dark has still not responded, Branna's just going to try and cover up the nameplate and then get out of dodge. Until the situation is dealt with, she will be rolling stealth while aboard both ships, so if worst comes to worst she can plausibly deny being involved, leave Blake to his fate, and sign on with someone else. XD

Perception will be rolled by the DM to find spare canvas.

Stealth: [roll0]

[Nefarion Xid]

Delighted as his discovery, Erebus makes his way around to the easternmost section of the ship. He slows to a lazy, minimal effort swim (using just his tail to propel him forward) and hugs the edge of the kelp forest as he goes.

[roll0]

[Tychris1]

Rhagor looked around the room, his body rumbling with his laughter as he began to count out a couple of gold pieces. "Yarr," He lamented, rolling his eyes as he loosened his fur coat "I wish this be th' story I'd be tellin' later. It shall be truly epic. And her colorful cast involves that man and two of yer finest gals, ginger preferably." He leered down at the kitsune, a fist full of gold at the ready.

[Othniel]

Seamus

"Thank you, dear!" Gabby flashed Seamus a smile as she pocketed the money. "As for rumors, well..."

Gabby proceeds to regale Seamus with the rumors she told Branna earlier, see link for details: Link! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19951654&postcount=180)

Roscoe

Hoskins wasted no time in rounding up his current (and former) shipmates. "Dirks, Vincent, get your filthy arses over here! Master Gunner Roscoe wants a word with us in the armory!" Dirks Daargon and Vincent Strong then proceeded to drop what they were doing, which was working with the rigging, and followed Hoskins below. The gunner pulled up a few empty crates and barrels for a makeshift table and awaited Roscoe's presence.

Blackbeak

"You're awfully kind, Blackbeak," Mikacha said, the touch upon her shoulder having calmed her a bit. "It would cost about 500 pieces of gold to get us home, at least by the safer routes which take longer, but I-I wouldn't want to impose."

In case you were wondering, Mikacha's words strike you as truthful.

Branna

The Catfolk pirate remembered spotting some spare sailcloth from when they buried poor Huck at sea, and managed to quietly cover the Kurstav's nameplate without anyone noticing.

Erebus

As the diminutive dragon drew deeper and nearer to the wreck, he noticed several things. There was little natural light, though this came as no surprise and was no obstacle to Erebus. There were bones lying all around the wreck, and barnacle-encrusted blades littered the floor of the wreck. Bits of cloth clung to several whole - or near whole - skeletons which were mostly undisturbed, and though Erebus couldn't be sure, there did not appear to be any sign of death by battle. Smashed crates and waterlogged barrels were interspersed with beams, pieces of mast, and whole sections of ship deck to create a maze-like appearance. Some of the "walls" were near impassable, and Erebus realized he would have to take care not to bump into any jagged pieces of wood or metal.

Rhaghor

"I am madame Ayaro," the kitsune replied with a curtsey. "That will be no trouble, good sir."

"Elspeth and Rita, if you two would show our guest a good time, please." Ayaro beckoned two auburn-headed ladies over, and accepted payment from Rhagor. "If there is anything more we can do to make your stay with us more relaxing, please do not hesitate to ask." As the two women led Rhagor away, one was heard saying, "I'll try anything once..."

That'll be 5gp for services rendered. Aaaaand fade to black...

[TheDarkDM]

As the Dockmaster vanished, Branna looked back between him and Blake. She blinked. And when she spoke, somehow, her pirate accent, usually thick and twangy, had completely disappeared, leaving only a well-spoken Andoran one in its place.

"Um... Captain... With all due respect, did you just give that man - a person of Chelaxian descent - the true name of the longboat we stole from a Chelaxian slaver organization?"

Branna blinked again. When she spoke once again, her pirate talk was back.

"I'm goin' t' get the nameplate covered right quick. If'n ye've got a plan to carve it up an' sell it off afore we all get pillaged an' burnt t' kingdom come, call fer me. I'll be at th' Broken Promise afterward otherwise."

As Dark has still not responded, Branna's just going to try and cover up the nameplate and then get out of dodge. Until the situation is dealt with, she will be rolling stealth while aboard both ships, so if worst comes to worst she can plausibly deny being involved, leave Blake to his fate, and sign on with someone else. XD

Perception will be rolled by the DM to find spare canvas.

Stealth: [roll0]

Blake raised an eyebrow at Branna's questioning.

"Do you think Aspis got where it is by being stupid enough not to put together an empty longship going up for sale in Senghor after their slave galley got hit, or petty enough to do anything more than accept a bit of piracy in the Shackles as the price of doing business? I don't intend to hide under a rock whenever we take a prize, Branna, nor do I intend to give Aspis so little credit as to think a false name in the register will dissuade them if they're really trying to get to the bottom of the disappearance. Especially when we'll have a drunken paragon of Gnoll-kind singing of our exploits within the hour. This way they'll know who took their ship, if they care, without wasting so much coin as to feel obliged to do anything about it. And more importantly, they know how to get in touch with a ship and a crew that are far more reliable than that of the dearly departed Kurstav. Now, go enjoy yourself. The ship wasn't flying Senghor's colors - the law is on our side."

He winked at the irony before striding away, whistling a jaunty tune.

"You're an able man, Mister Roscoe, to forego shore leave for watch duty! I'll make sure to return the favor some day soon!"

Descending to the streets of Senghor, Blake began to wander. Oh, he would engage in a debauch soon enough, but first came the business of liquidating their assets. Prime among them the longship.

Gather Information to find a shipwright or other such person who might be interested in purchasing a slightly used longship.

[roll0]

[CockroachTeaParty]

"That sounds perfectly reasonable, my dear. I need to hunt down one or two of my crew mates, so just hang around the tavern a bit, yeah? I won't be gone long."

Blackbeak poked his head back in the tavern to see if any of his fellow crew mates were still inside...

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna awkwardly shifted. "If'n ye say so, cap'n." The catfolk pirate was still riddled with uncertainty - there was having a reputation, and then there was painting a target on your back. And in this life, it was all to easy to go from one right to the other. In any case, she was still extra careful to make sure she was not seen covering up the nameplate of the Kurstav. Plausible deniability was a rogue's best friend in port, after all.


*** After covering up the nameplate... ***


With the Kurstav hidden as best as possible, save for being shipped off to a chop shop, Branna snuck off the Godsend before rejoining the crowds once more. Now feeling the ale swimming through her veins, she felt a little more relaxed, and decided that the first order of business before going to do some gambling was to try and hunt down Roscoe's roast pig. After all, it wouldn't do to lose all her coin at dice and cards before she could repay the favor.

First, however, she stashed her offensive alchemical items near her hammock, and decided to secret away her rapier. She wouldn't need it where she was going, and it was too valuable to trust in some guard's pilfering hands.

I'm not sure what roll would be necessary to hide something. I'm going to roll a d20 and let the DM decide the appropriate skill.

[roll0]

Stealth (to sneak off the Godsend without anyone catching sight of Branna): [roll1]
Diplomacy (to gather information on where I can buy a pig - wholly roasted if at all possible): [roll2]

[zabbarot]

Roscoe nodded in response to Captain Blake, "O' course cap'n, 'appy to oblige."

He looked to the skeleton crew that was remaining with the ship after the captain left. They were enough to keep an eye out, or even set sail if something went terribly wrong. "I'll be in the armory. Shout if ya need somethin'. You can relax a little, but no drink tonight. Stay sharp, and you'll get your turn." With that said he headed downstairs with this box of dominoes.

He sat and began pulling from one side of the box, producing a full double-six set. There were more dominoes still in the box since it went all the way to double-thirteen, but this was plenty for the game Roscoe had in mind. "This game is pretty simple. Game is called Gladiator. First player lays a tile, next player plays one that that will equal seven when you add the touching sides. Blanks can be played against anything, but only 'gladiators' can be played on blanks. Those're dominoes with seven pips total. If you can't play, you draw until you can. Easy enough, yeah? First one out'a tiles wins. You'll get it." Roscoe deals out five tiles to each of them and helps them through the first couple turns until they have it figured out.

These are the rules for the game 'Matador' :smalltongue: Is there a background skill for dominoes? I should have put points in that.

[barticus]

"Arena fighting eh? I've not done that in a decade at least. I'm not as young and spry as I once was, but I 'aven't been able to leave this life behind yet. The excitement keeps me 'round the water. Down side 's I've not been home to see me daughter in a year or two. She'd be 9." He pauses to double check in his head. "No, 10. 'er birthday was just a bit ago. Not sure if she's even still living at my old place. 'er mom wasn't to happy with me the last time I left for a job. Anyway, can ye keep a tab for me, Gabby? I'll be back for dinner for sure. Just going to check on Rhagor after I finish this coffee, make sure 'e isn't causing to much of a raucous."

After wrapping up with Gabby, Seamus finds an open chair that faces the table of dwarves and tries to tune into what they are talking about, his second language is lip reading common if they are speaking common... If not, he finishes the coffee and follows Rhagor's lead and makes his way to the Broken Promise.

Edit: Forgot to format Seamus' conversation.

[Othniel]

Captain Blake

With the aid of a few well-phrased questions, Blake is able to locate one Flint-Eye'd Sam's Refitting and Nautical Supplies. "It's over there, on the other side of the sea opening to the city," and old timer with a sailor's cap told him. "He'll buy anything for the right price."

Branna

Branna had little trouble finding information about food. Several smaller restaurants, pubs, and taverns were mentioned, but the general consensus was that if one wanted a tasty meal, one should head to "Brisket" Brom's Bakery and Broilery in the Grand Market. Brom apparently specialized in a wonderful food called a "sandwich," which was currently all the rage in Senghor right then. Branna was especially urged to try the pulled pork.

Roscoe

Pending...

Seamus

"If you have a daughter you want to see, I wouldn't go fighting in the arena if I were you," Gabby warned. "Sometimes folks get killed in those rights." At Seamus' request to open a tab, she smiled and nodded. "Sure thing, sweetie. Have yourself a good time at the Promise."

"Hurry back," she added with a wink.

Blackbeak

Upon reentry to the Wind's Rest, Gabby waved to the Tengu. "Your friends all headed out, I'm afraid. The gnoll and human seemed to be heading toward the Broken Promise though."

[CockroachTeaParty]

"Aw, nuts. Thanks Gabby."
Blackbeak went scampering off to the 'gambling house.' He hoped he was not too late to catch up with his mates... hopefully they weren't 'indisposed.'

[Lord Of Mantas]

Initially, Branna had been somewhat dejected at not being able to find out the location of a butcher or livestock merchant, but as she turned over what she'd been told about Brisket Brom's in her head, the beginnings of an idea began to form.

If they sell pork, then maybe, just maybe, they might get whole hogs to cook. And if not, they'd know who sells those. And if not even that, then maybe I can get Roscoe a bunch of these pulled pork sammiches and he'd be happy.

Happy at having a new avenue of investigation, Branna skipped merrily toward Brisket Brom's.


*** Upon Arriving... ***


Cheerily walking in the door, Branna looked for an employee and flagged them down.

"Pardon th' askin', but who would a lass talk to about buyin' a whole roast pig? Our ship jes' came into port, an' we gots some sailors on board who really miss th' taste of somethin' that's not packed with a whole barrel o' salt."

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus swims the short distance to the nearest skeleton to give it an experimental poke. Assuming it doesn't suddenly spring to life, he wraps his claws around one of its humeri and snaps it in two, just to make sure.

[Othniel]

Blackbeak

Blackbeak found the brothel just as Rhagor before him. Around next to the Broken Promise and the Wind's Rest stood the aptly named tailor, Britches and Hose.

In sharp contrast to its neighbor, the Broken Promise is painted a bright red with black trim. Window boxes seemingly a common choice of décor in Senghor, the Promise displays flowers as well. Bright tropical roses of varying hues, mostly orange and yellow, give off inviting scents. Honey bees lazily weave through the air, flitting from flower to flower and gorging themselves on nectar. Several scantily-clad young women (and one handsome man dressed in local garb) lounge about on a stone patio, fanning themselves and reclining in wooden chairs dressed with pillows, their wares on display for perusal.

Inside, the red and black colors continue, and a small shrine displaying a small golden statue of Calistria depicted as an elf gives evidence to the notion that the brothel doubles as a temple to the Savored Sting. The smell of perfume and incense lingers in the air, and a gentle breeze flows through the common area as two attractive male humans wave giant fans in an effort to keep the air fresh. A small bar is setup in the corner, offering a small selection of drinks and other pleasures, while a band set up on a small stage in the center of the room plays relaxing music for the establishment’s guests. Several prostitutes engaged in conversation with potential customers are scattered throughout the common room, which is also populated by tables seating gamblers who are engaged in myriad games of chance.

Blackbeak entered and found the kitsune Madame engaged in conversation with one of her girls. Rhagor was nowhere in sight. Upon spotting the tengu, she dropped a curtsy in greeting. "Welcome to the Broken Promise, my dear. I am Madame Ayaro. What will be your pleasure or pain?”

Branna

By the time Branna reached her destination, the sun was riding high in the sky, and the Market was alive with commerce. The guards at the gates to the market took one look at Branna, and not seeing any obvious weapons on her, sent her along. Merchants hawked their wares during the busy time of the day, and myriad voices called out to myriad others, offers, counteroffers, and agreements being made on the spot. A healthy trade went on in Senghor.

Brisket Brom's Bakery and Broilery took the form of an enormous eatery sheltered by a tent, but open on most sides, which faced north toward the sea entrance to the city of Senghor. Nearly two dozen table-and-chair sets were scattered around the area, all surrounding the much smaller building that held the actual kitchen. The delicious smells of cooked meats mingling with those of fresh-baked bread served as powerful evidence of the food's popularity with the locals. As Branna approached one of the servants, he greeted her with a smile. "Good day, lass! An entire roast pig, you say? I think we can manage that. Let me check with the boss man real quick, and I'll let you know what it'll cost." The man walked over to the window in the kitchen area and rapped on the counter there. "Hey boss, lady out here wants to buy a whole pig...Yeah, a whole pig I said...Yeah? All right." The man came back and grinned. "You're in luck, lass! We got two pigs on the spits now. One'll probably be ready in about half an hour, if you can wait that long. In the mean time, can I get you a sandwich or anything? Just one silver for a sandwich and a beer!"

12g for the pig.

Erebus

The bone Erebus boned from its owner turned out to be nothing more than a piece of skeletal remains. No undead skeleton leapt to life, though a few fish and tiny crabs were startled by the sudden movement of the dragon. Out of the corner of his eye, Erebus spotted something ahead. Through the broken and waterlogged pieces of ship, the dragon could see a small object dangling off the end of a plank. It was difficult to tell without getting closer, but it appeared to be a necklace of some kind.


I have decided to give XP on a regular basis so you guys don't spend forever stuck at level 5. On that note, considering that the game has been going on for over a month now, I am going to award a base amount of 500 XP per week on Sundays. So, that's 3000 XP for everyone as we have been going for roughly 6 weeks. The amount may change up or down at my discretion, and I reserve the right to award bonus XP based on participation going forward.

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus swims in to grab the dangly thing, confident that he's the most dangerous thing in the water.

[Lord Of Mantas]

By the time Branna reached her destination, the sun was riding high in the sky, and the Market was alive with commerce. The guards at the gates to the market took one look at Branna, and not seeing any obvious weapons on her, sent her along. Merchants hawked their wares during the busy time of the day, and myriad voices called out to myriad others, offers, counteroffers, and agreements being made on the spot. A healthy trade went on in Senghor.

Brisket Brom's Bakery and Broilery took the form of an enormous eatery sheltered by a tent, but open on most sides, which faced north toward the sea entrance to the city of Senghor. Nearly two dozen table-and-chair sets were scattered around the area, all surrounding the much smaller building that held the actual kitchen. The delicious smells of cooked meats mingling with those of fresh-baked bread served as powerful evidence of the food's popularity with the locals. As Branna approached one of the servants, he greeted her with a smile. "Good day, lass! An entire roast pig, you say? I think we can manage that. Let me check with the boss man real quick, and I'll let you know what it'll cost." The man walked over to the window in the kitchen area and rapped on the counter there. "Hey boss, lady out here wants to buy a whole pig...Yeah, a whole pig I said...Yeah? All right." The man came back and grinned. "You're in luck, lass! We got two pigs on the spits now. One'll probably be ready in about half an hour, if you can wait that long. In the mean time, can I get you a sandwich or anything? Just one silver for a sandwich and a beer!"
Entering into Brisket Brom's, Branna's keen nose was promptly overwhelmed by the smells of cooking meat and fresh bread, and the catgirl promptly began to salivate. At the waiter's news that they did indeed have a whole pig for sale, Branna squealed with joy.

"Thank ye, nya! This be wonderf'l news! An' aye, absolutely! A pulled pork sammich an' some beer right away, an' the rest o' th' menu fer afters! Gotta try all th' things, nya..."

Paying 1 sp and 12 gp.

[Othniel]

Erebus

As Erebus neared the object, he could see that it was a heart-shaped locket held at the end of a necklace-length chain. Engraved upon the back were these words: "For My Dearest Tegwen." There was little else in the immediate area, just a few more broken crates and barrels. Leading out the west side hole in the hull was a deep furrow in the sand, as if something had been dragged out of the ship. A little further beyond, Erebus could see a chest lying on its side on the ocean floor, the lid popped open but facing away from him.


Branna

The server accepted payment and smiled before whirling on his heel. Within minutes, he was back with a plate of food and a large glass of beer. "Enjoy! And please, tell your friends about us. I will let you know when the pig is finished."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna happily devoured her sandwich, marveling at the convenience of putting meat between two slices of bread.

You could do this with so much other stuff as well, I bet.

The smoky, sauce-laden pork having been devoured, she next moved on to her beer, drinking it as she sat back and people-watched.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak was somewhat surprised to see a kitsune in attendance at the bordello. He eyed the other ladies, somewhat embarrassed that he wasn't an actual customer.
"Sorry love, but unless any of your girls got feathers, I'm not in the market. I hate to trouble you, but I'm actually looking for some folks. Possible patrons of yours. You didn't happen to see a half-drunk gnoll or an ogre recently, didya?"

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus casually stuffs the locket into his bag after pondering what sort of name was Tegwen, and if they were among the dead. It weighs heavily on his mind for several seconds before he decides to hock the trinket at the nearest pawn shop and put Tegwen out of mind forever. Gold was forever. Tegwen was fish food. After, he moves to investigate the chest.

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

With the aid of a few well-phrased questions, Blake is able to locate one Flint-Eye'd Sam's Refitting and Nautical Supplies. "It's over there, on the other side of the sea opening to the city," and old timer with a sailor's cap told him. "He'll buy anything for the right price."

Blake nodded to the old salt, muttering his thanks before pushing through the door to the shop.

[barticus]

With that Seamus made his way to the Broken Promise to check on Rhagor. He walks in the door keeping an eye out for trouble, as per usual. He looks around for an open chair where he can sit down for a little while. Take in the "scenery" of the business.

[Othniel]

Branna

Time passes swiftly for Branna. No sooner had she finished her meal and settled in to watch the people of Senghor go about their business, that the half hour was up. The server returned and informed her that her pig was ready, and all she had to do was pick it up at the kitchen window. "Thank you for dining with us, miss!" As the server retreated, Branna was drawn back to watching the crowd. Now that it was lunch time, a great many people began flooding the marketplace in search of food. Brisket Brom's turned out to be quite the popular location. In particular, Branna noticed a group of three young farmers leaning against the decorative fence enclosing the eating area of Brisket Brom's. They were a good-looking bunch, tanned by the sun, and toned by hard work. They wore the clothing that Branna recognized as being common among the locals: loose-fitting linen with straw hats. One of them caught her eye and looked away quickly.

Blackbeak (and maybe Rhagor)

"Feathers could be arranged...for a price," the kitsune suggested with a smile. And then to answer the tengu's question, she answered, "As a matter of fact, there was a gnoll that came in earlier. Handsome fellow, and well...muscled." Madame Ayaro grinned. "He's in the second room on the left as you go down the hall," she offered. "You may want to knock first."

Erebus

Unfortunately for Erebus, the chest had long-since been plundered. The lock looked to have been bashed until giving way and allowing the chest to be opened, and its contents were gone. What Erebus did notice, however, was the presence of a creature slightly ahead. He couldn't quite make out what it was, or what it looked like, but his blindsense told him there was a creature of some kind in the entrance to the next portion of the wreck.

Blake

Flint-Eyed Sam's Refitting and Nautical Supplies was an ugly building. Built from scavenged pieces of ships, and cobbled together in the past, the shop looked like it was ready to fall apart. Various nautical items were scattered around on display, almost as if the shop served double duty as a museum. A weathered and sun-darkened man stood behind a well-polished wooden counter across the room from the door. He had a long black beard, and wore a weather-beaten tricorne hat. A brace of well-made pistols lay in front of the man, and he busied himself with cleaning the weapons. Upon seeing Blake enter his shop, he set the pistol he held down and tipped his hat. "Good day t' you, sir! What I can I do for you?"

Seamus

Seamus walked in as Blackbeak was engaged in conversation with Madame Ayaro. The proprietress of the Broken Promise gave him a wink and a smile, and motioned one of her girls to attend to the newcomer before turning back to Blackbeak. A pretty blonde gave Seamus a polite greeting, "Hello there, good sir! What can we do for you today? My name is Maisie."

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus, having detected something nearby, quickly swims north and dives into the kelp. Once obscured, he stealthily makes his way around to the other side of the wreckage and peeks in.

[roll0]

[Othniel]

Erebus

The second part of the wreck was noticeably different from the first. This area was not as dark as previous, and Erebus could make out the entrance to the wreck partially obscured by bits of colorful seaweed growing up from the sea floor. Erebus could see through the plants well enough to catch a glimpse of the interior. Previously, the first wreck appeared (likely) as it had when it first reached the bottom of the sea. The second wreck was in much better condition, and it was far more orderly, almost as if someone had attempted to make the space more livable. There were no skeletal remains, no sharp beams or obstructing bits of deck making passage difficult. Just the seaweed to obscure, or perhaps decorate, the entrance to the wreck, and beyond the seaweed, small stones, some semiprecious, as varying in color as the seaweed, scattered in the fine sand of the sea floor. Mere moments after the dragon's eyes fell upon the stones a musical feminine voice asked behind him, "Have you come to visit? I have had so few visitors."

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

Blake gave the proprietor, who he assumed to be the eponymous Flint-Eyed Sam, a wide smile as he made his way to the counter.

"'Tis indeed a good day, my friend. I've a recently liberated slaver to sell, and I hear you're the man to talk to. She's a longship, excellent condition. Nary a scratch from when we took her."

[barticus]

Seamus looks Maisie up and down and replies, "My the gal's here are much prettier than the last port city I was in! I'm just looking for some entertainment before dinner. My friend and I just got back on shore from a stint at sea. He beat me here, but I imagine we're lookin' for something similar. Though less feather-y fer me. What kind of talent do ye have on hand today?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak reached behind his hood to scratch the feathers on the back of his head, something of a nervous tick.
"The gnoll's busy, eh? I believe I'll wait for him. You serve drinks here, by any chance?"
He was pleased to see Seamus there, and sidled up next to him.
"Say there, Seamus, I was looking for a member'o the Godsgrace. I won't keep you from your 'business' here if you're so inclined, but I do have something of a... business proposition for you if'n you're interested."

[barticus]

He was pleased to see Seamus there, and sidled up next to him.
"Say there, Seamus, I was looking for a member'o the Godsgrace. I won't keep you from your 'business' here if you're so inclined, but I do have something of a... business proposition for you if'n you're interested."

Blackbeak sits down as Seamus is lighting up his pipe. After the pipe is lit he takes in a few puffs and is visibly relaxed and offers some to Blackbeak. "Ah, no worries Blackbeak! I'd not let anything or anyone stand in my way of that!" He says with a snicker at the end. "Someone's gotta support the girls! Anyway, what kind of business proposition did you have in mind?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak politely waves off the pipe.
"No thanks. I'm basically all lungs, and it's hard to smoke without lips."
Blackbeak's dark eyes sparkle from the shadow beneath his hood as he ***** his head a bit, his twitchy, bird-like motions somehow conspiratorial.
"Not sure if you noticed, but there's a small flock of tengu stuck here. I rarely meet any of my fellows on my travels, and they're in a bit of a bind. Now most folk, most honest folk, view piracy as something of a crime, so I view this as an opportunity to rebalance the karma scales a bit. I'd like to help these poor folk. They've got a treasure map. They weren't able to find it, but that seems to be in part due to a lack of skill on their part. They don't have the coin to hire a ship back home, but they're willing to sell the map. They're asking for five hundred gold. I don't have quite enough to cover that in its entirety. What I'm asking here, is if you or anybody else from the Godsend would be willing to chip in. Anything you can spare me, I'd be happy to pay back from my next share'o loot. Hopefully we'll all be able to profit from the treasure map, yeah? Waddaya say? You'd be doing me and some other poor tengu a favor."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna

Time passes swiftly for Branna. No sooner had she finished her meal and settled in to watch the people of Senghor go about their business, that the half hour was up. The server returned and informed her that her pig was ready, and all she had to do was pick it up at the kitchen window. "Thank you for dining with us, miss!" As the server retreated, Branna was drawn back to watching the crowd. Now that it was lunch time, a great many people began flooding the marketplace in search of food. Brisket Brom's turned out to be quite the popular location. In particular, Branna noticed a group of three young farmers leaning against the decorative fence enclosing the eating area of Brisket Brom's. They were a good-looking bunch, tanned by the sun, and toned by hard work. They wore the clothing that Branna recognized as being common among the locals: loose-fitting linen with straw hats. One of them caught her eye and looked away quickly.
Branna rejoiced as her pig was handed over to her, the smell of fragrant, smoked pork cooked low and slow permeating her feline nostrils. She took a deep whiff, almost salivating at the smell of delicious meat.

This is terrific! I've had a good meal, I've got Roscoe's pig... Now I just need to get it to him.

Then, looking around, her attention was caught by the three young farmers, and her eyes sparkled.

And hoo mama! Branna likey, Branna likey very much! It's been way too long since I had any pleasurable company... Idea!

Making her way over, Branna began to fake grunts and moans as she lifted the pig. These were not entirely feigned, as while the catgirl did have many great capabilities, upper body strength was not one of them.

"Ach! Here I am, a ginormous, succulent roast pig on me hands, an' I have t' take it all the way back t' th' docks! What's a lass t' do, I ask ye?" Branna turned to the farmers, making a big show of stretching and... jiggling before turning to the farmers. "My good lads! Ye look to have fine strong arms! Would ye care to help out a lass?" The investigator's expression turned a mixture between sultry and predatory. "I promise I'll make it worth yer while."

I'm not sure whether Bluff or Diplomacy's more appropriate here, so I'll just roll a d20. Branna's Diplomacy Modifier is +2, and her Bluff is +10.

[roll0]

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus politely positions himself to sit on his haunches on the sea floor. Cautious that the voice might belong to a powerful ocean spirit, he puts on his best behavior. "It appears I have. I am called Erebus. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

[Othniel]

Captain Blake

The proprietor gave no visible indication of his nickname's origin, and mirrored Blake's smile. "I'll call anyone friend who runs a cutlass through a slaver," he said. "A longship, eh? That's small enough to move pretty quickly. Look, I'm sitting on a bunch of pelts at the moment - the ones from big, dangerous jungle animals, you know - and I mostly deal in cargo and credit anyway. Tell you what, I'll give you a contract for five chests of them in exchange for the longship. You can keep whatever cargo the ship was carrying; I just want the vessel. If you head across the canal to the dockmaster's office, you'll see a bunch of warehouses. Out in front, you'll find a bunch of folks buying and selling cargo. Should be able to offload the furs there." Sam pointed roughly south-easterly. "Or you can try and sell the wares in the Marketplace to get better value, but that takes time, and I'm guessing you'd much rather head back out to sea soon, eh?"

Just to remind you in case you forgot, you have 2 points of plunder worth in crates full of armor and weapons you recovered from the longship. Senghor is a metropolis, so you get 100% of the value of each point of plunder you sell plus whatever bonus amount you can increase the sale by. The DC to increase the sale is 10 + 10 per 10%. For example, you can sell 1 point of plunder in Senghor for 1000g. If you want to sell it for 1100g, the DC to beat is 20.

You can use whatever kind of social check you want (Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate), but be aware that intimidate has consequences after the fact in that the target becomes unfriendly later, and a lie used to increase the value of the goods may have unforeseen consequences in the future as well.

Blackbeak, Raghor, and Seamus

"All sorts of talent on hand today, love," Maisie replied before Blackbeak took a seat next to Seamus. "Call me when you want me," she offered, and drifted away.

Rhagor can come out and find Blackbeak and Seamus whenever he wants.

Branna

The young man who made eye contact studied his feet, but one of his companions elbowed him in the ribs and nodded to Branna, "Yes, Jaakko, help the lady out," he said in a playful voice. "She looks like she wants your help." Jaakko blushed and shot his compatriot a murderous look, but stepped forward and approached Branna. He was a handsome lad, tall and well-built. His olive skin was darker than most of the natives Branna had seen, and was indicative of a profession practiced out-of-doors. His hair was dark brown, short and straight, and he had brilliant green eyes that sparkled with a hidden mirth. A knife was sheathed at his belt, and a club of mundane (but solid) craftsmanship hung from his waist. It appeared to be made of darkwood. Jaakko's eyes looked Branna up and down, and the hint of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "That's a mighty big meal for a young lady such as yourself," he remarked. "What can I help you with?"

Erebus

The voice laughed musically. "Oh, that's right, you probably can't see me, can you?" A moment passed, and then an attractive young-looking woman materialized before the dragon's eyes. She had opalescent skin and long, dark hair that waved in the water as if it were pushed by a current. She wore nothing but a translucent shawl that left very little to the imagination. "My name is Tegwen; why are you here?"

Erebus' knowledge fails him. Sorry, you rolled really low. :smalltongue:

[barticus]

"I did see the attempted murder, no offense meant, in the Wind's Rest. So that's what they were discussing? I'd be up for helping, but I've not got much to contribute yet, at least not in comparison to that sum. Hopefully we can get some of our plunder sold soon here at port!"


----- After conversation with Blackbeak wraps up -----

Seamus finishes smoking his pipe and waves down Maisie, "I think I'm ready, if you've got some free time now..." He says as he motions in the directions of the rooms with a subtle tilt of his head.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak laughs at the 'attempted murder' joke.
"I believe the term is 'a suspicion of tengu.' Sad to say my line of work supports the stereotype. I only need about a hundred gold. Give it some thought, Seamus m'boy, and spread the word to the others if you see them. I think I'm going to wait and see if our bosun is pliable upon emergence. Perhaps he'll be in a better mood after a little 'pleasurable company.' Heh."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna

The young man who made eye contact studied his feet, but one of his companions elbowed him in the ribs and nodded to Branna, "Yes, Jaakko, help the lady out," he said in a playful voice. "She looks like she wants your help." Jaakko blushed and shot his compatriot a murderous look, but stepped forward and approached Branna. He was a handsome lad, tall and well-built. His olive skin was darker than most of the natives Branna had seen, and was indicative of a profession practiced out-of-doors. His hair was dark brown, short and straight, and he had brilliant green eyes that sparkled with a hidden mirth. A knife was sheathed at his belt, and a club of mundane (but solid) craftsmanship hung from his waist. It appeared to be made of darkwood. Jaakko's eyes looked Branna up and down, and the hint of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "That's a mighty big meal for a young lady such as yourself," he remarked. "What can I help you with?"
A lot of things, you magnificently sculpted specimen.

"Ach, 'tis actually fer me shipmates, the pig is. Repayment fer lending me a few things out at sea. But..." Branna staggered a bit - which, again, was not entirely feigned. "Turns out tha' a whole roast pig weighs a metric ton." Once more, Branna broke out her biggest, most adorable, pleading face.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/cb/fd/8e/cbfd8ee0d227a85a7990914bc172cc1e.jpg

"Ye'd be willin' t' help a lass out, right? Like I said, I can make sure yer very well compensated."

[Tychris1]

Rhagor cracked his back, stretching his limbs as he disentangled himself from the pile of sweaty humans laying on the bed behind him. A smile was plastered across his face, a permanent rictus of joy that emanated through the rest of his body, and didn't even budge when he spotted Blackbeak on his way out of the room. Pulling his fur coat over his naked body, Rhagor snorted before swaggering over to his fellow shipmates. "Ach, sorry Blackbeak ye missed the party, but I'm sure some other fine lad can give ye yer fill. Haha!"

[CockroachTeaParty]

At least gnolls had the decency of being covered in fur; a naked Rhagor wasn't the worst thing in the world to catch a fleeting glimpse of, although Blackbeak inwardly shuddered for the poor human girls that had to 'service' him. Life in the Shackles was strange.
"Was that a stab at my 'tastes,' Rhagor? I think I heard somewhere that female hyenas have penises. Seeing as they're close relatives'o yours, I wouldn't be so quick to cast judgement, sir. Or should I say madam?"

Blackbeak tapped his beak and gave Rhagor a wink, and motioned for him to sit down.
"I believe our boy Seamus here is about to go pearl diving, but perhaps you'd be willing to hear a tengu out. Do ya think you could spot me 100 gold? You know I'm good for it, and I believe the investment will pay out quite nicely with a bit'o patience."

[Othniel]

Seamus

Maisie grinned broadly and sauntered over as Seamus flagged her down...

Aaaaand fade to black.

Branna

"Ah - sure, I'll help you out," the young man said. "Where would you like it delivered?" he asked, and gestured for Branna to lead the way.

Looks like that's it for updates until y'all post stuff I can respond to. :smallbiggrin:

[Lord Of Mantas]

"We're just goin' t' be takin' it t' my ship - the Godsend." Branna began to lead the way.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor snickered at Blackbeak's retort. "Not judgement lad, just an invitation," he sat down beside his Second Mate, leaning against the table as he eyed the refreshments "So what's this investment ye be wantin' me to join? Details, give me some."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak drummed his claws on the table, his head jerking this way and that.
"A treasure map, Rhagor, that old pirate chestnut. Not sure if the map will lead to anything, but I'd be helping out the seller, which is the more important thing to me. They're asking five hundred, but I'm one hundred shy of their asking price. I'd gladly pay you back out of my next share'o loot, make no mistake. If'n the map proves profitable, we'll all be a tad richer I'd wager."

[Nefarion Xid]

Erebus continues to sit politely on the seafloor, though his twitching tail subtly betrays his nerves and annoyance. "To be honest, I was looking for treasure. The dead so rarely object when I take their belongings. But, I believe I have your locket; shall I return it?"

[Othniel]

Branna

Branna's helper picked up the cargo and started after her. "So, what's your name and where're you from, miss? Folks call me Jaakko." Jaakko looked around enough to make sure he didn't run into anything, but the majority of his attention was given to watching Branna.

Erebus

"Oh, please!" the creature responded, a plaintive note slipping into the tone of her voice. "It's all I have left after my darling Owen was taken from me." Tegwen swam forward a bit, eyeing Erebus shyly, and waited for the dragon to return her locket. "You said you are looking for treasure..." She tilted her head, and as she looked at Erebus, a slight smile played over her lips. "You are a dragon, are you not? I can tell from the...things. I might know where you could find some treasure, if you would be willing to perform a service for me." She laughed and darted past Erebus and into the wreck, turning left once inside. "Come, follow me inside and be my guest!"

Roscoe

As Roscoe explained the game, Hoskins spoke up, his voice quivering slightly, "If you lose, you won't tear our arms out of their sockets, will you?"

[TheDarkDM]

Captain Blake

The proprietor gave no visible indication of his nickname's origin, and mirrored Blake's smile. "I'll call anyone friend who runs a cutlass through a slaver," he said. "A longship, eh? That's small enough to move pretty quickly. Look, I'm sitting on a bunch of pelts at the moment - the ones from big, dangerous jungle animals, you know - and I mostly deal in cargo and credit anyway. Tell you what, I'll give you a contract for five chests of them in exchange for the longship. You can keep whatever cargo the ship was carrying; I just want the vessel. If you head across the canal to the dockmaster's office, you'll see a bunch of warehouses. Out in front, you'll find a bunch of folks buying and selling cargo. Should be able to offload the furs there." Sam pointed roughly south-easterly. "Or you can try and sell the wares in the Marketplace to get better value, but that takes time, and I'm guessing you'd much rather head back out to see soon, eh?"

Just to remind you in case you forgot, you have 2 points of plunder worth in crates full of armor and weapons you recovered from the longship. Senghor is a metropolis, so you get 100% of the value of each point of plunder you sell plus whatever bonus amount you can increase the sale by. The DC to increase the sale is 10 + 10 per 10%. For example, you can sell 1 point of plunder in Senghor for 1000g. If you want to sell it for 1100g, the DC to beat is 20.

You can use whatever kind of social check you want (Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate), but be aware that intimidate has consequences after the fact in that the target becomes unfriendly later, and a lie used to increase the value of the goods may have unforeseen consequences in the future as well.

Captain Blake

Blake rapped his knuckles against the counter, seemingly lost in thought, before he smiled.

"An equitable bargain if ever I've heard one. If you'd be so kind as to deliver the chests to my berth, you can take possession of the craft presently."

[zabbarot]

Roscoe

As Roscoe explained the game, Hoskins spoke up, his voice quivering slightly, "If you lose, you won't tear our arms out of their sockets, will you?"

Roscoe laughed and drew his own five bones while nodding for them to do the same. "If I murdered everyone who beat me I'd run out of people to play with. I won't be tearin' any arms off 'less you give me good reason. Besides, if you win it's just credit to my skill as a teacher." He went ahead and placed the first domino and started walking them through turns.

"So how's the ship treatin' you all so far?"

[Tychris1]

Rhagor tented his fingers, licking his lips with his long flat tongue, eyes narrowing as he listened to Blackbeak's proposition. Nodding his head, Rhagor raised his hand to flag down an attendant and ask for a drink before answering his Second Mate's question. "Treasure eh? Well count me in, I'm always ready t' make a bit o' gold when t' time strikes. But you don't have t' pay me, just help me with a small favor. How about it?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Branna

Branna's helper picked up the cargo and started after her. "So, what's your name and where're you from, miss? Folks call me Jaakko." Jaakko looked around enough to make sure he didn't run into anything, but the majority of his attention was given to watching Branna.
Branna smiled pleasantly at Jaakko as he followed her, chirping back at him. "Pleasure to meet ye, Jaakko! Name's Branna, Branna Lachlan, at yer service." Raising her striped tail, she briefly tickled him under his chin before continuing. "As fer where I'm from, well, at this point in m' life I can honestly say that the sea's me only home. There was a life as a farmer once upon a time long ago, but, well, past is past." It was undecipherable to most, but the particularly astute might have sworn that a look of sadness passed over Branna's face briefly before returning to its usual perky state. "All fer the best, in me opinion - I get to travel t' new lands, meet interestin' new people, all that stuff. Although, there are a lot o' borin' days at sea to get there." Branna nodded at the pig. "Tha's actually why I went t' grab this - it's a repayment of a favor for our gunner, Roscoe. Apparently he hasn't had fresh pork in a while. I can't blame 'im, really. A ships' carpenter's life isn't exactly luxurious, either." Branna stretched out. "Th' sea can be a lonely life... Carpenting, rigging, sewing, bathing, dressing, undressing, making exciting underwear..."

Bluff (to begin reeling Jaakko in): [roll0]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Now we're cooking.
Blackbeak leaned forward with interest, his black eyes a-twinkle.
"What did you have in mind? Need something sneaked? Thieved? Sneak-thieved?"

[barticus]

After having his way with Masie (not sure how long their sessions are), Seamus heads back out into the main part of the Broken Promise. If he sees Blackbeak or Rhagor (or both) he sits back down with them. If neither of them are there still he heads back over to visit with Gabby.

[Tychris1]

Rhagor shrugged, rocking his wispy mane as he raised his feet and set them on the table.
"Not aye yet actually. More o' a long term investment, I'll use it later on an impulse. Though I promise it won't be dangerous. Sound good?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Blackbeak snaps his clawed fingers, leaning back in his chair. Rhagor was something of a hard read, and being in his debt was certainly going to make his life more interesting.
"So a favor for a future favor, eh? Seems a fair trade to me. I'll still be keen to pay your gold back as soon as I can, just to make me feel better. So waddaya say? Got a hundred gold handy? There's a fair young female in distress, and I'd like to be her knight in white armor."