This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
“I would love to discuss Talos more, but I must get to work on the task he has so graciously placed before me.” He floats up to the rigging, and puts everything he’s got into his work. (Day task is Work Diligently.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sericea thanks Sandara before she leaves, and sets out to find the kitchen.
She is directed to a small room reeking of fish and rum, occupied by Ambrose, who is propped up against the wall. He seems half asleep and is holding a bottle as large as some of the halflings on board. She tries to introduce herself, but the cook is quite drunk, and he interrupts to slur out some commands about turtle hunting. He thrusts a net and harpoon into Sericea's arms before slouching against the wall again.
Sericea heads back to the deck. She is tempted to explore, but crew are everywhere and she decides to focus on catching dinner first.
Survival DC 10 with advantage from working diligently: 5
She has surprising success, catching more than enough for a fine turtle stew.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Day 1 Results:
Varus - The day passes quickly with you focused on the work. As you work out on the deck you notice that besides the pirates you have already meet and seen there are several officers that you have not yet been introduced to. None of them seem to take any notice of you though, not even acknowledging your existence. All of the officer's seem to spend their time on the poop deck (A3) or in what you come to realize is the officer's quarters (A4). As the sun begins to set and the clock hanging from the main sail mast chimes to indicate the end of the work shift you stretch, muscles pleasantly sore for a good day's work.
Birel - You find the work to be grueling and tiring, but no more so than working over an anvil in a blisteringly hot smith's shop. The rhythm of scraping with the holystones is soothing to your mind in the same way the ting of the hammer on the metal you form is. You find your mind sink into the work and forget about the world around you. In this way you don't notice the gnome in the foppish hat and coat leering at your female form from the rigger's ropes until he is called out for it by a fellow swab, an overly muscular halfling woman.
"Concho! You going to do your feckin' job or just gawk at the new women all day like the filthy B**ard dog that you are? Keep your gorram eyes where they belong or I'll cut them outa yer feckin' head for ye."
In response the gnome's lascivious smile only widens as he tips his hat to the halfling.
"Why Rosie Cusswell, are you becoming jealous of possible competition? Don't worry, I have enough attention for you to have your fair share love."
In frustration she wings a stone at him, but he nimbly dodges as he scurries back up the rope.
James - It is an adjustment being back on a ship sailing again, and while you had experience with several areas of the ship when you were on The Wayfaring Man(just named your old ship, feel free to rename if this isn't what you want, it will not affect anything but your backstory) you never had much occasion to spend a lot of time with the swabs. Ultimately you find the knot work harder than expected and garner quite a few aggravated looks from other members of the crew. Master Scourge also seems to take notice and delight in your failure.
As you work you keep an eye out for Captain Harrigan. You notice he spends most of his time on the poopdeck, but when he is not on deck he most often retires to what you come to determine is his private quarters (A5). As you watch each time he goes there he pulls a key from within his tunic sleeve, attached their by a leather cord. He spends a good amount of time at the door unlocking it before he goes inside.
At one point when he is on deck looking at some charts and distracted you make your way over to the cabin, but find the door to be locked and unable to budge.
Builder2 - Bilge Spider Chance (25%) - 3
Your work in the bilges is dull, but not difficult for you. You do find the poor care that is given to the ship to be frustrating though. The bilges themselves are not maintained properly, resulting in brackish water pooling a good 2 - 3 feet deep at the bottom of the ship. In addition, the ceiling of the bilge room is infested with spiders. The webs are everywhere. They do not seem to take notice or bother you, but having seen what bilge rooms are supposed to look like, and constructed a good many yourself, the state of this deck is irritating.
Especially since the brackish water impregnates your leg joints and ankle, resulting in an unexpected sluggish movement that will take time to correctly repair. (You take 1 point of exhaustion)
Ventus - You find the work to be invigorating, being up in the open air on the ropes with the blessings of Talos all around you. Your fellow riggers at first do not seem to trust you with the way you "cheated" the climbing test at the beginning of the day, but by the end of the shift they have given you a grudging respect for proving that you can also do the work.
Sericea - When you return with your catch you are surprised to see Ambrose standing, and ambulatory. It doesn't take long watching him to realize he is indeed still drunk. And judging from the state of the large bottle in comparison to this morning, should probably be unconscious, but apparently he has built up a large enough tolerance to...well...to make a sailor cry.
He is pleased with the haul you have brought in and as he begins to butcher and prep the sea turtles with your help he gives you a tour of the galley and the rest of the middle deck. He shows you where his cabin is, which apparently he shares with the quartermaster of the ship. He shows you the stairs that go to the officer and captain's quarters, but specifically to warn you to stay away from them.
"...'specially the Captain's, djou hear? My last hand tried to getch on the Capn's good side by bringing him some ale midday. Ther's somekin of trap on them staires...He had him a bolt thru the head for 'is foot hit tha thir step. Poor boy-oh"
As he thinks about his previous hand he seems to become more depressed, pulling longer from the bottle that is tied to his apron.
"It’s poison, this ship, but don’t let anyone hear you say it aloud. The hull listens, see, and the cap’n hears it all. Poison the Wormwood is, though, rotten to the core. You’ll not meet a more nasty, sour piece of work than Cap’n Harrigan in all your days at sea, and his crew’s the same, ’specially the first mate, Mr. Plugg. Vicious little sod, he is. He’d take his own mother’s liver to the butcher to make pies with, he would. But they leave me alone, mostly. They know I can’t ’arm ’em.”
He bolts straight when he hears the chime of the clock above decks.
"Is that the time? Leave that stew simmerin', we gots to get you upstairs lass, won't do to let give Plugg and Scourge a reason to hate you, missing bloody hour."
(Oof, this is a long post. Bloody hour is next, but I don't have time to write it up tonight. Feel free to RP anything else that happened to you during the day's work. If anyone wants to wind back the clock to interact with other crew members you may...I will say the officer's will just ignore you...fyi. I will get bloody hour posted some time tomorrow)
While working in the bilges Builder uses mending to try and repair what he can easily. He tries not to be seen doing it though, so would not do so when someone else was around. He would extend a hammer from its compartment in his arm, and, from where he touches with the hammer, the area would be mended around it. Repairing the bilges itself, not anything with Builder.
Doubting if others are in the bilges when they are not the ones cleaning it though... If you want a sleigh tof hand check or something let me know.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ventus: Sandara is not difficult to notice on the ship over the course of the day, but she is hard to pin down for a conversation. She is assigned as runner for the day, so she is short on time and breath.
"Yes, I will be happy to discuss that with you further, perhaps tonight over the evening meal?" She shares a short-of-breath smile with you as she heads towards the Quartermaster's closet with the orders she just recieved.
Builder2: (No slight of hand needed, you were the only one assigned to work the bilges today roll me an intelligence roll with your tool proficiency though, to see how effective these repairs are. Essentially recognizing where to apply the mending spells to get the best effect. I will come back and rewrite this if necessary.). You are able to effect some minor repairs thanks to your arcane abilities and shipwright's eye. Sadly, this ship is in need of more than just minor repairs though. You can tell it has been years since it was brought in to a dry dock for major repair...and it has seen its fair share of battles in that time. Several of the patch jobs to the woodwork here below the waterline are just not as watertight as they were when first applied, and your magic helps, but it is not a permanent fix.
Bloody Hour - "A Keelhauling for Jakes Magpie"
As the sun sets crimson over the open water, the chimes on the clock ring and the crew gathers on the main deck for bloody hour. Mr. Plugg oversees the punishments with the Captain watching on from the poopdeck.
"For some of you, this will be your first Bloody Hour, and a grand example of one it will be. There is a man in the sweat box caught stealing from the quartermaster's stock room. Today he will be keelhauled for Besmara to decide his fate."
Mr. Plugg smiles viciously. It is the most sincere emotion you have seen of him thus far. You gather punishment is his favorite part of the job.
"But first, for our standard Bloody Hour recognition. If you performed poorly at today's tasks you will be punished. This will serve to spur you on to greater performance tomorrow. Conchobhar! Step forward."
The gnome comes to the front of the crowd, surprised to be called on.
"While you socialized this afternoon a bowline snapped. Had you been more dutiful that repair would not be necessary. 5 lashes!"
"What?! That line was frayed and going anyways! The repair was going to have to happen regardless."
"Noted, thank you for the very dutiful feedback Concho. Make it 5 more for the insubordination."
The gnome sputtered and spat as he was dragged forward and chained to the mainmast. The elderly half-elf with stripes in her hair smiled as she ripped away his white tunic, revealing a back riddled with scars from previous punishments.
Mr. Scourge stepped forward with his whip and begin laying into Concho's flesh.
Attack Rolls 141 - All at +5
The first whip flies well above Concho's head, almost as if it is an intentional miss just to intimidate him, but the rest strike true to his back.
Lash Damage 21
Conchobhar is a bleeding mess and unconscious when he is finally removed from the post. Sandara rushes forward and lays a hand on his forehead, healing him and bringing him back to consciousness. Many, but not all of the marks on his back heal into additional scars. Plugg watches on, his smile growing wider, but the captain calls down from above, "Remember Plugg, don't kill them unless you have to. Not over something minor like a broken line."
The first mate has the good sense to look abashed for a moment, but his eyes scan the crowd and lands on James. "You boy, yes you! The new recruit. I heard tell that you were slow at the ropework today...didn't get knots tied right or hauled to the right place. Step forward, it is going to be 3 rope bashes to learn your lesson. What's your name again boy?"
Without waiting for a response a large half-orc man and a human woman with ludicrously large ears step towards James to bring him to the post for his punishment.
(Bloody hour will continue in the next post, but since they are closing in on James to administer a punishment this is no longer a cutscene...how do you guys respond?)
Sericea has heard many tales of pirate discipline, but has never seen a lashing in person, and she quickly loses whatever appetite she had for dinner.
She wonders if she should try to help Sandara tend to the gnome, but then hears Plugg yell for James, the lad who had been frequenting her tavern. Her instinct is to call out something to distract him, but after his cruel dismissal that morning, she hesitates. Perhaps if she can make some friends on this ship, she could have more hope of standing up the officers.
James doesn't resist against being brought to the post for punishment. Seeing as speaking out brings more punishment, and assumes that resistance will do the same. However, his eyes do move from Scourge, to Pugg, and finally to Harrigan; narrowing them as he does his best to keep eye contact with the Captain. Steeling himself, James prepares for the rope bashes; using his hatred for the ship, the crew, and the captain to try and not show any signs of pain.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Be excellent to each other, and roll for initiative dudes!
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Plugg seems pleased with James' show of steel. "Finally, someone that knows how to stand up and accept the consequences of their actions. Don't bother with the chains, this will be quick, and I gather the lad knows better than to try to avoid the rope."
Scourge on the other hand seems annoyed at the small amount of respect James has garnered through his action, and as he administer's the rope bashes seems to swing harder than is entirely necessary.
3 Rope Bashes, No Prof Bonus/+2 from Str Mod vs AC 10 - 38
The first and third bashes find purchase on James' head, but in his frustration Scourge swings wide with the second. (James takes 2 points of damage. Let's call it effectively a concentration check to muscle through the punishment without reacting. 2 DC 10 Constitution Saving Throws, one for each bash that hit. I'll go ahead and roll those now so I can include any reaction from crew members.)
Concentration 1: 17
Concentration 2: 21
While the ropes hit heavier than expected, and you wouldn't be surprised to find a turtle egg on your head in the morning, you manage to muscle through it without so much as a sharp breath passing your lips. If Scourge was annoyed before he is visibly angry now. It appears he wanted the outbursts that you denied him.
As James walks away from the mast, head ringing mildly from the bashes, Plugg again turns and addresses the crowd of pirates. "Finally tonight, the Keelhauling of Jakes Magpie. Jakes was found in the Quartermaster's supply, stealing coin and equipment for his own personal gain. Stealing booty from all of us!"
The group of pirates growl and grumble, the entire crowd seems to be one distempered elemental in 18 seperate bodies.
"We will allow Besmara to judge him, and should he survive, we will find a nice island for him to live the rest of his days on, alone."
Plugg walks over to the sweatbox set underneath the poopdeck and unlocks the heavy chain that holds it closed. A shell of a man tumbles out, delirious and exhausted from the heat.
"Please, no...no...it's a misunderstanding. I was looking for Cutthroat, she wasn't there...I tried to find something to leave her a note. You don't understand. Please no...NO...NO!!!!"
Plugg leads the waste of a man is lead to the forward end of the ship, where he is tied to a long line. Hands and feet are tied together and a gag is placed over his mouth. He is then uncerimoniously pushed from the side of the ship into the dark blue waters below. Taking the other end of the rope, sailors slowly lead it around to bowspirit and to the far side of the boat. In your minds eye you can see Jakes being dragged against the hull of the ship, slowly being carved into ribbons by thick barnacles that have overtime encrusted the bottom of the boat.
Insight DC 12:
Mr. Plugg in particular seems to take a deep pleasure in the punishment. There is a certain degree of manic joy that spreads across his face with each tug of the rope.
Jakes' Time Underwater
Jakes is keelhauled slowly, spending 12 rounds in the water. Each round he suffers 1d3 points of damage, but he can make a DC20 dexterity save to take half damage each round, trying to keep his feet between him and the boat. He has a con modifier of 0, so he will fall unconcious and begin drowning after 10 rounds if he isn't already dead at that point...His dex mod is 2, so he needs an 18 for half damage on the dex save. He automatically fails the last two because at that point he is unconcious and at 0 if he wasn't already, so that is 2 failed death saves from damage there... Add to all that he just spent 24 hours in the sweatbox, so he is already in rough shape. Okay, lets do some rolling.
Base Damage 24
Saving Throws 103
No successful saves and already at half hp from the box, Jakes falls unconcious on round 4.
After more than a minute of silence punctuated by the sound of waves slapping the side of the ship, Jakes' corpse is finally pulled from the water on the port side, covered in cuts and scrapes that slowly seep blood, he does not move. It is impossible to say in the end if he succumbed to drowning or to the brutality that is the bottom of the ship, but either way it is an awful way to go.
"The Pirate Queen has found Jakes' to be unworthy of forgiveness. May she have mercy on his soul down beneath the waves."
Standing near you, Sandara flinches, uneasy that this brutal punishment is laid at the feet of her deity. Jakes' body is cut free of its harness and drops again into the water below, sinking to a watery grave.
As this happens the Captain once again addresses the crew. "The day is done and the justice of the seas has been satisfied for all that transpired. You are all relieved of your duties, go and relax. Let the night watch come!"
With that he retreats back to his quarters and most of the officers join him. The rest of the pirates head down to the galley to get their dinner and rum ration for the evening before seeing to the nights entertainment.
(That brings an end to Bloody Hour, we now move on to our first night on the ship...you guys can talk with eachother over dinner or interact with other lower crew NPCs as you see fit. Go ahead and get your first night action posted as well if you like. I will post about the rum ration later today, if you want to wait until after the ration for the boost to charisma skills to take your first night action that is fine as well.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
”They attribute such a punishment to the judgement of their god? How interesting. I’d thought they would choose a different god. Then again, I know very little of Besmara and her followers.” Sitting against the side of the boat, he pulled out his flute and began to play an upbeat tune.
As the pirates make their way down to the galley, Ambrose pulls Sericea ahead.
"Come on lass, we've got food to serve!"
The lower crew gets a meal of bowls of Turtle Stew with a sea ration biscuit on the side and a shot of rum to go along with it. The process of serving 18 pirates goes surprisingly quickly.
As the crew makes their way back up to the main deck or to some corner to eat in peace, Ambrose sets about plating a more elaborate meal for the officers. Filets of Sea Turtle steak go down on the plates along side potatoes and carrots and actual rolls. Just after he finishes the last of the plates a thin pale skinned girl with dark hair comes down the stairs from the captain's quarters.
"Are they ready Ambrose? Captain and the officers are hungry."
"Yes, they are ready, you can take them up."
"Where's my fork for the taste?"
"Come on Caulky, you know I know better than try to poison the Capt'n. For one, I ain't stupid, and fer two, he would probably think it was just extra spicy."
"You may not be stupid Fishguts, but you've got a new hand in the kitchen. What's to say she didn't bring some special seasonings on board?"
Realizing there is no point arguing with her, Ambrose produces a knife and fork and Caulky selects a random plate to taste off of. After a small bite and a few minutes to ensure the food is safe for the officers she begins carrying them up the stairs.
Perception DC 10:
Watching carefully you realize that Caulky seems to have no concern about traversing the stairs. During the course of her 2 or 3 trips she probably steps on each rung at least twice with no ill effect.
Seeing the last of his work for the night completed, Ambrose settles back into his corner with a new bottle and begins his liquid dinner.
(The remainder of the night is yours. You have all received your rum ration, so you need to decide if you are drinking it (see the campaign notes about its effects) or doing something else with it...After that the standard evening's entertainments (also available in the campaign notes) are set up and available to you. You can also converse with eachother or talk to NPCs. All of the lower officers can be found up and about during the first portion of the nights actions...During the middle watch (deep night) only some NPCs will be up, but you will find just by happenstance that if you are looking for someone in particular they are awake...its like its fate...or a fiction novel or something. What do you guys do with your evening?)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Founding Member of the High Roller Society.(Currently trying to roll max on 4d6)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Birel watched the 'Keelhauling' with an expression that was something between confusion and boredom. When everyone retires below deck for their evening time and the rum was shoved into her hand she sniffs it, then tips the cup back and finishes the whole thing as quickly as she can. She visibly shudders at the taste, but finally starts to loosen up after a few moments. She seeks out the halfling women she had seen above decks earlier that day. "Well then, today wasn't so bad. Even got fun near the end, always did enjoy backbreaking manual labor when it was done correctly. Course, works always easier when you're friends with the people you work with," she laughs. "Name's Birel, and you are?" she smiles and holds out her hand.
Con save for Rum: 19
Gonna try and befriend Rosie Cusswell with a good ole fashioned persuasion roll. (With adv cause Rum): 8
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sericea watched James take the rope bashes without flinching. She was impressed with his resolve, but concerned about Scourge's reaction. She had seen all kinds of pirate in Port Peril, but Scourge was clearly a villain of the filthiest, vilest sort.
During the keelhauling, she again felt the urge to stand up for the accused. But she knew there were few friends in the crew, and when not even Sandara spoke up for Jakes, she watched silently.
During dinner, she helped Ambrose as well as she could. She tried to give a little extra stew to her fellow captives, but not so much that the officers would notice.
Perception check with Caulky in kitchen: 5 -> Sericea is too flustered serving food to dozens of pirates to notice anything unusual
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
During dinner, Sericea ate her stew with the others kidnapped from Port Peril. She introduced herself properly, since when she was at the Formidably Maid she went by just "Seri," or "hey you!!" more commonly. She put on a charming smile, and tried to make the most of their situation.
After dinner, she thought it'd be good to try to win some friends. She put on a flamboyant smile and asked if anyone needed a drinking song to finish their rum.
[If anyone wants to play an instrument, Sericea will sing along, otherwise she's used to belting out tunes solo in the tavern. She'll take an old Port Peril ballad, and swap out some names to make it be about the Wormwood]
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Perception: 23
Varus takes his meal and rum, downing the drink and shoveling food into his mouth.
Con save: 13
As Ventus plays and Sericea sings, he watches them with a look of burning envy in his eyes, though he quickly smothers it if either of them look his way. He doesn't seem to notice anyone else besides the pair, all his focus directed at those two.
“I would love to discuss Talos more, but I must get to work on the task he has so graciously placed before me.” He floats up to the rigging, and puts everything he’s got into his work. (Day task is Work Diligently.)
Checks: Acrobatics: 17 Sleight of Hand: 6
Sericea thanks Sandara before she leaves, and sets out to find the kitchen.
She is directed to a small room reeking of fish and rum, occupied by Ambrose, who is propped up against the wall. He seems half asleep and is holding a bottle as large as some of the halflings on board. She tries to introduce herself, but the cook is quite drunk, and he interrupts to slur out some commands about turtle hunting. He thrusts a net and harpoon into Sericea's arms before slouching against the wall again.
Sericea heads back to the deck. She is tempted to explore, but crew are everywhere and she decides to focus on catching dinner first.
Survival DC 10 with advantage from working diligently: 5
She has surprising success, catching more than enough for a fine turtle stew.
Day 1 Results:
Varus - The day passes quickly with you focused on the work. As you work out on the deck you notice that besides the pirates you have already meet and seen there are several officers that you have not yet been introduced to. None of them seem to take any notice of you though, not even acknowledging your existence. All of the officer's seem to spend their time on the poop deck (A3) or in what you come to realize is the officer's quarters (A4). As the sun begins to set and the clock hanging from the main sail mast chimes to indicate the end of the work shift you stretch, muscles pleasantly sore for a good day's work.
Birel - You find the work to be grueling and tiring, but no more so than working over an anvil in a blisteringly hot smith's shop. The rhythm of scraping with the holystones is soothing to your mind in the same way the ting of the hammer on the metal you form is. You find your mind sink into the work and forget about the world around you. In this way you don't notice the gnome in the foppish hat and coat leering at your female form from the rigger's ropes until he is called out for it by a fellow swab, an overly muscular halfling woman.
"Concho! You going to do your feckin' job or just gawk at the new women all day like the filthy B**ard dog that you are? Keep your gorram eyes where they belong or I'll cut them outa yer feckin' head for ye."
In response the gnome's lascivious smile only widens as he tips his hat to the halfling.
"Why Rosie Cusswell, are you becoming jealous of possible competition? Don't worry, I have enough attention for you to have your fair share love."
In frustration she wings a stone at him, but he nimbly dodges as he scurries back up the rope.
James - It is an adjustment being back on a ship sailing again, and while you had experience with several areas of the ship when you were on The Wayfaring Man (just named your old ship, feel free to rename if this isn't what you want, it will not affect anything but your backstory) you never had much occasion to spend a lot of time with the swabs. Ultimately you find the knot work harder than expected and garner quite a few aggravated looks from other members of the crew. Master Scourge also seems to take notice and delight in your failure.
As you work you keep an eye out for Captain Harrigan. You notice he spends most of his time on the poopdeck, but when he is not on deck he most often retires to what you come to determine is his private quarters (A5). As you watch each time he goes there he pulls a key from within his tunic sleeve, attached their by a leather cord. He spends a good amount of time at the door unlocking it before he goes inside.
At one point when he is on deck looking at some charts and distracted you make your way over to the cabin, but find the door to be locked and unable to budge.
Builder2 - Bilge Spider Chance (25%) - 3
Your work in the bilges is dull, but not difficult for you. You do find the poor care that is given to the ship to be frustrating though. The bilges themselves are not maintained properly, resulting in brackish water pooling a good 2 - 3 feet deep at the bottom of the ship. In addition, the ceiling of the bilge room is infested with spiders. The webs are everywhere. They do not seem to take notice or bother you, but having seen what bilge rooms are supposed to look like, and constructed a good many yourself, the state of this deck is irritating.
Especially since the brackish water impregnates your leg joints and ankle, resulting in an unexpected sluggish movement that will take time to correctly repair. (You take 1 point of exhaustion)
Ventus - You find the work to be invigorating, being up in the open air on the ropes with the blessings of Talos all around you. Your fellow riggers at first do not seem to trust you with the way you "cheated" the climbing test at the beginning of the day, but by the end of the shift they have given you a grudging respect for proving that you can also do the work.
Sericea - When you return with your catch you are surprised to see Ambrose standing, and ambulatory. It doesn't take long watching him to realize he is indeed still drunk. And judging from the state of the large bottle in comparison to this morning, should probably be unconscious, but apparently he has built up a large enough tolerance to...well...to make a sailor cry.
He is pleased with the haul you have brought in and as he begins to butcher and prep the sea turtles with your help he gives you a tour of the galley and the rest of the middle deck. He shows you where his cabin is, which apparently he shares with the quartermaster of the ship. He shows you the stairs that go to the officer and captain's quarters, but specifically to warn you to stay away from them.
"...'specially the Captain's, djou hear? My last hand tried to getch on the Capn's good side by bringing him some ale midday. Ther's somekin of trap on them staires...He had him a bolt thru the head for 'is foot hit tha thir step. Poor boy-oh"
As he thinks about his previous hand he seems to become more depressed, pulling longer from the bottle that is tied to his apron.
"It’s poison, this ship, but don’t let anyone hear you say it aloud. The hull listens, see, and the cap’n hears it all. Poison the Wormwood is, though, rotten to the core. You’ll not meet a more nasty, sour piece of work than Cap’n Harrigan in all your days at sea, and his crew’s the same, ’specially the first mate, Mr. Plugg. Vicious little sod, he is. He’d take his own mother’s liver to the butcher to make pies with, he would. But they leave me alone, mostly. They know I can’t ’arm ’em.”
He bolts straight when he hears the chime of the clock above decks.
"Is that the time? Leave that stew simmerin', we gots to get you upstairs lass, won't do to let give Plugg and Scourge a reason to hate you, missing bloody hour."
(Oof, this is a long post. Bloody hour is next, but I don't have time to write it up tonight. Feel free to RP anything else that happened to you during the day's work. If anyone wants to wind back the clock to interact with other crew members you may...I will say the officer's will just ignore you...fyi. I will get bloody hour posted some time tomorrow)
Founding Member of the High Roller Society. (Currently trying to roll max on 4d6)
Ventus tries to find Sandara, so they can compare things about their respective gods and beliefs.
While working in the bilges Builder uses mending to try and repair what he can easily. He tries not to be seen doing it though, so would not do so when someone else was around. He would extend a hammer from its compartment in his arm, and, from where he touches with the hammer, the area would be mended around it. Repairing the bilges itself, not anything with Builder.
Doubting if others are in the bilges when they are not the ones cleaning it though... If you want a sleigh tof hand check or something let me know.
Ventus: Sandara is not difficult to notice on the ship over the course of the day, but she is hard to pin down for a conversation. She is assigned as runner for the day, so she is short on time and breath.
"Yes, I will be happy to discuss that with you further, perhaps tonight over the evening meal?" She shares a short-of-breath smile with you as she heads towards the Quartermaster's closet with the orders she just recieved.
Builder2: (No slight of hand needed, you were the only one assigned to work the bilges today roll me an intelligence roll with your tool proficiency though, to see how effective these repairs are. Essentially recognizing where to apply the mending spells to get the best effect. I will come back and rewrite this if necessary.). You are able to effect some minor repairs thanks to your arcane abilities and shipwright's eye. Sadly, this ship is in need of more than just minor repairs though. You can tell it has been years since it was brought in to a dry dock for major repair...and it has seen its fair share of battles in that time. Several of the patch jobs to the woodwork here below the waterline are just not as watertight as they were when first applied, and your magic helps, but it is not a permanent fix.
Bloody Hour - "A Keelhauling for Jakes Magpie"
As the sun sets crimson over the open water, the chimes on the clock ring and the crew gathers on the main deck for bloody hour. Mr. Plugg oversees the punishments with the Captain watching on from the poopdeck.
"For some of you, this will be your first Bloody Hour, and a grand example of one it will be. There is a man in the sweat box caught stealing from the quartermaster's stock room. Today he will be keelhauled for Besmara to decide his fate."
Mr. Plugg smiles viciously. It is the most sincere emotion you have seen of him thus far. You gather punishment is his favorite part of the job.
"But first, for our standard Bloody Hour recognition. If you performed poorly at today's tasks you will be punished. This will serve to spur you on to greater performance tomorrow. Conchobhar! Step forward."
The gnome comes to the front of the crowd, surprised to be called on.
"While you socialized this afternoon a bowline snapped. Had you been more dutiful that repair would not be necessary. 5 lashes!"
"What?! That line was frayed and going anyways! The repair was going to have to happen regardless."
"Noted, thank you for the very dutiful feedback Concho. Make it 5 more for the insubordination."
The gnome sputtered and spat as he was dragged forward and chained to the mainmast. The elderly half-elf with stripes in her hair smiled as she ripped away his white tunic, revealing a back riddled with scars from previous punishments.
Mr. Scourge stepped forward with his whip and begin laying into Concho's flesh.
Attack Rolls 141 - All at +5
The first whip flies well above Concho's head, almost as if it is an intentional miss just to intimidate him, but the rest strike true to his back.
Lash Damage 21
Conchobhar is a bleeding mess and unconscious when he is finally removed from the post. Sandara rushes forward and lays a hand on his forehead, healing him and bringing him back to consciousness. Many, but not all of the marks on his back heal into additional scars. Plugg watches on, his smile growing wider, but the captain calls down from above, "Remember Plugg, don't kill them unless you have to. Not over something minor like a broken line."
The first mate has the good sense to look abashed for a moment, but his eyes scan the crowd and lands on James. "You boy, yes you! The new recruit. I heard tell that you were slow at the ropework today...didn't get knots tied right or hauled to the right place. Step forward, it is going to be 3 rope bashes to learn your lesson. What's your name again boy?"
Without waiting for a response a large half-orc man and a human woman with ludicrously large ears step towards James to bring him to the post for his punishment.
(Bloody hour will continue in the next post, but since they are closing in on James to administer a punishment this is no longer a cutscene...how do you guys respond?)
Founding Member of the High Roller Society. (Currently trying to roll max on 4d6)
Sericea has heard many tales of pirate discipline, but has never seen a lashing in person, and she quickly loses whatever appetite she had for dinner.
She wonders if she should try to help Sandara tend to the gnome, but then hears Plugg yell for James, the lad who had been frequenting her tavern. Her instinct is to call out something to distract him, but after his cruel dismissal that morning, she hesitates. Perhaps if she can make some friends on this ship, she could have more hope of standing up the officers.
Varus watches the punishments with minimal reaction, hoping that those being punished will soon learn that obedience is the best course of action.
Builder's tool check...
Carpenter tools (with guidance): 18
James doesn't resist against being brought to the post for punishment. Seeing as speaking out brings more punishment, and assumes that resistance will do the same. However, his eyes do move from Scourge, to Pugg, and finally to Harrigan; narrowing them as he does his best to keep eye contact with the Captain. Steeling himself, James prepares for the rope bashes; using his hatred for the ship, the crew, and the captain to try and not show any signs of pain.
Be excellent to each other, and roll for initiative dudes!
Plugg seems pleased with James' show of steel. "Finally, someone that knows how to stand up and accept the consequences of their actions. Don't bother with the chains, this will be quick, and I gather the lad knows better than to try to avoid the rope."
Scourge on the other hand seems annoyed at the small amount of respect James has garnered through his action, and as he administer's the rope bashes seems to swing harder than is entirely necessary.
3 Rope Bashes, No Prof Bonus/+2 from Str Mod vs AC 10 - 38
The first and third bashes find purchase on James' head, but in his frustration Scourge swings wide with the second. (James takes 2 points of damage. Let's call it effectively a concentration check to muscle through the punishment without reacting. 2 DC 10 Constitution Saving Throws, one for each bash that hit. I'll go ahead and roll those now so I can include any reaction from crew members.)
Concentration 1: 17
Concentration 2: 21
While the ropes hit heavier than expected, and you wouldn't be surprised to find a turtle egg on your head in the morning, you manage to muscle through it without so much as a sharp breath passing your lips. If Scourge was annoyed before he is visibly angry now. It appears he wanted the outbursts that you denied him.
As James walks away from the mast, head ringing mildly from the bashes, Plugg again turns and addresses the crowd of pirates. "Finally tonight, the Keelhauling of Jakes Magpie. Jakes was found in the Quartermaster's supply, stealing coin and equipment for his own personal gain. Stealing booty from all of us!"
The group of pirates growl and grumble, the entire crowd seems to be one distempered elemental in 18 seperate bodies.
"We will allow Besmara to judge him, and should he survive, we will find a nice island for him to live the rest of his days on, alone."
Plugg walks over to the sweatbox set underneath the poopdeck and unlocks the heavy chain that holds it closed. A shell of a man tumbles out, delirious and exhausted from the heat.
"Please, no...no...it's a misunderstanding. I was looking for Cutthroat, she wasn't there...I tried to find something to leave her a note. You don't understand. Please no...NO...NO!!!!"
Plugg leads the waste of a man is lead to the forward end of the ship, where he is tied to a long line. Hands and feet are tied together and a gag is placed over his mouth. He is then uncerimoniously pushed from the side of the ship into the dark blue waters below. Taking the other end of the rope, sailors slowly lead it around to bowspirit and to the far side of the boat. In your minds eye you can see Jakes being dragged against the hull of the ship, slowly being carved into ribbons by thick barnacles that have overtime encrusted the bottom of the boat.
Insight DC 12:
Mr. Plugg in particular seems to take a deep pleasure in the punishment. There is a certain degree of manic joy that spreads across his face with each tug of the rope.
Jakes' Time Underwater
Jakes is keelhauled slowly, spending 12 rounds in the water. Each round he suffers 1d3 points of damage, but he can make a DC20 dexterity save to take half damage each round, trying to keep his feet between him and the boat. He has a con modifier of 0, so he will fall unconcious and begin drowning after 10 rounds if he isn't already dead at that point...His dex mod is 2, so he needs an 18 for half damage on the dex save. He automatically fails the last two because at that point he is unconcious and at 0 if he wasn't already, so that is 2 failed death saves from damage there... Add to all that he just spent 24 hours in the sweatbox, so he is already in rough shape. Okay, lets do some rolling.
Base Damage 24
Saving Throws 103
No successful saves and already at half hp from the box, Jakes falls unconcious on round 4.
After more than a minute of silence punctuated by the sound of waves slapping the side of the ship, Jakes' corpse is finally pulled from the water on the port side, covered in cuts and scrapes that slowly seep blood, he does not move. It is impossible to say in the end if he succumbed to drowning or to the brutality that is the bottom of the ship, but either way it is an awful way to go.
"The Pirate Queen has found Jakes' to be unworthy of forgiveness. May she have mercy on his soul down beneath the waves."
Standing near you, Sandara flinches, uneasy that this brutal punishment is laid at the feet of her deity. Jakes' body is cut free of its harness and drops again into the water below, sinking to a watery grave.
As this happens the Captain once again addresses the crew. "The day is done and the justice of the seas has been satisfied for all that transpired. You are all relieved of your duties, go and relax. Let the night watch come!"
With that he retreats back to his quarters and most of the officers join him. The rest of the pirates head down to the galley to get their dinner and rum ration for the evening before seeing to the nights entertainment.
(That brings an end to Bloody Hour, we now move on to our first night on the ship...you guys can talk with eachother over dinner or interact with other lower crew NPCs as you see fit. Go ahead and get your first night action posted as well if you like. I will post about the rum ration later today, if you want to wait until after the ration for the boost to charisma skills to take your first night action that is fine as well.)
Founding Member of the High Roller Society. (Currently trying to roll max on 4d6)
”They attribute such a punishment to the judgement of their god? How interesting. I’d thought they would choose a different god. Then again, I know very little of Besmara and her followers.” Sitting against the side of the boat, he pulled out his flute and began to play an upbeat tune.
Performance check: 21
A Night's Entertainment
As the pirates make their way down to the galley, Ambrose pulls Sericea ahead.
"Come on lass, we've got food to serve!"
The lower crew gets a meal of bowls of Turtle Stew with a sea ration biscuit on the side and a shot of rum to go along with it. The process of serving 18 pirates goes surprisingly quickly.
As the crew makes their way back up to the main deck or to some corner to eat in peace, Ambrose sets about plating a more elaborate meal for the officers. Filets of Sea Turtle steak go down on the plates along side potatoes and carrots and actual rolls. Just after he finishes the last of the plates a thin pale skinned girl with dark hair comes down the stairs from the captain's quarters.
"Are they ready Ambrose? Captain and the officers are hungry."
"Yes, they are ready, you can take them up."
"Where's my fork for the taste?"
"Come on Caulky, you know I know better than try to poison the Capt'n. For one, I ain't stupid, and fer two, he would probably think it was just extra spicy."
"You may not be stupid Fishguts, but you've got a new hand in the kitchen. What's to say she didn't bring some special seasonings on board?"
Realizing there is no point arguing with her, Ambrose produces a knife and fork and Caulky selects a random plate to taste off of. After a small bite and a few minutes to ensure the food is safe for the officers she begins carrying them up the stairs.
Perception DC 10:
Watching carefully you realize that Caulky seems to have no concern about traversing the stairs. During the course of her 2 or 3 trips she probably steps on each rung at least twice with no ill effect.
Seeing the last of his work for the night completed, Ambrose settles back into his corner with a new bottle and begins his liquid dinner.
(The remainder of the night is yours. You have all received your rum ration, so you need to decide if you are drinking it (see the campaign notes about its effects) or doing something else with it...After that the standard evening's entertainments (also available in the campaign notes) are set up and available to you. You can also converse with eachother or talk to NPCs. All of the lower officers can be found up and about during the first portion of the nights actions...During the middle watch (deep night) only some NPCs will be up, but you will find just by happenstance that if you are looking for someone in particular they are awake...its like its fate...or a fiction novel or something. What do you guys do with your evening?)
Founding Member of the High Roller Society. (Currently trying to roll max on 4d6)
Birel watched the 'Keelhauling' with an expression that was something between confusion and boredom. When everyone retires below deck for their evening time and the rum was shoved into her hand she sniffs it, then tips the cup back and finishes the whole thing as quickly as she can. She visibly shudders at the taste, but finally starts to loosen up after a few moments. She seeks out the halfling women she had seen above decks earlier that day. "Well then, today wasn't so bad. Even got fun near the end, always did enjoy backbreaking manual labor when it was done correctly. Course, works always easier when you're friends with the people you work with," she laughs. "Name's Birel, and you are?" she smiles and holds out her hand.
Con save for Rum: 19
Gonna try and befriend Rosie Cusswell with a good ole fashioned persuasion roll. (With adv cause Rum): 8
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Sericea watched James take the rope bashes without flinching. She was impressed with his resolve, but concerned about Scourge's reaction. She had seen all kinds of pirate in Port Peril, but Scourge was clearly a villain of the filthiest, vilest sort.
During the keelhauling, she again felt the urge to stand up for the accused. But she knew there were few friends in the crew, and when not even Sandara spoke up for Jakes, she watched silently.
During dinner, she helped Ambrose as well as she could. She tried to give a little extra stew to her fellow captives, but not so much that the officers would notice.
Perception check with Caulky in kitchen: 5 -> Sericea is too flustered serving food to dozens of pirates to notice anything unusual
During dinner, Sericea ate her stew with the others kidnapped from Port Peril. She introduced herself properly, since when she was at the Formidably Maid she went by just "Seri," or "hey you!!" more commonly. She put on a charming smile, and tried to make the most of their situation.
After dinner, she thought it'd be good to try to win some friends. She put on a flamboyant smile and asked if anyone needed a drinking song to finish their rum.
[If anyone wants to play an instrument, Sericea will sing along, otherwise she's used to belting out tunes solo in the tavern. She'll take an old Port Peril ballad, and swap out some names to make it be about the Wormwood]
Performance, with rum advantage: 23
Ventus makes his way down to the dinner area, and continues the song he was playing.
Builder, unable to stop thinking about the shoddy patches he found int eh bilge room, decides he needs to return and attempt some mroe repairs.
(Sneak action as his night time action)
Stealth check: 9
Investigation check: 22
Carpentry tools check: 26
Also uses Mending on several of the areas as well.
Once done with what he can do in one evening, without risking being caught, Builder will return to his chambers and wait for morning.
Perception: 23
Varus takes his meal and rum, downing the drink and shoveling food into his mouth.
Con save: 13
As Ventus plays and Sericea sings, he watches them with a look of burning envy in his eyes, though he quickly smothers it if either of them look his way. He doesn't seem to notice anyone else besides the pair, all his focus directed at those two.
In between songs Ventus sips at his rum, trying to not become drunk
CON save: 14
con damage: 5