A bit of time off of her feet, controlling her breathing, and letting her equilibrium relax and 'go with the flow' instead of trying to fight it... and Ethlehyn is at least starting to feel alive again.

When Jan arrives, the thanks her for the thoughtfulness of the bucket, and she sits up in bed.

Then she immediately addresses the real reason Jan has come to visit.  "It was when we first came aboard.  First Mate Lozredak - the big hobgoblin lass - she was standing in the room under the quarterdeck and talking to someone.  I didn't see to whom she was speaking, and didn't know at the time that it might be important.  In answer to a question I couldn't make out the First Mate said, quite clearly, 'Hargrove came on board last night.'  That's all I overheard."

"So your man did pay this ship a visit before we left port... and he may still be onboard with us.  More, the crew may be connected to him."

"That's all.  It isn't much, but I don't know how... sensitive... this quest of yours is, so it seemed prudent to tell you this where fewer ears may be listening."

"Well, I will see you there then."

Marrin heads to the galley and sees first what is on offer for food then finds the spot with the best acoustics.

((How many is she playing for?))

Jan sits on the edge of the other woman's bunk. "I appreciate it, Ethel... I've no reason to think he knows my face, but thank you for the heads up. You seem to be feeling a bit better. If the galley has anything I think might sit alright in a wave-tossed belly, I'll bring it back for you."

Feeling a bit better with the motion of the ship, Avaria decides to follow Marrin to the galley to see what grub they have to offer.  

"Marrin, are you going to play?  I'd love to hear."

The half day you've spent aboard the Rose Marie has done wonders for Jan and Avaria. Their mild queasiness has disappeared. Even Ethlehyn is feeling better. She has barely a trace of the seasickness that nearly incapacitated her earlier. Marrin is navigating the rolling deck underfoot like she was born to be a sailor. Everyone is getting their sea legs. Everyone, that is, except for poor Ula.

Thankfully Ula hasn't eaten anything since boarding the Rose Marie. If she had, it would be over the side feeding whatever sea creatures rough waves stir up. 

Marrin finds the galley easily as its doorway stands open to the main part of the lower deck. A couple of long, beer hall style, communal tables fill the first half of the room. The most forward part is taken up by the kitchen. A rotund and very pale man, presumably the chef, stirs a large pot. You can smell onions, root vegetables of some kind, most likely potatoes but definitely not turnips, and something fishy, but not as pungent as the treasure you discovered in the aft hold.

At one of the tables the skittish looking man who boarded at the same time as your group sits. He still has his satchel. It rests on his lap as his others hands hold a bowl or whatever comes out of that pot and a spoon. He eyes you carefully as you enter.

As you look around, a little disappointed that this is the sum total of your potential audience, one of the sailors you'd seen before, the one from the dock, the large half-orc woman comes in and heads straight to the cook.

"Oy, Jeras, hurry up," the half-orc says. "Where's the tray? The Captain and his scrawny guest are getting hungry."

Jeras the Cook lifts a tray loaded down with two bowls of his stew, thick slices of bread, and a bottle of wine and passes it to the half-orc.

She turns quickly and heads straight back out, barely giving you a glance.

Once she leaves, Jeras notices you and frowns.

"Well? Food? Drink? Or just coming for a sit down?"

Ula calls to the nearest crew member on deck and asks, “You don’t happen.. to know… know a good cure for sea sickness, friend?”. The look in her eye makes it clear she’s serious.

"Both please, Jeras was it? When does the crew come for their meal?"

She taps her lute case,

"I was looking to play for them, but..."

She surveys the near empty room.

On deck, a small, very muscular, and incredibly scarred up goblin looks over at Ula. She breaks into a full laugh when when she realizes why Ula is asking.

"Best to empty your guts out over the side, then go see Jeras in the galley. You better hope he picked up some ginger back in Spandeliyon. If you get on his good side he'll make you some ginger tea. That should help."

She then turns back to the ropes anchoring the main sail.

Back down in the galley, Jeras starts ladling out the gluey fish stew, slaps some bread down and pours out some ale into mugs.

"Crew'll be coming and going but the other passengers will probably be in soon."

As if waiting for that cue, the loud dwarf who boarded when you did, Hammerdasher was what he announced himself on, struts into the galley.

"Keep that fish swill to yourself and hand me some of that bread and a mug of real ale, not this water." Hammerdasher says. While he waits he looks around, his eyes narrowing as he sees the man with the satchel at one of the tables. "Geffroi, wasn't it? You any good at cards?"

When he doesn't get an answer he turns his attention to Marrin and Avaria.

"How about you two lasses? Care to lose some gold?"

Marrin scoops up her food and drink,

"Thank you, I wait to play then. An audience of three, now four, is a bit intimate!"

She'll sit near Geff nod for Avaria to have a seat next to her before addressing Hammerdasher,

"I'm not particularly interested Mr. Hammerdasher, thank you for the question! Maybe my companion would be?"

She looks to Avaria,

"And in any case, I'm sure we'd both appreciate some meal company, right Ava?"

She tests her soup and winces before prestidigitating it tastier, a nice curry.

Ula answers the goblin: “Thank you kindly friend… That’s a great idea!!… What’s your name?”, with a beaming smile. Holding back another barf. 

Avaria sits next to Marrin with her meal, sniffing at it apprehensively after what Ula found in the hold.  

When they are asked about cards, she looks to the loud dwarf with her head slightly cocked and asks, "Why would I want to lose my gold?" and Marrin asks about having him join, she shrugs her shoulders and tries out the ale.

Jan will leave Ethel to rest and make her way to the galley, nodding to Marrin and Ava as she enters, and heading over to see what's to be had for a meal.

Marrin gives a nod and smile to Jan when she comes in.

Jan approaches and greets the large fellow she takes to be the ship's cook.

"Good day. I'd like a serving of what you've got for myself, and one of my bunkmates was feeling unwell earlier, I'm thinking of taking her back just some bread and water, unless you've other recommendations?"

ULA:

The goblin looks back at you and does a small curtsy, holding the edges of trousers as if they were a skirt.

"I'm the Queen of the Seas, but most just call me Slick."

JAN:

Down below deck, Jan gets a raised eyebrow from Jeras the cook. "The water's still good today, but a few days from now you don't touch it unless it's been boiled good and long. Otherwise stick to the weak ale."

He slaps a bowl of stew down for Jan and a couple of slabs of bread. 

"Once i get this finished, I'll see if they brought any ginger on board. Boil that up in some water usually does the trick."

AVARIA and MARRIN:

Geffroi moves a little further down the bench when Marrin sits near him.

Hammerdasher roars with laughter at Avaria. 

"Good one lass," Hammerdasher says. Then without asking again, he deals out a handful of cards to Avaria and then himself. "You two heading north before the ghoulies and skeletons make their way to Spandelyion?"

He roars with laughter again.

"All sorts buying into that tale," he says, giving Marrin a jab in the ribs and then nodding at Geffroi.

ETHEL:

Ethlehyn starts to feel a bit better. There's still some lingering nausea but for the most part the world has stopped spinning and the sound of the waves crashing doesn't drive her to want to vomit. She does notice though that the sea is starting to sound rougher. The boat is noticeable rolling more as it goes up and down the swells.

"Thanks, I'm Janellae, by the way. I'd appreciate that.",  she'll give him a smile a she picks up here bowl of stew and bread, and moves to join the other two.

She samples the fish stew, decides the texture can't be helped, but perhaps a touch spicier...

Marrin winces a bit at the elbowing and looks down at the spoon full of hot soup she spilled down her front. She wiggles her fingers and cleans up the mess and tries to scooch a bit away from the sharp elbowed dwarf. She'll then ask,

"I don't believe I've heard anything about ghouls or skeletons heading to Spandelyion?"

She looks to Geffroi,

"But you have? I would certainly appreciate knowing, if you don't mind telling." She smiles over at the skittish man. "My name is Marrin."

Geffroi looks up from his stew. The human is quite pale. He looks over at Hammerdasher and shakes his head.

"This one wouldn't believe he'd been stabbed if the dagger was still sticking out of his chest." Geffroi says in a soft voice. He pauses for a moment then continues. "I'm a scholar of sorts. I was in Gheldaneth looking through one of the old libraries that had been unearthed when it happened."

He pauses to look directly at Hammerdasher.

"I was there. I saw it with my own eyes." the man says before turning back to Marrin. "They came in the night, killing and killing, but the dead didn't stay dead. They rose up as well and joined in. I was able to hide in a vault in the library. In the morning they were gone. No bodies left at all. No sign of the dead. But almost worse was that those who had been only injured had something on their skin like a disease, eating the flesh. I left as quickly as I could and I'm not stopping until I get to the Sword Coast. If you're smart, you'll do the same."

Ship's bells beginning ringing loudly. Three loud rings. A pause. Three more loud rings. Jeras the cook slams a heavy lid on the stew and throws a chain over the lid and locks in place into some handles below the counter you had not noticed before.

"Best get somewhere you can hold on," Jeras says. "Captain wasn't able to outrun the storm. It's here."

Marrin continues to eat while she listens, watching the man closely as he speaks.

Insight: 8

"A scholar of a sort? Gheldaneth, so you've crossed the water once before and decided to keep going?"

History or something intelligence based on what the undead could be or if she's heard other stories about something similar?: 18

Whether or not Geoff has time to respond before the lock down, Marrin wolfs down the rest of her food and finishes her ale before heading out.

"Geffroi, thank you and hope to see you after this storm passes. Sleep as well as you can!"

She pats Ava on the shoulder,

"Ava, I think you and Mr. Hammerdasher will need to finish up another time. A good night to you as well!"

She nods to the dwarf before heading back to their room.

Provided there's time, to get back to their bunk, Jan will finish her meal and depart as well, taking some bread for Ethel.