((The track record of Khond being nerd blind continues!))

Nuria meekly surrenders her shortbow. What was she thinking? What if she had hit someone! She shrinks, letting her hair fall in front of her face. Well at least she made those three leave the other two alone. Wait. Where did the tiefling go? He must have jumped overboard...hopefully there is a boat down there. When Breldo speaks up, she quickly says, "I-I'll go too! ...if that's ok." Now without her bow, her left hand strays down to her belt, fumbling over the rapier and landing on the hilt of a dagger. Realizing what she was doing, she pulls her hand away and grabs the hem of her cloak instead. 

As the guard on their small boat navigates the craft next to a larger rescue boat - this one apparantly captained by his superior, Tuck takes an opportunity to search for a way onto the foundering vessel - both to see how he can assist, and to try and get a better idea of what, exactly happened to this vessel - his curiosity now aroused. 

As people finally start leaving the deck, one by one, do other people begin acting in various capacities. Tuck, after climbing on the bigger boat, notes the rope laid down, and manages to quickly clamber up, after helping a maiden that had been descended along it down. Before too long he too is on the deck, watching the chaos unfold there; although most of it has calmed down by now, people evacuating in a... Mostly orderly fashion. Behind him, the woman quickly gets on the rowboat, followed by another passenger that was lowered right after her.

On the other ship, Khond has been entirely oblivious to what was happening on the deck, except for the tiefling jumping overboard. The tiefling begins clambering on his deck without too much issue. Does feel like he's missing out on a fair few things.

On the deck meanwhile, other plots are being formed. The captain does seem at least somewhat curious to figure out exactly what happened, as no one's been able to give any kind of answer that makes true sense so far. But it's Breldo's comment that he agrees to first.

"Yes, we should," he agrees, only to have one of the sailors, a burly dude with ripped clothes speak up loud in response. "Nothing worth saving below deck. Let them ******* rot."

The captain's fist ever so subtly clench. "So there are people still below deck then, yes? Why did you lock them up?"

"Because they've gone insane," third mate Evar admits with a sigh. "We're fighting for our life against this storm, when they come out of the hold raving like lunatics and swinging at people. In the chaos, when the storm disappeared, everyone that still could ran to the top deck before we locked them up."

"If we'd have time for a proper trial, we'd have made every last one be walking the plank for it," the burly man interjects again. "And we'd still have done it, were we not down so many men, and all the weapons are down with them."

The captain seems a bit uncertain. Although for now he seems at least convinced to get everyone off the ship before planning anything with those who have gone "insane".

"Very well. Even so. Are you certain they would be all?"

That, at least, gets an embarrassed silence. 

Nuria stares at this man wide eyed. They were going to just let those people drown? Even if they did go insane, they didn't deserve that did they? If it really is insanity caused by this storm, are they really to blame for what happened? Are they not just victims of whatever madness took hold of them? She shakes her head trying to get the image out of her mind. The one thing she feared more than death by flames, is death by water. There is no way that she would wish either of those fates on anyone. She speaks up, though her voice is still quiet, "Per-Perhaps we should put the people below deck on a different boat? If they are mad, they could be a danger to the crew. Hopefully, they aren't a danger to each other, but if we can keep them separated from the ones they were supposedly attacking, it might be better for everyone."

"Who are 'they'? Crew, passengers? You say they went insane, any ideas why?", Breldo inquires.

"Rick will go investigate!"

Rick says quietly to himself as he tries to head to cabin 11 unnoticed.

Stealth: 12

The captain nods to Nuria's comment, while the crewmen let out a half shrug. They stand to the side while others work on getting firstly all the passengers off board.

"No idea. Hold crew, I think. I recognized Johnsson, the bastard... Maybe they thought the captain was going to get them all killed with how the storm was going. Maybe Clive and the others are right and them going insane was just a part of some divine punishment."

"One of the passengers was smuggling Ghurna root," Evar admits. "Some of the crew think all of this was divine punishment because of that."

"Hmm," Gilgamesh groans. "I've dealt with quite a few cases of smuggling that, but this would be the first I heard of divine punishment involving it."

"But that settles it. If any of you think yourself combat capable, ready yourselves, we'll head down once everyone else is off deck. Be prepared for a fight, just in case these people prove not cooperative."

Slick of course immediately volunteers, by trying to immediately slip down before anyone can protest. It doesn't take him long to notice that one of the two hatches down is blocked by heavy crates, though, and the other is outright locked. It's probably impossible to slip down without being noticed.

Nuria doesn't really want to listen to the sailors talk about the crew anymore. So, after glancing at Gilgamesh, and her bow that he is still holding, she wordlessly moves to start helping the wounded get off the ship.

Perception to see if she notices Rick: 3...

Breldo Nature on Ghurna root: 20

While Breldo's probably pretty sure he doesn't know everything about Ghurna root, it's infamous enough that he's heard a fair bit of it before. Ghurna root comes from the divine tree of Ghurna, usually by chipping off bits in unprotected spots, hence making harvesting it a sacrilege at least in elven culture. Theoretically, it does seem to hold some actual medicinal qualities that can be used in specific situations. (Roll medicine) Practically, it is mostly used by people who believe doing so will give them a "spiritual enlightenment".

Medicine: 23

Breldo's not sure what the roots can be used for, except that it must be something very specific.

Sidling up with the others on the deck, Tuck overhears the discussion with Evar and the Captain of the other vessel. Grimly drawing his rapier, he adds, "Though I'm not one much for fighting folks that've gone insane, I'll do my part to help. Something is clearly amiss here - a freak storm that seems to have affected only this vessel, passengers and crew losing their minds - and I'm not one for leaving a mystery unsolved. Count me in, once the others have safely evacuated. Tucker's the name - friends call me Tuck."

Nodding when Gilgamesh asks for help clean out the underdeck and getting people out, "I can help.  If they are still crazed when we find them we just knock them out with the sides of our blades.  And I'll be good with hefting them back up to the deck"

Oren looks to see who else that is offering to help head down into the ship looks strong enough to actually carry people back up here if needed.

Rick looks at the obstacles and tsks to himself.

"This is most inconvenient, Rick has business down there."

Rick goes back up and leans over the side of the boat and starts looking for a big hole in the side he can use instead of the stairs.

He does so while giving helpful advice to other rescuers.

Perception: 13

Khond nods to the tiefling, "What's going on up there?  Seems like a lot of people are waiting around a fair bit for some reason."

Most people on the deck begin to focus on helping people off now, one by one people pulled down to the boat. The bigger boat that the captain came on is quickly filled, but rowboats help alleviate that load, as well as some other ships. Bit by bit, the ship is rapidly emptying, especially once things move past the wounded and weaker passengers that needed help getting down.

During which time, Tuck and Oren both offer themselves up to help fight should it be necessary. Gilgamesh gives them both hearty nods of approval, agreeing that trying to knock them out should take priority if it can be helped, while Oren looks about. Well... In a worst-case scenario, it looks as if at least Gilgamesh himself should easily be able to help people up.

Slick, of course, has other priorities, a cursory inspection down the sides revealing that... Well, there don't really seem to be any Slick-sized holes. There are a few potential ones that could work, assuming some additional prying... But he'd probably need some tools to help widen the hole, and then the question also becomes how he'd do THAT without being noticed.

Khond meanwhile nods to the tiefling that just got on board, who at first just shrugs to his question. 

"Dunno. I guess they are just getting everyone off first. Anyway, this boat is full, right? We should probably get going."

It doesn't take much longer until the final person is off the ship, only a few of the original sailors remaining, just in case. It is, in each case, close enough for Gilgamesh to have requested the key to one of the hatches, and now standing ready in front of it.

"Alright, time to go down. Prepare yourselves if diplomacy should fail. Try and keep to incapacitating them, but if it comes to our lives or theirs, do not hesitate."

The captain states. After some initial hesitation, he does give Nuria back her bow.

"Are we all ready? Stick behind me."

(Roll perception)