More Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [IC][2024 rules][1]

Lothiai's Dex Check: 5. 
(As seen in Game Log... Not great)

 (Could be better could be worse)
Pev Perception: 14

"These zombies party like moi old friends from down on the Dock Ward." The old Waterdhavian thug chortles as he picks his way through the debris strewn across the mess hall. He retreats to the open air of the main deck, calling out to Dev and Valeria over the slapping of waves against the hull. "Waste o' time, so it is. This place is after seeing a ruckus, but nothin' interesting down there that catches moi eye."

The golden dragonborn skitters across the decking to the cabins on the far side of the Compass Rose, and tests another door to continue his exploration (C5)

Perception: 21

Lothia, you begin cutting the painting off its frame and quickly realise the canvas has become mouldy and fused to the damp wall in several spots. You manage to peel it away, but the fragile material groans and tears in a couple of places. The smiling couple is now a bit more tattered, but the portrait is yours.

Pev, you notice that one of the floorboards in the middle of the room is raised slightly above its neighbours. It looks out of place, as if someone pried it up and didn't quite hammer it back down properly.

Paddy, a long-dead, headless skeleton sits propped up against a counter to the right, but the galley is otherwise empty. Unless… did the skeleton just move? Your hand reaches for one of your cleavers, but before you call out for help, you realise that small, harmless crabs are crawling over the skeletal remains, causing the illusion of movement.

"Gahhh!" Paddy starts, his big meaty fingers turning white as he grips a cleaver in surprise. The cigar stuck between his teeth almost drops out of his mouth, but when he realises that he's been spooked by a swarm of crustaceans, he breathes freely once again. "Damned critters! Lucky oi don't have the time t' turn the lot of ye into a noice creamy bisque."

He exits the cabin, calling out to Dev and Valeria as they loiter around the mast. "Nothin' in there, either. But I tell ye, this place is startin' t' give moi the creeps!" The dragonborn limps over to the final chamber (C4) on the main deck and tries the door, cleavers still in hand.

Perception: 6

Pev is inching closer to the suspiciously raised plank edge before he nearly jumps out of his skin as Paddy screams. 

Clanking, one hand on his lighted brass hat, he sprints to find the Dragonborn — already moving onto the cabin door — hearing him curse them to a bisque. 

He joins the others at the cabin door, but mentions what he saw before, possibly a cubby hole or a stash-bolt. Something all too familiar to a rock gnome, where ancient hidey-holes are more common than cowpat. 

 Lothia clicked her tongue, not at all amused at her work. Yet what else could she do except roll up the portrait with as much care as possible, before depositing it her backpack. Afterwards, the only thing that appeared left for her to do was search through the rest of the refuse and bedding. She didn't expect to find more than maybe a few loose silvers or copper pieces at best. Or more preferable, a journal of one of the sailors! 

Nevertheless, she had to try at least and pretend to make it appear the search before stepping out on the deck to join the others. "Can't say I found all too much, but I still think it was worth a once over." She said to the others upon finally rejoining the group.

Search: 8

(See game log)

Dev makes a start towards the room Paddy was in at the Dragonborn's scream, but stops in his tracks as he comes back out onto the deck.  He laughs at the look on Paddy's face.  "I guess it not be zombies in there then," and he makes his way back to the top of the stairs.

Concerned about the ruckus inside, the young red-haired sorceress would be quick to follow the hardy gnome, but stop and grin as Goldie peeks outside to reassure them all is good, then returning to her vigilance.

Lothia, you notice the raised floorboard now that your attention has been brought to it by Pev, but there is nothing else of interest in this room. 

Paddy, you attempt to open the door to the cabin, but it doesn't bulge. It seems that it is barricaded from the inside. However, the wood has begun to rot so a sufficiently strong kick will likely break it down. 

"Nah, just lunch squirming around, trying t' make moi spill breakfast early, heh heh." Padrionn calls back to Dev over his hunched over shoulder. Reptilian eyes examine the decaying door for some manner of locking mechanism that might be jimmied open. Frustrated, the dragonborn sticks his fingers in his mouth to produce a short, shrill wolf-whistle along with a puff of smoke. 

"Look loively! There's something barring the way in here. Give us a hand, will ye?" He calls out to those strewn about on various regions of the main deck. When they assemble nearby, Paddy jabs his thumb in the direction of the door. "Stands t' reason that someone barricaded it to avoid trouble. Moight be someone dead. But moight be someone turned into one o' those mouldy feckers themselves..."

The butcher spins his cleavers in his hands, and kicks the door in its least sturdy spot, smashing it open. 

 (OOC: For whatever reason I thought Pev had followed Paddy, which is why I hadn't reacted to the commentary. But looking back, I see I was mistaken. Sorry NycrolB!)

In spite of having both seen the raised board AND having someone literally point it out her, Lothia left the cabin all the same to make her report, only to moments later go wide-eyed as if struck by an epiphany. However, she barely gets out an, "Uhh... Just--" Before Paddy is kicking into the barricaded door, causing even the normally unflappable Goliath to jump a little in response. After that, the whole raised floorboard gets pushed once again to the back of her mind, as newfound curiosity over whatever lay beyond the barricaded door has her drifting over to try and peek inside from behind Paddy. If he managed to, that is.

Paddy, give me an Athletics roll

((OOC: Athletics: 6 😬 ))

As Paddy struggles with the door, Dev chuckles to himself and wanders over.  "Need a hand there, big guy?" he asks with a grin, then throws himself at the door enthusiastically.

Athletics Check: 17

Paddy, you deliver a sharp kick to the door, and although you hear the wood groan and crack under the impact, the timber seems to be sturdier than it looks. The door holds firm, barely budging against your boot.

But when Dev throws himself enthusiastically into the frame, there is a thunderous CRACK, and the hinges finally give way.

The door slams wide open. Immediately, Dev is greeted by a chilling sight: two zombies are already swaying toward the entrance, currently about ten feet away.

Everyone roll initiative. 

Pev: 7

Lothia's Initiative: 9. 

Valeria intiative: 12

Paddy winces as his kick is rather less successful than he first imagined. "Yeah, yeah... go on. Softened it up for ye, that's all!" The dragonborn mutters sourly to Dev, his ego smarting as much as the throbbing pain in his foot when he watches the gnome smash his way through with ease. "Good job, lad."

Paddy flinches for the barest moment when the sundered wood clatters to the floor around him, then tightens his grip on his cleavers when the zombies begin lurching towards Dev. 

Initiative: 20