HM's Skull & Shackles AP

The last tone of the brass clock dies away and the crowded deck is as slient as a ghost.

....

....

....

"Master Scourge!" bellows Mr. Plugg to break the silence. "We are missing some crewmen. Are we not?"

"Aye!"

"Then find them and make sure they are lashed good, before you bring them up on deck."

Master Scourge heads below but not before giving everyone in your little group a stern look first.

Mr. Plugg turns back to the gathered sailors. "And as for the rest of you.."

*SNAP*

*SNAP*

*CRACK*

"The rest of you gets to work. Or it's the whipping post for the lot of you!"

[sblock=OOC] Ok, we are going to play through a couple days here. To help speed things along but still allow you to take you Ship Actions I wish to break things down this way.

Odd days you will have to make your work checks, and even days you will not. All days you will take your two Ship Actions (one day and one night) but they could be modified by your work roll.

So for everyone next post you will be playing through the next three days. Note that you will work everyday I just don't want to slow things down with a lot of extra rolls (but post fluff accordingly).

In an ooc block please list the following...

Day 2: day action, night action
Day 3: day action, night action
Day 4: day action, night action

I have added all the NPCs attitudes and DCs to change. That way you may move on if you know you are successful. For fluff purposes you all learn these attitudes during Day 2 as talk of the fight spreads.[/sblock]
[sblock=Work Day 3]
Kolto - Lookout: A climb to the crow’s nest 60 feet up, requiring DC 10 Climb checks followed by a DC 10 Perception check.

Reiko - Bull Session: Drinking with Ambrose Kroop and listening to his stories. The cook’s mate must drink a rum ration, but is able to take an additional ship action during the day.

Jaakali - Hauling Rope and Knot Work: Tying and untying knots in the ship’s ropes and moving heavy coils of rope from one part of the ship to another, requiring a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Strength check. The PC must also make a DC 10 Constitution check to avoid being fatigued at the end of the shift.

Bella, Tara, and Kalir - Swab the Decks: Backbreaking work mopping the decks and scrubbing them with sandstone blocks called holystones, requiring a DC 10 Strength or Constitution check. Failing either check results in the PC being fatigued at the end of the shift.

Lightning - Rat Catcher: Catching rats and other vermin below decks, requiring either a DC 10 Stealth check, Survival check, or Dexterity check to catch and kill enough rats, cockroaches, and beetles for a good day’s work.

Nightstorm - Runner: Passing messages to the crew and officers of the Wormwood in all parts of the ship except officers’ cabins (areas A4 and A5), requiring a DC 10 Acrobatics check and DC 10 Constitution check.
Failing the Constitution check results in the PC being fatigued at the end of the shift. A PC with the Run feat automatically succeeds at this task.[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC]Day 2 (Day - Sneak, Night - Gamble, Extra Night - Influence Samms Toppin)
Undeterred by the morning's brawl, Nightstorm keeps his eyes peeled while working, taking a closer look at the Lower Hold if the opportunity arises. That night he observes the games the pirates engage in, getting in on the play only if he can do so without having to gamble away his shaving kit or the shirt on his back. And once again, during the night he goes to the cot of Samms Toppin to reminisce about their old home in the Sodden Lands, and maybe find out something else useful.

Day 3 (Day - Sneak, Night - Sleep, Extra Night - Influence Samms Toppin)
Not satisfied that he has quite won Barefoot over to his cause yet, Nightstorm spends the day thinking about what else he might say. The job the have him on today, running, is a welcome change of pace from swabbing the decks, though it requires his agility and it is tiring enough. It does, however, give him a chance to peek into the Quartermaster's and Cook's shared cabin. That night he decides to sleep and relax a bit, though during the night he once again wakes to speak with Barefoot Samms Toppin.

Day 4 (Day - Sneak, Night - Gamble)
Nightstorm wakes from sleep well rested, and works relatively contentedly that day. When the opportunity arises, he sneaks a look at the Quartermaster's Store, wondering if the pirate scum who stole his possessions have stashed them here. After work is done for the evening, he goes down to watch the games, and to inquire about whether after the drubbing they new recruits gave the four troublemakers, whether they would be interesting is seeing a fight between him and the Tian woman, Reiko. For the first time, he sleeps soundly through the night without waking to get in a late night chat.
[/sblock]

Day 01
The Red-Man scrounges a water skin and hauls himself easily up the rigging to the crow's nest, where he spends the best part of the day enjoying the solitude and the sea air. He comes down only once, to refill his skin . . . and to 'get lost' for a few minutes looking for the water tun. It only makes sense that provisions would be in the Quartermaster's stores . . . In the evening he swaps stories and gripes with Rosie about the loss of his blade, "although I did well enough without it this morning. Skourge's cronies might think twice before tangling with us again." The tough-as-nails halfling seems to warm up, and the two are forming an "odd-couple" sort of friendship . . .

[sblock=Day/Night 01]

• Work: Take 10 on Climb Checks, Perception (Lookout) = 12.
• Day: Sneak-a-Peek at the Quartermaster's Store (Perception = 20).
• Night: Influence Rosie (Diplomacy = 19).

[/sblock]

Day 02
Another day at the best job on the ship . . . hanging out in the Crow's Nest, feeling the sea-breeze over his bare pate, working on his tan . . . Today on his trip down for water, Kolto makes a point to stop by the Quartermaster's Store again, this time chatting up Cut-Throat Grok while he's there. ("You look like you know your way around a blade . . . you don't, by chance, have a finely made Falcata in the plundered loot? That blade's been my constant companion since before I can remember; she's been more faithful to me than any other woman I've met and I'd hate to think her gone from me forever . . . And speaking of women, I've got a . . . friend . . . aboard who says something was taken from her when she, um, 'boarded.' Rosie's not told me what she lost, but it might help my cause if I knew. You wouldn't have any ideas, hey?")

That night, feeling pretty good about his friendship with Rosie, he spends a few minutes with her in the mess, clinks mugs on the rum ration, and racks in early.

[sblock=Day/Night 02]
If Cut-Throat revealed anything about Rosie's lost item, he'll make sure he tells her about it during evening mess.

• Work: Take 10 on the Climb Checks, Perception (Lookout) = 13.
• Day: Influence (Cut-Throat Grok) = 18 (Not sure whether or not this is allowed as there's no DC listed for Cut-Throat, but thought it worth a try).
• Night: Sleep (Recover Shield Spell)

[/sblock]

Day 03
On the third day, Kolto gives up the shenanigans and decides just to enjoy his job. He keeps a sharp eye out, revels in the freedom of the Crow's Nest, and - after once more toasting Rosie and sharing a few stories, racks early.

[sblock=Day/Night 03]

• Day: Take 10 Climb, Work Diligently - Perception (Lookout) = 18
• Night: Sleep

[/sblock]
_______________

Reiko sits on a stool next to the larder. While listening to the cook babble on about his sea tales, she stares at a half-full glass of rum. Reiko so wishes she could be done with this ship. She never wanted to be a sailor.

Once Kroop had dozed off, Reiko makes her way out of this galley and carefully sneaks around the ship. Reiko has the idea that she should figure out where the Wormwood is going. And she figures that the person who might know that would be the sailing master, Peppery Longfarthing.

Reiko manages to locate Peppery Longfarthing on the top deck.

"So," Reiko begins. "How are the winds today?"

She moves in closer. "How do you stay so calm, so professional, with all of these swarthy heathens on this vessel? Do the men pester you? Do they ask you for "favors"? Do you keep them at bay?"



The following evening, Reiko makes her way around the Wormwood to find her fellow conscriptee, Nightstorm, in his bunk.

"Nightstorm, I have thought about your proposition and I think it makes sense. We should talk."

Bella looks to Mr. Plugg in amazement, raising her voice to hopefully get the Captain's attention. "you can't be as stupid as you act! The captain tells you to bring me back aboard, because we cannot spare a man and what do you do? Try to kill a group. I realize they failed Scourge and probably you, but at least let them recover from one beating before you give them another. Or do you relish the prospect of doing this work your self?"

Lightning generally keeps quiet, though he is not afraid to use create water to quench his thirst or the thirst of his fellow friendly swabs during the day, given that folks already know about his affinity to water. Catching rats is easy work and he uses the free time to keep his eyes and ears open as he works, allowing the others of his group to work on the rest of the crew, his own skills in that department quite lacking.

The second day on the ship, he focuses mostly on the galley and quartermaster's store, figuring if any gossip was to be had, that would be the place, and it would help him get a better measure of Reiko. That night, he partakes of some minor gambling, more to be hospitable and the challenge of the game itself than anything else.

The third day, he shifts his attention to the lower hold and tries to get a feel for what individuals tended to work what shifts, allowing for effective planning of any fun down the line. The evening is spent once more doing some light gambling and socializing. So as not to be completely friendless, he starts to chat up some of the more indifferent folks, gauging their interests and gaining their trust.

The fourth day, he focuses on the middle hold, trying to get a feel for anything else of interest he might pick up as people pass through on their own duties. That night, he continues to chat up his fellow swabs, hoping that patience and diligence can make up for his lack of training in the diplomatic arts, and his efforts pay off as he gets Jack Srimshaw to open up a bit before he turns in to bed.

[sblock=activity]day 2 day = sneak (galley, quartermaster's store)
day 2 night = gamble

day 3 day = sneak (lower hold/crew berths)
day 3 night = influence Jack Scrimshaw

day 4 day = sneak (middle hold)
day 4 night = influence Jack Scrimshaw[/sblock]

After the mornings affray, Kelir decides that him and his fellow combatants need more allies in the crew. So over the next few days he does his best to charm so of the least hostile of the crew.

He continues using Prestidigitation to help with the backbreaking work. Unfortunately the work was so hard that some nights all he could do was collapse into his bunk.

[sblock=OOC]Day 2 - Day Action: Influence Ratline
Day 2 - Night Action: Influence Patch
Day 3 - Day Action: Influence Giffer
Day 3 - Night Action: Sleep
Day 4 - Day Action: Influence Giffer
Day 4 - Night Action: Influence (either Patch or Kipper)

Use Archaeologist's Luck on all Influence Rolls plus Day 2 Rolls have +2 from previous nights performance.[/sblock]

Scourge ignores Bella's triad and shoulders by her and the others to get below decks.

______________________________________________

Reiko's bull session:

During the drinking and story telling Ambrose gets very quiet and almost looks sober for a second. He leans close to the cooks mate and says solemnly.

“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.”

Click to expand...

After the ominous warnings he slinks off without another word. Reiko finds him later asleep with his rooster cradled in his arm. Disgusted she sets to cooking the evening meal herself.

Since speaking does no good, Bella shuts up and waits for her chance to escape. Unless,
Mr. Plugg pushes the situation again. Then the Queen will be choosing a pirate, it will be battle to the death. She is on her last nerve.

Now here was work more to Jaakali's liking. Knot work kept the body lean and the mind sharp. Moving the ropes around also gave him an excuse to explore more of the ship.

[sblock=OOC]
Day 2 day action=sneak (foredeck)/ night action =sleep
Day 3 action=sneak (poopdeck)/ night action= gamble
day 4 action= sneak (bilges)/night actin= gamble
[/sblock]