Fitzman continually takes measurements, orders minor course corrections, and orders sailors about in seemingly random ways, all the while keeping one eye on the adventurers as they slowly gather on the deck. His expression grows more and more dour as each PC joins the others, suddenly turning beet red and appearing to choke when Bribben appears with the large wolf. After a fit of hacking and coughing, Fitzman slowly shakes his head and stares at the sky, as if asking why he has been given this impossible task.
Once
Rowena,
Norbac,
Gwystyl,
Fealnne,
Bribben, amd
Maelstrom are gathered on the deck, Fitzman summons a tall half-orc named Droab and addresses the group. Even more grease and muck spots his clothes than before, almost as if it his coat was a living thing growing filth as fur.
"Well. King Skotti himself asked me for help in this, and I agreed, given only a seasoned crew. They promised me that the recruits would be sailors, able to help crew a prize ship. I get you. Including a noble with his hawk, for birding, I guess, and a dog."
He sighs, but continues without giving any a chance to interrupt.
"Well, Droab here will run you through your paces. You'll be sailors by the end of the day. I suggest you keep your . . . pets down below. Learn well. Droab will send you to me when you're done."
Fitzman turns on his heel and returns to the rudder. Droab, who favors his orcish ancestry, is heavily-muscled, with calloused hands and split yellowish fingernails. His head is shaved bald, although a course stubble showing a receding hairline now coats it, and a large hoop earing dangles from the tattered remnant of his left ear.
"Don' worry 'bout de Captain," Droab says in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. "He talk rough to scare you. He worried 'bout sailing a ship without Droab. You watch me, and you be all right."
With that, he waits for the wolf and hawk to be stowed, or otherwise cared for (
OOC - please post what you do. Droab is happy with any reasonable accomodation i.e. out of the way), and begins to teach you the rudiments of sailing - things such as how to walk in a pitching see, how to tie knots and lift sail, how to judge when the booms will swing over the deck (and to duck them to avoid being swept into the sea), and a host of other things. By the end of the day, you begin to feel comfortable aboard a ship, and are pretty sure you at least won't strangle yourself in the rigging.
OOC - there's isn't any skill for "sailing" nowadays, but on board ships your PC's don't need to make balance. climb or rope use checks for "normal" nautical things (like climbing rigging, tying down ropes, or even jumping from booms to the deck in combat to kill pirates). Please don't spend a lot of time roleplaying being offended by Fitzman's disparagement of your companions - it's just flavor. And it just occured to me Rowena has a horse. Let's discuss in the OOC.