D&D 5E Spell & Crossbones

[Quickleaf]

Verguenzas (Arawak family)

Once the traps are hauled in, amidst good-natured and slightly ribald ribbing of Etienne's fur hat, there is an impressive score of wriggling red and grey crawdads. A confluence of river water and salt water has made ideal living conditions for the skittering little creatures. A few frogs and fish have also been trapped. When Luca discovers a small sea turtle stuck in one of the traps, he is quick to free the animal and reverently sets it back in the sea. Etienne recalls that the Arawaks avoid eating snakes and sea turtles for spiritual reasons.

He speaks in quick complicated Arawak to the younger boys - Etienne is unable to follow what he's saying but he does catch the word piaiman (medicine man) - and the young boys scurry inside.

Once they've secured the morning's catch in a small constructed weir by the side of the house, Luca nods to a jumble of hammocks in the shade. Cutting open a soursop fruit, Luca hands half to Etienne. "Only time folks from Nassau come out this way is when they want one of my grandpa's cures," he sucks on the soursop as he half-reclines in a hammock. As Etienne makes himself comfortable, he notices a half-finished traditional Arawak canoe resting over felled trees. "You know your way around our fishing traps, fur hat, better than the fish do anyway!" He laughs softly, in no hurry to get down to business.

 

[peterka99]

OOC: The canoe seems faster that my rabaska ? How long would it take to finish it ? What is the craft skill check to build it ?

Etienne takes a short rest in the hammock. He knows the ways of trade in these waters. He have to behave as a long time accointance, almost part of the family. He firsts inquires about the Cacique's health, asking questions about their ancestors, the ongoing of their life and answers their questions about his own.

"You said your Grandfather is a medicine man. I have nightmares caused by a dreamcatcher. I'm afraid it is already overloaded with bad spirits. Do you think your grandfather may help ?".

 

[Quickleaf]

OOC: The Arawak canoe is fashioned from a burned out hull of a large tree, so its a bit larger than your rabaska, probably more for ~20 men than 10 men like the rabaska. The rabaska would probably be faster. The Arawak canoe, however, has a shallower draught that the rabaska making it better for shallow waters which are common in the Caribbean. It has about 10 full days of work into it - during which the inside of the tree was burned, scraped, and shaped - but it requires another 10 full days of crafting. In 5e there is no Craft check, you just need to spend the time and have the proficiency with the corresponding tools.

Luca shares bits and pieces about the family, though it's clear there are some things he is ashamed of from the time when the Spaniards occupied New Providence Island because he grows circumspect at certain questions. He scrunches up his thick black brows the mention of the dreamcatcher, being unfamiliar with the word, "Dreamcatcher? Yes, my grandfather is piaiman. He does know things about healing dreams and nightmares. I once had dreams of a giant blue spider for ten days straight. Grandfather said it was the Angry Spider God, but that he was no match for grandfather's tea. Maybe he could help you. He's busy tending to a patient, but I'll go in and check when he's done." After a moment, the youth nods to Etienne's canoe. "You make your canoe? I've never seen one like that. Why's the nose and butt so high?"

 

[peterka99]

"You make your canoe? I've never seen one like that. Why's the nose and butt so high?"

"My canoe is faster and more stable that way; its main flaw compared to yours is its large draught. I mastered a technique to avoid grounding. It might be useful to you guys in these shallow waters. I can show you later." He pockets out his trade calumet. "This is a Plains' children custom. I need to meet your cacique council when it suits you well. Maybe I can see your grand-father there ?"

 

[Queenie]

A moment later, however, the cutting figure of Katerina de la Corazon captured Kid's attention. The boy cast an odd look at the caramel-skinned man, then took off at a run. He made for the Spanish lady and her Afro-Caribbean compatriot.

"Kat! Kat! Cap'n Kat!" Kid flung himself at Katerina, hugging her tightly about the waist. His grasp was full of boyish delight, but something of the man also lurked within Kid's clasping of her waist. Her bosom was tightly corseted to display her figure, after all, and Kid had grown six inches taller since the last she'd seen of him aboard her father's sailing vessel. By his stench, however, Kid hadn't given up the hooch, nor had he acquired an interest in regular bathing.

Kid released Katerina from his embrace. Excitement danced wildly in his eyes. "Come quick, m'lady? I gots someone ye might like ter be treatin' wit'. Down at the Blackreef."[/section]

Katerina jumped at the sudden assault but the accompanying crushing and smell put her immediately at ease.

She grinned and tussled the dark hair of the boy embracing her. "Hola Niño," she said in her thick accent. "It has been some time!" She stepped back and looked the boy over. "Si, some time, you have grown mi amigo."

She chuckled, "What trouble have you gotten us into now?" Her voice was merry, it was obvious she had a soft spot for this string bean of a boy. Still, her eyes showed something was amiss. "Tell me about your troubles."

She paused and waited, then realized they were not alone. "Oh, si, this is my amigo Nia, it is safe to speak in front of her."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Kid glanced at Nia, then looked again and stammered. "P-p-pleasure." A hand shot out in greeting. "You're pretty." Kid shook his head, errant curly locks spraying. He drug his eyes away from Nia, and re-focused on Katerina. "Got some monkeys an' a Mary Sue waitin' at the tavern. An' someboddie wot wants ter treat wit' you, m'lady. If ye'll come? Kid was purposely cryptic with his words, but he locked eyes with Katerina and raised an eyebrow for extra effect. He shifted his weight from his right leg to his left, leaning in the direction of the byway that would take the three of them to the Blackreef.[/section]
[sblock=Thieves' Cant]I think Katerina knows Thieves' Cant? If so, Kid used slang for cannons and a gun. His intonation of the word "monkeys" is designed to raise Katerina's curiosity; they aren't just any cannons, apparently. Kid thinks they're something special, and the lilt of his tone is intended to convey that belief to Katerina. The raised eyebrow could have been taken by someone unfamiliar with the Cant to be a challenge to Katerina's station, but she knew better. The eyebrow was Kid's message to her that he had something good, something he thought she'd very much like to see, but that the item was hot and best left unsaid in a public byway. When Kid shifted his weight to his left leg, he tried to impress upon her the urgency of his request that she come to the Blackreef now. Time was short.[/sblock]

 

[Quickleaf]

The Verguenzas (Arawak family)

Luca nods cautiously to Etienne's words then raises his head off the hammock to look curiously at the calumet pipe. "Council? Maybe back in the day. But now there's only one cacique left. He's out on the boats, but should come in soon for midday meal." As he speaks, a young woman and her boy depart the old green house, nodding thankfully to a shape in the doorway before setting onto the road up the valley. Raises his brows, Luca rolls out of the hammock. "Come on, fur hat. Grandfather is done with his patient. Komiauk! Komiauk!" He calls out as he approaches the house with the stranger, waving to his grandfather.

The man in the doorway is neither bent with age, nor shriveled by time, nor is he missing teeth or losing his hair. Despite being in his elder years, his body remains strong and his light brown eyes almost shine against the backdrop of clear white eyes. He speaks in perfect English as he wipes his hands in a cloth smelling of alcohol, "What is it Luca? Ah, fur hat, I knew it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed. The halaso (sea turtle) told me you were coming." Standing aside to let Etienne in, he gestures impatiently to Luca, "Keep an eye out when the cacique lands and let me know at once. Come in, come in."

While on the exterior the house seems like many family homes in Nassau, there are a distinct lack of chairs, with cushions on the floor for seating, and a central stone hearth rather than one placed on the side. Dozens of totems hang from the walls, along with a prominent crucifix, and a table with several physician's tools, English medical texts, and alembics that are quite surprising to see in such an environment. Pouring an earthen cup of tea smelling of mint and mushrooms, Komiauk the piaiman hands it to Etienne and then lights a ceremonial bundle of dried tobacco. Waving it down Etienne's front and back, he performs a ritual cleansing before setting the tobacco down in an earthen vessel to smolder. "Why have you come, fur hat?"

 

[peterka99]

He musters his courage to remain relax and not to turn pale when talking about the dread white thing haunting him for months. Then he explains why he came to the village:

"I was given a dreamcatcher that seems very potent, but i'm afraid it is already overload with bad spirits.
A shaman from the Illinois gave it to me months ago. I thought it was out of gratitude, because I helped his son.

Now I'm wondering if it was not a Greeks' gift. Maybe he wanted to teach me the valor of honesty from using unnatural ways to help his son winning the wrestling joust. I guess he expected his son struggles to be a lesson of life, and I despoiled him of this. I swear I would never again require spirits help to influence a contest. I learned my lesson.

Well, the shaman was kind of seer, because he cryptically direct me here. I'm not sure, but I think this great pelt may help me in my quest. I'm thrill-seeking, surely frantically impulsive when it comes to supernatural. I think some of my own fears are imbued in this skin. Can you heal my soul as well as cleansing this fur of all its nightmares ? I have intuition it may help me remove a curse, and maybe help me fulfill my destiny.

I have brought you people wares of choice as a payment. A civilized occultist also need a pearl, a fair one, thumb-size. I'm no specialist but it might be a way to know more about this item."

Etienne looks amazed by the science knowledge shown in this room. Hardly expected from a remote medicine man.

"You seems so... learned. I'm sure you can do more to help me than that Frenchman!"

 

[Kobold Stew]

In the Captain's Room at the tavern, Barrington absentmindedly checks for his watch, again to discover it missing. He can tell by the lengths of shadows that it's been an hour or so since Kid left. Prydwen must have appeared three or four times in that hour, and while she is a welcome distraction, Barrington's thoughts for the moments are elsewhere. Outside, at one point, he thought he heard the voice of the bo'sun from the Winchelsea ordering a drink, but he may have been imagining it.

As he continues to wait, he cleans and reloads his pistol, which he neglected to do after the battle the previous night.

 

[Shayuri]

Nia gives the kid a curt nod and eyes his hand for a moment before shaking it.

"You know dis person, Captain?" she asks, letting her blank silver eyes settle on the Kid's.