D&D 5E Spell & Crossbones

[fireinthedust]

ooc: Varlok's black spot is on his left arm, which is covered by his coat, with long sleeves and a fingerless-glove over his hand.

IC:

Varlok sees the rowdy mercenaries speaking ill to the Captain, and gives Nia a nod and leans in to whisper. Follow the watcher while I draw attention. Good work.

He nonchalantly rolls up his sleeve and drops himself into the seat opposite the Latvian mercenary. He gives a shake of his head and wobbles back and forth, as if tipsy, and bangs down his arm on the table before shouting to the entire common room.

I knew this tavern served ale to the dregs, but I didn't know that meant customers! Hah! I've never seen such ugly bastards in my life, nice to meet you, sir! What's this about arm wrestling? Is it for money? I hope you don't mind paying my bar tab to that nice lady over there when I beat you and your friends.

He readies his elbow, holds his arm up, and with a dopey look he waves his hand in the general direction of the mercenaries.

Whosh first?

 

[Kobold Stew]

Barrington nods at Polly's forward offer, and pulls a tight-lipped smile. "Your father's right, you know," he says.

He raises his eyebrows at her and stands, leaving the cups and the bottle on the table. He makes his way towards the man in the corner, and as he does so he side-steps past the staggering Varlock. he makes a mental note to see what that's about later: he's won an arm-wrestle or two himself over the years.

 

[Shayuri]

As Varlock steps up to the challenge, Nia drifts closer to Kat's ear and murmurs, "The man watching us works for Captain Read Wallace. He's going to make our Monsieur Barrington an offer, it seems."

She chuckles quietly.

"I hope you are not afraid of a little competition."

 

[Quickleaf]

Varlok sees the rowdy mercenaries speaking ill to the Captain, and gives Nia a nod and leans in to whisper. Follow the watcher while I draw attention. Good work.

OOC: Hey, [MENTION=51930]fireinthedust[/MENTION] first off when you post out of character can you please use OOC tags or SBLOCK tages? If you dont know how to do this, any of us can show you. More importantly, we have another issue which I've just PMed you about. It has to do with you playing as if your character is hearing things he just can't hear. This is something that can't continue. Before you reply further in-game, I'm going to ask you to reply to my PM so we can get to the bottom of this, and figure out what the issue is. Thanks. Resolved!

 

[Quickleaf]

The Latvian mercenaries size up Doctor Varlok as he takes a seat, murmuring among themselves. There does seem to be something not quite right about the challenger, but then again most of the mercenaries are halfway to pissing drunk, so it might all be in their heads. Gvido Berzins, the bald muscle bound leader of the group, grins toothily. "Nice lady?" He glances over to the two dwarves in the party who Varlok had been sitting with earlier. "You've fallen to low standards, matey, if you're confusing those beards for the other kind!" He spits out the toothpick he'd been swirling in his mouth to a round of chuckles from the gathered Latvians, and drops his elbow to the table and locks right hand to right hand with Doctor Varlok. Somebody whistles and shouts they're insult arm wrestling again, and a few tavern patrons come over to watch the match.

He takes Doctor Varlok's hand in a firm grip and applies pressure, "I'm the first and the last for you. Only tab you're going to be paying is for your fellows when they've got to send in a new challenger after I shatter your wrist into a hundred pieces!"

OOC: Gvido Berzins - Strength (Athletics): 1d20+3=13 Doctor Varlok makes a Strength (Athletics) check if he's starting offensive, or a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check if he starts defensive. Also, read "What is Insult Arm Wrestling?"

[SBLOCK=What is Insult Arm Wrestling?]

OOC: Insult Arm Wrestling During an insult arm-wrestling match you trade clever repartee while arm-wrestling, making a series of rolls against your opponent. Whether you roll as normal, or have advantage/disadvantage, depends on the quality and well-suitedness of your insults to unnerve your opponent and gain the favor of the watching crowd. The best insults build off of something your opponent previously said (such as undermining one of their insults), incorporate wordplay or double entendres, or play off of something about the opponent. Other tricks and spells might be used too, and possibly by watchers (though technically that'd be cheating). Whoever wins more rolls wins the contest.  The insult arm-wrestling match progresses something like this: First, choose whether you're being offensive or defensive. Roll Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics), respectively. A roll determined by your opponent's insult/approach. A roll determined by your insult/approach. Opposed Strength check, doubling your ability modifier (for good or ill). If there's a tie, make an opposed Constitution check to break it.

[/SBLOCK]

*          *          *​

[SBLOCK=Sailor to Barrington]
The sailor in the navy blue cap keeps it pulled almost over his eyes as he sips a whiskey in a darkened section of the tavern lit by a single candle-lamp whose flame runs low. His weathered sunkissed skin, faint stubble, square jaw with a scar on the chin, these give the impression of a hardened sea dog. "Mr. Barrington, hope you enjoyed that sherry. There'll be more where that came from too with the current expedition my Cap'n is planning. My names Kells, boatswain aboard the Winchelsea for nine years running." He tips his cap up so Barrington can get a look at the man's surprisingly light blue eyes, and offers a weathered hand to shake.

"I understand you've had a bit of falling out with that group of scallywags? Forget that lot. Cap'n Wallace is interested in men like you, men who understand that everything and everyone has their place on a ship. Mostly he's looking for divers now," he says gruffly, giving Barrington a knowing look, the only hint of the nature of the English privateer Read Wallace's expedition so far. "But we...lost a gunner recently, and could use a man who knows his way around a powder crew. What say you, Mr. Barrington? Are you ready to sail under the strong arm of Cap'n Wallace?"[/SBLOCK]

 

[Queenie]

Katerina sips her rum, pondering. "Apologies Hugo, I had thought to send you in but apparently the Doctor was in a rush to flex those muscles. I suppose this helps us see his character too. Do not go anywhere, you may yet still be needed."

As Varlock steps up to the challenge, Nia drifts closer to Kat's ear and murmurs, "The man watching us works for Captain Read Wallace. He's going to make our Monsieur Barrington an offer, it seems."

She chuckles quietly.

"I hope you are not afraid of a little competition."

Kat turns her head to Nia and replies equally as quiet, "I am not afraid of competition be it little or great. I don't care what it costs me, I am going to win this race," She pauses in thought, "You mentioned a ship, I am still curious of your offer especially with the threat of competition, expedience will be of utmost importance and it is the largest hurdle we are facing. However, you are already proving yourself to be keen eyed, aware of your surroundings and knowledgeable. And patient. We seem to be lacking some of that around here," she chuckles. "I should ask of your motives but I do not care. Well, not that I do not care but rather it makes no difference here. We all have our own reasons for needing this to happen. So, shall we celebrate your joining the crew?" She raises her voice, looks around at their varied group and this time laughs out loud. "You may come to regret your decision Senorita but I do not think I shall come to regret you." She spits in her palm then reaches her hand out to Nia to shake on it.

 

[Shayuri]

Nia echoes the gesture, spitting and shaking Kat's hand.

"Dere will be trials to gain de ship," she says with a nod. "We will pay for it not in gold, but wit' work and guile. But since work and guile are all de coin we have, it be de only path forward. I will say more when we can post dese men at it, to guard it while we work."

"As for what I want..." Nia looked at the seated men for a long moment, then said, "Dere's a man on that ship, or was. And he knows someting I need to know. I am going to take dat secret from him. Take it, and make it mine."

She smiled a hard little smile at Kat and said with a touch of self-mockery. "I am a pirate after all."

 

[Hannerdyn]

Hugo Van Haan

Hugo had left the 'Captain's Quarter's' and settled in with Old Zef, making small talk and working off a bottle of rum in the process.

The girl who would be captain handled herself well enough; though Hugo for all his flamboyance actually preferred a bit of subtly in a captain. Perhaps, like her father her waters could run deep regardless of what storms raged on the surface. Time would tell.

Insult arm-wrestling was broached as a legitimate game by the Latvians. Never had two pursuits melded so perfectly into a form of entertainment by Hugo's mind, and he winced at not having thought of it sooner. Too much time among the blue-bloods, to be sure.

"Well, let us have a go then!" said Hugo, cup in hand and eyes near-shut from a red-cheeked smile. He indicated a table and chair with a flourish like a circus master. "Who's appetite is whet for an easy win, eh?"

 

[Queenie]

Nia echoes the gesture, spitting and shaking Kat's hand.

"Dere will be trials to gain de ship," she says with a nod. "We will pay for it not in gold, but wit' work and guile. But since work and guile are all de coin we have, it be de only path forward. I will say more when we can post dese men at it, to guard it while we work."

"As for what I want..." Nia looked at the seated men for a long moment, then said, "Dere's a man on that ship, or was. And he knows someting I need to know. I am going to take dat secret from him. Take it, and make it mine."

She smiled a hard little smile at Kat and said with a touch of self-mockery. "I am a pirate after all."

Kat nods solemnly. Nia was stunning, all could see that, but she was also mysterious and had her own secrets as they all did. Kat agreed with her, this was not the place to draw that all out. Kat had asked her what skills she might have to contribute and the answer Nia hinted at were intriguing and a little scary. But Katerina wasn't opposed to using any and all means at her disposal. She would talk more to Nia once they were safely alone.

"What is without trial that is not worth doing, eh?" she laughs. "You are correct though, we must leave this place to talk."

She looks over to Barrington, her smile fades as she grits her teeth. "Oh did he ever get under my skin. Not like I haven't been called selfish before, what pirate worth their salt hasn't?" She rubs her right arm through the wrapping there as she watches Barrington and the sailor's transaction for a moment. "Do you think he was spying on us for Reed? And now he's passing on the information?"

 

[Shayuri]

"No. If he already worked for Wallace, he would have done all he could to stay on your crew...and Wallace's man would not have boddered to ply him wit' expensive drink," Nia replied in a low voice.

"If he takes the offer, he may give dem information...but he does not yet know what he needs to know to hurt us badly. It may even help us if he gives de Captain an angry report of your pigheadedness, and leads dem to believe you lack any sense at all... Having your enemies underestimate you, even a little, gives you a head start in any race."