D&D 5E Spell & Crossbones

[Unsung]

The lantern dims as the last of them filters through the door. It slams shut behind them. Gunner Teague secures the latch, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. "With respect, Cap'n, but a fine time to knock, when the good lord only knows what's behind us," says the old man grimly.

"...I don't see anyone out there," comes a female voice from atop the stairs.

Teague cranes his neck upward. "Lorelei, girl. Be there no unusually silent tree-climbers what have suddenly seen fit as to join forces with yer master?"

"Not that he's told me."

"Indeed. No such luck." Caillou steps out of the back room, holding the lantern in one hand, the pistol in the other. A small figure appears from the shadows at his side. Caillou passes the pistol to him. The kenku speaks in another voice, then a third. "And I'm no one's master. What trouble comes knocking at our door?"

OOC: @Quickleaf I'm not sure what my retainers could see given the darkness, or if you'd want me to make rolls for them. Lorelei would watch from an upstairs window but would keep to cover, peeking through the blinds, trying to avoid making herself an obvious target.

 

[Quickleaf]

OOC: I decided to merge Barrington back into the main of the adventure. Even though there's ambushes (and counter-ambushes!) being planned and what Barrington can perceive the rest of the party cannot, I think it flows better written without SBLOCKS and I also trust you guys not to exploit OOC knowledge.

The dark hues of Barrington's weathered jacket blend in with the dappled jungle surroundings as he leans back into the shadows behind a tree not more than twenty paces from the slender rifleman and his pirate cohort. He has lined up a shot to the slender rifleman, and is confident he has the drop on the pair if he desires it. Oblivious to his presence, the slender rifleman squats on a stump, propping his musket on a fallen log and looking casually over the sight as if he is prepared to wait a long time. The pirate remains standing, propping his musket on a split tree, surreptitiously checking his aim as if he's jittery. When voices come from the house, he opens his mouth, but the slender rifleman gives him a quick, "Shh. Easy, mate. Not yet."

Lorelei, a "gypsy" retainer of Caillou's, moves to the upstairs window, peeking thru the blinds and the jungle bathed in moonlight. There, on the downhill slope, she spots a swaying tree, then follows that down to at least two men moving about, though their mannerisms suggest there are more of their fellows on the slope out of sight. They aren't going to great lengths to hide themselves, simply relying on the natural cover the terrain provides. They seem to be in a holding position. They are men aren't they? There had been nights at the house on the hill where Lorelei had sworn she was seeing spirits cavorting in the trees, so one could never be sure. Then again, spirits usually have little need of bandanas or cutlasses. She slips downstairs to report what she has seen to Caillou and the others.

OOC: Barrington is hidden from the slender rifle and his pirate cohort, and he can gain surprise if he wishes (until the situation changes). [MENTION=6781406]Unsung[/MENTION] For your retainers, I'd like to roll as little as possible, taking a page the DMG with "Automatic Successes." Also, stats-wise I'm treating Lorelei as a Cultist (CR 1/8), Verner as a Kobold (CR 1/8), and Gunner Teague as an Old Salt (CR 1/4), with some proficiencies and languages added.

 

[Unsung]

A pale olive face appears at the top of the stairs, cast half in shadow, half in moonlight. "Two I can see. A few more I can't," says Lorelei. She smooths down the front of her dress demurely.

The kobold Verner threads his way among the crowd around the door, to one of the boarded windows.

Gunner Teague rests a hand like a piece of gnarled driftwood on a pistol. He looks to Captain Katarina. "So we fight our way out?" he asks.

Caillou simply turns his head to one side, fixes one eye on the captain and Nia expectantly.

OOC: @Quickleaf Sounds good! Is Verner able to see anything Lorelei couldn't, with his racial darkvision?

 

[Queenie]

Katerina squints in the darkness to get a glimpse of Caillou, their supposed voodoo spirit master. Is he really a...? But concern for whomever is outside overtakes that thought.

"We'll fight our way out if we have to," she answers Teague while stepping over to the window to peek out, "And who ever that is will be none too happy about it."

She glances back over her shoulder to Teague to look at him critically. "So old man, you know this Caillou too? You seem to be familiar with whatever this situation is. Anyone ELSE want to let me know I'm the only one who doesn't know what is going on here?" She cast an eye over the rest of the group. She knew Old Zef and Hugo since before she was born so it seemed unlikely that something would be going on and they wouldn't tell her.

She steps away from the window and closer to Caillou. "Apologies Senor for bringing trouble to your door. Unfortunately it seems to follow me wherever I go. Of course, occasionally it's me starting it," she chuckles at her own joke.

Old Zef cuts her off in his deep, gruff voice, "Occasionally lass? I tink you be mistaken..."

Kat narrows her green eyes at the old dwarf but then laughs, "Alright, perhaps slightly more than occasionally. ANYWAY, we apologize Senor for bringing the trouble. At this point I imagine you know why we are here, it seems half the world is in on it, including some adversaries right outside your door. My new friend, our mutual friend, Nia, has suggested that you are going to help with our procuring a certain vessel in exchange for passage on the ship. May I ask where you are headed or are you just searching for La Gloriosa like the rest of us knaves? And, I am just going to be forward and wonder how it is that you think you can rid that ship of its er, bad mojo let's call it?" She gazes at the tall (he seems tall, is he? lol) exotic creature with a long beak and claws for hands and wonders what he looks like under the robes while she waits for him to answer her questions.

 

[Quickleaf]

OOC: No, small Verner cannot see anything else from the downstairs window. To help you picture the scene: House is on a somewhat flat area of a jungle hill. Looking out the downstairs window you just see the jungle edge. It's once you get to the upstairs window or roof even that you can have a better view downslope. [MENTION=6777934]Maldavos[/MENTION] [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] Haven't heard from you guys in a bit. Just the usual end of the year / holiday rush, I hope.

 

[Quickleaf]

As you prepare yourselves for a possible clash of arms, sounds become heightened: the squeak of the decaying floorboards, the wind rattling the trees, and the soft cooing of tropical birds that abruptly stops. You detect movement from the jungle and then spot a torch emerging from the darkness. A fierce looking barrel-chested corsair festooned with faded mariner's tattoos emerges from the jungle, torch in hand, looking about the clearing before walking toward the ramshackle house with a cocksure stride.

Barrington, from his hidden position, watches the slender rifleman come to full attention, leaning down to look thru his musket's sight.

The corsair stops one hundred paces from the house, just outside of pistol shot range. He speaks in a loud gravely voice. "I've a dozen men to your handful, and you've no way out. You did a fine job leading us here Steeleyes. Let me introduce myself... My name's D'avard." He pauses as if he expects to be recognized. "I've come to make...a deal." D'avard glances over his shoulder at his cohorts in the jungle, a predatory look in his eye when he gazes back toward the house. Is that coarse laughter coming from behind him or just wind in the leaves? "Give us the bird. In exchange I can assure your safety... and... I'll offer you what your rival Read Wallace doesn't want you to know. About the treasure ship you're seeking... So, have we a deal?"

OOC: Anyone can make a DC 15 History check to recognize D'avard by reputation and recall a bit about him.

[SBLOCK=Katerina]For a moment, Katerina's hearing dims and she feels as if the wind itself was speaking to her. Then du Tourbillon's voice crisply speaks as if behind her. "Del Corazón, you and your officers are in danger. Their leader is more than he seems. Normal weapons will not serve you. Find me soon." His voice seems suddenly pulled away on the wind as the lantern flickers.
[/SBLOCK]

OOC: This is a sending spell thru which du Tourbillon is using his Portents divination ability, though Katerina might not realize what exactly is happening. Her reply, up to 25 words, will be heard by du Tourbillon. If she follows du Tourbillon's advice (or directs another to do so), she (or they) may replace one attack roll with a '15'.

 

[Unsung]

"La Gloriosa..." As Katarina speaks the words, they seem to echo through the cold night air of the abandoned house.

If the Tengu King is imposing, it is not his size, but the aura of shadows and the oily rags he wears, the strange, inhuman face. He might be the captain's height, no taller, were he to stand up straight, but he remains hunched, knees bent in readiness.

D'avard speaks before the King has time to answer. As the man delivers his ultimatum, however, a glitter comes in the crow's eyes. What passes for a bird's lips, the corners of his cheeks, pull into what might be a smile.

Caillou executes a graceful bow, one that would not look out of place in the court of Versailles. It seems a parody, coming from the bizarre creature before the captain now. Voices, like ghosts, seem to speak on his behalf. The long beak scarcely seems to move. "Captain. You may wish to consider your next move...carefully," he entreats. It is not a threat. Their tone is reasonable, faintly amused, even. "You could lose considerably more allies than you stand to gain, were you to side with this, this--" the susurrus of voices pauses briefly, and the next to speak is a pitch-perfect imitation of the man himself, "D'avard.

Caillou nods to the door. "Does that charlatan claim to speak with the dead? Or for them, perhaps? Can he bring them peace, bring them rest, these dark dreams that nightly plague us? Under a Curse, aye, so the Coral Curse do be. If the spirits are not friendly, at least they abide by their promises. More than can be said of the living."

The kenku leaves it at that, waiting for Katarina to answer.

OOC: I haven't been able to sign up for an Invisible Castle account so far. Any alternatives out there? I'd like to make a roll for this History check on D'avard. Would I receive any advantage based on him clearly knowing who I am? Would I at least have a clue as to who might have sent him at this time?

 

[Quickleaf]

OOC: I have been using Invisible Castle without an account. I just go to the website, click Roll Dice, then copy the BBCODE output and paste it in the thread. Should work for you. However, If that doesn't work you can use [ ROLL ] [ /ROLL ] tags here on ENWorld, for example: [roll0] I don't think Caillou should have advantage because (a) we said he hasn't been in Nassau long, and (b) Caillou & D'avard don't run in the same circles. But it never hurts to ask

 

[Queenie]

OOC: Before I respond I want to roll the History check but like you mentioned, IC is down. My dice are buried and I'm running around like a mad person, doing all the stuff I should have gotten done today but didn't since it's my birthday. Good excuse when it's happening, bad excuse later when it's midnight and ya gotta write out xmas cards, bake cookies, put away laundry, clean the bathroom, etc. Sometimes it stinks being a grown up! My whole point was, I don't have time to dig for my dice so if you want to roll that for me I'd appreciate it so I can come up with a plan to get us out of this mess! lol Kat's history is +1.

 

[Unsung]

OOC: How exactly do those roll tags work? They're not listed in the site's BB code. Intelligence (History) to see what I know about D'avard: [roll0] It's not necessarily mechanical advantage that I'm after. Rather, this is what I mean: Caillou's been in port for at least a month and is highly concerned about his own freedom. If someone tracked him to the island or if word got out beyond Nassau's voodoo community, it would almost certainly mean someone betrayed his confidence at some point. He lives as a recluse and has no public life to speak of. Word takes time to travel across open water-- unless magic is involved, but that should narrow the pool of possibilities considerably, from what I understand of the relative commonness of magic in the setting. So the list of people who would know of him and be able to identify him as 'the bird' who he wouldn't have seen himself should (theoretically) be pretty short. If Caillou is not aware of D'avard himself, that should narrow down the number of people who could have sold him out. I don't mean for this to come out of nowhere, but I wasn't expecting the hunting party to be after Caillou first and foremost.