D&D 5E Spell & Crossbones

[peterka99]

The Spaniard seems to speak english. Etienne is suspicious of the pirate, who can be Blackbeard's or Wallace' spy. Still in the priest role, he let Blaise talk to the sailors and join the pirate.

"My son, we are here to confess those poor souls, damned for eternity for their crimes. Who are you ? Do you want to confess your sins before dying ?"

OOC: I'll check the man for lupine features. Etienne fighted some of Wallace's men with Kid and would remember. Also can verify if the pirate is really imprisonned beyond bars or faking.

 

[Shayuri]

Nia, meanwhile, left the tavern and ducked into an alley where the gloom would shield her from prying eyes. A moment later a black cat slipped back out, yellow eyes flashing momentarily in the lamplight as she turned to lope down the street. Playing the stray, dodging back from anyone who got too close and curiously prying into hidey-holes, Nia went a'hunting. She knew most of Wallace's officers by face, she thought...and crew might be overheard talking about him to identify themselves. And of course, his ship's anchorage shouldn't be hard to find come to that...though getting to it as a cat might be trickier depending on the specifics.

Perhaps she could learn something of what they were doing to pass the time.

 

[Quickleaf]

The Spaniard seems to speak english. Etienne is suspicious of the pirate, who can be Blackbeard's or Wallace' spy. Still in the priest role, he let Blaise talk to the sailors and join the pirate.

"My son, we are here to confess those poor souls, damned for eternity for their crimes. Who are you ? Do you want to confess your sins before dying ?"

OOC: I'll check the man for lupine features. Etienne fighted some of Wallace's men with Kid and would remember. Also can verify if the pirate is really imprisonned beyond bars or faking.

[SECTION]Letting weary brown eyes rise from the shadows of his cell, the weathered pirate looked the two priest up and down for a moment before settling his hat back over his face to resume resting. "Edbert Luther. The Marooner," he adds with sardonic emphasis. "I confess that if you've brought some sacramental wine, I may be persuaded to divulge my sins. But confess those Spaniards all you like." His gruff declaration is followed by a murmur of laughter.[/SECTION]

 

[Quickleaf]

Nia, meanwhile, left the tavern and ducked into an alley where the gloom would shield her from prying eyes. A moment later a black cat slipped back out, yellow eyes flashing momentarily in the lamplight as she turned to lope down the street. Playing the stray, dodging back from anyone who got too close and curiously prying into hidey-holes, Nia went a'hunting. She knew most of Wallace's officers by face, she thought...and crew might be overheard talking about him to identify themselves. And of course, his ship's anchorage shouldn't be hard to find come to that...though getting to it as a cat might be trickier depending on the specifics.

Perhaps she could learn something of what they were doing to pass the time.

Even though it is the dead of night, there are still a trickle of three deckhands loading supplies onto The Winchelsea. The men move slower, having been worked to the bone by the relentless Captain Wallace, and despite their grumblings about the long hours being asked of them, they roll barrels aboard the privateering ship. Gunpowder. Salt fish. Limes. From the way the ship rests heavy in the water, it is well stocked. A pair of sharp-eyed men dressed in heavy leather coats and armed with sabers, bayoneted muskets, and pistols keep watch of the ramp onto The Winchelsea's deck; by their bearing they seem to be former military officers, perhaps Royal Marines in another life.

A few shadows intermittently flit about aboard the deck, as if a pair of men were making rounds patrolling the deck, and down below where the captain's cabin should be the flame of a candle is briefly interrupted by a silhouette passing in front of it, as if in intent concentration on a book, before the flame becomes visible once more and the silhouette vanishes.

No one seems to pay much attention to the roaming black cat... save for Kid, who is sitting on the edge of the deck's railing, swinging his feet and smoking a banana leaf. He whistles softly toward Nia the cat as if he has something in his hands, making a clicking sound with his tongue.

 

[Matthan]

Blaise offers a wide smile, “I would not disparage the salvation that we come to offer you so quickly if I were you, Nicolás. That is your name, isn’t it? Nicolás de Atrejo of the Spanish Navy. My friend and I have gone to considerable lengths to have this conversation with you. Salvation is such an important matter. I hope that you will hear us out.”

His smile fades into seriousness as he continues, “I would prefer us not to dance around each other, however. Time is short. Your life and the lives of your crew hang in the balance. The governor will not be coming. He would not dare to cross Blackbeard. I alone can give you your honor and your life, but neither are free.”

“Here are my terms.” Blaise reaches up the sleeve of his frock and produces the sealed letter. “I met a woman earlier tonight. Beautiful, intelligent, and almost certainly in service to your crown. She gave me this letter to give to you and the materials for you to send a response back. You have made an oath of service to your country. I can help you fulfill it and face the morning with honor. However, the sea has grown dangerous of late and I have heard news of your navy forming a new ministry. I need to know everything you know about it. Tell me, and the letter is yours along with my word to deliver your response.”

Blaise slips the letter back into his sleeve as he continues, “Your life is a more difficult matter. I need to know about this new ministry forming. You are a sailor. You can appreciate the need to know which way the winds are blowing at sea. Once you share that with me, your freedom is up for negotiation. Word is that you and your men attacked Wallace after surrendering to him. Please, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe that’s true or at least the full story. Rumor is that you managed to cross Blackbeard somehow and he’s arranged to have you hang for the insult. I have business with the man and need as much insight into him as you can give me. He’s ordered your death so there is certainly no love for him in your heart. Tell me what I need to know and we can work on saving your life.”

OOC: I can roll for this if you’d like. I don’t know if it would be persuasion or deception. The vast majority is persuasion. But, his assertion that Sophie is actually serving the Spanish (and not the French as she presented) is definitely a lie or at least, Blaise isn’t sure of it. Blaise has no idea who she’s serving, but he doesn’t fully believe the story. He believes that there has to be something in the letter to compel the Spaniards to give her what she wants and, to him, the most logical solution is that she’s actually serving Spain. It doesn’t add up all the way for him. If she was serving Spain, why would she need to know about the new ministry? So Blaise isn’t sure, but he’s been paid well and wants to convince these guys to talk so he took this approach.

 

[peterka99]

Etienne starts praying loudly to cover the conversation, aware of any attempt to overhear Blaise and the Spaniard.

 

[Queenie]

Jacques' face contorts in confusion. "Monkey's? A kiss? What strange things boys concern themselves with." he thought. He placed a hand on Kat's shoulder as he turned to head toward the kitchen. He held up his index finger signaling 'one moment please.' Passing through the kitchen he and into the storage area he finds the worst fruit he possibly can, barely edible by human standards and returns to the boys. He nods to Kat as he returns with the fruit. "We should leave lest I have to whisper into children's ears now." he whisperes jokingly into her ear.

Kat laughed in return at Jacques' comment and smirked at him. "Aye, let'sh be off."

"Why don't you boys show us where this ribbon is, and if the fruit doesn't work, I have another idea." She gave Bella a scratch behind her ear as they walked out, more interested in seeing how these boys worked than anything else.

 

[Fenris]

"zzzzrt! *smack-smack* whu?" says Zef as he finally wakes up on the floor. He stands up and staggers after Kat as he sees her heading out the door.

 

[Quickleaf]

Blaise offers a wide smile, “I would not disparage the salvation that we come to offer you so quickly if I were you, Nicolás. That is your name, isn’t it? Nicolás de Atrejo of the Spanish Navy. My friend and I have gone to considerable lengths to have this conversation with you. Salvation is such an important matter. I hope that you will hear us out.”

His smile fades into seriousness as he continues, “I would prefer us not to dance around each other, however. Time is short. Your life and the lives of your crew hang in the balance. The governor will not be coming. He would not dare to cross Blackbeard. I alone can give you your honor and your life, but neither are free.”

“Here are my terms.” Blaise reaches up the sleeve of his frock and produces the sealed letter. “I met a woman earlier tonight. Beautiful, intelligent, and almost certainly in service to your crown. She gave me this letter to give to you and the materials for you to send a response back. You have made an oath of service to your country. I can help you fulfill it and face the morning with honor. However, the sea has grown dangerous of late and I have heard news of your navy forming a new ministry. I need to know everything you know about it. Tell me, and the letter is yours along with my word to deliver your response.”

Blaise slips the letter back into his sleeve as he continues, “Your life is a more difficult matter. I need to know about this new ministry forming. You are a sailor. You can appreciate the need to know which way the winds are blowing at sea. Once you share that with me, your freedom is up for negotiation. Word is that you and your men attacked Wallace after surrendering to him. Please, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe that’s true or at least the full story. Rumor is that you managed to cross Blackbeard somehow and he’s arranged to have you hang for the insult. I have business with the man and need as much insight into him as you can give me. He’s ordered your death so there is certainly no love for him in your heart. Tell me what I need to know and we can work on saving your life.”

OOC: I can roll for this if you’d like. I don’t know if it would be persuasion or deception. The vast majority is persuasion. But, his assertion that Sophie is actually serving the Spanish (and not the French as she presented) is definitely a lie or at least, Blaise isn’t sure of it. Blaise has no idea who she’s serving, but he doesn’t fully believe the story. He believes that there has to be something in the letter to compel the Spaniards to give her what she wants and, to him, the most logical solution is that she’s actually serving Spain. It doesn’t add up all the way for him. If she was serving Spain, why would she need to know about the new ministry? So Blaise isn’t sure, but he’s been paid well and wants to convince these guys to talk so he took this approach.

Though beaten, disheveled, and sleepless, the long black-haired Spaniard maintains an unlikely air of dignity within the second-floor confines of the octagonal prison. His eyes narrow at mention of his name, leaning forward in the dim light of the cell he shares with his nine fellow Spanish navymen. He whispers for the others to be quiet as he listens keenly to Blaise’s tale of Sophie Trémiere – who Blaise carefully avoids mentioning by name – and the offer on the table.

”You are Frenchmen?” He inquires hesitantly of Blaise and Etienne in the stolen priestly vestments. ”Your countrymen have been allies to the House of Bourbon. You know as well as I that the English cannot be trusted in Nassau anymore than they could in the past,” he whispers through the bars in a thick Spanish accent elongating his S’s. “Normally I’d condemn a man feigning priesthood, but there are far greater sacrileges at work…” A stray sound from downstairs, perhaps a seagull pecking at a window, causes Nicolás de Atrejo to fall silent before continuing.

”Read Wallace,” the Spaniard sneers, ”is the sort of man that could only flourish in times like these. He attacked our vessel, Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, and upon taking it brought every man to the deck where he insisted we were hiding a map to La Gloriosa del Mar. A myth! Though we surrendered ourselves to the mercy of that privateer, he insisted that one of our slaves with a tattoo bearing resemblance to a map have the skin from his back flayed off. Right there before our eyes. We could not abide such barbarism, and so the captain rallied the men to fight back. Wallace killed him and all who ‘broke terms.’” Shaking his tangled long black hair, Nicolás speaks woefully, ”He may wear a civil mask and powdered face, but do not trust Wallace. He is a diablo del mar (devil of the sea).”

Pausing, Nicolás deliberates on his present circumstances, interlacing his fingers as his arms rest heavily on his knees, ”Blackbeard erroneously believes we have information on La Gloriosa. Would that damned ship never escaped Cartagena, for all the trouble it has caused me and my men!”

Interjecting hesitantly in broken English, one of the Spanish navy men speaks in a raspy voice, ”Perdóname teniente (excuse me lieutenant), but you said a beautiful woman…? An intelligent woman? Headstrong and eloquent? Charming like…the moon over the sea? Was it such a woman as this?” Even as he inquires, the other men seem to have gone pale as ghosts, whispering among one another about La Mosca Española (The Spanish Fly).

GM: No need for any checks yet – you made a convincing argument, they're in a tight spot, and your PCs' nationalities work in your favor for initial reaction. Though if you do want to make an Insight check about what Nicolás is sharing, just let me know what you're trying to discern, and we can play it from there.

 

[Quickleaf]

Etienne starts praying loudly to cover the conversation, aware of any attempt to overhear Blaise and the Spaniard.

GM: Does Etienne speak Latin or Spanish?