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S'mon

Legend
StalkingBlue said:
Er... to complexify further: we are the lawyery ones. Our PCs ain't.

Carlota: "Justice?! You just dare come near me with a bloody Justice!" ...

Yeah, when Johnny Skaflock sees Justice approaching, he skips town fast! :p
 

S'mon

Legend
FWIW, here's Johhny:

Johnathan 'Jonnie' Skaflock

Rogue-1, CN, AC 14 hp 8
ST 12 DE 18 CO 14 IN 14 WI 8 CH 8
Save Ref +6 Will -1 Fort +2
Feats: MWP Greatsword, Improved Initiative, XWP - Firearms (bonus), Combat Reflexes (Can't use Combat Expertise w firearms, right?)
SA: Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding
Skills: Forgery +4 Sleight of Hand +6 Kno (Streetwise) +6 Tumble +8 Use Rope +5 Swim +5 Spot +3 Search +6 Open Lock +8 Move Silently +8 Listen +3 Hide +8 Disable Device +5 Gather Info +3 Escape Artist +5 Appraise +3
Age 25, C56 brand on back of left hand. Foxlike/Ratlike appearance, 5'8", thin, stringy brown hair, unshaven, beady-eyed, filthy bandana & jerkin. A greedy lecherous drunkard. Nice blue eyes though!
Background: Criminal, from Kingsport, a long way from Lucca & the city of Tarantelle. Spent 2 years in jail in Kingsport for embezzlement. Released 2 years ago, he drifted through the Isles, working as a thief, transporter-of-indentured-servants ("slaver" is such an ugly word), and general lowlife, recently winding up in Tarantelle.
Contact Points: 3
XP: 0
GP: 12
Powder & shot: 50 Dagger (conceled in jerkin) +1/d4+1, manacles, 50' hemp rope, concealed pistol (right boot) ATT +4/2d4, reload 2r, 4 pistols (belt & bandoleer), ATT +4/2d6 reload 2r, heavy Claymore greatsword (over back) ATT +1/2d6+1.
In battle Jonny much prefers to sneak up and backshoot his opponent, or fell them with a well-aimed sword-swipe before they know he's around.

"I ain't cowardly... Just sensible."

The game session:

STORY HOUR
Shortly after leaving Red Jack's tavern in Tarantelle on the Isle of Lucca, Johhny noticed somebody following him. Slipping into an alleyway he accosted the girl tailing him, Marie - one of Jack's people, who offered him 500gp(!) to escort a girl from Tarantelle to faraway Merit. Negotiations followed; Marie returned with some cash up front. 100gp richer and very well-satisfied, Johnny headed for the docks to rendezvous with the girl, Tiress. The arrangement was to take her aboard the Cauldron under Captain Shaugnessy. It all seemed routine.

Reaching the docks, Johnny saw a lithe dark-skinned wench with pistol and rapier at her belt, approaching down the street. Her piratical look was not what Johnny had expected, but he shrugged equitably.

"Tiress?"

The girl cast him a suspicious look, and ducked into one of Tarantelle's many alleyways. Not Tiress, then. Looking further down the dockside, Johnny saw a young maid in boy's clothing sitting on a low wall, two burly sailor-types flanking her. She did not seem happy.

Johnny approached, drawing a pistol.

"Tiress?"

This was when things went badly wrong. The ruffians seemed untimidated by Johnny. One grabbed the girl, muffling her mouth, and started to make off. Johhny raised the pistol, demanding they hand her over. The first sailor was yelling at the other to deal with Skaflock! The ruffian advanced menacingly. Coolly, Johnny aimed and fired...

*BANG*

Johhny looked on in surprise as the ball whistled over his assailant's shoulder.

Hurriedly he dropped his first pistol, clattering on the cobbles, drew another.

*BANG*

The shot ricocheted off the cobbles several yards away. As Johny stepped back, drawing a third pistol, the ruffian decided to cease acting as a target dummy and lunged with a broad -bladed dagger, stabbing Johhny injuriously in the flank. Johhny backpeddled desperately, at last drawing his claymore and waving it in the foe's direction.

*BANG*

Johhny's third round nicked the man's cheek. Fortunately he was clearly not of stern stuff, and turned to flee after his kidnapper friend.

Johhny, wounded but triumphant, drew a fourth pistol and gave chase, his oversized sword flapping wildly in the night air. His 500gp payoff was disappearing into the distance. Desperate times required desperate measures.

"Fifty gold to the man who saves my true love!"

That always worked - suddenly the dark-skinned pirate wench, nowhere in sight a moment earlier, dashed past him, weapons at the ready.
Ahead, he saw the first man carrying Tiress aboard a ship moored at anchor. The second man followed behind. Johnny had his last large-bore pistol drawn now. With a clear shot, Johhny grinned and took his time.

*BANG*

This bullet took the sailor full in the back. He twisted and fell. Johhny was careful to kick the corpse viciously as he ran on, the dark pirate woman now well ahead. She sprinted up the gangway, eager for her fifty gold...

Johnny paused. The ship's name was engraved on the side.

"The Cauldron."

The very ship onto which Johnny was supposed to escort the girl.

Cursing Red Jack to eternal damnation - but sotto voce - Johnny gathered his pistols from the dockside, then cautiously approached. At the top of the gangway, the dark pirate woman appeared, her pistol pressed into the gut of a tall, red-bearded fellow with an air of command. There were dark shapes behind her - one of them with Tiress over his shoulder, chlorophormed into unconsciousness. The dark woman was conversing intently with her prisoner, the big redhead guy making placatory remarks.

Johnny cleared his throat.

"Uh... Captain Shaughnessy?"

Red-beard looked down at him.

"Yes?"

"Er... well..."

Johhny started to back away, exchanging a few words with the slaver captain. They were taking this girl to Merit. She was worth five thousand gold. Red Jack had arranged it all. Johnny was welcome aboard...

Johnny looked back at the corpse of the sailor-slaver on the dockside, and decided against the offer.

"No thanks... in fact, I'll just be going now..."

He continued to back away. By now the dark woman, clearly a wench of fiery temper, had realised that things were turning against her. With a yell she pushed Shaugnessy away and pursued Johnny. Shaugnessy and co seemed relieved to let her go.

Johnny just had time to reach the dead slaver's corpse as she approached at a run. The slaver's pouch was light, Five gold. Johhny's wounded side hurt like hell.

As Carlota raced up, Johhny tossed her the pouch.

"There y'go. Sorry about that. Call it quits, eh?"

Carlota's dark face darkened further as she inspected the pouch. She could see Johnny was armed, but badly wounded. His skill at firearms was clearly already a matter of debate.

"Fifty gold. I did as you asked. Forty-five more."

Her accent was thick, exotic. She reminded Johhny of the great mountain cats that prowled the isles of the far south. She was annoyed.

"Hey... I said fifty for the girl. Where's the girl?"

"Fifty gold."

Johnny sighed.

"How about another twenty?"

"Fifty."

Johny sighed deeper. If he could shoot fast, he _might_ just drop her in one... the odds seemed against it, though.

"Thirty. Plus the five you have."

Johhny tensed, ready to bring up a flintlock and fire, plug a hole through that pretty head... or more likely find himself bleeding out on these dirty cobbles that stank of fish.

A moment passed.

Carlota grimaced, but nodded.

"Thirty."

Johnny counted out the money carefully, then rose, his own pouch much lighter. It swiftly disappeared into the female pirate's pouch. With a look that Johhnny fancied said

"Although I am a fierce woman of the south, proud and untamed, I find myself strangely attracted to you..."

She turned and disappeared into the night. Johny turned and started to hurry down the quayside, looking for a ship that seemed ready to cast off come the dawn tide. He'd made seventy gold this night, acquired a nasty cut, and used four rounds of ball & powder. He reckoned he was slightly ahead.

However, Red Jack might see it differently...

Definitely time to get the Hell out of Tarantelle.
 

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