All aboard: Captain Lazarus.

[Spearmint]

Szmodics and Zoggrot apply themselves earnestly to the task of fixing new rivets and boards in place to stem the ships' leakage. Szmodics making reference to 'liasons' back in St Eustatius. The hull is several inches thick but constructed of over lapping layers of moulded planks rivetted in fashion. The whale seems to have breached the surface right next to the sloop and side swiped it with a tail fin. The main rivets have popped out above and below the waterline but a string of rivets follow the interlocking pattern and these appear looser too and continue you expect to the bilge below. Rico is awakened from his stupor and gives an assessment of the damage sustained. "No telling if she popped her cherries down below either, bets to go have a look. You two, pointing at Szmodics and Zoggrot can follow me." Rico strips off to bare clothes and fills a sack with planks and nails. A lantern is passed to Smzodics and the hatchway to the bilge is opened. A crawlspace is below. The bilge is filled with uneven rocks, placed all the way across the bottom of the ship for ballast. Enough headroom exists for someone to crawl across the top of them like a miner digging an escape tunnel. Some rocks show green tinges of seaweed and mold, others have a coating of fungus and barnacles. A scurrying of small furry rats run from the light, squeaking to hide between the rock crevasses. "Remember Spoonie," whispers a voice in Zoggrots and Szmo's ears. Do you both follow after Rico?

Rexlin appears to have abandoned the order to fix the leaks and has gone on deck to see what the fuss was all about. Over the side you see several whales, differing sizes of huge mammals, humpbacked and barnacle encrusted. For the present they ignore the sloop but you can make out that this pod of whales is moving in the same direction towards the same bearing the ship has. The knock from the whale has momentarily taken the wind out of the sails and she stalls a little, the jib yard arms swinging across deck as the men struggle to regain control. Rexlin give me a hard [4d6] strength check, to assist the dwarf at the helm in returning the rudder on course.

Geoffrey ducks under the swinging arm which could have taken his head off. Perhaps those years of pugilist training under the Marquis has finely paid off and you dodge like a prize fighter. You may join the men in the rigging or assist in getting the helm under control.

Iggway treats her patient. The crossbow wound seems to have healed well and your attention to detail is well received by the injured sailor. He gives his name as Conrad. He is a dark skinned older man, and a veteran sailor. When asked about where he comes form he just mentions "the far south, close to the mainland working 'plantation' work until I got chance to 'jump ship'." Iggway notices several scars of lashings upon him but he just shrugs and says, "I got some on land and most on sea, that's just the way it is." He then asks you about getting something extra from the medic lockers to dull the pain of the wound as he tries to exercise his shoulder. "I want to return to duty soon if I can."

when you decide to use the candles, as a shaman you can roll 3d6 for the number of undead warded.

Pocc returns to the top deck and tries to identify any specific traits of the whales, are they acting dangerously, mating, hunting, migrating? He is alarmed at Rex's suggestion to feats on these majestic beasts of the ocean and more alarmed too to see a number of sailors unfastening the ammunition boxes to the cannons and prepping the cannons to fire at a sharp angle downwards.

Siggard in what seems an interminable time in his mind, runs to the study room and locates the vellum as requested. It is loosely tied with some ribbon and maybe be opened with ease if you want to scan it.

Eiljah and Holden continue their talk with Plighty and the brig guard. "I shouldn't really, the Captain, well if he finds out I have deserted my post well, it'll be my guts for his new garters for sure.". He looks at Plighty and then down the hull to see if anyone is watching. Most folk are active above decks though at the other end of the ship a small collection of folk are battering boards together to stop an apparent leak. "Perhaps if I take a quick look over there, be good to know how things are going on." The guard is still hesitant to leave his post, perhaps Holden can sweet talk him with some bardic charm or an old seadog can put the fear of Poseidon into his boots.

Old Plighty grips the brig cell bars again and whispers into Elijahs ears, "They have a name for it, a name, they come in my dreams and I fear they draw closer. Captain fears it too, seen him hit the bottle, seen his hands shake when he wakes, oh yes he fears them too. Formidophobia, they come for their revenge not his."

[Stirling]

Szmodics

Having been thrust the lantern and ordered below, I guess Szmodics will follow if only to earn a bit of respect among the crew.

"Cor blimey, 2nd night in and we could be sinking already." he says. Szmodics recalls to mind the words of the dwarf about the ship 'pissing water like yer granny'and wonders how seaworthy the ship actually is. "Maybe this guy Fishy should come instead, just in case of a bad leak?" he suggests and then follows the legs and feet of Rico into the tight space. He will take a small hammer and some rivet nails and whatever sections of deckboard are passed to him and he will also tuck a couple of his daggers into his boots just in case something 'bigger and furrier' than a 'small rat' tries to tear a chunk out of him as he crawls on by.

[Inferno]

Elijah Crowthorn ignores the insolent whippersnapper and draws closer to Old Plighty to hear his confession.

"...they come for their revenge not his."

"Whose revenge? Men what sailed with Captain Lazarus and ended up dancing the hangman's jig? Why do they hold the Captain to account?" Eli asks in a reverent hush. "Was it he what made a pact with the Devil?! Answer me true, old salt! Unburden ye black-spotted soul!"

[Bluehorse]

Rexlin " Devil'sScowl " Dupre
ooc: oops... missed that order. Hope this goes well!

Growling angrily at the thought of missing out on the sport of grabbing some whale meat the grizzled man rushes over to the helm to assist and even take over if possible, cursing loudly all the while.

[4d6] = 18

[Zhym]

Zoggrot narrows his eyes, growls something in orcish, and follows Rico.

[Hotgoblin]

Iggway Gwequay cleans her hands with a cloth, then responds to Conrad. Iggy help..sit still... she places her hands on the wound and begins to chant in her native tongue. How Conrad feel?

Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 4

[onlyme]

Geoffrey breathes sigh of relief and quickly jumps in to help secure the arm.

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard cant resist this new thought to take a quick peek at the magic scroll.

You know......just to make sure it's the one that Mr. Perryman has requested.

[thesniperknight1]

As Holden listens intently to Plighty and Eli's converstaion he approaches the guard for a moment he spins him a bit so he isn't facing the other two, "Come on friend, haven't you had enough of babysitting some old man who wouldn't be able to run if you even open his cell? I mean seriously, who would ever know? There are only us 4 here, 2 of us are newbies and untrusted and a prisoner, I'd think you have more sway than the three of us combined and from the ruckus upstairs I doubt anyone is gonna pay any attention to a man strolling along to have let's say......a flask of ale perhaps? Aren't you thirsty friend?Isn't your throat just parched and in need of some of that smooth cold goodness?"

[Spearmint]

Disadvantage persuasion check [3d6] = 11 [3d6] = 6

Holden makes the guard question his duties. Shuffling his feet and looking at Elijah he says, "Well I guess he ain't going to 'hop' it anywhere and I trust you ain't passing him no contraband. I'm not supposed to but I'll get that beer now, shifting ending soon anyway so I can tell Me Simonson I got relived if he spots me. New guards be along soon mind so..." The sailor carries his musket and goes through the next hull, it is busy with folk scurrying about checking for leakage and others are at the bilge hatchway. You figure his movements go unnoticed and you can have a few minutes chatting to old Plight through the brig cell door.

Iggway chants in a native Arawakan dialect, calling on the healing virtue of Yanualuha to bring restoration to the injured sailor. Conrad flushes a little as the young native girl lays soft hands upon him, but he joins in a loud "Amen." at the close. Iggway senses the tendons repairing and the muscles closing over the wound, the piercing scar and scab close up with new skin. Conrad is thankful and says the 'Butcher' and other 'medics' are not so forthcoming. "No pay, no pray. Hardly a vocational choice, making money out of those in misery Miss. I know he has a locker of cash just hoarded up from us fellows, we take the wounds fighting for the ship and he picks and chooses when to bless if it is not an emergency." Conrad, swings his arm in a windmill fashion, checking it is healed up well. "Best find the lad who snatched me from the rigging too, like to keep short accounts on the sloop," and then he leaves.

Siggard takes a look at the scroll and sighs...he has already cast his read magic spell for his studies and the scroll is written in unknown runes. A basic flow chart of scribbled notes indicate that pebbles are being enchanted in some way. Rolling the scroll up, Siggard runs back upstairs and hands it to Mr Perryman who opens it and asks you to hold a large leather pouch of stones he balances in his hands. The pouch contains maybe a dozen or more smooth river pebbles, almost egg shape. Mr Perryman intones in a deep voice, waving his hand over the bag. "It is a little something I created myself." he says, "never sure how strong it is mind, too many variables but we can fire them overboard.".

over the next rounds, Siggard and Mr P can slingshot them overboard. No roll necessary if you just lump them into the sea close by the ship, specific targets need a roll.

Pebbles enchanted with 'Boom' [3d6] = 9

Just then the McGregor's Revenge takes another lurch as a large whale breaches near the keel. A sailor falls from the rigging to land on the deck with a sickening crunch. His legs quiver for a moment and the man's eyes roll back, glazed and empty, a stain of blood trickling from a fractured skull.

"It's the Jonah," one cries, "we took him on board and now the whales are sinking us. Toss him to them afore disaster takes us down."

Several crew mutter loudly in agreement and a couple of rowdy lads determine to go below and drag Old Elijah on deck. Some point to Geoffrey in the rigging, "Young Blood over there bought him in, could have sailed on by but he rowed out to get him. Look Brascoe's paid wiv his blood. Toss him overboard too. 'Bad luck Blood, should be his name not Bullseye, only had bad luck when he's around. First Conrad, now Brascoe. Save the next one and chuck him too!"

Mr Simonsen on deck struggles to order back a few men who rush up the stern castle steps to lay hold of Geoffrey. A small gang of cutthroats grabbing cudgels and a boarding pike are threatening to cast him overboard."Ya him too, he's bad luck. The whales come for the old man, they can have his soul too!"

Pocc using his knowledge skills believes the pod of whales include pregnant females in the birthing season. Smaller calves, still to reach adolescent age are forming their own small peer groups, a sure sign that one generation is moving away and making room for another. The giant pod the sloop is in the middle of is made up of several groups joined together. The ship is buffeted more by chance than design, the whales just breach the surface to grasp air, small comfort to the sailor who fell. Pocc decides to climb the rigging to the crows' nest so that he may follow where the whales swim to and spot calmer waters where no whales are.


Rexlin and the dwarf struggle to get the wheel to the right position having the sloop almost jack-knifed by the wind and whale. Slowly twisting it to rights you feel the second humpback slam underneath the ship, causing her to lurch again This time though the helm is straightened. Rex sees a couple of armed guys run past him trying to mob young Geoffrey.

Zoggrot curses to go below, squeezing all his grim guts in to crawl in the narrowest of places. When the humpback collides with the sloop you are buffeted strongly against the deck above. Bruised only you follow the feet and legs of Rico

The bilge fills the whole last deck, about 20'ft wide and perhaps 80ft long. The ballast rocks less than 2'ft space to crawl over. Half way the sloop has a partition across, separating the fore and aft sections. The partition has a small sliding door which is presently closed. Rico is checking the boards and rivets around the splintered board location and hammers a few new pieces in place.

Smzodics pushes the lantern across the slippery stones. When the ship is buffeted again the lantern struggles in your grasp to not hit a rock. roll a hard 4d6 dex save and a d20 please

You ahead of Zoggrot near to the partition.

[Stirling]

Szmodics wriggles his way through the bilge trying to ignore the little rats that sneak about. When the whale bumps the ship he keeps an extra tight grip on the lantern so the glass doesn't shatter against a ballast rock.

Hard skill role [4d6] = 13

He will assist in pushing boards and rivets in place. How bad is the leaking water? The obvious place to check is also further along the bilge past the partition. Are there any kind of bilge pumps to bail water out?

"We could do with more light in here." he shouts back over his shoulder to the hatchway.

[onlyme]

Geoffrey smiles innocently and asks,

Please good men. Surely you jest. Id be in the water and several others already if we weren't with luck. Lets not rush to tempt the fates.

[thesniperknight1]

Holden goes back to the cell after checking that the guard left and asks Plighty, "What deal did the captain make? and who are 'they'?", he keeps his questions short and concise in hopes of getting a clear answer

[Bluehorse]

Rexlin "Devil's Scowl" Dupre

Seeing the chaos erupting on the deck around Geoffery he grumbles to himself "How many times am I going to grab these runts from the drink today?" Looking sharply to the dwarf, "Hold it!" he leaps forward and closes the distance between him and Geoffery putting himself between the rebelling crew and the young man, tugging his scimatar about half way out from his sash, fixing them with a look. "You have more important things to do than throwing a runt into the drink. I suggest you hop to it." His voice calm but ful of scorn. He seems oddly comfortable standing in front of an armed mob... maybe too comfortable.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sig watches his mentor closely to learn the exact technique for tossing the pebbles.

He continues tossing them overboard as directed. If one of the majestic beasts looks like it will contact the ship, he tries to use the boomstones to steer them away from hurting themselves or the boat.

[Hotgoblin]

Iggway turns to Butcher...Is that true? You heal only those that pay? Iggy looks very disappointed with him and shakes her head in frustration.

[Zhym]

Zoggrot opens the sliding door.

[Spearmint]

On Deck

Geoffrey tries a diplomatic approach to the gang trying to rush at him. "Yeah, well this is for Conrad and Brascoe, we'll teach you about life on board ship." says a tattooed dwarf, not intimidated like some of the others by Rexlins' scowl. He hurls a bracing pin at Geoffrey which just fails to smack him on top of the forehead.

Cudgel thrown by dwarf [1d20] = 14 damage [1d4] = 3

spurred on by the bravado of the dwarf, the other three try to wrestle Rexlin to the ground, throwing a few punches and aiming to over bear him. overbearing and grappling [1d20] = 4 [1d20] = 13 [1d20] = 7 all cursing him for being "damn he's as greasy as a butchers spoon" Rex and Geoffrey may both attack back as you see fit...

Mr Perryman fires a couple of slingshots off to near the prow of the ship, the pebbles hitting the water and sinking quickly beneath the surface out of view. Within a couple of seconds, an echo of a deep 'boom', a sonic blast is felt, principally by folk in the lower decks and bilge as these 'depth charged' pebbles create a blast to disorientate and move the whales from breaching near the ship.

Siggard follows suit and drops the pebbles as he doesn't have a sling to cast with. His stones echo deep and cause an eruption of water and large circles spread out indicating the 'blast' radius. To be safe Mr Perryman throws another couple of pebbles on the other side of the ship and points Siggard down the port side to do likewise. the pebbles are enchanted with a reverse of 'silence 15" radius', stunning the whales with olfactory damage,"I'm still working on them to explode at differing levels" comments Mr Perryman.

Pocc in the Crows' nest is annoyed at the attack on the nursing whales and protests loudly. He does however spot a safer route around the pod of mammals and indicates to the helmsman and and Captain Lazarus who is on deck. The Captain calls the crew to haul beam reach across the wind and tack the sloop at a different angle.

Mr Simonsen draws his claymore blade and roughly hits one of the protesting crew across the face with the hilt of it, splitting his nose into a bloody mess.

below deck and Bilge to come later

[Bluehorse]

Rexlin "Greasy Pig" Dupre

Bob and weave, duck and twist! Rex deftly avoids all attacks! A low... ominous rumble seems to bellow from the planks of the deck before emerging from the veteran soldier's throat as he growls in challenge. He raises his scimitar high and brings the pommel down on the dwarf's head, intent on disabling him, not killing him. All the same his eyes are alight with a calm wild look of someone who loves combat but the cold intelligence is still there, calculating even as his blood boils for battle.

[onlyme]

Geoffrey still holds out hope that his charm will eventually overcome the vets. He jokes and declares,

Well, fellow. It looks like I am not the unlucky weevil you seemed to believe. For I am sure with your fine aim and obvious strength, a less fortunate man than me would have been donked straight on the head.

Now. Hopefully you will see that fortune and luck will follow me, and that I am not a Jonah. Maybe we should be asking what others have done to bring misfortune to themselves?