VI. Returning to The Mistress

[AleBelly]

Bingus shakes his head sadly, mouthing a farewell to Pendleton. He remains hidden, hoping for the best. But optimism has not been well rewarded on this island.

[Inferno]

Phineas T. Codswallop, impresario:

"He's either courageous or temerarious!"
Bow in hand, the little man moved carefully through the forest, trying to get as close to the dwarf as possible without leaving the cover of the treeline.

[dmw71]

The humanoid is clearly listening, and remains unthreatening, but the two are still at too far a distance to conduct a conversation.

Pendleton walks about 25 yards toward the ship. "Any chance you'd like to come over and talk?" he shouts; an action which prompts Bingus to shake his head sadly, mouthing a farewell to the courageous mage. "He's either courageous or temerarious!" Phineas says, agreeing with Bingus in his unique way... then attempts to move forward again, trying to get as close to the dwarf as possible without leaving the cover of the treeline.

The humanoid doesn't take the approaching wizard to be a threat, and responds in the common tongue: "Something to eat besides dry rations... which are the only thing dry about me!" he yells in a gruff voice, shaking his arms and head, sending his wild red hair and droplets of water flailing in all directions. "Now, who are you?!" the humanoid, now confirmed to be a dwarf, demands grumpily.

[Inferno]

Phineas T. Codswallop, impresario:

Beneath the forest canopy, Phineas slowly lowers his bow and listens to the dwarf and the academician parlay.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sasha has seen this routine many times now.

She lowers her bow and walks out of the foliage to meet up with Pendleton on the beach.

She waves her hand at Phineas making the "follow me" motion.
Come on along pip squeak. I'm pretty sure this ones harmless. Looks like just another intellectually challenged rock dweller to me. I wonder what his story is. This remote island sure gets a lot of action.

[AleBelly]

Bingus trusts Sasha's judgement. "Let's be sure this one ain't too hasty in opening doors"

[Zhym]

Pendleton continues walking toward the Mistress. "Pendleton Kettleworth, at your service," he calls out. "I would offer you food, but I, too, only have dry food. I presume you had nothing to do with the hole in that vessel?"

[Inferno]

Phineas T. Codswallop, impresario:

Sasha
She waves her hand at Phineas making the "follow me" motion. Come on along pip squeak...

Bow in hand, nocked arrow pointing to the ground, Phineas emerges from the treeline with the others. When he nears the ship, he mischievously says to Sasha, "Madam, just who are you calling 'pip squeak'?" loud enough for the dwarf to hear it.

[GreyWolfVT]

The dwarf stands up straight wringing out his clothing and walks over to the man shouting at him. Out walks the red mohawked dwarf with braided beard and clan tattoos all over his body. Battle axe strapped to his back, dagger seen in a sheath of his belt.

"I would offer you food, but I, too, only have dry food. I presume you had nothing to do with the hole in that vessel?"

"Eh well tha food will have ta wait I spose. Names Dorin. Pirates tossed me over thought I'd drown didn't count on me floatin'." the dwarf says as he walks towards the unknown person. Hand extended "Been a while since I been outta shackles. Names Dorin. Pirates blasted that there hole in the ship an took yer captain and his mates in me place."

[Inferno]

Phineas T. Codswallop, impresario:

His ticket off the island gone, and seeing no threat in the dwarf, Phineas stops and scans around to check if the spectacle of the smoke plume had attracted any other interested parties.
"Engender expeditiousness, lady and gentlemen!"

[Zhym]

"Pleasure to meet you, Dorin," says Pendleton, observing the usual courtesies.

"Well, friends," he says, "it appears that we have at least three conundrums. Or conundra, depending your opinions of the root of that word. Most obviously, we seem to have lost our transport off of this island. I see little we can do about that unless we believe ourselves capable of patching a ship and sailing her. Alas, that seems unlikely. Even if we could repair the ship, I doubt that our short tenures with the crew of the Mistress have prepared us to sail her unassisted. Thus, we should consider ourselves marooned for the foreseeable future."

"That leads to conundrum number two: food. Our rations will not last forever. Therefore we should endeavor to determine what this island has in the nature of local biota that may be edible."

"Third, and most pressingly: we need a place to rest. The Mistress is the most obvious candidate. It has the advantage of being an enclosed space, give or take two cannonball holes, and of being surrounded by beach and water. Whoever is on watch should have ample warning of an attack unless it comes from under water. It has the disadvantage of being an obvious point of interest. Our friend Dorin here may not be the last person to come by looking for salvage on the wrecked ship."

Pendleton turns back to Dorin. "Speaking of which—in what condition are the ships contents? Do I assume correctly that she has been completely looted of all useful items?"

[dmw71]

Dorin did not have time to fully explore the wreckage, but the main deck he did have an opportunity to briefly peruse appears to have been pillaged by the pirates that were his captors, and that overtook the ship and its crew.

There are still the hold and the captains quarters below deck that Dorin didn't search, that might contain useful items, if the group decides to explore them.

[Zhym]

"I'd suggest that the first order of business should be to inspect the Mistress," says Pendleton. "A thorough search should reveal anything the pirates missed—or deemed useless—and give us a better idea of the ship's suitability as a resting place."

He quickly looks around and clears his throat. "Perhaps I should rephrase that: a suitable place to rest."

Pendleton leads the way back onto the Mistress.

[GreyWolfVT]

Dorin "Didna have a chance ta search everythin but topside was fairly bare of useful items."

[OGRE MAGE]

Sasha sighs heavily as she passes by the dwarf, following Penny onto the ship.

Hail Dorin, names Sasha. Forgive my lack of enthusiasm but, a lot of folks don't do real well for very long around here.

She helps search the lower decks of the vessel.

[AleBelly]

"I'd suggest that the first order of business should be to inspect the Mistress

Bingus slowly follows the others, wary of the dwarf. But not too wary to make a joke. "What with his nose deep in those books, I reckon this will be the first Mistress ol' Penny's ever inspected."

[GreyWolfVT]

Dorin chuckles "This ones a book worm eh?"

[Zhym]

The handsome scholar smiles at Bingus's joke. "A gentleman never tells," he says with a wink.

[Inferno]

Phineas T. Codswallop, impresario:

Phineas introduces himself to the dwarf and says to Pendleton as he unhappily eyes the smoke plume whose tail pointed to their exact location. "This structure is defensible, but perhaps an abstruse whereabout would sanction us to circumlocute a siege. Let's pillage the hold and abscond forthwith to a locality that surveys this beacon and witness to whom it beckons!"

Then he went below deck to quickly help search the hold.

[GreyWolfVT]

Dorin "Pleased ta meet ya." the dwarf greets all that greet him then heads back to explore more of the ruined ship.