1. Captured!

[tumblingdice]

Day Three

Somewhere in the darkness above you, a man retches, straining against his shackles to lift his head so as not to choke. Half asleep and acting on instinct, you try to twist yourself away, forgetting that you too lie chained to a bunk of splintered oak. Splotches of gruel, mixed with stomach acid, splash down on to your face, waking you from a sleep that has brought no rest.

It is been this way for three nights now. At least you think it's been three nights. In the dark of the ship's hold, it is always night.

Some of you were strolling home from the tavern after a night's drinking. Some of you were headed down to the river to fetch some water, or were on your way to the fields to begin a hard day's labor. Perhaps you were lucky, and had been off visiting some lass or lad in a neighboring village. Whatever your story, it ended the same: a rustling in the underbrush or the alley, a blow to the back of your head, the world going black, and then staying that way.

For here you awoke, in the tiny, stinking hold of a pirate galley, shackled by your wrists to the beams of your bunks, stacked like cordwood, surrounded by dozens of other prisoners. Shapeless others, whose numbers you can't even be sure of here in the shadows.

What you can be sure of, from the wails, moans and sighs that keep company with you in the dark, and from the smells of human waste and filth that surround you, is that you're sick.

Sick from the blow to your head.
Sick from the tossing of the ship.
Sick from the revolting gruel the slavers deign to feed you on occasion.
But most of all, sick from the knowledge that you are bound for the slave ports and flesh markets far across the Trackless Sea, never again to see your homes.

The keys to your shackles hang in silent mockery from a hook right by the hatch leading up to the deck, only 5 or 6 feet from the lot of you. They might as well be miles away. You can hear them creak against the key ring as the ship begins to toss and roll. Before half the day has passed, a full fledged storm is raging up above. Spray and curses blast into the hold every time the hatch above is opened.

It opens now. You blink at the sight of daylight above, as your jailer, a man named Hafkris—-maybe a half-orc, it's hard to tell under all that grime and walrus ugliness-—waddles his way down the ladder into the hold. Grabbing the ring of keys, he begins to unlock the shackles on about half the prisoners.

"All right, you filthy whores, whoresons and rat bastards," Halfkris yells, thumping his meaty palm on one of the ladder rungs and nodding at the hatch up above. "Upon on to the deck. Now!" The prisoners stand there for a moment, shaking and staggering on legs they haven't used for three days, trying to make sense of what is happening. "Now, I said!" the half-orc screams, punching the closest prisoner in the stomach for emphasis. A stooped man with graying hair reels from the blow, clutches his stomach, then, despite all efforts to control himself, vomits on to the half-orc's boots.

None of you eight have been released. You're all still shackled to your bunks.

Actions?

[spanningtree]

Gern

I could use a bit of fresh air too... he will say as he gestures his bound hands toward the jailer all the while trying to hold his stomach back.

[Alethan]

Bilwi Buckhorn

Bilwi looks up at the open hatch and mumbles through cracked lips the only word he's been able to think of for the last two days, "Survive..."

He waits to see what sort of reaction the elf gets for his comment before saying something loud enough for anything but the lice in his beard to hear.

[saalaria]

Johan looks on silently, murder in his eyes.

How many crew have we seen so far on the ship?

[greyarea]

Teuta

Teuta spits a few times to get the remnants of vomit out of her mouth. She looks at the others around her, trying to catch each one's eyes in turn. Trying to see if they, like her, have yet the will to live: the will to resist.

[badams30]

Arnold - Human Male

Arnold glances quickly at the others around him, pausing for a moment as his eyes meet Teuta's. He gives a quick wink and nod, and returns his gaze to the revolting Half-Orc, silently staring at him.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne the Touched

“You churlish half-faced snipe!” curses Tayne as smashes his captor’s face in with an oar again and again until it’s bloody brainy bone mush. He grabs the keys and turns to free his fellow prisoners –

Tayne sags in his chains, barely able to stay up, his body spent, his mind a hive of plots, arguments and daydreams of escape. He sees others around him stirring.

[kipper]

Dino (Halfling)

Dino quietly and patiently bides his time, waiting for the opportunity to act.

[connivingsumo]

Bofgan the Red Fist Dwarf

Bofgan swishes the vomit-gruel in his mouth and gives a hearty swallow... "Ahh... I've had werser!" his voice cracks as the acid burns his throat.

Then mumbles under his breath, clearly speaking of the 'slaver,' "BAH! Hideous, mucus-kissing, smudge-rubber!" as his fingers navigate the darkness pawing and searching the bunks and bunk supports for a sturdy splinter that might snuggle comfortably in the keyhole of his shackles.

More interested in finding a splinter than confronting his slaver, he continues to mumble "An don yu be fer drinkin me ale ya skunk-face!" His hand pauses its search for a moment as the thought sinks in, and then resumes... "Yea, there'll be hell ta pay fer thaht!"

[tumblingdice]

Halfkris grabs the old man by the tattered remains of his shirt, then slams his head into the side of the ladder. The man hollers in pain, then falls to the floor with a thud, moaning. The half-orc kicks him in the stomach, and the man whimpers.

Making his way over to Bofgan, he pulls the shackled dwarf up just enough to slap him across the face, then slams him back against his bunk (2 hp dmg). "And you," he says, bringing his bristling face inches from Bofgan's. "I'd kill you now, but your stinking mead hole is just the right height for Cap'n Halfkris," he says, grabbing his crotch. "No, I'll deal with you later."

"The rest of you," he says, "up the ladder. Move!" The twenty or so unshackled prisoners, resigned to their fate, make their way up to the deck in silence.

As the last few pairs of legs disappear through the hatch, you hear the cracking of whips from the deck, followed by the sound of someone giving orders. Then the hatch closes, and you're once again thrust into darkness.

Actions?

OC: Sam, to answer your question: you can't be sure, but based on the ruckus you normally hear above deck, you estimate there to be at least a dozen crew on board. Halfkris is the only one you've seen, unfortunately.
Man, between Halfkris and Loshad (an NPC from my other game), I'm starting to feel like a complete psychopath. All part of the DM's job, though.

[spanningtree]

Gern

Gern lays back down and wonders what the heck is going on. Then he'll sit up and speak to those around him: I'm going to try to pull my shackle chain from it's anchor point. Could I as a few of you to grab onto me and help pull?... You must understand, our value to them is nothing, we must act! If I can free myself I will free all of you! Gern will get down and wait for a response/action from the others.

[badams30]

Arnold - Human Male

Arnold says quietly "Aye, I'll help you. Let me find my way over to you."

OOC: If he's able, Arnold will try to help Gern in whatever way he can.

[greyarea]

Teuta

Teuta works her shackles, trying to slip her hands through the iron clasp.

[Alethan]

Bilwi quietly listens to the others start to get riled up; this spurs him into action.

He examines his shackles as best he can, using any knowledge gained during his seafaring trade* to figure out a way of removing them from himself or where they are attached to the ship.

*Secondary skill: seafarer

[spanningtree]

Gern

With Arnold's help he'll start pulling against his bonds.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne, human

Pull. There is nothing else to do. Tayne reaches over to help Gern. If he can't reach, he tries yet again to pull his own chains asking those nearby to help.

[connivingsumo]

Bofgan - Dwarf
6/8

Bofgan, waiting until the hatch is nearly shut before yelling, "Bleh! Ye hit like a limp fairie!"

If Bofgan:
+ Is near to Gern, then he will try to help him escape.
+ Is not near Gern, then will continue looking for a solid splinter to fit the hole of the shackles.

[kipper]

Dino (Halfling)

Dino is shaken from his silent depressed reverie by Gern's request. "Of course, of course! Happy to lend a hand!" He will attempt to aid Gern as best he can.

[tumblingdice]

Despite the great strength some of you possess, none of you can get enough leverage to break your chains.

The storm, as well as the tossing and the retching, continues throughout the rest of the day. Soon you drift into another restless sleep...

Day Four

The hatch creaks open, waking you once again from your futile slumber. As you come to your senses, you can make out Halfkris releasing another half of the remaining prisoners. Gone is his swagger and psychotic theatrics. "Move! Move! Quickly! Up the ladder. Grab those oars and make yourself useful!"

As the shackles clank against their bunks, the released prisoners stretch their arms in delight. It lasts but a moment. Halfkris cracks his whip, and the captives scramble up the ladder.

Though you can't be sure in the dim light, there appear to be only nine prisoners left in the hold: the group assembled here, and a young woman in the shadows.

Actions?

[greyarea]

Teuta

Teuta tries to get the young woman's attention. Hello there. I'm known as Teuta. Who are you?