Exploring the 'Guineaman'.

[shaidar]

Alderhay nods at the sodden half-orc, glad to see him alive and knowing full well it could have been him dunked in the sea.

He draws his short sword and dagger and follows the others, ready to take his cue from Zoggrot

[Ahlmzhad]

The Hobbit seeing he's been exposed quickly takes up as menacing a pose as a wharf rat about 2 steps ahead of starvation can look. The rags he wears are ill fitting shorts that are too small, and a vest that is too large. He keeps his daggar out, and without realizing he's doing it hisses at the hand and intruder.

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard smirks once he spots the tiny thief hiding in the dark. After seeing some of the things he has seen along this strange journey so far, a severed hand moving around in a cage doesn't really seem all that unusual to the wizard.

"Nice work on that lock, wee one. It must have taken some set of balls to enter this place on your own, or are you not alone? My friends are boarding the ship now, so if this is some sort of ambush, I assure you that you are heavily outnumbered. For some reason, the capn' decided to send every grunt he knows along on this trip, so we got a damn army just outside this door."

The mage keeps one eye on the shadowy figure and the other on the cage as he floats further into the room to see what else he can find.

"if you are looking for work, I can put in a good word for ya, but I wouldn't try anything foolish in here if I were you. I could kill you with my magic before you would even know you were dead."

"So, what goodies have you found in here so far?"

[Zhym]

Zoggrot leads the way onto the ship. "Hell of a time to go for a swim," he deadpans as Fenis recovers.

[Ahlmzhad]

Siggard smirks once he spots the tiny thief hiding in the dark. After seeing some of the things he has seen along this strange journey so far, a severed hand moving around in a cage doesn't really seem all that unusual to the wizard.

"Nice work on that lock, wee one. It must have taken some set of balls to enter this place on your own, or are you not alone? My friends are boarding the ship now, so if this is some sort of ambush, I assure you that you are heavily outnumbered. For some reason, the capn' decided to send every grunt he knows along on this trip, so we got a damn army just outside this door."

The mage keeps one eye on the shadowy figure and the other on the cage as he floats further into the room to see what else he can find.

"if you are looking for work, I can put in a good word for ya, but I wouldn't try anything foolish in here if I were you. I could kill you with my magic before you would even know you were dead."

"So, what goodies have you found in here so far?"

The young hobbit runs through his options, for once he can't bolt for his boat, so he slowly lowers his weapon.

Renee be just take look see here. No mean harm, no found nothing sept

And, he points towards a hammock he had partially rehung. Keeping quiet about the three buttons he'd found that would get him a good copper piece from Old Brandy the seamstress.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bello

Always in need of new personas, Bello relieves the skeleton of its waistcoat and wrings it out. He also picks up the purse. "For safekeeping." He winks at Zoggrot.

As he walks to board the ship, he saddles up to Old Plighty. "I'll take some of that action. Bet's a push if one of us does the killing, though."

[Spearmint]

Guineaman top deck.

Zoggrot leads the way up the gangplank from the jetty onto the deck amidships. The deck is about 30ft' wide and twice as long. To your right stands the mainmast, looking like a tree badly pollarded. Short stunted spars, broken at odd angles, give the mast a ricketty impression though the wood itself is made of toughened oak. High above, torn sails and set ropes dangle precariously, the topsail furled in a cocoon like shape. Several dead birds, eye-poppingly squashed, litter the foot of the mast.

Around the deck is a sprawled mess of splintered barrels and crates, loose rigging and the remnants of the ships arsenal. Stubble investigates the worth and nature of the Iberian castings. Ferrol ' Bello' pockets the officials purse and dons the waistcoat. Everyone else looks around at the scene. Zoggrot can sense that small critters, perhaps rats scurry around the skirting of the deck trying to remain unobserved.

Each end of the deck has stairs to the stern and forecastle. Both of their masts are broken. The stern one in a crucifix form about 15ft' high whilst the foremast is shattered at right angles and covers much of the foredeck. Ornate cabin doors lead to presumably official quarters at the stern whilst two smaller doors lead to the prow cabins.

To your left is a covered cargo entrance. The two doors have large iron ring pulls though broken poles haved been pushed through them and with large bent nails, are fixed securely to the deck. Signs that 'something from below' has tried to force an exit as these poles look splintered but not yet broken in the middle.

The darkening twilight heralds the arrival of a dozen or so large crows who perch on the rigging to observe these new boarders. Van de Poel will go find Siggard, Old Plighty lights pipe of 'wacky-baccy', Geoffrey stabs at the bird carcasses with his longsword.

okay, give me any specific action, investigation or movement that your character wishes to make next please

In the Prow Cabin

Siggard and the unnamed Halfling meet in the cabin The mage levitates impressively to bring some fear into the young exposed rogue. The door to the deck is barred with planks and wedges hammered between door and frame. A trapdoor in the middle of four thin pillars leads below but is secured with chains and inscribed with runes. The decayed severed hand swings itself on the parrot perch. The room looks used as a crew dining and sleeping area. carry on with next actions and verbals please.


Hope to update narration by Sunday.

[Hotgoblin]

Iggway heads toward the stern cabin doors. She'll be searching for medicinal items and anything weird. She whispers to the gang... I'm checking this area out... Before entering any rooms, Iggway casts, Find traps.

[shaidar]

Alderhay casts a concerned eye over the dead birds at the bottom of the mast, looking up at the furled topsail he frowns. He watches/listens for any sign of movement up there, shifting his vision to night-mode (infravision) to see if that reveals anything.

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard is taken aback once he hears a smattering of patois from the halfling, the tongue of his own native island. It has been a while since he has had to revert back to it, but he gives it a try anyway.

"Whayasay? Ya from da islands too, mi fren? Well, bless mi soul!"

He holds his hand out to the hobbit to make his acquaintance.

"My names Siggard. It is nice to meet you, Renee! Do you mean to tell me that you've been staying in here? Sleeping in here?"

With that, Sig approaches the cage and hand, looking around for anything that will indicate what the hell this thing actually is. "Tap on the cage three times if you can understand me." He commands the severed hand.

Then he moves in for a closer look at the markings on the trapdoor to see if he can decipher the ruins there.

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc decides to go with Iggway "Good idea, I'll tag along if you don't mind Iggway."

[Zhym]

When Iggway heads astern, Zoggrot nods. "Officers''d have the good loot," he says with approval. He goes along and helps look for traps.

[Ahlmzhad]

"Ya, frin. Na jis cm heer, nice, I tink bout stay heer. I live in me boot under wharuf." The reply is a mix of patois, Gauloise, Breton and Iberian. The relieved hobbit slides his daggar in its sheath, and watches his new friend interact with the hand curiously. He quickly picks up a part of a wooden spoon he sees among the debris on the floor, and secretes it in his pocket.

[Bluehorse]

Rexlin

Off hand to Fishy as the move into a position to guard the decks at range. What do you think the chances are of getten her sea worthy again? Rebuilding a ship might be the quicker way to haven one of our own

[Rex]

Fenis

Fenis will follow along with Iggway and company. Throwing axe at the ready.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bello

Bello watches as most break off to search the cabins. Curiosity gets the best of him and he too moves to search. He moves to where he last saw the levitating mage enter the prow cabin. Longsword in hand, he creeps towards the voices heard within.

[Leitz]

Stubble watched the group split up. He was more intrigued by the main cargo hatch. What had been down there? Was it still there?

"Might as well keep watch and be the reserve."Stubble mumbled to himself. He thought about the cargo hold again, and started checking the guns to see if any were serviceable and if there were powder and shot to be found. It would be very nice to have if whatever it was broke through.

Stubble will see if there's a cannon that can be used, and pointed at the main deck cargo hatch. If so, he'll see if he can find powder and shot for it.

[Spearmint]

Guineaman Deck

The party gravitate to areas of interest. Iggway casts her final daily spell and hunts for the traps and all things weird. The weird (or should I descibe normal for a ghost ship), is found straight away. A pair of severed hands have been nailed to the double doors. These represent new door 'handles', one each side and they clasp each other by the fingers as if to close the door, all the while engaging in a bout of 'thumb wars'. They stop as you approach and begin to Catherine wheel in excited rapid circles.

Alderhay examines the mast and rigging as Rex and Fishy begin climbing to gain a vantage point from which to ward the group. Al notices that a gilded ships' bell is hanging from a mount just above head height. It is decorated in Iberian design and inscribed with the name Golden Swan of Sant Inigo. Geoff flicks the dead bird carcasses overboard. All four are caught unexpectedly by a sudden cracking from high above as a large splintered spar is snapped free from the mast and falls at speed to crash onto the floor. Passing dexterity checks, the quartet keep their feet and brains. The falling spar and sail open the topsail ropes which unfurl to reveal a figure, now skeletal, hanging from the top. Several black carrion birds peck titbits from the decayed body.

Old Plighty and Stubble investigate the cannons. Op informs the dwarf that he and the master gunner Dogger lost a leg each at the cannons. As they piece bits together, Stubble is surprised as a spider like creature wriggles out of a cannon bore and inches quickly up his arm. It is another severed hand, exposed out of its' hidey hole.

Van de Poel and Ferrol 'Bello' go to find the mage. As they pass the cargo doors a scent of decay and rot seeps through the gaps. The elf gets to the prow doors but finds that they seem stuck and don't budge open. VdP climbs one of the stairs but is immediately assailed by some loose cannonballs which have rolled down the steps. He tumbles to the floor but only injures his pride.

Siggard and Rene discuss in the cabin. The severed hand in the parrot cage scratches the back of his hand with an elongated finger as if thinking for a moment. It then taps three times on the cage base before pointing to rogue and indicating the cage door. The mage inspects the runes. They appear clerical in nature and could be a glyph of warding of some type. Other scratches replicate those scrawled above.

As the party contemplate next moves, balls of faint etheral light, emanating fading pastoral colours, float softly over the ship rails and bob among those on deck. Their presence heralds a darkening in the party mood which cancels the euphoria of Iggways' blessing.

next actions please.

[shaidar]

Alderhay makes a sign to ward off evil. He keeps and eye on the body up in the rigging as he heads towards the prow cabins.

[Leitz]

Stubble nodded at Old Plighty's stump of a leg. "I can see how difficult ship guns are. I was crew on a field piece, we had more space to move around in. Not too much, given the caverns that were our defense points. Still, not shifting side to side or back and forth, either. Each barrel master drilled their team day and night, though, and the fire keeper would have been hanged if they lit the piece before everyone was clear."

He raised an eyebrow as the hand crept up his sleeve. "Odd." After a moment Stubble shrugged. "Sorry to disturb you, we're looking to see what can be made to work. Lend a hand?"