The Maiden's Bounty

[GreyWolfVT]

Torvik holds up a hand "Aye! stop please, captain if I may vouch fer this one. He's wit us. If it makes ya feel any better I'll keep him under me charge an watchful eye." the dwarf commander walks to the captain hoping his words put things at ease.

[spanningtree]

Thena

Yes, let's take it easy, I agree with the commander, let's see whats going on before feeding the sharks.

[Rex]

Bryne

"Explain yourself Bramsey and be quick about it if you expect our help."

[Revenant]

The Captain looks to Torvik, Thena and Bryne, "Very well, you know this lout then? Well if he stays, he sleeps with one of you and I'll need an extra 10 gold to cover his passage. And he gets off with you. No traveling onward to Aisland City. And I will take you at your word Commander Torvik, he is under your charge." He eyes the half-elf warily.

Bramsey properly admonished by the captain and his crewman practically bows down to each of you, "I...I...couldn't afford passage after those brigands in the sewers took all my coin. And I need to get to Lionsgate. I've had an offer of a job there and I would already be there if those evil creatures in the sewers hadn't imprisoned me and stole all my belongings." He looks to Torvik, "Thank you good sir. I can act as your valet if you like. Anything you need Bramsey Cortillion will provide." Vari looks him over and sighs, "I'm willing to bet all he provides is trouble. He sure wasn't much help to me and Abaessa in the sewers."

From high on their perch, Mave and Nis have a splendid view of the sea around them. Nis' sharp elven eyes pick out a distant spec floating to the south far away. Could it be a raft she thinks?

[Darithe]

Mave

Hearing the voices from below, Mave looks down at those below, "Hmm, sounds like something going on down there."

[GreyWolfVT]

Torvik pays the captain for Bramsey he pays double actually. "That's a professional appreciation fee I'm offerin good Captain. Fer not tossin Bramsey over, it's me way of showin thanks." removing 20 gold

[Rex]

Bryne

"Next time, asking us for help first would be the better solution."

[tristenc]

Nis points and calls out her discovery to those below. Something in the water! Small like a raft! She tries to use a cantrip to enhance her vision
Just to magnify it slightly if possible so she can tell vaguely what the object is

Shimmer, Air, and form a bubble.
One for sight and not for trouble.
Spread and curl and bend the light
And bring the distant to my sight.

[spanningtree]

Thena

Your probably right Vari.... unfortunately.

She'll take a look at what has caught Nis's eye.

[Rex]

Bryne

Bryne moves over to see what Nis is talking about.

[Revenant]

Captain Lando's eyes light up at the sight of the extra gold pressed into his hand. He drops the coins in his belt pouch and with a wide smile says, "Most generous of you Commander. He can ride to Lionsgate but he's your ward during the trip, so I expect you to keep him from underfoot of my crew." He then looks up as Nis calls down. Pulling out his spyglass he moves to the ship's railing and looking through the glass, remarks, "I don't see a sign of anything."

Nis casts her cantrip and can make out the form of what appears to be a man dressed in tattered clothing atop a rickety looking raft. What looks like ripped bedsheets have been attached to a pole in the center to act as a crude sail. A small box and barrel are lashed to the pole and the man looks to be lying against the pole. Whether he is alive or dead is uncertain.

[GreyWolfVT]

Torvik nods to the captain and goes back to Vari and Bramsey first he walks over to Vari "Yer gonna help me keep Bramsey in line. I cain't be e're where so I need yer help." he smiles and walks over to Bramsey "Alright, ward. I dun need no vallet but yer gonna pitch in an help tha crew an if tha shite hits tha fan yer helpin fight pirates should it come ta that."

[spanningtree]

Thena

Sounds like a pretty good deal Bramsey...

Regarding the raft: Sounds like bait, for us...

[tristenc]

Nis describes what she sees to the others and points the direction, estimating distance if able.
int or wis check maybe?

[Revenant]

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned..." ~ William Butler Yeats

Vari nodded to Torvik, "I'll keep him in line, that I can guarantee." She gives Bramsey a forbidding look. Bramsey bows his head, "Neither of you will get any problems from me, this I promise." Vari doesn't look convinced, "Good cause if that promise is broken, your head might end up the same."

Nis estimates the distance to the raft and hollers it down to the captain. The captain continues a moment looking through the spyglass and then says to the others, "I hope the lass knows what of she speaks." He then calls out to the helmsman, "Starboard Master Kinchlow and due south." He then calls out, "Where is Mistress LeCrux? Please fetch her Dally." A young sailor heads below.

Steadily heading south those on board deck now see a dot on the ocean ahead. Arriving from below is a heavily tattooed woman.....

LeCrux.jpg (60.57 KiB) Viewed 1187 times

The woman strides purposely to the ship's rail and looks towards the dot bringing out a strange glass instrument which she looks through at the dot. After several moments she says to Lando in a thick accent, "He lives, but not for much longer." She then sits down on the deck and pulling a handful of bones out of her bag tosses them to the deck before her. She looks up at the Captain, "Bad omen. He is surrounded by death. And death beckons to him. I would leave him to his fate. But I know men never listen, so be wary." She turns her eyes, the color of fine steel, towards Thena and then to Mediphera and De'Ath, "But I see you've already brought war and death aboard," said mordantly.

[Rex]

Bryne

Bryne chuckles, "Yes, war and death are already here."

[spanningtree]

Thena

Death is not unexpected.... nodding at the woman that see with bones. Our macabre carnival is almost complete.

[Darithe]

Mave

Mave looks to Nis and says, "Well magnificent view, but I'm going back down to see what's going on down there. Care to join me?" And with that the lithe swashbuckler scrambles down the rigging, obviously not the first time she has done so. Reaching the bottom, she glances at the newcomer a moment before saying, "Hello, I am Mave Gallowhawk. Who might you be?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Torvik "I think we'd best heed that one's warnin'." the commander says to Vari, Bramsey and any who are within earshot of the dwarf. "Tha most valuable advice in tha world is oft ignored." he comments.

[Revenant]

“Life is short
And pleasures few
And holed the ship
And drowned the crew
But o! But o!
How very blue
the sea is.” ~ Clive Barker

Lando doesn't look at the woman, when he responds to her words, "Mistress LeCrux, I cannot leave a sailor to die when I can prevent it." She gives him a distasteful look but says nothing. Lando then calls out, "Master Kinchlow, slow and steady, I mean to pluck the lost from the seas."

The ship turns about headed towards the raft as Mave speaks to the woman sitting on the deck with her bones before her. She looks up at the swashbuckler shaking her head at the captain's words, "I might be many things, but I am Maura LeCrux, the sea witch of the Maiden's Bounty." She gathers her bones and replaces them in the pouch at her waist as she rises, "May the goddess of death stay her hands."

"Dally, Vatta, you two drop a line when we get close and we'll pull up the wretch," the Captain calls out as the man who found Bramsey and a younger sailor move to prepare for the rescue.

From high in the rigging, Nis has a better look at the man who moves though very slowly on his raft. The sight of the man is unnerving for his eyes are wild and wide even in the burning rays of the sun. And most odd of all is both of his arms end in blackened stubs where his hands should be.