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Post by moralhazard on Mar 10, 2019 21:48:05 GMT
kzFdHqrs1d20+11d20+1
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Arikarka
Approved
Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
Posts: 316 
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Post by Arikarka on Mar 10, 2019 21:50:06 GMT
You are still fighting the cotton and nutmeg in your mouth, but you hold on and force yourself to focus. Evy! Evy is in trouble, and so, apparently, are you. What chu do next?
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 10, 2019 21:57:15 GMT
Miri gritted her teeth. Damn – damn and blast. Taggit. Miri considered spitting, but didn’t bother; not like it would help anyway. Taggit was by contact or ingested? Miri couldn’t remember – not that it mattered, she’d drank the ale. Would vomiting help? It couldn’t hurt, but, on the other hand, it was hard to vomit silently, and the last thing she wanted was to alert these two to her presence. One way or another, Miri realized, she was going down. Taggit was nasty, and thoroughly expensive. Miri had absolutely no interest in thinking too deeply about why someone would have bothered spending on it for her. And, worse, she wasn’t a specific target – they wanted whoever they could catch. Slavers? There was a sour taste in her mouth now, and Miri really did almost spit; only a reluctance to make any noise at all stopped her.
Miri kept the compact out, hoping for at least a little warning before Scrouge began to move. So much for Lady Luck! That smug son of a bitch. Miri thought. Damn Purl – at least in Maarlith she’d at least have someone she could go to, at least a friend of a friend, if she could make it there. In this little shitstain on the underpants of the world, she had no one, maybe less than no one. Miri was drunk, and at some point the poison would kick in – and then she’d be unconscious. But it was evening – that was in her favor. Miri glanced around, searching for a way up to the roof of the inn or a building across the street. If she could get up above, maybe on a flat surface, and find somewhere shady? Maybe they wouldn’t find her when she lost consciousness. It was a better shot than trying the inn - nobody in there would look twice if Scrouge walked in, scooped her up and carried her out. |
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Arikarka
Approved
Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
Posts: 316
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Post by Arikarka on Mar 10, 2019 22:00:33 GMT
Perception for Scrouge
w0ixlU3t1d20+1
Perception for unknown male
1d20+1
"There-behind you, ye maggot!" Turning around to follow the finger pointing over his shoulder Scrouge looked to where his fellow companion was pointing. There he could see the flash of the mirror catching the light, and chances were as good as any that the holder of the object, being a small feminine wrist, was their second target. "Lookin' fer ye friend?" He shouted, then kicked Evy hard in the side. "Ye best come say hello - be ah rude wench otherwise."
And another con save1d20+1·1d20+1
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 10, 2019 22:06:57 GMT
Con save: ObI2Fk5R1d20+11d20+1
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 10, 2019 22:09:10 GMT
That looked like it had hurt, Miri thought, dispassionately watching the man kick Evy in the side. She snapped the compact closed and jerked it back, glancing around. There – across the street – a stack of crates just high enough that Miri thought she’d been able to make it up to the roof from there.
She lunged forward – one step – two steps –
And then the taggit kicked in, and the dark closed abruptly around her. Miri passed out, landing facefirst in the cobblestone street.
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Arikarka
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Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
Posts: 316
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Post by Arikarka on Mar 11, 2019 1:51:02 GMT
Miri woke up in a corner of a dark lower deck, filled with a stagnant rotten fish sort of slime and the whole place smelling of piss that hadn't been cleaned up fast enough. Small little pokes of holes allow the morning light to send beams of eye-searing, headache inducing, illumination. Cotton had replaced her brain and the taste of spoilt alcohol and nutmeg sat heavy in her mouth - where it seemed something furred had taken up residence. Hammocks and other sort of personal cubby areas primarily covered this deck. Clearly this was where the entire crew slept. Nothing that was once hers, be it weapons, gold, personal affects, or so forth was on her person - even the best hid items she might have had, if she thought to search herself. Only trousers and shirt remained. Around her others were slowly waking up, unsure of what had snapped them out of their unconsciousness early. Then the sound happened again - a sickening crack of a whip against wood and the yelling sound of a voice only two there would recognize. "Wakey-wakey everyone!" The deep voice of Scourge - much changed from the 'kind' voice he had once possessed in the Misty Hurricane. The whip cracked again. "On your feet swabbies! You're due on deck to report for duty. Better get fast before the Cap'n flays ye flesh and has the cook sear it up for breakfast for the rest of us." Behind him were six other sailors, no, pirates - all wearing a mix match of gear, weapons, armor, and -most importantly- wicked saps and thick clubs in their hands. It seemed Scourge had backup if the 'new recruits' decided to have a bit of a lie-in this morning. There were 8 of them all together, all just as weaponless, possessionless, and cotton-mouthed as Miri. Evy was the only one the rogue would recognize, having never seen the others in her life, and Lady Luck had placed her right next to Miri… whatever comfort that might have been. Some of the 'recruits' were already standing up, holding their heads and wincing at the volume of Scourge's voice. One by one they obeyed, seeing no possible escape from the armored and powerful crew. One though, the 5th to stand, tried to shove Scourge and one other in a bid to steal a club. Laughing the bald blue scarf-wearing crewmate shoved him back and landed a heavy blow from the club to the recruit's side. "Ye wanna try tha' again mate?!" Wincing, holding his side, the 5th shook his head and stumbled up to continue following the others. "Well!?" Scourge ground out, a delightful smile from his position of power on his face. |
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 11, 2019 1:59:05 GMT
Miri woke up smelling rotten fish and piss, with her brain replaced with cotton and a feeling like a small, furry animal had crawled into her mouth to die. Not the best morning, she thought, fuzzily, as best as she could think. Also, not the worst she’d ever had; she could think of at least three times she’d woken up worse than this, and that was with her brain at maybe an eighth capacity. One eye cracked open, slowly, then promptly shut again, trying to protect her against the vicious, headache inducing beams of light arching between… the boards of a ship?
Just how drunk had Miri gotten last night? She swished her tongue – it felt like it had swollen to four times its size – around her mouth, tasting… nutmeg?
It came rushing back in a moment, and Miri groaned, audibly, rolling over onto her side. Her whole body ached; it felt like she’d been chucked bodily onto the ground and left to lie however.
Slowly, slowly, Miri opened her (bloodshot) eyes again, first her left, waiting until the throbbing subsided somewhat, then her right. It took a few moments for actual depth perception to kick in, and with it came an overwhelming feeling of wanting to vomit. One hand went immediately to the pouch that had been strapped to her torso. Gone. Knives? Gone. Coins? Gone.
Miri glanced down at herself. Well – one advantage of wearing tight pants was that it was easy to tell no one had taken them off.
A loud voice cracked through the air and Miri groaned, curling up into a slightly tighter ball. Swabbies, were they? She gritted her teeth, reached out to give Evy’s arm a reassuring squeeze, and stumbled to her feet.
No point in resisting, Miri felt. If Evy needed it, she’d offer her a hand up, although frankly it would probably knock her right over onto her ass. With luck, Evy would never know that Miri would happily have ditched her the night before, to be spared this nonsense. Not that luck seemed to have much to do with it. Miri glanced down at the tattoo on her wrist, rubbing a thumb over it, and marched her way up to deck without complaint or vomiting. For now.
Survive first; banter later.
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Arikarka
Approved
Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
Posts: 316
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Post by Arikarka on Mar 11, 2019 16:21:31 GMT
As a group the 8 captured individuals walked up from the lower deck , creaking up the stairs to eventually emerge out onto the top deck. Bright late morning sunlight filled the clear blue sky, not a cloud in sight. The ship was rocking, maybe making it hard for some to walk if their pounding headaches were still raging, maybe making it hard if any weren't familiar with the method of walking on a ship - straight lines and steady steps that worked on land did not work on the sea.
Single file they were lead to stand in a line near the main mast of the ship. And what a ship it is. Huge masts with greyed sails rise high into the air, an expansive deck with crates, barrels, rope, and rigging all tied to strategic points. All around were small gatherings of the other crew. Half orc, human, gnome, halfling - some looking pleased at the events about to transpire, others just looking board or disinterested.
Once their eyes adjusted to the light of the sun they would see around them nothing but water. For miles. They were already far out at sea. "Glad ye could join us at last." A broad and muscular man, dark skinned of some island decent with a shaved head, long beard braided and decorated with gold, and a single eyepatch stood atop the high deck, overlooking the main deck from where the ship's wheel was installed. A second man, the one Miri had seen talking to Scourge last night, stood at his side. "Welcome aboard the Bear's Throat. I'm Captain Barnabas Harrigan. I've got one rule - don't speak to me. I speak to you." He left the wheel and walked down the stairs, coming to rest in front of the line of press-ganged crew members of the Bear's Throat. He eyed them all, scanning each with a sneer. "Even with all ye new recruits we're short on hands, so it be ah kheel hauling if anyone is found killin' another. There be only one death allowed ths journey." He pulled a pistol out of his belt and leveled it at Miri, cocked the safety, then pulled the trigger.
"Mr. Plugg! Introduce our new crew mates to the way of the Bear." With that the Captain turned and walked down the stairs, giving no one else a second glance, and returned to what could only be the Captain's Quarters found below the wheel. Leaving behind Evy, slumped with blood pouring out of the head wound from the bullet to her temple, to fall face-first onto the floor of the ship.
The other man, a revealed Mr. Plugg, was just as Miri could sort remember him looking, but with more details. Mr. Plugg the proud owner of a long black ponytail, long dark coat, and a wicked well-used cat-o-nine tails in his hand. He gave no surprise or heed to the dead corpse on the deck. "As the Captain said! Only one death - and this be it. Now! There be three position types ye scrubs will be sent to. Riggin… or Scrubbing. And one poor sod is gonna go help Fishguts in the kitchen." He stared at them all, padding the whip in his hand. "Well! Get to it! If ye think ye can climb, get to the riggin. If you think you can cook, stand aside. Everyone else get a bucket and mop - there's filth on the deck."
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 11, 2019 17:40:31 GMT
Evy looked, if possible, worse than Miri felt. Her hand was shaking as it wrapped around Miri’s, and Miri braced as best as she could to pull the half-elf to her feet, and just managed not to fall. Their eyes met for a moment; no words passed between them, but Miri felt a little pulse of gratitude. She and Evy had been through a scrape or two together. She wouldn’t count on Evy to set Miri free at her own expense, but at least it’d be the two of them against this shit.
The only thing worse than the sunbeams streaming through the slats of the ship was the bright morning sun; it felt like long needles jabbing into Miri’s eyes and straight into her brain. She winced, stumbling a little; she wasn’t such an old hand at seafaring that walking aboard the ship was easy, and the hangover fuzzing up her brain didn’t make it any easier.
Without her bracer, Miri felt strangely naked, the wicked scar that curved around her forearm exposed. She clenched her fist, rotating it a little, but any extra motion was a mistake; she needed to focus entirely on walking. She put it out of her mind; what was one more little humiliation on top of all the rest?
Once Miri managed to get to the main mast, she could spare enough attention to look around. The news that they were far from land already was a blow, but not an unexpected one. A decent crew for a ship of this size: half orcs, humans, gnomes, halflings. Miri would do her best to pay attention to gender, hoping for – well – any women. Not that it was always easy to tell with the half-orcs. Ugly sons of bitches. Or daughters. Ugly either way.
The worst part was the look of anticipation in more than a few eyes. How many were here willingly, how many press-ganged? At least swabbies were better than slaves, Miri decided, breathing through the urge to vomit. Depending on what you were in for.
Miri looked up at the man with the braided beard, noticing the familiar looking man next to him. She swallowed one last time, squeezing her left thumb into her palm to suppress her gag reflex, and straightened up. Better not to look too weak, but also good not to look too strong. Not that Miri felt there was much chance of that; her skin was still cold and clammy, even in the hot sunlight, and she could sweat trickling from her temples down her cheek.
Captain Barnabas Harrigan. That name on her heart, Miri thought, anger pulsing through her. Someday, she promised herself, she’d get him, preferably with a bounty on his head for press-ganging. The thought nearly made her smile. For a moment she thought it had shown on her face when the pistol locked onto her, and Miri stared straight back into it, stiff and locked into position. This couldn’t be it – it couldn’t end like this, could it? Not after everything.
He pulled the trigger.
Miri couldn’t help it; she flinched.
And Evy, next to her, pitched face forward to the deck, blood pooling from her head.
A faint sadness warred with overwhelming relief, and lost. Evy was gone; no sadness would change that. Miri was alone on the ship, now, but at least she was alive. Adrenaline was surging and pumping through her veins. She was alive – and she would fight like hell to stay that way.
Plugg had a nasty cat-o-nine tails in his hands. Miri watched him, silently. Rigging, scrubbing or the kitchen? There wasn’t even a choice to be made.
Miri crossed to the rigging, glancing up at it, then back at Plugg.
Scrubbing the deck – surrounded by the crew at all hours, in her tightest leather pants? No thank you. Miri wasn’t sure about the kitchen – hard to tell whether Plugg was having them off about the cook. Maybe more food, on one hand, but if the cook had a nasty temper and a cleaver on hand…? Rigging was the best choice; off the ground, away from most of the crew, and there was always the chance of spotting something off in the distance. Even extra seconds of knowledge or warning could make a difference. Risky, yes, but Miri had never been one to turn down a risk.
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Arikarka
Approved
Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
Posts: 316
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Post by Arikarka on Mar 11, 2019 18:21:41 GMT
Seeing three of the seven pluk up enough gumption to try their hand at the riggin, Mr. Plugg grinned leeringly and snapped his whip to crack the air. "Get ah move on now!" On'y one spot is open, and that's the one who can get to the top the fastest!"
First skill challenge of the main story! (Con saves in the prequel not counting XD)
Roll Int to see who gets to go first. Miri is racing against two others. I propose we roll all dice rolls we need to, then have a longer post that describes the scene based on how the dice play out. If this works for you, I'll go ahead and roll all the athletics checks that are needed, and have you roll the same.
Current Crew Attitudes of the NPCs around Miri:
Mr. Plugg - Very Hostile
Human, male - semi dark skinned of a tropical native
Thin and wiry build
Attitude towards Miri: Indifferent
Halfling, male - a shade too pale to be comfortable in the sun
Standard halfling build
Attitude towards Miri: Hostile
Human:
V1n12LBw1d20+2
Halfling:
1d20+11d20+2·1d20+1
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 11, 2019 18:23:27 GMT
Sounds good to me!
Miri's initiative:
AaLcxK1G1d20+31d20+3
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Arikarka
Approved
Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
Posts: 316
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Post by Arikarka on Mar 11, 2019 18:33:36 GMT
Okay, So speed is reduced by half when you climb, and the crow's nest is 60 feet up. That's at best 4 rolls if you succeed each one. But it's not as easy as that  Result 5 or lower - you loose 5 feet of movement, sliding down, etc, however you wish to describe Result 6-9 - You do not gain height, but you do not lose height either Result 10+ you gain 15 feet! Please choose from what quadrant you are climbing up to start - N, S, E, W. Miri gets to pick first. As I am writing out the DCs, I am revoking my statement of rolling all at once, since now I realized it could take more, ext, and taking this in rounds works best. Sorry not sorry. This works out too, as you do have the lucky feat, which lets you re-roll some d20s. So pick a quadrant and make the first athletics check please Order is Miri, Human, Halfling |
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 11, 2019 18:43:38 GMT
Miri took off at a run the moment the whip cracked, latching on to the north quadrant of the rope and beginning to climb.
Quadrant: N Miri's position: 0/60 feet Athletics check 1: X0GqEMr91d20-11d20-1 |
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Arikarka
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Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
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Post by Arikarka on Mar 11, 2019 18:48:08 GMT
The human stepped for the ropes, a little slower than Miri was able to dash to the rigging, but slow and steady could win the race. Wanting nothing to do then to just focus on the task at hand he chose the opposite south quadrant, and began climbing.
k5h5JNv61d20+2
The halfling however? He jumped when Mr. Plugg cracked the whip, earning a laugh from the Bear's Throat first mate. Scowling, looking at Miri darkly, he quick stepped to climb up through the same side Miri had chosen.
1d20-1
Hand over hand the human was making good progress. With quick darting hand grips the halfling did too - and when the reached neck and neck with Miri? He shoved his elbow into her gut.
Slight of hand. Roll an opposing acrobatics to hang on! Beat his SoH to not loose 5 feet!!
1d20+21d20+2·1d20-1·1d20+2
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