Pugwash returns to his job of keeping lookout for the longboat, now that his life is no longer in mortal danger.

Aylar sighs quietly under his breath, drawing his cutlass just in case.

Mission 1, Turn 6 - (Tower team)
Current Turn will end 7 PM UTC, 28 September unless action posts allow action to be moved along sooner.

(roll dice) Durik took the ox yokes and put them in the forge, poking them well down into the hot embers with the ogre blacksmith's long tongs and a poker. The embers flared briefly, then settled to burning the hard wood slowly into ash. With that Durik picked up Argy and let her ride on Dakka back to the Tower, where they found the rest of the team in the barracks room upstairs. Durik put Argy down so she could also inspect the items found in the chests along with himself and Grog'tial.

Queen Origi made a splint for her sprained wrist with the whittling knife and partially carved wood and leftover leather straps. She then instructed Mighty to carry her prince down to the longboat, but with the steep incline that would take up most of the next hour if they were to go there, settle the prince and return. (roll dice) Instead, after everyone had grabbed what they wished of the loot, and Mighty had retrieved the Half-Orc armor from the guard downstairs, the team went to inspect the locked door Aylar had found downstairs, while Monkey remained on guard at the tower door.

"Good day, is anybody home? In the name of your majesty, open the door, if you'd be so kind." Origi called while knocking on the door. (roll dice) When she received no reply after a few seconds she instructed Mighty to try the keys, raising her rapier in readiness.

Aylar sighed quietly under his breath, drawing his cutlass just in case.

"Mighty did not know this is the sneaky way to check doors," Mighty said as he tried each key on the ring he had found, being careful not to disturb the prince too much.

(roll dice) The third key unlocked the the thick oak and iron bound door, and it opened smoothly to reveal a long dark tunnel reinforced with wooden beams to prevent cave-ins. The tunnel led downward and curved slightly to the northeast, towards the port.

(roll dice) Grog'tial could tell enough from his experience in dwarven tunnels to know this was not hastily constructed. It was kept well enough, although not so well as dwarves would keep it. There was no air movement, but while the air smelled of dust and underground, it was not stale as an unused area would be. This tunnel went somewhere, and was still in use at least sometimes. (roll dice) His experience in the dwarven tunnels during that little uprising could also spot the mistakes the humans here had made, and exactly where such a tunnel could be compromised.

-----
Loot available:
Half-Orc sized clothing of good sturdy construction, clean - 4 basic shirts & breeches, 2 Harbor Watch tabards
Human sized clothing of good sturdy construction, clean - 4 basic shirts & breeches, 4 Harbor Watch tabards
2 books, 1 fletcher's kit for making arrows, 1 large mug with a smiley face and eyes painted on it, 3 combs, 2 hairbrushes.

Advancing slightly early due to RL

Tower team, Grog'tial

Upon returning to the tower and finding the team upstairs, Grog'tial grabs two human-sized tabards from the chests; "these might come in handy!" Downstairs, he observes the antics involved in opening the door, takes a look at the tunnel, and is less than impressed.

He then focuses on important matters.

"Ey mateys, what're ye all standing around here for? The clock has struck 2, and Admir'l Polly is waiting for us, savvy?! Anyone not back at the boat in 15 gets to walk to the Denuvo the long way around!"

Saying so, Grog'tial starts heading for the longboat double-time (grabbing a lantern to light his way, and picking up the armor at the gate (only if it doesn't slow him down any)). If the others follow, he'll wait until they've boarded before setting out for the ship and reporting to the admiral that the ship is safe to proceed, but with this part of the mission accomplished, he has no intention of hanging around for stragglers.

(ooc: Grog'tial won't acknowledge this or really bother paying any attention to Durik at all, other than when he feels Durik needs to be manipulated into doing something - but I just wanted to say: good call on how to handle this!) :)

"Oo, Durik takes happy mug for happy beer" :)

(hehe ok and thanks)

"For all we know, this actually -could- be the long way round", Aylar mutters, peering down the tunnel for a moment, before turning around to head upstairs after the showoffy half-dwarf. "Alright then, lads'n'lasses, let's lock this back up and move out. Indeed we are be on clock, so guess this will have to be simply jotted down as intel bout a smuggling route."

Argy tries to get the mug but, this time, Durik's hand is faster. So she takes one hairbrush and one book and is ready to go.

Boat Crew

"Oi, if you need extra help I am willing to let you borrow my belt" (fish net belt) " to tie keep this hooligan nice and secure for the time being, unless you have enough straps for the lad already, or let me use your current ropes to make sure he is in a bind he can't squirm out of."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyp Everswim
Inventory
+1 Rapier of Cold
Fishing Net I wear around my waist like a belt - 8 ft, can be used to net fish or entrap enemies.

Abilities:
Curse Weapon - Fishbowl ability
+1 Trapping skills
influence marine life
Teleport to any water source with people/stuff I carrying (once per mission)
cause tsunami within sight of water (3 uses max)

If Durik is willing to. Faster and less tiring :)

"Aye, good Kyp, most welcome additional restraints would be. This rope be getting frayed, and we best keep the doctor tied up 'till we can get more from storage. Also, rags of all kinds just to shut him up."

Mission 1, Turn 6 - (Aboard Ship)
Current Turn will end 7 PM UTC, 28 September unless action posts allow action to be moved along sooner.
Moving this up to bring the two parties closer in timing now.

"This be pointless" growled Captain Baldbeard to those around him. "We'll not be getting any knowings from this lost soul. The mouldy stench on his breath, the same on the dead cook, and...not from the catty Cap'n" Baldbeard gestures to Cap'n Rummyfangs curiously. "The stench is coming from below decks. We'll find whatever turned them down there." With that, Captain Baldbeard wielded his cudgel to crush the zombie's head.

(roll dice) Bellandra intercepted Captain Baldbeard's cudgel with her cutlass. "Hold - we may need a ship's doctor yet if the journey prove treacherous. Remember what Polly said? 'The Ship won't have them under control just yet.' So the ship may yet get him under control, given time. Let us just tie him up better, and tie his mouth shut with rags too, then we can investigate. Fetch other ropes, 'ere this one tears. Also, when he's tied up better, let's see why the good doctor keeps reaching for his belt, maybe he has something there that could be of help?"

"Oi, if you need extra help I am willing to let you borrow my belt" (fish net belt) " to tie keep this hooligan nice and secure for the time being, unless you have enough straps for the lad already, or let me use your current ropes to make sure he is in a bind he can't squirm out of." Kyp swiftly offered.

Bellandra quickly accepted Kyp's offer, then looked up to the Main Yard. "Polly, ye know the ship's ways, how long would it take for the ship to regain control of his shambling form?"

Polly cocked her head and observed the Zombie Doctor a moment with that glowing green fire becoming more intense in her eyes. Then she shook her head. "The Ship not be gaining control of this one. It not be of the Ship nor the Crew anymore, but under a different control, darker. Ye must kill it. Kyp, here can make sure the both of them be trussed up well. I don't think they be coming back, but I be feelin' better with ye taking care o'the ropes, Kyp. We'll scupper them in deeper waters once we be back to sea."

Polly then looked to Captain Baldbeard. "Ye be sayin' about a stench, but not of rum I be taking it. Can ye find this smell, track it? We must be knowing where this came from if not the Ol' Nick's. In the meantime, some of ye check the barrels of Ol' Nick's rum in the cargo hold, but do not try any yerselves." The parrot's voice turned deadly. "I be cautionin' ye all now, avoid Ol' Nick's, unless ye truly wish a similar fate." The parrot admiral gestures towards the zombies. "There be grog and other rum aboard, as well as fruit drink and water," Polly glanced briefly up at Pugwash, "... and there be reason Ol' Nick's is nay stored with the other drink and ship's stores." Did Gilius faintly shiver at that reminder she wondered? If so, he covered it well.

Lastly Polly turned to Cap'n Rummyfangs, head bobbing and beak clacking in what must be a parrot's style of laughter. Cocking her head to one side, then the other, she waved an irridescent wing towards him and the Patches swiftly returned his clothing to normal as the disguise fades. His shirt Patch came flying from his cabin to restitch itself into his shirt once more, and the putrid scent was slowly fading, although perhaps not quite fast enough for those with sensitive noses. (roll dice) When Cap'n Rummyfangs looked down he found his glorious fur he had thought gone completely to sickly bald patches almost all there, with only the small patch on his chest and a few pulled hairs under Polly's stitching missing. Polly winked at him. "It be sometimes best to let the Patches be pickin' what be harmless and doable. Tis obvious they be enjoyin' the trying it fer ye tho."

"Captain Baldbeard, I believe we be following yer nose. Larissa, yer expertise may be needed also, if we be running into some unusual substance."

-----
Crew can elect to help Kyp and Bellandra with the zombies, Baldbeard and Larissa with tracking down the cause, or do other things like restock and preparations for the boarding mission until the Tower Team returns. Baldbeard and Larissa will be receiving PM info from the GM shortly. ;)

On ship

Oh well if Polly says their isn't any main hope of gaining control of the doctor I say we slice him and feed him to the fishes so he will be helpful in same way...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyp Everswim
Inventory
+1 Rapier of Cold
Fishing Net I wear around my waist like a belt - 8 ft, can be used to net fish or entrap enemies. (Being offered to tie up zombie doctor)

Abilities:
Curse Weapon - Fishbowl ability
+1 Trapping skills
influence marine life
Teleport to any water source with people/stuff I carrying (once per mission)
cause tsunami within sight of water (3 uses max)

Count Karnstein finished wiping blade against the fur of now even deader cook. He looked at it critically under the moonlight, finally seemingly satisfied with the results, then sheathed the saber and proceeded towards the rest of the crew.

"Well, it's settled then. Too bad we only now know though, what a wasted effort. Not much of a loss though, if ye ask me". He looked baffled at the zombie. "I wouldn't let this chap treatin' even Pugwash's cow. Speakin' of which, let's 'ope the beast 'ave not drunk whatever these two oafs got fer 'emselves".

"I'll go investigate cargo hold. More surprises is the last thing we need right now."