Alrik leaps over the railing and into the sea, having decided his own fate.

"Maybe he's the wisest one of all," the older man says after the splash.  Zobart has emerged from a doorway and now he walks over and frowns at the bodies .. including the jumper, was that three dead in a mere minute?  At this rate, no one would be left to see high noon.

"Look, Xander, lad, don't doubt it.  Mess?  No this isn't just a mess.  We're in real trouble here.  By point of argument, that way," he points to where he just came from.  "Ship's barber was doing some poking around a body, looked like.  Had him all opened up like a book."

Zobart blows out his cheeks and gnaws on his lower lip, then shrugs but holds the contrite expression.  He isn't sorry that he'd skipped the battle, but he does feel bad the youngster is taking it all so hard.  All they needed to find was a good bottle of the good stuff, and everything would be much better.

"Fine," Xander says flatly.  "Let's keep busy.  I'm going to clear the deck and then break open the ship's stores and see what's what."

Actions for the next while:
X tosses the liver-less overboard, then goes to investigate 'Cargo and Crew's Berthing'
Y follows and helps as she can
Z explores the captain's quarters and learns things (assuming logbook is still there)
This message was last edited by the player at 04:55, Mon 27 Apr 2020.

Endo very helpfully yells in the direction of Zobart, "Hey, the logbook was actually by the helm! Also I can just tell you what was in it."

He catches up to Zobart and, demonstrating impeccable memory, recites the contents of the ledger he found:

Captain Kristene de Keradel, missing
Connant (First Mate, male), missing
Stone Dahut (Priest of Alkar-Az, female), in stasis in her stateroom
Lowell (Surgeon, male), missing
Chincho (Ship’s Cook, female), dead
McCann (Captain’s steward, male), dead on the operating table
Ricori (Master-at-Arms, male), dead in the human livestock deck
Ship’s Carpenter, Boatswain, Ship Master, all missing
The “Livestock” – all the names of the islanders, 10 dead passengers, and 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 additional passengers still in vegetative states
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:27, Wed 29 Apr 2020.

Having nothing better to do, Fouillis and Obtenir help throw the liverless overboard.  Then they help Xander examine the cargo.

He catches up to Zobart and, demonstrating impeccable memory, recites the contents of the ledger he found

They all listen to words that confirm what they've seen: the whole crew was dead except Dahut.  "Missing just means eaten by the .. thing," Xander says.  Zobart grimaces.  Yolanda grrrs.

From all the clues* and putting their heads together, they come up with as good a summary as they can:

• They were poisoned by the mushrooms to sleep.  Why is unknown, simply slaves?  Crew wore masks and used caffeine to avoid falling asleep
• Some kind of stone idol "exploded" when Tirrem (unknown) failed a ritual off-ship.  Sounds like "eggs" were implanted in crew
• Regardless of how/why it appeared, the Skrag killed the crew (anyone missing a liver) while the islanders slept.  It's had babies since apparently, so the islanders were asleep quite some time.  For all we know there is more than one Skrag.
• Dahut cast a spell to survive the skrag's attacks, but it half-failed.  Even so, she's not been attacked.
   Reviving her seems possible, but wise?  Unknown

So what now?  Xander has stopped in his tracks.  Searching the crates can wait.  "We need to fight this thing and kill it, before we lose more people.  We know it's hide is stony, but I think it can be hurt if keep at it."

"Once it is dead, we fix the wheel.  Then, we read the charts.  Then, we we sail home."

In the young man's mind, it was that simple.

* I trust my fellow players can forgive the OOC-ish/meta-y nature of the list in this post

You can search the cargo and crew's berthing for anything you might expect to find there.

• State the object of your search.
• Someone makes a DC 10 Agility check to secure the crates.
• If failed, the searcher must make a DC 13 Reflex save.

What you've seen might resemble a water troll. It might resemble the Great Kobold. You know what some of the crew believed. But none survived an encounter with it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:06, Wed 29 Apr 2020.

Obtenir and Fouillis are tired are swinging chains, so they search for their equipment.  Obviously the meager weapons they’re now carrying aren’t getting the job done.

Neftas has never exactly been a font of wisdom.  Anyone's opinion about this might or might not change when he says "Well, if it's so hard to kill, why don't we just trap it instead, so it can't eat us and it can't swim away?  We've got boxes and chains, we can do something with that, right?"

From Yolanda's expression, she really likes the idea of trapping the skrag.  But how?  The thing was huge and walked on two-legs which meant it was probably too smart to fall into your typical snare.

"Don't look at me like that," Zobart snorts.  "I will not be bait for your hook!"

Meanwhile, in the dreary crew's berthing, Xander glares at the crates as if they were responsible for half of all their misfortunes.  While Fou and Ob search for their precious professional possessions, the woodsman muses.

"Somewhere in here is a spare ship's wheel.  We should use our tools to minimise risk and save lives.  Do we have crowbars and similar?  I have a my raft paddle.  Come on people, let's do this!"

Proposal: use 10' pole, ropes, chains and other implements to reduce the DCs on those checks  :)

Reason for days-later edit: mixed up PC names, now it makes sense to read
This message was last edited by the player at 00:35, Sat 02 May 2020.

Having found their equipment, Foul and Ob return in an upbeat mood.

“Trap it?  Sure.  Why not?  What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve,”

“Or die trying,” Ob adds.

“That too.”

Foul and Ob return in an upbeat mood.

So glad to have found them in this mood, Xander asks Foullis politely to see the Captain's Logbook.

Meanwhile, back to the dreary crew's berthing.  Yolanda and Zobart concoct a plan where the latter would supervise and the former would take all the risks.  While the former seems willing, if hesitant, the latter seems completely confident and happy with this scenario.

"Remember, a wheel," the gambler says, pantomiming a large circle with gesticulations, "a large wheel.  Good luck, now, there's a good girl."

Either ignoring the man or really not understanding at all too well, wolf-girl stalks and prowls the crates, light on her feet and ready to succeed!

State the object of your search:  Yolanda searching for spare and unbroken ship's wheel to attach to helm
Someone makes a DC 10 Agility check to secure the crates: Yolanda rolls a ... 14, success!

17:23, Today: Ecla rolled 14 using 1d20.  Y DC 10 Agility check to secure crate.

Endo watches Yolanda's acrobatics with interest and poorly-concealed admiration. It is difficult to scamper about on an impending avalanche whilst wielding an entire ship wheel, h observes only to himself.

"So we have a wheel now. Can it be re-attached to the helm? It looked pretty busted up when I was up there. Also, does anybody know how to navigate? Won't do much good having a wheel if we don't know where we're steering."

With animalistic agility, Yolanda retrieves the spare ship's wheel from its spot, nestled, as it had been, cozily within a crate of yak pelts, the crate itself on top of a tripod formed by spare masts. Well, you get the idea.

She slides down one of the masts and springs off midway, planting her feet perfectly when she lands. Proudly, she displays the wheel to Zobart.

Everybody down there in the dour and fuggy Crew's Berthing feels something special has happened.

The wheel can be mounted to the pedestal at the helm on the poop deck without difficulty.

Proudly, she displays the wheel to Zobart.

A brown-toothed grin is her only reward as the older man snatches it and promptly orders Xander to lead a brave expedition to the poop deck to begin repairs.

With a chuckle the woodsman concurs even as his stomach rumbles.  "Fresh air would do us good."

The trio and anyone else who wants to come along exit the lower level.  Once the wheel 'was mounted on the pedestal at the helm without difficulty' ... what next?

does anybody know how to navigate? Won't do much good having a wheel if we don't know where we're steering."

Zobart snorts.

"Er, hello.  Endo? Was it?  Navigate?  Looks like you and I volunteered to learn how.  Let's go grab those charts in the captain's cabin and figure it out.  I mean, if sailors can do it .. well ... "

(Semi) Random Ideas

• Use the bilge pump to empty the bilge and explore it
• Read the Captain's Logbook
• Clear out the galley of corpses/horrors and have/cook lunch (even hopeless DCC schlubs with zero futures get hungry .. hey, maybe a good meal restores lost hps or even a LUCK .. who knows, merciful GMs exist!  hahaha)
• Read the Navigational Charts.  Was that INT check possible for everyone, or is it just one attempt/roll per day or something similarly restrictive?
• Something else I haven't though of .. anyone ?

This message was last edited by the player at 17:52, Sun 03 May 2020.

“I think you’re forgetting something,” Fouillis opines.  “That big-ass monster that keeps eating our livers.  Shouldn’t we do something about that before we fix the wheel or whip out the captain’s log?”

About 20 minutes have passed since the last creature attack.
Anyone can attempt to read the maps with each attempt consuming 5 minutes.
Trying to set up an ambush for the creature would be a DC 15 Int check (+2 for having an applicable background)--assuming you have an idea for this trap.

All should declare what they plan to do with their next turn.

Note: this post is not intended to convey actions for XYZ (those are forthcoming), it's instead some IC dialogue regarding sea music and musings

While the survivors milled about, putting their plans into action, Zobart starts humming a popular pirate tune. He has a terrible voice, and tends to ad-lib off-colour lyrics.  Hearing it, though, Xander realises something:

"You said the ship's figurehead is a ..Klab-water-man?" he asks, not quite pronouncing it right.  "I've heard tales of those, they're .. mythical things, like forest pixies on land.  I mean, they're good luck charms.  Some people think that when sailors are in really deep trouble," here he looks around at everyone, "that singing can call one to help.  I can't think of a better time than when the monster shows up again!"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:58, Tue 05 May 2020.

“That’s your plan?” Fouillis asks angrily.  “Wait until we’re attacked again and then sing to some lousy statue for help?  Nothing personal, monsieur, but your plan fils de pute with merde.”

“Yeah.  And it sucks, too,” Obtenir puts in.

“Now, if you’ll excuse us, my compatriot and I shall attempt to save all of our skins, worthy and unworthy alike, by constructing a trap.”

“A deadly trap,” Obtenir specifies.

03:51, Today: Quadrakill rolled 15 using 1d20.  Obtenir build trap.
03:51, Today: Quadrakill rolled 19 using 1d20+2.  Fouillis build trap.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:51, Wed 06 May 2020.

Xander listens closely as the once-upon-a-time rapers berate him for bringing up the Klabautermann.  He shrugs, supposing that when the time came, those who believed would be saved and those who did not would be eaten.  In any case he is glad to see those guys up to something productive, but a deadly trap needed bait.  "We can set up the trap on deck or down below .. I leave it to you two," he tells Fou and Ob.

Logically, they knew what attracted the monster.  It took some time, but he finally was able to convince his sister of the need.

The girl was quiet, squirrel-skittish and would probably never fit into society.  But Yolanda did know animals and their care.  Gently humming to the penned-up goats, she selects a suitable one with large, sad eyes and leads it onto the deck.

It was left to Xander to do the actual the killing, with a quick stroke of the axe blade.  A few minutes later the girl held aloft the prize: fresh liver.

***

Meanwhile, Zobart has been poring over the sea charts in the alarmingly de-fenestered captain's cabin.  Maps were like table odds, right?  If you memorised enough of the detail, then you knew when you when to hit, or stand.  Every so often, he takes a glass eye out of his pocket, and looks through it as if unseen secrets might be revealed.

Actions
Xander discusses the merits of singing to save lives while slaughtering a goat
Yolande provides bait for the deadly trap: rolled 18+2 = 20
Zobart reads the charts, messes around with a glass eye:  3, 8, 20 .. took 15 minutes?

09:54, Today: Ecla rolled 18 using 1d20.  Y DC 15 Int check, help with trap.
09:53, Today: Ecla rolled 20 using 1d20.  Z DC 15 Int check, read the charts, attempt 3.
09:53, Today: Ecla rolled 8 using 1d20.  Z DC 15 Int check, read the charts, attempt 2.
09:53, Today: Ecla rolled 3 using 1d20.  Z DC 15 Int check, read the charts, attempt 1.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:58, Wed 06 May 2020.

In a moment of inspiration, Endo plunges a hand into one of his surprisingly accommodating pockets. "Aha!" he shouts in some semblance of triumph. In one hand he holds an ornately carved flute, and in the other a set of sextant and astrolabe.

"This flute has one of those klaubautermann things on it! Perhaps it can be used to summon help? I tried playing it earlier but couldn't produce much of a tune of any sort, but maybe there's more to it?"

"Also, I have these navigation tools. These would probably be better served in the hands of somebody smarter than me..." he trails off.

The offer to take the navigation tools from Endo is open. Meanwhile, he begins scrutinizing the flute, giving it experimental puffs and running his fingers over the holes. Perhaps some more dexterity would produce something worthwhile?


19:58, Today: Coily rolled 12 using 1d20.
19:58, Today: Coily rolled 6 using 1d20.  Endo flute agility.

For most of the islanders the next ten minutes is a flurry of activity. Those without a role in the trapping seal themselves off in the Stone Dahut's chamber.

Endo passes his fingers inexpertly along the length of the flute whilst aspirating noisily, his thoughts consumed by the klaubautermann, the Kobold of the Seas, the Patron Saint of Sailing Men.

For Zobart's first two attempts, he calculates the odds of the kraken pictured in the southwest corner of the chart defeating the herd of giant squids pictured in the northwest quadrant of the chart in open sea combat. Then, he brings the sextant and the astrolabe to bear.

After searching the galley, Foullis finds a jumbo tub of foie gras. He and Obtener, after having first obtained consent in triplicate, slather the bait in liver puree from head to toe and a few of the parts in between. With the super-sized goat liver tucked between her lips, Yolanda descends two levels to the Cargo and Crew's Berthing and then ascends to the top of Le Murder Crates and perches there like some livered-up albatross.

A scratching sound is heard on the hull.

Then a thump as something large lands on the deck.

Demonic screeching as it descends one level and another.

A breakneck scramble up the crates of meticulously stowed cargo.

And Yolanda jumps off, triggering an avalanche with one deft kick--just as F and O had instructed her.

The murder crates do their work. The screeching reaches a peak and then dies away. The islanders gather round to view their prey.

And there it was: Gone. It had just up and dissolved before Yolanda's very eyes. The nooks and crannies of the wooden deck, slick with black ick, speak of its passage to the bilge below.

You estimate you have 30 minutes before it returns.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:51, Fri 08 May 2020.

The nooks and crannies of the wooden deck slick with black ick speak of its passage to the bilge below.

"Look .. blood .. we hurt it!" Xander says, mostly for his own benefit.  He gives his terrified, foie-gras covered sister an appreciate hug for her bravery and then directs to her to a quiet corner to wash up.

Now what?  Did they dare take the fight to the thing now that it was wounded?

It lairs in the bilge?  How was it getting in and out?  Could they seal that off better?

The woodsman barely understands the concept of a bilge, hoping someone could explain.  It was full of water?  Why would that be?  There was a pumping mechanism?  So many mysteries.

Meanhile, Zobart claims to know exactly which way to go.  "Now, we just have to decide where.  Onwards to Lys, where slavery and death await, or back home?  Come on, one and all, lay your bets."

The smarmy swindler nods appreciatively at the aspiring flautist.  "Keep trying Endo my lad.  I for one, believe that the Klabautermann will save us .. somehow .."

“Down to the bilge,” shouts Fouillis.  “If it’s down there, let’s kill it while we still can.”

“Aye,” snarls Obtenir, who is seriously considering piracy as a career when this is over.

"I know I made a horrible racket," Endo apologizes, "But when I attempted to play my flute somebody responded! I heard another flute coming far off from the Northwest. Perhaps if I go up to the crow's nest, one of you guys can shout out the next time the monster appears and I can flute in some assistance?"

Without actually bothering to make sure everybody is okay with the plan, Endo heads resolutely to the crow's nest.

There had been some confusion before, with Neftas the fool preparing to stroll out into danger while the trap was set, and Kat needing to intervene before he inadvertently got the whole lot of them killed.  Unfortunately this had meant both of them losing the opportunity to help in any meaningful way with the last encounter.  This time, Kat is quick to volunteer Nef for joining Endo up in the crow's nest, and Nef is quick to agree.  Kat then draws his sword and prepares to join the hunting party going to the bilge.

Neftas, Endo, and Olfred clamber up the ladder to the human livestock deck and then up another one to the main deck where they scramble up the rigging to the crow's nest. Endo, more than the other, gazes wistfully to the northwest but sees scale nor hair of the kobold of the seas. He must be just beyond the horizon.

Olfred sings a mournful tune:
Are you going to the Alviz Fair? Endo, Kat, Neftas, and Aine.
Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine.

Porcelina, unable to gain purchase on the rigging, waits for her master on the main deck. She contents herself with nibbling on the carcass of a freshly sacrificed virginal goat.

Way down below, in the deepest, darkest recesses of the Star of Nostro, all of the other islanders invade the bilge. Well, three of them. The other three have to wait for their turn.

Crouching low, you climb down the ladder and step onto the platform above the bilge water. The rank water is a ripe mixture of sea water polluted with the filth of sailors who, for weeks now, have used this area as a latrine.

Towards the aft, a tube descends from the deck above and into the water. Towards the fore of the ship, protruding up through the water are four large, veiny, leather sacks covered in mucous. You nervously intuit that these may be some sort of unearthly, or unholy, eggs.

As you examine the sacks, a scratching and clawing sound can be heard originating from the bottom of the ship. It is the unnerving sound of someone, or something, trying to claw its way through the hull.

The water is roiled by unnatural currents, causing the fetid water to slosh onto the platform.

Roll init. Meet or Exceed 18 to act first.
Only room for 3 on the platform (Kat, Obtenir, and Foullis). X, Y, and Z are ready to join them.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:25, Sun 10 May 2020.