Brandaelfr just says, "We should press on. Playing tricks on each other while in a potential combat zone is not a good strategy. Drakul, if you would, please?"

"It might be a good strategy depending on what your strategy is for," said Drakul. "Looks like a lot of stuff in here. See anything useful?"

Success by 4 on Search.

Fergurth looks Mog in eyes, “If you aren’t man enough to walk through, I will.” She proceeds to walk past the disarmed trip wire.

Brandaelfr follows behind Fergurth, adhering to his place in the marching order. With the light from his halberd to illuminate the room, he looks around for anything interesting.

Search fail by 3.

The dwarf continued to chuckle as he entered the room. "Ah've never seen ah barbarian so worried over ah little trickster. Ha Ha! Don't ya worry, yer sure to see through et tha next taime as well." He winked at Mog. "Just make sure ta stay on tha lookout." He then set about looking over the room.

fail search, succeed scrounging by 2

HP 12/12  FP 15/15 ER 5/6, PI 10/10 Spells on: 1 , Buffs: Watchdog(tunnel)

"worried? no. distrustful and annoyed by. I grew up as a half blood, how many 'tricks' do you think I endured that were not of a friendly nature?" Mog says as he follows the rest in at the back of the group.

"...said the Half-Orc to the Half-Ogre," Drakul noted. "I guess we have different reactions to being teased. I prefer Fergurth’s mentality. If you let it bother you, it defines you. If you let it define you, it controls you. If it controls you, then you can’t plot the fall of an empire while drinking yourself into an early grave, if you know what I mean." He smiled as if he had said something profound. "Embrace the schemes, Mog. Expect them. And you’ll never be disappointed."

After clearing the trap the delvers come into a cozy stone chamber. There is a bed covered with blue silk sheets and pillows and the floor is covered with a bearskin rug. Beside the table is a small table with a stool in front of it. On the table is an ornate lamp and a leather bound book pinned to the table by an ornate dagger, it's pommel a golden skull. Beside the table is an iron bound chest and a pair of fluffy bunny slippers.

Drakul raised an eyebrow at the bunny slippers. "Cute."

He checked to see if the chest was locked.

"Captains log?" he said, eying the journal. "Let’s see."

He took a closer look at the book, thumbing through the pages.

Inside the chest Drakul finds a woman's nightclothes, a gold and copper drinking goblet, a telescope, a bottle of century old mountain dwarf whiskey, a cracked hand mirror with a silver frame, and a sketched map of the caverns.

The journal is ink-blotted, blood-stained, and partially rotted away, however that last several entries are still legible.  The entries are scrawled in a messy awkward handwriting.

Captain’s Log: Argh, such a day! Took a merchant ship filled with silver and spices, but barely escaped the King’s ships. My quartermaster Bloody Jack counsels we lay low and strike for the coast instead. He says local fishers worship a sea god with foul rites to bless their catch, bowing before an idol with black pearls for eyes. Loot!

Captain’s Log: A villager we questioned gave up the hidden entrance to their temple: a great warren of caves, with not just cultists but fish-folk! We waded into them with bloody slaughter, and seized their priest and sacrificed him before his own idol! Maybe this “Tentacle Beard” will bless us too! Found an underground anchorage, big enough for a long ship! With this hidden fortress, the King’s navy shan’t find us!

Captain’s Log: Argh, such a day! Took another merchant ship, lost nary a crewer. I slew their captain myself. Mayhap Tentacle Beard’s favor is on us after all! Good plunder, a great bejeweled chair shaped like a shell, magic, and a pile of gold I split amongst the men. We diced for the magic items, and Peg-Leg Niles got the best. Bloody Jack grumbled when he didn’t get the glowing sword he wanted. We saved a few captives to bleed for the sea god.

Captain’s Log: Such a day! A man on watch saw a mermaid and dived overboard. Never found him, though Bloody Jack cursed me for wasting two days searching. I said if he didn’t shut his trap, I’ll make Niles my quartermaster instead.

Captain’s Log: Back from another great reaving! Seized a ship full of wine, and the crew is drunk as skunks! Niles and Jack quarreling over loot as usual; I broke it up. Another layover at Tentacle Beard’s temple to fix the sails. Fought off more fish-folk. There’s a nest of them somewhere below.

Captain’s Log: Bloody Jack back from a spying mission at the capital, to earn my favor again. He says he has a plan to steal the King’s treasure ship. We’ll do it!

The last entry is written in a different handwriting:

Quartermaster Niles (Acting Captain): A dark day! We sailed into a trap, the King’s treasure ship packed with knights and bowmen! ’Twas Bloody Jack who betrayed us. Captain Morag fought like a madwoman, so we won the day but she fell mortally with most of our loyal crew slain. The traitorous dog Bloody Jack escaped! Somehow we made it back to the Temple, ship leaking like a sieve. We’ll lay our Pirate Queen to rest. With her dying breath, we swore to find Bloody Jack and slay him, but so few sailors remain, and now they’d rather slink off to spend what shares they can carry. I’m tired and wounded. I’ll bury our Pirate Queen and seal her tomb.

Brandaelfr holds his halberd higher to help illuminate the table as they read the log. He says, "Well, that idol does not sound fun if it is anything like the last three we dealt with. I think the map of the caverns should help us figure out where any other abominations might be hiding."

Fergurth looks over the map as well while Drakul reads the journal. "So then the other door in the past room should lead to where their ship was docked." She starts to gets visibly excited, "I think we should go there next, you know see if there's any treasure left on the old ship."

"Intriguing," said Drakul. "Let’s go see what we can find."

Figure we’ll come back for loot here like everything else.
Once we’re ready to move on, Drakul will lead the way.

The delvers go through the other door in the mess hall, leaving their treasures to be collected later, and enter the ship's grave. The passage leads to a large cavern; around the edge is a two yard wide stone ledge, the center is a shallow pool no more than a few feet deep in which sits a ship. The ship is a slender open-topped vessel with a single mast, a dozen benches on either side, and a dragon headed prow with glaring red eyes. A gangplank is laid across the ledge to board the rotting ship.

Inside the ship is a pile of glittering blades, shields and coins. Propped up on top of the mound is a body clad in full armor with sword it it's hand, a shield on it's arm, and an axe in it's belt. At the far end of the cave a pile of boulders and driftwood fascine blocks what must have been the entrance that connected the cave with the outside world.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:40, Sun 03 Feb 2019.

Brandaelfr sees the body clad in armor and asks the group, "Anyone else think that body might be another draugr waiting to attack the moment we get closer?"

"I guess there’s one way to find out," said Drakul, approaching the body and waving.

"Hello there!" he said. "Would you happen to be the Pirate Queen?"

He kept a hand on the hilt of his knife, but kept enough distance that it shouldn’t matter.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:07, Sun 03 Feb 2019.

As Drakul approaches the boat the draug stands up eyes lighting with green witch fire and a woman's voice booms, “Who disturbs the rage-filled dreams of Morag, Pirate Queen of the Sea? Do you bring me the head of Bloody Jack, the dog who betrayed me?”

"Ah'll tell you what Lassie, if you would be so kind as to die again, we will see what we ken do aboot Blooody Jack" He concentrated on casting shield on Drakul.

If Drak is within 9 yards, he has +2 DB

HP 12/12  FP 15/15 ER 3/6, PI 10/10 Spells on: 2, Buffs: Watchdog(tunnel)

Brandaelfr shouts out, "Greetings, Captain Morag! Unfortunately for your sake, you are no longer among the living. You are a draugr, a blight on the natural order. It is likely that Bloody Jack is long since dead, although if he shares your condition we shall put an end to him as well!"

No clue where we are. If we are on the ship, then Brandaelfr is trying to flank Morag.

"Actually, I think we killed Bloody Jack a ways back," said Drakul, shooting a glance at everyone behind him. "Yes, he was one of those in that other room, you all remember of course."

Let’s go grab a random skull and see if that works... if not, it will be the best trick! ^_^

---

After sending a compatriot to procure the bottle of whiskey and a set of glasses, and another to grab a random skull, Drakul opened the booze, poured a glass for himself and Morag, and anyone else who wants some, and approached the Queen glass outstretched.

"Morag, my Queen, a glass of fine whiskey for you to celebrate!" he waved his ally to hand him the skull, then presented it to her. "Behold! The skull of Bloody Jack! And bloody he was when he died, the bloody traitor. Let’s drink to his demise!"

Carousing: Critical success!
This message was last edited by the player at 03:09, Sun 03 Feb 2019.

Picking up on Drakuls hints, Fergurth eagerly runs back to the previous rooms to pick out a grimacing skull. “Uh, this one isn’t too damaged” she says as she plucks an only partially splintered head from the pile. Upon returning to the ship she spits on the skull and hands it to Drakul. “May he rot forever”.

"Ha! Screw you Bloody Jack! May you rot in hell!" Morag says taking the goblet and throwing back the whiskey, “Well, as your reward, you’ll not taste my blade – and here, have a few baubles with my thanks!”

Then the Draug sits down against the mast, crossing her sword and shield across her body, the green fire in her eyes fades, and Morag the Pirate Queen is still.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:31, Sun 03 Feb 2019.

"Loki’s own Luck!" he said, bursting into laughter. "Now, that, my dear friend Mog, is why trickery is good exercise."

Success by 5 to search for all the treasures.

Fergurth watches the spectacle then looks round at her companions, “did that really just work. Maybe Loki is on to something.” She smiles at Drakul and walks to the bow to see what the eyes of the dragon are made of.

"But deed we hafta give her tha whisky? She didnae even taste et!" The dwarf looked a little traumatized.

succeed scrounging by 5
This message was last edited by the player at 03:57, Sun 03 Feb 2019.