Flashpoint: Downtime

One of the players rocked up late and then we waited for another player who had a trip interstate that we had forgotten about and so by the time we got around to starting the game, there wasn't much time left and we only had 3/5 of the players.  One of the missing players was one who was quite keen on the next mission objective (free their old crew members from the prison hulk).  So instead we just looked at downtiming it.

Day One: A strong south easterly kept trying to buffet them back but they reefed the two smaller square sails and let the lateen rigging do what it does best as they tacked across the wind near the Osirini coastline.  Lhye crafted some potions of Cure Light Wounds.  Lunjun masterworked his gun to remove its broken condition.  Archer presumably did the same.  Proteus tried to teach the rather sullen, unmotivated, and slightly mutinous crew the basics as did Second Lieutenant Marxus (NPC).  Presumably, Lenny just tried to help keep them in line.

Day Two: The strong, dry south easterly became stronger still so that they even need to reef the lateen rigging.  They have to move away from the coast and tack east so that they don't end up on a lee shore (with the wind driving them towards the shallows).  The water buffeting them on the port side of the bow means the ship jerks up and sideways in a horrible corkscrewing motion rather than a smooth roll or anything else.  Poor Lhye has to stay on deck despite not having the guts for this as he's one of the few with actual sailing skill (one of 15, in fact).  They can't make any real distance due to the dry storm and their inexperienced crew - most of which spend their time below decks puking.  A half-orc who has no sailing experience nonetheless makes herself useful by running across the canting deck and grabbing the ordinary sailors and their inexperienced seaman assistants when it looks like they might go overboard.  Proteus uses his Bardic Performance to calm the sea around them somewhat (providing a +4 bonus to all within 30 feet of him) for a couple hours.  This dry storm lasts for about 11 hours before blowing itself out.

Day Three: The wind starts to die down and become quite gentle.  Lunjun does some forgery alongside Haylei (as part of her lessons) and is quite successful but he hasn't got the right paper or wax.  He realises he needs a forger's kit.  The crew are quite anxious from yesterday's windy performance and are far more motivated to know how to do their jobs so that they can survive a storm.

Lhye is the ship's doctor and therefore also kind of the ship's priest and he does a Calistrian sermon to the gathered crewmembers (they all come, out of curiosity more than anything) about how this ship was a slaver hunter and that by helping this ship they help gain vengeance on those they despise.  Proteus' monkey familiar assists and rolls a natural 20 on a Perform Oratory roll (I allowed Perform Oratory as I imagined his body language, positioning, and appropriate nattering was about right).  The crew were suitably impressed.

Day Four: They are almost becalmed.  The lateen rigging catches what little wind there is and provides some very slight forward momentum.  The hot, dry air irritates Proteus and while he's okay at keeping folk motivated he just can't keep a tune and when he sings sea shanties he throws everyone off their rhythm.  When he goes into the ocean for a dip, he's approached by a beautiful female Triton.

"Hello," says Proteus in Aquan.

She gives a slight smile as she approaches him, cups his cheek, and places a shell necklace around his neck.  It reads as nonmagical to Detect Magic.

"Thank you for tha...."

The Triton swims away.

Proteus tries to roll a Knowledge Local to figure out what that was all about but botches his roll and thinks it was some sort of mating ritual that he failed.  Each shell is intricately carved like scrimshaw (but more delicately done or else it would have broken the shell) with the image of a ship - most of which are from different nations ranging from Ustalavic to Chelish to Shackles.  Lunjun starts decoding the tablets (post them up later) and gets thoroughly excited by the range of necromantic spells he gets to learn as he'd never think to learn them if they weren't directly in front of him.

The tiefling with the black teeth, nails, and eyes propositions Lhye: "Want a screw for a silver?" 

Lhye botched a Sense Motive check (player figured she might be as dodgy as the Aasimar).  I polled the other players for a good mistake and Proteus' player suggested that he took it literally.  So he says: "Nah, we have carpenters for that."

Proteus overhears this and says to her: "He likes the carpenters' tools better."
She snickers at that and propositions him.

He says: "Nah, you won't want the silver after that."

She winks.  "Bet you can't convince me of that."

So, of course, they use Lhye's room in the infirmary.  We're terrible people and find the whole thing funny so I get him to make a few rolls to convince her to give it up for free but she rolls a 20 on her Will Save and so gives it to him for half price and the next one for free.  Proteus pays the full silver anyway.

She propositions Lunjun who responds with: "I'm busy" as he's currently learning spells.

Haylei, the little midshipman, finds out about this (though not about the First Mate's part in it) and marches after the tiefling.  "Oi!  This is an Andoren ship and I won't have prostituting on an Andoren ship.  D'we need to segregate ya?"

Day Five: They are still almost becalmed.  They notice a silk merchant ship, fat with loot and waddling in the water, in a merchant galleon and Proteus and Lhye hatch a plan.  They need more ship room if they're going to take out a prison hulk's worth of guards.  Proteus is much better at keeping people motivated and in the rhythm or learning the ropes (literally).  Lunjun learns the rest of his spells.  The next session will likely begin with them taking over that galleon.

Day Six: A moderate south easterly.  Lunjun teaches Haylei Common and navigation.  Proteus teaches the crew.  Lhye cooks and heals the odd scrape and bruise - gets a lot of interest from the crewmembers on that account.

Day Seven: As before.  The only difference being that Lhye's familiar is attacked by a rat.  Lhye gives his cat the Burning Gaze spell and the cat immolates the rat.  Proteus tells Lhye off and Lhye simply says: "I'll have a talk to him (the cat) and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Day Eight: A calmer south easterly.  Their destination is in sight.



During all of these days, Proteus also fishes off the side of the ship with this long line of hooks.  Well, on all of the non-stormy days.