Robes watches you smash the first guard's hand Antero.  Chewing his lip, he sighs and turns back to you Wungarr

"Well.  You heard the man.  I'm Thonkar.  So what's the message?

"And as far as the key, it goes to secret hold.  I'll have to show you where it is.  Can I get up?"

Antero finishes up with the work glancing over to see what Wungarr does (and ready to act if the Captain tries anything).

In reply to Cap'n Will Kill U (msg # 520):

Wungarr nods, and let's the orc rise. However, he keeps a good grip on the slaver's neck with one hand. He holds onto the axe with the other. "Again...I don't like you enough to have patience with you. You do anything I don't like, I am chopping off bits of you."

Thonkar manages a guffaw despite the big troll fist around his windpipe Wungarr.  But he doesn't give you any other lip.

He nods towards the stern of the ship.

"There's a hatch down to the bilge over that way.  We need to go down to it.  You'll see what the key is used for once you go down there.  But the lock has a trick to it.  So I'd say you need to let me unlock it.

"Well?"

He holds out a hand, as if waiting for the key.

Antero looks to Wungarr for confirmation and then hands the key over.

In reply to Antero (msg # 524):

Wungarr keeps a hold on the orc, and keeps the axe at the ready. "Go ahead...slowly and carefully." However, he loosens his grip enough for the prisoner to use the key.

Thonkar takes the key and nods slightly.  Then leads the way.



The bilge of Such A Pisser is cleaner than other bilges you've both seen.  It's relatively free from damp for example.  If it weren't for the row of bloody cages along the starboard side, it might even be clean.

As stated, there is one side of the bilge lined with small metal cages.  The bars of the cages are all stained with dried blood, as if indicative of how brutal passage in them must have been.  You would guess these are the cages used for the slaves who needed a "lesson".

Along the other wall are chests that look to contain typical supplies for a ship.

At the end of the bilge is a wall.  Built into the wall is another cage, it's doorway seeming to be the opening into whatever is beyond the wall.

The big cage door seems cleaner than the punishment cells.

Thonkar walks towards the big cage door, holding up the key.  "Beyond's where I keep the loot.  I suspect that's what you're really after, right?"

Antero nods, "Considering it's wealth made from the misery of others, yes it is part of the message.  Don't do business here.  Don't be a slaver."

The warrior shrugs, "You'll be left with you ship, your hold, and your life.  Take a loan and get a cargo...or not.  If there is any ward or trap we have to deal with that you haven't disarmed, you won't have to worry about your future.  Not like you haven't stolen plenty of other namegivers' futures already but we're inclined to be merciful.  You might even get off the path you're on."

Antero shuts his mouth and stands ready with his axe a little back just in case.

Thonkar has the sort of facial expression that says he won't think about any of that at all as he says, "I'll think about it."

He then inserts the key into the lock and moves it back and forth in a complicated set of turns.  It comes open.

He steps back and gestures inside.  "There's a particularly valuable but violent slave inside.  He's a special order of sorts.  I can't get near him as he'll get violent.  One of you may have better luck talking to him.  If I go in, he won't listen to anybody."

Through the opening, at the back, you can see a dwarf, naked and severely beaten, chained to a ring set into the floor.

In reply to Cap'n Will Kill U (msg # 528):

Wungarr looks at the chained slave. He sees the blood, and torment etched on the figure's body. He then turned, grabbed the top of the orc's hair, and proceeds to hack the slaver's head clean off.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:58, Fri 10 May.

Well that escalated quickly

It takes less time than one might think.  But Thonkar's head is soon dangling off a single strand of flesh from the back of his neck, gore gushing in a spectacular crimson fountain out of the hole.

Inside the cage, the dwarf starts to laugh.  And laugh and laugh and laugh.  He's clapping his hands and laughing.

There's not much light in his eyes.

If Antero had any comment on the matter, he stays silent instead.  He checks the body for the keys and then goes inside to see if he can't unlock the dwarf.

The dwarf is too busy laughing to pay you much mind Antero.  He seems in a happy place that only he can see.

You manage to get the chains unlocked.  The dwarf stops chortling and stands slowly, looking at the chains.  He looks at the two of you and starts laughing again.

He's rather a jolly fellow, this battered, mad dwarf.

Antero offers the dwarf his waterskin and after digging in his pack a small bite to eat before retrieving the keys from the dead slaver.  He checks the space beyond the cage to make no one else (or anything else) is inside.

Ducking back out he nods to Wungarr, "Time to leave.  Let's grab the captain's chest and get out of here."

Antero looks at the dwarf a little concerned.  Horror touched couldn't laugh like that could they?  Maybe passion possessed.  After a moment's study he offers, "Want to come with us?"

In reply to Antero (msg # 533):

"The ship might be the best way out for these people. Trying to move them past the town guard would be risky. There are enough sailors left to encourage them to sail out while everyone else stays below deck." Wungarr suggests. He cleans off his axe, and tries to find some clothes for the dwarf. He spits on the corpse, and drags it to a lower hold to be rid of it lest it start to smell. He tosses the head down with it.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:07, Mon 13 May.

Thonkar has some clothes in that chest upstairs.  So even though the shirt and trousers are too large for your new friend, Mr. Laughy, he's at least got clothes on now.

The other slaves have all cleared out.  There are the sailors Wungarr knocked out by throwing them down the stairs before.

The two warriors you fought against are gone though.

Mr. Laughy follows, still chuckling under his breath.  It seems he plans to follow the two of you.  At least for now.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:32, Tue 14 May.

Grabbing the chest and putting it on his shoulder, Antero heads off the boat at a brisk pace.

In reply to Cap'n Will Kill U (msg # 535):

OOC-I did say I locked the sailors in the cages they had for the prisoners. Without their gear.

Yes Wungarr.  But that doesn't mean you guys got all the bad guys.  There was one guy who hid.

He just didn't care about the sailors. Only the two warriors.

The three of you, including Mr. Laughy, head off the boat.

Where to?  Back to the tailor shop?  And let me know if you want to do anything else on board the ship.

Thanks

"Let's get back to the tailors," Antero suggests.

In reply to Antero (msg # 539):

"We need to be careful. No doubt the escapees are going to the guards. Which means they reported our faces and anyone we go to contact will be in danger. We need to send a note to her, and arrange a safe meeting."

Antero shrugs, "The guard might not be alerted or on the move yet.  If they have been it seems to me it would be more dangerous for us to try to find a place to hide and then trying to send a message to the tailors.  Especially in a town we aren't familiar with in the first place.  Let's just get to the shop before things get more complicated."

The shop is dark, but once again the back door is cracked open.  From deep inside the shop, you can see the small light of a single candle.

The candle is set on a stool.  You realize it is the stool the old orc woman was sitting on earlier.

Laughy is chortling under his breath, glancing around wildly from here to there.

You don't see anybody, but you do finally notice the stool is set atop a trapdoor.

The door leads down a ladder.  At the bottom of the ladder is a small rowboat, bouncing on the water remember, the tailor shop is on a pier.


Heading down to the boat?  Or want to look around the shop some more?

Noting the candle sitting on the stool and the trapdoor beneath Antero says, "Definitely a message.  Let's not waste any time and get to the ship after we get the chest loaded up"

The warrior heads partially down the ladder to the point where he can grab one end of the chest.

In reply to Antero (msg # 543):

"As long as no one sees us near the shop it should be fine...maybe." Wungarr nodded, helping with the chest.