Onboard the ship

[shadowbane]

As the others leave to head back to the ship she finds a nice vantage point high up on the slope, she puts on her glasses and turns her gaze out to sea. She makes a few notes on her paper and looks out in another direction her eyes seeing things far beyond the range of normal vision. She turns her gaze off into the distance once again and then hops down off the rock.

“I was just making some notes….”

She quietly heads back making notes about the island as you go recording good paths and crossings and recording types of wildlife and plants. She takes the lead on the way back taking the group off-course but on a much easier path, missing some of the larger obstacles on the way back.

As she gets to the ship she inquires, “Do you mind later if I borrow a longboat?”

She spends the next few hours as you discuss strategy and prepare for war pottering about the ship. She tries her hand at a few jobs, helping out the odd crewman, showing a little skill at most jobs onboard ship. She even ventures up into the crows nest and stands there for a while taking extra notes on the reefs.

She ventures down to the quartermasters office and helps him a bit with his work and after a while takes out a longboat to accurately sound, map, and measure the channel though the reef

((before finally turning in for the night and making notes and updating a few maps as she ties to get to sleep, happy that she is something useful but unsure of her job on this ship. <edited out to make more sense> ))

[Kelly]

Captain Kelly grants permission for Chey to use one of our life boats. "Do not venture far from the ship, and in fact I suggest you stay within range of our ballistae. It is a capital idea lass in case we need to depart rather quickly. I would like you to assess our chances to leave along each shoreline as well just in case the channel is not available to us."

Walking out on deck, Captain Kelly orders "Lower one on the long boats with two crew men to row and four of your best marines armed with crossbows Ms. Evelyn. Give Chey a sounding line as she will be charting the reef and shoreline in case we need to make a fast get away. Ms. Chey, you are in command of the life boat."

"Ms. Evelyn, see that the appropriate ballistae facing out to sea are manned and ready in case they have any trouble. Double the watch Ms. Evelyn, and triple it at dark."

"Mr. Palai see to it that there are no fires, lights or undue noise now and through the night onboard ship. Inform the chef that we will eat before dusk."

With that, Captain Kelly stays on deck to watch the mission. Turning to his officers, he asks "Do any of you have any more input on the strategy for assualting the Giant's cave?"

[shadowbane]

“Yes Captain” she says and goes over to the boat and gets onboard, both nervous and excited.

Chey lets the sailors lead the lifeboat out towards the reef wary of the waves and a little nervous. “Keep the boat steady, I don’t want to have to learn to swim” she jokes more to calm her nerves as she starts taking soundings.

“This should be….” She drops the line into the water and it goes slack which seems to surprise her “I couldn’t have?” she puts on her glasses and looks into the water “I misjudged the depth?” she says quietly and corrects her navigational chart of the reef.

She continues her soundings but seems put off by her slight error. As The boat nears the far edge of the reef she reluctantly orders it back to shore to take soundings off the calmer waters their when she is reminded of what the captain said by a sailor.

She takes soundings for a little while more feeling very safe under both the ballista of the ship and the watchful eyes of the marines.

She returns to the ship and thanks the sailors for doing such a good job with the boat. She then smiles nervously at the captain and approaches. “Thank you captain I finished the soundings of the reef you’ll have your map by the morning”.

[CosmicHorror]

(Apoctus voiced his stratagies both during the last session, and on the tactical discussion board. Aside from the change sugested by Kelly, his input hasn't changed)

[Kelly]

"Well done Chey. I look forward to reading your map of the reefs. Please prepare a quick presentation for tonight if possible. Tomorrow will be a busy day with the assualt on the Giant's Cave. I would like you to brief the officers of the ship, especially the navigator and helmsman. We never know who may have to get us out of here in quick fashion."

"Ms. Evelyn, have the men stand down from the ballistae but continue with the watch."

"Mr. Palai order the dingy restowed."

"Mr. Turjan you have the bridge."

"Gentlemen and ladies. Planning session in my quarters this evening."

With that Captain Kelly retires to his cabin.

[Kelly]

We saved the best and most intact dead ratmen bodies from the battle. The rest were dumped overboard along with the food and worthless supplies and equipment with no value.

Early on the day following the battle with the ratmen, Kelly cast a speak with dead spell and questioned the captain of the ratman supply ship. I will also cast gentle repose spells on the ratmen bodies that we saved from the battle to prevent them from decomposing.

We can then tie or prop these ratmen up in key positions on the ship in case we are observed sailing into the harbor. The deception should work until we are very close. It may be possible for members of our party with use rope skills or engineering skills to rig hidden ropes to the ratmen to make their arms move in a waving motion as we approach giving them the appearance of being alive.

[Kelly]

Captain Kelly calls his officers together for a private meeting after the planning session has broken up and after he meet with Chey pursuant to her request.

Attending this meeting is Apoctus, Turjan, Evelyn, Palai and Kelly. "Gentlemen and lady. I have been approached by Chey in a private meeting just a while ago. She appears interested in joining our crew and expanding her role onboard. Nothing has been decided, however I learned more about her abilities."

"She has a myriad of skills including cartography, librarian and research, bookkeeping, navigation and some rogue skills as well (including trap-finding and opening locks). She also has bardic abilities, which includes the ability to cast divine and arcane spells. She is also semi-proficient with the knife and whip."

"I believe that Chey would be a good addition to our crew, but wanted to bounce the idea off our you and get your opinions. Does anyone have any thoughts about changing the status of our passenger to becoming a crew member? This would entitle her to a full crew share of the treasure and would make her a candidate to become an officer and possibly join the Fists of the Dragon."

After waiting for and listening to the comments from the officers, Kelly continues "I have also noticed several members of our crew standing out from the crowd. These include several of our sargents of the marines. I would like everyone to think about possibly expanding the membership of the Fists of the Dragon following the battle with the wrack dragons and freeing the Steel Giant at the island. Those that are offered membership, I would also favor extending to them a full member treasure share of any loot or items recovered in connection with the encounters on the Steel Giant's island."

"Of course, membership will depend heavily on how these individuals aquit themselves during the upcoming encounters. So far I have been impressed, and if these select crewmen continue to shine above the rest I think we should agree to make them officers of the Tallywhacker and also invite them to become members of the Fists of the Dragon. What say you all to this proposal keeping in mind it is contingent on their performance in the next few days?"

"We have several roles we can fill as officers on board. I know we need a quartermaster and I think Chey would be good at that position based on her abilities to negotiate and buy supplies and keep track of the bookkeeping end of things. I also think she would make a good assistant navigator and cartographer. There are other spots to fill as well with the other members of the crew who are outstanding at present. I think it would not hurt to have a permanent artillery officer, an assistant pilot, an assistant officer in charge of the marines to assist Evelyn, and we also could use a cook and have several other miscellaneous positions to fill as well. Once again, this would all be contingent on their performance during the next few days."

"I welcome your thoughts and comments since you are the core officers of the Tallywhacker and also are full members of the Fists of the Dragon. What say you all?"

[CosmicHorror]

"Well, usually it's the more the merrier. It can't hurt to have some more hands and heads among the officers."

[Hussar]

(Lookout is also a position on a ship - says a disembodied voice )