Below the deck of the stern segment, the galleon holds a narrow hallway between rooms with another room ahead, each with a closed door. Music and laughter spill out of the room to the right, with sounds and smells of a kitchen to the left.
Led by Presto's gleeful exploration, the three heroes immediately turn toward the right, and he opens to door to--
Half a dozen or so sailors lounge around the relatively cramped quarters, in hammocks, makeshift bunks, or strewn about the floor and low stools. They surround a goofy human pirate, frozen mid-dancing. He's stripped to the waist with his pants rolled up to the knee, his shoes are on his hands, and he balances a chicken on his head. His body is painted with circles with different point values enumerated, and he keeps his mouth open for others to toss pieces of hardtack biscuits.
Everyone pauses and stares at the three heroes.
(not saying a word, he closes the door slowly)
Maybe we loop back to this one, later.
Nearly every inch of space in the galley is used somehow-- caskets open and cast about, sacks and pouches everywhere. Baskets and bunches of foodstuffs are strung from the ceiling. A huge hearth stove lights a hot fire for giant cookware, over which fusses a tall orc woman in black leather and with a gold tattoo of cresent moon over her left eye.
Hey! That smells pretty good! What's on the menu!
Angler fish, what else! This time in a curry stew with potatoes, and-- Oh! What's this? New guests? Again!
Oh, sorry! Ilren invited us aboard. It *does* smell delicious though.
Oh, Ilren did, did he? Thanks. There's a lot of that going around, it seems.
Oh, don't worry about us! We're happy share if we can. I think we have some cheese and crackers left from our travels...
OK, make a RESOURCES roll for your FOOD.
Diana's FOOD (D6), rolls a 🎲(5) = She's fine
And I can help with the potatoes! Look!
Doffing his hat, Presto summons a magic hand with his Fetch trick. It picks up a potato, and as it hovers, it spins, its skin shedding as if a knife is paring it.
Ha-HA! Well, that *is* a neat trick, isn't it! Pull up a stool, little one! My name's Kycera, second mate of the Lambent Zenith, and soon-to-be master of the anglerfish feast!
Second mate! I thought maybe Ilren...
Ah! That chatterbox? Sure likes to throw the weight of his words around, and quite a weight they are, with the crew.
(under her breath)
Poor Figaro.
The first mate? He's sick, we heard. Is it bad?
Not sure. Seem so? Ilren said it would probably be a couple days. 'Course, that was a couple of days ago...
Well, we can check on him, for sure!
Well! That would be wonderful! If you are any good with healing as you are with peeling potatoes, you have given me hope, indeed!
Laughing, she indicates an immense pile of potato peels behind Presto.
Presto! Stop!
Wha--? Oh, jeez!
Wait. What about Captain Mala-yalla?
Malayuri?
(sighs)
Uncertain. When the ship crashed into this rock, we were torn asunder. I fear she is lost, but with any luck, she may be in one of the surviving segments of the Zenith.
So... why not go over there and see?
We've tried. Crew that travel the rock risk all kinds of deadly creatures. All those that have tried, have never returned. We had started to marshal our forces, hoping to launch a big expedition, all of us together, but that was before Figaro fell sick.
Right. Deadly creatures. Yup.
Aye. Strange monsters. Stalking us, sometimes right up attacking us! We've become our own little island, here. Figaro was ready to lead us all outta here! Find the rest of the Zenith, you know? But, I guess, when he gets better.
Should we bring Figaro some of the curry?
(he dips a pinky and tastes, and suddenly his eyes bug out, and he begins panting furiously)
Oh! Oh! Oh! Hot, Hot, Hot!
Hmm. Make a RESOURCES roll for your WATER.
Eric's WATER (D6), rolls a 🎲(2) = Water resources deplete one step to D4. LOL
Eric guzzles his water, sitting, collapsed on the floor.
Huh. I didn't even add any pepper, yet.
continued in 5.8 Companionway . . .
GM FOOTNOTES:
It's becoming clear it's a very different chapter than the previous ones, which is a nice change. Lots of interesting personalities we can play with, too.
It came up before, but I'm continuing to use a Resource die mechanic for things like Food, Water, etc. In this case, each use threatens to deplete resources. Roll the resource die and on a 1 or a 2, the die reduces one step. If reduced from D4 to 0, the character runs out of that resource. Technically, it goes against the Dragonbane ethos of "rolling low is good" but it's just easier to look for a 1 or a 2. Also, I wondered if I could bring a boon/bane rule to it, in this case, Diana would have to roll with a bane as she is giving up a LOT of food if she's contributing to a whole crew. But, eh, I figure it's best to simplify whereever possible, instead.