>>4924220
> Aurelio Baluyot, refugee, cook, and latest hire aboard a pirate vessel.

>>4924220
>> Aurelio Baluyot, refugee, cook, and latest hire aboard a pirate vessel.

>>4924220
>Michael Saint, former Church of Humanity member cast out after your magical potential revealed itself.

>>4924220
>Michael saint

Such self ate is ripe for exploitation.

>>4924220

> Aurelio Baluyot, refugee, cook, and latest hire aboard a pirate vessel.
time to get blessed with a bandolieer of UNLIMITED PISTOLS BECAUSE FUCK YOU

>>4924236
>>4924251
>>4924283

Writing.

File: aurelio.jpg (95 KB, 650x1260)

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>>4924236
>>4924251
>>4924283

Your name is Aurelio Baluyot, and this morning’ll mark your 10th and last day in the slums of Madripoor.

It wasn’t always like this, you think to yourself sometimes.

Life used to be a lot more simple when you lived in the Philippines.

Most of your time was spent working as an assistant chef at a small restaurant. It wasn’t much, but you got a roof over your head, 3 square meals, and a little spending money to play with.

Unfortunately, the status quo decided to suffer a major shakeup.

A violently anti-mutant political party rose to prominence and began rolling out authoritarian measures in order to “curtail the mutant menace.”

Peaceful protests became violent protests, violent protests became crackdowns, and crackdowns escalated to terror attacks.

This unrest culminated when an unidentified mutant possessing unparalleled hydrokinetic powers drove the island province of Cebu, your home, into the waves.

The only reason you survived was luck; you weren’t on the island when it was sunk.

In the guise of charity, the government decided upon a simple solution; offering the few survivors a free ticket to Madripoor and a small stipend to keep their mouths shut.

You honestly should’ve seen the trick coming, but the combination of shock and loss served to dull your ability to think critically.

Before you knew it, you were on the boat to Madripoor, a land of new beginnings.

You made it 2 days before somebody stole everything you owned.

Since then, you’ve mostly lived on the streets, before finally catching a lucky break.

Through the grapevine, you caught wind of a small-scale pirate crew looking to pick up some new talent.

You figured that anything’s gotta be better than living like an animal, so you dazzled them with your culinary skills and earned yourself a spot on the roster as the ship cook.

That’s not all you’re good for though.

Before your home was destroyed, what side interest did you pursue?

> Brawling. You and couple other guys from the neighborhood kept yourselves entertained by setting up an informal prizefighting circuit.

> Engineering. You spent most of your spare time tinkering in a makeshift workshop you kept in the attack. Nothing special, but you know one end of a screwdriver from another.

> Sailing. As befits an island province, you kept a little skiff that you’d use to race and cruise around with. You’re no expert, but you’ve got your sea legs at least.

> Medicine. There weren’t many hospitals in your price range, so you learned how to patch up injuries whenever somebody in the kitchen fucked up tremendously.

> Other? (Subject to QM fiat)


In addition, how do you feel about mutants?

> They destroyed your home and everything you’ve ever cared about. Hopefully you can pay unto them the same kindness one day.

> If you ever get your hands on that mutie bastard that sunk Cebu….

> If the government hadn’t provoked them, maybe none of this would’ve ever happened.

> Other?

>>4924409
> Sailing. As befits an island province, you kept a little skiff that you’d use to race and cruise around with. You’re no expert, but you’ve got your sea legs at least.

> If you ever get your hands on that mutie bastard that sunk Cebu….

I think sailing fits with our current job the most! And I like having a grudge on a specific mutant but not all mutants.

>>4924409
> Brawling. You and couple other guys from the neighborhood kept yourselves entertained by setting up an informal prizefighting circuit.
> If you ever get your hands on that mutie bastard that sunk Cebu….

>>4924409
> Brawling. You and couple other guys from the neighborhood kept yourselves entertained by setting up an informal prizefighting circuit.
> They destroyed your home and everything you’ve ever cared about. Hopefully you can pay unto them the same kindness one day.

>>4924409
> Sailing. As befits an island province, you kept a little skiff that you’d use to race and cruise around with. You’re no expert, but you’ve got your sea legs at least.
> They destroyed your home and everything you’ve ever cared about. Hopefully you can pay unto them the same kindness one day.

>>4924409
> Sailing. As befits an island province, you kept a little skiff that you’d use to race and cruise around with. You’re no expert, but you’ve got your sea legs at least.
>If you ever get your hands on that mutie bastard that sunk Cebu….

>>4924409
>> Engineering. You spent most of your spare time tinkering in a makeshift workshop you kept in the attack. Nothing special, but you know one end of a screwdriver from another.

> If you ever get your hands on that mutie bastard that sunk Cebu….

>>4924409
>Sailing. As befits an island province, you kept a little skiff that you’d use to race and cruise around with. You’re no expert, but you’ve got your sea legs at least.
Just for the irony of it
> If you ever get your hands on that mutie bastard that sunk Cebu….

Sailing / Targeted Hatred win, writing.

File: duke.png (1.19 MB, 637x1100)

1.19 MB PNG

You always had a fondness for the sea, and it’ll hopefully serve you well in your new profession.

The loss you’ve suffered still hangs heavy in your mind, but you remind yourself that you can’t judge every single mutant based upon the actions of a singular example.

However, should you ever got a shot at the mutie bastard who sank Cebu, it won’t be pretty.

Best to focus on more practical matters for now, like the whole “becoming a pirate” thing.

Your interview, if you could even call it that, was pretty informal. After heading to a dive bar where you heard the recruiting was going on, you met a cheery guy named Duke that asked you a series of questions about your criminal prowess.

It wasn’t going too well at first, but after you mentioned that you knew how to cook and worked in a semi-professional setting prior to your current circumstances, he visibly lit up before giving you a dock number and instructions to head there tomorrow morning.

Armies march on their stomachs after all.

You shake the cobwebs of memory away and head to the docks, you’ve got an appointment to keep.

Sure enough, Duke was waiting to give you the grand tour.

The ship itself was interesting, you recognize the general model from an old war movie. A PT boat, that’s what it’s called.

“We’re a pretty small crew,” Duke mentions as he explains your general duties and the layout of the ship. According to Duke, you’ll probably be assigned to the boarding party or ship defense in addition to keeping the crew fed. It’s a bit daunting, but you’ll just have to get used to it.

(CONT.)

File: boat_layout.png (506 KB, 1224x709)

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>>4924594
“But we get the job done and less crew equals more cut. Besides you and me, there’s also Hans and Clara. I’m the captain, so I handle navigation and the radio. Hans keeps the engines running as well as general repair work. Clara handles the armory and would serve on the boarding party with you. You’ll meet them in a few minutes, we’re about to have a planning session before we head out.”

The ship is currently armed with twin .50cal machine guns, and no torpedoes, and the armory has a couple AK-74s, hunting rifles, and a couple old grenades.

The rest of the tour shows you everything you figured the boat would have; engine room, armory, kitchen, etc; concluding with the chartroom currently occupied by another man and woman.

“Alright everyone, meet Aurelio, our new cook!”

The male, presumably Hans, continues fiddling with whatever gizmo he’s working on without sparing you a second glance.

The woman, presumably Clara, shoots you a glance and rolls her eyes.

“Can we get to get to business now? We’re burning daylight.” She complains.

“So impatient, Clara.” Duke chuckles a little before getting more serious and proceeding to lay out the potential targets he’s been able to gather intel on.

The first, is a Spanish cargo ship transporting electronics from Japan. Should be easy enough pickings.

The second, is a private research vessel that’s been snooping around Madripoor for a while. Might have some private security onboard, can’t know for sure.

The third, is a bounty on a Singaporean military vessel that’s been harassing other pirates for a while. Somebody’s offering a significant payday to whoever blows it out of the water.

Unfortunately, your shipmates are unable to come to a consensus on which to target.

Duke wants to hit the merchant vessel, Hans wants to hit the research vessel, and Clara wants to pick a fight with the military vessel.

The deciding vote is left in your hands, and you choose.

> The merchant vessel. It’s the safest option for your first actual voyage as a pirate.

> The research vessel. It might leave you with nothing important, or it could be invaluable.

> The military vessel. It’s dangerous, but easily has the largest guaranteed payoff.

>>4924601
> The research vessel. It might leave you with nothing important, or it could be invaluable.

>>4924601
> The research vessel. It might leave you with nothing important, or it could be invaluable.

>>4924601
>> The merchant vessel. It’s the safest option for your first actual voyage as a pirate.

>>4924601
>The merchant vessel. It’s the safest option for your first actual voyage as a pirate.

>>4924601
> The merchant vessel. It’s the safest option for your first actual voyage as a pirate.

>>4924601
> The research vessel. It might leave you with nothing important, or it could be invaluable.

I recall that there are massive spaceship junkyards from the misc alien invasions around the Philippines or south east asia in general within the Marvel universe. So I'm personally betting on us stumbling into some alien junk. Whether it's mere profit or we end up getting a bunch of superpower origin stories is up to the QM of course.

>>4924601
>> The research vessel. It might leave you with nothing important, or it could be invaluable.

>>4924608
>>4924614
>>4925285
>>4925301

Writing.

File: hans.jpg (89 KB, 625x1000)

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It takes some careful consideration, but you eventually voice your opinion in favor of targeting the research vessel.

It’s a bit of a wild card, but you’ve already decided to roll the dice by becoming a pirate, might as well embrace the spirit of it.

Hans nods in your direction, clearly pleased by your support.

Clara seems disappointed, and mutters something about “no fun in smashing a bunch of eggheads.”

Duke just shrugs.

“That settles it then, we have our target. Should be a few hours at least before reaching its last known location. I suggest that everyone get prepped and ready.”

With that, the meeting is over.

How would you like to spend your time before the raid?

> Drop in on Duke in the radio room. He’s been nice enough and might give you some pointers on the whole piracy thing.

> Hang out with Hans in the engine room. The guy’s a bit quiet, but he manages to keep this entire boat floating all on his own, must take some talent.

> Check in on Clara in the armory. If you’re going to be on the boarding party with her, the least you can do is get familiar with each other.

> Do some practice shooting with the twin .50s.

> Other?

>>4925501
>Drop in on Duke in the radio room. He’s been nice enough and might give you some pointers on the whole piracy thing.

>>4925501
>Drop in on Duke in the radio room. He’s been nice enough and might give you some pointers on the whole piracy thing.

>>4925501
> Drop in on Duke in the radio room. He’s been nice enough and might give you some pointers on the whole piracy thing.

>>4925510
>>4925525
>>4925568

Writing.

File: clara.png (584 KB, 557x1000)

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After the others make their exit, you follow Duke to the radio room.

Upon noticing your presence, he gestures for you to enter.

“What can I do for ya, Aurelio? Gotten lost already, have ya?” He says jokingly.

“I just wanted to get a few pointers on the whole armed robbery at sea thing.”

Duke’s smile fades a bit, but quickly perks back up.

“Glad to see that you’re taking this seriously. I’ve seen too many folks get cocky and let their pride do the thinking for them.

I’ve always been more of a hands-on kinda guy, so come take a look at this. Consider it a training exercise.”

Duke rummages through a pile of maps, before producing one and placing it on the table.

“This is the location of the vessel we’re going to be hitting, the Brunswick. As the name would suggest, it’s registered out of Canada. Funny thing is, I couldn’t find a public registry of the company owning it. Probably just lost in some bureaucrat’s file cabinet or something.

Anyways,” he says, tracing a line across the map with his finger from Madripoor to the coast of Malaysia.

“I have it on good authority that the Brunswick has been sniffing around looking for something, but your guess is as good as mine. I wouldn’t be worried though; if that ends up being a bust, we could just hijack it and ransom off some hostages. Either way, not a total loss.

I’m getting sidetracked, what I wanted to ask was; theoretically, how do you think we should make our approach?

You think it would be best if we…

> Kept distance until nightfall, snuck up on them, and boarded them in the dead of night.

> Just put a few shots over the bow to cow them into stopping. It’s a research vessel, not a merchant marine.

> Pretend that we’re some flavor of naval police and trick them into letting us get in close.

> Other?

In addition, any general questions for Duke about piracy, Madripoor, etc?

> ? (No limit)

>>4925947
> Kept distance until nightfall, snuck up on them, and boarded them in the dead of night.

>>4925947
> Kept distance until nightfall, snuck up on them, and boarded them in the dead of night.

>>4925947
>Canada
Oh god. Fuck. Wolverine's going to attack in the middle of this.
> Pretend that we’re some flavor of naval police and trick them into letting us get in close.

These guys sound like they have something to hide with the unknown company name, but they also went and made an alabi. That tells me they're sitting ducks if a "coast guard" comes because they think can bluff with their credentials.
Plus if we were stealthy enough to board at ight we wouldn't have been robbed in the first place.

>Got any tips for me not getting all of my money stolen the second we're in port?

>>4925947
> Kept distance until nightfall, snuck up on them, and boarded them in the dead of night.

>>4925961
>>4926019
>>4926026

Roll me some d100s to see how well you present your case, DC: 40

(Rolls will typically be based off number of successes. For example, 0 is a fail, 1 is a partial success, 2 is a regular success, and 3 is an excellent success.

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>4926037

Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>4926037

>>4926043
>>4926062

It's been long enough, go ahead and give me another d100.

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>4926145

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4926043
>>4926062
>>4926158

Fail, writing. Rolling a d2 to determine which plan he decides to go with.

1 = Shots over the bow.
2 = Trick em into letting you close.

You lay out a meticulously detailed plan of attack; we would surreptitiously track the ship until nightfall, silently make our way over, board it, and take them in their sleep.

Duke nods, thinks to himself for a moment, and proceeds to politely but firmly tear hole after hole in your finely crafted master plan.

He lists the various issues with said plan in no particular order.

“There’s a good chance that they’ll notice us shadowing them and attempt to flee.

Tracking the research vessel in the dead of night by navigating blind would be extremely challenging and could potentially end with a collision into the shoreline or other hazards.

You have no stealth training whatsoever, and Clara is on a perpetual hair-trigger. If you didn’t blow it, she certainly would.

Lastly, depending on how far the research vessel travels while being tracked, we could end up outside our operating range and not have enough gas to make it back.”

You feel a bit mortified that your plan had so many visible holes, but Duke is quick to assuage it.

“Don’t worry about it. The point of this was to show you that you’ve got plenty to learn. It wasn’t even that bad of a plan honestly, I’ve seen some real stupid shit in my time that it doesn’t hold a candle to.”

While you’re there, you dryly ask if he knows any surefire ways to avoid getting mugged the second you become re-acquainted with the land.

It gets a chuckle out of him, as well as a surprisingly nuanced answer.

“Carrying a weapon of some kind is always a safe bet, but the real protection comes from building up a reputation. Once you hit a couple scores and your name gets a bit of notoriety, street trash generally knows to stay in their lane and leave you alone. Course, that’s generally not a problem in Hightown, but that carries its own brand of dangers.”

That’s putting it lightly. After losing most of your possessions, you ended up accidentally wandering into Hightown thinking it would be safer than the slums. The local cops quickly disabused you of this notion and kicked seven shades of shit out of you. Turns out, Madripoor is basically divided into 2 sections; Hightown and Lowtown. Hightown is for the tourists and the people with fame or money, Lowtown is for everyone else.

>>4926193

“I’m glad you asked me that, because it lines up well with the plan I’ve been cooking up. It’s important to remember that clever ideas and strategy is all well and good, but at the end of the day it all comes down to hitting hard, fast, and as precisely as possible. Whether it be some two-bit thug, a battleship, or an army; so long as you can get in under their guard and either bully them into submission or deal them a deathblow you’ll be the one going home at the end of the day. Don’t go off half-cocked or nothing, but don’t be afraid to keep it simple. Go get some rest, you’re gonna need it.”

You settle into your bunk and settle into a dreamless sleep, clenched with nerves about the upcoming raid. There’s a fair chance you may be required to hurt people; people who haven’t done a thing other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTKgmB4S5zU&t=0s

What are your thoughts on the subject?

> It’s unfortunate, but necessary. If they give up without a fight, they’ve got nothing to worry about. It only gets complicated if they make it complicated.

> It’s not worth thinking about. You need to keep yourself centered on what matters most; staying alive.

> They knew the risks when they signed up for the job. Nobody else is going to bother pulling their punches, why should you?

> Other?

Last post of the night, I'll endeavor to have more in the afternoon.

>>4926195
>They knew the risks when they signed up for the job. Nobody else is going to bother pulling their punches, why should you?

>>4926195
> They knew the risks when they signed up for the job. Nobody else is going to bother pulling their punches, why should you?

>>4926195
> It’s unfortunate, but necessary. If they give up without a fight, they’ve got nothing to worry about. It only gets complicated if they make it complicated.

>>4926195

> It’s unfortunate, but necessary. If they give up without a fight, they’ve got nothing to worry about. It only gets complicated if they make it complicated.

>>4926228
>>4926255

>>4926312
>>4926709

Vote closes in an hour, I'll roll a d2 to break the tie if necessary.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4926766
1 = They knew the risks.
2 = Unfortunate but necessary.

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>>4926811

As you drift off, you come to a simple but inevitable conclusion. If your positions were reversed, would they be treating you with the kid gloves? Almost certainly not. You knew the risks when you signed up for your job, not your fault if they weren’t ready for theirs. Death is an occupational hazard in Madripoor, and you’re not gonna waste time shedding tears over it. From what you’ve seen and heard, it’s just the way things go around here.

A few hours later, you are awoken by Duke over the ships internal comms system.

“Wakey, wakey, it’s go time. We’ll be on them in about 20 minutes, head to the armory and gear up.”

Clara is there, performing a last-minute check on both her equipment and yours. She’s got an AK74 slung over her shoulder.

She slides an old bolt-action hunting rifle your way as well as a few stripper clips of ammo. Despite its obvious age, it’s been very well-maintained.

“Know how to handle one of these?”

You nod, you’ve had a bit of experience shooting vermin and bottles and the like, but nothing with the potential to shoot back.

“Here’s what’s about to happen. I’m going to get on the 50cal and put a few rounds over their heads to put the fear of God in em.

Once we get in close, I’m going to tie the ships together so we don’t drift off. You’re gonna stand there looking pretty and make sure nobody has any funny ideas while I’m distracted.

Got it? Good. Once that’s handled, Duke’ll play defense and make sure nobody tries to counter-board us while you and I are off pillaging.”

You both head topside and take position.

Sure enough, a few minutes later you spot the Brunswick and Clara open up with the 50cal once within range.

They initially try to pull away, but a few more short bursts that get closer and closer to connecting gets them to kill their engines and wait to be boarded.

As you pull-up to the rear of the Brunswick, Clara gets out some naval rope and begins binding the two ships together.

Suddenly, you spot a man wearing some kind of security uniform creep around the corner and quietly head in your direction.

He’s armed with a nasty looking SMG, and it looks like you caught him trying to sneak up on you.

How would like to handle this?

> Take the shot yourself. It’ll be tricky, but you could do it. (Will require a roll)

> Alert Clara and have her hose him down with the 50cal. It’s not precise though, and may end up causing collateral damage to both ship, crew, and cargo.

> Try to intimidate him into backing down.

> Other?

>>4926818

Forgot to include that intimidating him will also require a roll.

>>4926818
> Take the shot yourself. It’ll be tricky, but you could do it. (Will require a roll)

>>4926818
>Take the shot yourself. It’ll be tricky, but you could do it. (Will require a roll)
I feel lucky tonight.

>>4926818
> Take the shot yourself. It’ll be tricky, but you could do it. (Will require a roll)
After that fucking AWFUL luck earlier we deserve a freeby, come on dice gods

>>4926841
>>4926842
>>4926862

Roll me some d100s, DC: 55

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>4926864
NAT ONE BABY LET'S GO

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>4926864
rollan
>>4926865
You have failed, but I won't!

>>4926882
We rolling low?

>>4926886
Nah, it's roll over. They just joking about trying to get a critfail.

>>4926865
>>4926882
>>4926886

It's been about an hour, so go ahead and roll one more time to finish it off.

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>4926924

>>4926924

>>4926865
>>4926882
>>4926936

Minor success, writing.

>>4926937

dice+1d100 in the options field for next time.

>>4926939

You take a deep breath, steady your aim, and gently squeeze the trigger once you’ve got the sights lined up on center mass.

Had you been on land, you would’ve nailed him solidly in the chest.

Unfortunately, marksmanship at sea adds additional variables you aren’t entirely prepared for; such as the swaying of the waves.

Instead, you shot solidly connects with his shoulder, sending him crashing to the deck.

Judging from the noises he’s making, it wasn’t fatal but he’s not having a good day.

Clara’s head snaps up at the sound of your gunshot, but relaxes when she realizes that you were the one to fire.

“You get him?”

“Only in the shoulder.”

“Better go deal with him then.”

Shortly thereafter, Clara finishes securing the ships together, and Duke takes her spot on the 50cal.

You check where the guard fell, but judging from the blood trail he managed to get to his feet and duck into the lower floors.

“Alright, now comes the fun part. Now that we know they’ve got security, we’ll have to lock the place down bit by bit. Don’t want somebody shooting us in the back while we’re busy looting, after all.”

Your first move is to….

(If you only pick one option, both you and Clara will do it. You can choose to split up, but put which specific areas that’ll be checked.)

> Sweep and secure the bridge.

> Head belowdecks and search the crew cabins.

> Make a beeline for the laboratory.

> Other?

>>4926959
>>Sweep and secure the bridge.

>>4926959
>> Sweep and secure the bridge.

>>4926959
I don't suppose we can just strap something that looks like a bomb to the hull and threaten to sink the ship if the security tries anything dumb by chance?

>>4926959

> Sweep and secure the bridge.

>>4927111
>>4927285
>>4927518

Roll me some d100s, DC: 30

>>4927460

You could radio Hans and have him throw something together. I'll make it an option in the next few choices.

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>4927589

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>4927589

>>4927460
We could also threaten to shoot the crew if he shoots at us.

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>4927589

>>4927665
>>4927667
>>4927772

“Guess we ought to start with the bridge.” You offer, tentatively.

“Agreed. I’ll take point.”

The pair of you make your way up a few sets of stairs to the bridge, where you can hear muffled arguing inside.

From what you can make out, it appears that they’re arguing about whether or not to activate some kind of distress signal.

Something tells you it’d be best if you got in there and made the choice for them.

Clara counts backwards from 3, and on the go signal she kicks the door open, and the pair of you storm inside.

You manage to catch the half-dozen bridge crew inside by surprise, but one of them attempts to go for a holdout weapon.

Unfortunately for him, Clara saw that coming from a while away and savagely clubs him a couple times with the butt of her rifle.

Once Humpty Dumpty hits the deck, the rest of the king’s men get the memo and comply with your shouted demands to get on their knees and face the wall.

Clara’s packing some zip ties, and proceeds to secure the prisoners by binding their hands and feet. It’s a bit undignified, but can’t have them wandering around after you leave.

Bridge is secured, so far so good.

Next up is to…

(Remember that you can delegate tasks to Clara if you’re so inclined)

> Head to the lower decks now that you’ve got a bit of breathing room.

> Get to the laboratory, you’ve got looting to do.

> Radio Hans, have him whip up a fake explosive charge, stick it to the Brunswick’s hull, and bluff over the announcements that you’ll blow them to kingdom come.

> Search for a crew manifest, ship registration, captain’s log, anything that might give you some idea who these people are and what they’re doing out here.

> Broadcast a ship-wide announcement that everyone is to surrender immediately or you start executing hostages. (Do you intend to follow through on this threat, Yes or No?)

> Other?

>>4928007
>> Search for a crew manifest, ship registration, captain’s log, anything that might give you some idea who these people are and what they’re doing out here.

>>4928007
> Search for a crew manifest, ship registration, captain’s log, anything that might give you some idea who these people are and what they’re doing out here.

>>4928007
>Search for a crew manifest, ship registration, captain’s log, anything that might give you some idea who these people are and what they’re doing out here.

>>4928007
> Search for a crew manifest, ship registration, captain’s log, anything that might give you some idea who these people are and what they’re doing out here.

>>4928111
>>4928301
>>4928416
>>4928585

Roll me some d100s, DC: 45

>>4928608

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>4928608

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>4928608
JOBBING:ON

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>4928608
Goddamn you guys have dice even more cursed than mine

>>4928634
>>4928650
>>4928655

Writing.

It takes a bit of cajoling, but you manage to convince Clara that having some idea of who you’re robbing and what you’re stealing may come in handy.

The pair of you proceed to sift through the various scattered documentation throughout the bridge.

No crew manifest, looks like somebody was smart enough to shred it when they realized they were getting boarded, along with the logbooks.

However, they didn’t bother to shred the ship’s registration details.

According to these records, the Brunswick is registered to a Pacific Vista Laboratories, with their port of call being Vancouver.

They’ve been at sea for a couple months by the look of their launch date, hopefully they found something worth all this trouble.

“You ever heard of these guys?” You ask.

“I look like a scientist to you? Enough of this, we’ve got shit to do.”

With that, Clara smashes everything remotely electrical, fragile, or important looking on the bridge.

“There, now nobody can call for help or get this tub moving again. Takes a load off my mind.”

A squawking noise from Clara’s belt startles you, but it just turns out to be her radio.

She answers it, listens for a minute, and curses.

“Duke says we might have something headed our way. He thought he saw a blip on the radar for a second before it vanished. Could be nothing, could be somebody looking to get the drop on us. Either way, I’d prefer be finished sooner rather than later.”

With that in mind, your next move is to…

> Clear out the crew decks. It could come back to bite you if you leave them unsecured.

> Get these hostages back to your ship, might be able to ransom them off later.

> Hit the labs, grab whatever looks important, and get out of here.

> Other?

>>4928700
This is a toughie. The security man probably went to the most important/valuable thing OR an onboard superhero, but the lab is the safe bet for something valuable to yoink.

>Let's clear out the crew decks, that rentacop is either gonna shoot us in the back if we hit that lab or ran to the most important thing to guard
If we're really lucky they kept the notes/computers/flash drives in their cabins and we can random off the data. They've been out at sea for months. That means we set them back almost as long unless they pay us.

>>4928700
> Clear out the crew decks. It could come back to bite you if you leave them unsecured.

>>4928700
> Clear out the crew decks. It could come back to bite you if you leave them unsecured.

>>4928719
>>4928764
>>4928777

Alright, roll me 2d100s.

DC: 35 for the clearing.

DC: 50 for the looting.

Rolled 3, 72 = 75 (2d100)

>>4928784

Rolled 94, 15 = 109 (2d100)

>>4928784

>>4928788
>>4928793

It's been about an hour, go ahead and give me another 2d100.

Rolled 15, 35 = 50 (2d100)

>>4928838

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4928788
>>4928793
>>4928848

Minor successes on both, writing.

You voice your opinion to Clara about the importance of clearing the path to the lab, rather than just trying to storm it blindly for a smash-and-grab.

She agrees in her own way, and the boarding party quickly and carefully enters the bowels of the ship.

This caution ends up serving you well.

The security guard you crossed paths with earlier has not been idle in your absence.

He’s done an admirable job setting up a makeshift barricade, rallying a couple other guards, and reading themselves for your assault.

You acquit yourself well in the ensuing firefight, scoring your first kill. Clara does a majority of the legwork, killing the remaining three while you keep them suppressed. The guards are by no means pushovers, but Clara has a lot of experience doing this.

Overall, the firefight took longer than you would’ve liked, but both you and Clara escape with nothing worse than a graze or two.

By sheer coincidence, the guard you killed was the one you had wounded originally. A brief check of his ID marks him as private security for Pacific Vista Laboratories.

Curious. They own the ship, the security, and the scientists. That’s a fair bit of compartmentalization.

Those rent-a-cops offered stiffer resistance than you would’ve thought, why would they go to the trouble of fighting to the bitter end?

Questions for another time.

Turns out the scientists had been hiding in their cabins, terrified. Probably got ordered to keep their heads down.

In the end, you deliver 8 scientists to Clara and her tender mercies.

Even better, one of the aforementioned nerds had been trying to backup and save his research onto a USB, giving you the opportunity to get a sneak peek.

Most of what you find is heavily encrypted, but you find a few files with looser permissions.

Looks like the Brunswick has been searching for some kind of old Ming Dynasty treasure ship that capsized on its trip back to Nanjing.

The files are a bit spotty about what they’ve been able to recover, apparently the majority of the cargo was unable to withstand the dual pressures of time and constant exposure to saltwater.

You shrug, copy everything over to the USB, delete the original files, and rip out the hard drive.

Maybe you’ll be able to auction this info off.

Anyhow, your next move is to…

(As always, the option to split up is available)

> Keep your eyes on the prize and head to the lab.

> Gather the hostages and get back to the boat. Something don’t smell right about this.

> Conduct an impromptu interrogation, one of these eggheads is bound to know something. (Include what kind of questions you’d like to “ask”)

> Other?

>>4928903
> Keep your eyes on the prize and head to the lab.
> Conduct an impromptu interrogation, one of these eggheads is bound to know something. (Include what kind of questions you’d like to “ask”)
How do we open the door?
What's behind it?
Are there any traps?
If anything bad happens your going to be the first to die, understand?

>>4928903
> Gather the hostages and get back to the boat. Something don’t smell right about this.

>>4929110
+1

>>4929110
>>4929199

Roll me some d100s, DC: 25

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>4929397

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>4929397
might be going a bit too low with those DCs QM, the first few rolls were just pure bad luck, any DC below 70 is a cakewalk

>>4929421
Fair point, but I figured that this particular action would basically be a gimme considering that you're threatening a pack of nerds with imminent death.

I'll work on it though.

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>4929397

>>4929409
>>4929421
>>4929446

Regular success, writing.

>>4929468

After rounding up the various scientists, you form a nice little speaking circle and start demanding answers.

After a couple of the scientists unconsciously turn and glance at the one you found trying to secure the research, you turn the brunt of your questioning onto him.

Clara holds him at gunpoint, just in case he gets any funny ideas.

You’ll start with a simple question to break the ice.

“How do we get into the lab?”

“Through the door, obviously. The key is in my pocket.”

You carefully reach into said pocket and produce a small keyring. So far, so good. Smartass.

“Are there any traps inside the lab?”

“No, nothing of the sort.” He gives you a confused look.

“What kind of question was that?”

Clara slaps him upside the head and tells him to keep the color commentary to himself.

“What have you managed to pull from that wrecked treasure ship?”

“How do you know about that?”

Clara smacks him again, this time with the butt of her rifle.

“Next one’s gonna hurt a lot more, answer the question.” She says, coldly.

“Alright, alright. We’ve mostly pulled out a few trinkets, there wasn’t much there that survived after 500-odd years underwater. Personally, I’ve held the opinion that we’ve just been spinning our wheels out here, but that’s besides the point.”

He’s not telling you everything, time to give him one last push and see if you can make him crack.

“Lastly, you do know that if anything bad happens while I’m that lab, you’re going to be the first one to bite the bullet, right? Got anything else you want to mention?”

His already pale pallor becomes ashen, and you can practically feel his internal struggle. Inevitably, he spills the beans.

“The artifacts we pulled from the wreck are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They give off some kind of bizarre energy.”

“What, like radiation?!” You exclaim.

“No, nothing like that. It’s hard to put into words but I’ll do my best. Basically, they give off some form of energy that we can detect, but our sensors can’t make heads or tails of. We know it’s there, but nothing about what it does or how it behaves. That’s all I can disclose.”

(CONT)

>>4929531

After double-checking that all 8 scientists have been restrained, you and Clara double-time it to the lab. The path there is clear, looks like the ship security forces made their last stand in the crew cabins.

The keys that you extorted open the lab door as promised.

Before you head inside, Clara faces you and matter-of-factly states “Since you’re the rookie here, you get to touch the weird science shit. I’m gonna wait outside just in case. Have fun.”

The door closes behind you and the sterile environment of the laboratory seems to close in.

Calm down, you tell yourself. It’s nothing but nerves.

In the center of the lab, surrounded by numerous robotic implements and workstation terminals are a series of items placed within glass containers.

At first, second, and third glance, there is nothing special about them.

A bell, a bowl, a small statue, a coin, and an amulet. That’s all that they’ve got.

If you were faced with these same objects at a night market, you’d assume they were junk made to fool ignorant tourists. As it stands though, they might just be your ticket out of poverty.

You decide to start by picking up…

> A burnished brass bell.

> A small yellow bowl.

> A silver statue.

> A grey coin.

> A polished Jade amulet.

>>4929535
> A grey coin.

>>4929535
fellow anons, any theories at what these would give us?

>>4929535
> A burnished brass bell.

Vote'll be open for a while, since this decision is important.

>>4929535
> A grey coin.
maybe luck? that's always usefull

>>4929666
I was thinking it might be magnetism or something but honestly the items are so vague it could be anything

>>4929669
also "the humblest item is the most powerfull" may be something
it's straight up the eazyest to hide too

>>4929535
> A small yellow bowl.

>>4929535
Gonna be practical and not meta here.
>jade necklace
I figure that if we can’t solve wtf the item we pick does the jade will increase the price the most.

As of now, the votes are

2 for coin
1 for bowl
1 for bell
1 for necklace

I'll close it in 1 hour, just in case of late voters.

>>4929535
> A polished Jade amulet.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4929666
>>4929548
>>4929722
>>4930018

Since there's a tie, I'll roll a d2 to settle it.

1 = Coin
2 = Amulet

In the meantime, roll me some d100s, DC: 75

Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>4930040

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>4930040

>>4929535
> A silver statue.

>>4929535
> A burnished brass bell.
Emotional control or telepathy?

> A small yellow bowl.
Energy projective powers?

> A silver statue.
Silver Surfer?

> A grey coin.
Luck or odds ratio changed or improved?

> A polished Jade amulet.
Telekinetic shield?

Still need one more roll.

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>4930214
ill just roll again

Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>4930040

brass bell ftw

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>4930075
>>4930081
>>4930303

Failure, rolling to see what the dice gods have in store. I managed to fat-finger the wrong power-list earlier, apologies.

1: Hydrokinesis
2: Longshot
3: Cyrokinesis
4: Weather Manipulation
5: Healing Factor
6: Probability Manipulation

>>4930379
i would have preferred probability manipulation but hydrokiesis is REALLY good depending if we can manipulate the water's pressure

>>4930415
It is also incredibly ironic. Last post of the night coming up soon. Also doubles as the last one till Monday, got IRL stuff on the weekend.

File: coin.jpg (257 KB, 1500x739)

257 KB JPG

You shrug to yourself a little, and decide to pick up the grey coin first. No particular reason, it just looks kinda cool.

Thankfully, the keyring you swiped also has the key to the container. Sure, you could’ve just smashed it open, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

You carefully reach forward and grab the coin, studying it for anything unnatural. You’re not much of an expert on ancient coins, but even so this one seems pretty run-of-the-mill.

At least, that’s what you think until a massive bolt of pain rips through you, sending you to your knees.

The agony overwhelms you, and you instinctively close your eyes. You must be hallucinating or something, because you could swear you saw some kind of turtle while writhing in pain.

As suddenly as it came, the pain disappears.

When you open your eyes, the other 4 artifacts have disappeared, vanished from their containers.

After staggering back to your feet, you spot a cooler located in the corner.

A drink sure would be nice about now.

Unfortunately, it’s only got water, but excruciating pain has a way of making people less choosy.

Almost absent-mindedly, you open one to take the edge of your thirst.

You get maybe halfway through the bottle before your fingers, slick with moisture, fumble it and send the contents spilling everywhere.

At least, it would’ve if the errant water hadn’t suddenly formed a small hovering sphere before the bottle had even finished hitting the ground.

With a little experimentation, you can get it to move too and fro a little.

At least, until it suddenly rockets away and slams into the wall with enough force to leave a nasty looking dent.

That’s new.

> You’ve gained the power of Hydrokinesis! Unfortunately, it seems that you don’t have full control when you use it. Actions could be much weaker or much stronger than you intended.

Suddenly, you almost lose your footing when the boat abruptly lurches.

Fuck, that better not be your fault.

(CONT.)

File: an_issue.jpg (41 KB, 463x640)

41 KB JPG

>>4930433

Thankfully, Clara doesn’t notice your internal panic or the damage you caused when she barges in.

The question on the tip of your tongue evaporates at the look of terror on her face.

“Duke just radioed and gave me the news. That rumbling just now? He just cut us loose. That blip he mentioned was some kind of attack chopper. He took a few potshots at it, but it managed to drop something big and mean onto the ship. Duke swears he nailed whatever it was a couple times with the .50, but it just shrugged it off.

He promised that he’d be back once he managed to shake the helicopter off him, but until then we’re stuck here with whatever that thing is.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zvQoPyY2XE

You hear a bloodcurdling scream that sounds like it came from the crew deck. Followed by several others. Then silence, punctuated with a series of loud, heavy, footsteps.

Heavy enough that the ship seems to almost be groaning under its weight. And it’s heading your way.

Both you and Clara are almost frozen in fear as a walking mountain of a man turns the corner and eyes you both appraisingly.

“Do me a favor and struggle a bit, would ya? It’s not so much fun otherwise. Just kidding, it’s always fun.”

On second thought, maybe living on the street wasn’t so bad after all.

As previously mentioned, that'll be all until Monday. In the meantime, let me know if you've got any questions, concerns, criticism, etc.

Have a good one.

>>4930439
Read through the whole thing in one go, good work so far QM! I'm curious how the combat system will evolve.

>>4930436
I recognize this guy from my fleer ultra X-men cards. Coo. Don't remember much else about him except That fuckhuge needle coming out of his finger and I HATE needles.

>>4930439
I like it so far. I hope no power creep gets involved since im worried about it changing the aesthetic.
I can see the hydrokinesis annoying us (in character) since we might get mistaken for the asshole that flooded the island.

>>4930439
Just caught up. Keen for the next session.

>>4930436
(Managed to get out a little early, feel free to stack votes overnight)

The mountainous figure lets out of a snort, equally mixed with amusement and contempt.

“Boy, you amateurs fucked up with a capital F on this one. Here’s a free pointer kiddos; research your targets. Otherwise, who knows what might happen?”

This ominous statement is punctuated by the blood dripping from his metallic fists.

Clara’s still busy getting herself together, looks like the opening move goes to you.

You decide to…

> Try and put a round someplace important.

> Lead him on a chase around the lower decks, he doesn’t seem to be built for agility.

> Get him talking. If you can get him to monologue, you’ll buy yourself a little time to think and maybe shed some light on who the fuck this guy is.

> Flee to the upper deck, maybe you can find something useful.

> Other?

>>4933031
> Try and put a round someplace import

>>4933031
>Get him talking. If you can get him to monologue, you’ll buy yourself a little time to think and maybe shed some light on who the fuck this guy is.
This guy (allegedly) soaked a 50 cal, so I doubt our bullets will work.

>>4933031
>> Get him talking. If you can get him to monologue, you’ll buy yourself a little time to think and maybe shed some light on who the fuck this guy is.

Ultimate goal should be to lead him upstairs and try to use our hydrokinesis to wash him into the ocean.

>>4933031
> Get him talking. If you can get him to monologue, you’ll buy yourself a little time to think and maybe shed some light on who the fuck this guy is.

>>4933031
> Get him talking. If you can get him to monologue, you’ll buy yourself a little time to think and maybe shed some light on who the fuck this guy is.

>>4933162
>>4933226
>>4933361
>>4933377

Alright, roll me some d100s. DC: 60

Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>4933516

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>4933516

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>4933516
DICE:ON
JOBBING:ON

>>4933528
>>4933548
>>4933590

Failure, give me some more d100s to avoid his retaliatory strike. DC: 45

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>4933604
We're not even 200 posts in and we've failed at nearly every opportunity
Our poor MC is a little cursed

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>4933604

>>4933607
>>4933625

Go ahead and roll again if you'd like.

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>4933604

>>4933607
>>4933625
>>4933685

Success, writing.

For a brief, delirious second, you imagine scoring a lucky headshot and ending this issue before it even truly begins.

But then reality steps in.

Whoever this guy is, he supposedly managed to tank a goddamned 50 cal, how is your turn-of-the-century peashooter gonna do the job?

You’ve got some kind of control over water, and you’re in the middle of the ocean.

That may just be the edge you need.

For now though, you need to play to his ego, get him talking while you can hammer out something more concrete. Hopefully he might even give out some detail as to who he is, or who sent him.

Steeling your nerves, you face your brick shithouse of an opponent and channel as much confidence into your voice as possible.

“Before we get down to business, who are you anyways? Haven’t seen a guy like you before.”

Perfect, people love to talk about themselves, now you just need t-

“That’s for you to wonder about while I strangle you with your intestines.”

Or not. Guess he’s more interested in evisceration than conversation.

With a speed belying his size he closes the gap between you and throws a series of combination punches, almost lazily.

Thanks to the way he’s telegraphing them, you manage to dodge them all. It gets a little close at points, but you emerge unscathed.

“Not bad. Not good either, but not bad.” He says, pretending to stroke his chin.

You get the feeling that the only reason this hasn’t gone much worse for you is because he’s playing with his food a bit.

Might as well use it your advantage.

To her credit, Clara snaps out of it and proceeds to open fire on your still-to-be-named opposition.

Sure enough, the bullets bounce off like nothing, but it distracts him just long enough for you to get out of his immediate grasp, alert Clara, and make a run for the deck.

Despite the futility of it, she still takes a few potshots at him as he slowly begins to close the gap.

Thankfully, you get to the deck before he manages to corner you again.

He’s still on your trail though; the mocking in his voice makes that clear.

“What’s the matter, I thought we were having fun! Don’t worry, I’ll be with you in a minute, boy.”

“We are so fucked. Did you see that? My bullets literally bounced off him, what the fuck is he made of?” Clara spits.

“Calm down, I’ve got an idea.”

She gives you a searching look for a moment, before snorting and looking away.

“Better be a goddamn hail-mary.”

About 20 seconds later, the heavy steel door to the deck is ripped off its hinges and thrown like an oversized frisbee into the sea.

Out steps your pursuer.

“So, why’d you bring us up here, boy? Wanted to have one last look at the sky before I gut you like a trout?”

Smug prick.

You decide to wipe that look of his face by…

> Trying to generate a wave powerful to rock the boat and toss his ass overboard.

> Trying to form a sphere of water around his head and drowning him.

> Trying to form tendrils of water capable of strangling him.

> Other?

>>4933757
>> Other?
try to make a extremely high-pressure jet of water pierce his heart

>>4933766
supporting this if that's okay with you QM

>>4933757
> Other?
Bloodbending, control the water in his body! Paralyze him and toss him overboard.

>>4933842
I doubt we can do that otherwise we'd be fucking broken and could effecitvely instant kill anyone in our immediate range

>>4933846
Our imagination is our only limit, I expect we would try and fail due to being to weak, but we can try anyways.

Otherwise we just knock him into the water, and pull him away with a current.

>>4933766
This, but with a broad stream to knock him overboard. If bullets can't pierce him I doubt fucking water can.

>>4933854
So like a big wave? More surface area to hit and more force to push him off.

>>4933860
Yeah like that. I don't want the wave to rock the boat, that's retarded as it might throw us all overboard or even make the whole vessel capsize, but just a strong jet on the guy like from a firefighters hose or these things they use against pesky protesters.

>>4933766
>>4933769
>>4933860
>>4933863

The general consensus I'm getting is blasting him with a broad, high pressure stream of water. That work for everyone?

>>4933842
You can't bloodbend or anything, but I'll add it as a little flavor event. To pull the curtain back a little, the limits of your power will be demonstrated later.

>>4933869
Meant to try and see what the limits are, maybe if we try hard enough we can mess with blood pressure and make people pass out.

>>4933869
agree with this plan
>>4933879
maybe a life and death battle with a superior opponent is not the best time to play around. Can do that later at home.

Alright, I think we're on the same page here, so go ahead and roll me some d100s, DC: 65

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>4933909

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>4933909

Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>4933909
Wooo boy I hope I don't roll a 1

>>4933911
>>4933921
>>4933927
we're in the clear, lads

>>4933911
>>4933921
>>4933927

Minor success, writing.

>>4933936

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRNSPqnAXPI

Pride goeth before the fall.

You may not fully understand the power and limits of your new ability, but necessity is the mother of invention.

Just out of curiosity, you try to manipulate the blood within your opponent’s body. No reaction, which is a shame. Would make this a lot simpler to resolve.

“Are we just having some kind of staredown? Give me your best shot already, boy!”

Man, fuck this guy. Time to demonstrate the true meaning of the phrase “man overboard.”

A wave of water abruptly springs from the surrounding sea and slams into his chest, before hosing him with a broad stream of pressurized water. You were hoping it’d punch through him, but he’s made of sterner stuff than that.

You grit your teeth and re-double your efforts; moving the water isn’t too difficult but messing with the pressure turns out to be fairly draining.

He tries to dig in his heels, but you caught him off-balance and by surprise, forcing him to give ground.

Slowly but surely, you get closer and closer to pushing him off entirely.

Unfortunately, it looks like your foe still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Each of his fingers have sprouted a nasty looking needle, which he jams into the side of the ship to avoid falling overboard entirely.

“You’re a fuckin mutie!” Clara mutters to herself, a mix of horror, and surprise.

You ignore it, it’s taking the bulk of your concentration to keep the stream steady.

It’s not easy moving this bastard; it’s like pushing a goddamn rock. Hopefully he’ll sink like one too.

He’s currently hanging from the side of the boat, how do you want to proceed?

> Keep pushing, you’re getting tired but he’s on the ropes.

> It’s time to find a lifeboat and bail while you’ve got some breathing room.

> Try to snare him with a tendril of water and yank him into the drink.

> Other?

>>4934004
>> It’s time to find a lifeboat and bail while you’ve got some breathing room.

> Other? yell at clara "wasn't before i touched that fucking coin, else i woudn't have gone on the ship with the crew, i'm not THAT fucktarded but right now we have mr "i am bulletproof" to deal with so let's bail first and deal with my new water manipulation abilities once we are in the clear AKA at least 10 miles from the bastard"

>>4934020
Supportan

>>4934004
> Keep pushing, you’re getting tired but he’s on the ropes.
>yell at Clara to stop yapping and start shooting at his hands (shotgun point blank range)

>>4934029
Support.

>>4934020
I think we should not say that in earshot of a enemy super, otherwise they might connect this with the artifacts and put more effort into chasing and retrieving us. Maybe tell her after we are all safe.

>>4934004
I suppose I should have tried to disarm him with laughter via implying he was a fellow pirate we were going to step aside for.
>Don't you dare compare me to that asshole!
> Try to snare him with a tendril of water and yank him into the drink.
For the record, I am against making how we got powers public to a psychopath that's probably going to survive this, might be bugged, and is connected enough to send goddamn chopper backup within minutes of us hijacking the ship in order to kill everyone.
>Clara shoot him the fuck off the ship with your shotgun
Hopefully the flashbang from the shotgun distracts him enough to let us pull him off the ship
I'm not really sure how Wolverine can climb with his adamantium claws considering they're almost suernaturally sharp and should merely cut lines in whatever he's falling from. Same logic applies to this guy.

I've got a couple errands to run, vote'll be open for another hour or two.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4934020
>>4934027
>>4934029

2 for leaving, 2 for pushing, 1 for snare, rolling a d2 to tiebreak.

1 = Leave
2 = Push

>>4934202
Alright, roll me some d100s, DC: 55

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>4934205
Welp time to roll a one

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>4934205

Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>4934205

>>4934207
>>4934210
>>4934225

Minor success, writing.

>>4934230

It’s gonna be close, but you can do this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3vh-vwt29g

This prick bit off more than he chew, and by God are you gonna make him swallow it!

You manage to push through your fatigue and ready yourself for one last push; this HAS to be it.

Straining, you maintain the stream and pressure both, but at the cost of rapid exhaustion.

Clara could offer some support, but you aren't exactly polite about it.

Getting compared to the motherfucker who sunk your home isn’t doing your already strained patience any favors.

“Clara! Fucking shoot him or something!”

She dumps her mag into him, but most of it is little more than an annoyance that gives you more time to push.

When a few shots almost connect with his face, he uses one of his arms to shield it from further fire.

Looks like that spot isn’t armored as well. Either that, or some kind of instinctual reflex.

Regardless, it offers you the opening you need to dislodge him once and for all.

Once he’s in the ocean proper, disposal becomes child’s play.

He’s already ill-suited enough to swimming, the couple of tendrils binding his legs and dragging him into the depths are just the icing on the cake.

You hold him there for almost ten minutes. It only takes a minute to drown, but caution (unlike you) never killed anyone.

Once you’re certain he’s dead, you collapse and take a breather.

Meanwhile, Clara does a re-check of the perimeter. The science team got butchered to the last man, but the half-dozen members of the bridge crew are still in one piece. Guess he beelined for the lab and it was their poor fortune to be in the way.

She comes back with good news delivered via her radio.

“The helicopter’s pulled off, Duke is on his way!”

You feel for the grey coin in your pocket and wonder when the world decided to become such a madhouse.

“So, this happen a lot?” You weakly joke.

That gets a little grin out of Clara.

You'll explain the whole "suddenly manifesting powers" thing to her later once you've had time to collect your thoughts a bit more.

For now, you're busy...

> Trying to fish jumbo’s corpse out of the drink. You’re practically running on empty though.

> Resting. You’re bone-tired.

> Other?

>>4934281
> Other?
Take photos of the dead scientists or get video of the massacre if there are any cameras onboard to blame the crop as leverage and to save our asses.

>>4934281
How badly did we trash that bridge again? We could probably just take the whole ship back with us as a prize at this point. And sell the bodies back to the loved ones of the scientists if we wanna go that low instead of burying em at sea. (or if we feel bad we can email the location of some island we dump the graves on.)
We didn't reveal that we aren't a mutant to Cyber? if he gets revived. With luck we might be able to pin this whole thing on the mutant that flooded our island and use him or her as a diversion.

>>4934327

Clara smashed up a lot of their equipment, but I'll rule it that Hans can jury-rig a temporary fix if the anons would like to go that route. Most of it was scientific and radio stuff. Add a tow-line and you can drag it back home.

I'm crashing a bit early tonight, I'll close the vote when I get up tomorrow.

>>4934327
>>4934281
I'll support stealing the ship if we're allowed too.

>>4934281
> Resting. You’re bone-tired.
we don't want to steal this ship, people will come looking for it and there's a good chance it's bugged.

>>4934281
>Resting. You’re bone-tired

>>4934693
On second thought I'll change my vote to
>looking for plunder
we're pirates after all. Resting is second choice if plundering doesn't get enough support.

>>4934698
YARR ME HEARTIES WE BE LOOKIN' FER BOOTY
supporting

>>4934302
>>4934327
>>4934505
>>4934698
>>4934919

Alright, looks like we're performing our duty as a pirate / swiping the ship.

Roll me some d100s for looting, DC: 45

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>4935157

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>4935157
on it, boss

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>4935157

>>4935215
>>4935219
>>4935222

Failure, writing.

File: turtle_and_snake.jpg (115 KB, 900x804)

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>>4935226

Looting’s an old tradition, especially among pirates. It’d honestly be more rude not to pillage.

Unfortunately, you don’t find anything other than a handful of sentimental keepsakes.

Guess they were focused more on utility than luxury. That, or you’re tired and missing things you might otherwise spot.

About a half hour later, the PT boat cruises up alongside.

Duke waves, binds the ships together, and invites you onboard for an impromptu debrief.

You give Duke a quick run-down of the raid, leaving out the vanishing artifacts and unnatural powers parts.

When Duke asks about the guy capable of bouncing high caliber bullets with his skin, you make up some shit about a rogue wave knocking him overboard and drowning him.

Hey, it’s technically the truth!

Clara gives you a long look, before corroborating your story.

You still owe her an explanation, but it’s a good sign she hasn’t just gone and outed you.

Afterwards, Duke apologizes for leaving you without any backup. It makes sense, if he got blown out of the water, you’d have possibly been stranded out here.

Still stings a bit though.

Hans is dispatched to the Brunswick to keep an eye on its condition and attach a tow line, while the prisoners are loaded into the PT boat’s makeshift brig.

The tow line slows down the journey considerably, ratcheting your paranoia up a couple notches.

You keep watch for a few hours, but it seems like you’re well and in the clear.

Once you’re dismissed back to your bunk, your fatigue ensures that you drift off easily.

Your dreams are strange, plagued with visions of a turtle with some kind of snake wrapped around it.

It feels like it’s trying to communicate somehow, but you just don’t understand.

Hopefully, it's just stress or something.

The ship reaches Madripoor without any further incident.

After the considerable excitement of your first raid, you settle into a comfortable routine.

Most of the bread-and-butter work is stuff like transporting cargo, people, that sort of thing. Nothing that’ll make you rich, but it keeps the crew busy, the bills paid, and the guns loaded until something larger comes knocking.

Bereft of action, you keep yourself busy with the traditional activities of the ship cook; fixing meals, gambling, threatening people who touch the fridge without permission, and sleeping whenever viable.

In your off-time, you’ve also been…

(Today’ll be more a chill day, so pick 3. Your cut from the raid will be paid out in the next couple updates. Haven't forgotten, but I'd prefer to spread it out a little.)

> Spending time with Duke. He knows Madripoor's lay-of-the-land better than anybody else you know.

> Spending time with Clara. You owe her that explanation.

> Hanging out with Hans. He’s gruff, but starting to tone it down.

> Experimenting with your new powers. Having a baseline of your abilities is important.

> Doing some digging into Pacific Vista Laboratories. Something doesn’t add up about them.

> Other?

>>4935282
> Experimenting with your new powers. Having a baseline of your abilities is important.
> Doing some digging into Pacific Vista Laboratories. Something doesn’t add up about them.
> Spending time with Duke. He knows Madripoor's lay-of-the-land better than anybody else you know.

>>4935301
support

>>4935282
> Spending time with Duke. He knows Madripoor's lay-of-the-land better than anybody else you know.
> Spending time with Clara. You owe her that explanation.
> Doing some digging into Pacific Vista Laboratories. Something doesn’t add up about them.
should deal with Clara sooner rather than later.

>>4935301
>>4935364
>>4935426

Alright, looks like we're doing power testing, some digging, and speaking to Duke.

Roll me some d100s, DC: 70 to see what you can glean from your inquiry.

I'll get busy writing the other stuff.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>4935471
Come on guys we gotta all roll under 50 just for shits and giggles

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>4935471

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>4935471
If this quest was roll under we'd be unstoppable

>>4935475
>>4935482
>>4935544

(Failure, I'll save that update for later.)

In your spare time, you hang around Duke and soak up his stories about piracy and Madripoor.

He’s generally willing and able to field your multitude of questions about the local customs and quirks.

It’s not a load of hot air, neither. Just as he predicted, the street toughs that used to be the bane of your existence maintain a respectable distance as they trawl for an easier catch.

Duke opens up a little and mentions that he used to serve as a merchant marine before he turned pirate. Apparently, he’s also a big fan of pirate history, especially the Golden Age of Piracy.

One of the topics that inevitably comes up is your share from the raid on the Brunswick.

You had initially assumed that you’d get paid in cold hard cash, but the reality is quite the opposite.

Apparently, despite the existence of an official Madripoor dollar, no self-respecting cutthroat, mercenary, or pirate would ever deign to accept a payment in it.

Among the criminal circles you find yourself running in, barter is the go-to method of trade.

It makes a twisted form of sense. Madripoor is a melting pot of criminality, barter is a system that people of all stripes can generally participate in.

For instance, a Filipino pirate like yourself has no clue how much a baht is worth compared to yen, yuan, or dollarydoos.

Plus, it’s not like there are currency exchange kiosks in Lowtown.

Since it’s your first raid and you did a hefty amount of the legwork on it; Duke is willing to let you decide the fate of the hostages / bodies you captured from the Brunswick.

It says a lot about Madripoor that one of the services offered by attorneys is hostage arbitration.

Anyhow, the way it’ll supposedly work is that the families / company pay the ransom using regular currency, the intermediary takes a cut, and you get to haggle over items of an equivalent value.

It sounds a bit byzantine in practice, but Duke assures you it’s a relatively simple practice.

In the end, you decide to…

> Just cut them all loose. You’ve hijacked their ship and their cargo; that’s a good enough score as it is.

> Ransom off the bridge crew, but return the bodies of the scientists free-of-charge. Their families deserve that much at least.

> Ransom off the bridge crew, as well as the bodies of the scientists. Loot is loot.

> Let Duke decide, he’s been at this longer.

> Other?

>>4935557
>Let Duke decide, he’s been at this longer.
This is by far like the worst rolls I've ever seen in a quest. The only way we could make it worse is if we crit-fail

>>4935560
>Mentioning crit fails
You've doomed us all!

>>4935557
> Let Duke decide, he’s been at this longer.

>>4935557
>> Ransom off the bridge crew, but return the bodies of the scientists free-of-charge. Their families deserve that much at least.
People come back from the dead all the time in Marvel and Gods roam around. I'd personally be extra wary of pissing off the dead.

>>4935560
>>4935633
>>4935644

Looks like Duke makes the call. Writing. Apologies if I've been slower than usual today.

>>4935678

You leave the decision up to Duke, he’s got far more experience in these matters.

He has his answer almost instantly.

“We’ll ransom off the survivors, but the dead ones can go home for free. It’s the only decent way to conduct business.”

He promises to relay this decision to the law firm he typically outsources these matters to.

After a couple days, you get a call from said law firm.

To honor your share of the reward, they have a list of items that they’re willing to offer in exchange. They’re flexible to negotiation if you have an alternative idea about some of the smaller items.

Choose 1 big reward, and 2 small ones.

Big (Actually has impact on game)

> Better arms and equipment.

> A laser designator capable of calling a one-time aerial sortie.

> Letter of introduction to local crime groups.

Small (Luxury items there for flavor)

> An actual apartment.

> A reliable old car (Include model if you’d like)

> Free cable.

> Flashier clothes.

> Other? (Subject to QM fiat)

(This will be the last vote of the night, the next 2 updates will be power testing / investigating respectively.)

>>4935711

After a bit of scouting, you find an abandoned gymnasium that would be perfect for your purposes. There’s an indoor pool, but the water is filthier than a fast-food restaurant’s ball pit.

Still, water is water, and there’s a lot of it to play with.

After some experimentation, you’ve managed to get a much clearer view of how your powers operate.

One of the more important things to keep in mind is conservation.

For instance, snagging something with a tendril of water and yanking them is a more difficult maneuver to pull off successfully. However, it’s less exhausting.

In contrast, blasting somebody with a constant jet of water is easier, but’ll tire you out faster.

Striking a balance is going to be important.

A few quirks to keep in mind.

Blood, ice, or anything that isn’t almost entirely water is beyond your grasp.

Liquid water’s all you can mess with.

You can manipulate the pressure of water inside of containers, but it regresses back to normal if you stop concentrating on it.

At your best, you can handle an entire swimming pool, but it’s a bitch to manage.

The real problem comes from your failures. If you fail to maintain your concentration, whatever you attempt will be vastly weaker. Instead of a rogue wave, it’d be more like a wave machine.

However, should your emotions get the better of you, you’ll put way too much force into it and potentially cause unwanted collateral damage.

One of the niggling questions that still gnaws at the back of your mind is the issue of Pacific Vista Laboratories.

They had an unregistered ship scouring the coast looking for artifacts of some kind, as well as an on-board security team and researchers.

Not to mention the lunatic that got cannonballed onto the ship from an attack helicopter.

Normally, you’d have pegged a corporate ghost ship as just smugglers or something, but that doesn’t feel quite right.

You do some digging online for Pacific Vista Laboratories, but it ends up being a dead end.

There’s a company website, but all its got is the usual corporate drivel about “making the world a better place, one day at a time” and “aiming for the heights of scientific progress”; that sort of junk.

No public company directory or anything similar.

You try looking for any kind of scientific papers or published discoveries that may shed some light on what they’re working on.

Nothing, just a thinly-veiled rationalization that “their focus is on cultivating independent research and collaborative efforts across the world.”

Despite the lack of actual contribution, they boast a smattering of labs scattered throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

Nothing anywhere that would suggest any sort of interest into a sunken Ming Dynasty ship.

They have to be a front of some kind, but for who?

Whoever it may be, they have to have some deep pockets.

Hopefully, they don't hold a grudge for long.

>>4935711
> Better arms and equipment.
> A reliable old car (Include model if you’d like)
> An actual apartment.

>>4935711
> Better arms and equipment.
> An actual apartment.
> Other? (Subject to QM fiat)
A 20mm autocannon for the boat?

>>4935978
Get out of my notes.

Pick something else though, small stuff is mostly for flavor.

>>4935995
What if we swapped the Big reward instead of the little one?
Car I suppose if nothing else.
How did my penis get in your notes?

>>4935711
> Letter of introduction to local crime groups.
> An actual apartment.
> A reliable old car (Include model if you’d like)
but I actually want a motorcycle. Our MC feels like a motorcycle guy.

>>4935711
>Better arms and equipment.
>An actual apartment
>A reliable old car

>>4935817
Better arms and equipment
>Apartment
(I feel like this is gonna get robbed anyway.. but we could at least leave cheap junk in there and carry anything important)
How often do we head out? I was assuming we'd spend most of our time in the water, but I guess not?)
>Something cooking related to be a better chef?(gm fiat?, Gordon Ramsey teaches us while he's being held hostage?)

>>4936296
>Better arms and equipment
Fucked up my greentext.
I figure we need to lay low with the water powers and hope the mutant bastard gets tracked instead of us.

>>4935817
>>4935978
>>4936131
>>4936155
>>4936296

Looks like better gear, an place to hang your hat, and a car wins. Writing.

Feel free to suggest ideas for smaller stuff anytime.

I actually really like the kidnapped celebrity chef giving lessons idea. As well as the motorcycle one.

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>>4936444

Upon carefully considering your options, you request better small-arms and equipment for yourself and the crew.

The attorney, who did the friend of a friends’ brother’s cousin who works as a quartermaster somewhere, makes a phone call.

A day or so later, you get notified that said equipment has been delivered to the docks and loaded onto the ship. You’ll have a chance to ogle the new hardware once you report in.

In addition, you find yourself the proud owner of a small apartment in a slightly-less shitty part of Lowtown. Granted, you do spend a hefty chunk of your time on the ship; but that may not last forever and it’s always nice to have a spare place to sleep.

The car is a nice bonus too, an old Honda Accord. It’s not the fastest thing on the market, and it’s got some miles on it; but it’s yours and that’s what matters.

In hindsight, it’s kinda funny. Barely a week or two ago, you were a homeless wretch on the streets, begging for your next meal. Look at you now.

Your musing is interrupted when the crappy flip-phone that Duke loaned you begins to trill.

Ah damn, you almost forgot, today’s a planning day! Time to pick out the next big target.

About time too, you were starting to get a little bored, you think to yourself as you drive to the docks.

When you see the PT boat, a few things are visibly different. The first, is that the boat has some new armor plating. It looks to be placed strategically, safeguarding as many vulnerable spots as possible without compromising the overall speed. The second, is the gun turret mounted on a swivel in the center of the deck.

The third is Duke, waving and laughing with possibly the biggest smile you’ve ever seen on his face.

When you come aboard, he practically drags you around the ship to see the new changes. According to him, the armor plating was his idea, the new mounted gun was Clara’s, and Hans spent part of his take on improving the operational range of the engines.

The armory has also had a marked improvement, thanks to your contributions.

Clara’s busy poring over the new acquisitions when you and Duke enter, and she shoots you a look when Duke isn’t paying attention.

You get the feeling that she’s still unsure about you, but it’s been slightly mollified by your contributions to the ship.

Looks like you’ve been equipped with a couple of AK-74Ms, Benelli M4s, and an SR-25 rifle. However, the piece de resistance is the RPG with a handful of rockets included.

The munitions are rounded off by a few suits of body armor and some miscellaneous surplus that just got tossed in the crate. Most of it is junk, but there are some good pieces in there, like an old WW2 flashlight and canteen, both of which you clip your belt.

The canteen’ll come in handy with keeping a bit of water on hand, and a flashlight is always handy. Especially since you could probably beat a man to death with this model without damaging it.

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>>4936498

Now that everyone is up-to-speed with the ship’s upgraded status, Duke calls the general planning session.

Duke’s lead is interesting; it’s fairly common to see rich socialites and similarly empty-headed rich folk cruise around protected waters in their fancy boats. However, one such “super-yacht” has a bad habit of straying out of the safe zones, where your boat will be ready to snap them up.

Hans also has a potential lead for work.

The local brach of a maritime insurance agency has been having issues with getting shipping company to maintain their payments. They’d be willing to hire you to harass and or sink said shipping company’s vessels, as a way of “encouraging” payment.

Clara has a much more ambitious idea; attacking a Chinese military tanker.

According to her, it’s been suffering from engine trouble and has basically been left own its own by the main fleet element. It’s stuffed to the gills with oil; a massive payday if you can get it home without issue.

It’s a little embarrassing when they face you expectantly, and you realize that you haven’t got any leads like they do.

Duke claps you on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, Aurelio. You’ve only been on one boarding party, don’t beat yourself up for not being a pro just yet.”

In the end, the crew decides to target…

> The Chinese oil tanker. Easily the largest payday, easily the riskiest target.

> The super-yacht. Probably has some security on-board, but there’s plenty of opportunity for loot.

> The shipping company. With your new hardware, scuttling / intimidating their vessels should be a breeze.

>>4936499
> the yacht
Double check that shipping company. Sounds like a setup by the nut jobs killing their own men on our last run.

>>4936499
> The super-yacht. Probably has some security on-board, but there’s plenty of opportunity for loot.

>>4936499
>>> The super-yacht. Probably has some security on-board, but there’s plenty of opportunity for loot.

>>4936530
>>4936636
>>4936649

Looks like the yacht wins, writing.

>>4936499
> The shipping company. With your new hardware, scuttling / intimidating their vessels should be a breeze.
Few rpgs into the hull or bridge would skyrocket their insurance premiums

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It takes a bit of bickering, but the crew eventually agrees to attack the super-yacht.

Hans was ambivalent either way, and Clara came around to the idea when it was pointed out that she got to smack around rich jackasses.

The shipping company job rubs you the wrong way for some reason; you make a mental note to investigate it further when you get the chance.

Now that a consensus has been reached, Duke proceeds to lay out the various details he’s managed to cobble together.

The super-yacht is registered to a Kurt Ziegler, some kind of investment banker or upscale money man from Germany.

He’s been in Madripoor a couple of months, and ostensibly this little series of outings is to celebrate the conclusion of a lucrative business deal.

The super-yacht itself is a gaudy, 40-meter long, tribute to Ziegler’s ego called the Danube.

It’s got enough room to carry 20 crew members, and a similar number of civilian passengers.

With the inclusion of a private security force onboard, you might be facing some stiff odds.

Thankfully, the element of surprise is on your side.

The parties held onboard run long into the night, giving you an opening to exploit.

After Duke bribed a couple of local fishermen with pocket money, they were more than happy to point out an area the Danube usually passes through.

According to them, it scares off the fish.

During the day, the PT boat will take a position in a mangrove swamp and wait for nightfall.

Since the Danube is a glorified party boat, it should be pretty easy to pick out of the darkness.

Once confirmation is established, the PT boat will quietly approach, and you, Duke, and Clara will board it.

Since the yacht is so large, you’ll all have to split up to ensure complete coverage.

Duke’s job is to clear out the bridge and sever the communications. Don’t want anyone calling for help.

Clara’s job is to run crowd control and keep the civilians in line. Can’t let anybody get any bright ideas.

Your job is to sweep the lower decks / cabins and eliminate any resistance you encounter.

Once boarded, Hans will pilot the PT boat away and will evacuate you if things go sour.

Depending on how the initial objectives are accomplished, the three of you will rendezvous and hammer out the next steps of the plan; presumably looting and loading up hostages.

Regrettably, this tub is far too heavy to drag away like the Brunswick, so it’ll have to be left behind or piloted home.

Are there any changes you’d like to make to this plan?

> No, looks good to me.

> Other?

In addition, what weapon are you taking with you?

> The M4. Excellent for close-quarter encounters.

> The AK74M. A balanced choice.

> The SR-25. Ideal for longer-ranked marksmanship.

>>4936842
>> No, looks good to me.
> The AK74M. A balanced choice.

>>4936842
> No, looks good to me.

> The M4. Excellent for close-quarter encounters.
Boats aren't so big as to worry about bullet drop. Boats are however very cramped and close quarters often.

So did we get the autocannon after all?