Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 234 (Patreon)

The Splinter was under full sail, moving away from the graveyard of wrecked ships. Captain Woodrat ran the crew through drills, constantly calling for adjustments in the sails and moving the ship to a different course. The crew members were gaining more confidence in each other and sorting out the hundreds of small details that turned a group of individual sailors into a tight crew.

Ozzy was a conundrum to them. The first mate could light the smaller sails with his heat, and he had woven every bit of chain on the ship with his smoke. But at the same time, he showed only a basic knowledge of sailing and was constantly coached by the captain and navigator. No one joked about it, though. The horrific fight with Lord Peerson was fresh in their memory. He might not be much of a sailor, but there was no doubt about who was the toughest sailor on the ship. Still, watching him scramble up the chains to adjust a sail or move a chain was amusing. He was hesitant at first but quickly gained confidence, despite a few falls to the deck and once into the smoke.

Several sailors were anxious when he fell off a boom and into the smoke. Woodrat spun the Splinter around calmly, calling out orders like this was just another drill. They spotted the first mate thrashing in the waters, and when they came up alongside him, he threw the dead body of a 12-foot shark onto the deck. The shark had a mouth of broken teeth, and its head showed signs of many blows. Butterbelly picked it up and dragged it off to the small galley. He'd taken on some of the cooking duties, aided by two of the crew. Dinner that night was rum battered shark steaks.

It helped that Butterbelly had an endless number of stories to tell about when he was learning to run the chains. "The captain told me that any broken chains were coming out of my pay, and that wasn't counting the cost of replacing the decking after I fell from the yardarm. I didn't make a single shell on that voyage and was in debt for repairs that took my shares from the next to voyages to pay off."

Woodrat had wasted no time getting the crew back to the ship after the battle. Ozzy had carried the massive chest on his shoulder as they jogged across the Sargasso. The captain announced that treasure hunting was successful, and they were leaving immediately before something else happened. All of the crew had been in agreement with him. Most of them were still in shock from taking part in a fight with such a powerful opponent. They were happy to get underway, celebrating their rewards with hard work and the promise of rum and treasure in the evening.

Admiral Lord Peerson, Knight of the Haze, First Minister   to Queen Alura, 3rd Lord of the Inner Sea, Baron of Cingo, and Traitor to the   Crown, has perished at last, along with his ship, Conquest.

In acknowledgment of his service to the Queens in this matter, Captain   Woodrat of the Splinter is awarded the Island of Cingo and the   hereditary title of Baron of Cingo.

 Each member of Captain Woodrat's crew will receive a splendid ribbon to wear   on holiday commemorating this magnificent victory.

Ozzy had been curious about the 'splendid ribbons' until Mariah and others had explained it to him. 'Holiday' referred to those days when a ship was in port, and the crew was rewarded with days off to spend their pay, drink, carouse, and do whatever else they wanted. Many crews went out on the town together, wearing small bits of colorful clothing they saved for these special days. Sashes, hats, jewelry, and fancy coats were all popular.

The more outrageous a crew looked, the more successful the ship was thought to be. A ribbon was an award given for a battle. A 'Splendid Ribbon' from the Queens would get a crew free food and drink for days in most ports where sailors would want to hear the stories. Plans were already being made to use some of the colorful silk and bolts of cloth that the crew had plundered from the wrecks in the graveyard to make some fancy Holiday gear.

Woodrat had pulled out chart after chart trying to find a reference to his island. He'd found it at last in a sailing guide of the seven islands. "Here it is! Look! Only a day's sailing from the capitol near the outer reefs."

Mariah spread out a map of the area and laughed. "Not near the outer reefs, in them. See here? It notes a safe passage in only two places. And the draft is only sixteen feet at high tide and ten feet at low. The sailing atlas lists the island as being two miles long and one wide. It was a haven for pirates for centuries until Lord Peerson cleared them out using several frigates."

"He built a small castle overlooking the main bay after he was gifted the island by the Queens and made a Baron. It is used as a port for smaller ships before and after crossing the sea from the Kingdom of Nettles. There's a note about the reefs being popular with pearl divers despite being overrun by sharks and other predators."

Ozzy was enjoying a moderately decent mug of rum and watching as Woodrat became more cheerful as the day went on. "Pirates, pearls, and sharks. It sounds like a colorful place you inherited."

Woodrat removed the map of the island and its reefs from the sailing atlas and was pinning it to the wall of his cabin. "Doesn't it? Don't forget pirates. I'm betting they came back as soon as no one was looking. There may be some work to do to clean it up, or it might be more fun to leave it as it is. It will be fun to find out. I never thought I'd get some land of my own, and now I have an island. And I wouldn't want something bigger. Too much work and not enough time on the smoke."

Downing the last of his rum, Ozzy patted him on the shoulder. "Careful, you'll be a respectable Captain soon, you and your crew hobnobbing with nobility."

Mariah laughed. She, too, was looking forward to seeing this Cingoo. "It will take a lot to clean up this crew. But this windfall of blessings was a darn fine start. All of the crew have seen benefits from the fight."

Woodrat nodded. "They certainly earned them. I was never so happy as I was to see them show up and tear into the hull with boarding axes. I had hoped that freeing you would let you gather them and sail away. But crazy loons that you are, you chose to come back and fight. And that's something I won't be forgetting."

Captain Woodrat and the crew of the Splinter have   vanquished a foe far above them in power. For this, the Gods in the Smoke   reward their valor.

 Captain Woodrat is rewarded with 30 CSP, +2 Aura, and 3000 experience points.   The good Captain will be promoted to Admiral when the proper time comes.

 First Mate Oswald is rewarded with 30 CSP and 3000 experience points and has earned   his promotion to Captain.

 Navigator, 'Mariah,' is rewarded with 20 CSP and 2000 experience points and   has earned her promotion to Sailing Master.

 The crew of the Splinter are each rewarded with 10 CSP, 1000 experience   points, and +200 Smoke.

Most of the crew had moved up at least a level. Derrick had made it to Level 6 and been promoted to mate, choosing to study navigation under Mariah. Ozzy had much to think about.

He'd made captain and needed to make some choices about spending the experience and CSP. He was up against the barrier between Tier 2 and Tier 3. He scrolled through the numerous announcements, wishing he could talk to his friends about the decisions. His chances of getting home were much better once he moved to Level 11.

First Mate Oswald has ascended to   the lofty position of Captain. Your title will continue to be Mate until you   acquire command of a ship of your own or become an officer on a ship that can   accommodate multiple captains and masters.

You have gained +1 CHR, +1 RAD, and +1 WIS.
You have earned +10 Core Skill Points.
 You have gained access to the Officer's list of Core skills.
 You may choose one specialty skill for attaining the rank of Captain and for   being victorious over such a fearsome foe.
   Gain the Captain's Perk: +2 Shielding
   Gain the Captain's Perk: Reputation-Hard but Fair
   Gain the Captain's Perk: Reputation-Friendly but Terrifying
   Gain the Captain's Perk: Reputation-Crazy but Lucky
   Gain the Captain's Perk: Follow me to Hell!

You have completed the quest: Shipbreaker's Revenge.
 You have gained the perk: Whale's Strength, which will increase as you   grow. Currently, the bonus is +3 for both STR and CON. If you increase your   tier, this perk will reward you with +1STR and +1CON. You will also do four   times the normal damage when attacking ships. Just because the quest is over   doesn't mean there aren't still ships that need breaking!

You have options for a new class at level 11.

He glanced over them and then dismissed the screen. He needed to pay attention to the ship until he was off duty. And then came the fun of opening the large glowing chest sitting on the deck. The crew’s curiosity was growing, but tempted as they all were, they wanted far away from the Sargasso and into calmer waters first. It was a full evening: Shark Steaks, a barrel of rum, a chest of treasure, and then some thinking on Level 11.