A Land Far Away

*Artwork by Inwardscream

My awesome storytelling shall herein be chronicled.

Bodkins boys bob

“Swarm” went the whisper from mouth and ear and on again up the alley. The ragged urchin at the front of the alley stood up and looked over her shoulder. “It’s warm?” she called out as softly as she dared, looking back puzzled. There were dozens of pairs of eye that rolled, followed by more than a few small rocks tossed her way. “Swarm! numpty, swarm!”. The front girl nodded, then swarmed out of the alley with a shrill yell, followed by the raucousness of two dozen boys behind her. One of those boys (who went by the name of Bodkin at the time) was Slipper.

The crowd hurriedly grabbed their purses and valuables. Stall holders reached for their wares, but to late. The urchins clambered over carts, and barreled over barrels. They picked at pockets and appropriated apples. Then as quickly as they came... they were gone, scattered by punters who punched, stallholders who swatted, and adventurers who pulled at peace knots. In their wake, chaos and curses.

Their ringleader, Slipper, played clinker as they regathered far away under a maze of overgrown hedges than no adult would dare. Out of pockets they heaped their earnings. Seven apples, three coarse loaves of black bread, two empty purses (apparently "they were empty when nicked", but a swift pocket search of the snatchers finds a handful of coins...), a handful of coins (19 copper, 3 silver, and 1 electrum bit), a pumpkin (it was all that he could grab!), one orange, and a bucket.

Slipper divided all the grabbings fairly, a share to each, with three shares to the guild, one extra to himself on account of clinker services, and the bucket to Mask (for “Letting them all get away af’er the fact”).

A bucket offering and a pumpkin stalk may seem laughable, but sometimes it is the thought that counts, and sometimes, somewhere, that thought is noted.

(but not this time)



*Artwork by hivesotto

It was a perfect snatch and grab, a little distraction, a little touch of masks favor, and a little snatching of the necklace. Exquisite.

Yet for some reason, Bodkin had a falling sensation in his stomach. In fact, his stomach was falling. Along with the rest of him. Headfirst. In his haste to flee the scene, he had decided to use an old thieves gambit, the well jump. Acting casual as he rounded the corner... then a quick climb down the well until night fall. Slick.

The well walls were slick.

To the casual observer (of which there were none, even Mask would have looked away in embarrassment) it may have appeared that Bodkin did not even make an attempt at climbing down. Indeed, had anyone asked, Bodkin probably would have claimed (out of shame at his poor showing) that he was overtaken by a spontaneous desire to end his miserable life. The truth was, that he was a gods-awful climber on slick walls, and had managed, somehow, to tumble in headfirst. Luckily he was a practiced survivor. He positioned his body on the way down to cut the water cleanly. What could possibly go wrong?

His face struck the metal well pail floating in the water.

Once again, if he could somehow have been questioned he would have claimed to be aiming for the bucket, so perfect was the insertion of his head and face into it. Alas, one cannot question a scabby corpse with a broken neck (and temple, eye socket, and jaw). Nor would anyone try.

He was going to have a lot of explaining to do on the other side.

(thanks to Ronan for enabling me to make excellent decisions backed up by hilariously comical rolls)

...

((I must see the logs of these rolls!))

Like it!

kid wrote:...

((I must see the logs of these rolls!))

(( Did you know the average well depth is 30m? Climb check was a nat 1. Swim check to avoid damage from the fall was a nat 1. The pale still being in the bottom of the well was flavor for the death, or maybe he slipped on it on the way into the well. ))

Awesome.

tragic I would like to have met the char.

"Well Pirate" is such a rare title though, sounds like it was memorable at least!