In 1798 Calcutta is a city expanding rapidly under the rule of the Honorable British East India Company. This is the time of great Indian trade fortunes, everyone from the lowliest clerk to the governors council is out to amass wealth. A man must keep his wits about him to prosper despite the corruption, the intrigue, and shrewd local traders.Run by GM 3rd-I
After struggling with the oars for a moment the coolies eventually manage to guide the boat out of the shallows and into the main body of the river. Payne clambers into one of the free rowing positions and grabs an oar, leaving one position still unfilled. He heaves heavily on the oar, but clearly has little expreience afloat and achieves little more than creating a splash. The coolies too, though both strong and enthusiatic, dont seem to have grasped the finer points of good rowing and, stroking out of time with one another, fail to get the best out of the small craft. Exasperated, Colonel Hilton turns to observe the actions on board the clipper in the distance.
"Looks like the warning shot has done the trick. She's heading our way!"
However, fighting against the mighty river's slow currents in only light wind means that even the fine clipper's progress is painfully slow. The ship is able to track closer to the southern bank of the river but makes little progress towards the rescue party.
Looking back upstream the boarding party's rowboat continues on its previous course, though they are bound to have also heard the surgeon's warning shot. The group's boat has a good head start, but it is clear that the boarding party are far more adept as oarsmen and are rapidly closing the distance. As they advance towards the clipper the two row boats also draw ever closer together.
At a guess it will take some three to four minutes to reach the Clipper at the boat's current speed. With the boarding party gaining rapidly, this could be a close race!
"Come on, men!" urges the Colonel. "A maiden's virtue is under threat!"
Sorry cant upload a map from work.
The river is about 800 yards wide. The party's boat is just leaving the south shore. The Clipper is about 400 yards downstream and now 200 yards from the southshore. The boarding party is 200 yards upstream and 400 yards from the south shore. The two rowboats are thus about 450 yards apart.
Payne check vs Boating. Best default is DX-5. Roll 16, FAIL!
"My God man!" Blackstone sits his rifle down and grabs and oar. He starts paddle himself. "Someone that can row, help me!" He groans against the water as he dips the oar into its confines, hoping to push their boat closer.
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
For a moment Sinclair is oblivious to the problem, tucked in the back of the boat and hastily trying to reload his pistol. But then at Blackstone's shout, he looks up and sees the terrible job the coolies are doing.
As a naval surgeon, Sinclair had never rowed more than a small two-oared skiff on his own. But he'd watched enough of his cousin's bargemen pull on an oar to at least have an idea of what they were supposed to do. He takes a moment to consider what he thinks the rowers are doing wrong. And then he begins to offer what advice he can to improve the job they're doing.
"In time," he says to the coolies. "If you want your rupees, you need to stroke in time. Everyone raise your oars and pull on my mark!"
Doesn't Boating also default to IQ-5? That at least gives Sinclair a shot at it.
Sinclair will try and use his wits to direct the coolies (and whoever else is rowing) to do a better job.
Sidney can't help but laugh at the poor rowing. "All right, all right. That's not how you do it." Sidney pulls his cutlass and taps it on the rail in a rhythm. Bengali"Dip it, pull it, dip it, pull it. Come on now all together! Bengali
Nair smiles faintly at the mention of a maiden's virtue. She hefts her machete, then stows it in her pack for the moment. Pulling up an oar, she rows with the speed and pace of an old hand.
Can Sailor work here? If so, I'll give it the old kalari try!
"Right, why don't ye give it a try then," Payne angrily snaps in Sidney's direction. "If ye're so expert why don't ye grab an oar and row."
The other man's order and tapping isn't the only thing enraging him. It's mainly the misfire of his rifle in an important moment. And instead of rowning he'd like to reload the rifle in the little time they still have.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
'œWe are not exactly zah Oxford rowing team, are we?' Says Thurston, chuckling to himself. Doubting that he could do any better or add anything constructive to this confusion, Thurston is content to kneel in the boat stern with his rifle propped on his shoulder, trying to find a range for a worthwhile shot.
Blackstone clambers over the benches and slides into the last remaining open rowing position on the boat. Although not an experienced oarsmen he heaves heavily, arching his back with the strain and making a notable impact on the small craft's velocity.
Miller's efforts to coordinate the coolie's rowing are less successful however. His grasp of Bengali is sufficient to get the idea across, but despite his natural charismatic ability to lead the coolies are reluctant to take orders from a man whom them have only just met and the strong dark skinned labourers continue to argue amongst themselves. Sinclair, who's polite suggestive tones and slight stature do little to inspire or intimidate the men, is simply ignored.
For about a minute this continues, the small boat making slightly faster forward progress, but the boarding party continuing to close. The company boat is now some 300 yards from the ship, the boarding party 400 yards.
Meanwhile the german jaeger Thurston waiting patiently at the stern of the boat draws his rifle to his shoulder as the enemy craft draws within his rifle's 300 yard killing range. He tries his best to steady his aim against the rocking motion of the boat and pick out a target......
For a little inspiration, here's a great painting of several Calcutta coolies (dock labourers) from 1910. The city was and still is quite reknowned for them.
Ok, so both Blackstone and Nidhi are both going for that final rowing slot. Since both have the same basic move (and therefore react simultaneously) I just diced to see who got to it first:
Nidhi: Roll 1
Blackstone: Roll 4
Blackstone pips Nidhi to the oars.
Blackstone check vs Boating: Best Default is 8 (DX-5), Roll 7 - Success (Nice!)
Boating checks will be made every minute (Payne already rolled for first minute)
I'm interpreting attempts to command the coolie's rowing efforts as a check against the worst effective skill from Boating and Leadership (from the Basic set: "the ability to coordinate a group under stressful circumstances"). Also requiring a language check to convey the idea.
Miller: Language (Bengali) check: Skill 10, + 2 (1/5 of native's skill) = 13, Roll 10 - Success!
Leadership check: Skill 14, + 1 (Charisma), -5 (never served with coolies before) = 10, Roll 11 - Fail (unlucky!)
Sinclair: Language (Bengali) check: Skill 15, + 2 (1/5 of native's skill) = 17, Roll 11 - Success!
Leadership check: Skill 5 (default ST-5), -5 (never served with coolies before) = 0, no roll allowed.
Reattempts can be made every minute @ -1 to skill cumulatively each time.
I'll be checking vs HT for fatigue every 100 yards.
Fatigue Checks:
Blackstone: HT 12, Roll 11 - Success!
Payne: HT 11, Roll 9 - Success!
With little else to do, Sinclair sits back and starts to reload his pistol. Once that's completed, however, he'll stand ready to relieve one of the rowers should they get tired.
