You decide on the name
Joshua for the ship. You have a fine lot of sailors under you, they only need the direction you plan to provide, much like the original Joshua. But before you make your way to San Agustin, you will be sure to have officers you trust to do the best job possible, as Joshua did. You might need to look through that part of Scripture again before you use that line of reasoning as a justification for the interviews you're about to conduct, you can't recall at the moment how Joshua governed the Israelites. No matter, that question will keep for later, you need to announce your decisions to the crew right now.
"Hello, everyone! Thank you again for choosing me as your captain, I'll do my best to live up to your expectations. Now, I'm sure you're wondering what I have planned for us. Well, I have a debt to a spirit that needs discharging, and since the payment is finding a magic golden statue and removing its power over the wind, I think it's safe to say that my plans for us are to find all the treasures we can and make each and every sailor on this ship richer than the king of Spain. No doubt you're also wondering what name our new ship will have. I decided on the name
Joshua. If anyone has any objections to the name, now is the time."
No one says anything. You continue speaking.
"I see. While we wait for favorable winds for traveling to San Agustin so we can start searching for our prize, I will be looking into how best to organize the crew. If you're interested in serving one of the officer positions, come see me in my cabin and give your best arguments for why you should have the role you want. So if you'll allow me to make my way belowdecks, I'll be seeing you all quite soon."
With that, you stop talking and let everyone disperse before going into the captain's cabin. A rather bare room, save for a bed and table that someone's foresight supplied, but you should have many an opportunity to make the place more comfortable. You take the few moments of peace left to steel yourself for the inevitable tide of sailors sure to enter.
Several hours later...
Thankfully, only about a third of the crew was interested in officerhood, but fifty people is still a large number to interview. You've narrowed down the choices to a handful for each position, but the final decision must not be made lightly.
For Helmsman:
[] Samuel: The current helmsman. You've known him for years, and he certainly has the experience the job demands. He is starting to get on in years, though, and he's admitted that he asked to keep the position more from habit than anything.
[] Simon: A new addition to the crew, he claims to have served as a helmsman before, but you don't know how honest he's being. Still, something about him makes you want to give the fellow a chance.
For Quartermaster:
[] Naomi: The current quartermaster and, somehow, the closest thing to a rabbi the ship's Jews have. Probably wise not to alienate the woman with that much sway over half the sailors on this boat. Then again, so much of her time is spent on her clerical duties that it might be best to let her focus on that.
[] Michael: He served as the quartermaster for another ship you sailed on, so you know that he can do what's needed. His focus on numbers gives him a problem with tunnel vision. He sometimes forgets to account for the magical in his calculations.
For Chief Gunner:
[] Dalia: She wants a promotion from serving on a gun crew to charge over all the gun crews. She knows her business but is also rather impulsive when it comes to firing.
[] Miriam: Currently boss over all the gun crews, she would like to keep her job. She's also a bit lax in maintaining safety, though no permanent injuries have happened yet under her watch.
For Boarding Party Leader:
[] Johannes: A skilled combatant, but something gives you the impression that his skills lie more in fighting in a group rather than leading it.
[] Leah: A woman who knows well how to coordinate a group of fighters and certainly adept in using the skills of her comrades in a fight, but she has difficulty responding to unforeseen events.
For Chief Wizard:
[] Cranston: A man who refuses to say much about his past, he claims knowledge of how to conceal the presence of people and ships. Unfortunately, that seems to be one of the only skills he has any proficiency with.
[] Nathan: A man who has several interesting artifacts in his possession, along with no little skill in how to use magic for harm. Also a man without much good luck, to judge by the scars covering his body. He may be cursed.
[] Susana: A newer member of the crew, recently arrived from Manila. You know firsthand her skill in dealing with illnesses, both causing and curing. She does need specific varieties of beetles to work some of her magic, though, and hers are the only examples of the species you know about.
For First Mate:
[] George: A man with an even temperament and easy manner. Not a decisive sort, though. More suited to getting plans done than making them, which might be necessary if you're absent for long enough.
[] Sarah: A decisive and foresighted woman. Unfortunately lacking in tact or persuasive ability. A better adviser than leader, you think.
[] Naomi: Really the only person to ask about two positions you considered for both. She knows what she's doing, but she's still very busy regardless of which office if any she's appointed to.
Once you come to your final choices, you announce your decision to the crew and make ready to travel to San Agustin.
GM Note: To make it easier for me to count the votes, please vote for officers in plan format (for example, Plan Template: Helmsman X, Quartermaster Y, Chief Gunner Z, Boarding Party Leader A, Chief Wizard B, First Mate C). Also, if anyone's curious, the closest official term for what Naomi does for the Jewish crewmembers is
posek.
