Noro climbs out shaking eel guts off her hands.
you rather I be huggin you? come herer ya big lugg she holds out her eel slimed arms for a hug. and a joking smile.
Youall find a comfortable clearing in which to bed down. The Island holds no fears for you now, and Ambrose is healed up quickly. He thanks each of you profusely and insists that he makes you dinner. He actually takes his time and, combined with his general lack of drunkenness, makes this meal one of the best you've experienced from his hands. It consists of bits from the island including odd looking fruits boiled with some kind of meat that tastes of chicken.
The next morning you set off for where you left the boat. It's a long slog though the jungle foliage and takes you most of the morning. You arrive at the beach just before noon and are met by a welcoming party. Thankfully, you spot them before you emerge from the dense undergrowth, so they haven't spotted you.
Tied to stakes in the surf are Shortstone, Rosie, and Jack Scrimshaw. The tide will eventually drown them, but it is several hours from doing so. Milling about the beach is the vast majority of the crew, including the recently pressed Rahaoundi. Plugg and Scourge stand near the stakes, conversing about something. Owlbear is present as well.
Noro looks to the others, what the hell? looksh like we get to bonk shome more headsh. shae says hopefully only loud enough for Durvin and reck to hear.
"Pit traps, on th' beach there" whispers Reck, pointing out the depressions.
Reck ponders the scenario presented in front of him. "I can get across th' sand without 'em seeing me," he says. "Then make one 'ell o' a diversion an' you come rushing in. I might get t' cut th' stakes ones out, depending on 'ow savvy Plugg an' Scourge get."
Durvin squints at where Reck points, not quite making out the spots he's talking about. "If you can go unseen, then that may work to our advantage without you going alone. I've been working on a spell that will hold a large audience captive. If I can get close enough that they all can hear me, I can sing one of my motivational tunes, and then branch into my enthralling performance, all while maintaining both benefits. Noro, if Reck goes unseen, then I may need you to keep me from getting disrupted."
noro looks to them both, I'm jusht gonna go up there an pound shome headsh. an owlbear knowsh better than to messh with me.
"Do us a favor an' wait fer me t'cause some 'avok afore yeh run in. See yeh on th' beach."
Reck dissapears from view and walks out of cover towards the assembled pirates as quietly as he can, carefully threading his way through the prepared ground of pit traps.
Reaching the staked out pirates, Reck stoops and uses his claws to sever the bindings close to where they tie the pirates. He does it slowly, taking care to hold the other end of the lines he's cutting so they don't suddenly flop to the ground.
"Lie still. Make no sound. Be ready t'fight when s~~# goes down." he hisses to each pirate as he frees them.
Reck then sneaks over to stand beside Plugg, says a few words of power, and the clear air of the beach is marred with a zone of dense sea fog.
The cloud springs into place and envelops both Plugg, Scourge, and Owlbear. Plugg roars and draws his cutlass and whip. Here he are! Come an' get me ye bilge rats!
Outside the cloud, the crew present who you managed to befriend suddenly turn on Plugg's cronies. Cutlasses are drawn, curses spewed and in a moment the beach transforms from a hostage situation to scene of utter chaos.
Reck steps just out of Plugg's reach, still invisible. Reflecting briefly on the growth of his magical ability, Reck calls up the soothing breeze and calm, steady lap of waves on sand to lull Plugg into a magical sleep. The half-orc becomes visible as he violates the conditions of his invisibility spell.
Noro having lost sight of her intended opponent simply approaches. unfortunately instead of laying into her opponent with a right hook, it is more like an oops there you are, but unable to get an attack in.
Durvin is a little startled by Reck's advance and spellcasting. He had suggested they let him enthrall most of the the crew, and no one responded, instead just doing what Reck said in the first place. The ensuing fight completely makes the idea of enthralling them useless. Instead he moves forward and draws his bow, and begins to sing. He knows who his allies are, and they should know him, so he hopes they all get the advantage of his song of battle.
He's tried to find the best in everyone, and thought maybe that they were just creul and misguided, but seeing Plugg and Scourge with some of the crew laid out to die he's decided he's had enough. He uses his voice to let them know that he and his friends won't take it any more.
Circling your, circling your, circling your head
Contemplating everything you ever said
Now I see the truth I got a doubt
A different motive in your eyes
And now I'm out, see you later
Plugg goes from screaming to sleeping in just a couple seconds. This alerts Scourge who expertly avoids the threat posed by Noro (but also leads Noro toward his boss) and shakes him awake. Plugg wakes with a start and roars, Bloody magic tricks! C'mon Swabbies! Is that the best you got!
You can hear Bugbear stumbling around in the fog, but don't see him.
Durvin can see that Sandara and Ambrose have joined battle of the deck hands, turning it slightly to your side.
I understand your concerns. I think I was picturing the spell's effect differently. I pictured it more like Plugg suddenly stopping his taunting and hitting the ground like a sack of potatoes, which would certainly make enough noise to be noticed. You may have pictured a quieter affair.
I have thought about it, and I'm willing to leave Plugg prone as a compromise. This is the end fight, after all. I don't want to marginalize your ability (especially since he failed the save!), but I also don't want a complete anti-climax either. Negating both the BBEG's actions for the round is a pretty big deal, even if it isn't best case scenario.
Does leaving Plugg prone sound good to you?
Durvin maintains his song, his abiltiy to try and enthrall the crew so that no one gets hurt while they dealt with Plugg and Scourge has ben lost. He keeps his distance, simply by not knowing where exactly Reck saw the pits, so he sings while trying to spot them enough to safely pass through them.
Once he picks them out along the beach, he makes his way between them to try and get closer. Once within range he can try to daze and flare the opposing crew, so that the fight may be over sooner without too many of them losing their lives.
Reck and Noro to act.
Noro barely can make out which way Scourge moved and tries to follow. she manages to discover he did not go to far.
Once she lays her eyes on the target, looksh like you've had thish comin for a long time
Noro then moves in she slams across his face with her elbow, followed by an attempted backhand but the second swing fails to find its mark
Disappointed that the wily Scourge foiled his plan to murder Plugg, Reck roars with anger and pounces on the fallen pirate, punishing him with fierce blows and the sapping cold of the winter surf.
S:8
P:26 AC 17
O:
Reck lays into Plugg as he is down and does some damage, but Plugg just looks angry as a result. He rises in the mist (provoking) and counter attacks! His cutlass hisses through the air inches from Reck's ear, then his cat'o'nines follows with a vicious tear across the midsection. Only the luck Reck seems to live by saves him from taking a crippling blow.
Sourge turns to face the iron maiden. His ax is in one hand and a punching dagger adorns the other. He begins with the dagger, but can't make contact with the nimble Noro.
Durvin -
The beach battle is in full effect. The reinforcements and Durvin's song are holding the tide as Plugg's cronies rally and push back the friendlies.
Owlbear emerges from the fog to your left looking even more confused than normal.
Reck takes the blow in stride and keeps fighting. No more magic tricks, no more talk. All that's left now is the red haze of brutal combat and revenge for the past. No quarter given or expected - only a bitter contest to be the last man standing.
Durvin is actually pleased to see a good soul like Owlbear come out of the fog, and feels like he can help out a little more now because of it. He speaks to the man lyrically, maintaining his tempo, as he magically enlists his aid.
"Owlbear, my good man.
Come here, I have a plan.
I need you, to help my friends
Plugg and Scourge, must meet their ends."
oops sorry...
Noro has had enough of this. and with a elbow smash followed by a flip kick she makes some solid connections
Plugg takes a right and proper beating from Reck. So much so hat he is forced to change tactics. He deftly slides out of reach of the vicious Half-Orc of Pain and disappears up the beach toward the jungle.
Noro's elbow takes on all the humiliation and fury of these past weeks of slave labor and tyranny. It drives forward with devastating force and crushes Scourge's face. She feels several bones give way and Scourge drops to the sand like a rag doll.
Outside, Owlbear shakes his head as the magic tries to take him and resists. He looks confused and completely unaware of where the magic came from. He does hear Durvin, however, and his face screws up in an effort to understand the verse. After a full three seconds of intence thought his mind finally unravels the linguistic conundrum and he smiles. His head bobs and he moves over to the fight.
The fight itself is suddenly going very poorly. Only Durvin's magic is stemming the tide and Sandra is forced to channel the healing power granted by Besmara in order to keep everyone on their feet.
Durvin - Just after Owlbear passes behind the second trap, who should emerge from the fog but Plugg! He is badly wounded and limping, but still has a wicked determination set to his face. He races past you (but not close enough to reach) and between the nearby traps. He then turns to face the fog again.
Reck warily follows Plugg out of the mist. Sighting his prey attempting to lead him over the pit traps, Reck chuckles evilly.
"Goin' somewhere, Plugg? I 'aven't finished with yeh, not by a long shot! Come an' 'ave a go wit me, you boy-loving dog, 'lest yer afraid t' fight me in front o' yer crew!"
As he delivers his taunt, Reck steps into a fighting stance, ready for action.
Noro makes her way toward reck's yelling, soon finding her way out of the fog.
Ahh there you are, Letsh dance.
With both Reck and Noro going after Plugg, Durvin continues to focus on the fight amongst the crew. Continuing to bolster with his song he also tries to help by stopping the opposing crew from fighting. with a suggestion towards his allied crew. "Don't kill each other, we will need every hand to get off this island. Go for the knock-out if you can."
Plugg takes one more step back (not shown on map until tomorrow morning) and grins. Ye wanna prove yerself, Whippin' Boy? You come to me!
A plug presents the guard of his sword, a grinning skull, and mutters something. A great jet of water explodes from the guard and and blows you back a full 10 feet, straight onto the trap behind you! You lay there for a split second before the branches holding up the sand snap. You tumble into the trap and are buried in palm fronds and sand.
Durvin, your magic has a direct and immidiate effect. One of Plugg's main cronies, Tam 'narwhal' Tate is dazed, then knocked stupid by Ambrose. Plugg's supporters begin to crumble.
maybe itsh time you feel the clutch of the iron maiden Noro says as she approaches but is suddenly hurled back into the pit. making her threat seem that much more silly.
Reck's first reaction is to be mad when Noro rushes past him, but she takes the water blast in his stead and leaves the path clear.
She'll be fine
Hoping to end the fight dramatically in plain sight of the fighting crew, Reck roars and charges Plugg, slashing him with his clawed hand that leaves bloody gashes rimmed with salty frost behind.
Reck's attack leaves Plugg in dire straits. Magically fatigued and no longer nearly as confident in himself as he was, Plug retreats out of Reck's reach and around the left side pit. He loops around and skirts the edge of the cloud. He's making for the safety in numbers of his men, and is about to become a problem for Durvin, Sandra, and Ambrose!
Seeing Plugg coming toward them, the crew rallies and mounts a final push. Two friendly men drop in the assault and sandra is forced to channel again, her last, in order to keep your line from breaking completely.
Durvin strategically lands a daze spell on the center man, preventing a rout. The loss of two men, however, has freed a foe. He charges up to Durvin and hits him in the ribs with an improvised club of driftwood.
Durvin wants to follow his own advice, and tries to avoid harming any of the crew. In order to maintain his performance, he moves out of danger so that he can keep it up.
"Seems fittin', Plugg. Die runnin' like a kicked dog!"
Reck follows hot on Plugg's heels, mercy not on his mind.
Noro spent the round getting out of the pit.
Reck's last hit sends Plugg reeling. He holds several deep, deadly cuts that are spreading crimson across his clothes. Cursed be ye, Whippin' Boy! You and the Maiden there. Now stand still an' die!
He lunges at Reck in a desperate last stand!
Plug, in his last moments, shows what he's truly made of and how he became the first mate of a pirate like Barnabas Harrigan. His whip comes first this time. The hooks and shards of metal in the lashes snatch and grab when then wrap around Reck's forearms. The pull is brutal and opens Reck's defence up wide. Plugg does not waste the opportunity. His blade sinks into Reck's chest, barely missing the heart.