Tsi', you JUST miss the Gillman closest to you, but he is taken aback momentarily, allowing Captain Eron to run him through and soil the decks with his guts.
"STEADY ON, LADS!"
Hako, and the very least consider one of your blades momentarily stuck in the deck.
To see how badly Hako misses:
His next turn Hako will take a move action (?) to unstick his axe.
Strength check:
Then he will use his remaining standard action to attack, wielding his axe in two hands: , damage
As soon as the gillmen finish their attack, Tsi' will attack again.
"So, now, who's in charge here of you rabble, you rapscallions? In my day, which is today, we treated our wise of the woods with respect!"
The melee on deck has caught you all off your guard. Mother did warn there might be days like this.
Hako, your axe is freed from the deck and the rest of the Gillmen seem to know better than to attack an angry half-orc. None of them seem even remotely interested in advancing on the hatch.
Tsi', with a flourish you miss your quarry, but fortunately they do not riposte. Skinny Pete manages to pin one of their feet to a plank nearby with a crossbow bolt, eliciting a water-logged cry from the creature.
"Please, please...just leave us be! We only meant to protect the girl! No more of your magick, you fowl-smelling monster!" the men are prone in front of you Molgo. All fight in them has ebbed away, and were you to make good an escape, this might be a good time to do so.
"I would take offense if I could not smell myself, you flowery fops!"
Molgo calls Mr. Rat on and makes sure to pick up the paper on his way (if he hadn't already). It's very curious how this came about. What is the status of the paper and the vial?
Hako will hold his axe in his offhand and throw a throwing axe at a Gillman if there is one not presently engaged in melee.
If there is an appropriate target, Hako's attack roll is and his damage roll is
Possible critical! Confirm critical roll is . If critical, extra damage is .
Unless he throws it overboard, he'll have someone retrieve the throwing axe after the fight is over.
Tsi' curses. "Shiprot! Otu nne gi!"
He pauses, selects a gill-man, preferably one slightly concealed but not too far away, and utters words of divine power while holding his trident menacingly with one hand and feverishly gripping his pendants of Shimye-Magalla with the other.
Stonespine: The paper has returned to it's normal temperature, though there is a faint glow to it. The vial seems to be undisturbed. As you continue down the road, you come across larger and larger groups of people as the outlying settlements of Okeno grow denser. No one seems to be paying much attention to you, one way or the other...
The Bonaventura:Hako, a particularly vehement Gillman charges towards you, his weapon drawn. Discouraged by your uncharacteristically bad fighting, you resolve to make this hit count. Taking a deep breath, you throw the axe with all of your might and it lodges right between his eyes. He drops to his knees, his eyes roll back in his head and he collapses on the deck. You THINK you might hear Awrl laughing somewhere among the din.
Not many left now. The Captain certainly doesn't seem interested in taking prisoners...
Tsi', you say your prayer to Shimye-Magalla, and for a moment there is a clarity to your thoughts and action that you know will guide your hand. And it's fortuitous for you that it happens at this moment, for you are grappled from behind by one of the few remaining Gillmen!
"Something tells me there's more to this piece of parchment than meets the eye. Maybe it transforms! Maybe it's a...something...in disguise."
Hako roars with satisfaction. He'll take this next round to doublecheck on the cargo in the hold, and then he'll prepare to attack any suitable targets the following round.
Hako, the only Gillmen who have found their way to the hold are in pieces!
The wind begins to stir in the sails as the melee reaches its' climax, for what its worth. A Few of the remaining Gillmen make moves towards the side of the ship and yell overboard. The ship shakes violently again.
Molgo, you can generally make out that this is some sort of concealment spell, but you can't make out the specifics. Regardless, it appears to be active again as you approach the gates of Okeno. Mentally you go over your list of necessary supplies.
Tsi' twirls his trident around to strike with divine perception at the grappling gillman.
Let's see, hardtack, salt, whatever the hell pitons are, 50' pole for some reason, water/wineskin, hemp rope, Rat Chow© and maybe a fire-proof staff.
Bonaventura: Tsi', you use the moment where the boat shakes to your advantage by breaking the grapple, turning around and slicing the gillman's neck. He lashes out at you as he tries to stem the tide of blood gushing from his neck, but he doesn't have much fight left in him. There are two gillmen remaining, and they slowly back to the starboard rail of the boat as the crew advances on them.
"Who shall die this day, fish-stickers?"
The Captain is not known for his consistently witty ripostes.
Awrl runs to the hatch and peers down. "At least you didn't shame us by letting one of those abominations get Ruriel's prize. Now clear out, I've had my fill of the sea and all of the trash that inhabits it. Go help toss the last of them overboard!"
Stonespine
"Hard to find good pitons this season, sir, but I think my brother two streets over may be able to help you. Tell him Ger sent you!"
Your trip into town is more pleasant than any other you remember, Molgo. It would seem that however the spell on that piece of paper works, you've made it work FOR you. However, you notice that the longer you talk the heat in your pocket begins to grow again.
"With pleasure." Hako runs up and swings at one of the gill-men with his double axe two-handed:
damage if a hit:
"Grab that last gillman! Something is still attacking the boat from below!" yells Tsi'. He swings at the gillman's legs, sweeping his trident.
"YOWCH!"
Molgo, you fumble with the paper, but remembering what happened last time you hold on to it gingerly as it cools down.
However, in doing so you have just attracted the attention of a small group of cloaked men with eyes like red and gray marbles.
And back on The Bonaventura, Hako gouges a chunk from one of the remaining attackers as Tsi' trips his compatriot. The former is in no shape to talk seeing as he's bleeding out on the deck, but the other puts his hands up gurgling "Enough! I surrender!
The Captain and a few crew members peer over the side of the ship and all some aghast at what lay below...
Hako glances back to make sure Awrl has the hold covered and then peers over the side of the ship.
"Call out what you see, crew!" Tsi' commands while pinning the gillman with one boot and threatening him with the pointy end of the trident. "Hako! You big lump! Leave the deck to the deckhands and do what you do best--knock some answers out of this fish!"
Hako will come aid in the interrogation, but he first needs to see for himself what is over the side of the ship...
Molgo pulls out the vial from his jerkin.
"Looking for this, star f@&%ers incorporated?!?!!? HOO HOO HA HA!!!"
Molgo runs down the nearest alley as he tucks the paper and vial back into their hidey hole, looking for convenient places to quickly duck into for them to pass him.