Hit Points 43/51
Wildshape: medium animal (cheetah) bite +8, d6+5, 2 claws +8 d3+5
Bull's Strength from Annie
Faerie Fire on enemy
Bryson stands up and strikes out
Bite damage
Dgrim double moves to I-9.
Annie slipped around the corner and stood ready to heal her companions as soon as Dgrim came into sight behind Bryson's target.
Bryson stands up…
Drawing an attack of opportunity from his glowing assailant.
But misses.
… and claws his attacker for 8 cutting damage.
Dgrim, having extracted himself from the pile of crates, takes one look at the battle and decides to flank. Dodging around the far side of the shelving, he moves to block the attackers retreat.
Annie prepositions herself for a Healing Channel when the time is ripe.
[npc] Ghirrak runs up behind Bryson and does a backflip over them both to land behind the glowing attacker.
Acrobatics: Fail!
Drawing an attack of opportunity from Bryson's glowing assailant.
Hit! for cutting damage.
Red-5 whirls around and attacks both Bryson and Ghirrak.
Vs. Bryson: Hit! for cutting damage.
Vs. Ghirrak: Miss. as Ghirrak's terrible landing saves him as he staggers aside from a slash.
Hit Points 35/51
Wildshape: medium animal (cheetah) bite +8, d6+5, 2 claws +8 d3+5
Bull's Strength from Annie
Faerie Fire on enemy
Bryson bites and claws at the one he's flanking with Ghirrak
Bite damage
Claw damage
Claw damage
As Bryson's attack connects Ghirrak strikes aa vicious combination of pinpoint strikes with crippling impact.
Dgrim closes in and attacks.
Attack:
Damage:
The woman could fend off Bryson's claw attacks, but not his bit, Ghirrak's hands or Dgrim's axe; she goes down several times over.
As the last body hits the floor, you are left in posession of a bloody wreck of a warehouse. Several small fires are in danger of spreading too. You don't see any other living things.
Detect Magic and search the bodies.
Bryson will try to remember who this is/was.
"This one was on our ship."
Ghirrak searches the first opponent he dropped, remebering the recognition in her eyes.
Annie walks up to her companions as the danger ends and blesses them with healing from Cayden Cailean.
Annie moves to those fallen who might be saved and attempts heal checks to stabilize their condition, then immediately casts Create Water to slow or stop the fires.
Moving quickly, you manage to put the fire out before it caught in the barrels of pitch.
They are all stone dead; even the ones you thought were only knocked unconscious.
Of those, two were dead by poison, taken from a hollow tooth. The last was dead by a shortbow arrow.
None of these bodies are the familiar scent.
None of these women are familiar, though something about the style seems just on the edge of rememberance.
All the women have basic leather armor, sawtooth sabers, three sawtooth daggers, six mantis shuriken (poisoned), and dark cloaks.
The last woman had Leather armor +1, Shadowed, saber, daggers and shuriken also +1, and the Cloak of Resistance +1.
None of them had any kind of identifying marks or papers.
Ghirrak runs his mind through the movements of the women, the tell-tale signatures of style that would give him some insight as to their origin but to no avail.
"Ah was for sure ah ain't killed her."
Heal
"That is a shame. Ah guess ah must be stronger then ah thought. We should be getting. Ah don't want to mussy up mah new clothes."
Also, they each had a bottle of Giant Wasp poison, three doses in each remain.
"Be careful not to hurt yourself - those look to be smeared with something, and judging from these vials, it won't be something pleasant," Annie said disapprovingly, holding a bottle of poison. "I'll take these to prevent someone from thinking it's something safe to drink or something." Annie looked doubtfully around the warehouse. "Is there anything else here to be concerned about? Any idea what this might have been about? Or shall we get back to the ship?" Annie kept her sword out, just in case something else jumped out of the shadows.
"I wonder what all this was about." Dgrim pulls a crowbar from his pack and opens a few crates and barrels.
Searching the warehouse, you find nothing out of place; the goods seem to be what is marked on the exterior. Farming tools, spare nails, and various plantation consumables.
Well, that pile of barrels contain saltpetre, sulfur, and an exceptionally pure tar. You could make all kinds of fireworks, if you knew what you were doing. Maybe even if you didn't.
We should be gone before the authorities get here." Ghirrak says, putting the shuriken into a pouch on his belt.
Bryson goes out to make sure the coast is clear.
Perception
You all manage to slip out before the town guards and firemen appear, summoned by the column of smoke.
Reaching the Kraken, you are greeted by most of the crew sprawled on the deck, snoring away amongst the jumble of repair detritus (they often did when it is a balmy night). There was a lot of celebrating tonight; some kind of local holiday. Only the ships boy Tavey Nask is there at the boarding plank to salute you as you return.
Spinnaker Jon hurries out on deck at that point.
"Arr, glad yer back..."
He gives you a double take at your appearance.
"By the deep ones! What happened to yer at the Governers Ball?"
"Ah danced and ah danced. They had this big table just full of food. Ah don't think ah ever ate so much. And Annie..." That's when he notices how everyone else looks. "Oh! Well there was this little thing that happened after the ball..."
Spinnaker Jon shakes his head abruptly and waives your explainations away.
"Alright! Later! First we need to cast off. Bear a hand with these sails would ye? We need to slip away right now and yer the only ones sober enough to sail..." He shoos you into positions and shows you what to do; a gentle offshore breeze is helpful as well. You can see by the dim light of the anchor watch that the Blue Nixie is also slowly getting under weigh.
I hope you don't expect bryson to be of any real help.
Wis See. I told you.
Annie opens her mouth to begin saying something, then sighs and shrugs ruefully as Spinnaker Jon asks for help.
Sailor:
Dgrim gruffly and silently gets to work raising the sails.
Ghirrak stares along the ship for a few moments, his perceptive mind recaalling the different actions required to set off. With a nod to himself he goes iinto action, in many places doing the work of two men as her worked to bring the sails around to catch the night wind.
Slowly your ship drifts away from the dock. With much fumbling the five of you manage to raise one of the foresails. Since Bryson seems to have a particular problem coordinating (even dropping a block and it's line overboard), Spinnaker Jon takes the time to show you all how to do it. Dgrim, stolid as ever, clearly shows the practice he has had since the voyage began; and Ghirrak seems to pick up the knack quickly.
With such a light breeze there is plenty of time before you cross the 200 yards to the sea-gate, and it is a beautiful bright moonslit night out. You can see the Nixie following at some distance; looks like only three are working the sails there.
You see a cloaked figure at the dock, but when you try to focus in on it, it's gone.
Slowly you begin to get the hang of it, controlling the ship even while stepping over the drunken crew. Jon waives some kind of signal, and the chain is lowered for you to pass by the sea guards. Finally, you pass through and are out on the open ocean again; you can feel the ship come alive...
Finally you are able to stop and rest. The ship is running well in the breeze and you can tend to your achy muscles and blistered hands.
You catch the scent of that same kind of tar that was in the warehouse you fought in.
Perception
Second one is auto success.
Later that day Bryson does something unusual, he calls a meeting of the Savage Krakens. "We got us a stowaway and they mean to hurt us. Poisoning the food and what not. And whoever it is was at the warehouse too. Ah been looking for them but they been able to dodge me so far. So ah'm asking for your help. Ah'd like everyone to be brought to the top deck where ah can sniff them. If ah don't find the culprit, we have them watched while we do a thorough search of the inside and outside of the ship. We got to find that stowaway before he does somebody harm."
Ghirrak focuses on the work to the exclusion of his surroundings.
After Ghirrak drops a boom on a longboat, Jon tells you to knock off for the rest of the night.
After giving a quick rundown to Spinnaker Jon on the events ashore, he tells you that he got wind of some unsavory types observing the expedition's ships. Getting a bad feeling, he rushed the timetable, got the materials to repair the ships while underway, and rigged both ships for a quick getaway.
After the dawn watch, the crew is mostly sober and breakfasted (not to mention surprised at already being underway), Jon has them lined up on deck and begins to give a speech about their voyage. He waxes poetic and draws it out while Bryson wanders the line, sniffing. They all look at you like you're crazy.
Needless to say, tar is pretty common aboard ship, not to mention many other smells that leave your nose stinging and head aching (coming near Black Breath Bob nearly leaves you unconsious).
You get a match with the passenger named Skald; a greasy haired sullen young man of Varisian appearance. Supposed to be a forest guide and fine archer. Keeps to himself mostly, not joining in many of the activities with the other passengers and crew.
Perception
Bryson-cat stops and whines or maybe growls at Skald.
Skald, like many others, looks at Bryson as if he was crazy.
"What is it? I'm trying to listen here to this long winded speech by the Captain..."
Dgrim moves near Bryson and Skald. "Listen, we need to talk. I don't think you really want to hear the Captain run his mouth anyway." Dgrim guides him over to the side. "We know you've brought trouble with you. You're going to tell us what's going on with you." The dwarf continues on with implications of throwing Skald off the boat until he gets information out of him.
Intimidate:
Bryson-cat continues searching the crew and then the ship.
Perception
Annie tries to help Jon keep the crew's focus off of everyone else as Bryson whines at Skald and Dgrim leads him away.
"We know you've brought trouble with you. You're going to tell us what's going on with you."
As Dgrim snarls this out he crowds Skald against the gunwale, slowly bending him back until he is in danger of falling into the foaming wake of the ship.
Skald looks more and more alarmed.”Hey now. Wait a minute. Wait! Stop! ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT I CAN’T SWIM!”
When he is let up; he looks defeated. He gasps a little, shoulders shaking.
”Alright, I’m sorry I brought this trouble to you, but it was coming anyway! You gotta believe me!”
====================
The scurvy crew, grown mutinous at the continuous verbal droning of Spinnaker Jon, starts muttering darkly and looking around at the commotion Dgrim is creating with Skald.
Until Annie jumps in front and shouts “It’s Cayden Caileen’s day! Free drinks boys!”. The crew gives a mighty cheer and carries her around on their shoulders. The crew of the Nixie, still hungover, look on the scene across the water between the ships with naked envy. There is much worshipping of "Saint Annie" that day; though not much work is gotten done that day.
====================
Having gone through the crew, passengers and ship, Bryson comes away with a solemn desire to never visit the bilge ever, ever again. Those mushrooms, they seemed to be… Glowing. Somehow. And even when you were moving away, you could FEEL them watching you!
But underneath that, is a feeling you missed something; like an itch you can’t scratch.
"What trouble was coming? What did you do?" Dgrim demands.
Once the crew is no longer looking mildly mutinous, Annie is very curious about how the interrogation is going, and would like to join the fun.
Annie walks up behind Dgrim and softly suggests "Maybe this should be done in the cabin. Away from prying eyes and ears. I'm sure your new friend won't mind, since you've persuaded him to talk."
Sorry I didn't explain more clearly, Skald IS the guy who's trace you smelled at the warehouse. Beyond that, during your search you did have a feeling you sensed something... familiar. But it got lost in the many other overwhelming smells on the ship.
Taking it into the Captain's cabin, Skald spills his guts.
"I was just a backwoods kid, got himself a job in town. Working on the docks for the Manson Trading Company. One time, a few months back, we loaded a cargo of barrels for a dandy named Vanthus Vanderboren and some tattooed floozy. Well that turned out to be alchemist's fire we loaded onto his parents ship. And it exploded at anchor next night. Blew me out of bed; set four ships ablaze as well."
"I don't know how he did it, but I knew it were Vanthus. But nobody I talked to would do anything! Even the town guard didn't do anything. Then I got fired, couldnt get hired anywhere else. Turns out the whole town is owned by a consortium of companies, the Aspis Consortium they call themselves, but they don't advertize much."
"Anyway, I was sick with guilt. Someone had to do something, and I knew the Company allowed itself to be used for murder, if they weren't in on it themselves. So I snuck in to the central warehouse, and rigged a few barrels; burned the place to the ground. Cost them millions at least."
"Anyway, I had to run. Somehow they knew. Sent people after me. They never caught me, but were hot on my trail. I had to get out of town, and with this expedition, well, around the world ought to be far enough right? And maybe protecting the sister from a brother who'd burn his own parents too."
Sense Motive
Sense Motive:
"I don't know what to make of your story. Why didn't you say something to someone before?"
Understood.
He seems sincere to you.
Skald looks up at you, anguished.
"Don't you think I TRIED? That's how I found out the guard was bought and paid for! I was lucky, they came at me stupid; bragging about what they would do to me before 'disappearing' me. Nothing personal, just business. I threw my drink in one guys face and hit another with the mug and got out a window. I don't know who they got following me now, but the only way I could lose them was by dodging into the forest. But they keep finding me in the city."
He stops and swollows.
"I know it seems wierd, but... I think they might be girls following me now."
Annie decides a little honey might help, now that Skald is good and scared. Any sign of an ally among his employers should encourage him to be completely honest.
"Why, you poor man, tricked into such a horrible deed, and pursued for trying to do the right thing after! Don't mind Dgrim," she patted his hand as she crouched down next to him, "dwarves just tend to be a bit gruff, and we've been worried for Lady Vanderboren." She smiled. "Why don't you tell us about who you've told of the Aspis Consortium? We'll know who might have access to the guards, then. And tell us about why you think women follow you now. We'll do what we can to help you, in return. Maybe we can change how you look, give you a new name...and let word drop in the next few ports of call that you died in some horrible accident at sea. Something to get the dogs off you."
Annie radiates sympathy, but keeps her eyes lidded to hide how carefully she's watching his reactions. She calls upon Cayden Cailean to help her encourage the man to be honest, and watches his reaction.
"Ya gotta believe me Miss Annie, after I near got killt the first time, I didn't tell no one! If it weren't guards it were gang boys of one kind or other, I tell you. If it were just them, I could handle it. But sending girls to kill me; that just ain't fair."
You believe he is what he appears to be; a country boy in over his head.
The Aspis Constortium is a widely spread network of business concerns that pool their wealth and contacts to aid one another. One among many in the known world.
The Aspis Constortium has a reputation for complete ruthlessness, and employs many well paid agents, mercenaries, rogues and assassins to get their way.
Annie nodded sympathetically. "Not fair at all, I agree. Do you have anyone in port you're concerned for? Or do we just need to worry about you? Also, what exactly happened last night? Did they attack you out of nowhere, like they'd been following you?"
After they've gotten everything they can from Skald, Annie will let the rest of the group know about the Aspis Consortium.
"I know it's commonly believed the Aspis Consortium is a large group of rich merchant families banded together for business interests, but in Shadowshore those in the know knew that the nastiest of nasties in the alleys could make good money working as their agents and...clean up crews. If they're after Skald, he's definitely in trouble.
"Maybe we could arrange a fake accident where he appears to go overboard next time we come near port. We put on a show of searching for him while Bryson in animal form gets him away to shore. Then we change how he looks as best as we can manage, get a new crewman from Lady Lavinia's ship, and he works on her ship through the voyage as a new hire from port. That gives him a decent chance to throw them off his scent, anyway. We'll have to okay it with Lady Lavinia, of course, before we do anything else.
"As to the Aspis Consortium being mixed up in the Vanderboren deaths...it's worrisome to me. It'll be more worrisome, I think, if they know we know." Annie sighed. "I'm not sure what to do about this all," she said, sounding tired, but then she smiled a little as she looked around the room, "but I'm sure we'll manage somehow!"
Ghirrak nodded at Annie's assessment.
"There is also the possibility that the "girls" chasing him are the ones we took out last night.
Bryson transforms back into his human form. "Ah think we should let the Lady Vanderboren decide what to do with him. After all, he helped kill her parents." Bryson's disdain for Skald is evident, as is the judgement he hopes the Lady will levy.
Spinnaker Jon arches his eye at Bryson, as if to say 'A little harsh now don't ye think laddie?' Then he nods and looks to the rest of the companions.
"What say the partners?"