Calder nods, "I can." Eyeing the slender Kayaks dubiously.
Kurasaviel smiled brightly.
"Absolutely no idea! Never seen these before in my life! But it seems like a good plan."
Ukshakka animatedly pushes one a little bit into the water, withdrawing its wooden two-sided paddle from the inside. "It's real simple! You just sit in it like this," she says, sitting on the inside with her legs pointed forward. "Then, you paddle on one side, and then the other. Keep your back straight and you swish your hips to and fro with the motion of the boat, like you're balancing, only you're sitting."
"Getting out is gonna be awkward, just try your hardest not to knock them over and remember to tie them off when you get there. There will be a brazier designed to fall onto the deck after a time delay, just remove that while you're there and you're golden."
"Ok, ready? I'm not coming with - I have a safehouse to prepare. Ulf and I have an old Desnan friend who said he'd shelter us if we were ever in trouble, and getting kidnapped by the Rimerunners sounds like plenty trouble to me." She withdraws a little wooden carving of a songbird. "Just head to the temple of Desna downtown and give the priest this. He'll show you the safe room."
Kurasaviel pocketed the proffered carving, nodding.
"Thanks for all of this, Ukshakka. Assuming we don't all die horribly, I owe you a drink!"
Kurasaviel turned to the rest of the group.
"Shall we?"
"Oooooh, looks fun! Can't be too hard, right? Hold on a minute though. Who among us isn't a great swimmer? I can brew you a fizzy drink that might help."
Calder can swim, Bur he will take a Monkeyfish extract if there is one going? He'll take Clara in his Kayak. She can get aboard the funeral ship while Calder keeps the Kayak steady.
In the distance, though the morning is foggy, you can see the ship you know contains Snorri One-Eye's body begin to move into the waters of the bay.
Tallak turns to the young girl and says, "Thank you for your help, child. We will do what we can to find and save your brother."
He turns to the group and says, "If any of you are not comfortable with the little boats, I can bless four of you with the ability to run across the water, but we will need to move quickly, the spell will not last forever."
"I'm fairly springy so I'll ride with Calder."
"I'm fine with riding solo," adds Matin.
Matin, Calder, and Tallak mount their kayaks, with the smaller and more lithe members of the party fitting in behind Calder and Tallak. The Ulfen men push the kayaks into the water, and Matin finds that he has a relatively easy time of it learning how to operate the kayak. He propels himself easily across the channel towards the slow-moving funeral ship, while his compatriots fumble and flail behind him. Matin crosses the distance into the fog quickly and easily, though Calder and Tallak eventually work out how to operate their little boats and begin to row towards the ship.
Matin makes it all the way to the ship's hull, finds a wooden spur onto which to loop a rope connected to his kayak, and balances carefully as he lifts himself onto the relatively low surface of the ship without tipping the kayak over. Looking behind, his compatriots are about fifty feet away, rowing with all their mights towards the funeral ship. Tallak is significantly ahead of Calder, whose training on board a dragonship didn't do much for his prowess at a kayak. Tallak, and Clara riding with him, are a mere twenty-five feet from the funeral ship.
The deck of the ship is adorned with very little. Matin, as an Ulfen, knows that all of the celebrations of the deceased reaver, as well as all of the loot that he had wished to be burned with. There is a massive pile of dry wood on the surface of the ship, the top doused with oil. On top of that is a large iron brazier, tied by a special knot to a wooden arch above. The knot is designed to slowly un-knot and drop the brazier onto the wood after a certain time.
The only other feature on the surface of the ship is a trap-door leading down into the hold of the ship.
As he waits for the others to reach the ship, Matin quietly looks to see if there is anything out of the ordinary, and tries to assess how long it will take for the brazier to drop. He casts a spell as he does so, looking to see if there are any magic auras on the ship.
As Tallak rows them over, Clara cheerfully wonders, "Why are we going in circles?" As they chat, she downs her mutagen--once again taking on a fluorescent yellow tint--and drinks a monkeyfish extract--causing her fingers to grow suction cups and her toes to spread like fins.
As she climbs up onto the ship (enjoying the feel of the suction cups popping on and off of the wood), Clara looks around takes in the scene.
"Matin or Kurrie, do you think one of you can safely take down that brazier?
"I'll take a peek down the hold." She goes over to the trap door and opens it, blinking twice as his eyes adjust to the darkness below.
The brazier will drop in minutes at best, as is evidenced by the knot visibly coming undone in front of Matin's eyes. Tallak and Clara make it to the ship 20 seconds or so after Matin does, and the pair easily climb on board. Calder and Kurasaviel are still twenty-five feet out, rowing with gusto and vigor.
The brazier obviously would be very hot, being a metal instrument with a fire on the inside, but as long as it doesn't spill directly on the wood, a fire shouldn't be a danger.
No magical auras are visible on the deck of the ship, except for Clara and Tallak, who glow with spells active on themselves.
The trapdoor leading down into the hold isn't locked, though you can't see anything just from looking straight down other than the bottom of the hold. The rattle of chains issues from the open trapdoor.
"Someone tend to the flame," Tallak says as he moves towards and down into the trapdoor to the lower decks, conjuring forth some magic to cause his new shield to glow.
Clara follows Tallak down the stairs, whispering, "What an interesting twist--exploring a funeral boat that's about to get burnt, to find a guide who isn't dead. I guess I'd read something about funeral boats years ago but I never really thought much abut them. Did you? I mean, I guess you probably did think some about it because you're Ulfen too, but did you ever think you'd be exploring inside of one that was about to be burnt? I wonder what'll happen next?"
Tallak hops down into the squat hold of the ship with Clara toodling in behind him, and they come along into an unusual sight. A pile of furs, gold, ornate chalices, gems, and other assorted treasure is piled in the center of the room, and standing atop it is what appears to be an undead creature. Dripping with water, this armored undead monstrosity bears a greataxe, wears a golden winged helmet, and has a glowing gem inset into one of its eye sockets. It growls, and takes a step towards Tallak, though he and Clara can see that it is chained to a pillar in the center of the bilges, and that it cannot wander far.
On the other side of the deck, tied hand and foot and unconscious, bruised from an apparent beating, is a burly-looking blonde Ulfen man, evidently Ulf Gormurdr.
Meanwhile, with only Matin alone on the deck of the ship, three black-robed and silent individuals vault up over the opposite side of the ship, landing lightly on the deck. They fix their eyes intently on Matin, though they wear black cloth masks to cover their faces. They draw short, curved swords and make to attack.
Initiative Rolls
Calder
Kurasaviel and Calder work together with the oars, making their slow way towards the edge of the ship, Kurasaviel rowing strongly enough that he is able to climb up from the kayak to the edge of the funeral ship.
Meanwhile, the men atop the deck of the ship rush forwards towards Matin. One of them hisses, "Kuikku! Yori akaruku, Silverskorr wa ika no shūgeki-sha to issho ni moetsukiru koto o meijimashita." At his words, one of the black-robed men darts towards the brazier, running around it to stand next to Matin. The other two men work to surround Matin, with one of the men lashing out against the Ulfen thief with his curved sword.
Though Matin is caught-off guard by the quick-moving assailants, the enemy doesn't strike hard enough to get through Matin's armor, and the other two are too busy running to have an opportunity to strike.
Tallak, standing in the stairwell of the lower portion of the ship, wards himself with the power of his faith - a shimmering deflection barrier springs up around him in anticipation of battle.
Matin, meanwhile, retreats from having been surrounded by the ninja that are ambushing them. One of the ninja is able to swipe at him as he retreats, though the other two are far too slow to catch the retreating adventurer. The ninja's wakizashi bites into Matin's shoulder, drawing blood. Matin makes it away, though, and calls out for aid when he reaches the corner of the ship.
In the hold below, the creature that was once Snorri One-Eye catches sight of Clara and Tallak, his one magical gemstone eye glowing menacingly. He strides forwards towards them, but is caught by the chains restricting him. He strains against them.
His efforts yield some worrying cracking sounds, but the chains do not break under the undead creature's strength, and he cannot advance close enough to attack either Clara or Tallak.
Hearing a commotion up top, Clara hollers, "Matin, what's going on up there?"
She climbs back up the ladder and--seeing three ninjas and a cut on Matin's arm--says, "Uh, Tallak, we might need to hold off on Snorri and Ulf. We've got company up here!"
As she does, she shakes up a fizzy pop and lops it at the ninja to her left. As she does, she catches her toe on the hatch door and the bomb looks like it's about to go wide...but somehow it corrects. Uhh, thanks great-grampa-Umbilicus!
We are seriously going to have to talk tactics after this.
Kurasaviel was new to this, but waiting for your group and letting the stealthier ones scout the way seemed like common sense. There was no time to talk now, and Kurasaviel moved quickly, freeing his blade as he did so.
Calder and Kurasaviel close the distance between themselves and the cloud of smoke containing the enemy assailants, unwilling to enter it in order to attack them.
From within the smoke cloud comes a loud whoosh sound, accompanied by a wave of heat and an incredibly bright light. One of the enemy ninjas has set the funeral pyre ablaze, while the other two ninjas dash out of the cloud of smoke, eyes set intently on Clara, and lash out at her with their curved blades.
One of them scores a wicked blow on the alchemist, taking advantage of the distraction created by his ally on the other side to slice her in a vulnerable section along her back.
Tallak readies his shield and spear while he chants some words of magic. His muscles bulge a moment later, granting him enhanced strength as he draws on the power of his ancestors.
__________
Matin draws his bow, cursing to himself as the ninjas surround and attack Clara. He considers his options--jumping overboard would probably be best, but he doesn't want to abandon everyone else, especially after Clara just helped save his hide. He eyes the ninjas--he probably can't take them down on his own--but maybe he can get them away from Clara.
"Besmara, aid me," shouts Matin, gesticulating wildly, doing his best to get the ninjas' attention. Below the ship, there is an indeterminate thrashing and sucking sound as a great red and black tentacle curls its way onto the deck of the ship--and then another and another as a monstrous octopus rears up at the ninjas, its beak snapping in their general direction.
The ninjas wheel around, looking at the apparent summoned octopus climbing atop the ship. Matin is convincing enough that they don't think twice about the fact that it's not making any noise.
Below, the creature that once was Snorri One-Eye strains against his chains. Although they are weakened, he is unable to snap them and step closer to Tallak.
Calder moves over to the Ninja by the pyre.
Kurasaviel moves to flank the ninja to the south of Clara and slices at the dark warrior;