Cavell looks up and around, curious about the copper piece, then goes in to check out the building.
Grellik is heartened by Fengs coherence, though horrified at what this means for the plight of the townspeople. "Yes, Feng, I have been practicing." (though not enough, it would seem)"We do have a plan, both to aide and to cure, though I fear the curing may take more time. But you are among friends, and we will not abandon you. Trust us, and bear with it a little longer. The Sharks will not falter, even in this dire hour."
Grelliks heart mirrors the storm above. Fear of failing, despite his attempts at courage; compassion for those suffering, most especially his 'family;' and hatred--for those that killed Mornak though was the best of us, and for Brundon, the Limping Man, who wreaks such suffering so callously. All these swirl about, mingling with each other, and underneath it all a grim determination continues to rise. We will save our friends, and Brundon will pay for what he has done.
Feng's manner doesn't change as Grellik speaks, clearly unable to actually hear. However, her expression (though glossy-eyed and dazed) seemed somehow more peaceful. As if she were patiently waiting for signs from her friends.
Going through the tinkerer's room floors above, Just before the door out is opened, Feng speaks. "We are going higher! I'm not moving up at all, but I feel... It's asss if I'm floating."
The Bogsharks enter out into the storm, their expressions determined as lightning flashes and booms above, rain streaking their bodies as the sun lowers in the sky, night approaching.
----
You enter the room cautiously, seeing the two bodies. They don't appear to be bleeding. Just regular people, though maybe a bit on the burly side. Commoners defending the building from dazers?
"We are going higher! I'm not moving up at all, but I feel... It's asss if I'm floating." - you hear from a staircase up. Feng's voice. You haven't heard it since the raid Frostheight captured you all.
And he got away from you, somehow. Using magic...
You suddenly realize as you hear Feng's voice and consider it, that wasn't Frostheight. It wasn't YOUR anger that filled you, it was Sapphires. That was Brundon, and her hate made you see your hated person as hers. The Limping man who, who murdered her friends, her mercenary party, The Six Shepherds.
There is also a feeling you get as well with your connection to Sapphire. That didn't quite look like the same person she had seen before. There was a similar look, and the body language was dead on. The way he would cast magic, the same. But the face was somehow wrong. It could be a brother, or a close cousin. Maybe even a twin, someone only similar, not identical.
It's as if someone had described a face they had seen to another person, and that other person tried to recreate it based on the description. Similar, but distinct. It HAD to be him though, his manner, his personality, was identical.
------------------
Then you hear the boom of the storm from above as well as from the door you just entered. Your friends are upstairs? Or just Feng? Who is she with?
The building is three stories tall, and you are on a flat peak at the top of the building. There are other buildings just as tall sparse within this block of the city, but that are far in between leaving the view nearly unobstructed.
All of Yartar was visible from here, well... Most of it. Some taller buildings in the distance blocks small sections of the hundreds of buildings within a large wall.
To the South, the city wall is the closest. A ring of stone cut only by the massively rushing river. Guards on the wall can just barely be seen through the rain to the South, on their small patrols.
A clearing of buildings can be seen to the east, where the town cemetery leaves a hole in the skyline. Past that, the town continues, still encircled by wall.
A bit north of that is the main gate, and the gallows above it, a vague shape in the distance. Beyond, a line of flickering fire and thick black smoke can be seen miles outside of the city, where the storm is less strong. A thin line of red shines miles and miles to the east, a fire large enough to be just barely visible this far away.
North of that and the looming shape of the tower blocks a larger chunk of city. The tower which was fire-bombed by the bogsharks when they attempted to sneak back into the place they earlier escaped.
To the north is the column of lodgings turned into a Zhentarim nest, and further still is the taller shape of The Cointoss, just down the street from the hideout at Dart's farm.
Northwest and southwest from this position are the breaks in the wall, the one place where the city opens itself to invasion. Who would have expected the bullywugs to come in such, unexpected numbers. What could displace so many from their swamps to the North? The barbarians weren't enough to scare away so many monstrous frogs. The trolls and giants were more powerful, but they wouldn't invade into the bullywug's land. They were more likely to push further south, into the hills of the Evermoores where the Bogsharks claimed their land.
The bandits had actually stolen the land from four powers, different groups that believed the land theirs. Yartar and Silvermoon both had rightful claims on it. Silvermoon because they technically own all of The Evermoors. Yartar, because they made agreements with them which said they owned any terrain within a certain limit of the road they maintain for trade with the elves. The southern end of the Evermoors was technically the lands of Yartar, up until the far eastern part where the boundary agreed on between the humans and elves ends. Still,
The Elves of Silvermoon state that it is theirs to settle and harvest, as it is The Evermoors, and they own all of it.
The disagreement between the two civilizations have discouraged either from building or sending out large expeditions into the southern end of the Evermoors. What discouraged them even more, though neither would admit it, are the barbaric civilizations of the trolls and the giants. Their terrain ended where the Bullywug's began, but the south was theirs.
The giants would raid the trolls, taking some land. The trolls would retaliate, taking more. They each thought all the lands as theirs, and their constant war over their mutual home was enough to put a stop to any groups of humans OR elves from risking lives to settle the savage lands.
So, years and years ago, when a small group wearing crude masks depicting savage, fanged grins appeared, they stole the lands of FOUR kingdoms, and entered a war of four fronts. The trolls and giants still discouraged the elves and men, even from this act of open aggression (Both received official declarations of succession from their control, by the new inhabitants of the land). Still, when the the bandits prey off of the trade between the two in large, costly bites, sometimes they send in soldiers to stop them.
Every time soldiers enter the marshes they learn very quickly who the land really belongs to. The Sharks have littered the realm with temporary homes, each furnished to be comfortable to various degrees (enough so that most sharks have favorite furniture in one place or another. A squat chair from the Great-Oak tree hideout in the west, a burrow dug under a large tree. A bed at the Spitlake fort, old elven ruins that the Bogsharks fixed up). They had traps, they had fallback point after fallback point. They knew the tunnels. They knew the terrain. No invading force would last long.
And the trolls and giants, the races familiar with the terrain? The sharks would bloody their noses enough that they would instead worry about the familiar other monstrous race, instead of picking on the surprising and mysterious strangers. Everyone wanted the Bogsharks off of their land, but no one had yet been able to take it from them.
What Frostheight did, and whichever Bogshark turned traitor did, was by far the most successful attack on the Bogsharks ever, by any force. First blood to Yartar.
The Boss and the elites had been busy as of late. Something was causing the Trolls and Giants to be more aggressive recently. They've been needing more and more bloody noses. Whatever was stirring up those two races most likely is whatever is displacing the bullywugs. Something was happening in the Evermoors, something big enough to make all of the Evermoors wanting to flee outward into their neighboring lands.
The coincidence is too big. The Bullywugs in Yartar, and the large monsters pushing back against the Bogsharks are related.
---------------------------
The river is wide and swollen by the storm, massive rapids separating the city from the great Citadel of the west side of the river, excepting the twin bridges connecting them.
The citadel is dark on the opposite side of land, looming and large, the tallest part of the city excepting the Shield Tower. Several crumpled ships have crashed against both banks, destroyed by the river. This includes the great barge of Yartar, which is burning, crashed on the west bank near the citadel.
Above, the storm crashed. The clouds are moving with wild patterns, rapid like the river. Small explosions of red fire pop on occasion deep in the clouds, while lightning crashes out, scarring the darkening sky with blinding white.
While the infected city roiled around them as desperately as the clouds and the River Dessarin, and the Bogsharks enter into the madness of the storm, standing tall as silhouettes against the clouds and occasional flashes of lightning.
The Counterwits hide underground. The Banites may be held up in Dart's farmhouse as well. The Zhentarim wouldn't chase their enemy outside their own walls, disinterested in dealing with the weather and the threat of the plague. Only three groups willingly walked the streets now. The Dazers, who knew no better. The Shields, desperate to defend their town against the storm. And the Bogsharks, who now tried to strike one of their number with it. As everyone else hide from or fights the elemental maelstrom, the Sharks act upon plans to make use of it.
-----------
A small tower stands on the roof, the highest point. It is a large wooden container used to catch rain water, connected to a hole in the ceiling by a small trough. A ladder climbs the side of it, allowing someone to get to the lip of the 10 foot high tower and clean the raincatch.
Some construction materials, partially covered by a fluttering tarp, sit around the roof for later use.
Adrien enters the scene
Curious, Adrien heads upstairs quietly to try and see what's going on. When he sees the group of them working together to lead Feng, he presses himself into the shadow of an overhang and watches for what happens next.
As they enter onto the roof and the pulsing rain showers them Trissae pulls down her hood. The rain though intense, has a soothing nature to it relieving some of the superficial pain of her injuries. She walks out across the building top to the lip of the edge and looks out surveying the sight. She looks back at the crew, her eyes literally alight from her magical energies, and smiles.
"Trolls, Giants, Kingdoms, Mystical Storms.... Is there nothing Bogsharks won't stand up to?", She shouts over howling winds to her friends.
Triss then steps away from the edge and walks back to Feng and the others. On the way she reaches into her hip pouch and pulls out her cloth Bogshark mask. Walking straight up Feng, she reaches up and drapes the mask around Feng's neck tying it loosely , then leans forward and kisses Feng on the cheek.
"There, you'll need this sis, we're almost to it." She says in a quiet tone. She then looks to the others.
"Bear! I think Ilmater's will is that the Sharks are to endure together." She shouts back to Grell as she draws her sword once again.
"That Bolt nearly killed Ozz and I, and will surely kill Feng... But if we do this together, share in her suffering, Ilmater will guide her back to us I believe!" She looks to Ozz and Grim, then finally to Grellik holding out her free hand to him.
"Goddess, I hope this works, but even if it doesn't I still love you."
"The water tower is the highest place!" Grimgar shouts over the storm toward Trissae and the other. "I doubt we can get her up there, but maybe if we tear it down?"
Ozz nods at Grimgar, adding his own knowledge of nature. "We don't wan to fight the tower for the storm! It might take the lightning meant for us! We either need to get up there, or destroy it!"
Grellik puts Trissae's hand in his and tries to give it a reassuring squeeze before turning to the tower and the problem of setting things up for the lightning strike. "First we have to solve that problem..." he says, pointing to the tower.
Grelik is pointing at the tower, when his eyes follow the ladder up to the top."We cannot bring down the tower, so we must climb it! I will be first, I can best take its power, then Grimgar, followed by Ozz. Tris, you will wait at the bottom with Feng. By this, the bolt will pass through us all and effect Feng as well." He waits a second to ensure everyone understands before hurrying to the tower and climbing up.
With a passive of 15, yes.
-----
The ladder is wooden, as is the bowl of the reservoir. The only metal components are nails, bindings, and the metal piping that goes into the building.
It seems possible that enough structural damage to the supports, it would be at risk of being pushed over/collapsing. Ozz does use an axe as his main weapon.
If Grellik can't manage to topple the tower, Cavell will appear from nowhere and throw his shoulder at it in a run.
Outside in a meadow by the hideout that was known casually as “The Log”, we find Trissae and Adrien on a warm, for autumn, afternoon.
Trissae flails wildly with an improvised sword made from nearby scrap wood.
“Like this?” She says, taking stance and flailing the wood again.
Cavell pokes her in the belly with his own scrap wood and steps back again, smirking. ”Not exactly,” he then sighs, ”This is worse than I thought.”
“This is impossible. Which one of us is suppose to be the elf anyway?” She grumbles, attempting again to deflect one of his nimble blows. It’d been three days since the heist and her arm still stung from the injury, even with Splotz’s healing.
In a huff she takes a wild hail mary swing at Adrien hoping to take him by surprise.
While admiring the way Trissae stretches her injured arm and shoulder, glistening in the autumn sun, he gets rudely clubbed aside the head with a bit of wood. ”F+*@ing...hells,” Adrien stumbles back a few steps, touching the side of his head and looking at the smudge of blood.
Sensing the advantage, Trissae pushes in with her assault. However, as she does so she notices the glint of red on his fingers she and all too late attempts to pull out of the attack but instead ends up colliding with him.
Still dazed, Adrien is too slow to react and falls flat on his ass. He stands up, cursing under his breath. ”Stupid girl,” and rushes her in a flurry of precise angry attacks.
Triss is only able to block the first few blows but quickly the stick is smacked out of her hand and she is too stunned by the sudden flurry to appropriately defend herself. The first few blows only causes yelps but one strikes true and splits the bandage on her arm. ”Aiee! Adrien stop!” she pleads, abandoning all other defense to shield her injured arm and cowering as she had before during the raid.
The angry scowl on Cavell’s face fades when he sees her cowering and he lowers his ‘blade’. He stammers a moment, ”Sorry, just, well look a real enemy likely won’t offer you quarter, and certainly no monster will. When you’re flustered and on the defensive you’re in a corner you need to--Gods, is your arm okay?” Adrien smirks, but there’s concern in his eyes, and guilt.
A few days ago…
It was a routine deal for the crew, and a chance to finally put Adrien to the test. He’d been with the ‘Sharks a bit now, but mostly as a stand by so that he could get a feel for how they operated. Today, Triss was going to play her part: the sultry maiden whose cart had broken down and she needed a hand. Ozz had scouted the mark out miles before they’d get to the bend where they’d set up.
What nobody had realized was that the travelers were more than your standard merchant folk traveling between Yartar and Silverymoon, no, instead these were marauders themselves looking for new turf to squeeze. They’d been freshly evicted from their last stronghold, rather forcefully, and were angry and hungry.
When the troupe happened upon Triss and her little ‘predicament’ it was they who thought they’d struck it rich. It became apparent rather quickly that Trissae was in trouble and the con quickly turned into a bloody skirmish…..
When the group of thugs started getting grabby, Trissae drew her rapier and proved far more dangerous than they were expecting. Grellik gave the order to attack and Cavell loosed an arrow that caught one of the marauders in the leg while the rest of the Bogsharks charged down the hill into the fray. Feng launched a spray of vibrant colors that wrecked chaos just before Grellik, Ozz, and Grimgar smashed into them.
In the thick of the melee, Trissae was still fending off several, with one dead at her feet, when she took a slash across the arm and stumbled. As the marauders were closing in on her, one fell suddenly as Grimgar had snuck up on him. He defended Trissae fiercely as the skirmish raged on. Although the Bogsharks were excellent at ambushing merchant caravans and getting the drop on a handful of guards--they were not used to sustained battle against seasoned foes. The fighting was dragging on until Cavell joined the fray with his twin sabres. When the ‘Sharks met in the middle and all the marauders were defeated, the newest Bogshark had tallied up more than half of the thugs himself (though Grellik had taken down their leader).
As the dust settled, the boss and the others appeared from the tree line. He had been observing the scenario as it played out. After some deliberation between the elites and himself, the boss comes to a few conclusions. He decides that Adrien is ready for a new test, unlike any he has been tasked with before. The Boss tells Adrien to take Trissae and teach her, refine her, for the skirmish showed a glaring weakness Trissae has yet to overcome herself.
Then leader of the Bogsharks took Adrien aside to speak in private: ”Don’t let your eyes fool you, Trissae is a child, and she needs guidance.” He gestures toward her. ”Adrien, you have the breath of Akadi in your lungs and a lifetime of experience, I want you to share that with her. I believe you’re the best choice here… One day the things you teach her will save her life.” The Boss’s voice is deep and sincere, the importance like a newly dawned cloak on Adrien’s shoulders as he moves forward. Afterward they return and help the other begin the arduous task of clearing the road of the bodies and taking what useful goods they can find. They were successful this day, but there is very little celebration.
Back in the meadow
Trissae rubs the injured spot, ”It’s alright, I guess, I just… It isn’t even my job to do this stuff. Isn’t this why we have you and Ozz around? Hells, if this were about lute play I’d give you a proper thrashing in turn.” Her tone is jovial, though she is clearly frustrated.
”If you’re going to be a ‘Shark, you need to know how to defend yourself,” Cavell replies with an exasperated sigh. His ego had been inflated even further since the Boss assigned this task to him. ”We may not always be close enough to save you.”
He takes a few steps back and raises the makeshift wooden sword again. ”Pick up your weapon. No whining.”
Grellik's investigation reveals a couple of weaknesses in the struts that would help knock it over.
"Right!" Grimgar says, coming over to Grellik to help beat at the support, quick to follow Grellik's orders.
He strains against the strut as you hack at it. He's unable to get good traction, however, and isn't helping too much.
Ozz walks to his support with his ax, chopping at the support in strong blows, doing a chore more than fighting in battle.
Ozz hacks through his strut quick enough, but Grimgar and Grellik are having difficulties with theirs. The sky sturs, a lightning bolt cracking off beyond the rushing river, over the citadel. A large chuck of stone shatters from a spire as lightning strike into its roof. Still the sky stirs. Water drips from the bowl of the filled up reservoir to spatter on all those beneath it.
Adrien Cavell comes out of nowhere as the sky flashes red with some burst of fire deep in the clouds. He slams his shoulder into the water tower from behind, cracking the weakened strut.
The water tower falls over, crashing into the edge of the roof on the street side of the building. It does a small amount of structural damage to the roof, but the large reservoir breaks, the iron binding popping off to allow the planks of wood to splinter from the force of the impact. The tower had been heavy by overflowing with water.
The water spills and explodes out over the side of the building and washes into the street.
Wind whips at everyone's hoods and cloaks.
Grimgar gets out of the way of the falling tower, watching it break. He turns back, seeing Adrien standing behind where it had been standing.
He gives him a hesitating stare, before finally giving a curt nod and looking over to Feng and Trissae.
Give me an arcana check for the below spoiler
Your sword has something magical going on with it right now, similar to Ozz's nose ring. Not just temporarily storing power, but as a magical effect.
You can feel a connection through the magic to yourself. As if the enchantment is still fluid, being guided by your will. You can feel an element of cost, of sacrifice, tied to this magic, and you think you could keep the enchantment if you wish.
"What now?" Ozz asks Grellik, attentive and uncertain. His eyes gaze at the citadel before flicking back to Trissae and Feng.
"Gods, allow me to suffer for them..."
Trissae had pulled the tattered remains of her cloak off to shield Feng from the rain as the boys went to work on the tower. For a moment she was preparing to offer some inspiration, but just then Adrien ran out to lend his strength. Her smile is too wide to conceal when their eyes meet.
From her side she once again draws her blade as the eyes of her friends fall on her. "Brothers! We have given the gods a clear shot!", She shouts then leads Feng to the lip of the roof.
Wiping some of the rain away from Feng's face, she pulls the Bogshark mask up to be properly donned. "Don now the true faces of the Shark! Smile to the gods! let them know we have no FEAR!", Trissae lead's Feng's hand to the handle of the blade, sharing a grip with Feng as she points the tip of the blade toward the sky. "Take our hands!", Trissae shouts then nestles her head next to Feng's and placing a hand around her back to steady her.
Cavell bows theatrically to them, "Worry not Feng darling, your favorite human in the world is here to save the day, as always." He rubs his shoulder, wincing.
He doesn't don his mask, muttering "Not dramatic enough?" and looks to Feng, worried. After backing up away from them, he closes his hand around the copper piece he found and takes a deep breath. Please let this work...
As Trissae rallies the Sharks to her, Grellik nods toward her, indicating to Ozz that 'that' is what we do next. He approaches Trissae and Feng. "Now that there is no higher obstacle, we are the most opportune targets of the Vessel's wrath." He pulls his scarf across his face and silently calls on Talos' aid.
Storm Lord, I beseech thee, hear us in our time of need, and lay waste the plans of those that usurp thy power. Even now a mortal seeks to control the maelstrom, to be as a god. I implore thee, to take the lightning in your hands and show that no mortal is the equal of the gods; that no man holds power in your domain. Strike us with your Bolts, that we may in turn seek him and turn his plans to ruin.
Feng seems unmoved by Adrien, as if she can't even tell he's there.
Also, apparently the copper piece is simply that, a random copper piece found and not actually a sign of divine attention.
. Grellik struggles against the post, cursing his choice of weapons when Adrien lends the force necessary to accomplish the task. After his initial surprise at the sudden giving way of the support beam, he notices it was Adrien that provided it. "Cavell, nice of you to join us! We were just about to do something insane. You know, our modus operandi. Feng's affliction is earth based, and lightning can help her. My meager spark can only do so much, so we are seeking something greater." He points to the sky. "If we all gather together, the power should pass through all of us, diffusing it and making it safe. In theory. Come, we haven't much time."
As Trissae rallies the Sharks to her, Grellik nods toward her, indicating to Ozz that 'that' is what we do next. He approaches Trissae and Feng. "Now that there is no higher obstacle, we are the most opportune targets of the Vessel's wrath." He pulls his scarf across his face, puts his hand on Trissae's shoulder and silently calls on Talos' aid.
Storm Lord, I beseech thee, hear us in our time of need, and lay waste the plans of those that usurp thy power. Even now a mortal seeks to control the maelstrom, to be as a god. I implore thee, to take the lightning in your hands and show that no mortal is the equal of the gods; that no man holds power in your domain. Strike us with your Bolts, that we may in turn seek him and turn his plans to ruin.
prayer: 1d100 ⇒ 21
Ozz joins Trissae and fang, trying to find somewhere on the hilt to grab it. He, Trissae and Feng's hand cover the blade from hilt to pommel.
With his mask already on (Ozz's mask covers the entire bottom half of his face, and looks like a mouth full of sharpened teeth, clenched together in a wicked snarl. Two teeth near the bottom are elongated, similar to his half-orc tusks), he joins in with his own prayer, though his not as silent.
"Lord of Battles... Even though this moment isn't a skirmish, it is part of our War. Look upon us and our campaign and bless us in this moment."
Grimgar approaches, Grasping the sword over the fingers of the others from the other side, helping to support the sword while raising their arms up high, aiming to point toward the sky.
He pulls out a strange pendant, showing a symbol of a skull on a red crescent moon. He speaks low in orcish.
Cavell looks at Grellik skeptically, but sees he's the only one not joining in. "Alright alright, hells this is stupid--but you two are the wizards." Cavell petulantly adds his hand to the sword, muttering: "If it helps Feng..."
The sky roils and stirs above, the city dark and soaked by the storm around you. Standing on top of the building, the water tower now no longer obscuring the Sharks from any part of the sky, they wait for lightning to strike while several say their prayers.
Trissae smiles widely as the sixth hand joins. "Took you long enough didn't it?"
Her grip tightens, embolden by the closeness of her family. Her mind wanders a moment:
She snaps from her daydream and refocuses, eyes pleading to the gods: "Let the bolt strike true."
Thunder booms, and lightning crashes, but none comes very near. A better lightning rod, or a higher roof might be needed. Or, just more time.
Adrien shouts over the storm, "It's not working!"
He switches to set a hand on Feng's shoulder, drawing his saber and pointing it at the sky.
Grellik scans the sky, bewildered. he's right, its not...what else is required? We are willing to suffer with our comrade, is that not what the gods desire of us? it seems to be their goal as of late. What else must we do?
he shouts back"Stay with it! only true lightning can help her now! We cannot fail her!"
Ozz prays louder.
Grimgar looks at Adrien before pulling his own weapon out with his free hand, pointing it at the sky.
Ozz looks around for somebody's sword to take to help.
Cavell tosses Ozz his regular saber.
"Maimed Lord, the Bogsharks gather and submit to your will. We endevour to share in Feng's strife. We throw ourselves upon your mercy."
Trissae looks to Adrien with an approving nod then back out toward the stormy sky.
Grellik, seeing the others raising their swords, holds his hand up and summons his sword to it in the same position.
Any interest in using your sword's power here?
Ozz catches the blade, and holds it into the air besides Trissae's elvish engraved sword..