Asmund leaves the fight to the others,. His focus is solely on keeping the boat sailing straight and fast.
The cutter has righted its course and appears to be slowly gaining once again, the distance dwindling to about 150m. The archers aboard return fire, but you are able to use the cover of your ships sides to avoid there arrows. Two of there shots make small holes in your sails.
The ballista crew let fly and a bolt comes whistling across the water. It flies by a couple meters to the left of your main sail.
"take out their ballista!"
Sayyid is no true archer but his deft hands move quickly drawing an arrow aiming for the ballista wrapping and tieing a piece of cloth to the head of the arrow, then lights it.
=23, one fire arrow
= 13.... one sad shot
"The winds take me!"
Sayyid wraps an oil cloth around a shaft, lights it, and fires. It arcs towards the other boat, but sinks too soon, hitting the bow of the ship were the shaft is extinguished a few moments later by the spray of the sea.
Ade takes a deep breath and flexes her fingers, quickly scanning the deck of the cutter as she draws arrows. "I'm going to try something interesting. I haven't ever done it at people."
Moving incredibly quickly, Ade lets fly two arrows at each of the ballista crewers. Then, making a snap aim adjustment she sends two more arcing towards the sailors in the rigging.
Ballista Guy 1: (1 on wild die)
Ballista Guy 1:
Ballista Guy 2:
Ballista Guy 2:
Most Important Looking Rigging Guy:
Most Important Looking Rigging Guy:
She seems oddly content to be in a high-stakes boat chase, grinning and pushing her hair back as she watches her arrows streak through the sea air.
Six arrows arc out over the water in rapid succession.
The first catches the soldier on the left of the ballista in the leg, and pierces through. As the he cries out and topples back, the second only grazes his side.
The next both score the second ballista soldier, but both were turned slightly in the wind, not striking at a true angle. The first seems stuck in the armor by his shoulder, the second grazing his torso, inflicting shallow cuts, but no more.
The last two catch the sailor in the rigging full in the chest, he cries out and falls backwards, onto the deck. He appears still.
Ade looks over her shoulder from a crouched position behind the boat's side. "If you set up and light some arrows I'll try to get them to the sails or ballista."
Well I can't do as well as out lady of the bow, but I can give it a try!
+ = 22
Well hopefully it gives them a moments pause.
Ula sends a shaft arcing into the ships mainsail. It makes a hole, but quite a small one.
Asmund stays at the helm, occasionally glancing back over his shoulder.
"We best shake them before that galley finishes with the Blessing."
Would fire arrows to their sails give them more pause?
The galley has caught up with the Blessing, and they appear to be boarding her, but both ships are fading into the distance.
Aboard the cutter, the bow men are staying low, hiding behind cover, risking fewer shot. One man drops his bow to take over the ballista from the injured soldier. They quickly finish cranking it and they adjust the aim from he last shot. The bolt comes hurtling across the water. This time it flies truer, striking then left side of your mainsail. The bolt is topped with a wide, vicious looking head spending out into multiple blades, expressly designed for tearing apart sails. It shreds a wide gash into the sail, nearly a meter in diameter.
Sayyid rushes to Ade's side pulling out arrows and wrapping them quickly in oil cloths prepping them for her
"My hands are steady and quick even if my arrows are not."
=24
Sayyid starts placing the freshly made fire arrows at the ready, waiting to set them alight at Ade's need
"Light them all."
Ade's eyes are quickly tracing the rigging of the other ship, the strength of the wind in the sails, the activity on deck.
As Sayyid lights the arrows, she grabs each and sends it at the rigging of the cutter.
"I would really like it if this works."
Four bright lights shoot out over the water, piercing the gloom like torches. The arrows strike true at various points were the mainsail is anchored to the ship. However, in Stark contrast to earlier events, the wood is well seasoned and treated, as one might expect of a well maintained warship. The flames smolder for a bit and singe the bottom of the sails, but don't find any real purchase.
With the hole in your sail, the pursuing ship starts to gain ground once again.
Take note from them and aim for their sail!
Attempting to ascertain how long with given the current damage to our sail before we are over taken.
+ = 13
Ula! Ulo lifts his bow and takes aim just above the balista operator, doubtful he could hit the man, but certain an arrow flying over his head might give him pause in his actions.
+ = 17
Until they close to spear throwing range, i'm not much use ... but once they do, I shall show them why men and beast fear Ula! Ulo
The are definitely gaining, and the distance isn't great. If something doesn't change, it won't be long.
Ula! Shoot at the boat again, hitting the deck.
We don't have long till they catch us...
"Looks like running ain't gonna work."
Asmund Leans heavy on the helm and attempts to swing the ship around, facing the Ballista back at the pursuers.
Asmund rips the rudder around, and the ship goes into a tight turn, heading back towards the pursing vessel.
On board the other ship, the bow men aim another volley and let loose at this closer range.
Three each take aim at Ade and Asmund, two at Sayyid, and only one at Ula!.
The first shot misses Asmund, but the next two strike. However, the are not precise enough to pierce his armor.
Ade ducks down to avoid the arrows, and manages to take cover from 2 of them, but the first is too swift and catches her in the side. It doesn't go very deep, but deep enough to wound.
Sayyid manages to duck before being hit by an arrow, the other is wide of the mark.
The shot aimed at Ula! is high.
The archers take cover again . The captain at the helm, still crouching low as he can , angles his course towards you, so as to meet you side-to-side.
Sayyid leaps from the cover of his railing and races to the ballista,
Running at full tilt to the ballista,
=17
Grabbing the ballista and swinging it into position aiming for the helm,
"May the Sands of time and the Ajen of the deep desert guide my aim!"
Sayyid fires!
=19
Using two character points
uhgg...
Aiming hastily, you send a bolt flying out over the water. It hits the edge of the sail at a sharp angle, tearing a small hole. But without a more central hit and without a bolt designed for tearing sails, it seems clear that the damage inflicted is smaller than that on your own sail.
"Ula! we go with your plan! Hurry!"
Ade swears repeatedly and presses her side near the injury. "That wasn't even a good shot. F##%. I think I'm okay. Ow."
She grimaces and takes a deep breath.
"I think we need to take out some archers."
She pops up from her cover, quickly chooses five targets holding bows and lets loose a hail of arrows before dropping down. She aims for heads.
Shot 1
Shot 2
Shot 3
Shot 4
Shot 5
Shot 2: , total: 41
Shot 5: 1 on Wild Die
After steeling herself against her wound, Ade returns fire in a rapid succession of shots.
The first shaft catches one of the archers in the shoulder.
The second archer barely manages to duck beneath the next arrow.
The third shaft catches one of the archers squarely in the eye. It sinks in deep, in a spray of blood and gore. The man topples and catches on the railing, failing into the sea.
The fourth man manages to duck behind the railing and the final arrow travels wide.
Ula! Ulo's eyes glint with the possibility of his plan being put into action he bolts to the anchor.
+ = 14
Then he grabs the rope to attached to the anchor finding the end attached to the ship he cuts it in one swift motion using the blade of his spear (i don't think i need to roll for this but...)
+ = 25
Then runs to the ballista and panting quickly fastens the rope to the bolt using his beloved fishing line...
+ = 7
With the two ships headed towards each other Asmund releases his hand from the helm for a moment to loose an arrow at the Sailors manning the ballista.
"Ula! Ulo I'm not sure this plan is going to work the way you want, but I guess it's worth a shot. Either way you're gonna owe me a new anchor."
Their turn:
As the final distance closes rapidly, five of the soldiers trade their bows for shields, swords, and grappling hooks. They huddle by the edge of the boat, taking cover until the ships close the final gap. The three remaining archers return fire, then take cover.
Ade manages to twist out of the way of a shot, though her wound sends pain lancing through her body.
As Asmund turns back towards the wheel, he misses the shot headed for him. It catches him in the chest, the ringmail stops it from punching straight through, but the arrow head still sinks in.
Ula! too is a tad to slow moving out of the way and the arrow intended for his heart grazes his arm, leaving a gash.
"S!&$ s++& s!+! s#$*."
Ade yells as loud as possible over the gap between ships: "WHAT DO YOU WANT, A&*%$%#S?"
She moves quickly to behind the mast, putting some distance between herself and the boarding party. There she takes out five arrows and peeks out, waiting for the men to leave cover.
Seeing the ship about to close the gap Sayyid fires the ballista for the prow of the oncoming ship.
"Let us hope you we can catch such a large fish!"
Sayyid Fires!
17
Sayyid mutters low under his breath...
Sayyid aims the primes the ballista and fires. The shot is not especially well placed, but at this distance, it makes little difference. The bolt embeds itself deep within the side of the onrushing vessel. The rope snakes out behind it, but over such a short distance, does little to impede the flight of the bolt.
"Drop the anchor!!!!!"
Ula! Ulo runs to the anchor and putting his back into heaving it off the side.
+ 1 + = 16
+ = 15
Ula! Ulo, then plants his feet firmly, readying a throwing spear and crouches behind his large shield, grinning and excited for the coming fight.
Asmund ducks behind the helm for cover, grunting he breaks the arrow off and ties a piece of his shirt around his chest as a makeshift bandage.
Despite his attempt the wound is still bleeding through.
He pops a bundle of rushweed into his mouth and makes sure his axe and shield are easily accessible.
The final distances closes, the ships cross along side to side. As the two ships cross paths, a mere 3 meters between them, the soldiers toss the grappling hooks and catch on the side of your ship, tying them off the hold the two vessels together. The ropes pull taught with tension as the ship's momentum tries to separate, but they hold and the ships drift back towards each other, colliding with a crash. With practiced precision, the soldiers jump the gap to your ship just as the vessels collide, quickly pairing off to flank Ula! and Sayyid. The last soldier advances on Ade.
As the boarding party advances, cautiously with shields raised, the archers fire at Ula! and Sayyid to provide cover, but firing by their own soldiers they don't find their mark.
As the soldiers jump the gap, Ade fires another spread from behind the mast, noting that she's gone through quite a few arrows and is in a reasonable amount of pain.
1 on wild die.
1 on wild die.
Ade rapidly fires at the oncoming boarding party.
A shaft catches the soldier to the right of Ula! in the torso, but the angle isn't quite true and the armor turns the worst of it, leaving only a shallow gash.
The next arrow too doesn't manage to pierce the next soldiers armor.
The third and fourth manage to block the oncoming shots with their shields.
She manages to catch the final soldier in the leg, the armor stopping some of the force, but the arrow head still bites in.
Sayyid meets the men head on... with a flurry of motion he throws several slim daggers in a moment two daggers are thrown from the folds of Sayyid's loose clothes.
The daggers fly at the two men approaching him...
=26
=28
The moment the knives leave his hand Sayyid draws the long curved blade at his hip, shifting his stance to provide the smallest target and shifting his feet, ready to dodge out of the way.
Active defense = 21
Ula! Ulo lets out a howel Grinning his muscles tense and ripple like some kind of preditory beast about to pounce.
He begins singing in his native tounge a low song almost chant like.
The boarder who was nicked by Ade's shaft is the first target of Ula! Ulo's ferocity thrusting his Ixwa at the man aiming for his lower guy
+ = 31
Pulling the spear back he stabs again his song riseing in volume to a near scream.
+ = 39
He grins and turns to the other man charging at him with his sheild, clearly aiming to drive him back and kock him off balance.
+ + = 23
Two knives flash from Sayyid's wrist, the soldier to his left manages to block with his shield, the one on the left catches it in the thigh, but the knife does not manage to penetrate his armor.
A few feet away, Ula! rushes his foes. His target manages to turn the first thrust on his shield, but Ula quickly shifts low and thrusts his spier through the man's leg, the bloody spear tip coming out the other side. The man lets out an anguished scream and falls back, as Ula pulls back his spear and pivots to face his other foe.
Asmund rushes across the deck, he swings his axe in powerful arc at the soldier approaching Ade.
He plants himself between Ade and the other soldiers, shield held high to deflect incoming blows.
1 on the wild die
The soldier advancing across the deck had asmund is his sight, but underestimates the speed with which the giant crosses the deck. He brings his shield around to block the oncoming blow, but Asmund has the experience of dozens such encounters, and has his ax behind the man's guard before he can close the angle. The blade bites deep into the base of the man's neck, bringing forth a violent spray of blood and leaving his throat a gaping red mess. He collapses to the deck.
Ade watches the blood for a moment.
"Thank you."
Moving to keep the mast between herself and the enemy archers, Ade fires four more arrows, aimed at the heads of the men focused on Ula! and Sayyid – trusting her accuracy at this range.
-1D per shot from the wound, +5 to the difficulty per shot for headshots, +12 damage modifier for headshots.
Throughout the ensuing melee, Ade carefully lines up her shots and fires at the marines. The first one manages to swing his shield up in time, the second takes a minor graze on his arm,
The marine Ula! wounded manages to drag himself back across to his ship to nurse his wound, his companion comes at Ula!, slashing quickly high then low. Ula! catches the first blow on his shield, but the second slips past him, cutting him across the stomach. Fortunately, the wound is not deep .
the third gets hit in his shoulder, but his armor turns it, the fourth gets hit in the torso. His armor keeps the arrow from going too deep, but it still wounds him.
The marines advancing on Sayyid come at him in unison, Sayyid is a fraction too slow avoiding the first blow and the blade leaves a gash on his shoulder , however he quickly finds his rhythm and manages to stay ahead of the remaining blows. After the first marine lands his blow, an arrow barely misses his head. The second is less lucky, in the middle of the back-swing of his second blow Ade finds her mark. The shaft hits him square in the face, entering just under the nose and only stopping when it hits the back of his helmet. He slumps to the deck, his face graced by both a startled expression and a ragged hole, leaking blood and brain matter.
Of the three soldiers remaining of the other ship, two let fall their bows, jump the gap, and move to surround Asmund. As they do so, the third man fires as well, but Asmund turns the shot on his shield. Swords and shields drawn, the other two, the other two come at him. The first comes in swinging high, the other low. Asmund calmly moves his shield to intercept the low blow and lets his armor turn the other.
Sayyids blade flashes out like the wind,
=41
=14
=34
=14
"To the sands you shall return"
=20
Sayyid lashes out twice in rapid succession, both times he is too quick for his foe too block, but his blows lack the force to bite deep. He leaves two shallow gashes, on his opponents torso and and arm.
Ula! Ulo spits blood at his foe grinning he doesn't miss a beat of his song.
Ula! Ulo slashes at his foe
+ = 32
and again thrusts his spear
+ = 30
Asmund looks back at Ade as he fends off his attackers, he too is grinning wide.
"You got it"
'I do think I'm getting-"
He swings a heavy overhand chop at the first solider.
"A bit rusty-"
He brings the axe back up, this time targeting his other foe.
"in my old age though"
he plants his feet, raises his shield, spits on the deck, and points at the other captain with his bloody axe.