Lian can't help but jump a little, "You certainly are stealthy! And yes, I'd be glad to have you around, Mugmuff.
Once she's got everyone who wants to go (Anevia?), Lian will depart the Cup for the ship
"Nice fuzzy longshanks... pretty tails. Me ready!"
"What are your plans?" Liam asks Anevia.
The ship enters 300 yards range and you hear a whistle. Suddenly a bolt the size of your leg crashes through some of the rigging and the pent up ant hill that is your ship bursts into action! Men climb the rigging to repair the damage, the captain starts yelling orders and the lighter ballistas return fire, though ineffectively.
The ship continues to fire as it closes. Every minute or so a nerve-jarring whistle is followed by a log of death sailing near to the ship or impacting somewhere on it. You loose a good bit of rigging and a few windows in the captain's cabin before the ship closes to bow range.
The battle then begins in earnest. Volleys of arrows sail between the two ships, some of them afire! You have to take cover to keep from getting hit. Even with your magical protections the chance for a lucky shot goes way up when there are this many arrows in the air. Men get hit every so often. You were lucky not to loose one to a ballista bolt, but you do loose a few to the first volleys. One man is hit on the rigging and splats onto the deck itself and a few others are hit on the deck as they struggle to fend off the pirates with a mixture of bows and crossbows!
Your ship starts to lag from lost rigging and the pirates can be seen throwing a few farm animals into the water...
"I appreciate the offer, but I am mostly retired. Before the Worldwound vomited forth it's never ending horde of demons, my wife and I were in the midst of rebuilding the family farm. I am no longer a warrior." Her tone is wistful, and it's obvious the farm life was a very happy one for her.
”Well if you have any aid or advice, this is your last chance to give it.” Lian says with a smile as she hefts her small excuse for a bag.
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Karen is led up the dock and through several side streets to a dilapidated building that seems to just be held up by the tavern on one side. The dim interior has an unwashed scent of death and illness, not quite what one would find in a morgue, and much worse than expected for any reputable healer.
Grissfold nods to an overworked halfing with stringy hair in need of a long bath, Greetings from the captain. We're here to see Kelsin.
The halfling barely nods as she continues to grind a pestle into a mortar, occasionally mumbling to her self, she flicks her head towards a stair that leads up to a second floor.
Grissfold drops a silver into a strong box bolted to a counter. Karen faintly hears it thunk against the wood on the bottom of the box.
Upstairs the hall leads dimly back with doors on either side. Grissfold walks to the third door on the left and knocks before opening the door and waving to Karen. This here is Kelsen, not sure what he's got, but he's had it for a week.
Karen looks into the room, only six feet wide and maybe ten long. A boarded and curtained window at the other end. A narrow bed, almost a cot, runs along the left side of the room. A small table with a pitcher of water and a mug sit on the table. The edge of a bed pan can be seen from under the cot, though by the stench it likely hasn't seen any use.
On the cot lies a large half-elf. Karen can see that he'd be pretty tall. Purple splotches and markings on every exposed bit of skin. His face is shrunken and sallow.
Karen is unsure what is afflicting the man, but she decides to try and put this newfound power to the test.
Just as battle is joined, a dense fog suddenly rolls over most of the deck! Loc is almost completely blinded in an instant! The sounds of battle range, but you can still make out the distinct thud of your companion's feet on the deck and the even more distinct sound of your demons meeting their end. Somehow, the fog makes the battle a little less near.
You here a couple screams of unholy terror as the magical fog melts before you. You catch a glimpse of the enemy caster near the wheel of the pirate's ship. He's a half-elf in tattered robes. He casts again, without spell components no less, and the deck is once again covered in fog. Before it appears you see that the merchants are near to panic and fighting for their lives. Your body guard is busy smashing a pirate's head through the railing and your demons lay dead next near to a group of pirates.
The pirates don't seem to have caught on that they are taking more casualties than normal yet.
The undead finishes making salsa out of his victim's head and trudges across a boarding plank toward the pirate ship. You emerge from the fog about half way across the slightly downward sloping plank. There are few pirates left as most have crossed over, but all who are left rush to the defense! Two regular sailors attempt to slow your advance with boarding pikes as a third tries to knock the board loose and into the water!
You can see someone who is either the captain or bosun near the wheel, but the mage is nowhere to be seen.
Karen drops to her knees as a wave of magic bursts from her, blasting through the walls and into the distance.
Karen feels an overwhelming sense of repugnance from all around her. The cesspit of the docks is saturated with disease sources. She senses the closest to be below her and towards the back, she isn't sure if it's in the building or just behind it.
Her skin itches in different places that seem to shift and squirm over her as she rises and turns around, as if they indicate more locations for her to investigate. It seems there may be dozens.
But closer, with her in the room, Kelsin gasps, and his body jerks and arches up, only his heels and the back of his head touching the mat as his paralyzed body strains. Black ichor starts to ooze from every orifice, dripping off his body onto the mat below him.
After a few seconds,his body relaxes, dropping into the pool of black ichor on his now soaked sheets. Though weak, struggles to sit up, conscious, and looking much healthier, though he is still thin.
Beside her, Grissfold jerks and his hand reflexively grabs at his groin before he also relaxes and then smiles, ohhh, ah. That feels better! Realizing who he is standing with, he quickly releases himself, um, sorry, m'lady! Tis a mir'cle!
"Don't thank me, thank Irori." Karen says as she checks the man's vitals, then helps him out of his bed so she can strip off the sheets, ball them up, and toss them in the corner. She will then ask him where he keeps his clean sheets and lay a clean bed for him to lie on. Once the man is back in his bed, Karen will turn to Grissfold and say "I trust that will demonstrate my ability as a healer?"
If Anevia doesn't have anything else to add or assistance, and boards the ship to Jalmeray with Mugmuff and any of the rest of the party that choses to.
Mugmuff boards the ship with a little trepidation.. water isn't his element... his step falters for just a moment on the gangplank... then he steels his resolve and follows Lian onto the vessel. "We be safe, yes?" he asks as he feels the rocking motion of the ship at the dock.
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Both men will be able to keep their footing on the wooden plank as they cross onto the enemy ship. The dullahan will swing at the closest enemy as it walks on. Loc will turn to face what he assumes to be the captain. "Listen here. You can either order your men to stand down and be taken prisoner or you can die here! Make your choice!" If he does not order a surrender Loc will cast Boneshatter
Lian looks down at her shorter companion, "Oh yes, quite safe. I've been on ships before, this part at least carries little danger."
The captain laughs at Loc and draws his weapons.. and is promptly killed by Loc's spell. His bones turn to powder inside him and his skin collapses into a heap of squishy meat.
The remaining pirates who witness this throw down their arms. Sounds of battle sill come from inside the cloud, but the fight over here is all but over.
You spot a figure in robes trying to sneak toward the small boat...
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The undead trudges other to the mage. He unleashes a series of spells like magic missile and even manages to cast a pair of searing rays from a scroll before the undead beats him into bloody unconsciousness. The is then dragged by one foot across the ship and deposited in front of you.
The battle on the other side is winding down. The fog dissipates slowly and your single-handed capture of their ship causes mass confusion in the pirate raiding party. They are quickly captured.
Your captain meets you soon thereafter, his sword bloody and his brow gashed. Many thanks, sir. I owe you my ship. I'll return your fee when we get to port.
Your eye catches the name plate on the wheel: "Man's Promise"
Grissfold nods, oh yes, but we must get him back to the ship now. The captain be wanting to set sail on the tide!
The captain looks at the fox and the goblin. what's yer business? I'm busy!
Captain, all supplies aboard and stowed!a rugged sailor states to the captain, standing at attention and just behind his right shoulder.
Wonderful! Prepare to make way! the captain replies before returning his gaze to the two strange individuals before him. well? what do you want?
"Certainly." Karen helps the man to his feet to see if he can stand, and will either carry him or support him walking as needed.
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Passage, Lian says matter-of-fact-ly, offering the document given to her before, At the request of Griola.
The captain goes to work ordering repairs of the damage to the rigging and a few bracing supports. The pirate ship is practically undamaged, so the captain gives her a skeleton crew and the two ships sail together for the rest of the voyage.
The captain requests that you be the one to contain the pirates who didn't surrender and join his crew. There are half dozen in all, including the mage.
You found no component pouch on him and only a few trinkets as far as magical items. He apparently either used all his consumable items in the battle or dropped them overboard before he was captured. How you contain these ruffians is up to you.
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You see several nods as he speaks, but noone else stands to join him.
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The burly man looks at your headless murder machine, looks back to you, then back to it, visibly weighs his chances, then sits back down. The rest of those who looked mildly mutinous deflate and the group seems sufficiently cowed.
The rest of the journey proceeds, though a little behind schedule. Running two ships is much more than double the work of one and specialists like the Cook, Surgeon/Carpenter, and Master-at-Arms are all looking downright battered as the shore of Andoran comes into sight.
Shortly thereafter you are intercepted by two very fast and dangerous looking warships. The captain hoists sail and comes to a stop. He's in his best clothes as he approaches you. "I hope you have a plan for that friend of yours. I got a read on one of the ships approaching us. It's the Grave Digger's Revenge, famous for detecting and preventing aquatic undead Incursions. "
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Captain Laryssen takes the writ from Lian and scrutinizes it for a moment, just the two of you? Fine, yer sharing a cabin. Now get aboard. We're shoving off! The captain shoves the writ back at Lian and turns and stomps up the gangway, muttering under his breath.
It's feint, but you catch some of what he said.
damn politicians. Like there ain't enough with pirates, now they be getting into everything.
Karen and Grissfold return, with Kelsen between them, arms around their shoulders.
Grissfold shouts out to the captain and relays his experience. It's obvious though that many of the crew seem to be a bit happier, the effects of Karen's magic having extended to the Stately Parody.
The captain looks Kelsen over, Are you good to sail?
Aye captain, just need to get me sea legs! Kelsen shakes off the support of Karen and Grissfold as he stands up straight, with only a slight wobble. I'm a bit hungry, but I'll do.
Very well, go see Cookie. Then get to your post! Manx turns to Karen and Grissfold, tell you what, a healer would normally get a gold per day. We expect to be at sea for a week to ten days. What else are you willing to do for passage? By my count that still leaves you with 340 gold owed for the voyage.
"I can also help guard the ship, as I am an experienced adventurer." Karen offers. "Is there some particular honorable profession that would allow me to exchange my passage directly? Please note that if you suggest anything related to selling my body or offering it to you, I will walk away from you and find another ship."
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The captain stares at Karen, Ma'am, you suggested it, not I. Quite frankly, that'd be more of a distraction and hindrance for my crew. They're expected to take care of their own business between ports.
He takes a look at her lack of equipment, what are you going to guard? The apple barrel?
"I am a master martial artist." says Karen. "Between my magic and my unarmed capabilities, I can't hold my own in pretty much any fight."
Captain Laryssen takes the writ from Lian and scrutinizes it for a moment, just the two of you? Fine, yer sharing a cabin. Now get aboard. We're shoving off! The captain shoves the writ back at Lian and turns and stomps up the gangway, muttering under his breath.
It's feint, but you catch some of what he said.
damn politicians. Like there ain't enough with pirates, now they be getting into everything.
Lian nods, satisfied, We don't need happy, we just need there.
"You won't have any problem with us, Captain." she says. Her tails flick as she remembers she can easily cast a charm spell on him if he proves to be a problem."[/b]
"You want to murder a bunch of people..." He looks at you as of all his fears about necromancers we being confirmed and sighs. "Let's make that plan B. Even if we claim your pet wasn't ours or something they'll probably take us in for questioning or something. How good is he at climbing? Could he climb down the rudder assembly once the ships are along side?"
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[spoiler] "Ohhh it's not murder. If they had ended up dead during the fight no one would bat a eye. Sadly there is no way he will be able to make such a climb. There is only one solution left. Excuse me for a few moments."Loc will go and find his dullahan. After finding a nice quiet place Loc will take back the effort he invested with the undead, turning off the power keeping it alive. After collecting his gear Loc will find the captain. "The undead is taken care of. Now we just have a headless corpse. You by chance have a rock and some rope? If we can just dump the body with out anyone seeing it will make things easier on both you and me."
They say fate is a fickle deity, and that 'whichever way the winds blow' is an accurate saying when it comes to how she might interact with the mortal world.
For a trio of recently dead heroes, that means suddenly landing in Augustana, despite that not necessarily being your original destination. Your ships each arrive within a few hours of each other, and as you walk through Copperdown, you feel a 'pull', one that can not be ignored. Following it, you end up in front of small tavern, the Everflowing Cup. Standing outside, up against the doors, is a friend. He waves you inside with his ever present smile.
For a quartet of the dead, it is second chance on life. You wake up, via being poked by a stick. A young boy stands over you "Hello? Wake up!"
Loc, after disposing of your body at an opportune moment, you endure some VERY pointed questions from a VERY suspicious paladin. However, you use some clever not-lies, logical sidesteps, and well-timed wordplay to sneak your way through the inspection with only a small fine for tying your prisoners incorrectly or something. The ship docks in Augustana without further incident and you part ways with the captain. A few days later, you feel the tug of fate.
The new guys:You come back to life in a place smelling strongly of hay. And dung, but not as if the place is unclean. The boy is prodding you with the butt end of a pitchfork. Wakey Wakey, sleepy head! You hear moans coming from adjacent stalls.