Fendrel listens carefully to the conversation above him. "I actually think the orc is onto something," he says. "A girl tied up and left here is much less of a threat than a girl free to run around and stir up the hornet's nest. I'd sooner have our visit be a surprise."
Hugruk leaves the girl tied up in the house.
The party climbs down the ladder and travels through a long, muddy tunnel. The passage leads to a shadowy, submerged area beneath the city docks. Hundreds of tall pylons hold up the planks on which the feet of Diobel's busy longshoremen now trod. The sea washes in, lapping against the rocky shore. A narrow system of walkways and docks traverses the rocks. These must be the 'Underdocks' that Katiya mentioned.
A set of muck-limned footprints lead from the tunnel entrance to a walkway bridging it to the Underdocks.
Augusto kneels down by the Foot prints, examines then closely. He this drags his finger across one of the prints, and smells it.....
Augusto Says a Small Prayer to Erastil, and waves his hand over one end of his sword, it begins to glow with a soft, green tinted light.
"There! That is much better, these eyes of mine don't work as well as the rest of yours."
"It looks like ihe went that way *pointing to the walkway*. Let's hustle so he doesn't get to far ahead of us."
Their way lighted by Augusto's spell, the party follows the footprints through a maze of creaky wooden planks, passing many shifty looking people loading and unloading goods from rowboats. The tracks end at a dock guarded by two very tough looking men. A sea-cat sits besides one of them. It hisses and growls at party when they approach.
"Whaddya think you're doing here? Sightseeing?" challenges sea-cat's master.
Fendrel's impatient nature carries him past Hagruk, towards the seacat and his master.
"I think that I'm walking on free land, same as you, friend. Now, we happen to be looking for a couple of cut-throats to get in our way so we can cut them down. You seem like you'd fit the bill. Does Darcielle pay you enough to put your life on the line?"
Rondu will draw his heavy crossbow, but keep it pointed toward the ground.
"No harm will come to you if you leave this area now, without making a fuss."
The brutish men laugh.
"So you're looking for Du Moire? Do you know even where to find him?"
Perhaps we do, Maybe you should tell us to speed things up a bit, or Else.....
Augusto cracks his knuckles, and places his had on the crowbar on his belt
we have ways of making you talk...
Fendrel smirked. "Besides, you just as well admitted you know who we're talking about. That's a pretty common first name, Darcielle, especially in a port town where there're a whole lot of foreign names. Suddenly thinking of an out-of-town pirate who's trying to keep himself unfound? That's damning evidence there. Maybe enough for the town watch to poke their noses in, and certainly enough for anyone else looking for Darcielle to decide that... talking to you might be worthwhile." Fendrel left a pregnant pause to allow the man's mind to think on what sort of conversations might happen with the criminal element that's hunting DuMoire.
The men fall silent and look to each other with evident fear. The sea-cat purrs demurely and dives into the water.
"Hey, we're no friends of Du Moire. We just want a little piece of that bounty on his head. For the right price we'll tell you where you can find his ship."
Rondu stows his crossbow and digs his money pouch out of his backpack.
"What would consider to be the 'right price'? How about your lives and 20 gp?"
|
"No need to get your money out, pal."
"It's no longer just the Eagle Knights and the Church of Asmodeus you'll have to watch your backs for.
Mr Fancy-Pants Darcielle just killed a 'made man', and burned all his bridges with the real powers of Diobel.
Any promises he made aren't worth a single copper.
And if they can't get him..."
"...well, they'll just have to take out their frustrations on anyone who helped him get away."
"You should be paying us, for making your problem go away. So you and your families can sleep at night."
"Alright, alright! We'll show you a map of where Du Moire's ship is. You can even take the rowboats to go after him. Just leave us out of this mess!"
On the wall of their guard post is a chalkboard with a chart labeled with 20 numbers, each followed by a set of initials. One side of the chart reads mooring, the other side reads ship. Pinned to the adjacent wall hangs a map of the outer harbor marking the locations of the numbered moorings. The initials next to #14 read “HF”. The map shows mooring 14 located in the northwestern part of the outer harbor.
The guards unchain the rowboats and hand out oars.
Augusto Chuckles, as he takes one of the oars.
" Wise choice lads, I hope this day will change how you live your lives. Erastil welcomes all into his service, I suggest you go seek out the nearest temple and repent."
Rondu also grabs and oar then nods to Hagruk and Augusto.
"Nice work gentlemmen. Mission accomplished without unnecessary bloodshed. Let's get out to #14."
"Cowards," Fendrel says as he looks at the receding shore. "Thieving, bargaining cowards." He spits into the water out of disgust.
Rowing out of from the Underdocks, you enter a maze of barnacle-encrusted canals just wide enough for small boats like yours. Standing atop the walls are dockworkers who direct you to the canal locks. Once there a grizzled longshoreman calls down to you from above, telling you to hold tight. The first gate opens with a lazy moan, and he ushers you to move your craft into the small chamber ahead. Once inside, he lowers the gate behind you, then he bids you good luck as he slowly cranks apart the front doors to the open harbor where dozens of galleons and merchant ships bounce softly on their moorings in the water.
Fendrel's keen elven eyes pick out a smaller ship that has been scorched and battered. Closer than ever, the Hydra's Fans is yet many hundreds of yards away.
Perception:
Augusto takes in a slow deep breath, watching his surroundings closely...
You and your ever-vigilant companions quickly notice the shadowy underwater shapes following your ships. You are not surprised when these hideous amphibian creatures burst out of the water and attack.
Drawing his trusty blade, Augusto spits forth a curse into the wind
"Sahugin! I hate these fishy Bastards! it will take weeks to get the smell off my blades!"
He then unleases a pair of Furious blows on the Creature in front of him
MH ATK
MH DMG
OH ATK
OH DMG
Initiative Roll:
Rondu holds his oar tightly with his left hand while unleashing an combo headbutt/elbow smash to the fish dude in front of him.
Flurry of Blows:
- Headbutt:
- Elbow Smash: .
"After we take care of these, I'll try to help you out with my crossbow!"
"With humans, there is a chance to talk sense into them, but these fish guys are always bad news."
"Rutting sea scavengers!," Fendrel yells by way of a profanity and attacks the scaly head that appeared in front of him.
OOC:
Sahuguin inits:
Rondu's headbutt hits!
Fendrel misses
Sahuguin to Hagurk's south attacks with a trident.
Attack - MISS
Augusto's follow-up attack hits.
Sahuguin attacks Fendrel with a trident.
Attack - MISS
Sahuguin attacks Rondu with its claws.
Attack - MISS
Attack - HIT
Damage
Sahuguin attacks Augusto with a trident and deals a most grievous wound!
Attack - HIT
Damage
Hagruk's attack on the fish-man to his south hits!
Sahuguin to Hagurk's north attacks with a bite.
Attack - MISS
Round 2 begins !
Augusto Taunts the Sahuguin that hit him, as he turns to attack again
HA! It will take more than that to put an end to Mancha! Nice hit Shanks!, lets finish this one off!
Full round attack
MH ATK
MH dmg
OH ATK
OH DMG
Fendrel grunts as the trident hits his armor, winding him though not wounding him. "Try again, flotsam!," he yells as he brings his blade up again.
Rondu roars mightily as he attempts to gouge the fish dude’s eye then tries to cave in his skull with a viscous hammer fist to the side of the head.
"KABOOOOOSH"
Flurry of Blows:
- Eye gouge:
- Hammer fist:
Attempt to confirm threat:
Rondu gouges his amphibian foe's eye.
Fendrel deals a vicious cut to the sahuigin's shoulder.
Sahuguin to Hagurk's south attacks again.
Attack - MISS
Augusto two-headed sword whirls and slices into Hagruk's foe.
Sahuguin attacks Fendrel with a trident.
Attack - MISS
Sahuguin attacks Rondu with a trident.
Attack - MISS
Sahuguin attacks Augusto with a trident. - HIT
Attack - HIT
Confirm critical - NO
Damage
Hagruk misses.
Sahuguin to Hagurk's north attacks with a trident.
Attack - MISS
OOC:
Augusto, now I think you really are at 1 HP. Sorry, my secret rage against characters named Augusto must be influencing my dice rolls!
Round 3 begins!