|
"Do we have a choice?" Eveline asks, looking over the railing to see where they are going, "that's an ideal place for a trap, though. And if this is a base of operations, I'd expect resistance nonetheless."
"Or we could hide somewhere and wait for the Topaz Titan to arrive and intercept if as it enters the cove. Ideas?"
"Well, if you do not want to swim in, I will have to definitely pilot this, their Lionfish ship, in. At least some of you should probably go check if they are inside and there are no other ways to leave the island. I would not like to wait here in vain" grumbles Gultrock.
|
|
"Fish, dear Numair, fish," Eveline says with a sigh and looks at the entrance, "I volunteer to swim in. I doubt they can notice me, and I'm a decent swimmer. And no comments about having a wet shirt afterwards." She squints her eyes as she takes a look at Lionel. She prepares to take off her chain shirt to avoid any hindrances while swimming. Eveline doesn't intend to stay there fighting, so she leaves her weapons, dagger excluded, to the ship.
"Any other ideas?" she asks, preparing herself for a swim, tying her curly hair into a ponytail.
|
Lannior gets a bit of a confused look on his face as his comrades discuss searching the island.
Perhaps I missed what was going on, but if Alejia is disguised aboard the Topaz Titan, her plan was likely to have the Lionfish attack her at sea. With the Lionfish crew boarding the Topaz Titan and her sabotaging from onboard. So I'm not sure what there is to find in this island.
He pauses looking around at the others.
Unless the plan calls for the Lionfish to hide in that hidden cove and come out to take the Titan by surprise. If that's the case I say we sail it in there and stick to the plan.
Or am I totally missing it?
|
|
"Thing is we don't know their plan exactly," Eveline elaborates , "the notes only spoke of meeting with Alejia here. What sort of confrontation they had in mind, we don't know. It is possible the Topaz Titan has already arrived, and waits for the Lionfish. And I reckon they must have some sort of secret hail to identify one another. If I swim closer to see what's inside the cove, undetected of course, I can come back and tell you if the coast is clear. Am I making sense to you?"
|
|
Yes, but I don't think the Topaz Titan is by default an enemy ship because Alejia has infiltrated it. So while, Alejia is planning for the Lionfish to encounter the Titan, my guess is the Titan crew have no idea. They are expecting to drop off there cargo in Riddleport.
Also, we have living Lionfish crew members tied up below deck, why don't we interrogate them and find out what they were planning?
|
|
"They hardly take a halfling, a lady at that, seriously," Eveline snorts, "didn't some of them say that Alejia has a lot of ships readily available? At least this way she'll get more ships, take the paint job away and bam, she has a "new" unidentifiable ship ready at her disposal. I'm guessing Topaz Titan will only become an addition to the fleet."
"I'm not sure how formidable Alejia is, whether she could have taken the whole crew by herself or force the ship to make a 'supply stop' at this cove. Still, regardless, I feel I should go check the entrance. Of course, Numair, if you have any magic that could be of use, do use it."
|
|
"I only intended to go by the mouth of the cave to peer in, not swim to the lap of Alejia," Eveline says and pulls her arm free, "but given the resistance to the idea, let's just head in with the ship. At least that way we have all of our arsenal at our disposal."
Eveline abandons the idea of swimming and begins donning her chain shirt back on. It takes some time, and she refuses all help. While she feels down for not making a reconnaissance mission, she's happy to keep her clothes dry, and thus avoid possible comments from certain individuals.
Eveline is finally convinced to not scout alone and the halfling woman dress herself back with dignity.
Meanwhile orders are given to Gultrock and the ship starts to navigate inside the cavern. The walls of the cavern are lined intermittently with torch-adorned sconces, and another ship is already moored on the northeastern side of the embankment—Topaz Titan is emblazoned across its hull in orange letters that shine brilliantly even in the limited light. Several hastily-sealed cans of paint, a wood rasp, and sandpaper are barely visible on the ship’s deck. On the eastern side of the large cavern, two exits lead further into the cave complex.
Gultrock makes some signals letting the party know she will stay in the Lionfish. The passage to the east has an iron gate and you feel an intense smell coming from there. To the North the corridor leads to a room where you can observe some dim light coming from.
The smell to the east is that of dogs or the like.
|
|
"Canines," Eveline says, sniffing the air, "so by now the dogs have noticed our scent already. We don't have the element of surprise."
Eveline turns to look at Topaz Titan. "What did I expect? The ship's already here, and the crew has left. Hopefully we still find them on this island."
She follows Numair to the northern corridor, moving as stealthily as she can. Eveline isn't all that happy with the elf's sneaking ability, though.
|
|
In a whisper, I'll be, this didn't go down like I thought it would, seems see took control of the whole crew herself. Perhaps she is able to charm people to do her will. Be on the look out for tricks.
Lannior also attempts to stealth along with the other.
But the elf stubs his toe on a rock, OWWW!
He bounces around on one foot a moment, cupping his hand over his mouth.
The caverns echo the party's sounds as you descend the Lionfish and place your feet over the cave's rough sands walking then through the northern corridor. You find there a chamber set in a natural cave.
Three sets of wooden stocks hang from the northern wall of this room, pitons chaining the devices to the rock. Light flickers into the room from the water out in the cavern’s main chamber to the west, and small holes in the ceiling act as skylights, ensuring that the room needs no torches to light it during the day. Several natural stone columns break up the center of the cavern, sending shafts of shadow across the dimly-lit chamber.
As soon as you step within the columns of the chamber, figures concealed behind the natural columns and corners of the cave start shooting at you! Eveline sees them coming but too late to react before them.
The first bolt stabs deep in Ranor's left arm, but fortunately the second is deflected by his armor and the third hits the cover of the column next to him.
As Eveline readies herself to respond to the figures, a voice comes from the western side of the room. A woman is holding one old looking man with one arm and a fine cutlass around the man's neck. She drops the crossbow on her other hand to better hold the man, placing him in between you and her "Hold on everybody! You there, I do not know who are you but one more step inside the room and Gurukaza is dead. One attack and Gurukaza is dead. Let us move to the Topaz Titan and the man will survive, everything will be ok" she looks at you with stern expression full of determination "What a dilemma, if you want to save the cyphermage we flee, if you want to take us the cyphermage is dead. What do you choose?"
Even if surprised Lionel is fast to react, just next to Eveline.
|
|
Lannior grimaces at the site of the predicament they are in.
You must be the legendary Alejia, my name is Lannior. I'm afraid he's correct this pretty much ends with you and Gurukaza dead or you both alive. But before you make your choice, may I ask, what do you have against the cyphermages anyway? If you release him now, I'm sure that will bode well for us all.
|
|
Honeyed words, Numair, we need more honey to those words!
Eveline keeps her bow in her hands, fidgeting it nervously.
"Lionel! Move!" Eveline shouts, while taking a small sidestep and rapidly firing an arrow at Alejia, hoping to disable her quick enough.
|
|
Lionel spends most of the sea travel holding fast to a railing staring at the contents of his stomach. Occasionally, he mutters, "I don' rememba eatin' that...", as he goed green and clumb further down.
------------------------------
Lionel nods at the situation. He turns back to the party and whispers, "Do ya trust me?" as he drops his spear and runs straight for Aleija.
He dashes through the cave and runs towards her, hat flying and falling on the ground, as his many chains fly around his neck. "Run, brotha!", he shouts as he sees the cutlass raising towards him.
Eveline shots with precision to Alejia, wounding her in her exposed shoulder.
"Stupid! You could have saved the man!" she shouts as she readies to cut through the man's neck.
Just at that moment, Lionel reacts by running as fast as he can over the uneven grounds with his spear at hands. He is able to hit the pirate's cutlass just in the very last moment when she is at the point of killing Gurukuza!
To the horror of Alejia, the cutlass jumps off out of her hand landing just next to her.
Alejia picks up her cutlass from the ground and Lionel attempts to hit her with his spear, but the woman dodges the attack.
"So damned stupid! Kill them all!" she shouts stepping to the side and calling to magical energies. From her hand appears a jet of flames that engulfs both Gurukaza and Lionel.
Gurukaza, already beat and full of wounds, collapses to the floor bleeding and harmed by horrible burns.
The pirate in front of Ranor reloads his crossbow and shots at him.
The bolt pierces through his right ear causing a deep wound. He then steps to the side protecting himself against the natural stone column of the cave.
The other pirate disappears to the south corridor, you then hear a metallic grinding and dog barking coming from that side of the caverns.
Lionel is not able to attack Alejia with his spear as she is out of his reach when she casts her spell, and the battle cleric receives all the flames without being able to dodge them.
Eveline shots with precision stabbing an arrow on Alejia's chest. She shrieks in pain looking enraged at the halfling.
Ranor calls for his gods blessings, his wounds closing, as he advances to cover Alejia.
Lannior shots another arrow that barely misses Alejia as he tries not to injury Gurukaza or Ranor.
Three dogs appear through the corridor in the south where one of the pirates has risen the iron door. Two of them reach up to Numair where they start barking and biting at him.
The half-elf magical armor though easily deflects their bites with them understanding little of what is going on.
Lionel steps ahead and stabs Alejia brutally against the wall with his spear. She drops to the floor defeated and unconscious, bleeding from the arrows on her chest and the spear wound in her left leg.
The dogs look at Numair in rage instead of the patterns and bark at him unmolested as he finishes his spell.
One of the pirates moves fast behind Eveline offering a flanking position with his cutlass "She is their leader! Stop her organizing them!". The other one sets himself next to the halfling woman and attempts to bring her down.
But Eveline is ready and dodges her foes blades with ease!
Eveline balances her weapons taking a deep slash with her scimitar on the pirate with the purple bandanna.
Lannior shots at the pirate behind the column his shot hitting hard at the natural cover.
Meanwhile, Ranor lays his hands on the cyphermage. The wound badly bleeding suddenly stops healed up by his gods blessings.
The dog with the green eyes barks at Eveline jumping over the halfling.
But Eveline is readied and dodges the attack with ease!
Meanwihle one of the dogs leaps over Lannior, Lionel piercing through the animal with his spear, almost killing it straight on the fly. The canine fells to the ground unconscious.
The remaining dog barks at Numair, and enraged attempts to revenge against the half-elf for the weird colorless weird strands he threw at his eyes.
But the dogs seem to be hungry and unprecise and just bites the ground as he attacks.
|
|
Lionel grins and retracts his spear, the stylized wasp tip covered in blood, as he nods at Ranor. "It's damn good not havin' ta be tha only one patchin' them thrillseekas!" Twirling his spear, he takes a step and aims his spear for the pirate's neck, covered with a blue bandana.
"I'm comin', boss!", he grins at Eveline, despite the spear missing the target.
Straight after killing the dog, Lionel steps towards the pirate in the purple bandanna and attempts to stab it with his spear once again. But he is ready and dodges the weapon.
He then steps to the side and flanks Eveline with the dog, attacking with the cutlass.
He scores a terrible hit in the halflings right lung!
The other pirate, visibly scared by the horrible image of Alejia and the dog skewered by Lionel's spear, makes his body close to the cover of the column, retrieves a tanglefoot bag, and throws it at the cleric.
The bag hits the man over his head and comes apart, goo bursting out, entangling Lionel and then becoming tough and resilient upon exposure to air.
Lionel becomes entangled with the glue and attached to the floor, unable to move from place.
|
With their leader down and the Cyphermage's wounds under control Ranor rushes past Lionel and slams his flail at the pirate in the orange shirt.
Your boss is defeated. Drop your weapons now or you will all join her fate!
Ranor touches himself and closes more of his wounds with the last of his meager healing ability.
Ranor charges on the purple pirate knocking him down with a strong hit on his head!
At the same time Eveline spins around herself cutting the dog behind in the side! The dog barks and starts retreating!
The dogs start to run, retreating to their place when they see all their masters collapsed.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"That went beautifully!" Eveline exclaims, momentarily forgetting her own dire wound. She presses her hand against her chest to block the bleeding. Eveline grits her teeth as the pain stings again, but nevertheless shows a rare, genuine smile behind the agony. "Alejia is captured—make sure she lives to face exact punishment—and Gurukaza survived. Damn fine job, all!"
Eveline goes over to Gurukaza, and pulls out her healing wand. She applies charges from the wand to revive the scholar.
"Welcome back, Gurukaza!" Eveline says with a smile, wincing the sudden sting of pain again, "we're pathfinders, tasked to save you from Alejia and her goons, and we are very glad to see you!"