Titus manages to dive behind cover before the explosion, lessening the impact somewhat. Immediately, he rises, furious as he looks around for anyone that might be trying to capitalize on the confusion with further violence. If no one is in evidence, he will go to work putting out any fire that may have started and helping others that may have been injured.
The soldier who tapped the keg lies unconscious bleeding profusely from several burns and shrapnel wounds.
The fire is in danger of reaching the base of the aft mast, as well as several crates and barrels, one of which contains pitch (used for patching leaks in the hull and extremely flammable).
Reflex
Rorse runs to the crates and looks for something to put the fire out with, If he can't find anything, he will attempt to remove the barrel of pitch altogether.
Hobart rushes to tend the wounded man, stopping the bleeding with a healing spell, while the rest of you ruse about looking for the sand buckets.
Hobart starts to join the search for sand buckets when he stops and shakes his head. Rorse is in the process of trying to push the enormous (to him) barrel of pitch out of the fire when it suddenly starts to rain all around him. Both he and the fire get quite soaked in the 2-second cloud burst.
Sorry about that, Rorse, he says.
With all of you working hard (you do soon find sand buckets), the fire is quickly contained and then extinguished, leaving you to help the dazed and confused colonists.
The shouts of alarm and "FIRE!" quickly draw attention from above you. Soldiers stampede down the ladder, only to see that the fire is contained and almost nobody is seriously hurt. Some soldiers withdraw to the upper decks.
A few minutes later, Sir Kheiron makes his way carefully down the ladder.
What is going on? What has happened here?
I think we have it under control Sir Kheiron, looks like someone tried to sabotage the ship.He looks around to see if anyone is in dire need of his healing abilities, and if there are none in immediate danger then I will get my kit and start trying to put a salve together to treat burns.Sir Kheiron if there is anyway you could have some acquire me some muslin I could use for bandages it would be greatly appreciated. I wouldn't have enough bandages to cover all the burs everyone has suffered. He continues his work without looking up. obviously doing his best to serve as a medic in the situation.
Hobart tends to three of the injured before four soldiers with medical kits arrive on the scene and divide the rest of the injured among themselves.
Sir Kheiron picks his way through the wreckage of the rum cask and asks, How exactly? It just looks like the rum cask exploded.
Rorse Looks relieved at the fact he has just been Drenched. "Hobart if it was any other time, We might have words over this! but I would much rather be wet, then I would, burning with a barrel of pitch in my arms. This actually has me thinking though, if our disguise is foiled we might use burning pitch tipped arrows on an enemy ship. He hops down from the crates and dusts off of his hands.
when they tapped the keg, we heard some glass break in there before the thing decided to explode. So perhaps it was one of those bomb potions alchemists make.
Rorse pulls off his tunic and starts ringing it out. He might not do so normally in such a pulic place but with the sailors about and their paticular lack of care for tunics at times, well it hardly seemed unacceptable.
Then there may be more sabotage like this. Hobart, if you've finished tending to the wounded, please accompany me. Any of you with skill detecting tampering or sabotage as well.
Sir Kheiron leads all those indicated to the upper hold and into one of the doors at the front. The door was locked and guarded and leads into a triangular room with shelves and piles of crates containing many things of value. A canvas-wrapped bundle on one of the shelves emits streams of light between loose folds. Several small boxes are labeled as various seeds. Here is also where the rum is stored. Kheiron offers the casks to you gingerly for inspection.
Corvus has a look at the seals of the various casks. Perception
She points to two of the casks, indicating that their seals have been broken and remade. On Kheiron's direction, she moves them out of this room and carefully rebreaks the seals and pries the lids off, with Hobart standing by with create water if necessary.
Disable Device 1
She gets the lid far enough off for you to see a glass flask somehow stuck onto the underside of the lid. As she lifts it clear, the flask detaches and falls to the floor, shattering and spreading fire everywhere. Corvus Reflex save
She takes 1 point of damage from the splash of the fire.
Disable Device 2
As she opens the second cask, she manages to catch the flask before it hits the floor. She exhales a long deep breath as she hands the flask to Kheiron.
Hobart will follow Sir Kheiron grabbing his spear as they leave the hold. When they get to the stores he will cast detect poison to see if any of the foodstuffs or seeds have been contaminated. when Corvus starts messing with the casks he will have stepped back, but be ready to create water, and will do so when the accident happens.
Hobart does not detect any poisons.
The mood on board ship takes a serious turn to the grim as soldiers begin searching foodstuffs, supplies, and anything else that could have been booby-trapped with one of those flasks. The fact that they don't find anything does little to improve the morale.
Down below, it seems that the party's quick actions were able to minimize the damage. The fire didn't reach the mast and only the soldier hurt in the initial blast sustained any serious injury.
Twenty minutes or so later, a soldier comes to summon the lot of you up on deck to meet with Sir Kheiron. You find him up on the fore deck. He clears the deck of soldiers and colonists before speaking.
Well, I suspected that there would be a spy on board, and this seems pretty conclusive proof. Of course, that flask could have been planted back in Absalom when we took those rum casks on board, but we also cannot rule out that somebody broke into the vault room, probably when we were refitting the ship and most personnel were up above deck. I wonder if this was meant to happen now, or afterwards if we made it through the Arch.
I would be most interested in learning of your suspicions as to who could be behind it.
I have seen nothing that can lead me to anyone, and I won't start throwing out names on suspicions and innuendo. I have seen the damage it can do to one who is innocent of fault.Hobart says before everyone starts throwing theories around.
Rorse opens his mouth and then shuts it again. Every suspicion he had was about to come tumbling from his lips. but upon hearing the wise words of Hobart, he keeps his peace. I haven't seen anything that makes anyone on the ship A spy. I do wonder at what we could possibly do to flush them out however. what oppurtunity could be had to let them show their true colors though? Would we be better off searching people's belongings? Rorse taps his chin dramatically.
Sir Kheiron scowls. Searching peoples' belongings without proof of suspicion is distasteful, but I suppose not as distasteful as being betrayed tomorrow when we're at the Arch.
Sir Kheiron orders soldiers to begin searching belongings, including all of yours (). It takes an hour, and there are many unhappy people, though nobody protests more than one would expect, given the circumstances, and some are all too happy to prove that they have no incriminating evidence in their packs. Thereva uses it as a perfect excuse to show off her few little baby outfits to Eriniyes and Corvus.
Once the soldiers have finished with the lower hold, they move up to search the soldiers' and sailors' belongings. Sir Kheiron apologizes to the colonists for the intrusion on their privacies, and thanks them for their co-operation. He heads up the ladder, leaving you to your discussions.
Titus takes part in the discussion once all the trouble is taken care of. He helps with the few wounded then moves with the group. "It doesn't help that we don't know anything about any of our passengers. We don't even have proof if they chose to give the wrong name. We're at the mercy of our gut for now. All we can do is wait and watch." He puts a hand to his chin, in thought. "Why would they sabotage the rum like that anyway? It wasn't a big enough explosion to cause any serious damage or death. It wasn't targeting anyone specific. It doesn't make any damn sense. Maybe it was meant to be a signal or a test of some kind. Whoever it was might be looking at us now, seeing as we're the ones who made a show of being helpful back there. Travel in pairs for safety. Especially you, Hobart. To the Chelaxians, you lit up like a bright red torch when you showed that you can sling spells."
Titus' mind was moving in old directions now. Gears that lay dormant were turning now... and the old man wasn't sure he liked it. If it helped him protect his new allies, then he would consider it a sacrifice he could make. At least until he got off this ship and onto land. Then he wouldn't have to worry about any of it again. He could finally just be a normal old man and work himself into a peaceful grave.
Eriniyes is better in ranged combat than in melee. She reports to Lieutenant Andrells after the drills. "I'm not sure I can be disguised to look like a pirate, but when given the order I can try to shoot some of them with my crossbow. It has an excellent range on it."
She thinks to herself for a moment and gets an idea. "I also have magic that may be able to repair any tears in our sails. I have to be close to the sails for it to work though, within 10 feet. Perhaps I can position myself in the crow's nest or try to climb on ropes to get close enough to be affective."
Eriniyes is directed to the crow's nest with Rommin.
Really early the next morning, when you're taking your positions, Sir Kheiron comes to Eriniyes and Rommin with the flask from the rum keg. This is alchemist's fire. It was decided that we wouldn't stock it on board, as the risk was just too great, but since we have it, do either of you think you could hurl it the thirty or forty feet a Chelish ship is likely to get to us?
Eriniyes will take herbs on the day of the expected battle.
Fortitude (15th of Gozran):
Fortitude (16th of Gozran):
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Lilo breathes a sigh of relief that he sold his Alchemists fire back in Absolam..he joins in the search..then asks Sir Khieron for a copy off the ships roster and begins working his way through it methodically.
He tells the Centaur "I have a couple of tricks Sir..but I don't think you'd want me conjuring fire on board..I can boost some off your men or my comrades with a spell to enlarge them though."
So you manage to finish off the night of the 15th, though sleep does not come easily. A curfew is imposed on all but essential personnel, including yourselves. If any of you try to go above deck during the night, you are politely asked to remain down below (if you insist, the politeness disappears really fast). There isn't time for your normal watch rotation if any of you are hoping to regain cast spells, so spell-casters might want to skip their watch this night so they can barely squeeze in their eight hours.
It is still dark when soldiers prod you awake to assume your positions. The prisoners have already been led above decks and you see them positioned along the railings. Wat, Chase, and Carylis have hand axes hidden near them, while Nate has a halfling-sized longsword, Kuras an enormous greataxe and Daciana a standard longsword. Daciana, Carylis, Kuras, and Nate are also armoured - it looks like their equipment was returned to them for this encounter.
Rommin and Eriniyes make their way up to the crow's nest. They each find a bundle of their favoured ammunition up there waiting for them. Sir Kheiron suggests to Eriniyes that since she's worried about her appearance and since there would normally only be one person up in the crow's nest anyway, that she crouch down and hide until combat has begun (if it does).
And once you are in position, the waiting begins. The ship glides through the waters of the Inner Sea alone for over an hour before dim lights appear ahead of you all across the horizon. You see a ship off to starboard in the distance, but it doesn't head in your direction. As you continue on, the lights ahead of you coalesce into the immense beacons that run the length of the Arch, and the huge stone bridge comes into view.
As the sun crests the waves behind you, more ships appear. You count 9 ships in view, five to port, four to starboard, and all bearing the standard of Cheliax. The tension on board, already intense, begins to buzz with a life of its own as two of those ships, one on either side, turn to approach the Crown of Jeggare. It is clear that you could pour on speed and get clear of the Arch before those two ships arrived, but that would surely alert the other ships further out which would easily be able to cut you off. Captain Theodric holds his ship on a steady course.
Ahoy, there, Crown, a voice with Chelish accents calls from the ship to port.
Ahoy yourself, Captain Theodric replies with his fake Chelish accent at the same time as Theodremir calls out Heave to, lads! in his own fake accent. Sailors on the Crown let out sail to slow the ship.
If I not be mistaken, that be a Taldane vessel, Captain, the port captain says.
Aye, it is, sir, Theodric replies. It's holds be filled with Kyonin spices, darkwood, and Qadiran silks. We boarded and plundered it three days ago. Our own vessel was lost, so we ran our colours up this one instead.
It is a beauty vessel, captain. To where are you bound?
Hobart and Corvus hear mutters from the aft ladder and Nate utters a small curse.
Corentyn, sir. Home for leave and to unload the spoils of our victory, Theodric replies.
Hobart and Corvus turn to see Thereva up on deck. Her eyes are wide, she's clutching at her abdomen and she's looking frantically about. Maxalis? Where are you? It's time, Maxalis, the baby's coming! She spots Maxalis (Colonist 3 next to Daciana) and heads towards him along the starboard side of the ship.
Hobart standing at midship attempting to do his best impression of a bouson, while imitating a chelish accent moves quickly grabbing Max's arm Seems the child is not going to wait till we get to the motherland family pact or no. Now we picked you two up in port because you pleaded to get home before your babe was born, so that your families pacts would be honored, but I will not have your woman birthing a babe on this deck is that clear Mister Finnen? He has been pulling the man along the whole time giving him a stern look when they get to his missus he moves him to collect her and continues to move them both to the ladder getting them both down and out of sight as quickly as possible as they get to the stairs he will call out to the nearest sailing man not nearly having to act at this point and commandingly says.quit standing around and get to the galley and get some boiling water, and bring any clean cloth you can find with that he is below with the couple hopefully without incident.
What the hell is going on out there? Eriniyes thinks to herself as she hears Thereva muttering in a frantic voice. Oh no! What terrible timing!
As Hobart is making his way to Maxalis, Thereva follows behind. Hobart hears Corvus cry out a warning to him before he feels cold steel slide into his lower back (5 pts damage). Fool, Thereva mutters into Hobart's ear. Thereva takes a 5-foot step past him towards the front of the ship. Maxalis takes a 5-foot step toward the front himself, hurling a dagger across the deck at the soldier manning the starboard forward ballista. The soldier crumples to the ground.
The map has been updated (about an hour ago) to fix a few minor errors: Thereva's position and the status of the soldier (down)
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As Thereva left the hold Lilo had made to follow her however he knew he dare not expose himself on deck so hung back just out off sight off the Chels..that is until the woman had knifed Hobart. At that his blood boiled and he swelled to his larger size.
Cast enlarge person..lose size bonus to attack gain strength bonus of +1 as which off sets that loss.
Rorse and Vero flow forth from the stairs and close on Maxilis
Rorse growls the word attack , but for this round atleast his mount can only close the distance, but based on Vero's snarl the black wolf woould relish the opurtunity.
Rorse however is free to make his attack.
Ride(dc5 for hands free):
Greatsword
Rorse's sword finds its mark, drawing blood along Maxalis' right shoulder.
Titus dashes across the deck, punching at Thereva with his massive hands. The punch connects for damage. It bloodies her nose a bit but she shakes off any stun effect easily.
Hobart a look of shock on his face steps away from the assassin.And to think I pitied you and your babe. Pharasma doesn't take kindly to those who would abuse the guise of being with child. with a murmur to his Goddess he heals the knife wound.
CLW
Corvus sneaks up to flank Thereva with Titus, lunging with her rapier.
Even though she's distracted by Titus and Corvus on opposite sides, Thereva takes extra care to keep her belly away from Corvus' rapier blade, which, fortunately for Corvus, puts her entire left side right into her blade. Damage
http://gmnazard.blogspot.com
Rommin doesn't notice anyone standing out on the Chelish ships as a spell-caster. However, he does notice that nobody on either of the Chelish ships seem to have noticed the fighting going on below him...yet.
Rorse swings a second time at his foe hoping to kill the man.
Ride (dc5 for hands free)
Greatsword
Attack. Rorse growls into Vero's ear.
Vero attack
bite
crit confirm?:
Lilo begins the six-second long incantations of enlarge person on himself.
After Rommin's action:
Eriniyes casts a quick spell and with a flick of her hand, Rommin detects a faint snap and buzz as a field of force springs up to completely encase Eriniyes' body like a second skin.
Thereva