RD 12: Skeleton
The creature tries to slice at Dirk's legs,
;
It misses terribly.
Bri takes a moment to heal herself of the damage she has taken.
"Sath, are you ok?"
"Dirk, Darius! Quit playing around and lets get moving!"
Team 1, Round 12
Seeing Henk is ready for some more action, Astrianna simply shrugs and yanks open the cabinet, sword in her other hand. "I hope there aren't any skeletons in this closet."
Darius snarls at the skeleton, "Would you die again already!?!?"
He thrusts his sword down again, opening another hole in the things skull.
__________
Astri pulls the door open and it reveals...more charts and 2 cutlasses, 8 daggers, and quite few empty weapon slots.
Team 1, Round 12
A smile lights up the half-elfs face as she something both worth money and is not actively trying to shuffle off her mortal coil. "Much better."
Whispering an incantation the bard wiggles her fingers and stares at the weapons in the locker for a few moments. "I doubt any of these are magical, but the good Captain Cray probably made a hefty sum running the Razor. Speaking of which, we should find his quarters...."
The weapons are not magical Astri.
Henk breathes a sigh of relief when no undead sprung out. "Aye, Capt's quart'rs and the udder doors need openin'" He looks at elf and thumbs for him to lead the way. "We passed a door next to the wets room." the entire hall is think with fog limiting sight to 5 foot radius, "damn seafog...think as soup."
Darius snarls at the skeleton, "Would you die again already!?!?"
He thrusts his sword down again, opening another hole in the things skull.
__________
RD 12
Darius next attack destroys the skeleton.
You instinctively grab the magical cloak from the peg.
You have no reason to detect magic on it since you know it's magical. In fact, anyone suggesting otherwise is a liar who is only trying to take your precious gear.
The skeleton's long sword is nicely fashioned. The chain shirt is mundane and in need of repair but it has some trade value.
Darius straightens back up after he destroyed the skeleton, sheathing the sword as he does so. He places a hand over the wound, and sees some blood on it when he takes it away.
He looks at Hawkins as he kneels down and takes the skeletons sword and it's sheath, saying, "Hawk, whatever is going on with you, I need you to snap out of it."
He then turns and steps back into the hallway, and glares at Sath. I hate to be a snitch, but if I'm gonna be in charge of combat situations, then they all gotta listen to me, even the other officers.
Team Henk and Team Darius where are you heading next?
FYI: we have been using RDs to orderly track action so far but that is slightly misleading as it would have taken you more than 12 rounds (72 seconds) to complete what you have actually done so far. Remember you explore some of the top deck (near the cannon) and get the wonderful prisoner out of the Brig. You've probably been on board at lest 7-10 minutes in actual time. RDs were and are a convenient way for me to track what has happened, especially so one half of the party doesn't get to far ahead of the other half.
Team 1, Round 12
Astrianna nods at Henk, giving Adriel the same gesture. "You first Bladedancer, ship might have a strange undead infestation. I'm going to clean up in here." The bard lets Henk hold onto her crowbar for now.
Henk will grab the daggers and shove them in his belt. "Let's move...creepy 'nuf in 'ere."
"Aye quartermaster. I hate this fog, makes my bow useless." She shoulders her haversack, putting her bow around her neck just in case. "Ready."
Sath looks around at the cooked rats and wrinkles her nose due to the smell of burnt rat-flesh and hair.
"Now what do we do?" She asks to no one in particular.
Darius leads the way into the hold after fastening the longsword to his hip opposite the shortsword. He takes care to avoid rats, or kick any surviving ones that venture too close to him. He casts a look Embrianna's way to make sure she is ok as he passes by.
As Sath speaks up, he pauses and says, "Get the survivor and follow along. Try not to destroy the ship before we are off of it. Think you can follow that order?" then turns and continues on without waiting for an answer.
__________
"I, Thalios Dondrel, have taken it upon meself to grab meself a club" In his hands is shaft of sorts clearly made form some broken piece of wood he scavenged from the ship when the fighting was taking place.
Sath turns to address the passing Darius, "What order? If you had a plan or a way off this ship then I would certainly listen to you but you have no better idea what you are doing than anyone else- get over yourself, I follow those who deserve to lead not those appoint themselves in charge!"
Bri sighs and follows behind Darius, looking back over her shoulder to address the naked crazy man.
"How about you Dondrel? Do you know where there are another set of stairs leading up?"
"I know that Henk and his team went down a set of stairs at the head of the ship! " Darius snaps, pointing with his glaive across the rat charred hold for emphasis. "Considering we've found no others back here, I figure that is the quickest and easiest way out! I didn't put myself in charge, for the record, the Captain did! So before accusing someone of a lack of brains, how about you use some yourself and not speak insult someone on half-witted assumptions!"
Sath follows along behind the group, making certain to stay away from and behind the now-armed Dondrel.
Round 12 -
Darius finished off the skeleton; took the MW longsword and rushed down the hall somewhere, leaving David in the room alone with the remains.
My chambers; my cabin; my quarters - my home...
He shakes his head and looks around, he somehow remembers that the cloak is obviously magical, but can't for the life of him recall if anything else in the room is...
Therefore, he casts Detect Magic while in the room before he dashes off, knowing that until they've found a way out, there is no where for him to go in any case.
Further, if the cloak is magical, there may be other possessions of equal note in the room that the Captain, er - that he would surely want to salvage before disappearing.
As he casts the spell, he calls out somewhat tensely for his cat!
You remember that the room you are in is a guest chamber for passengers. There is nothing else of note here except the bones of the fallen. You do remember having to severely punish someone in this room before but the details escape you. of course you recall that your cabin and pipe is at the bow of the ship. now that you think of it, it's fine time for pipe.
RD 13
Team one:
Henk -
Astri -
Adriel -
The group is at the door near the wets room, the fog is thick.
-----------
Team Two
Darius -
Sath -
Bri -
Sawbones
The group has made their way into the foul smelling hold. The massive hold that comprises the belly of this ship is filled with rotting perishables in the way of exotic fruits and vegetables. The rancid stink of rotting fruit and food fills the air. Tiny flies buzz
incessantly throughout this large cargo hold. Barrels of water and grog are stacked aft, crates of putrid, corrupted consumables litter the hold. At the port wall stand three crates the flies avoid.
** spoiler omitted **
Well, as a player, I'm merely suspicious of the cloak.
But my character is suspicious of everything on this ship at this point - for example: the fact that a company of sharks (a water predator that is typically territorial, with the possible exception of blood in the water drawing a large group long distances - quick aside, there's a JAWS marathon on AMC tonight) started to circle the ship as we attempted to board; the appearance of magical fog that suddenly swooped out of nowhere as we approached the ship; the ship that steered itself, hoved to as we approached, then tacked position swiftly and mysteriously as we tried to board it; the mysterious totem that manned the con; the fact that the ship has opened and closed its woodwork; the presence of undead on board the ship; the mysterious "prisoner" who has survived this entire time but doesn't know how the undead (which are generally created by powerful necromancy, curses, or possibly disease - and we don't know what created them, either) even got on the ship, of if he does, he hasn't told us...
Oh yeah, he'd probably feel like leaving everything on the ship, including the valuable instruments and "prisoner" given that they're all probably cursed, and that anything that is salvaged is certain to spread doom to all!
However, he'll still take the cloak and stuff, but he's chalking that decision up to general madness ;)
Taking the rare and obviously magical cloak and stuffing it into his satchel, David retrieves his dagger from the floor and strides out of the room down the hall to follow his companions...
Team 1, Round 13
Astrianna stands behind Adriel, her swordhand against the wall so she does not lose her bearings in the thickening fog. The half-elf eyes Adriel suspiciously. I should go first into the room so he can't use his elf magic to tamper with anything... Perhaps if I let him go first and watch him from the door.
"Open it up Adriel, I'll be right behind you."
In the meantime, the bard whispers an incancation and refreshes the floating orbs of light over their heads, giving the fog an even creepier appearance as the light scatters off the thick mist.
RD 13
The group has made their way into the foul smelling hold. The massive hold that comprises the belly of this ship is filled with rotting perishables in the way of exotic fruits and vegetables. The rancid stink of rotting fruit and food fills the air. Tiny flies buzz
incessantly throughout this large cargo hold. Barrels of water and grog are stacked aft, crates of putrid, corrupted consumables litter the hold. At the port wall stand three crates the flies avoid.
David glances around at his mates.
"Oye - is everyone alright?" he says as he glances at the others, his tone sincere, but his eyes hard on the newly discovered prisoner.
His eyes then flick to Embrianna and Sath, as they seem to have custody of the prisoner and his voice changes quickly, the tone and pitch sounding much like a combination of a dolphin overlaid with the grunts of a sea lion -
"Skeleton's don't raise themselves - what exactly does that scum really know about why there's walking dead on my ship" he says as he studies the man.
Then he shakes his head, as if to clear it from something.
"Look... Just be careful of him, he may be some sort of mad priest or something like that... If he is then he may be armed with more than just a simple belaying pin!" he says grimly.
"A wee bit drafty under me, err yer, cloak"
In the hold...
The stench of this hold is nasty everyone nearly gags at the corruption.
You realize that the rotten smell is not just fruit and food, but
also the more sinister decay of human flesh.
You locate the secret trapdoor beneath a couple of the food crates (N,6)
The sound of the thug distracts David from his words to the others.
"A wee bit drafty under me, err yer, cloak"
"Mister Dondrel," David barks out fiercely "mind your manners in the presence of ladies, or - so help me - you'll earn yourself a fortnight in the bloody brig," he says as he fixes the man with a steely gaze.
He shakes his head a moment, but continues to stare at the man.
"What's the cargo in those bloody crates yonder," he says, jerking his thumb at the crates that the flies seem to be avoiding.
In the hold...
The stench of this hold is nasty everyone nearly gags at the corruption.
As he waits for the prisoner to answer him, his eyes roam the hold quickly, the gleam from the magical light shining off his armor.
"There's a hatch there under the filth on the floor," he says, pointing directly to N:9, then glances at the others.
"Uh, that stench isn't just fruits and food, unless longpork was on the menu as well..."
Sath walks over to the secret hatch and moves the crates away from it with the shaft of her spear.
"Uh, that stench isn't just fruits and food, unless longpork was on the menu as well..."
David glances at her thoughtfully.
Is it a combination of sulfur and charcoal he thinks, considering the barrels that were aft.
Perhaps it's something else - phosphorous, perhaps? he wonders, glancing at the presence of the ghostly lights shimmering in the gloom from where Astrianna had sent them.
Or is it simply the stink of stale sweat? he muses at the presence of Thalios.
Then his eyes narrow...
Wait! "Longpork" - isn't that what those bloody half-orcs near Riddleport called "Manflesh"?
He grimaces and grips his weapons.
[Sath walks over to the secret hatch and moves the crates away from it with the shaft of her spear.
As Sath advances toward the hatch with the spear, he looks at his allies - his eyes marking those who are wounded, prepared to heal them after the fight but says nothing more about it at this time...
Darius turns to the hatch, positioning himself so that he can strike at any hostile that may emerge.
__________
The elf dismisses his flaming sphere when the corpse drops.
While Astri and Henk gather the loot the elf takes a round to swift draw his wand of SHIELD. Recasts it and puts it away again.
Responding to Henk's order.
Follow me. I'll get the door. And no Astri, I saw no sign of them. I told you this is clearly a Haunted Ship. Now, let's move.
The elf stands in L1 so he is not directly in front of the door and attempts to open it while keeping his blade high for a strike...
"Ugh! It smells horrible in here. Sath hurry up with your poking around over and then lets get out of here. Some fresh air is sorely needed.'
Team Henk
Adriel opens the door and before the dense fogs rolls into the room he sees cluttered cabin is crowded with four bunks. Three of the bunks are in disarray, their simple home-spun blankets messily piled atop them, but
one of them is spotless and well-made as if it were never slept in. One of the disheveled bunk’s sheets and pillow are discolored and caked with red grime. Chipped and cracked strong boxes rest at the foot of each bunk, a rusted lock on one, the others left unlatched.
There is a humanoid creature has long, sharp teeth, and its pallid flesh is stretched tightly over its starved frame and it is devouring the remains of shredded arm.
Team Darius
Sath opens the secret compartment and peering down reveal a half flooded with a putrid mix of congealed blood and other less savory bodily juices and bilge water, this damp dank hold is empty save the moldering remains of four sailors, all bloated with rot and brine. There is movement from a corner in this hold as humanoid with sharp teeth begins to climb out of hold.
Give me a moment and I'll roll out initiative.
RD 14
Team Henk
Astri
Henk
Adriel
Ghast
Team Darius
Sath
Dirk
Darius
Bri
ghoul
*Sath, Darius and Dirk are around the "S" in the the hold but I moved your tokens to the right showing you looking down the stairs. It's a close-up cut out view.
Seeing the creature coming up out of the hold towards her, Sath instinctively flings a handful of fire at it- "Let's see how you like this my pallid friend!"
Team 1, Round 14
Astrianan is close to the side of the door as Adriel pulls it open. The soft glow of her light orbs pierce the darkness and cast shadows over the objects of the room before the obscuring fog drifts inside.
The pallid-fleshed humanoid stands out in the room the most, and a small gasp from Astrianna escapes from her mouth.
"Another corpsemuncher! I'll slow it down. We don't have enough space to dance here, lead it into the other hallway where we can surround it, this way!"
Astrianna pulls a small piece of wax paper from her spell component pouch and crushes it in her fingers, the butter oozing out. She spreads her fingers out in front of her and completes the spell with an incantation, covering the area in thick coating of grease.
She then turns and moves past Henk into the larger hallway, hand along the wall, gripping the edge of the chartroom doorframe when she finds it. The half-elf swings herself into it, turning and pressing her back tightly against the wall. Breathing heavily, she waits to receive the monster.
Sath's flame misses the ghoul and sizzles when it hits the bilge water creating steam.
Henk looks at Adriel, "You first, I'm right behind you. Kill that thing for good."
RD 14 update
Team Henk
Astri - moves casts grease
Henk - Holds but encourages Adriel to press on into the room
Adriel
Ghast
Team Darius
Sath - produce flame missed
Dirk
Darius
Bri
ghoul