"Thank ye," Corliss replies to Jim's offer. "Mayhaps there be somethin' here I can use as well, in case we meet resistance afore we get back to yer ship."
He gives the blades and armor a final appraisal before leaving.
Corliss finds that the strange metal is certainly unique. So much so, he isn't sure how to classify or value it.
"Let's get going. We can come back for the swag later, once we've put paid to the Aspis folks hereabouts."
Kaul nods his head, as he grumbles;
"Ain't takin' none o' them blades... Got Lopps an' me Claw!"
The thug takes point;
"Want me to scout ahead lads?"
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Corliss strap on some of the armor and grabs a long sword and Kaul takes point to lead the others through the tunnels and up the stairs. The crew passes through the bloody cellar and rotting house to emerge into the late afternoon sun. Kaul keeps a wary eye out for more Karikanti ambushes, but no one is seen.
Finally, the overgrown pier is reached and the jollyboat is spotted half-hidden in the brush. A low snort is heard and hissing exhalation. Dingus' hairless leg is draped over a gunnel as the skinny sailor catches a nap. His pet viper coils on the bow. Its unclosing black eyes coldly mark your approach.
Stumping back to the jolly Dibbs shakes his head before calling out "Oi! Dingus, set about eh>? We's gots a coupla fresh souls about fer us." jerking his head towards the aforementioned before seeking to board the jolly... from the opposite end of viperous oversight.
Richard the Serpent-Hearted watches dispassionately as the halfling rounds the boat, then slithers back under Dingus' skirt which awakens the slumbering sorcerer. "Huh?" the skinny Tian sits upquickly and nearly falls off the bench. He peers at the newcomers suspiciously and shrugs to his mates. "Where did these guys come from?"
Kaul mugs a grin;
"Hur Flotsam an' Jetsam... Prisoner's o' the aspissers matey. Freed by our 'eroic endeavours like. One o' em can conjure stogies!"
Said cigar summoner seems to have retreated into a state of shell-shock after an initial burst of logorrhea. Dingus scoots over to let the others board, but can't help to reach out and feel the fabric of Virgil's fancy suit. The newcomer grunts in alarm and pushes past the others to sit by Dibbets at the far end of the jolly boat. Dingus shrugs again and peers at the setting sun. "Where are we going? It'll be dark soon."
"Back to Black Dragon to reequip and report, I'm thinking."
Kaul nods enthusiastically;
"Don't be worryin' 'bout the dark lads... Kauly an' Lopps can see in the dark see..."
The axe also shifts up and down in a nodding action.
Corliss nods politely at the man with the poisonous snake in his robe and falls into line, ready to take orders.
The crew push off the Jolly and begin rowing out of the long narrow passage that leads away from the ruins of Moak Harbor. The sun sinks quickly behind the jungle cliff rising above the water. In the fading light, the lookout spots a distant ship entering the inlet.
When his attention is drawn, Kaul cricks his no-neck and peers out into the gloom;
:
He scowls at whomever raised the alarm;
"Ol' Kaul don' see jack. You been sipping the grog?"
"Bessie, grant yer humble servant the eyes o' a seahawk," the pirate priest mutters before peering in the direction the lookout points. "Curse me fer a squiggly grindylow, but this be the second time today sweet Bessie's granted me 'er favor--a new record! Yer ship be enterin' the inlet as we speak! Fine timin', iff'n ye asks me! Heh, mayhaps this day'll end on a bright note after all...."
Since Corliss has never seen the Black Dragon before, I had him assume it's the lads' ship. If he's able to make out the ship's name, maybe you could have him give that info to the others. I'm offline for the next two days (Sunday as usual, Monday with Presidents' Day) so bot Corliss as needed. Thanks.
"'Ware, mates! That's not Black Dragon--betting it's the Aspissers, making pickup on our late dance partners."
Jim quickly corrects Corliss' assumption that it's their ship ahead. Then, while the rest of the crew are focused on making the distant ship by the light of the crescent moon, Jim spots a small dark shape move off from the shore making for the ship. The ship is approximately 2 cable lengths (~ 1/4 mile) ahead and the rowboat about half that.
Musing a moment before spitting a gobbet o'er the rails Dibbets muses "So... reckons we ain't fer makin ground by strength o' arms. Ye wants I should get wet an skate-y? May nei be able tae stop tha buggers, but might get em distracted enuff tae stop rowin." before frowning slightly and focusing his eyes and ears a moment.
Kaul grins and hefts Lopper;
"Me sharkey totem can let me swim plenty quick too... Maybe's give that jolly an axe shaped bite?"
"I've got the Sea Pact ring for swimming, myself. Trouble with taking a bite out of their boat is if they've got Corliss' gear it'll go to the bottom as well."
The number of triangular fins seen creasing the water of the bay makes Jim consider that swimming may not be without risk itself.
"Better me gear gettin' sunk than ol' Corliss himself!" says the priest. "I ain't got nothin' fer long-range fightin'...an' I confess to not wantin' to swim with them sharks. Lemme try an' heal up the last o' yer wounds now. Iff'n a silence spell, or an aligned or magickified weapon, or even just Bessie's blessin' can help, let me know."
Corliss fingers his holy symbol, peers up into the clouds and then down into the depths. Though he doesn't need to say a word to channel energy, he feels a few words are warranted in this instance.
"Bessie, heal up these lads so they may come out on top in the instance o' no-quarter mayhem what's about to take place. I think ye're gonna like these lads, an' have a feelin' they're gonna keep both o' us busy!"
Corliss' prayer revives the crew as Kaul keeps pulling on the oars. Dingus squints into the settling night. He taps the sapphire pendant that seems to spark faintly within its depths. "Just get me close enough to zap them."
Dibbets reports back, "It's em in the jolly. Big Blue Ox a-rowing and they jis catch sight o' us. Nae time a'waste. Jim an Kauly, you'd be swimmin no faster en we rowin, but in me finny form, I can catch up in a wink wi' Dingus' hasty help."
"Dingus, if you magic us all that way me and Kaul can row faster, hey? Let's be after them."
Kaul mugs a grin;
"Hur. Chop-chop to lop-lop! Hur-hur..."
Dingus casts his spell and Dibbets leaps off the boat while Jim and Kaul lay into the oars. Even at their accelerated pace, the manta ray skitters off over the ocean like a skipped stone quickly disappearing from sight. By the time the spell ends, Dibbets has reached the enemy jollyboat and Kaul and Jim have halved the distance though they remain out of range.
Corliss provides a rhythmic (if annoying) chant to help Jim and Kaul maintain their accelerated rowing pace. "Keep it up lads; we're gainin' on 'em!"
When Dibbets's spell runs out, though, the priests turns dejected. "Dammit! If we'd got within 150 feet or so o' that other boat, I'd've been able to start blastin' 'em with bolts o' lightnin' outta the heavens! Mayhaps yer friend'll be able to scuttle 'em an' slow 'em down, eh?"
Dingus' eyes take a crazed look at mention of lightning bolts. "Blast them!" he cackles and casts another spell of haste to rush the jolly forward. Just as the spells effects end, a flash of light streaks off your starboard from the dark ship now only about 100 yards ahead. Two more short flashes of light follow aimed toward the cyclopean lighthouse on shore. Virgil mutters, "Ah, that's the signal. A coded semaphore to inquire, "Is it safe to approach?""
The flashes of light reveal another strange sight: a poof of heavy fog sitting upon the water not far from you. You hear a faint argument from within and then Dibbets appears like a sleek sea otter at your gunnel to pull himself inside.
"Dibbets, mate, can you blow the fog away?"
"Dibbets, mate, can you blow the fog away?"
Dibbets looks over at Jim and frowns. "Wha' ay blow it away fah. cast it mesalf afta ay jam Dingus' joy stick inna oarlock tae hold em in place. Take em longer tae figure out what's gottim held." he chuckles.
Shrugging at Jim's frown, Dibbets says, "An' if you're ready, I'll brush it off then. Dun care." He gestures and the fog dissipates.
Keelhaul Kaul-
Madman Jim-
Dingus&Virgil-
Corliss-
foe-
Virgil raises his voice in a screed about all the charges he will file against the varlots that had the gall to kidnap him and keep him imprisoned against his will. Dibbets clads himself in wind and Dingus' amulet sparks as he unleashes a viper-shaped bolt of lightning through the neighboring boat!
The bolt strikes the boat midship centered on the Aspis summoner and her pet. The woman takes blast directly leaving her smoking and screaming in rage, Bellu ducks below the gunnels and suffers less, but two mercenaries are struck as well and don't survive.
Kaul changes tact and belts Lopper before pulling forth one of his javelins...
As their foes boat gets closer, the thug readies a throw:
:
Corliss chuckles as the mad mage blasts the boat with lightning of his own. To the sky the grinning priest says, "Please forgive yer wise-arsed servant, but...Ladies first!!" Corliss casts call lightning, bringing another bolt from the heavens to sear the already charred and smoking summoner.
"Surrender and heave to, or die!"
The plain looking Aspis agent shrieks as a smaller bolt suddenly flashes from above, but is mostly able to dodge it by shoving a dead mercenary overboard. Jim offers surrender, but no one is listening. Kaul leaps up with a javelin in his excitement, but the rocking boat mars his precision and the skinny spear splashes into the sea.
The summoner scowls under her scorched and upright hair and casts a spell centered on Dingus at the rear of the boat. A cloud of sparkling motes coats Dingus, Corliss, and Jim with a fine dust that glitters in the pale moonlight. "MARKESSA!" she screams at the ship. "We're under attack!" The remaining mercs load their crossbows and fire. Kaul and Corliss suffer a wound. The blue giant tries to manuever their boat toward the attackers, but it still seems stuck.
The woman curses
Dingus merely laughs at the inferior spell which he easily resists. Hissing viper bolts follow. "I want my anchor back!" Dibbets loads and shoots a pistol, but narrowly misses despite the half understood, but encouraging torrent of legalese threats from Virgil.
"B1tch! I'll spit you for that!" Jim wipes at his eyes to try to clear them. Good thing we're not on top of them....
"Garn!! I'm flyin'...er, cruisin'? Ah hells--I'm blind!" Corliss informs the others, pawing at the stuff in his eyes.
The glittering dust blows into Jim and Corliss' eyes blinding them. The Aspis mercenaries take advantage of the confusion at the rear of the enemy boat and release another round of bolts. Jim is hit twice and the bolts pierce deeply due to his inability to dodge.
"Ah, here it is! Close, Bellu." the summoner commands as she locates and deactivates the anchoring rod pinning the boat in place. "Markessa Ahoy!" she yells again at the distant ship which has taken notice of the skirmish between the jollies. Bellu powers the boat at our crew and with a couple sweeps it glides in to knock hard against the other boat's hull.
Jim's efforts to clear the dust from his eyes are futile.
As the boats bump Kaul grins and draws Lopper as he rushes the other jolly boat, leaping across;
:
The brute then brings his axe to bear on the nearest foe;
:
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Corliss manages to quickly wipe the blinding particles out of his eyes. Finding himself, Jim, and Dingus coated in gold, the goofball priest grins and says, "Har, mateys! Ain't we the perty pirates! Look kinda like life-sized statues, come ta think o' it...."
Kaul leaps into the other boat with a bloodthirsty grin and axe. The big blue eidelon blocks for her summoner and Kaul obliges with a swing at the sizable summoning, but the wildly rocking boat ruins his attack. Virgil continues his haranguing and Dingus releases another trio of missiles which whiz around her bodyguard to strike the Aspis leader. This proves too much for the electrocuted and zapped woman and she collapses onto the bottom of the boat. Bellu bellows in pain as the glowing symbol in her forehead dims. Ignoring Kaul, she turns to her master lying motionless in the boat, but she is torn from the material world as her connection with her dying master is broken...
Jim continues blinking and brushing his eyes while Corliss eventually clears his sight to see the four mercenaries aboard the Aspis' jolly frantically turn on the axe wielding half-orc in their midst. Crossbows fall to the boards and cutlasses slash at Kaul from all around. He receives a deep wound in his back and a notch cut across his hairy shin.
Kaul grins as the feels the familiar bite of steel on his scarred hide.
"Hur-hur... Let's wash away the blood eh Lopps?"
With a wild-eyed leer, the thug brings his hatchet to bear once again... but this time on the hull of the jolly boat itself!
"Time fer a swim lads!"
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Corliss marvels briefly at Kaul's fearlessness (or foolhardiness) when the bloodthirsty half-orc leaps into the other jolly boat. He decides to help thin the herd of sailors his new shipmate has to fight, calling down another blast of electricity from the sky.