Corliss follows Kaul while Dingus prepares his lantern. Most of this makes little to no sound other than the subtle hiss as the lantern ignites and a slight scraping as Dingus messes with the hood. The activity however incites a rapid scurrying and chittering within the old wood of the ruined ships and Richard's head darts excitedly as he lets Dingus know that there are a lot of tasty rats about.
The indirect light from the hole in the larger chamber where the crew now crouch is enough to reveal Kaul's scowl as he points to the far end behind a half-wall of debris where he earlier heard voices.
Kaul pauses waiting for the others to consider their course of action.
His hand brushes the second rate hatchet at this belt, and Red-Claw opens and closes methodically as he mulls mayhem...
Dingus nods his head and silently tells Richard happy hunting without doing so loudly.
"Well... what are we waiting for"?
Dingus motions towards the opening with his lantern hand causing the light to flash across the area.
If they think I'm going in first they're looney.
At Dingus' affirmation the brute bosun flashes an angler-fish grin and moves slowly forward toward the voices...
Kaul creeps forward ever so softly as a thin voice calls from the debris ahead. "Hey, who's there? This is our claim." Kaul thinks this was in response to the light, not his approach.
Kaul freezes, then jerks his noggin toward the voices with a scowl...
"We parleyin' or butcherin'..?
"Wanna play Gramma a bit longer?" Corliss whispers to Dingus. "'Twould be a shame fer Kaulie to lose his element o' surprise."
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Corliss considers the limited options available. Opting to maintain a ruse for the moment, he calls out in reply, disguising his voice a bit: "Garn! Me granny had family on this ship when she went down--her hubby passed away. We be lookin' fer a locket that belonged to her drownded spouse--silver, a heart outlined in rope with their initials engraved on the back. Have ye found such an item? We'd be willin' to trade fer it...."
With that, he begins to lead Granny Dingus forward (with Kaul presumably right in their wake). The Besmaran hopes his use of the "Garn!" epithet (the closest thing he has to a catchphrase) will let Jim know his crew are coming in...assuming their mate is present with the thugs.
A head pops up from behind some debris ten feet away from Corliss. It looks like a short human with thin hair, large ears, and a squint. "Really? You expect us to believe you're bringing your granny into the Boneyard here. Who are you really and which gang you with? Not beefy enough to be with Zilcher's group."
"I'm Carl Black and this is Granny Black," Corliss replies. Changing to a whisper, he adds, "She's a bit senile but she's stubborn...and she'll leave me out of her will if I don't do what she tells me...even stupid endeavors like this one."
That bluff sounds weak even to Corliss's ears....
An annoyed voice behind the barrier is heard. "They are either as dumb as they look or spies. Either way, sounds like feeding time for the swamp barracudas." Big ears tuts, "You're a shetty liar. Last chance."
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As the thugs utter threats, Kaul's hacksaw chuckle emits and mulling that Corliss' bluff isn't holding water he steps forward - all scars, hatchet and claw.
"Hur-hur-hur... Ye lot feed Ol' Kauly to the fishies... Hur-hur-hur... Ol' Kauly would eat 'em... Maybes Ol' Kauly dine on them big ears... Now whose in charge o' ye feckin' wastrals?"
Another head pops up next to Ears. This one has a big schnoz and a tricorn hat that looks like it was fished out of the trash. "Z holds the keys far as it matters but I'll decide if you're worth the time. Which club you with or are you the lubbers you appear to be?"
Kaul eyes Schnoz, whilst keep a beady on Ears;
His scarred brow furrows, before a small cannon in his nugget fires a volley...
"Hur. You be workin' fir Ziphras... Hur-hur-hur..."
The brute bosun clacks his claw and turns to his companions - the granny and her guide with a nonchalance;
"Right then, reckons ears an' noses will be the trophies of the day?"
Kaul's query is met with shrugs and nods from his companions. Nose ducks out of sight and big ears shrugs. "Sounds like the fish food gang then."
Dingus-
Corliss-
foe-
With hostilities initiated, Corliss casts prayer, separating the good guys from the bad guys. He also calls in a second Corliss for protection/back-up.
Kaul bares a bloodthirsty grin and hefts not-Lopper (Flopper?) as he steps forward toward the barricade. So focused is he that he doesn't notice the constriction of his boots as the floor gives way dumping the bosun, Dingus, and Richard into a watery about 1o feet below. Surprisingly, only Corliss avoids the trap as he inadvertently steps back from the danger ahead to cast his spells.
Corliss feels a pain in his side and turns to find a short hairy man-rat has slipped up behind him and stabbed him in the back. it snaps its pointy teeth into the face of Corliss' copy cat which pops like bubble.
Meanwhile below, three long slimy creatures lunge at Kaul and Granny from the waist-deep water. The water boils from the napping of long jaws lined with jagged teeth! Kaul dodges one and feels the teeth of the other tear at his armor. Granny is not so lucky as a good piece of flesh is torn from his skinny thigh.
When Kaul hits the drink, he invokes his jigsaw shark totem and sets about the long and slimeys with his claw;
Kaul engages the fish swish-for-swish and smashes part of its bony skull with his red metal fist but doesn't quite kill it.
"Arr...rats!" Corliss curses under his breath. Not particularly overfond of his borrowed rapier, he drops that into the water, draws his silver light mace, and swings at the rat-scallion. He winces when he realizes he hasn't practiced with the weapon in many months...and it shows.
for
"Ouch! &#$*)%&#)". Dingus's grasp of common is always evident when he curses accent free.
He casts Levitate on himself to get out of the shark stew. (Not sure of the height he can rise to. If there is room above the water and below the ceiling/floor he will stay concealed. If not he'll rise through the hole and address his situation from there.
Corliss struggles to fight in the tight quarters as Dingus manages to dodge another barracuda bite to cast a spell and floats up above the water. There is room for him to hang just below the top of the barricade to try and hide from the two thieves there but he is still in line of sight of Corliss and his attacker.
With his back to the pit and the darting dagger and pointy teeth of the ratman in his face, Corliss teeters on the edge of the pit trap. A crossbow bolt shot from across the pit sinks into the rotten wood next to him and another deflects from his armor. Corliss flails knocking aside a dagger strike and nearly getting bit.
Below, Kaul is swarmed by the big mean fish. With sharky swiftness, the thug dodges the bites.
"Hey now...Gaaaaarn!"
Slippin' and spashin' a gleeful Kaul continues to introduce his claw to fish;
Dingus sends a couple of Vapor Vipers at the thug Corliss is dancing with.
Underwater striking snakes of force.
"Leave my friends alone you bullies".
Corliss windmills his arms a moment before tumbling into the water below. Kaul crushes the skull of the wounded fish with a crushing blow from the claw. Dingus sends a round of hissing force missiles into the hairy, stabby figure now that Corliss is out of the way.
Dingus' light reflects off the murky thrashing water making it hard to see where the fish are below until rows of needle-like teeth erupt but the remaining fish are distracted by the chum in the water and gobble that rather than bite the two crew in the kettle for the moment.
Dingus hangs in his wobbling position under the visible ratman's baleful look. "Get the one in the air," he shouts as he draws a crossbow and his companions appear atop the barricade reloading.
Fly
Dingus hangs in the air like he has spent a past life as a hummingbird, then looks for the loud mouthed ratman. and sends a forked tongue his way.
"Nope. You die"!
"Flashy Forked Tongue" (Lightning Bolt). DC 17 Reflex.
Electrical Damage
Despite the nibbling Kaul seems in his element and wistfully thinks how much Lopper would enjoy filleting these foes;
Below in the kettle, Kaul bludgeons another barracuda leaving it grievously wounded. Meanwhile, floating above with Z's gang, Dingus gracefully recovers and sends a bolt of horizontal lightning straight down the narrow wooden passage charring the ratman along the way and blasting a hole at the other end of the tunnel.
After splashdown, Corliss submerges briefly, but when he surfaces, there are two of him again. Also, he's temporarily shifted weapons again, stowing the silver mace and drawing a cold iron dagger.
Twin Corliss' stand waist deep in the water and switch to a pointier weapon. Finishing up their mid-battle snack on their companion, the swamp barracudas turn back on the mammals in their pool but without much intensity.
While Dingus plays with his rod, the remaining brigands top the barricade and shoot at him. But not very well at all. They reload.
Twin Corliss' stand waist deep in the water and switch to a pointier weapon. Finishing up their mid-battle snack on their companion, the swamp barracudas turn back on the mammals in their pool but without much intensity.
While Dingus plays with his rod, the remaining brigands top the barricade and shoot at him. But not very well at all. They reload.
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Dingus grins maniacally and uses his ring to send a Swarm of Fangs. Into the room where the two brigands are hiding. Then with a serene look on his face slowly descends to the room where his friends are using their bodies for fish bait.
Intimidate
"Please entertain my friends while I go below to check on my friends".
Kaul continues to thrash about turning barracuda to chum, whilst hoping nothing bigger, meaner and hungrier than himself is attracted..