Dingus waves gleefully at Jim's appearance, and quickly descends to await his arrival. He secretly is extremely excited by all the chaos unfolding.
"It's Jim! I see him! I see him".
Kaul mugs a mean grin at the notion of reinforcements;
"Hur. Will 'ave Lopps back soon enough... then it's red 'anded deeds ahoy!"
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The crew is reunited...
Corliss gives Jim a welcoming wave. When the four shipmates are reunited, he presses Jim for as many details of what awaits. "Gotta make a plan o' attack, ya know!"
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The Taldan scratches his head, ignoring the corpse floating in the water next to him. "It's going to be a bit of a challenge, hey? Most of the folks guarding the gadget are like this fellow, here, but there's at least two will take more handling. There's a fencer who might be as good as me, but he's not the best of the lot. The lead gladiator--Jaravo's his name--he could be trouble. Maybe he just talks a good game, but he sounds like he's been places and done things, if you take my meaning." Jim then describes the deck layout.
"Now, that fencer's got some fancy moves, but I get the idea he's an arena-trained duelist. He's used to crossing blades with people like him, not fighting witchery or thuggery. He's sort of a whiner, too--used to being the star pupil and best of the lot, so I don't think he's exactly acquainted with losing. But I'm thinking that maybe our best bet is to not fight them at all. Dingus, if you can make Kaul invisible, I'd bet he can pull the thing out of there 'fore anyone notices it's gone. The only hitch would be the approach--holes in the water tend to draw the eye, and I don't think Jaravo would be fooled.
"Or we could go in hot. If we do that, I'm thinking Dingus throws everything he can at Jaravo, Corliss keeps the mooks occupied, and Kaul and I will take apart the fencer. Your thoughts?"
Corliss nods and cocks his head a bit; apparently either plan works for him. Then he frowns and asks Jim, ""Are ye 100% sure the potion or whatever it is we're to steal be here? Have ye actually seen it?"
Dingus smiles as the others realize his importance to any plan.
"Consider me your ballista. Point me at a target and I'll perform".
Jim nods. "I didn't see it myself, but I saw the glow when Jaravo opened the case it was in. He thought it was the genuine article, far as I could tell."
Kaul nods his no-neck in agreement;
"Hur. Light-fingered or bloody 'anded... Iffin' it gets Lopps back quicker Ol' Kauly's for it."
Dingus casts a spell and Kaul disappears from view. The others watch from behind the broken vessels as Kaul heads toward the smuggling hideout. His mates can see the odd holes in the water made by his legs but again. They know where to look...
Dingus foot is tapping at a tremendous rate in anticipation... either that or he really has to pee.
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"I guess we'd best follow a ways back from ol' Kaulie, eh?" he nervously asks Jim and Dingus. Turning to the former, the Besmaran priest asks, "How should we do this, Jim? Ye knows best what we're in fer an' might have some idea as to how to go at this problem."
"Got me an idea, mates--something to keep their eyes off of Kaul. Dingus, you take my sword, float up so they can see you. Then you show 'em the sword and tell them you killed me and the fellow I iced, and they'd better turn the fancy thing over or you'll kill them, too."
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Magically obscured Kaul moves forward purposefully, keen to exact larceny or mayhem should either opportunity present.
Hur. Easy does it Kauly. Lopps is waitin'... then we paint the town red as Bloodgrog...
With barely a slosh or a gurgle, Kaul eases through the marsh toward the target. He sees three figures on the grounded fishing schooner about 30 to 40 feet long as he draws nearer. Their attention seems focused on the pillar of smoke rising from the growing conflagration where Kaul's mates wait.
Kaul sees a rope ladder up to the deck on the near side- port, where the figures watch as they stand outside of the cabin: a tall middle-aged and scarred Garundi man with a spear and bow, a northern swordsman, and a gladiator with trident, shield, and javelins.
"Well, iff'n ol' Dingus don't want to offer 'imself up as a human target, mayhaps yer party cleric could risk his life instead. I gots a couple spells--communal protection from evil an' call lightnin' that I can cast before we confront these thugs. I can cast the protectin' spell on all three o' us, but it'll only last a couple minutes. Once I cast call lightnin', I gots 'bout six minutes an' can call down six bolts o' lightnin' on anyone I can see."
"Sure. I'll float up there with old Richard waving about in dangerous poses and trying to get them to throw down their weapons and surrender. Maybe I can take on a Naga like appearance and really get them pooping their drawers. I can be right scary when I need to".
Dingus seems to relish the thought of getting in a little character acting.
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Kaul halts assessing if the soon to be dead trio are alert and watchful, or potentially dull to his sneakery...
Hurrr. They's o-blivious...
Kaul believes that the foe are really, really focused on the fire, but it could be a trick.
Smug that the trio of marks are fire watching, the invisibosun moves to the rope-ladder and attempts to scamper up it..
"Dingus, can I borrow your cloak? That lot hasn't moved, so I figure they haven't spotted Kaul. He might need a bit of a distraction, though, and a couple of arrows would likely work. I'd rather they didn't know who's shooting at them, though."
"What? This old thing. I've got much better if you want to look nice. Perhaps that Lavender and Green silk would really pop with your complexion. I can run back and get it for you... only take a bit".
Once it's made clear why he wants it Dingus will comply but is frustrated by Jim's poor fashion choices... after all style is everything.
"As far as distractions go... well that's right up my alley. What do you want and where do you want it".
Does the cabin have a physical door or just an entrance way? Thinking if things go south of locking myself in with the chest and duo and unleashing mayhem...
Regardless he's going in... trying to get behind the pair if I can
Straining their ears, the crew back by the burning ship hear a distant shout.
Madman Jim-
Dingus-
Corliss-
foe-
When his turn comes around, Corliss suggests that Jim follow the same route Kaul took toward the wreck; he says he'll go around the other side and create enough noise that (hopefully) the bad guys will split their forces. Then he spends his turn casting a spell that takes up his turn.
As beefy draws and moves toward him Invisikaul mugs a grin
Hur. Jig is up... Time ta get bloody...
The brute bosun shifts into sight as his mechaniclaw is brought to bear on the tubby twin stabber;
Still Kaul-cealed from sight, the beefy thug sends his heavy claw at the gladiator's head. Though the man is over a head taller and nearly as broad as Kaul, he moves unbelievably fast. Intuiting the strike, the hardened pit fighter ducks away just before the red claw appears where his head was a moment ago. He bellows and responds with a flurry of stabs as Kaul goes on the defensive. His main weapon, a ruby-hilted gladius pierces Kaul leaving a bleeding wound.
Dingus is confused why Jim picks this moment to up his fashion game by asking to borrow a cloak and Corliss is just confused as he begins closing the distance to Zilcher's gang's hideout across the saltwater marsh.
"Hold your taters mates. Let me speed things up a bit.
HASTE
The transmuted creatures move and act more quickly than normal. This extra speed has several effects.
When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. The attack is made using the creature's full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by a speed weapon, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so you can't use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round.)
A hasted creature gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. Any condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.
All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement. This increase counts as an enhancement bonus, and it affects the creature's jumping distance as normal for increased speed. Multiple haste effects don't stack. Haste dispels and counters slow.
He then hikes up his robes to just above the Knee or a little higher, and dashes towards Kaul and his dance partners.
Dingus gives everyone the hurry up. Jim activates the ring for a flipper boost to swim through the marshy water. Corliss and Dingus run after though the mucky ground drags at their feet.
"Sveteski! Take care of this!" comes a deep voiced command from behind Kaul and Kaul hears a sharp whisk of a long blade unsheathed. Kaul catches a glimpse of a long sabre-like blade and an arrogant sneer on the face of a long haired blonde human of about Jim's build. Then Kaul feels terrible pain as the blade cleaves into muscle and bone at the junction of the claw and his arm. It leaves his arm crippled and blood spurts over the animated arm matching its crimson hue. The smuggler with the box leaps past Kaul and out the door as Kaul favors his injured arm!
Kaul shoots a baleful look at the rivers of his own blood dripping from his claw... than chuckles manically as he turns to face the swordsman;
"Hur, hur, hur... Proper red claw now!"
An' you be proper dead! HUR-HUR-HUR!"
Kaul takes on a crazed look as he uses his hand to rub blood across his ugly face and flicks some at the sword sharp. Sveteski looks horrified and takes a step back.
Kaul barely has time to spin as the double gladii gladiator continues pincushioning Kaul. Outside the cabin the leader yells at Sveteski for his cowardly retreat.
The rest of the crew race to close the distance!
Dingus seeing that Kaul is alone alters his approach.
Dingus finds that the golden bracelet is very detailed and lifelike with ruby eyes that glitter even in the dimmest light. It is formed to curl tightly around the wrist regardless of the size of the wrist and bears a magical aura. Further, study reveals that the aura is transmutive, but Dingus can't quite figure out what specific enhancement or power it bears.
Occasionally breaking the surface long enough to snatch a quick breath, Jim swims towards the wrecked ship at speed.
Corliss continues to chug forward.
Sveteski tries to steel himself for another go at the blood-mad orc in the cabin. While the leader orders the gladiators to finish off the intruder.
Skewered and stuck, Kaul grins as he springs some new crimson leaks in his scarred hull.
"H-Hur... Been stuck worse by worse..."
Gritting his chops he aims a mighty swing of his claw...
... but his appendage betrays him with n'er a twitch!
Kaul feels his arm bones grate and crack and realizes that the swordmaster's strike cut not only severed muscle and tendon but has weakened the bone connected to the Claw. The heavy metal implement twinges and falls back to his side. His foe takes advantage and stabs Kaul again with the ruby sword leaving a fresh wound that weeps blood. The offhand gladius also scores a scratch. The second gladiator appears at the cabin door and thrusts with a trident further injuring the blood-covered intruder.
Jim continues to close the distance, pausing only to surface and hiss back to Corliss, "Bring the lightning!"