Round 2
Having hopefully got the pull of the new bow settled in his mind, he tries again for the Devil.
Regardless of the previous results in Round 3 he will repeat the Devil shot.
Round 3
"Oh, that felt right!"
The Halfling whirls his sling staff and expertly sends another bullet at the straw man, slamming into the target.
Ths time, the Mwangi's arrow hits the Devil solidly on the target.
Ambitiously trying for the Dragons Maw again, the Avistan's arrow misses the dragon once more.
Possible bulls-eye!
If the Half-Orc was particularily bothered by the previous round, he does a good job of not showing it. Reloading and aiming carefully. he lets loose a bolt that narrowly misses the very centre of the furthest target, causing a sympathetic "oooooh" to be heard from the crowd as well as cheering for the fine shot.
The Bounty Hunter fails to repeat his feat, missing the Devil by about a foot as his arrow clanks into the metal sheet displaying the scores in magic writing.
Second Round-
N'bellocq- 0 points
Swashbuckler- 2 points
Mwangi- 3 points
Avistan- 0 points
Mercenary- 5 points
Bounty Hunter- 3 points
N'bellocq's arrow hits the target solidly and sticks- but is an inch from the central section of the target. The crowd cheer nonetheless for the current leading and favourite team.
The Halfling whirls his sling staff and expertly sends another bullet at the straw man, slamming into the target alhough a lot further from the centre of the target than before.
Having missed twice, the Mwangi tries for an easier target- but only succeeds in hitting the soldier on his straw leg.
Desperate to sling shot the other competitors, the Avistan keeps firing at the Dragon's Maw- and keeps on missing.
The sympathy for the Half-Orc is only extended when his next shot is also unerringly accurate, but sadly glances off the target without sticking into it. The man looks crestfallen.
The Bounty Hunter continues to shoot at The Devil, managing another fine shot, the arrow slamming into the wood next to N'bellocq's, a little further from the target.
Third Round-
N'bellocq- 3 points
Swashbuckler- 3 points
Mwangi- 3 points
Avistan- 0 points
Mercenary- 5 points
Bounty Hunter- 6 points
Round 4
Still at the Devil for both shots
His eye now set, N'bellocq begins to pepper the target.
Round 5
N'bellocq shows a great deal of consistency, almost splitting his first hit with his next arrow. The arrow afterwards also lands a very respectable distance from the bullseye, scoring him six points in the next two rounds.
The Halfling whirls his sling staff but the sling bullet leaves the cup early, causing him to send a bullet hurtling into the crowd and severely wounding a spectating Mwangi, who crumples at the force of the shot. The Halfling throws up his hands to show that it was an accident, looking extremely upset at the fumble.
Potential bullseye
Failed bullseye
The Mwangi takes a risk and fires at the Devil once more, hoping to catch up with the leaders. His arrow comes very close to scoring a bullseye, but is off by a few centimetres.
Desperate to sling shot the other competitors, the Avistan keeps firing at the Dragon's Maw- and this time she JUST barely hits the target, the arrow coming perilously close to falling out of the dragon's mouth but sticking.
Potential crit!
Confirmed crit!
The crowd and even some of the other archers gasp in shock and awe as the Mercenary sends a bolt soaring over 500 feet across the field, into the Dragon's Maw and slamming directly into the centre of the target. There is an awed silence afterwards at the incredible feat of marksmanship.
The Bounty Hunter continues to shoot at The Devil, missing this time.
Fourth Round-
N'bellocq- 6 points
Swashbuckler- 3 points
Mwangi- 6 points
Avistan- 5 points
Mercenary- 20 points
Bounty Hunter- 6 points
Tebati is momentarily distracted from the field by the injured spectator. She stands halfway up to get a better look at the Mwangi who was struck by the sling stone. "Will your healers help him?" she demands of their escort.
Qhude watches the archery with only passing interest as his tastes have always tended towards a more personal approach. At Tebati's outburst he inwardly rolls his eyes and thinks - this woman wants to be Sangoma to all. "Calm yourself Tebati there was blood but I am sure the man still draws breath. At best he'll have a scar and a story to tell."
Tebati is momentarily distracted from the field by the injured spectator. She stands halfway up to get a better look at the Mwangi who was struck by the sling stone. "Will your healers help him?" she demands of their escort.
Of course... one of the escorts replies. Sure enough, the man appears to be receiving medical attention.
Potential crit
Crit confirmed!
The Halfling, desperate to catch up again, attempts to hurl a sling bullet into the Dragon's Maw. The sling staff he uses does not have the impressive range of the heavy crossbow or longbow, but impressively his sling bullet slams into the centre of the far target, scoring a maximum point hit just like the mercenary. Laughs, cheers and exclamations of 'Halfling Luck really is under-exaggerated!' fill the crowd.
Potential bullseye
The Mwangi doesn't seem to think much of his chances of catching the leaders, and thus aims at the Devil again. Unfortunately, his arrow is fired a little too high, flying over its head and slamming into the metal sheet behind the targets with significant force.
The Avistan keeps firing at the Dragon's Maw, hoping to score a bullseye. The Avistan does not manage that feat, but does score a solid hit.
The Mercenaries bolt slams into the Dragon's body, sticking to it but missing the target.
The Bounty Hunter continues to shoot at The Devil, scoring another solid hit.
Fifth Round-
N'bellocq- 9 points
Swashbuckler- 18 points
Mwangi- 6 points
Avistan- 10 points
Mercenary- 20 points
Bounty Hunter- 9 points
"Well, well...," Kieran comments as he watches several of the contestants manage some quite impressive shots at the more challenging targets. "They are either lucky or quite skilled indeed. Whatever is the case, let us hope that luck or skill falters a little in the next and final Trial, yes?"
The half-elf's mood seems as bright as ever. Not unlike Qhude, he also prefers the challenge of melee combat, even though his more graceful duelist's approach to it is more than a little different when compared to the Mwangi's brutal, yet undeniably effective, style. Unlike Qhude, however, he looks on with interest, enjoying the show as it were, but also trying to make what he can of the ones taking part and their skill at arms, even if it is ranged weapons they are wielding and fake immobile targets they are aiming at.
"You know, being that they're likely to be aiming at me, I agree with you wholeheartedly, Kieran. Or at least, I hope there's some sort of cover on these 'ships' they're sticking us on," Ansha says, managing to pay attention to the Trial of Marksmanship even as she idly toys with her knee-length white-blond hair.
Although N'bellocq's final arrow hits the target, although tragically the arrow glances off without imbedding itself into the wood.
The Halfling fires his last bullet at the Devil, not wanting to push his luck with the Dragon's Maw again but aware he needs a hit on the Devil or Dragon's Maw to win. His final shot is a miss, although he does not wound anyone in the crowd this time.
The Mwangi fires at the Devil once more, but completely misses.
The Avistan misses the Dragon's Maw yet again, looking crestfallen at the low score he achieved for his team.
The mercenary narrowly misses the Dragon's Maw once again but knows its unlikely anyone will be able to beat him now.
The Bounty Hunter continues to shoot at The Devil, missing this time.
The crowd chuckle as not a single marksman hits his target. The final scores are displayed upon the metal sheet-
Sixth Round-
N'bellocq- 9 points
Swashbuckler- 18 points
Mwangi- 6 points
Avistan- 10 points
Mercenary- 20 points
Bounty Hunter- 9 points
The official announces that as there is a tie, N'bellocq and the Bounty Hunter will shoot once more to decide who takes fourth place. This tie breaker will be resolved one shot at a time- the second shooter must equal the first shooter's achievement in order to shoot again next round as the first shooter. If the second shooter exceeds the first shooter, he wins the tie breaker. A coin is flipped to decide who will shoot first-
1= N'bellocq first
2= Bounty Hunter first
The Bounty Hunter takes careful aim at the Devil, firing off an arrow that hits the target and imbeds itself into it, joining several other projectiles as they have not yet been removed.
N'bellocq walks back to the table and tosses the longbow on it. He nods to the fellow competitors and then is ready to be led back to his tent. I want my own bow back in my hands.
Tebati watches unhappily from the stands. Not only had N'bellocq not performed well, but the Mwangi team came in last. This Trial was not a good one for her people.
The competitors are applauded by everyone but your escorted swiftly back to your tents while the final trial is prepared. The current scores are-
Team 1 (you)- 48 points
Team 2 (Mwangi)- 30 points
Team 3 (Swashbucklers)- 34 points
Team 4 (Avistan Adventuring Party)- 37 points
Team 5 (Mercenary)- 40 points
Team 6 (Bounty Hunter)- 34 points
The official helpfully points out the only way your team could lose now is if the mercenaries won the final trial and you finishes last or fifth.
After hearing the scores, Qhude listens to the official and takes heed. We should be wary, the mercenaries will likely attack us first
When N'bellocq returns Qhude makes eye contact and claps one hand on N'bellocq's shoulder in a conciliatory gesture.
N'bellocq nods appreciatively. He takes a deep breath and gathers his gear. "One more trial and we are done with this. I hope I have not used up my fate in my first trial."
To N'bellocq: "Not everyone who chased the zebra caught it, but he who caught it chased it. Trust in your arm and we shall have this"
After the official leaves.
"I know you do not want to hear this, but cold logic says that the easiest way for any other team to win would be to kill us. I was afraid of this."
"The other teams will likely form a battelfield alliance against us. Once we are dead the others will fight among themselves until there is only one team left standing. That team will win the trials by default. This is what I meant when I said this is the only trial that matters."
"The core of the alliace against us will be the Mercenaries. I expect the Bounty hunters and the Pirates to ally with them quickly. They are both oppertunists and will see their only path to victory as one filled with corpses. "
"The Mwangi have little reason to fight but I cannot judge their motivations. They may well fight to send a message or from sheer joy. They might ally with us or they might try to simply survive. I cannot say. They are an enigma."
"The Avistani are the wild card. They are within striking distance of victory. They will be hoping that our group weakens the Mercenaries enough that they will be able to wipe out the Mercs and take the lead."
"The Mercenaries will know this and will likely try to get the Hunters or the Pirates to do the lions share of killing us."
"We do not have many options. I expect the Avistani to wear red and at least pretend to ally with us. It would be foolish not to keep that option open as long as possible. In fact if they can aid us against the Mercenaries they will be in a perfect position to assault the survivor and win. "
"For us to win the other teams must fight among themselves. Perhaps if we struck hard at the Mercenaries early we could weaken them enough that their allies might see more value in fighting for second place under us. Perhaps if we hit the Hunters hard enough the Mwangi might ally with us against the others. I see there is no love between those two teams."
"Perhaps our best hope lies with our hosts. If they throw something into this fight to make it more that a simple brawl we might be able to exploit it."
"If they do not and this is a simple brawl on water I do not see a clear way to survive in our current weakened state. You will no doubt will have other opinions and I look forward to hearing them. Perhaps they can offer more hope than mine."
Tebati turns from N'bellocq to say, "Jakob is right. The mercenaries have the best motive to see us finish last, and the surest way for them to accomplish that task is to kill us. The only thing in our favor is that they lost one member in the Trial of Endurance. Are we so sure, however, that the rest will ally with them? It will be our team or the mercenaries at the top of the rankings when all is over. The other teams must choose between us. Unlike the mercenaries, we have shown the others no reason to resent us for rough play during the Trials. The only weight in the mercenaries' balance is that they are one member down; it's possible some of the other competitors might hope to picked to take the place of their fallen teammate. That would pit teammate against teammate, however, as only one person could be accepted, barring further casualties."
"Regardless of what's ta happen. I won't be goin' down withoutta fight. That's fer sure. We've all shown we can hold our own. Now let's show everyone we can hold as a team."
"Outside of collusion with another team--likely to be betrayed at the most inopportune moment for us--there is nothing for it," Ansha shrugs. "Do your best not to die, eh?"
"Yes. Qhude and Picklebeard showed us the way. Each apply his or her talents as best they can and we will overcome."
Head high and resolute Qhude adds his view simply "We fight to win. The first to draw iron against us must be put down hard so that the others will take pause and seek easier prey. Keep your faith for your gods, and trust in the strength of your arm."
"Does anyone actually know how to pilot a ship?" Tebati asks, looking around the group. "I have been around boats all my life and I have seen sailors ply their trade, but I have never been responsible for guiding one's course myself."
Ansha shakes her head at Tebati. "I don't, at the very least. Depending on the weapons available on the ships, perhaps we could simply take cover til someone attempted to board us?"
"I would guess, chained to the front of one, does not count as the right experience."
Tebati smiles at N'bellocq's dark jest. "Shimye-Magalla laughs," she tells him quietly. "What is the likelihood of putting two Bonuwat in a tent and finding that neither one knows how to sail a boat?"
"Yes the Pirates will have the advantage of picking their targets. Fortuneatly there will be enough targets coming for us that our inadility to control the boat should not be an issue."
In response to N'bellocq, "That's still more than me!"
"Yes the Pirates will have the advantage of picking their targets. Fortuneatly there will be enough targets coming for us that our inadility to control the boat should not be an issue."
"Yes, that is the spirit," Kieran says approvingly to Jakob before turning to the rest, his words accompanied by a shrug. "Like the rest of you, I fear I know nothing about piloting a ship. But," he goes on, "as our fearless leader here just pointed out, it should not prove too much of a problem seeing as how the other teams will probably target the group that has the most points, which, in this case, is... well, us."
"And since I am willing to wager that the battle will probably involve boarding the other ships or being boarded by our opponents rather than an actual naval fight, it should come to close quarters fighting sooner or later."
"Well, eventually, anyway...," he adds in the end, remembering the spellcasters among almost all the teams, including his own.
Tebati is also remembering the enemy spellcasters ... and the poisoned blade to which Kieran succumbed. "I don't suppose they will tell us the rules of the Trial before we are taken out to begin," she says uneasily. "They dissuaded lethal force in the Trial of Marksmanship. Will this Trial be to the death, or will it be sufficient to disable one's enemies? If a ship is sunk, is the team defeated, or must survivors be picked off in the water?" If the elf has another spell to induce magical slumber or they apply that poison to arrowheads, it will be all too easy to slit the throats of the fallen, she muses.
Waving her hand dismissively as she pours a glass of wine from the bottle left in the tent previously, Ansha takes a seat at the table. "I have no doubt we'll puzzle the whole sailing business out. I mean, there can't be that much to it--it's just ropes and cloth! But let's wait til we hear from the officials about the rules before we start percolating any in-depth plans around, yes?"
She flashes a brief smile as she hikes her booted feet up on the table and takes a sip of the wine--probably showing a fair amount of leg in the process.
Qhude stands idly to one side silent, though clearly impatient to start.
To the surprise of the crowd, your team and your competitors, it appears the pool of water in the grounds was a diversion. Ahead of thousands of spectators, you are led to one of Eleder's largest docks. The harbour has been cleared of other ships except six converted fishing vessels. The official explains the rules of the final trial- you will be taken out to an area half a mile or so from the harbour, placed a fair distance from each other, and a loud signal horn will be blown. This is the signal to begin the naval battle. Bows, arrows, flint and steel and torches have been provided to each ship in order to facilitate combat, and a crude ram has been fixed to the front of each fishing vessel. If a competitor is knocked overboard at any point by anything, he is considered out of the Trial and although he may climb back on board, he can take no further part in the competition. If the Sargavan flag your vessel bears is fully immolated by a fire arrow, your boat is considered sunk. It goes without saying that if your boat is actually sunk, your also considered out of the Trial.
Several members from the other teams are licking their lips and generally looking as though they are eagerly anticipating the chance to revenge themselves for various reasons throughout the seven Trials. The animosity is often strongest when directed at your own team, but you don't sense a united front from the other competitors. The mercenary team seems to have taken it upon themselves to rise above the hostility many of the teams show, and retains a distinct aura of indifference. You note that the Avistani all have a patch of red on their clothing that was not present before; no doubt added there via Prestidigitation.
Sailing out from the harbour and into the open sea beyond it, you await the sound of the signal horn, 100-200 feet away from all your competitors- and then that you notice something strange; a medium sized boat is approaching from the west, some kind of small galley by the looks of it. It is flying the banner of the Shackles Pirates, and it is closing rapidly with your six crude vessels. You can see the other teams are also confused by this twist...
Qhude follows along with the group as they are led out. He does not avoid eye contact with any who seek to make it with him, and if the pirate with the cleft lip or bounty hunter with nets from the trial of combat catch his gaze he merely offers a smirk.
More uneasy on board the water, he seeks a position towards the bow as they are directed into the harbor. Having lived near Kalabuto all his life Qhude does not see the significance of the new vessel, merely believing it must be some other part to the trial.
Also, do the fishing vessels still have nets on board?
Tebati watches the approaching ship uneasily. "Your people have a treaty with the pirates of the Shackles, do they not?" she asks Jakob. "Some sort of arrangement?" She tries to get a look at the boat crewed by the swashbucklers' team, wondering if this is some ally of theirs.
"I wonder how they knew we'd be in the harbor, given that we all thought we were going to be in that freshly-flooded artificial pond. I guess they could be here on unrelated business, or a rogue element intent on piracy, or....Well, I suppose there's nothing to do out here but prepare." Ansha frowns, eyeing the interloping ship darkly. She takes one of the bows and a quiver of arrows, then pulls the drawstring back to test the weight of the draw. Satisfied, she takes a last look around, at both competing ships, the interloper ship, and then the rest of the party--offering a thin smile to the latter should any of them be looking her way. She glances at the Avistani ship, then looks at the group again. "By the way, our friends are wearing red. Might I suggest honoring this little treaty by not attacking them first? In theory, they should be one less ship aiming straight for us--not that I trust them, but if we keep an eye on them, we should be able to concentrate on whoever else we go for without worrying about their potential for perfidy too much."
Still distracted by the approaching ship, Tebati nods at Ansha's proposal. "We ought not to go on the offensive at all; we are better served by merely defending ourselves and hoping some of the other teams take each other out before they turn on us."
"Well, so much for my wager, I suppose," Kieran quips as he looks over the various weapons and assorted items provided to their ship before picking up a shortbow, as well as several arrows.
Once out to sea, he takes a few moments to look around, taking in the other teams' ships and the way they are positioned. The new arrival does take him a little by surprise, however, as he wonders whether the small galley and the pirates manning it are simply part of this last Trial or something not quite planned and expected. "It sounds like a plan to me," he nods in agreement to Ansha's and Tebati's suggestions, his eyes still on the pirate ship. "Besides, with none of us familiar with the steering of a ship, we may even do more harm than good to our cause even if we do try to go on the offensive."
Qhude remains at the bow of the boat, listening to the discussion behind him - but not venturing an answer. So we are to sit and wait for trouble to find us? Feh, I would much prefer to meet it head on.
"I hate tha water..." Picklebeard moans as his dwarven form sways uneasy with the waves. When he spots the galley, he mutters "Uh oh."
The galley continues to close with the six ships at great speed, a little over a thousand feet from the six ships gathered. The sailors who got your ships into position begin to swim back to shore, but you catch a worried glance at the galley from your man as he dives off and begins to swim. The signal horn has still not been blown from the shore, but the Swashbuckler team suddenly turn their ship and begin to sail towards the galley... The Mwangi team and Bounty Hunters nearby look like they are on the verge of attacking the Swashbucklers- you can see bows being strung.
To Tabati
Yes we do but they tend to honor it at their discretion. The whale and the elephant. This may be chance. but then I may be a direct descendent of the last Azlanti."
To all
"That is interesting. I wonder if outside help is against the rules?
Shall we try to unite the others against the Pirates or will we let the newcomers pick us off one by one?"
Jakob unslings his crossbow and removes a sheet of paper from h
is pack. Writing rapidly he speaks to our archer.
"N'bellocq, you are an excellent shot. Could you put an arrow safely into one of our neighboring ships?"
Jakoc hands him a note and some string.
Note: Alliance against the Galley if hostile? Pass the word.
Signed: The Local Team. (or whatever our official name is)
"Ohhhh..." the elf enchantress murmurs worriedly. "Definitely not part of the contest. I wonder what they're up to? Do they intend to use that galley to sink us all, then turn around and take the job by being the only team left alive?"
Ansha falls silent for a few moments, then mutters a curse in a grating, unnatural tongue. She blushes as soon as she realizes what she said, and stares at the pirate galley intently, avoiding any curious gazes that may come from her teammates.
"Let me guess," Tebati muses quietly. "There is nothing in the rules against bringing your own boat." She hears Jakob's question and answers, "You think a group of amateurs in fishing boats have a chance against the Shackles pirates, even working together? Fully-equipped ships of the Aspis Consortium do not welcome such an encounter. I say we do what we can to stay afloat and away from the pirates and try merely not to be the first team defeated. We still hold the lead in this competition; if we keep our distance, we can retain it. When the signal horn sounds, we move away as quickly as we can; I can call up a mist around our boat that will make it difficult for them to target us from a distance."