DM Bloodgargler's Heroes of the Shiv

Game Master BinkyBo

The west room is a small living space... the nicest you have seen yet. No one inside.
The door to the north opens to a dimly-lit room full of skeletons in various sailor and pirate outfits. They are all armed and in menacing poses.
The only light in the room, comes from a small window. The cool blue light illuminates the stone steps underneath it... which wrap around the interior of the outer wall. There are large woven baskets - six of them sitting on, and blocking the bottom few steps. The top of the steps is out of your view.

You see no one in the room. The skeletons are unmoving, polished bone. There are about a dozen of them. They are wrapped in a gauze underneath their clothing which might aid in their holding poses. With this little light - and the number of unmoving bulky-clothed skeletons, it would not be terribly difficult to hide in here... for a while. It is also possible whoever it was made it up the steps.

After ascertaining that the skeletons are not a threat, Syndlara murmurs a cantrip (detect magic). Looking the room over again, she motions for the other two to follow her and slips cautiously inside.

Truk nods and follows on the elf's heels.

The big Orc tries his best to be subtle in his movements.

Gatherine returned from her own bath after Iolana finished hers,freshly scrubbed and looking rather sullen.She seethed at Cale' s obvious threat and his insinuation that she was more of a danger to the group than anything on the damned isle!

How dare that scrawny bundle of sticks with that scraggly ginger facial hair think he could threaten her? Not only that,presume that her party was part of his crew! Her party! Her comrades! Not his!

When Tol ruffled her braids she righted her tricorne and growled to him in Dwarven as Cale and Truk went on ahead to lighthouse,speaking in hushed tones. What was that smarmy manling scheming now?

>map<

Did Cale,Truk and Syndlara not wait for Iolana? She suggested exploring the lighthouse after having rested but she wants to be in game if they go at once. May we assume Iolana hasted to dress and equip herself again and joined them?

Well Truk and Cale were planning on going it alone while you ladies rested up. If Iolana wants to dress quickly and catch up, I don't see why not. =P

Cale and Truk were sneaking off to recuperate from a camp full of women on the same cycle... Syndlara had been staking out the door.
"Actions speak louder than words, but sometimes they say nothing and just do it."

Iolana - feel free to check to see what they are up to about now, or wait for a holler. Up to you.

Moving with his two compatriots, Cale's face went stern. He checked Geraldine again out of habit and readied to direct the course of his allies attacks should any foes come within sight.

Am at gym now.Cannot post for a hour.

Seeing that Syndlara entere the lighthouse with Truk and Cale,Iolana thought no way i'll left behind

The varisian girl dressed and equipped herself in a haste, then leaned on the entrance of the lighthouse,looking for her companions.

Not sure when she joins the others,up to Bloodgargler now i guess.

edit:last mugambi's channel worked much too well;Iolana had 28HP on a 27 max.

Gatherine squirmed in place,the start of what could only be a frustrated tantrum trying to break loose. Toooooooooooollllll....you're supposed to take my side.Not his!she whinged.

Syndlara focuses her attention on a skeleton wearing a warhat and wielding a sickle. "There's some sort of magical aura on that one," she whispers. She'll spend a couple of rounds to concentrate on that skeleton with detect magic.

A dark shape bolts from behind the opened door you had just come through, and flies around the edge of the room. It catches you completely off-guard since there was - without question, no space behind the door for someone to hide.
The lean dark figure zips past Captain Cale and Truk'tosh heading for the basket-blocked stairs.

AoO for Cale and Truk'tosh (roll high) Feel free to roll Initiative now too.

Gatherine - please roll perception

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13Perception

Gatherine puffed out her cheeks,somewhat mollified by Tol's undeniable reasoning.She glanced back at the lighthouse,where mostly everyone else went.

....Fiiiine.Let's go see what everybody else is up to.See exactly what we fought so hard to gain control of.

She started making her way towards the lighthouse,flexing the magnetist gloves adorning her hands thoughtfully.

Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Truk sticks out a meaty calf as the figures darts past him.

AoO Trip: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

That will provoke from it as well.

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Syndlara's attention is torn from the warhat by the flitting of something just at the edge of her vision--and her compatriots' reactions to it. "What--?" she starts, whirling as she tracks the shadowy creature.

What kind of aura does the warhat radiate, anyway?

Cale's cutlass in hand he lets out the bellow of direction, turning allies' attentions towards tactics for fighting this new foe. As it zips past him, he drops low and raises his new blade in practiced motions.

Initiative 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

What the other's positions now?

Hearing the commotion and the unmistakable sounds of blades being drawn, Iolana readies her own and frantically searchs for a good position.

Luckily i saved a bit of my powers

Freeboter's Bane active- +1 attack and damage against current foe

As the figure passes the skeleton pirate dressed in grey, she stumbles over Truk'tosh's leg... and drops to the ground; letting out an unintelligible female exclamation of surprise.
She is wearing a wrapped and belted dark tunic with leggings, and a mesh over her head. Lying on the ground near the bottom of the stairs, she turns her head to look towards the baskets a few feet away from her.
Init: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
uf: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Round 1

Syndlara
Figure in Black
Iolana
Gatherine - (now walking from middle of camp)
Truk'tosh
Capt Cale
unknown

>map<

Syndlara reacts quickly, moving toward the now-prone figure and extending her blade behind her to minimize its presence--though not to move it out of position should hostilities commence. A female?

"Hold! We are not like the others in this camp--we do not seek to do you harm unless you wish it upon us," she says, first in Taldane and then in Polyglot. "Please, for your own safety, remain where you are."

Move to C13 and ready an action in case she attempts to stand.

The mesh-hooded figure snarls out a reply... her speech seems affected. Like she is talking with a horse bit in her mouth.
"ayglotto schorn bahblok har cheenree sahsopach eebla...? "

AoO for Syndlara

Syndlara - X
Figure in Black - move to A,12... draw weapon - bladed scarf
Iolana
Gatherine - (now walking from middle of camp)
Truk'tosh
Capt Cale
unknown

Gatherine heard scrambling,the hiss of blades being drawn,and what sounded like breaking glass and crunching wicker baskets.

She hustled into the lighthouse bouncing and rolling her way over the table in a hurry to get to the doorway.Double move to I,11

She rushed to the doorway and halted to take in the scene before her....Hunh?!

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14Perception

Iolana too enters the room.either by reading the move action for after Truk and Cale have moved or by passing among them

She says,both in Taldan and Polyglot :
"We really don't wish to fight more for today.We just defended ourself so far.May we know who you are?"

Move action: moves to D12
Standard action: uses Pearl of Power lvl 1 to prepare again a Shield spell

I don't know the bucaneer class.How much Frebooter's bane lasts?

Readied attack when figure stands: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Attack of opportunity: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Syndlara's blade flashes twice in the dim light as the shadowy figure attempts to tumble away. "Ityot noda! Nodat eechnya elode?"

Until I say it doesn't. It's similar to Favored Enemy (which it replaces) but I can designate any enemy regardless of type but only one target at a time. I like it because I view it flavor-wise as Cale directing his allies. They don't have to listen but there's bonuses if they do.

Cale was still tired. He wasn't the same spry swashbuckler that he'd once been. An encounter in what was supposed to be a simple lighthouse had left him a bit vexed. He readied the full vengeance of Geraldine should his silvertongue fail him now. He shouted to Syndlara to translate as the figure had reacted in some form or another to her tongue. As she pulled the bladed silk out, Cale's tongue began to move, his grip still tight on his sidearm. "We did not come here seeking violence. The men outside are dead. If they were your kinsmen, I am deeply sympathetic for your loss, but ask that you understand something. They threatened me and my crew, the very folk you see before you. I do not take lightly to such situations. I ask you to reconsider this course of action lest you too be counted amongst the dead. You threaten me and my crew and I will put you down myself out of mercy for I fear the vengeance my crew would wreak upon you. I would wish that upon no creature." The last part was a bit of a stretch but he knew the figure was unaware of that. His grip tightened in response and he slowed his breathing. His instincts sought a response from the figure. This was the calm before the storm. Would the rain subside or would lightning strike? Not even Cale knew.

When Captain Cale finishes she cuts off a translation. "I know ya words. You kill my mother dark hateful woman but was one who teach me. They say no to me like locked native girl" She cocks her head up the steps with the reference "... No cave of the mother, but with few magic gifts let go in still-walking captain and tender-skin woman with smile of too smart... too good."

"Sayta nomari docha; dimarcha chinuji osa," Syndlara replies, clearly perplexed by the woman's reply in Common.

Did either of Syndlara's attacks hit?

I guess we are out of combat now? Or else when is this dialogue taking place?

In taldan.
"I think she is saying she has been banished from the tribe,but now is angry or envious because they let a captain and a woman into a something of a sacred cave, and she believes they had no right to go in there."

Then Iolana smiles sarcastically.
"I wonder who this captain and woman are."

"Your missing friends maybe", Truk grunts.

Seeing that the others were trying to talk this girl down, Truk growls but stays put.

Delaying for now.

"Not banished... just not man. I was the only one born here, but not native. The men came from the water long ago. After they go to the caves of the mother, they live and they live, but they cannot do man things to woman. So the native women locked here to weave and weave, and grow old."
"My teacher and Klorak may have no power in death, but the spirit of the Shredded Man feeds me enough to kill you all. With the blood of all dead, new life will grow." She whips her scarf in front of her, and it suddenly ripples with a faint blue-green glow. "With the book left by the captain's too-smart woman, I will give new form to the Shredded Man... he knows this, and it pleases him... Your pain will please him." With that, she runs further up the steps out of your line of sight, and you hear a door shut... followed by multiple muffled female panicked screams.

Truk'tosh is up, so he can be first one up steps

If I'm reading the story correctly, Truk may be in luck. =P

"Hold on girl, didn't ya hear. We're tryin' ta help", Truk says as he marches after her.

Those screams....there other women up there?

"Wait Truk, i'm coming along."

Iolana follows the half orc.

Truk'tosh quickly notices the lock is on his side of the door.

"It's locked", Truk barks back.

"Ladies, we're not here to hurt you. We got rid of the bad men from the sea. We can help you", he calls through the door.

Truk's not going to break down the door unless he has to.

"I'm no expert in locks...maybe Syndlara?"

I'm assuming we're out of initiative at this point?

Syndlara bounds up the stairs after Truk'tosh, wincing as her battered body makes its displeasure known. "Someone grab that warhat on their way up!" she calls back toward those still downstairs.

Arriving at the door to find it locked, she fishes her lockpicks out of her beltpouch and motions Truk'tosh aside. "Give me a few moments," she says.

Disable Device (open lock): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Truk steps aside so the petite elf can work.

"Why don't we just wait for them to come out on their own?" he muses aloud.

"Sounds to me like she's planning on sacrificing those other women in some sort of foul ritual. I don't think we can wait if that's her goal," Syndlara says as she works. "Especially since she seems intent on using said ritual to kill us all."

Iolana nervously waits for Syndlara to work with the lockpicks.
"From what i heard, the girls inside there are suffering.I won't usually take a such risks to help someone i don't know,but i've had my share of imprisonment, and i didn't like it."

With this last words, she glances at Cale.

Gatherine hurried to the base of the stairs,Sneezy Dragon drawn and her chubby face scrunched in worry.She saw the others all crowded near the stairs,attempting to open a closed door.

...Ummm,guys,what're ya'll doing? Do ya'll need some help?

The dwarf maid was at a loss at what to do,confused by the scene before her.

"Oh. I think I missed that."

The door pops open, and inside are several looms, rope twisting devices, and huddled against the wall to the right are three dark haired woman in plain dresses who look like mwangi islanders. The entire floor is one room, and to the left is the balcony visible from outside. On the far side of the room is another set of stairs going up. One, then another of the huddled women point up the stairs.

With a click, Syndlara pops the lock. Shoving it open shoulder-first, she dives into a somersault and comes up in a crouch several feet inside the room, blade bared again. "Thanks," Syndlara says in Polyglot, with a half-smile at the Mwangi women.

With that, she waves everyone on and charges up the stairs.

Truk follows behind the elven woman a moment after she crashes into the room. The big orc looks around at the assembled Mwangi women – women that hadn’t had a man around in years…

Spotting the girl fleeing further up the stairs, Truk grunts and follows after her.

Gatherine bounded up the stairs after them,boot heels scrambling for traction as she slid into the room and continued up the stairs after the others in thier mad dash.

She held onto her hat with one hand and Sneezy Dragon with the other.

O-oi! Wait up,what's going on?!

One of her lizards popped out and clung to her shoulder,mouth open and tongue out as it was jostled by her activity.

Iolana too dashes behind the large half orc and the elf, giving a quick, suspicious look at the mwangi women.
were those muffled sounds from them ?

what their conditions?

The top of these stairs have no door. The room is filled with sheets of hanging silks. There are several bed palettes, smallish sea turtle washtubs, and another smaller balcony... this one faces the sea.
In the center of the room - lying on a table, is a decrepit skeleton partially wrapped in silk strands of rope. The incomplete work is incredibly intricate in the weaving... it is tightly woven to replicate a fully intact human body with sculptural quality. Most of the torso, one arm, and one leg look complete. The mesh-hooded figure stands on the other side of the table when you enter.

Her posture is not threatening, but not relaxed. One hand rests on the torso of the wrapped remains. Once you all file into the room... "Shredded Man say I cannot hope to win against you. He say you have won the camp. I am to submit."

Next to the table, there is also a rope handled wooden shipping crate marked Jenivere.