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It doesn't go without notice that the illusionary summoned Eagle seems to be carrying the party in this fight, again drawing blood with it's tiny talons as Caladrel makes the jump over with ease and scurries up to join the fight.
ROUND 3
Silver Warden (Fort Save), Alil (Fort Save), Van Helsing (-10, Deaf), & Fenn (Fort Save)
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Gnoll 2 (prone), Half-Orc (-8), & Gnoll 1 (-4, Deaf)
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Caladrel () & Xasay ()
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Van will 5ft back and rapid shot the big the big orc... If first arrow drops the big orc than than the second arrow will target #2
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Silver Warden steps on to the ship and casts a spell. Out of nowhere, water appears and pushes the gnoll by Ailil toward the edge of the ship.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The masked Silver Warden begins to chant a few words and suddenly unleashes a torrent of water from his palm that pushes one of the Gnolls overboard. Both Van Helsing and Ailil focus on the tougher Half-Orc, while Fenn goes after the other Gnoll, but not a one manages to land a significant hit. In retaliation, the Half-Orc takes a step closer to Van Helsing, bringing around his massive sword hard, to send a spray of blood and likely some flesh as well across the deck. Seeing his captain moving closer, the Gnoll follows suit, stepping over towards Caladrel and attempting to thrust his spear, but catching only air as he deftly sidesteps the thrust.
ROUND 3
Silver Warden (Deaf), Alil (Deaf), Van Helsing (-19, Deaf), & Fenn ()
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Half-Orc (-8), & Gnoll 1 (-4, Deaf)
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Caladrel () & Xasay ()
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The shadowy bird takes out the Half-Orc's eye just before Ailil maneuvers forward with a quick summersault and guts him, bringing his face in close to look him in the eye as he dies. Caladrel also slice into the Gnoll, the only other threat up top, and slay him as well.
Down below, the you can hear, well some of you can hear the dwarf guide splashing around a bit with the oars, and then suddenly a loud thump. Looking over, you see she has managed to knock out the other Gnoll, and is struggling to pull it half aboard her rowboat to keep it from drowning, and binding it's pawed hands.
The hold of the At Sea has been outfitted to allow for easy access from above and a mixture of live and boxed cargo. Iron rings attached to the inside of the hull on both sides provide anchor points for manacles. Along the port side, iron cages have been bolted to the floorboards and hull. Barrels of potable water and crates filled with dried carnivore feed are packed into several sections of the hold.
There are two doors toward the stern. One leads to a combination storeroom and galley. The other leads to what looks like the captain’s quarters.
Four slaves are chained to the starboard side’s iron rings. Three are human and one is a female gnome. The three look at you suspiciously, while she whispers, "Hey, free us and I'll help you with whatever you need."
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Silver Warden sets to freeing the slaves by whatever means available--he'll cast grease if necessary.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Three humans thank you in whispers, saying that more of the pirates and some beast lay behind the next door. They are not certain how many there are, or what the beast is, and they themselves look in no condition to fight, either physically or otherwise, and, if you allow them, make their way to the top level and onto the rowboat. The gnome woman, however, is an exception.
"Your Pathfinders, right," she asks, moving her shirt's collar to the side for a moment to reveal a crude prison tattoo of the Glyph of the Open Road, the symbol of the Pathfinder Society. "I know my own. And like I said, you free me, and I'll help ya take this ship down. Name's Rilla, Rilla Lavon."
Cracking the door to the captain's quarters open, you find a young woman ready and waiting. The Keleshite woman is dressed in studded leather, and wears two ornately decorated kukris at her waist. Her black hair is held out of her face by a faded yellow bandana. She has a dark mole on her left cheek just below her eye. At her side is not one, but two strange creatures that seem to be the blending of some sort of reptilian horror and a large guard dog, they growl as you open the door, and the captain says, "Sick 'em, boys!" with a cute half smile. Foul-smelling fluids ooze from weeping sores across the scaly skin of this squat, powerful, and vaguely canine beast.
Springing from the door, the two Dragonhounds rush out for the kill, one going at Ailil and Fenn, while the Captain goes straight for Van Helsing.
Seeing Ailil be hit so savagely, the little gnome rushes up and begins to chant words in the language of the fey, then lays a hand on him, healing some of his wounds.
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ROUND 1
Van Helsing (-5), Fenn (), & Ailil (-6)
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Cpt Wardak ()
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Caladrel (), Silver Warden (), & Xasay ()
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Dragon Hound 1 () & Dragonhound 2 ()
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Caladrel and Ailil both focus on attacking one of the hounds, but neither manages to land a hit, their blades bouncing off of a thick hide covered in painful-looking pustules, causing a bit of them to burst, spraying purulent fluid about the cabin.
Fenn, however, does manage to land a solid blow, cutting deep into it's haunch and nearly cleaving it in two. Seeing her vicious pet hurt, the captain screams in anger, then tries to take it out of Van Helsing's hide. The second, cruelly curved blade bites deep, and then the captain falls back into an unorthodox defensive stance, almost like she is using her weapons as a shield.
ROUND 1
Caladrel (), Fenn (), & Ailil (-6)
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Cpt Wardak ()
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Van Helsing (-11), Silver Warden (), & Xasay ()
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Dragon Hound 1 () & Dragonhound 2 ()
N Medium magical beast
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 22 (4d10+8); regeneration 3 (acid or fire)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +6 (1d10+4 plus disease and trip)
STATISTICS
Str 18, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6
Base Atk +4; CMB +8; CMD 19 (23 vs. trip)
Disease (Ex) Bloodfire fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 12; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Str damage, 1d3 Dex damage, and target is fatigued; cure 2 consecutive saves.
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Female human ranger 3
LE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 24 (3d10+3)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk kukri +5 (1d4+3/18–20),
mwk kukri +5 (1d4+3/18–20)
Str 16, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 8
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 18
Languages Common, Gnoll, Osiriani
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Van Helsing quickly launches a pair of bolts, but only one connects, and doesn't seem to do too much. Just moments later, the small area around our foes becomes slick and greasy, causing the Cpt to fall on her but, but it doesn't seem to affect the dragonhounds much.
Xasay's summon shadow eagle likewise goes on the attack, and against the now fallen woman, lands a lucky attack it wouldn't have otherwise.
Both of the hounds attack, trying to bite Fenn and Caladrel, and pull them down, but neither manages to latch on.
ROUND 1
Caladrel (), Fenn (), & Ailil (-6)
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Cpt Wardak (-9)
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Van Helsing (-11), Silver Warden (), & Xasay ()
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Dragon Hound 1 (-12) & Dragonhound 2 (-15)
N Medium magical beast
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 22 (4d10+8); regeneration 3 (acid or fire)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +6 (1d10+4 plus disease and trip)
STATISTICS
Str 18, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6
Base Atk +4; CMB +8; CMD 19 (23 vs. trip)
Disease (Ex) Bloodfire fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 12; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Str damage, 1d3 Dex damage, and target is fatigued; cure 2 consecutive saves.
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Female human ranger 3
LE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 24 (3d10+3)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk kukri +5 (1d4+3/18–20),
mwk kukri +5 (1d4+3/18–20)
Str 16, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 8
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 18
Languages Common, Gnoll, Osiriani
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It doesn't take long, under your combined might, for the pirate captain's pets to fall to your blades, and then after that, the captain herself. After the skirmish, you catch the scent of smoke coming from inside her room, and see that she had grabbed one of the lanterns and begun to try to burn a pile of documents, but had not had enough time, as the pile sits in a small bucket, smoldering, but not destroyed.
A few of them, still partially legible stand out. The corner of a letter signed “Muhlia.” You also recover instructions intended for Mahjub Mahdi listing half a dozen noble families to whom he should prioritize selling the slaves. There is also a letter addressed to Waheeda Wardak instructing her where to sell the slaves and whom she should bribe to smooth her dealings in Absalom. Both sets of instructions are signed “Muhlia.”
With Captain Wardak captured or dead and her ship, the At Sea, seized by the Pathfinder Society, you have revealed Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri’s involvement in attempts to infiltrate the highest levels of Absalom’s inner workings. The harbor pilot, Zigil, dutifully navigates the ship through the Ship Graveyard safely to the docks, where city officials take custody of the vessel.
You also return to Lady Darchana to bring her up to speed on everything that has happened. Pleased with their success but deeply troubled by the implications, Lady Darchana has the bounty payment on Captain Wardak and the At Sea authorized. She addresses you once more before dismissing them: “Pathfinders, you have done a great service to Absalom today. The full extent, understandably, may never be widely known or recognized by the sleeping masses, but know that the Pathfinder Society can count on me as a friend and ally, and I hope that I may call upon you again in the future should the need arise.”
Upon returning to the Grand Lodge, Rilla recounts what she can to Venture-Captain Valsin and to you about her time spent in the Okeno slave markets on Stonespire Island, confirming several interactions with a heavily veiled humanoid woman who forcibly took blood samples on two occasions. When Rilla inquires as to the fate of the other Pathfinders she was on assignment with, Venture-Captain Valsin closes his eyes and slowly shakes his head. “No contact,” is all he says on the matter.