That's kind of a personal question, says Omit's voice in Muse's head.
Answer it anyway?, the captain requests.
With a heavy sigh, Omit says, Obviously, I want to corrupt elves by casting flight spells on them. Obviously. Because that's the way arcane magic works. Always gotta be on the lookout for corrupting influences. Subtly influencing others to make the world a worse place is so god damn important to me that I decided to remain on the Prime Material (because I definitely had a choice in that) and spend decades trapped in a book with no one to talk to, for the uncertain payoff of maybe causing someone alignment change. Herp de derp, boy do I love corrupting people with my corrupting magic.
"She says that she didn't have a choice whether to stay or not," Muse paraphrases. "I can vouch for her character - she's, uh, she's a character."
Mel raises an eyebrow, noting a faint flush on Brolin's face. "I take it I've caused offense," she observes. "Well, sorry, but can you really blame me for being cautious? Anyway, Omit, you're trapped. How did that happen? Do you want to be freed?"
Freed to lose my memories and become a petitioner? Nah. I . . . I don't even know if I would, though, I'm not a soul per say, just a psychic echo. As far as I can tell, my soul's moved on. I'm . . . what's left.
It's not a terrible deal, really. Precedent says that eventually my memories will degrade or discombobulate, and 'I' will die - and I imagine it'll suck to live through that. In the meantime, though, I've got a second lease on life. I wasted a lot of time wasting time back when I was breathing, when I should have been studying magic. Now I've got as long as Captain Muse is kicking and/or willing to cart my spellbook around to buckle down and add something to the sum total knowledge of humanity.
"Freed to lose my memories and become a petitioner? Nah. I . . . I don't even know if I would, though, I'm not a soul per say, just a psychic echo. As far as I can tell, my soul's moved on. I'm . . . what's left.
It's not a terrible deal, really. Precedent says that eventually my memories will degrade or discombobulate, and 'I' will die - and I imagine it'll suck to live through that. In the meantime, though, I've got a second lease on life. I wasted a lot of time wasting time back when I was breathing, when I should have been studying magic. Now I've got as long as Captain Muse is kicking and/or willing to cart my spellbook around to buckle down and add something to the sum total knowledge of humanity," Muse recites.
"This might be a moot point, though," Brolin muses, squinting at his chalky scribbles. "I might not be able to cast the flying spell."
"I see," Mel muses. "A fellow scholar. Well. It's certainly not a path I ever hope to walk, but I suppose I can see the appeal of ample time to study and no distractions. But Omit, what trapped you in the first place?"
“I can answer that,” says the captain. “When someone bites it, they leave their memories behind them. These memories usually fall apart and drift off in all different directions. Sometimes, if there’s some work left unfinished, or a strong will to live, or, well, any number of unique reasons, enough memories can stay bundled up together to retain a sense of self - almost every such ghost (I call them ghosts, have since before I really understood what they were, it’s just my word for them) is bound to a location or an object that was important to them. Whenever I find the object-bound ones, I usually take them along with me.”
"That's sad," Mel says. "She's been abandoned, by her own self."
She looks out across the sea for a moment wistfully. "I hope I don't do that to myself, when my time comes. It sounds ... cruel."
She heaves a sigh and straightens up. "I believe I'm satisfied, Captain," she says. "Omit may cast spells on me. I may want to speak with the others before agreeing to the same from them. But I think one interview with the dead is enough for now."
Intrigued and curious Frytor, who was politely eavesdropping steps forward. "Captain, I...I don't know if I should ask this, I don't know if I would want to know the answer really, but you can sense these psycic imprints. Could you sense of there was an imprint on something like a sword?"
"I carry my father's blade... You can examine it if you'd like. I... I'd be interested know what you find. Now probably isn't the time, but in the future maybe?"
Gingerly taking the sword from Frytor, Brolin says, “I do that for people sometimes. Works better sometimes than others.”
The captain closes his eyes, staring intently at the blade through his eyelids. “There’re memories in here. I can . . . let them in.” He opens his eyes. “I’ll need you to tie me up first. I don’t mean any disrespect, that’s just my policy when dealing with ghosts I’ve never met.”
At 7th level, a medium can use his location channel ability at any location, so long as he possesses some connection to the deceased. If another participant in the seance is more familiar with the deceased than the medium, the medium can substitute that participant's familiarity in place of his own to determine the DC of the call spirit effect.
Brolin's eyes snap open after he is bound. He looks directly at Fyrtor "My boy... so big... a man grown now..." Muse's head looks down at his body "This is so... strange... My mind is swirling with questions... Not now son. But we should talk soon." Muse's body goes limp against the bonds and he comes to.
Meanwhile, you see the Sonder has approached the opening of the cove, which is now full of fog! You can barely make out the mast of the enemy ship poking up above the banks of mist. The Sonder slips quietly into the cove, avoiding the rocks you've been warned of on the eastern side of the entrance.
Frytor is visibly shaken, he stares at Captain Muse as he goes though the channel, riveted. "Dad?"
But as the Sonder slips into the cove Drug or takes back his sword and prepares himself. He is quiet as he thinks.
Can it really be Dad? I wish we had time to do this now. I can' let Captain Muse get killed in this atack, he may be the only way to talk to Dad. I'll stay close to him. Oh how I wish we could do this NOW!
Having finished with Captain Muse, Mel spends some time preparing. She makes sure Captain Blackskull is fully briefed on the plan, and solicits any advice she may have.
She makes sure all her gear is stowed, oils her armor, makes sure everything is ready.
Finally, she takes a moment to pray, standing in the bow and whispering "Oi Ostara, anna minulle viisaus tehdä hyviä valintoja."
The Sonder approaches the Serpent's Serendipity carefully and quietly under the cover of fog. Soon, you are in the fog yourselves and can only roughly gauge the distance to the pirate ship.
Channeling the Archmage, Captain Muse will cast Communal Protection from Arrows twice, warding the five crew members who stayed abovedecks (Tiyeri, Torval, Brickenden, Mathis, and Kromnlite), the four marines, Kazador, Mel, Fyrtor, and himself all for one hour. (And someone for two hours. Captain Blackskull, if it mattters.) He'll then cast False Life on himself again. And then, since he doesn't have a better use for the four first level slots that he'll lose when he exits Spirit Dance, he'll cast Protection from Evil on the four marines (they don't have a deflection bonus to AC).
"Alright," quoth the captain, nervously strapping his duck-emblemed shield to one arm and gripping his terbutje in the other. "That's all I've got for magic, until we get a little closer."
As the boat nears it's destination, Captain Muse will cast haste on Mel, the boarding party, and three of the marines.
Tiyeri does an admirable job steering, bringing you up quietly to within 10 feet of the enemy vessel. The druids seem to notice how close you've come and they blow away the fog. You see ten enemies on the pirate vessel's deck, all of whom look quite surprised! An older fellow stands with some sort of symbol around his neck while a jaunty pirate plucks a lute. A bulky fellow in the middle of the deck shouts "HOSTILES!!!!" and the pirates begin reaching for their weapons. But the crew of the Sonder is ready for them!
Frydor pulls a sprig of holly from his pouch and chants, "laat natuurlike bondgenoot verskyn"
"Hlwayela ulwahlulo phakathi kweentshaba zam!"
Attacks the man with the golden symbol
Errde calls out to her marines "Focus fire! We're sweeping from bow to stern! Fire!"
Two of the pirates at the bow drop as the marines unleash an efficient barrage of arrows.
Scanning for targets, Mel notices Fyrtor has placed his elemental next to what appears to be a cleric. She targets him.
Attack bonus started at +11. +1 and an extra attack from Haste, -2 from Deadly Aim.
nonlethal, x3 if confirmed, plus
nonlethal
Her arrows sing through the air. The first in particular seems like a solid shot.
Surprise Round
”Gromthi! Dringorak-ha!”
ᚷᚱᛟᛗᚦᛁ᛭ᛞᚱᛜᛟᚱᚨᚲ᛭ᚺᚨ᛭
Kazador slammed the shaft of his hammer onto the ship’s deck. He and his companions shimmered until they had vanished...and appeared right on the pirate ship. The poor pirate steering the enemy ship was suddenly surrounded. They would not be sailing away. The attack had begun!
Opting to delay entering spirit dance until he has a better idea of what he'll need, Captain Muse makes an unaugmented trip attempt.
Frytor strikes quickly, in hopes he can take the pirate next to him down.
Round 1
Kazador ensured that the pirate stayed down...for good. His hammer dripped acid from its runes as he swung.
An elemental appears from nowhere and strikes at the older pirate wearing a holy symbol then Mel brings him down with a perfectly placed shot that glances off the temple, leaving the man unconscious. A trio of attackers appear around one of the crewman who made the mistake of being too jauntily dressed! Brolin trips the surprised fellow while Fyrtor slashes at him from the other side. Kazador then strikes him hard three times, leaving the fellow a bloody and acid-scorched pulp that is very, very dead.
The pirate with the lute steps away from the trio of enemies and begins to sing a jaunty, if obscene, song to inspire his allies. It covers multiple topics including drinking, burning, and general disrespect for law enforcement. The muscular pirate steps toward Kazador and throws a net on him, entangling him! He shouts to his allies "Get some of the real fighters up here! And the captain! Quick!" More pirates rush up from the hold to join the assuault. Two fire at Brolin while two more try to stab him but the captain of the Sonder is too wily for them and dodges their blows. Two more fire at the marines on the deck of the Sonder but aren't able to land their blows. But two of the pirates attack the elemental, leaving it nearly destroyed.
Judging by the frustrated look on the muscular pirate's face, it would seem that he hasn't yet received the reinforcements he's really hoping for. There must be a good number more still below, and likely more competent combatants.
Judging the man's words, Frytor calls out,"There's more of them on the way!"
Damn that dwarf is brutal! He should be able to keep Muse safe, I need to slow down their reinforcements
Frytor pulls a cabbage leaf from his pouch and chants, "Die skunk se reuk is vir my soet!"
Then he makes a mad dash for the stairs to the below decks nearest to the bow leaving a cloud of stench in his wake.
As he passes the pirates Frytor is prepared to parry any attempt to attack him and strike back.
Attacks whichever hurt it more
Captain Muse spares but a glance for the pulped remains of the pirate - and that was enough. He wishes he could let Legacy or Rook take over, but . . . I can take these guys without Spirit Dance. I should save it for when I need it.
Making haste , he'll lay about him with his obsidian edged club. Muse fights with short, precise attacks, never overextending himself or taking risks.
Kazador slammed his hammer into the nearby pirate. The Rune Warden was back in his element. His runes were awakening and his confidence returning.
”Any of ye cowards real men? I think not! Come to my hammer and prove me wrong!”
Surprise Round
Round 1
Round 2
Again and again he let loose with a steady aim of arrows into the pirates, aiming for anyone singing or yelling orders.
His usual aim, though, was off due to the movement of the ship. He was used to being on, and under, solid ground. Not moving about!
"That doesn't even rhyme, and the meter's off!" Mel exclaims in response to some particularly scatalogical lyrics. She targets the musician.
nonlethal
nonlethal
The elemental strikes out to get revenge for the attack on it, landing a small blow. Brolin lays about him with his club, felling two sailors, while Kazador eliminates a third. Kazador is starting to realize that many of these opponents aren't worthy of his full attention. But the one with the spiked armor looks like a worthier foe. Algric is able to pick off a couple of targets as he fires steadily with his longbow while Mel picks off the singer just as he is about to unleash a spell. He fulls with an unconscious thunk to the deck. The bishopric marines let loose another volley, felling several more pirates including the one weakened by the elemental.
As Fyrtor dashes to leave his trail, he is struck by the tough looking pirate wielding a shortsword and can't manage to parry the blow (5 damage). The man chases after Fyrtor but begins coughing and retching and just moves out of the way. More pirates emerge from the hold. One warrior races over to Fyrtor but he too coughs uncontrollably. A third one rushes forward and manages to stomach the scent Fyrtor has left behind. It seems someone below the ship was waiting for just such an opportunity. A high, shrieking voice booms from the hold Fyrtor sees a middle-aged woman in an outlandish cloak step up to him and a flash of daggers (38 damage to Fyrtor). He's unable to properly defend himself with enemies on both sides, leaving vital openings exploited by the woman. One of the recently emerged pirates sings loudly while the other hurls something small and sparkling in the air. An explosion of dust envelops Kazador and Brolin but they both shake it off!
Having dropped one musician, Mel immediately focuses on the next.
nonlethal
nonlethal
Algric fired again...and this time without thinking too highly of himself.
Meanwhile Kazador had to make more than a five foot step. While now in the thick of things, he could only swing but once.
But even then he swung wide, the man he was aiming at nimbly jumping backwards before the blow could land.
Frytor yells to his elemental [b]"hlasela lo ovela khona"[b]
The elemental obediently moves and attacks the pirate as Frytor directed.
Once his elemental is in place Frytor leaps over the edge of the stairs and swings decisively against his newly flanked opponent.
(+2 if the first attack lands)
(+2 if first attack lands)
Edit: After striking at his opponent Frytor prepares himself to parry any attack against him.
Captain Muse hurries into the fray, trying to divert attention from the injured druid. He tries to think of something witty and distracting to say, but there's no time for it. He has to hope that four feet of sharp glass-edged weapon will do his talking for him.