If possible, Rowan will run up and stunning punch Blue.
Rowan lands a blow against the buccaneer but she shakes off the stunning effect without problem.
Theo snaps his fingers at the Bad Captain.
The gentleman Cackles.
Dervak attacks the captain, fighting defensively.
"Good job with the spell, Mara!"
Kat studies the captain's movements, taking careful note of any weaknesses in his defenses.
Dervak and the enemy captain trade devastating blow after devastating blow that would surely slay any normal man. But they both remain bloody and ready for more.
Kat tries to stab the captain from behind the protection of their cabin but between the cover provided by the door and the captain's chain shirt she does not manage to draw blood.
Skywin casts a worried eye at Dervak and says, "You filthy stinkard! Get back to your own ship!" Not seeing how she can help Dervak she boards Tribute Taker to assist Rowan.
Mara concentrated, speeding up the flow of time for her companions.
She stepped back, drawing her axe, and told the enemy captain, "You made a big mistake trying to shake us down!"
Each of the buccaneers drops their crossbows and draw scimitars. Yellow rushes Skywin while Red steps onto the boarding plank to menace Mara. Each swing their curved blades but only the one next to Mara finds soft flesh, leaving her with a nasty, if superficial gash.
Kat emerges from the cabin and watches the enemy captain for any tells on where his strike may come from.
She takes up position in front of Mara, trying to block the buccaneers from closing in on Mara, and stabs at the captain, taking advantage of the flank.
Theophilus makes a frustrating gesture at the Bad Captain.
He Cackles!
Dervak takes two more hard hits from the captain's greatsword.
"WELL STRUCK! GORUM IS PLEASED! NOW DIE A WARRIOR!"
He strikes back with his falchion, determined to end his foe or die trying.
Rowan attacks defensively (Ac goes up +6, between Acrobatics, Crane style, and Crane wing)
Kat expertly reads the enemy captain and his movements, she knows exactly where and when he's going to strike next and chooses not to be there. Unfortunately with so much attention on one opponent it leaves her open to the nearby buccaneer's scimitar which bites into her side.
Hinks, stuck between Kat and Dervak, takes blow after blow. Finally Dervak smashes his falchion in a sideways chop cutting halfway into the man's chest. He goes limp as blood pours out.
Rowan pummels a buccaneer into unconsciousness. The remaining buccaneers see their captain fall and lose their nerve, they abandon ship.
Mara moved up and tried to stop the enemy captain's bleeding, explaining, "Maybe he'll see the error of his ways."
Having attended to the enemy, she healed Dervak, saying, "I was worried there for a moment!"
Then she intoned another prayer, and scanned for magic auras.
Theophilus cast Stabilize on any down saps.
Stealing is bad...umm..k.
Dervak frowns at Mara.
"He chose to not surrender, Mara. He chose to go join his ancestors and face Gorum. He chose to die a warrior. He fought well. Now you rob him of that choice to make him your slave.
Slave, prisoner, whatever. A captive under your power and you are hoping to make him do what you want.
If Kat is right, he was doing what he was hired to do by the rulers of this nation. How will you persuade him that was wrong? He is going to be your responsibility for the rest of his life, his actions on your head."
"I think what you are doing is not mercy but humiliation and disrespect."
Mara's efforts are wasted as Dervak's falchion cut a large slice into the man's heart. However she is able to stabilize the buccaneer with a broken nose and over half their teeth missing.
Skywin chimes in not realizing he's dead, "Maybe we should let the enslaved rowers decide his fate?"
You find on the bodies, a potion of blur, a potion of cure moderate wounds, a masterwork chain shirt, a masterwork greatsword, a masterwork shortbow, an elixir of swimming, two potions of cure light wounds, an alchemist fire, a masterwork heavy crossbow, and 450 gold. Finally the captain has a set of keys.
The White Rabbit carries a sack; collecting the loot while whistling a merry tune.
Mara told Dervak, "I couldn't save him, so you have your wish." She didn't expect the former half-orc to understand her desire to redeem an evil-doer.
After searching the captain, she proposed, "Shall we explore the attacker's ship?"
Kat takes the keys, tossing them and snatching them out of the air. ”Nobody is enslaving anyone. In fact, I think it’s time to go free some.” As far as Kat is concerned, Mara was right to save the man and Dervak is right that it’s going to humiliate him, but Kat is just fine with the latter. Some people need to learn humility the hard way if they’re ever going to learn to be better.
"Not my wish, Mara. His. I respect his right to make that decision. But if he still lives... well, I guess we let the rowers decide his fate as Captain Skywin says."
Dervak goes to help Kat free the slaves.
"Let's see what these privateers acquired. Give these poor people some fair back pay for their efforts at the oars."
Theophilus helps catalog the plunder.
Mara manages to stop the bleeding of both the opponents that remain. Skywin still makes her comment about letting the rowers decide their fate.
Aboard Tribute Taker the only place to go is the cabin under the forecastle. It contains a few hammocks, boxes with personal effects, and two large chests. Two large trap doors in the floor are open, and the smell of unwashed flesh wafts upward. Theo sorts through the chests, finding: 1,205 gp, 10,450 sp, a bejeweled oil lamp worth 300 gp, a set of ivory dice worth 500 gp, and a set of vambraces of defense.
Through the trap doors you find a sodden filthy hold where 14 rowers sit in absolute silence. When you descend one of the rowers looks at you with wide eyes but catches himself and goes back to staring forward at nothing. None of them are chained but many have fresh wounds from being whipped.
Mara told the rowers, "You're free now! Let me heal your wounds. " She went among them, tending to their injuries and talking to each one.
She conferred with Skywin privately, "Are we in a position to offer them all safe passage? If we put them ashore here, they'll likely be enslaved again. They deserve their freedom."
Later, she scanned the items from the chests for magic auras. She also used her magic pearl to recall another healing prayer and healed Dervak again.
The White Rabbit is seen rubbing the lamp...
Dervak turns his attention to the one rower who reacted differently.
"Got something to say? Or do you know us?
Out with it, already."
He sounds impatient more than anything else.
Kat holds up a hand for Dervak to cease. ”Dervak, we are in control here. Let the person answer before you frighten their mouth shut.”
Kat moves closer and kneels down to the rower and puts on her “interrogating a spooked witness” smile. ”Please, speak freely.”
Skywin makes a sour face but says, "You're right Mara, Razmir's to the north and Kyonin to the south. We can take them on, but you'll be packed in like cord wood for the next couple of days." She points at the privateer Captain and his only remaining crew, "I'd rather kiss a bloody mass of phlegm than keep those two on board."
The man who gaped at Dervak whimpers when the bloodrager turns his direct attention to him. Kat can tell he's just scared. Once Kat soothes the slave he says in almost a whisper, "They beat anyone who spoke. I'm sorry."
Assuming the party lets the slaves decide what to do with the privateers, they opt to leave them on the southern bank. Skywin's crew sinks Tribute Taker, no matter what happens.
Mara resolved to help the former slaves. She pleaded with her comrades, "We should help these people get away from Razmir, so they don't get forced back into slavery! Even if it's just for a couple of days; it'll give them a chance at a fresh start."
"I agree, Mara. I hate slavery. These poor people."
He turns the one rower. "Sorry. In Thrushmoor, a lot of people recognized us because of bad things we had done and didn't remember. It got kind of frustrating. I thought that was the case here."
Where is the closest neutral port?
Skywin explains, "There's a fishing hamlet a few days from here, Vestonia. It's the arse end of the River Kingdoms but they should be able to make a new life there."
Sounds good! Make it so!
Mara relied to Skywin, "That sounds good!"
She went to talk to the rowers, "You're free now! Our ship is small to transport all of you, but we can take you to Vestonia, in the River Kingdoms. I'll give you some coin to buy supplies — enough for a new start."
Kat will help with any necessary healing. She will also happily craft any alchemical supplies they need.
"Let's give them each.... 50 gold? And any spare weapons we can find. They will not be enslaved in the River Kingdoms but they could well be beaten and robbed so they better be willing to defend themselves."
Dervak has not much in the way of spare weapons but will fashion clubs for them out of parts of the Tribute Taker if he can't find anything else.
Day 42
After a tense few days under crowded conditions the keelboat arrives at Vestonia. The town elder investigates to ensure that no one among the crew and passengers are spies, but once she's satisfied they take the former slaves in. The change in them is noticeable, they're hopeful, and a some feel comfortable enough to smile and thank the party. One man insists, "Please take my boots, it's all that I have to thank you with."
Mara replied to Dervak, "Yes, let's make sure they have what they need to start their new lives."
When they reached Vestonia, she spent as much time as the ship's schedule allowed, arranging temporary accommodation for the freed slaves, negotiating for supplies, and urging the town elder to help them find find what employment might be available.
"They know how to work hard, and would be grateful for a chance to help build you community," she told the elder.
She said to the man offering his boots, "I appreciate your offer, but you will need your boots. There's something even better you could do for me: help a stranger in need. Comfort someone who is feeling down, give a hungry man something to eat, or help someone rebuild their home after a disaster. May the goddess Sarenrae smile upon you!"
"Hold up, Mara. We have certainly given him far more than enough to buy another pair, so I don't feel guilty about accepting them."
He asks the man, "Why? Not to be rude, but you can see our armor and our wealth. So if you think these would be of value to us, that is curious. "
Theo spends the days traveling downriver tailoring, sizing and patching clothing.
What a truly marvelous turn of events! I feel good about this!
The Witch will cast Detect Magic; if needed.
He looks at Dervak and says, "It's all I have to give in return. Please take them."
Theo sees that the boots are Boots of Speed.
"Thank you for your generosity. Be careful in the River Kingdoms."
Mara said goodbye to each of the former rowers, "I wish you all the best. Maybe we will cross paths again, if Sarenrae wills it. Good luck!"
After they set off again, Theophilus begins fishing.
What a good day!
Dervak is also feeling pretty good.
Not , but Good, at least.