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"Hmmm. This lad here is been beaten up prutty durn good. Mayhaps someone shoud teach him to keep his guard up." Turning to his new compatriots, "Any o' yous got some healing magic? Cleric? Might want to patch this lad up some"
Turning to the kidnapped victims. "Hallo there. Name's Brachar. Don't mind me ugly face none. You alls ok? Can you tells us what happened here?" The dwarf, while well intentioned, chooses at that moment to wipe the blood and ichor off his longhammer on the one clean garment of the former druid.
Gosh, they sure are prutty.
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Thael nods in satisfaction as the enemies fall.
"A perfect application of magic and skill to render the kidnappers inert," the wizard states matter-of-factly.
The wizard moves to the attractive kidnap victims and begins to untie them.
"Ancient mathematicians first studied what we now call the golden ratio because of its frequent appearance in geometry. The division of a line into 'extreme and mean ratio' is important in the geometry of regular pentagrams and pentagons. To make a complex matter simple, your beauty is due to this ratio. A perfect symmetry, if you will."
After the victims have been untied, he looks to the unconscious man, then gestures to the two divine casters in the group.
"Would either of you do the honors and heal this man?" he asks.
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Grahl unties the women first, then they answer his questions. "The druid was a slaver. The man on the bar is Kafar, he didn't take too kindly when he found out that we were being sold for some ritual." one answers your questions, while another one, being untied by Mark, chimes in, "They were selling us into slavery at the Chelaxian market. Your Pathfinder friend was guarded by some half-orcs... big, burly brutes.They smelled bad, almost like they were stomping through the sewers before coming here." The third kidnap victim speaks up. "They might have taken your friend to the Prancing Prince, which is currently docked here. I heard them saying something about pier 42."
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A few words stick in Grahl's mind, thinking about the task at hand. He walks back to the women.
"You mentioned a ritual, any idea what sort of ritual? Anyone here have any ideas what sort of ritual would require the sacrifice of these young ladies? Also, you mentioned the Prancing Prince. Why would they be taken to the Prancing Prince? Perhaps we should check that out soon, if this ship is leaving soon we might miss out the chance to investigate..."
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"Well many thanks prutty lasses. Now that you are getting a taste of freedom, mayhaps you want a taste o' the old Brachar? After I fall off a boat, climb through some sewers so I smell like a bit o' rancid meat, rescue some lost idiot, and get a buckets load o' gold for me troubles, we can go out proper like. Where shall I find you?"
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A tri-masted galleon, the Prancing Prince appears to be in good condition and floats lazily against its mooring along a wide, crate- and barrel-filled dock. No one appears to be aboard her, however, and the standard watch typically found at the gangplank of a docked ship is nowhere to be seen. Atop her bowsprit is a gaudily painted wooden man that appears to be the exact likeness of the Grand Prince of Taldor, Stavian III, hands on his hips, a huge smile across his face, and his legs bent as though he were dancing a jig.
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"Ugh a boat. I do sink like a rock filled with lead being pushed down by a giant. What a cheery looking fellow. Wonder what he is so happy about? Last time I made quite the ruckus, but boy was it fun. Still have bits 'o fur in my gauntlet. See." Brachar thrusts his gauntlet up for all to see. "Anyone o' yous feel sneaky?"
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Thael assesses the ship as they approach it.
"I concur that stealth is not our strong suit. We will need to use the strengths we have, instead."
The wizard notes the absence of guards typical to a ship.
"I wonder, though, if we are about to run into trouble here. I see no watch, which makes me suspect that something might be wrong. We should board the ship and investigate."
The wizard takes a moment to cast mage armor, then nods that he is ready to proceed.
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As you board the ship, you see that the deck was recently scrubbed clean and still shows remnants of soap bubbles and puddles of water. It is otherwise deserted and completely dark.
To the north, there is a latter leading up to the upper deck and a door. to the south, there is a set of stairs that leading to the upper deck a door set into the stairs and a door to the south that leads into a part of the ship.
What do you do?
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"Bah! This sheup smells too clean. Need to muck it up some. Watchs your footin' lads, likely to slip and wind up on yer rump. I say we checks out the upper ... urm ... not the best within these nautical terms and all. Whadda call that door up there? Fore bow or starboard yaw. Whatevers. Let's head up."
Brachar unslings his hammer, and makes his way north and up the ladder to the upper deck.
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Thael nods.
"I concur that it makes more sense to examine the upper areas first, so as not to be trapped below.,"
The wizard assumes a professorial tone. "The proper term, I believe, would be the 'bridge deck,' which is the deck on which the navigational equipment of a ship is housed. The skipper and the rest of his commanding officers generally are positioned on this deck during the vessel’s voyage. It is the room or a platform from which the ship is commanded. Nevertheless, let us investigate that deck first," he says.
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"Aye, let up open this here door." Turning to Thael. "You know wadda to call this, the porthatch or some such. No matter, gonna squish whatdever is behind it. Just give me tha' signal, and I'll throw er open."
Brachar moves to the norther door, listens for sings of activity, and waits for his comrades to give him the ok before opening the door.
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You bust through the door and suddenly... you find yourself in a Supply Storage:
You head to the southern room and do the same to find the Captain’s Quarters: These finely appointed quarters contain a desk, a chair, a bed, and some chests, all of which have been screwed to the deck. A single lit lamp rests on the deck and illuminates the room completely. When you open the door to this room it provides with shadowy illumination.
You find the captain’s log book in the chest. Other than that, this room is otherwise empty.
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While looking over the book, i starts to smoke. and quickly catches fire.
As you travel down, you find the Ballistae Deck. Six large ballistae are housed here, screwed to the deck and mounted on rails so they can be pushed through the swinging doors on the side of the hull and fired at nearby ships. There is no ammunition present for these weapons, however, and the deck is empty. The southwest corner of the room contains an open trap door that’s a 7-foot drop down to the next level.
How are you proceeding? There is door to the north and one to the south. You are currently by the one in the south, Do you look through it?
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Brachar, ever the forward thinking dwarf, looks st the smoking book. "Was them nudie pictures of women in there? Ban that stuff too in the Five Kings Mountains. Least you all coulda gime me a glance. No matter, hows about this here door."
Brachar points towards the southern door, ready to go in hammer swinging.