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"Oh...I guess it might be a good idea to figure out what these things do," Nella adds, looking a bit sheepish. She quickly attempts to discern the magical properties on the armor they'd found as well as the potion.
"Thank you for helping with the healing Mal," she adds, looking up and offering a quick smile despite the tense circumstances. "I might need your help or Phoebee's with figuring out what enchantments these things hold, though," she adds with a frown.
Even putting all their heads together, you are not quite able to determine the exact nature of the magical scale mail. The potion however you easily determine is potent healing elixir . And, since you've taken a moment, you also pull out the two potions you liberated back in the warehouse, and are able to determine they are slightly lower potency versions of the same .
Body disposed off, you quickly leave the scene and off into the foggy evening yourselves.
No more unfriendly locals accost you after that, and you are able to get Iatha delivered to the Cypher Lodge. Though it's late, they allow her to come in, her name apparently on a 'list' of some sort. The rest of you however, are turned aside as only paying guests and members are allowed to enter after dark.
So it is that you return finally to the Great Shore Arms, and finally get to rest for the evening.
Come morning, most of the fog seems to have burned off, just a few errant wisps and tendrils curling around your feet in the chill morning air. The city seems much the same as it did the day before, any unusual activities from the night before apparently not even a ripple in the normal daily operations of Riddleport.
You make your way to the docks once more, now quite busy, with dockworkers and fishermen starting their days.
In the light of the morning, you can see many ships, docked out in the harbor, some of them waiting for space on actual docks to open up, some of them just keeping prying eyes off of whatever cargo or personnel is on board.
It takes you about twenty minutes to finally put eyes on the ship described by Iatha, a dingy vessel bobbing in the water about a hundred yards out. Even from the dock, you can tell its in dire need of a paint job, though the paint that hasn't flaked off has faded from maroon to a grimy puce color. The word 'Lionfish' is painted across the side in clumsy blue letters, and you can just make out a few people moving about on deck.
Now to get out there...
As you've been searching, you've noticed a number of rowboats in various states, tied to the docks of the Wharf District, any of which would have been easy to 'borrow' if needed... though none of them were very big, and you'd probably need two to carry all six of you. There are also many locals going about their business nearby, many of which involve slightly larger boats that could carry everyone. You might be able to find someone willing to take you out their, though that might require asking around.
Deciding you'd rather not row yourselves, you start to ask around to see if you can't find someone looking to make a few coins to take you out there. As the docks are quite busy early in the morning, it doesn't take you long to come across a stern-looking dwarven woman busy offloading fishing gear from a small skiff.
She eyes you thoughtfully at the request, her eyes going out towards your destination, then back again.
"You want me to take the lot of ya from here." He hitches a thumb out towards the Lionfish. "Ta there?"
"Back too?" She does not stop hauling out the equipment as she talks.
Finally she nods. "Five gold. One way." She agrees, not even asking for an explanation of any sort.
"Though gotta get the nets out, if you want all of ya in." She adds, unloading more gear.
The dwarf woman accepts Jones' assistance and extra gold without comment.
"Smulwarts" she says, as he asks her name. "Smulwarts Gultrock."
She holds up one hand, showing a missing pinky finger. "Learned to leave the ale 'til after the fishin' is done, long ago." she adds.
It takes a few minutes to finish removing the nets, and loading everyone on board. The boat is well-maintained, but the fish smell is rather obvious, and you are all jammed in a little tight on the deck.
Smulwarts does not seem concerned, as she unties the boat from the dock, and guides it out into the harbor, heading towards the Lionfish.
The voyage doesn't take long at all, about ten minutes, and your dwarven ferryman doesn't say much the entire time, nor does she seem curious why you're going out there, instead, she slowly guides the boat to come in on the Lionfish's port side, away from the city, dropping the sail early, and gliding in the last few yards.
As you approached, you did manage to note there are people on deck, a couple of sailors, at least. Though none of them payed any attention to the fishing boat as it past them, nor noticed it circling in behind to ride up to them on seaward side, just as the patrolling crewmen have passed by.
Unfortunately, climbing up onto the boat will probably not be nearly so quiet, given it won't be long 'til they come around again.
Smulwarts reaches beneath one of the benches, and pulls out a grappling hook on a rope.
"Five gold rental fee." She offers, to Malusha.
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Finally remembering to use her head just a little bit, Nella takes some precautions as Smulwarts guides the boat swiftly towards their destination. Drawing out a familiar wand, she waves it over the party.
"There! Every little bit helps!"
Once they pull up next to the Lionfish Nella anxiously waits her turn to board the boat, hoping they can all move quickly enough to get aboard before the patrol or whoever they were come around again.
_______
As expected, though Smulwarts managed to get the boat in close without being detected, once you start climbing aboard, it is no longer a quiet process. As Jones clambers quickly up the side, a man up on the quarterdeck suddenly notices. He swears loudly, and starts shouting a warning. One hand fumbles at his belt for a moment, and produces a familiar-looking, goo-deploying, bag which he tosses down at the uninvited boarder. In his surprise and haste however, his aim is way off and it sails completely over Jones' head, splashing harmlessly into the water below.
You see another man on the main deck further along the rail, and another across the deck on the starboard side. Before either of them can react however, Masym appears right behind Jones on the main deck, followed quickly by Phoebee and Nella.
Behind them, Malusha floats up from the skiff ignoring the climb entirely, as he levitates into view.
Only Wei Tchak fails to make the Lionfish's main deck, as he sorts out the grappling hook, before the rest of the crew leaps into action. Both the remaining sailors rush across the deck, calling out warnings, as they try to push you back, drawing cutlasses as they go. One slashes at Jones, while the other targets Masym... but neither manages to land a blow.
As Wei Tchak reaches the rail, a hatch on the bow of the ship bursts open, and a fourth sailor climbs out, looking around trying to see what's going on.
- Round 2 ---------
Jones <-------- we are here!
yellow
Nella, Masym, Phoebee, Malusha
blue, pink, green
Wei Tchak
Jones is up!
Everyone is aboard... (well, technically Malusha isn't... but he's at the level of the lower deck rail)
Note: You needed your hands free to climb up, so none of you have a weapon out at the moment (except Malusha if he wants).
,
Jones' bow appears with lightning quickness and he knocks and fires an arrow at the man in front of him, almost as fast. The sailor tries to hack at him while he does so, but the swing is easily knocked aside, and the man takes the arrow to the chest for his trouble.
The man up on the quarterdeck, quickly pulls out a crossbow, and fires it at Malusha, hovering off the side of the ship. As the bolt sinks deeply into the cleric's leg, he then ducks down out of sight behind the hatch in front of him.
- Round 2 ---------
Jones
yellow
Nella, Masym, Phoebee, Malusha (-10) <-------- we are here!
blue (-15), pink, green
Wei Tchak
Bold can go!
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Nella looks at Phoebee askance as she falls back to an old stand-by, conjuring a ghostly glaive to do her share of the dirty work that is now at hand. She then steps back next to Phoebee, trying to open a path for Tchak once he makes it on board.
Subtle...like a brick!
Directed by Nella, the glaive appears next to Blue and swings, perhaps drawing some of his attention away from Jones!
Masym fends off his assailants attacks with a counterattack of his own, cutting a long gash along the man's arm, but failing to hit anything more critical.
Behind him, Nella summons another spiritual glaive to harry the man trying to stab Jones. He gives a startled yelp as the ghostly weapon appears, but manages to duck beneath its initial swing.
As Phoebee starts an odd, though strangely inspiring tune, Malusha fires his crossbow at the man up on the foredeck. Unfortunately, the whole experience of levitation is somewhat new too him, and the recoil from the shot starts him spinning clockwise, totally throwing off his aim, and his bolt sails over the man's head.
,
,
The sailor that came up from below-decks starts yelling commands at the others, telling them to work together. In response, the man fighting Jones steps towards the rail, and waits long enough for the one on Masym to shift targets, before both of them attack the archer at the same time! Jones is able to dodge the first sailor's attack, but it leaves him open to the one from behind, as the second thrusts his cutlass beneath Jones' breastplate, deep into his lower back . Blood starts to gush everywhere as he pulls the blade back out again!
The newly arrived man gives a satisfied nod when he sees the first two doing as he said, and he then moves up to join the assault on Jones.
"You prigs picked the wrong boat ta try'n commandeer." He growls, as he swings his weapon.
Still reeling from the wound to his back, Jones can't quite dodge this slash either, and the cutlass opens a long gash across his cheek, barely missing his eye!
- Round 2 ---------
Wei Tchak <-------- we are here!
- Round 3 ---------
Jones (-25, bleeding)
yellow
Nella, Masym, Phoebee, Malusha (-10)
blue (-15), pink (-7), red
Wei Tchak and Jones are up!
As Wei Tchak summons a thick patch of magical grease beneath their feet, the sailors quickly adjust. Used to the pitching and yawing deck of a seagoing vessel, both of them manage to keep their footing with far more ease than the tengu had hoped.
- Round 3 ---------
Jones (-25, bleeding) <-------- we are here!
yellow
Nella, Masym, Phoebee, Malusha (-10)
blue (-15), pink (-7), red
Wei Tchak
Jones is up!
Blood flowing freely from the wound on his back, Jones steps away from three men ganging up on him, and fires two quick arrows. The first catches his original tormentor right between the eyes... his look of momentary triumph suddenly one of shocked surprise before he goes flying backwards, his body sliding across the greasy section of deck to come to a halt against the gunwale. The second arrow hits the newest pirate in the shoulder, sinking in deeply as he grunts in pain.
,
"We got 'em pinned down, Mumbuckle, sir!" Yells the man on the quarterdeck, as he leaps expertly down to join the fray, his cutlass coming down towards Masym's head. The Pathfinder only just barely manages to throw himself to the side in time to avoid it.
You see a new figure appear on the upper deck, from somewhere out of your line of sight and climbs up onto the upper hatch. It is a small frog-like humanoid with orange skin and big bulbous eyes. A grippli! He wears studded leather armor and has a bandolier across his chest full of vials of various sizes.
He observes the situation for a moment, his amphibious features hard to read, then pulls off one of the vials. Shaking it vigorously for a second, he then launches it with expert precision towards Wei Tchak. It hits the tengu square in the chest and suddenly he finds himself awash in a strange substance that chills him to his very core ! The strange icy fluid splashes on everyone nearby and causes an icy film to form along the rail. Jones, Nella, Phoebee and Malusha feel some of the chill that overtakes the tengu
- Round 3 ---------
Jones (-25, bleeding)
yellow, Mumbuckle
Nella, Masym, Phoebee, Malusha (-10) <-------- we are here!
pink (-7), red (-16)
Wei Tchak (-15)
Active Buffs: Bless (+1 to hit), Inspire Courage (+1 to hit/damage)
Game on! Bold can go!
No strangers to cold, most of you easily shake off the worst of the grippli's frosty bomb.
Deciding that solid ground might work a little better, Malusha pulls himself on board and quickly reloads his weapon. He will notice that the skiff is no longer down below, Smulwarts apparently moving it away once you were aboard. It does mean you have nowhere to retreat to now.
Masym, recognizing he is suddenly in a rather vulnerable position, quickly dodges around the sailor to his left, deftly avoiding both pirates' blows. He comes in on the far side leading with his sword, adding a second gash to go with the previous one he already gave the man, this one far more serious.
- Round 3 ---------
Jones (-27, bleeding)
yellow, Mumbuckle
Nella (-2/-5), Masym, Phoebee (-2), Malusha (-12) <-------- we are here!
pink (-20), red (-16)
Wei Tchak (-15)
The ladies left to go!
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Nella hisses as the chill from the grippli's bomb sinks into her and leaves a dull ache in her joints, though she's thankful that it's not any worse than it is. Recognizing a new, dangerous threat she turns her attention to the grippli, directing her glaive to fly forward and strike!
Following up the glaive's attack, she begins casting and points a finger at the pernicious frogman and utters a command: "Fall!"
______
Phoebee stands her ground, still singing about parading goats, as she swings her glaive at the pirate to her left. The man, despite still standing on unsteady footing in the grease, manages to duck her blow, as it goes harmlessly over his head.
Nella has a glaive of her own, a manifestation of her goddess' divine will, and she sends that will hurtling across the deck, straight for the grippli hurling bombs from the quarterdeck. Focused on the invaders below, he does not see it coming until it is too late, as the spiritual weapon slashes him deeply. He lets out a strange, high-pitched, croaking sound in response.
At the same time, Nella shouts a single word up at the grippli, the note seeming to echo across the deck, almost palpable. Unfortunately, it does not appear to have any affect the grippli at all, as he ignores her command entirely.
Two of the sailors on deck seem badly wounded, and both of them take steps to try to help themselves. The first one, having just dodged Phoebee's swing, uses the grease to his advantage, dodging and sliding backwards out of her reach, and around behind the main mast to get some cover from missile fire. He pulls a potion off of his belt as he goes.
The second man, trying to staunch the bleeding from Masym's strike, tries a similar tactic, intent on getting out of Phoebee's reach as he too draws a potion, but his wounds are more severe, and his ability to dodge nimbly not quite as deft as his crewmate, giving Phoebee the chance to strike she was hoping for.
Jones' wounds continue to bleed, a bloody pool starting to form at his feet.
- Round 3 ---------
Wei Tchak (-15) <-------- we are here!
- Round 4 ---------
Jones (-29, bleeding)
yellow, Mumbuckle (-8)
Nella (-2), Masym, Phoebee (-2), Malusha (-12)
pink (-20), red (-16)
Wei Tchak and Jones are up!