Sera does not acknowledge Ruke’s comment, but the sound of teeth grinding can be heard from her direction as she scans the area.
While he looks about, the paladin occasionally attempts to sense evil, maybe there is some fell presence unseen, or a residue of same
Sera: Through the windows at the east of the room, you see Yargin running down the walkway outside the building, apparently headed for the old boat anchored to the back of the fishery.
Krojun: Giggles's flail is ordinary.
Sera's arm shoots out, pointing at the window to the east. "The bastid is trying to escape by boat!" she yells, dashing off after the man.
You clearly saw on your way to the fishery that said boat is a big wreck covered in moss and barnacles. Were it not anchored as a makeshift addition to the fishery, it would most likely collapse on its own.
[ooc]The best way would be finding what leads to that side door on the right side of the fishery and going down the walkway from there.
Sera veers in the direction she thinks will get her to the side door the fastest.
Silvio follows in hot pursuit!
Giving chase, Sera throws the southeastern door to the room open, leading into a small office, where a wooden desk is propped against the southwestern door as a makeshift barricade. A second door leads the the walkway on the eastern side of the building, leading to the outside catwalk.
When the party reaches the walkway, Yargin is nowhere in sight, but the sound of a splash, then footsteps, and finally, a door, can be heard coming from the space between the fishery and the water.
The boardwalk, winding around the building, is about ten feet above the water's surface, and appears rather worn out.
Sera steps out onto the walkway without a problem, but when Silvio steps onto it, right on her heels, the old wood gives a loud and rather unsettling creak.
Staryth follows as quickly as he may
Spotting what she hopes will be a shortcut, Sera slides through a narrow gap between the ship and the fishery. He must not escape me, Abadar please, let me catch him!
. Silvio has no idea where Sera is going, but follows her anyway into the gap (without running into her, of course).
Looking down the space, you see a second pier below the one you're on, just about at water height. It extends to the base of the old boat on one end and out of view into the few feet of space that separate the fishery's floor from the water's surface on the other. In the water, near one of the barnacle-covered pillars supporting the fishery, an old wooden ladder floats in the water, fresh ripples around it making it clear that it's been knocked down in the last few seconds.
Sera, with her great perception, easily notices some underwater movement: A shark, agitated by the sudden splashing near its water, has risen into activity in the water below...
As the party all walk onto the walkway, it gives louder and louder creaks and begins to buckle ever slightly...
Silvio takes a look at the boat to see if it might offer an alternative path of entry.
Ruke speaks up as he notices the walkway protesting to the combined weight of the group, "Mayhap we should take this path one by one till we reach the boat over there, I'm thinking this baby is none too stable." As he says this he moves back slowly to the door and removes his almost insubstantial weight from the wooden walkway.
"Does anyone have rope?"
The boat has no gangplank. However, you notice a very faint outline of a door built into the hull of the ship, mostly hidden by moss and the occasional barnacle. Its state makes it clear that the door hasn't been opened in quite a while.
Going in through the deck and out that door would bring you to the lower pier without having to take a swim. On the other hand, who knows what lurks inside that ship.
When Ruke steps back into the fishery, the groaning and creaking becomes just a little less intense, but still alarmingly present...
Observing the lower level, you note the presence of a small rowboat, big enough for one or two people, tied to the underpier.
Obvious means of going down:
1. Door in the hull of the ship, going through. The ship's name, though mostly faded, is still readable: "The Kraken's Folly"
2. If someone can go down to the lower level, using rope or perhaps risking an encounter with the shark, they could bring back the rowboat or prop the ladder back up, allowing the rest of the party passage.
The paladin takes the rope, "We might be able to have one of our more agile members lower down and then tie it off?"
Sera's keen eyesight notices the door in the side of the boat, and trundles over there to give it a look see. Assuming she can try to get it open, she'll begrudgingly wait for some of the others to catch up before heading in.
With the risk of shark infested waters, going on the ship's deck, down into the hold, and out onto the lower pier through the hidden door on the hull. The party is now gathered on the walkway parallel to the boat, which appears to be sturdier and doesn't threaten to buckle.
The rotten deck of the this ancient barge seems to be barely intact, its hull worn and thick with seaweed and barnacles. The barge is held together primarily by the layers of old rope that lash it securely to the pilings that support the fishery and the nearby boardwalk. A single wooden door leading into the aft cabin bears a crude painting of a red fish on its surface.
Looking over the boat, Sera smiles as she fingers the ropes holding the barge together. "What say we sever these ropes and let the gods judge this man by sending his home to the depths? Anyone have a hand axe or similar slashing impliment?"
.
As Krojun steps onto the deck to reach the door, the old rotten wood immediately gives under his weight.
Off balance, he falls into the lower deck, landing flat on his back, the blow knocking the wind out of him. In the darkness, the hiss of several spiders can be heard.
From the darker corners of the hold, four brown spiders the size of housecats quickly crawl out of the darkness and pounce onto his form.
Two of them score hits on exposed skin, dealing one damage each.
However, their meager venom has no hope of affecting him a man of his size and toughness.
Krojun rises and shakes the spiders off of himself, before taking a mighty swing and accurately cleaving one of the vermin in half, throwing its remains against the hull.
Seeing Krojun vanish into the bowels of the ship, Sera heads in to support the burly man. Dropping down to the lower level, she catches her balance on the creaky boards before striking at a nearby spider.
Silvio dashes forward and drops into the lower deck.
"Gross, spiders!" He slashes at one molesting Krojun.
.
Staryth is less worried about elegance than his new allies getting hurt. He moves close enough to strike at a spider with his glaive and hopes for the best.