Zack attempts to maneuver the provided kayak to the funeral ship.
The party slowly and quietly paddles their kayaks up to the deck of the longship, which has been built up with planks over the old rowing benches, creating a space belowdecks. It appears that the funerary treasures have been placed in this hold, as the deck is empty save for a silent, shrouded form resting atop a bier in front of the mast, surrounded by stacked wood. A leather sack sits atop small pile of sand at the base of the bier, the glow of flame and wisps of smoke escaping from it.
"It seems we may not be alone. I hear chains below."
"Shall we take a look?" Zack asks the others quietly while readying his bow for any surprises.
Terflynn draws some alchemist's fire, then thinks better of it and draws a bottle of lightning. "Who's going first?"
The party drops to the hold of the ship, finding many goods stacked below. You also see a chain tied to the mast that leads to the stern behind a pile of boxes and goods, where a slight mist has crept through the boat to obscure vision at that far end.
Miso peers into the mist, concentrating with detect magic up.
Jennix peers down toward the far end. "Is that our man back there." He whispers.
"I sense that something is... amist." Terflynn says as he attempts to detect poison in the area.
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Miso and Terflynn detect neither poison nor magic but as they work their spells a pile of boxes suddenly tumbles over to reveal a barnacle-encrusted walking corpse that looks like a zombie but is dripping with water and gives off a nauseating stench!
"I really hope that is not our guy."
Zack says before loosing a pair of arrows at the creature.
"I fear the worst. Well, something unfortunate regardless."
"Clubs or edged swords, no fire! Watch for it's drain attack!"
No fire... damn.
Terflynn casts Mage Armor upon himself and then moves into a better position.
Zach puts an arrow into the approaching undead warrior but his arrow seems less effective.
The undead Snorri lumbers across the bilge, pulling out a greataxe and dripping water as he makes his way towards Miso.
Terflynn casts Web in an attempt to ensnare the zombie.
Miso will activate Arcane Strike and flurry on the monster.
He will then five-foot to the side to let Jennix through.
Terflynn grapples the undead in a web and Miso punches him in the head.
Drawing his morningstar and handaxe, Jennix steps up and attacks the creature.
Zack begins firing through the melee at the undead creature.
Jennix swings but misses while Zachary's arrows fly wide.
Unable to swing his axe, Snorri tries to slam Jennix!
Terflynn draws his dagger and moves in towards the zombie, trying to touch it with a hexing hand.
,
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Jennix swings twice, trying for a one, two strike of bludgeoning and slashing!
Miso will activate Arcane Strike again and flurry! Rolls do not account for foe being grappled nor for any cover.
Terflynn blasts the undead with positive energy while Miso punches the undead, his magical fists popping the head right off!
A quick search reveals that neither Ulf Gormundr nor the sword Suisen is present on the ship. The funerary goods stacked in the hold are worth several thousand gold pieces, but many are bulky and nearly impossible to carry off the ship quickly and stow away in kayaks.
As you look about the treasure, one stands out: a beautiful Ulfen helmet with gold inlays and backswept wings mounted to its sides-a true viking treasure. As you take in this and the other sights, however, you suddenly hear a loud "whump" on the deck above, followed by the familiar crackling of wood as the boat begins to catch fire.
Jennix scrambles to get off the flaming ship, he eys darting over the goods as he goes. Counting on luck, he grabs a few choice items.
Terflynn grabs something close and keeps moving.
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With some distaste, Miso looks around and takes the least Ulfen thing he sees.
He then moves deliberately to the top deck.
Zack grabs an item and heads for the top deck as well.
The party clambers back up top to find that the wooden bier has become fully alight and burns brightly at midship. Beyond it in the water you can see the kayaks that brought you here cut loose and drifting out of reach. Tied off at the stern of the ship are two canoes, into which a group of black-clad, masked figures are quickly clambering until they spot you emerging from below!
Dropping the item he just picked up, Zack takes a couple of shots at the enemies in the canoes below.
Only a ninja can sneak up on another ninja!
Zachary quickly puts two arrows into one of the black-masked men; he lets out a yell and falls back into the water, sinking fast.
The other ninjas move up, drawing shortbows, and fire back at the party!
Terflynn takes an arrow, but responds by summoning a burning ball where a ninja stands.
Calling on his luck, Jennix steps north and fires an arrow at the northernmost ninja!
Zack takes a step to the side and sends another two arrows at the closest threat.
Miso five-foots, draws his wand of scorching ray, and discharges one at N4.
Terflynn slams a ball of flame into one of the ninjas, who clearly didn't pay attention during evasion training. Jennix puts an arrow into one of them while Zachary's arrows hit the water beyond. Miso sends a scorching ray at the already-burned ninja and finishes burning him up!
The ninjas fire off two more shots before dropping their bows and advancing on the party from opposite sides, drawing sianghams along the way.
Miso will five-foot to stand in front of the elf, then let fly with another scorching ray, this time at N3.
His unfamiliarity with the way a boat moves on water causes him to miss, however. With a steely glare, he activates Arcane Strike on his unarmed strike and prepares to fight.
Terflynn directs his flaming sphere towards a ninja before trying to put him to sleep.
Zack looses two more arrows at the northern enemy.
Miso's jet of flame fizzles against the water, adding to the fog of the area. This time the ninja is prepared for the flaming sphere but less prepared for the absolute exhaustion caused by leaping out of the way. With two arrows to the chest, Zach brings the other ninja to his doom.
Removing their masks reveals that they are Tien men and one woman, though there is nothing else to further identify them.
Aura faint conjuration and transmutation; CL 3rd
Slot none; Price 75- gp; Weight -
These small grenades are made from hollowed eggshells filled with assorted powders and reagents and inscribed with magical glyphs. When broken, a fugitive's grenade creates a 10-foot-radius cloud that lasts for 2 rounds. This cloud is otherwise identical to a fog cloud. A single smoke tendril in the center of the cloud forms a solid-feeling rope, 20 feet long, that functions as a rope trick spell. When the smoke cloud dissipates, so does the smoke rope, though the rope trick's extradimensional space remains for its full duration. Once the smoke rope disperses, any creatures inside the extradimensional space must jump or climb out by other means. A fugitive's grenade may be thrown as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet.
Jennix helps loot the bodies and readies to get back in the kayak.
Miso joins in looting the bodies quickly, then makes sure everyone else gets into the kayaks before he does.
Terflynn picks up his treasure, loots the bodies, and goes for the boats.
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Zack scoops up the remaining treasure and follows the others to the boats.
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While identifying the gear afterwords, the party notes a faint aura of divination and a moderate good aura on the helm.
"This helmet lives. It is an angel of a sort."
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Although Terflynn confirms that the helmet is indeed a living creature, it seems unresponsive for the moment and the party is left with no choice except to stick to the original plan and head to the shrine of Shelyn where they are to meet Uksahkka.
The sounds of screams and the crashing of tumbling masonry roll down the street over the normal noises of the crowd. Ahead, above the press, the shrine of Shelyn slowly sways and then collapses into the street, dumping its facade of stone and mortared brick on those unfortunates below, resulting in another wave of screams of pain and fear.
As you draw nearer, you see a large figure made of earth and stone pounding away at the building and quickly reducing it to rubble.
Lying in the rubble is an old priest, who looks slightly wounded but nonetheless unconscious.