With the explosion, Ianna emerges on to the deck.
"What is happening?"
"We pursue a slave ship."
"That's the plan", Bjorkus says in reply to Toramin's suggestion. "Luthor keep the Storm on the target. Everyone else crossbows at the ready. Only fire on the mines we can't avoid. Don't waste your shot."
One volley flies out and takes two of the barrels, blowing them up, but two of them float closer. The four men on that side take aim and another one blows up, although the one is getting uncomfortably close. One sailor nonchalantly raises his bow. "Aye, I got this one." Then with a horrible twang his string snaps. Luthor cuts the wheel hard and the barrel only lightly grazes up against the Storm before he puts her back on course. A few minutes later she's in position to attack.
Ianna turns to Dalton, "Can you knock those casks aside with your magic?"
Dalton frowned at the call to engage the vessel. It wasn't the act of aggression, but rather the unknowns in the process. They could have soldiers, weapons, fragile cargo ... Nethys knows what!
The transmuter looked for a more innovative solution as the mines were laid to waste. He turned to Rilka. "Miss Featherfeet, I have a proposition for you. If you can create an elixir of invisibility, I could invoke flight upon you. That way, you may board unabated and rend much of their siege weapons useless. Perhaps plant a seed or two of chaos."
Getting to the ship unhindered was his largest concern.
”I like it”, Bjorkus rumbles in agreement with Dalton’s suggestion. ”Rilka, get aboard and make sure they’re not packin’ any surprises. The rest of you sods be ready with the grapples and prepare to board!”
”Regrettably I don’t know a formula for invisibility. It’s a great plan otherwise.” Rilka looks across the waves to the boat in the distance. She looks disappointed. ”That’s one of the next formulae I wanted to procure when I have the funds.”
"Would your blend extract work?"
Rilka grins and shakes her outstretched hand back and forth. ”It helps stealthy movement, so I couldn’t move very fast. Usually moving about half as fast as you walk is the best speed. The flight speed may affect this. A swimming extract for you is a good idea.” She begins adding bits of reagents to a vial and mutters under her breath.
"That will have to do then. As dangerous as it might seem, I imagine knowing what they have to shoot at us and getting rid of some of it would be better than heading in unknown."
”What do you think, maybe when the ships are about a third of a mile apart I take a slow flight? Is that too close? Oh I mean a land-mile, not a nautical mile. I’m still don’t have a feel for the latter.”
She finishes an extract and hands the vial to Toramin. ”I better make a swimming one for me too. Same with a shield. I like this idea. Sneak over there. Reconnoiter. Try to disable their weapons. ”
For a moment, Rilka stares at the waves the ship is cutting through. ”Ah! But I’m forgetting we’re both moving. How fast are we going? Could I catch the ship?”
Rilka studies their ship’s speed for a few more moments. ”I think it’s possible. Stealthy approach by flight.” She begins making a blend extract. Once it’s ready, she double checks her gear to make sure she has everything.
”I’ll make some other extracts now, just in case I need some extra defense.” Two minutes later, she tucks the vials in her belt. She watches the two ships get to within about 400 yards. ”Okay, I think I’m ready Dalton.”
Once she can fly, she’ll zip around the ship twice, drink her blend extract and start flying to the slaver ship, about ten feet above the water.
After a few minutes Rilka lands on the boat and nobody seems to raise an alarm. The captain is a towering tiefling with curled horns and a ragged jawline. His deep base echoes across the boat. "Ready cannons! Raise the small sails and get Slippy up here, we need to know who's chasing us!" There's a scramble of activity on the ship while Rilka sits in silence.
I need to find out who Slippy is. Sounds like a sea-wizard. Disable those cannons. Free the slaves. Distraction...fire? Cut ropes to the sail? Rilka knows she doesn’t have much time before the fly spell ends. She’ll sit, paying special attention to the cannons and how to enter the hold. She also gets a head count of the slavers.
Rilka sees two entrances to the hold, and the cannons are all down there. There are five slaves on the upper deck but Rilka assumes there are many more below. After a few seconds a stick-thin human slowly steps above deck. He covers his eyes as if the sun hurts them and shuffles over to the captain. "Slippy. Find out who's behind us. Numbers, artillery, everything. And be quick about it." Slippy nods and shuffles back to a small cabin on the front end of the boat, closing the door behind him.
Oh great, a diviner, the halfling thinks. Time to disable the cannons. She moves slowly, her knees and hips take the ship’s rolling motion. As she approaches the cannons, she eases her breathing, attempting to quiet her body. She stands still for a moment looking at the cannon for any weaknesses.
Rilka starts sneaking over to get to the cannons when her foot catches a sword and sends it skidding across the planks of the ship. Immediately half the crew turns and notices her and starts shouting. "Spy!" "Stowaway!" "Get her!" Rilka quickly flies off of the ship and wings a bullet off of the captain's face, causing him to grunt in surprise and anger as she escapes.
”I failed,” Rilka explains as she lands on the deck of the Raging Storm. ”As I moved to sabotage the cannons, I inadvertently kicked a sword across the deck. Just managed to take a shot at the captain. A tiefling. There’s a diviner named Slippy as well. Probably scrying on us as we speak.” She turns her attention back to the slaver ship for a moment and shakes her head. ”It’s going to be a much harder fight now. I’m sorry about that.”
”At least you’re back in one piece”, Bjorkus grunts when Rilka returns born on unseen wings. ”Don’t worry yourself over it too much. This won’t be our first time chargin’ into fire.”
A few more minutes pass and the storm is close enough to start firing. The big deep-voiced tiefling steps to the back of the boat and barks out across the water. "Bjorkus son of Bjorkus lives! You would think a son would tell his father of his survival instead of attacking his old friends. Have you no honor, or has your time amongst the land dwellers deformed your mind?"
”The old bull will find out I’m alive when it’s time Tsirion”, Bjorkus bellow across the water. ”My head’s just fine but my time in the Akropash arena showed me some things – like the fact that no man should be forced to live in chains. Turn over the cargo and you and your crew are free to go. Fight me on this and I can’t promise you’ll be so lucky”, the bull warns.
"That's Tsirion Ragnalel", Bjorkus explains in a lower voice for his friends. "He's got some honor. Maybe he'll back down."
He gives a deep, booming laugh. "You have gone soft, little calf. Run along before I am forced to bring Bjorkus the head of his son."
Bjorkus snorts and gestures to the crew, signaling Aisha and the crew working with her to fire when ready. "Have if your way."
Aisha grins and raises her hand, then lowers it in a quick swipe. "FIRE!"
.
.
.
With a splintering of wood first blood is drawn at the other vessel. Orders start being shouted as the other ship begins wheeling around to line up its side to the Storm. Aisha grimaces as two slots slide open for cannons. "Captain, we aren't going to win a siege against them, they have a bigger boat and more firepower!"
"I'm not plannin' to beat 'em in a gun fight. We're movin' in to board", Bjorkus reminds the crew.
"Full speed ahead! Grapples at the ready! Aisha see if you can take out some of the crew manning their guns."
As the ships approach, Rilka makes a spider climb extract and drinks it immediately. She doesn’t know if Slippy can hear them and wants to discuss tactics for the upcoming fight when a deep voice blasts across the water.
She listens to the taunting, viewing it as a means to mentally prepare for combat.
”I can attempt to free the slaves during the chaos. Jump over board, swim around to the other side, climb into a port hole and unlock their chains. Or instead I can just attack their back ranks. I’ll start the fight in the crow’s nest. Once the ships are grappled together, I’ll try to make my move.”
She climbs up the mast as if it’s as simple as walking on a sidewalk.
Toramin drinks his shield extract and the touch of the sea extract as they close. He prepares to board the other vessel.
The two cannons on the enemy ship fire, one spraying up water but the other splintering into the side of the Storm. Aisha manages to put a bullet right through a hole and wound one of the men on the cannons, but it looks like the man is still up.
Ianna blesses Rilka with a Shield of Faith on Rilka. "Sweet goddess of Love, turn your eyes upon your daughter Rilka. May your loving regard ward away the blows of the wicked."
Then she calls upon protection for herself. [b]"No sling nor stone can mar the beauty of the dancing goddess."[/ooc]
The smaller, nimbler boat has no trouble outmaneuvering the heavily-laden craft and the boards are thrown down.
Toramin makes every effort to be first across the boards and into the thick of battle.
The sound of cannons was much to real for Dalton. Despite all the combat he'd seen lately, the act of being fired upon got to his nerves. I might never see the end coming. An odd thought perhaps from one who'd died to an ambush, but one he thought nonetheless. Thus it was he was actually relieved when the boards were laid. Oh, but there are swords now, I suppose...
Not that he intended to draw one. He did, however, intend to aid his allies' skill with them by accelerating their swings.
Including Toramin and a half-dozen of the others looking most ready to board, the wizard bent time to their favor. He didn't want to call attention to himself as there was little firm cover on a ship that could sink.
With a chorus of bloodthirsty roars the crew of The Raging Storm shakes and bangs their weapons as they start crossing to the other ship. The massive brute of a tiefling unsheathed a pair of axes and roars his defiance as the two groups clash. Bloody Seg leaps into the fray almost suicidally ahead of the others and starts carving a path. Aisha rains hell against their ranged fighters while the magic users sow chaos and discord through debilitating and damaging spells.
Bjorkus's lieutenants with Toramin at the center of the frontline push forward. Talev's Legacy rings the fall of pirate after pirate, lashing out with ruthless brutality. Ianna stays back and keeps her bolstering magic ready, always releasing healing magic whenever a crew member starts getting seriously injured. Dalton stands with her and manipulates time and reality, shaping the battle to their favor while looking like a spectator. Bjorkus stands just behind the front line, bolstering the group with inspiration and cutting down anybody that gets through the line. Rilka takes a few shots, then jumps into the water and climbs around to the back of the boat.
The tiefling makes bloody arcs around him and sends people fleeing, although Ianna keeps his victims alive. He grimaces as he sees the losing battle. A half elf with tattoos raises his arms and makes the wood underneath the crew reach up and grab them, holding them fast in place. He smiles as another half elf that looks just like him steps up and sets fire to The Raging Storm with a word. A gaunt human slowly shuffles out of a cabin and points at Bjorkus, causing him to see nothing but stars momentarily. They start pushing back against the assault.
Ianna and some of the back line hurry to put out the fire, her ability to summon water making it a much easier job. Dalton starts crippling their captain, causing him to move slower and slower. Then Rilka suddenly climbs up the backside of the boat, and carefully lines up the two half-elves before putting one bullet through both of their heads. The wood breaks away and their captain seems to weaken even further.
The battle mops up quickly from there. Their captain grudgingly surrenders after another minute of heated battle, throwing down his weapons as he pants and bleeds from a dozen wounds. The thin human looks absolutely terrified, and those in their crew who aren't dead or unconscious follow their captain's lead.
Masterwork Breastplate
Masterwork Dagger
Pearl of Power (1st level)
Cloak of Resistance +1
4500gp in a locked strongbox in various coinage
Assorted mundane equipment worth 1000gp
Bjorkus bellows a victory roar and holds Tyrantbreaker high as he pushes his way through the bloody crowd of pirate and pirate-associates.
Making his way to the kneeling Tsirion, the bull lowers his weapon and stares down the burly tiefling. "You put up a good fight but it's over. I'll be taking the slaves and whatever else you got in the hold. I'd take your ship too if I wasn't already late gettin' my passengers to their destination", Bjorkus rumbles in explanation. "But first I need some information before I leave."
"Where'd you get the slaves, where were you takin' 'em, and who was involved? Help me out and I'll leave you with enough crew to make it back to port."
He nods as he holds one of his worse wounds. "Aye, fair enough. I can recover from one lost shipment. I'm sure that word of your survival will buy me some favor anyways." He grimaces and shifts his weight. "The slave game is changing since Akropash fell. The demand for slaves in the south is plummeting and in the north it's rising, so I'm bringing them up. Mostly a business decision really, just another shipment of goods to where the demand for it is. Samirite's idea." He looks at Bjorkus for a moment before shaking his head. "That's right, you've been out of the game. Samirite's a new one, he's gained a lot of power in very little time. He is one of those fish people, breathes underwater. Ruthless as the sea is cold."
"Samirite, eh? Sounds like another fool lookin' to get his ass kicked", Bjorkus rumbles in reply. "In any case, I suggest you start lookin' for business elsewhere. Slavery's comin' under fire in Yenrick and her waters are no different. Do me a favor and pass the word along when you tell 'em I'm alive", the bull laughs as he gestures for Tsirion's men to be released.
Bjorkus stays on the captured vessel until the slaves are transported to the Storm along with the booty.
"You're a good captain and a better pirate Tsirion. Maybe next time we'll be on the same side."
Toramin frowns as he listens to the pirate captain. He was not thrilled that the man would keep his boat, especially since he seemed eager to recommit his crimes. However, Toramin did not want to argue with Bjorkus especially in front of outsiders.
"Make better choices."
Turning to Bjorkus, he asks,
"Should we take the cannons as well? Those could be both useful, valuable, and prevent him from turning them on us."
"It's not that easy to take apart a cannon and move it. It'd take hours even for a skilled shipwright and we wouldn't have much use for 'em. Aisha's the only crew member skilled with siege weapons. We can take their ammunition if you're worried but I don't think Tsirion will try anything, he knows he's beat."
After tending to the wounded, Ianna examines the magical items paying special attention to the pearl of power and the cloak of protection.
Toramin gets into so much trouble and he doesn't have this particular ward yet.
Her hands test the fabric, but she doesn't claim it. She had seen that Bjorkus was hyperaware of anything that might be taken as a challenge to his authority. It would be better to talk to him about it later.
"They are valuable. You have need of the coin, and I have worked on cannons before. I can take them apart and reassemble them. I prefer to deal with certainties then intuition."
Tsirion shakes his head. "We ain't the stealing kind here, just transporters. Cannons are to defend ourselves and nothing more. I wouldn't take a shot at your either, that's just spiteful and stupid."
Bjorkus considers Toramin's council.
"I'm not gunna cut the Maw loose just to leave her defenseless. Take one cannon and most of the ammo. And do it quick as you can."
Tsirion grimaces. "You want a cannon? That's a lot of lost money and an entire day's worth of work just to move it over. Can your wizard move it?"
"The dwarf says he can do it quicker. I trust him."