Gezza's warning proves wise as your descent reveals a half-dozen scaly humanoids with long, fish-like tails. Like the ones that attacked the Murder as it left Rickety's Squibs, their arms and legs end in webbed claws, and their piscine heads feature a toothy maw.
They clearly had planned an ambush, but your keen eyes spoiled it!
You hear what you sounds like blades thumping into flesh, as well as screams that seem to come from all around -- despite the fact that most of your companions don't seem to be able to hear them. They send a chill across your flesh, as if something bad were present.
Gezza hits the two in front of him with a color spray!
Rounds 1, Init 26
"Oh, looks like a good scrap, coming up," Cargas says, hefting his axe menacingly. "Let's see if they can take a hit."
Cargas steps up to the near baddie.
to hit; (two handed, PA, FFocus):
damage.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus,FE):
[ dice]1d20+7+2[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+6+2[/dice] damage.
Bud cringes at the sound of hacking flesh and hurries to dispatch the fishy threat. "You outta be able to cook these things better this time, eh Cargas?"
Round 1, Init 16
AC = 17
HP = 20/20
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect, Tiger(+2 Dex)
AC = 16
HP = 38/38
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect, Bear (+2 Con)
Nim shifts swiftly into a more feline form , waiting just long enough for Magilla to step up and threaten both of the fish-men.
Magilla swipes at the fish in front of him, several times, futilely.
Nim tries to plant an arrow into the fish-man directly in front of him.
If Gezza's potent magic proves successful on both counts, Magilla moves up on the middle fish still standing, while Nim snaps from where he is.
Cargas: 26
Budos: 25
Gezza: 16
Nimrod: 16
Sicarius: 11
?: 10
Antagonist: 3
Cargas steps forward, but he doesn't discover whether the sahuagin can take a hit as his axe goes wide in his haste. Budos has more luck, his axe driving deep as he pushes past Brood and the dwarf to find a target.
On the other side of the hold, Gezza descends the stairs and blasts two of the fish men with a spray of color, dropping the one in the center of the blast, though the nearest stays on his feet.
Nim and Magilla try to put the standing sahuagin down quickly, but the lingering affects of Gezza's spell throw off their aim as they try to blink away the bursts of light left by the magic colors.
Brood, taking advantage of his speed, pushes past both comrades and fish men into the center of the hold, blade coming alive with arcane might, though his cut is foiled by the tight quarters.
As you prepare to defend yourselves, the hold suddenly fills with shadowy figures, sailors of unknown origin, and more of the fish creatures. Their screams resound as blades seem to flash everywhere in furious battle -- cutting you, to your surprise! Fortunately, the sahuagin are just as affected, one collapsing under the weight of the new wounds and the one already hit by Budos being reduced to a bloody mess on the deck.
You believe this must be some sort of haunt.
Unfortunately, the two that are still on their feet continue their assault, stabbing with their tridents and biting with fanged maws.
S1: 9
S2: 9
S3: 9, unconscious
HP 13/22
"Besmara's Teats! Where did this lot come from?" He grunts as the trident and teeth do their bits, and he stumbles backwards, barely standing!
HP 1/22
"Blimey me, Its a ghost ship!" Budos growls as he continues to hack at the fishmen.
Rounds 2, Init 26
Will
"Oh, you dandy loving dandies! What was that!?" Cargas bellows angrily. "I ain't been violated like that since I was on my first sea voyage!"
He moves up to the near fishman, taking out his anger on it.
to hit; (two handed, PA, FFocus):
damage.
WarAxe attack (two handed, PA, FFocus,FE):
[ dice]1d20+7+2[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+4+6+2[/dice] damage.
Round 2, Init 16
AC = 17
HP = 6/25
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect, Tiger(+2 Dex)
AC = 16
HP = 19/38
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Animal Aspect, Bear (+2 Con)
"The hells was that?!" The half-orc takes another shot at a fish-man, then follows Gezza up the stairs, fearing for his life.
For the look of the ape, Nim barks something incoherent, commanding him to rip apart the stabbers, before debarking. The gorilla works from one to the other if he manages to down one on the first swing.
Gezza and Nim retreat upstairs, the latter taking just enough time to see Magilla finish off the two sahuagin standing in front of him, as Cargas and Brood close in, distracting them.
Brood, growling softly to himself in perhaps a surlier than usual mood, finishes off the unconscious fish man, simply and efficiently slitting its throat.
Cargas looks around for the thing that raped him silly.
"You guy see what done did that to my soul? It come took a piece of me, like I was a banana before the ape."
Perception
You don't see anything, Cargas.
Magilla bounds up the stairs, dropping the fish parts in front of him, and leaving the dark confines of the ship's interior in mutual fear of the shadow men's return. He finds Nim, and grasps at him, both to look over his pack mate for bleeding, as well as wiping his hands of the fishguts.
Gezza sighs deeply, holding his hand over the worst of the cuts. "'Fraid not, Cargas. Those blighters were a little busy taking pieces out of me for me to notice much."
Bud retreats with his crew mates, more than happy to escape the terror below decks.
Sicarius grunts in pain as one of the phantasms plunges its sword straight through his back and out the front of his abdomen. "Damn ghosts." Clutching his bleeding stomach with one hand and his cutlass in the other, he follows after Gezza and Nim to escape the hold of the ship.
HP: 8/27
AC: 22 (17 T / 15 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +4/+4/+4 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep)
Arcane Pool used: 1/6
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (3) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (2+1) - magic missile [ ], monkeyfish [ ], shield [ ]
Level 2 (0+1) - frigid touch [ ]
Ongoing Effects
You all retreat from the hold of the sinking ship, making it safely back to the deck, where several of your crew eye you quizzically, noting the blood, some yours, some not, covering each of you.
Sandara rushes over.
"What happened?" she asks, as she channels divine power, healing your cuts.
Gezza catches his breath. "Fish-men attack. But more threatening, ghostly crewmen. They came out and assaulted everyone, fish folk included. Can you ask Besmara to grant them rest, or some such?"
"What happened?" she asks, as she channels divine power, healing your cuts.
"What happened? WHAT HAPPENED!?" Cargas irks as he accepts Bermara's healing power. "I heard a noise like Sicarius snoring, but louder and slightly more grating, then it felt like a thousand blades done cut me up inside. Ain't nothing that I can see though."
"Brood doesn't snore," she rebuts. "Hell, he doesn't even sleep. As for what happened, sounds like it's the lingering spirits that the fish-men killed. Sometimes they don't rest easy if a death is violent enough. I can maybe calm them for a time..."
Gezza nods. "If you can calm it long enough for us to search belowdecks, I'd count it good enough." He turns to the others. "Heal up, lads. As soon as Sandara puts these ghosties to sleep, we need to search and search quick. Double-time, check the usual smugglers' holes and spots and get out. No time for dawdling, men."
Gezza will head downbelow and let Sandara put the haunt to sleep, then he'll join in the quick search of the usual spots for loot and booty.
Bud follows the captain back to the haunted ship after Sandara works her charms, although he remains distracted by the horrors they encountered earlier.
You warily make your way back down into the deck, but whatever animated the unquiet soldiers seems to have died along with the sahuagin you killed, and you have no need of Sandara's gifts.
Searching quickly nonetheless, you find few good that remain above the rapidly elevating water line, but one of the sahuagin does wear a necklace of golden coral and strange, silvery metal with blue-black whorls that could be worth some money to the right buyer (or merely look good around some wench's neck).
You believe the metal is deep platinum, a rare alloy characterized by blue-black whorls of an almost disturbing aspect, and virtually
unknown to those living above the surface of the sea. It is actually mined from platinum deposits in the deepest ocean trenches, where it is tainted by exposure to poisonous deep sea vents called “black smokers.” Only aboleths, krakens, or even stranger creatures of the ocean depths can recover this metal from these fathomless trenches. On land, deep platinum has the same value as normal platinum, but it is of inestimable value to undersea races such as the sahuagin, who often ascribe religious or magical qualities to the rare metal.
Leaving the doomed ship behind, you finish your journey to Bloodcove with no further incidents.
"Brood doesn't snore," she rebuts.
"How would you...oh, yeah...but that sound he makes is like the wailing of a wounded...oh, that's you? And him...oh...oh yeah...that makes sense. Anyway, it's a horrid racket," Cargas corrects as he thinks things through.
After the search, Cargas sets the crew to sailing again. He bosuns like a champ.
Not for the first time today, Brood's hand almost reflexively drifts to rest on the pommel of one of his several daggers as the image of Offal's split throat flashes unbidden through his mind. Rather than act on the impulse, Sicarius just furrows his brow a little deeper and shakes his head as he turns back for the Murder. "Bray all you like dwarf. Bray all you like."
"Bray all you like dwarf. Bray all you like."
"Don't encourage him, Besmara's barnacles, it's bad enough as it is." growls Budos.
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"Aw, are you jealous, Offal?" Sandara says, the smirk clearly heard in her voice as she saunters over toward Brood, pulling his head down for a long lingering kiss.
She turns back to the dwarf with a lavicious grin. "I'm sure when we get to Bloodcove, you can find a Calistrian to spend time with you. You may have to throw her a couple extra gold, though, for her to sound like she's actually enjoying herself."
She saunters off, swishing as if it's clear she expects you to be watching.
--
Once you reach port, most of you head for shore, though Nim agrees to remain on the ship with Magilla and a skeleton crew to make sure no one tries to make off with your ride.
Bloodcove lies on the western edge of the Mwangi Expanse. The local culture blends the traditions of Cheliax, the Shackles, and the native Mwangi people.
Bloodcove sits on the headwaters of the Vanji River, and much of the city rests atop the roots of massive mangrove trees. Wealth from the jungle interior flows through Bloodcove, making the dingy city
surprisingly wealthy. Prominent features in the city include the Witchlight Inn and Free Trade Square.
Retired Shackles pirates founded Bloodcove to enjoy their ill-gotten fortunes. As a free trade port, the only laws genuinely enforced are those that keep trade flowing.
Cargas seems intrigued by Sandara's promise of a good Calistrian.
"You paying for that?! I accept your offer," Cargas says grinning until he sees the races mix, elf and halfling. Then the smile fades from his face. He turns away, looking at Budos.
"How does that even work? He's so tall...and bony. And she's short...so short...how...?" Cargas wonders at Budos.
* * *
Cargas agrees to oversee the crew while in port, sets up watches, and generally bo'sun said like a bo'sun should bo'sun. He's ready to go ashore and continue to Toady up to the Dandy Capt'n Middlefingers.
Brood smirks as he watches Sandara leave, thinking inwardly that she might cut deeper than his daggers. The smirk, likely missed by the other officers anyway, quickly vanishes as his typical scowl returns, though this time it's augmented by one eyebrow arched curiously.
Cargas looks forward to shore leave.
Nim makes sure to use his downtime on board to socialize Mags with the skeleton crew, trying to strengthen bonds. Magilla manages to understand how to ask others for food, especially when they're eating at the moment. He proves quite persistent and pugnacious.
Nim enjoys the recuperation during the lull to walk the decks, occasionally standing at the wheel, and remind himself how he ended up in this position in the first place.
Budos spends his first day at the tavern telling stories and convincing swabs to join the Murderin' Murder.
"You wouldn't have thunk it, but them ghosts do have a sense of smell, after getting close to Cargas they fled to the bowels of the sinking ship and we were free to escape. Don't worry about being on our ship with him, the sea air carries the worst away and you can stay upwind most of the time."
A few lads looked eager to join, then Cargas walked into the tavern and they fled with hands pinching their noses.
Cargas thinks about selling the plunder as it is slowing down the ship.
"Should we sell it, Capt'n? Sell it all? We'll get more, right?"
"Aye, might as well sell it. Lucre's not doing any good just sitting there, is how I see it."
Leaving port after your latest stop, you make the decision to try to crack Tidewater Rock. A current of excitement runs through the crew as you set sails, heading due west, and leaving the Slithering Coast in your wake.
You're far from land when a ship suddenly comes into view, sailing across the setting sun. The glaring light behind it makes the details of the ship difficult to make out, but its lines suggest a whaler riding low in the water. As the last light of day disappears below the horizon, the distant ship also drops from sight in the gloom of twilight.
The vessel appears to have been moving directly against the wind.
Gezza stands barefoot on the deck, Mister Legs perched on his shoulder, chittering wildly. Periodically Gezza laughs, clearly sharing some secret joke between him and the spider. "What's that about? Seems a bit in a hurry, doesn't it?" he asks the nearest companion.
Brood moves about the port with mild interest in how the plunder is split and sold, though he never had much of a mind or manner for brokering deals and making trades. Still, he follows his fellow crew around observing the deals and the haggling, his cutlass and his scowl ever ready in case things should sour.
Fortunately, the business is mostly straightforward and no tempers were pressed during the chore. With the work done, he slips off to a quiet point on a lonely dock for a time to practice his forms and strikes.
By the time the sun sets into the water, Sicarius has worked up a healthy sweat. Satisfied, and strangely feeling more at peace then he ever had before, he stalks off back toward the bustle of Bloodcove to find Sandara and to secure a room.
---
"Hmm. It's running low in the water and against the wind. Not sure how it'd manage that kind of clip. Strange enough to run it down and investigate, Gez- er, Captain?"
Cargas sees to selling the plunder, taking what he can for the meager 3 plunders.
At smaller ports there’s little chance of getting more than half value for plunder, unless a PC can employ a skill to make a better deal. At larger ports, the chances of finding a buyer willing to pay a reasonable price for cargo increases, and PCs can still employ skill checks to make even more lucrative bargains. PCs seeking to win a higher price for their plunder can make one of the following skill checks: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or any applicable Profession skill, like Profession (merchant). A poor result on a skill check can reduce the value of plunder. If the PCs are not satisfied with the price they are offered for their plunder, they need not take it, but a day’s worth of effort is still expended. They can try for a better result the next day.
Cargas tries to sell the plunder.
Bluff/Diplomacy/Intimidate (+2 if human)
Know (Porter/Cook)
Cargas takes the coin and keeps them for now because he doesn't know which role on a ship is in charge of money matters and it might be him.
* * *
Know (Sailor)
Cargas stares at the wind bending ship with envy.
"Sailing plum agin' the wind, Capt'n. Ain't that strange," Cargas mutters. "Not sure how they are doing that. Must be being pulled by dolphins or something."
"...and we said to those Chelish marines, don't be messing with the Murderin' Murder or we'll murder you!" Bud brags to everyone, even the old pirate with four wooden limbs.
Nim keeps watch from the deck of the Murderin' Murder, waiting for his gang to return. The winds seem to shift unexpectedly, with strange aromas reaching both his and Magilla's nostrils. They look at each other occasionally, a shared wonder for what lies ahead.