Whelp, hadn't realised everyone had already acted. Baddie's turn!
"Git off me, you weird snake... thing!"
Baldy starts squirming to get out of Jio's grasp, but Jio has a his body coiled tightly around him.
Fancy Man tries to hit Jio in a frenzied attempt to free his companion. Because Jio is grappling, he doesn't have the opportunity to dodge the dagger thrust.
Eyepatch takes a swing at Shina, and hits!
"Call off that frenzied ghost of yours and we might consider selling you in one piece!"
"You dare to ignore me? Ha, I like you, kid! We'll sell you last!"
It's everyone's turn again!
In your previous post you said you provoked for moving past the baddie.
|
Shina gets hit by mister Eyepatch, and shows a smirk of satisfaction all across her face. "Ooooohh, that felt GOOD! I guess you're worth playing with after all!"
She lifts her axe into the air, and drives it down upon mister Eyepatch.
for
"COME ON! MORE! LET"S KEEP GOING UNTIL ONE OF US IS ON THE VERGE OF BLEEDING OUT!"
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mallus shows great irritation... when did everything in his vicinity go bonkers? Snakes with arms falling out of the sky, people scrambling about, Wayangs getting stabbed... He better do something before this gets even more out of hand. He 5ft steps into flank position and whirls his arms around to hit mister Fancy
for
for
He then yells: "Dammit Eyepatch, don't attack her. She only likes that! Just be boring and drop your weapons, she'll leave if she can't play with you!"
Oh, I confused which one you wanted to intimidate, I gave the shaken to Fancy Man (blue). In that case, his attack still misses, and Baldy is Shaken (last round).
Eyepatch gets hit, Fancy Man dodges the angry ghost's flails.
|
Araklifest attacks the bandan thug again, as he stands close by and threatens Shina (although the girl seems to handle him herself quite well). It gives Shina and him the chance to flank the baddy. Silent he seems to hit the man, but he is not sure if he wounded him again, redblooded as the man already is by Shina's greataxe.
Whoops, missed that. 1 round of shaken for him.
Araklifest hits, and the man goes down!
Green's eyes bulge from the near-chokehold Jio has on him, and then Estombra's rapier thrust knocks him out.
I think that's everyone's turn again. I'll post my remaining baddie's turn later today, don't have the scenario at hand.
Fancy Man throws his cutlass to the ground and raises his arms in surrender.
"I don't know who you maniacs are, but please let me live! If you want the woman, you can have her. I'd rather face Alejia's wrath than to get squeezed to death by that snake!"
Fancy Man points out where they stowed away the hostage, and indeed, a scholarly-looking woman is bound, gagged, and knocked unconscious behind a pile of crates.
|
|
"WHAT?!? NO!! I wasn't done playing! Get back up!" "Up, UP I SAY!"
Mallus places his hand on Shina's shoulder. "Let it go, girl. Remember that you're first impression is usually correct, and you didn't think he cut it as a playmate at first."
"But SHE has the right attitude..." Shina pouts as she points towards the gagged woman.
"She wasn't... Nevermind... Just heal yourself a bit, you're bleeding all over, and as I said, first impressions are everything. Then heal the gagged lady as well. And don't ask me why, you know quite well what the common course of action is in the temple when someone passes out."
Shina keeps pouting as she heals herself:
She then heals the gagged lady (1 tap, take 5), and turns around towards mister Fancy: "You know, you guys lack discipline. You guys can easily fix that by going to the local temple. If you want, I can even introduce you guys as new initiates."
Mallus stands behind her, and fervently shakes his head and waves his hands in a "Don't do it!" kind a way.
The flunkies pale at Shina's comment, shoot glances at each other, and fall silent. Looks like they'll need some forceful persuading before they're going to talk again.
Meanwhile, the lady wakes up, though she still is a bit groggy.
"I suppose you came here to rescue me? Many thanks. I am Iatha Oedricus, and I was supposed to study the Cyphergate, until these ruffians boarded the ship just outside the harbour. Their leader, Alejia Netrav, was apparently already on board with a magical disguise. They killed all of the crewmembers and only kept me alive as their captive. Alejia set the boat aflame and left on her own in a rowboat. She said she'd deal with me when she got back from a different raid. It's a boat called the... What's it again? The Topless Titan? I can't remember, it's all a blur from that point. Anyway, I must've been here for about a week now; they only wake me up for their poor excuse for a dinner. I - I think I can give you a description of her boat, but I don't want to go back to the harbour myself. I'm still not quite well enough to deal with the emotional trauma. Once I get back to the Guild of Cyphers, though, I will leave a good word for you. Tammerhawk wil be most appreciative, I think."
Bandana Boy isn't dead, merely unconscious, though still pretty badly hurt.
In total, you find three smokesticks (basically small smoke bombs), three tanglefoot bags (bags with glue in them to slow people down and possibly glue them to the ground), three thunderstones (noisemakers that can deafen people), three masterwork studded leather armours, three light crossbows with 29 bolts, three cutlasses, three thieves' tools, and some gold. They also all have a deck of marked cards on them.
You pull open some crates, and you find mostly old clothes half-eaten by moths and rats, and spoiled food, also presumably what they've been feeding Iantha.
I'll roll some Perceptions for the others as well.
Most of you come to the same conclusion that they're guarding a warehouse full of crap. However, Estombra manages to find a masterwork longsword and three acid flasks. Mallus floats through some crates for easier perusal and finds a hidden secret compartment with some very fancy flags made of silk, probably worth about a hundred gold pieces.
|
|
Mallus approaches the Fancy man: "Listen, we're looking for your boss. We are not particularly interested in you lot, so if you can just tell us where we can find this Alejia Netrav, that would be great."
Shina at Fancy man: "Wait, wait, you said you're scared of your boss. Is she more fun to play with? I bet she's more fun. Where is she? You better tell before I get bored with you!"
Mallus's aura reignites do to Shina interference: "There is no need to threaten them, we've already won, woman! Now sit back and let me handle this!"
Shina:"But I wanna know NOW! If you won't tell me, mister fancy man, then I'll drag you to the temple and have you INITIATED!"
Mallus's aura manifests itself fully, the red glow permeating the entire warehouse. "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT! WHENCH, BACK OF FROM THIS CONVERSATION. AND YOU, FLUNKY! TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW SO I CAN BE DONE WITH THIS ENTIRE SITUATION!"
+2 if the assist is successful.
Fancy Man blanches at the tirade of the angry ghost in front of him.
"Erm, what the lady told is correct. We raided her ship, killed everyone, set the ship on fire and came back here. Cap'n didn't know whether to kill her, or ransom her so we can do it again later, so she tasked us with guarding her until she came back and made up her mind. She should be on the Topaz Titan by now. But we don't know what her plan is this time or who'll accompany her, as we're supposed to sit here until she gets back. But the First Mate is in charge until the Cap'n is back, he'll probably have picked out a crew. Our ship's called the Lionfish, she's a double-master of about sixty feet and is probably docked in the harbour right now.
Can we go now, please?"
|
|
Araklifest listens to Shina and her ghost threatening the bound thugs. He finds it a fascinating duo full of contradictions. He adds to the discussion: Ïf we set these thugs free, their boss will know in no time what we did and what we wanted to know. We could kill them, but I don't like that, personally. We could hand them to local justice, but probably they would be free in short time too. We could hand them over to our client. He will know how to keep them out of our way for the time being, I suppose. Our last option is to keep them here, bound and gagged for the next few days we need to conclude our task."
While his companions discuss these options, he divides the money the thugs had. "Someone for the other items?" he asks.
What you know about the situation right now:
- Alejia is on the Topaz Titan right now.
- She'll most likely strike right outside Riddleport Bay so she can make a quick escape.
- Her First Mate will know more details about the plan, including the exact time to strike.
You have the location of Alejia's ship. If you let these people go, it seems unlikely they'll get to the ship before you and warn the others. On the other hand, this town does have a justice system. The guards in this town are most likely corrupt and the pirates will probably be bribed out soon, but word needs to travel to the others first. But if you bring people to their jail, the guards won't refuse to lock them up, either. They're just not likely to start the investigation, unless the city's in danger.
Just a small recap to give you your options. What happens to these guys is mostly irrelevant, but it'll give you some ideas what to do with them.
|
|
"Indeed, let's lock them up at the local jail. And tell the guards that these people broke the only law in this entire city: don't pirate each other. That will give them the proper treatment instead of just being released 2 hours later!"
Mallus looks a bit frustrated: "Normally I wouldn't agree with being such a jerk as telling on them some more, but we need them to be restrained for longer than what is usual in this city..."
Shina then continues: "Then, then, we should go to their ship with the loudest of movements; I suggest a rickety cart with two mules. This is so that they will know that we're coming. Then, after our grand entrance, we'll..."
Mallus interjects: "Or, we DON'T do that, and we sneak up on them for easy pickings."
Shina: "Why would we do that?!?"
Mallus: "Uhmmm.... A yes, I know. Ahum. "A cornered rat bites the cat", do you know what that means, woman?"
Shina looks puzzled, but then suddenly smiles. "They'll fight that much harder! Yes, I see! Mallus, you're a genius! I knew I was a good influence on you!"
Mallus signs. "Yes, that must be it..."
Shina then grabs the flunkies, and pushes them towards the jailhouse. With her distracted, Mallus takes the time to talk with the rest of the party. "Alright, I got her to try and be quiet, she might even be willing to listen to other plans. If you want her to do something, just twist the words a bit so that she understands the necessity of our actions. Other than that, just smile and nod. And remember, if she invites you to the temple, you have a dentist appointment."
All right, I'm going to cut out the next combat because frankly, it's stupid. I'll narrate it to give you an idea of what's supposed to happen, then move on.
As you step outside and walk to the nearest guard station, a burly Half-Orc approaches you, with a sickly-looking dog on a leash.
"All right boys, time to pay the rent! You're behind on your payments, and Boss Croat doesn't like it when he's not paid. Makes accidents a lot more likely to happen, if you get my drift."
He cracks his knuckles and pats at the sap at his side, as if to prove a point.
You quickly realise this thug isn't here for you and you either talk it out with him, or you leave your flunkies with him and you all continue on your merry way. He gives you his potion of Cure Light Wounds as a sign of appreciation, and both your problems are solved.
You deliver the thugs to the guards, or leave them with Boss Croat's thug, and you move on. Eventually, you find what you're looking for, roughly 100 yards out at sea:
The dinghy vessel bobbing in the water looks like it's in dire need of a new paint job, its maroon paint having faded to a grimy puce and peeling away where the water laps at the hull. The planks appear sturdy though, and the boat's sails are carefully mended. The word "Lionfish" is painted across the side of the ship in clumsy blue letters, and a light on the ship's deck illuminates the work of several figures hustling to and fro.
You need to get to the Lionfish somehow. There are several small rowboats tied to the docks, you could probably commandeer one. Or you can ask nicely and roll a Knowledge Local or Diplomacy to find someone to ferry you.
- A rowboat can hold four people. Three if you want someone to ferry you.
- If you're rowing, two people need to succeed at a DC 10 Strength check to push the boat forward. If only one person succeeds, you will go in circles. A single person could also row, but that increases the check to DC 15.
- Climbing from the rowboat onto the ship requires two pretty tough Climb checks. If you have a rope and grappling hook, that check become almost trivially easy. Failing this check could mean falling back into the boat or the water.
- You can see two people patrolling the ship from here.
- I wouldn't recommend swimming there, the water looks absolutely filthy, as the sewers exit right into the harbour.
|
|
Shina's eyes start to shine. "Yes! That's right! I haven't payed a single dime! I knew this day would come, and I was looking forward to it! Come on, you know your job! Let's do this!"
As Shina stands there, waiting for her kneecaps to be busted, Mallus interjects. "Stand down woman, you know damn well we just arrived in this town yesterday. So stop wasting his time with your false confessions." Mallus pulls Shina back and talks to the Half-Orc while pointing towards the flunkies. "I assume that you're looking for these idiots, who we found holed up in that warehouse over there. We were looking for their hostage, and now we actually do not need them anymore. We just need them to be out of our hair while we traverse this city, so we were bringing them to the local authorities. I know, they wouldn't be there long, but just long enough to not be a nuisance. If you have business with them, please just take them. They are slowing us down anyway."
Mallus then realizes he might have made a decision for the rest of the party, his irritation with Shina getting the better of him once again. "That is, if the rest is okay with that? It does seem that they get the right kind of punishment in this way, instead of bribing themselves out of prison."
|
|
Araklifest walks along the docks, looking for someone with a rowboat, or somewhat bigger to ferry them to the Lionfish. Before he walks, he asks Shina: "Does Mallus need a boat to reach the Lionfish?" and to the others: "Jio and Estombra could perhaps travel by air again, using their arrival as a decoy for us climbing aboard?"
|
|
"Well, Mallus can't fly, so he is a pretty lame ghost."
"Uncalled for..."
"And although I can send him off for a little while, it takes a minute to get him back. By the way, why is that, Mallus? Usually when I say you can go, you're immediately gone. But when I call, I have to wait."
"Think about it a little more, woman. Even you should be able to figure that out..."
You walk up and down the harbour looking for someone who might be willing to lend you their boat. You find a Dwarven fisherwoman called Smulwarts Gultrock.
"Aye, whaddaya want? Need ta get somewhere in a hurry? I can offer you me vessel, and I'm even willin' ta row for ye. I don't need ta know why ya want ta get there, and I won't even tell no one that I was complicit. Ye can trust me, I'll swear that on me mum's grave. Bein' trustworthy is how ye stay alive in Riddleport, ye know? Betray someone, get a knife in the back when ye aren't lookin'. I've learned me lesson, the hard way. But that generosity doesn't come for free, of course. I'll need five gold pieces. Rowin' is hard labour, ye know."
The woman seems to be missing several teeth and has several scars over her face, looks pretty shabby in general, but her boat seems to be in peak condition.
So, do you wanna plan what to do once you arrive?
|
|
Shina opens up her pathfinder chronicle. Since Riddleport isn't the most lawful of cities, Pathfinders must have had some good notes about getting around here
, followed by
"Ah, here it is. So if we take a right here on the docks, we will be able to find Captain Wade "Toothy Grin" Perrow. He is known to laugh maniacally when he tosses his passengers of his ship if they do not pay extra halfway the trip. Sounds like our kind of guy!"
Mallus snatches the chronicle from Shina's hands. "Or, we don't do that, and pick one of the persons on this page that you're trying to cover so desperately with your hands. Because I guess they might be the "boring" choices. Aren't they, woman?"
|
|
"I suggest we get a loud instrument, or better yet, a Scroll of Clarion Call. Then, before we enter our boats, we let them know that we're coming by yelling at them. This gives them time to prepare before we board, so that it is a fair fight for all of us. Okay, maybe a bit in our disadvantage, but that's the fun right there! Further with the plan. So, we will climb with weapons drawn, cause that makes it more difficult, and...."
"Let's stop right there, whench. Someone with a better plan? Anyone?"
From outside the warehouse to getting on the ship is about 45 minutes, I'd guess. You were ransacking the warehouse and walking over the dock looking for a rowboat.
|
|
"We can row in two boats on a course almost along the Lionfish. When we're near, Jio and Estombra can fly away and attack from the other side of the boat, while we use this distraction to change our course, come along and board the Lionfish. It's almost the same tric as we used in the warehouse," suggests Araklifest.