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You make your way back and arrive at the Docks at Harbormaster’s Grange.
There has been a change of personal in the time you were away and there's a new person at the harbor masters office, after you knock on the door you are invited to go inside.
The Inspection and Pilots’ Office of the Harbormaster’s Grange is cramped and perfumed by a particularly smelly bowl of salted fish stew that’s cooling on one of its several desks. Ledgers an loose papers occupy most of the horizontal surfaces in the office, and a bookshelf on the southern wall sags under the weight of heavy files.
At present only one inspector is on duty. The sleepy-looking halfling woman sits up, covers a yawn, and says, “Welcome to the Harbormaster’s Grange. I’m Inspector Second Class Lilia Ginsi. How may I be of service?”
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Sahba points to Jaxal. No one would believe a teenage girl is a representative of the law, but perhaps she can color things to her advantage.
"This man is a credentialed investigator. He has evidence that the man working here earlier is involved in a conspiracy to smuggle illegal slaves with the rogue ship "At Sea", which may be going by the name "Kat Season"... We're here to take the villains in to custody."
Sahba pauses to take a breath.
"Can you tell us whether that ship is docked? Otherwise, point us to the pilot transport, please."
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The halfling starts to object to just giving out information, even to a "credentialed"investigator but after Prospero mentions the document from Lady Darchana and verifies it she is happy to help you.
"It will take a few minutes to set everything up and to confirm the pending docking request for the Kat Season in her ledger, locate and sign out a rowboat, and finally locate the pilot roster, I'll be right back, excuse me"
After a few minutes she returns and tells you "Your dwarven pilot, Zigil , is ready to depart when you arrive at Docking Slip 49"
When you go to dock 49 there's a dwarf with a rowboat waiting for you
Zigil speaks little and is ready to get underway. She makes it very clear that rowing the boat is your job, and navigating safely though the Ship’s Graveyard is hers. She agrees to board the Kat Season once the ship has been secured, and not a moment sooner.
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As you settle into the rowboat to take it out Zigil explains [b]"Any ship that carries more than six people or 500 pounds of cargo cannot, by law, sail through the Ship Graveyard except under the guidance of a registered member of the Pilot’s Guild. Regardless of its own captain or pilot’s skill, a specially trained pilot travels out from the Harbormaster’s Grange to a waiting ship once it has signaled. This pilot then directs the ship through the ever-changing maze of
wrecks that constitutes the Ship Graveyard.
It's starting to get dark as you put the oar into the water and after a few strokes (well..a lot of stroke actually) you can see the boat you are trying to reach in the distance;
Absalom’s harbor is an inky, shifting landscape of shadows at night, illuminated only by the city’s lights, the waxing moon, and the distant blaze of the Absalom Lighthouse on Pilot’s Island. Eventually, a three-masted ship with white sails comes into view. It’s just over one hundred feet in length, and its bowsprit is a weatherworn representation of a canine-headed mermaid. The crew is busy as they await an escort through the Ship’s Graveyard. A rope ladder hangs from the rail of its starboard to a foot above the waterline.
Knowledge (local) check:
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Teric considers the exclusivity of the Pilot's Guild, and is discussing it with Zigil as they approach. "And what happens if the Guild realizes someone has disobeyed the rules? Or what's to keep a member such as yourself from freelancing and taking ships through on your own? Does the Guild have to use force to keep people following the rules?"
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At Teric's question Zigil looks surprised
"You haven't heard of the dreaded blue inquisition that hunts down people who try that?"
Zigil shudders in fear
As you get near the boat you clearly see a rope which can be used to climb aboard (DC 10 climb check)
As you get closer you also draw the attention of the crew
"Who goes there? Identify yourselves"
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As soon as Sabha starts to make it up the rope as well the crew of the boat starts to mention things like:
"Isn't it custom to just have 1 pilot abort out ship?"
They seem to believe her story about being an apprentice and let it slide
Then as Prospero makes it up the rope as well
"Hey this ain't right!"
Then as Teric starts to climb up as well and makes it onto the ship
"We are being boared!"
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On the boat are 2 gnolls wielding spears and a half-orc, the half-orc seems to be in charge and has a greatsword and a morningstar hanging from his belt
As soon as too many people start to climb up the boat the half-orc steps forward as he draws his greatsword and tries to slice Jaxal of the ship
"Get them off the ship!"
Both gnolls step forward and stab their spear at you as well
Init
Party
Firstmate+Crew
On board: Jaxal, Sabha, Prospero, Teric
Next to the ship: Y'serid, Davien
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"We better get up there quick!" Y'serid says to Davien.
Taking the rope he heads up. With little experience in climbing though, he has some difficulty before finally finding his footing and ascends. Should he manage to make it to the deck, he will move out of the way as much as he can to allow Davien up, and reach for his blade.
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Having a flair for theatrics, and quick reactions, Jaxal sees the attack coming just in time to step out of the way.
Dodging Panache (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent attempts a melee attack against the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action spend 1 panache point to move 5 feet; doing so grants the swashbuckler a dodge bonus to AC equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 0) against the triggering attack. This movement doesn't negate the attack, which is still resolved as if the swashbuckler had not moved from the original square. This movement is not a 5-foot step; it provokes attacks of opportunity from creatures other than the one who triggered this deed. The swashbuckler can only perform this deed while wearing light or no armor, and while carrying no heavier than a light load.
Jaxal then spins as he draws his rapier, to slip in behind the green gnoll, before attacking it.
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Impressed by Jaxal's "panache", Prospero takes advantage of his flanking position to attack the green gnoll.
If I hit:
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Teric grabs mystical energy and blasts the offending gnoll. Blue flames shoot out of his hands enveloping the gnoll in freezing cold.
Y'serid climbs up to the ship with little trouble, until he reaches the top. Not only is every available space near the railing blocked...but there's also a gnoll standing above him wielding a spear
Not happy at being in such close quarters, Sahba steps around the side before casting a spell she can hear the grating she's standing on creak and give way a bit as she puts her wait on it. Grease forms on the weapon of the gnoll standing in front of her, but he's able to hang on to it.
Jaxal spins as he draws his rapier and slips it in behind the green bandana gnoll, piercing one of it's kidneys
Impressed by Jaxal's "panache", Prospero takes advantage of his flanking position to attack the same gnoll but his attack is deflected by the armor the creature is wearing
"ARRRGGGHHHHHHHH!"
The half-orc takes a step closer to the combat after Jaxal stepped away from him and swing his weapon at Teric
slashing him in the chest and drawing blood
The gnolls attack back, one of them drops his slick spear and tries to claw Sahba
and it barely hits
The other one tries to stick it's spear into Prospero
but as opposed to his earlier attack Prospero's armor proves to be to though at this time
init
Party
Enemies
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Sahba takes another step back, off of the grating, to put some distance between herself and the gnoll before loosing a line of flame at the half-orc leader
The line of flames just barely passes over the half-orc's head since it's angled so it couldn't hit one of Sahba's companions
Teric steps in front of the gnoll he just slowed and casts a spell point blank into his face..dropping him to the deck
Hearing Y'serid on the rope behind him, Prospero takes a step and attacks the gnoll again but the gnolls though hide covered in armor is too much for his weapon to overcome
Jaxal continues to concentrate on the last gnoll, hoping to reduce the number of enemies quickly. Which he manages to do as the gnoll falls at his feet.
The half-orc steps up growls and swings his sword at Jaxal
Y'serid and Davien try to keep the little boat steady next to the ship
init
Party
Enemy
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"Ouch! I will admit, you do pack quite a wallop, big man."
Jaxal takes a hop back, and downs an extract (Cure Light Wounds), and prepares for the beast if he tries to follow.
Opportune Parry and Riposte (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent makes a melee attack against the swashbuckler, she can spend 1 panache point and expend a use of an attack of opportunity to attempt to parry that attack. The swashbuckler makes an attack roll as if she were making an attack of opportunity; for each size category the attacking creature is larger than the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler takes a –2 penalty on this roll. If her result is greater than the attacking creature's result, the creature's attack automatically misses. The swashbuckler must declare the use of this ability after the creature's attack is announced, but before its attack roll is made. Upon performing a successful parry and if she has at least 1 panache point, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action make an attack against the creature whose attack she parried, provided that creature is within her reach.
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Jaxal takes a hop back, and downs an extract healing his wound slighty, and prepares for the beast if he tries to follow
Prospero attacks the half-orc. Scoring a nice hit, but the half-orc isn't critically wounded.
Teric points at the half-orc and prepares to stop him if he keeps attacking
Seeing the space available open up, the fox quickly pulls himself up on deck and draws his blade as he moves passed one of the sailors. turning he brings the blade down onto the enemy with both hands.
As he moves onto the deck the half-orc swings his sword at him and almost cuts of one of his ears as the greatsword bites deep into Y'serid's skull
Teric fires a ray of cold at the half-orc and barely manages to hit it
Y'serid then sticks his weapon deep into the soft tissue of the Half-orc dropping him to the floor
The half-orc leader taken care of by her friends, Sahba sneaks down the stairs to see what she can see.
The hold of the At Sea has been outfitted to allow for easy access from above and a mixture of live and boxed cargo.
Iron rings attached to the inside of the hull on both sides provide anchor points for manacles. Along the port side, iron cages have been bolted to the floorboards and hull. Barrels of potable water and crates filled with dried carnivore feed are packed into several sections of the hold. There are multiple creatures moving below as well.
There are two doors toward the stern.
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The kitsune staggers back as he yanks his blade from the half-orcs corpse, holding the wound on his head as blood pours down the side of his face. He gives a growl, shaking off the daze.
"That orc hit hard...good thing I hit harder." he says, his voice fluctuating between the statements aggressively.
Pulling out his wand, he requests some aid in its casting.
Finishing his healing, he rolls his neck and picks up his blade again. "I am ready to continue."