Down in the boat, Dale tries to follow his friends, which results in him losing his footing - but luckily only falling back into the jolly boat.
Rumble, clearly no stranger to a rumble, starts recounting the tale of Roneoth, the Pirate Hunter, and the legendary brawl that broke out in the Rampant Sealion Tavern - a little-known drinking hole in Magnimar, that started on a chance encounter between Roneoth and the Okeno slaver Scallywag Shazik.
The man Rumble is fighting is a bit confused by this sudden outburst of conversation, and in the moment of confusion, Rumble socks the chap in the jaw.
Now what was legendary about this particular encounter, was that Roneoth apparently managed to beat Shaik's crew despite facing two to one odds, even more impressive due to the fearsome reputation of the slaver's crew as being a particularly hard bunch.
However, there is also some rumours that Roneoth had spotted the tell-tale yellow sails of the Slavers and had arranged an ambush after paying off the barkeeper of the 'Mermaid and drugging Shaik's men.
The Thundering Spirit closes with Du Moire, who is clearly both a good swordsman and very fast on his feet - it looks rather concerning - and Du Moire dances away from the Tengus blades easily.
Rumble's story is clearly getting under Du Moires skin though, as that story is a real sore point for a lot of pirates - and Du Moire is becoming visibly incensed about the whole thing, and when Rumble gloats about a two to one beating, Du Moire, completely confident he has the Tengu easily outmatched corrects him "THAT IS A FILTHY LIE! Roneoth is just a cheating dog who used treachery and beat a bunch of helpless sailors, why he's no better than...URGH!". The distraction was all Hikari needed to take careful aim at the distracted Du Moire, and two arrows drop the pirate to the deck.
The other pirate looks worried, "That's Du Moire! If you spare him, he can give you riches, wealth!"
R4
Hikari
Dale
Rumble
ENEMY + SHARK
Thunder
Du Moire Dying
Henchman 6
Jaws 0
The remaining pirate is no more - felled by a flashing Wakizashi.
Du Moire is bleeding out on the deck.
Looking down at the boat - the two sails have big holes in them, and thick coils of rope, block and tackle, cleats, and other assorted objects, along with hatches and slightly raised cabins, effectively make the deck into an obstacle course.
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Hearing the sounds of combat die down (hopefully in a good way), Dale hollers up to the group once more. "Any chance you can lower a rope? There's a really large shark circling this tiny boat... I'll see if I can't tie this boat off to the larger."
He looks around for a lead rope to tie off with before hollering up "Any survivors? We may need to ask some questions to find those tablets!"
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Hikari stows his bow as he squats over the unconscious form of Du Moire. Seeing that he is still alive, he tears strips from the pirate's clothing to staunch his wounds. Once done, he moves on to his two lackeys to do the same.
When that is done, Hikari withdraws his rope, joins it to his grappling arrow to it, hooks the contraption on the railing and lowers the rope down to Dale. Expressionless as ever, he looks down at Dale as he ascend.
"Yes, I have stopped the bleeding. It would be some time though before he recovers. Enough time to get us out of here." He stops at looks at the ship. "But we should search this ship first. We might find the tablets onboard."
You stop Du Moire and one of his crewmembers from dying, and have secured the crippled ship. Dale, after being down at the waterline for a while, notices that the hull has recently had some hasty repairs, they don't look all that good.
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The Thundering Spirit cleans his blades. His feathers are a bit ruffled by Hikari's mercy, but he consoles himself with the knowledge that pirates are rarely well-treated if they are turned over to the law.
Well? As far as I'm concerned the mission is complete, but we should find those forgeries if we want them to be happy back at the lodge.
With that, the Tengu begins to search the ship, starting with the pirates themselves, then abovedecks before heading below.
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"Du Moire's crime was not against us. It is only right that we allow those wronged the justice they deserve," Hikari shares as he ties up the pirates, without appearing to have noticed Thundering Spirit's displeasure.
Hikari once more activates his wand that heightens his senses. He then follows behind the Thundering Spirit. "Come, let us see what surprises he might have hidden on this ship."
Below decks, the dimly-lit hold has taken on a foot of brackish bilge water, and clammy air laps against your skin. The sole light emanates from a small whale-oil lamp mounted on the lower mast.
The cavernous hollow contains dozens of water-damaged crates roped in neat stacks secured tightly to the sidewalls. The remaining portion of the hold is set up like a common room with hammocks, an open larder, and a small kitchen where food is prepared. The accommodations appear radically stripped down, presumably to make room for contraband or increased speed.
Toward the bow, loud banging echoes from a wooden door, sodden and swelled shut and held fast with thick black chains.
Three auras - Faint/Chaotic/Evil
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Dale climbs up onto the ship, happy to be away from the giant shark down below I hope that thing leaves before we have to head back... And uses Rumble's wand on him. "Good as new Sir!"
He survey's the scene, double checking the downed men for signs of life and more importantly the ancient tablets.
Dale quickly gets up, obviously still flustered by the shark, and heads down below with the others. "Wait up guys! The interesting things below deck require my attention as well!" He hustles down to catch up.
Wrinkling his nose, more trying to take in the various odors than in displeasure, Dale squints his eyes a bit in the darkness and pulls out a small metal rod, banging the end on the hull of the ship, lighting it in a bright glow. "Well that's much better! These human eyes really do terribly in the dark. Lets take a look around!"
When the group heads towards the banging Dale will draw out a bomb just in case. "If they are hostile don't rush in, let me warm them up first!" He then stops and changes course "Hold on, best not to use fire in case those tablets are inside!" He puts the bomb away and draws out a grimy looking dagger.
(HA)
Rumble 1/Enemy 2
***
The Thundering Spirit unhooks the black iron chains and starts pulling away the materials keeping the door wedged shut, and then flings the door open.
There is an off smell - foul, vile, rotting death meeting foul and brackish seawater - The flooded cargo bay beyond the door holds several dozen drowned slaves - some partly devoured, floating in about a foot of water. In the inky blackness, three hellish faces leer out at you as their hate filled eyes bore into your own - and from that darkness, they attack!
Lacedons! An aquatic version of a ghoul
They take advantage of your shock at seeing the charnel house, and your momentary distraction as you turn away from the stink and try clawing at you through the small door.
***
One starts trying to bite and scratch Rumble, and he is slashed by a foul and rancid claw... he can feel something horrible immediately in his blood.
(Red)
Attack (Bite)
Damage
Attack (Claw) <-hit
Damage + DC 13 Fort save.
Attack (Claw)
Damage
The other claws at the Thundering Spirit, luckily the door was in the way!
(Orange)
Attack (Bite)
Damage
Attack (Claw)
Damage
Attack (Claw)
Damage
R1
Enemy (Acted)
Rumble (7 Damage + Fort save required)
Hikari
Dale
Thunder
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"I know that smell..." Says ye hairy know-it-all as he lifts his sunrod to shine the light inside. "Lacedons! Er... water ghouls! Don't let them hit you!! Time for some explosives, look out!"
Dale quickly pulls out a smiley faced flask, shakes it violently and lobs it into the room amid the creatures.
Dale lobs the bomb in...
It explodes, despite the water!
R Ref
O Ref
They do a good job of evading most of the damage, one caught nastily though.
The Spirit doesn't manage to get an attack to land, the door in the way.
R 3
O 6
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You can instead target a specific grid intersection. Treat this as a ranged attack against AC 5. However, if you target a grid intersection, creatures in all adjacent squares are dealt the splash damage, and the direct hit damage is not dealt to any creature. You can't target a grid intersection occupied by a creature, such as a Large or larger creature; in this case, you're aiming at the creature.
To determine whether your target has cover from your ranged attack, choose a corner of your square. If any line from this corner to any corner of the target's square passes through a square or border that blocks line of effect or provides cover, or through a square occupied by a creature, the target has cover (+4 to AC).
Fort save - Rumble passes
Rumble swings for the fences, but the door really is ruining his efforts.
He then steps back...
R1
Enemy (Acted)
Rumble - attacked (7 Damage)
Hikari - TBA
Dale - Bomb
Thunder - attack/move
The strategy of backing up works, and the creatures come rushing out - as the first one clears the doorway, Hikari looses a well times arrow, felling the creature!
The other two come flying out, lashing like crazy! The small lamp on the mast is knocked off and burning oil runs free...
The next one through continues to attack the Thundering Spirt!
(Orange)
Attack (Bite) <-Hit
Damage +DC13 Fort save or be paralyzed.
Crit?(Bite)
Add Damage
Attack (Claw)
Damage
Attack (Claw)
Damage
The other rushes out to attack Rumble
(yellow)
Attack (Bite) <-Hit
Damage +DC13 Fort save or be paralyzed.
Both the frontline fighters receive wounds!
Meanwhile, the flames spread...
R2
Fire - 1
Enemy (Acted)
Rumble (12 Damage + Fort save required)
Hikari
Dale
Thunder (2 Damage + Fort save required)
O 6
Y 0
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Hikari frowns as he sees the ghouls tear into Thundering Spirit and Rumble, but much as he is concerned about their lives, he knows that, at least in the case, the best way he can keep them alive is to take down the undeads as quickly as possible. Calmly, almost mechanically, he nocks two arrows to his bow in rapid succession and launches them at the abominations.
Between the bombing, punching, and arrows zipping through the hold, the undead are stopped. The Thundering Spirit was temporarily stricken by filth and venom from the ghouls but recovers quickly.
Working quickly, you beat out the fire from the shattered lamp, and begin to make sense of the place. Looking at where the bodies are, it seems that the hull was holed at some point fairly recently, and the slaves chained inside this area drowned.
Along with the ghoulish passengers, the hold contains a small padlocked chest of wood and hardened leather. Inside, wrapped in moldering velvet, rest four tablets each crafted from a different material— copper, gold, lead, and black slate.
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After the last ghoul falls, and the fire gets quenched, Dale checks over those who were bit and/or scratched by the creatures. "Let me have a good look at you two, you don't want to be turned into some undead monster do you? I'm a trained physician!"
Once that bit is done Dale asks to take a look at these tablets. "Lets see, lets see! Are these the mystical, magical, one and only tablets we seek?"
Before we leave the ship Dale will go about checking over the dead and the ghouls, to be sure none actually survived and when he's alone, grab up some samples of each, especially the lacedons.
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Hikari bends over each of the bodies, touching his holy symbol then their foreheads, asking for Shizuru's sunlight to guide their path to the afterlife. He then looks up and nods in agreement. "Let him answer for his crimes in the court of law. The dead are dead, and may their gods keep their souls. Justice, however, is for the living, to see that their grievances are heard."
Dale uses his most renowned physician skills to treat the nasty bite wounds delivered by the lacedons, noting that the wounds have been liberally splattered with the decay and filth from the room beyond.
Hikari provides the light of Shizuru to the dead, helping illuminate their path to Pharasmas boneyard, whilst Dale verifies that these are the tablets the Society was seeking - he also thinks they are forgeries, but highly detailed and well-made forgeries - whilst the value of the objects is questionable, the carvings and glyphs upon them are a wealth of lore and knowledge certainly worthy of deep study.
***
Pulling up at a slipway along the breakwall, you move past a small crowd of spectators who had assembled to see what the 'out of towners' were up too - word had travelled of the incident at the store, and of a strange group heading out to the Hydras Fang - everyone moves away from the rough and bloodied adventurers carrying the unconscious form of a known pirate, and no one makes any enquiry or challenge... no one keen on sticking their noses into business that is probably not wise meddling in.
You hand Du Moire in to the Andoren representatives and in turn get a grand thanks from the Chelish and Andoren embassies for saving their home countries from entering into what was sure to be a bloody war, before getting a warm meal, dry clothes and a well-earned rest. The next day as you depart for your journey home, you spy Du Moires body hanging from a gibbet as a warning to others who might have his leanings.
The ancient artifacts are examined in detail. The crudely fashioned tablets are incredibly ancient forgeries of the original tablets marking the royal seals of four of the Old Azlant’s noble houses. Regardless of their non-authenticity, their uncanny detail provides great insight into lost languages and historical data associated with the four houses.
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"Great job team, great job! 100% team effort this one! Hikari's work with the bow, Thunder and those swords, and Rumble with those stone fists! And me on the oars!" Dale does his small part trying to help lug the unconscious man back through the streets, doing his best to look the part a serious adventurer/bounty hunter.
After he's got some time alone, Dale goes through and formally labels and catelogs all of his new samples to be studied in greater detail once he gets back to the labs at the Grand Lodge. Such interesting specimens! Especially those ghouls! I only wish I could have gotten some of those fish people as well.
