The burly half-orc seems a little baffled by the business side of things, but tries her best, scribbling down little crib-notes and make long lists of things to do. She nods briskly as Silvio shows her the ropes, but its clear to the inquisitor that she only understands part of the crash course in managing the place. That can't be helped, and you'll have to trust her judgement as it is soon time to depart for Devil's Elbow.
Kwava returns ready to guide you to the wharf where a ship, the Flying Cloud lies at anchor taking on supplies. "It is the only ship left in Riddleport ready to make sail," says Kwava shrugging. "The captain, Josper Creesy, is a good man. He babbled some nonsense about make the Kessel run in record time, but I told him we don't need fancy piloting, just a safe short jaunt out to the island."
The Cloud is a four-masted vessel built for speed. With a narrow beam, sharply raked stem, and square rigging, it is based off the large Chelish clippers, but much smaller and sleeker. It proudly flies the flag of Riddleport from the main mast.
As a crew of longshoremen and stevedores load the small vessel, you see Creesy shouting down into the hold, arguing with someone about how best to balance the load. He notices you and waves, joining you near the gangplank. "Welcome aboard!" he says jovially. Creesy is a youngish man with the olive skin and dark hair of his Varisian parentage. He wears a red bandanna over his dark locks, and has a dropping mustache and untidy beard, but looks every inch the seaman. "You must be my passengers for a short trip. Very hush-hush, I understand. Perhaps you'd like to join me in my cabin for a meal? We will make way shortly, but there is still time for a nice repast. What say you?"
The man seems quite welcoming and his invitation is obviously sincere.
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Orendel smiles to Tunka.
"You'll do great. Now that we don't have Saul's treachery poisoning this place, it'll finally have a chance to thrive."
He follows when Silvio offers Tunka the crash course in management. When it's clear Tunka's struggling but trying, he tries to offer some insight in a language Tunka's more familiar with.
"What Silvio says is true. Running any venture, whether it's an army or a gambling hall or a gang, it's not so much the details you have to focus on, at least on your own. The more people looking at those details, the easier it is to put them together into the big picture, and THAT'S what you wanna pay attention to as a leader. Know the strengths of your comrades, and how they fit together, and you've got the makings of a successful outfit."
After that, he gathers his gear and joins the others ready to leave.
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When they arrive at the docks, he offers Kwava a curt but polite salute.
"We're making a brief boat trip, not mounting a naval offensive, so I'm not disappointed, Kwava."
He also salutes Captain Creesy when they board. You could take Orendel out of the military but you couldn't take the military out of Orendel.
"Sounds fine," he replies with a shrug at the offer of a meal. "Only other alternative'd be hanging out on deck, leaning on the rail looking out at the sea all brooding-like."
"Last time I was on a boat, it was going from Magnimar to Riddleport, and I spent the entire journey curled up in the hold or vomiting off the side of the ship."
He shakes the Captain's hand stiffly and formally. "Glad to have a friendly Captain, it would be an honor to dine with you."
Smiling, "Thank you very much."
Shrugging, "Though I do plan to try the whole brooding thing. Never got to do that with a ship that was moving."
The party from the Gold Goblin goes below to the Captain's state room and sits down to a fine dinner, probably the last decent meal they will have for some time. Creesy tells stories of the speed cruises he's down up and down the coast of Avistan and some stories about out-running the Chelish navy which lead you to believe he is not choosy about who he sails for and with.
"Don;t answer if you don't want to," Cressy says, with a wry half-smile. "But what leads you to Devil's Elbow anyway? That's a right hard place to put in what with the reef and the rocks." He is obviously curious, but also trying to be somewhat discreet if you care to not tell.
What was that??!!" Meghan hisses in alarm, looking up sharply at the cabin ceiling. "I think we're under attack!"
Cherry seems a bit glum, perhaps despondent over leaving behind the Gold Goblin with no idea of what will become of it. She picks at her food listlessly during dinner, even though it's better quality than the rations that the team subsists upon while on the road.
She's so distracted by her own thoughts that she doesn't notice the sounds from above, or maybe thinks that they're just sailors going about their business.
"I imagine you've heard a thing or two about Devil's Elbow by now," says Silvio in response to the captain. He doesn't say much more than that in response. And especially nothing about drow and apocalyptic doom.
.
"I heard that heavy thump too. We need to check, and quickly!" Silvio is the first out of the cabin.
Orendel enjoys the meal, knowing you treasure any hot meal you can get between the hardtack and watered-down alcohol that dominates life on the march and in the field.
"An enemy of ours is headed there, and we're going after them. If we find some starmetal to profit from along the way, that's just a nice bonus," he explains as the conversation turns to their purpose. Specific enough to not be deceptive, vague enough to not give too much away.
He doesn't hear the thump himself, but when Silvio and Megan react, he gets up taking one last swig of his drink before following them out.
Keen ears hear strange sounds from on the deck and the group goes to investigate. When they reach the main deck they find a group of typical Riddleport thugs pouring oil all over the sails, deck, and rigging of the ship. A pair of sailors, who were on guard duty, lie unconscious.
The saboteurs spy your approach from below. "Hold them off," cries one. "I'll finish the torch job!" And with that the tough guys move to fight, holding hand crossbows and shortswords.
Sabotage! - Round 1
26 Yellow Thug
25 Green Thug
22 Meghan
21 Silvio
20 Cherry
20 Purple Thug
18 Blue Thug
13 Creesy
13 Orendel
10 Dougal
10 Orange Thug
7 Red Thug
Yellow Thug advances on those coming up from the hold, but cannot get close enough to make an attack.
Green Thug also moves to the stairs, and attacks Silvio who is first out of the hold but the stab hits nothing but air.
Silvio pushes past the man in front of him, daring him to attack. His target is the man behind still working on torching the ship.
;
;
"Get off this ship!" he shouts at the saboteurs.
If for some reason, Green doesn't take the AOO (maybe he's saving it), Silvio uses Litany of Sloth on the fellow.
"Come on, lads! Let's take care of these uninvited guests!" Meghan cries. It's mostly just a misdirection: She uses disappearing act on Cherry in the hopes that the deadly tiefling will be able to slip into the intruders' midst without their knowing. Realizing there'll likely be a logjam near the top of the stairs, Meg takes a deep breath and presses herself against the wall so the others can slip past.
"Wouldn't you know it, Desna laughs..." Orendel mutters as he continues to follow the others.
Sabotage! - Round 1 - continued
As the thugs are found on deck destroying the rigging, Meghan casts her charm on Cherry, trying to make her invisible to the bad guys.
Silvio shoulders past Green who stabs at the inquistor as he passes, but the blade clangs off his steel shield harmlessly. Silvio thumps the fire-spreading bandit over the head with his law-book and shouts at the man to leave the ship, frightening and surprising the rogue.
Cherry holds in place as the stairway up from below decks is quite crowded.
Purple thug is intimidated but still draws a knife and tries to stick Silvio with it. The attack misses.
Farther astern Blue Thug spreads more oil and removes an alchemist fire, ready to ignite the fuel.
Captain Creesy draws his rapier and works his way up the stairs stabbing at the Green Thug topside. The captain proves sure with his blade, cutting a wound in the belly of the first saboteur he finds.
Orendel continues hustling up the stairs.
"HUSTLE UP! ONE-TWO! ONE-TWO!"
Sabotage! - Round 1 - continued
Orendel shoves his way up the stairs, and past the first intruder, who has already reacted this round.
Spotting the thug with the alchemist's fire, Orendel glares.
"No you BLOODY !!!" he yells as he begins bolting towards them as fast as he can, heedless of the other enemies in his way!
Sabotage - Round 1 - concluded
Orendel moves across the deck full of brigands, taking a shot from a pair of them as he rushes across. Both the feeble attacks miss the well-armored veteran as he gets close to those who wield fire.
Also bursting out of the hold, Dougal follows right behind moving past the surprised saboteurs before they can react. He gets up on Orange Brigand and touches him, passing on a mirthful magic that sets the foe to laughing so much that he cannot act.
Orange Thug remains dazed by Dougal's touch.
Red Thug starts to ignite the rigging, but can't quite get the fire to blaze up this round.
End of Round 1
Sabotage! - Round 2
26 Yellow Thug
25 Green Thug (3hp dmg)
22 Meghan
21 Silvio
20 Cherry (on delay, may act anytime)
20 Purple Thug (6NL, shaken 6 rounds)
18 Blue Thug
13 Creesy
13 Orendel
10 Dougal
10 Orange Thug (dazed)
7 Red Thug
Lighting a torch, Yellow Thug readies to burn the ship but nothing ignites just yet.
With Silvio flanked, Green stabs at him with his shortsword, before moving to flank Dougal with Orange. But he slips in the spilled oil and cannot make any kind of successful blow.
Cherry bounds up the stairs, squeezing past the sailor at the top, and tries to clear up some space for Dougal.
(+2 more if I'm invisible.)
(Only if I'm invisible.)
Meghan takes a deep breath, steels herself, and then scurries up the stairs, drawing her sword as she goes. As expected, the deck is a madhouse of combat, with no safe areas from which to cast a spell...yet. Gritting her teeth, the young bard moves to help Silvio against the easternmost intruder, hoping to drop him and give all the defenders a little more room in which to operate.
for
As his allies surge up the steps, Silvio hurries after those threatening to ignite the ship!
Move and cast Ear Piercing Scream on Yellow. Movement draws an AOO from purple, but I think Orange is dazed.
, Fort DC15 or dazed 1 round.