Before things kick off. I forgot to mention that Patch Patchsalt and Kipper are the other officers. Kipper is badly burn scarred from setting off the barrel of alchemist fire during the attack. Both are dedicated followers of Plugg and Scourge. They handle the night watch, keeping an eye out for anyone above deck during the night.
Owlbear is now kept chained up in Pluggs cabin (B7).
Everyone else is kept below decks at night with you in (B9).
Scourge, Patch & Kipper are using (B6) as their cabin.
"We should give Owlbear some Alchemists Fire and have him set Plugg's bed on fire during the night."
"Owlbear could prove a valuable ally, but I won't see him punished for appearing to act on his own," Marnir says firmly.
"How's this for a plan? We come up on deck tonight as quietly as possible, then lock the hatch behind us so that Plugg's cronies can't follow us up. Then we'll shank Patch and Kipper quickly and quietly, before locking Scourge in the forward cabin. If all goes to plan we can jump Plugg in his cabin while he's isolated, then deal with the rest once we've taken control of the ship."
He looks around for voices of dissent or agreement.
"A fine plan, seal those spineless masochist below decks while we deal permanently with the sadist, and should they still need a firm leader, then we give them one."
Ok. the second day ends, again you are sent below to (B9) immediately.
The crew splits into two camps, both eyeing each with wariness. It's pretty clear that Pluggs followers are keeping an eye on you while carrying on with the pretence of behaving normally.
A pair of them always seem to be near the door, close enough to rush out if trouble starts.
Jane goes to the corner, knowing something isn't right.
Marnir walks over to Jane and whispers "You strike me as a bit sneaky, lass. When the time comes, I'll need to rouse everyone so that we can sneak out of here together. Can you do that?" He then leans nonchalantly against the mast waiting for lights-out and for most of the crew to go to sleep. He looks around at the 'enemy', trying to assess their level of readiness.
Jane nods, "Easily enough."
"I can start softening them up with my evil eye and try to put them to sleep."
The half-orc makes his way over to the northern reaver, limping a bit on his peg leg. He pauses halfway there to run his thigh above the peg-leg.
When he gets to Marnir, the barbarian expresses a concern. "I think they're ready for us. Kung not good at sneaky. Do we need to be sneaky?"
Kung looks around the room. If our opponents are spread out, King would also like to spread out and not be too near an ally (but will try to avoid a position where he would start out flanked. If they are more clustered, Kung would like to stay near Marnir and the door.
Marnir looks over at Barnabus in amazement. "You can put people to sleep? With your magic? How long for?"
Marnir gestures to Kung to keep his voice down. "I'm not so good at keeping quiet either friend, but hopefully Plugg's gang will be asleep enough that they won't notice, or if they do it'll be too late. I'm going to need you to jam the doors from the other side once we're through." Marnir hands Kung his two daggers. "Wedge the doors shut with these as hard as you can. That should keep Plugg's cronies from getting out."
As the lamps go out and everyone settles down to sleep, you stay awake and tense. Ready for your dangerous gamble.
Silence (as much as you can get in a room of sleeping pirates) falls.
Perception checks from you please.
A pirate in the hammock by the doors is feigning sleep. Ready to slip out if you move.
"Indeed."
Perception
Jane glances around and turns to Barnabus, in a low voice she says. "Start with that guy by the door. He is faking asleep."
Kung feigns sleep at the crewman feigning sleep.
Barnabus targets the fake sleeper with his evil eye...
Will save DC 16 or -2 to saves....
Marnir makes sure his weapons are ready before he settles down to "sleep", and takes a quick look around at the enemy sailors.
Seeing nothing amiss, he stays alert for the start of their attack.
What is he going to do jump up and run around yelling "I was pretending to sleep and I don't like the way Barnabus looked at me...."?
Pirate He rolls off his hammock as your attempt washes over him, opening his mouth to yell a warning.
Kung.
Jane.
Barnabas II.
Marnir.
Ghilda.
Pirate
So the order is:
Pirate 16.
Jane. 15.
Kung. 12.
Ghilda. 8.
Barnabas II. 5.
Marnir. 4.
He yells at the top of his lungs. "It's starting now!" The sound echoing through the small area in the stifling dark.
Your actions now people.
Jane throws up her arms, "Well, it's on now." she grabs a pack off of her belt and tosses it at the pirate, who's warning the others.
Barnabus targets as many of the pirates along the top of the map as possible with a sleep spell....
"A most homophobic over reaction to my gaze, I must admit."
Kung launches himself out of his hammock, charging towards the door guard. "Shhhh. No yelling! Supposed to be sneaky!". He draws his greatsword as he moves, driving it point-first at the pirate as if to pin the man to the wall.
Narwhale Tate is still drawing breath to scream from the face full of acid and broken glass Jane has just delivered when Kung nearly cuts him in half. Killing him instantly.
Warez.
Slippery Syl.
Slippery Syl by the other door slips deeper into her sleep, Warez shakes his head and looks around in confusion, but resists the spell.
One dead, one asleep, waiting on Marnir's response.
The sudden increase in noise suggests that the plan has already gone awry, and Marnir moves quickly to try and limit the damage to the plan. He moves over to Warez's hammock, drawing his axe as he goes. He reaches the groggy looking pirate and places the blade of his axe against the man's throat, leaning over him with a murderous look on his face.
"Keep your mouth shut or the next thing out of it will be the blood spraying from your opened throat!" Marnir growls at him.
Warez freezes in place, eyes wide with terror. "Sure, sure!" He squeaks. "Quiet as a wee little mouse."
All around the crew is waking up, your gang has the advantage of being ready. The other side is slowly arousing, but are still disorganized at the moment.
Everything hangs in the balance.
Back to Jane's initiative again.
what is the party doing?
Marnir puts his finger to his lips, staring with hatred in Warez's eyes as he steps away from the hammock and gestures to his friends to start moving out of the hold through the doors.
Jane moves as Marnir suggested and exits through the door.
Barnabus is likewise out the door quickly....
As you move out you see Sandara, Crimson, Rosie and the others of your gang moving to stand guard over the cowed crew.
The middle hold is dark and still, the ship rocks slowly at anchor, a dim light comes from up the stairwell. The light of the watch lantern on the main deck.
You know that Patch Patchsalt and Kipper stand the night watch. Plugg is in (B7) the captains cabin in the stern, while Scourge is in (B6) the officers cabin in the forecastle.
Marnir waits by the door, ushering his friends out. "Kung," he whispers as the half-orc moves past him, "make sure that other door is shut tight. Don't want anyone coming up the hatchway behind us."
He then whispers to Sandara. "Can you hold this lot here and keep them quiet?"
After our crew is out, Kung jabs the daggers into the door frame as Marnir showed him earlier to jam the door shut.
Sandara nods at Marnir and whispers back. "Easily. Without the officers there to back them they'll keep quiet." She indicates the remains of Narwhale Tate. "And that shows what the stakes are. Makes anybody think twice."
The doors are sealed and guarded.
Marnir nods at Sandara and makes sure everyone is out before Kung jams the other door closed.
"Right," he whispers to the group, "let's hope no-one on deck has rumbled to our plan. Jane, can you take a sneaky look on deck and see what's going on? Then we'll make our move against the officers."
Jane nods her head and moves to the top of the deck. Staying in shadows as best she can and looking around. Then returning.
Jane vanishes from sight as she ghosts up the stairs, peeking around at the top in the dim light of the lantern on the mainmast she notes that Kipper is close to the mainmast and staying still.
Patch is wandering the deck and is closer to the forecastle. He doesn't seem to be patrolling, just strolling aimlessly, stopping every now and then to look over the rails.
Kipper
Patch
Jane is unseen by either and slips back down the stairs to report.
"Do you think they might turn a blind eye for gold coin"?
"Well.... I don't know if they wouldn't just take our coins after we are already dead."
Kung looks a little confused at Barnabus' suggestion. "You mean... not fight them?" There is definitely a hint of a frown starting on his face as he processes this. Was good. I speared the man to the wall. Not good enough? Why not fight?
Jane looks at Barnabus, "Are they close enough together to get them in a sleep spell?"
"The quieter we can get rid of them the better. If you can put them to sleep," Marnir says to Barnabus, "then we can gag them and tie them up. Or slit their throats, or throw them into the sea. Whichever really. I wouldn't trust them not to turn on us if we tried to bribe them."
"Nay I had but one sleep spell prepared. My thinking is we need a crew we are already short handed."
"That's that plan cast overboard then," Marnir muses. "We'll be much better off if we can catch them each on their own. Hit one hard, take him down quickly, move onto the next one. Though I like your thinking Ghilda," he says with a smile. "They fight between themselves, one takes down the other then we finish off the one that's left. Can your pirate goddess' magic do that?"
Important! Read my post in discussion before doing anything more.