The Eel moves closer to Jane and drinks anther extract.
Jane Reflex save for half damage from Electricity.
What is everyone else doing?
Pleased with Niobe's concern for the ship and equally worried about stuff blowing up near the Drake Marnir begins to run as fast as he can across the docks towards where his precious ship is berthed.
Jane falls to the ground, losing her ghostly shape and invisibility.
Everyone, except for the carnally busy Maddie race to the docks to see the area mostly empty aside from the form of Jane lying charred on the ground.
What are you doing now?
Niobe races hot on Marnir's heels, rushing to Jane as soon as she spots the fallen gnome. She comes up short and immediately checks to make sure that Jane is still alive.
Jane stops oozing bloody fluids.
Feeling the healing coming from Niobe, Jane opens her eyes and looks around.
Our food has been poisoned. I will cure it before we sail.
"What the hells happened here?" Marnir exclaims, seeing Jane lying burned and bloodied on the floor. "Who attacked you?" He looks around for evidence of Jane's attacker.
Kung, on seeing Jane's scorched and unconscious body, leaves the reviving to those that are good with such things. He scans the crowd, looking for anyone that could be her attacker. If he's unable to find someone to pursue, he begins accosting the onlookers, grabbing people and shaking them by their tunics as he questions them. "Who do? Who do? You tell Kung, now!"
Shaking her head, Jane speaks again. ”The person who attacked me is named The Eel, some shitey alchemist. As I said, he poisoned our food, the Rum we just collected.” pausing for a second, Jane makes two quick potions. ”mix this into the rum and the poison will be neutralized. she had a two potions of neutralize poison
"But... this means he got away, knowing that you spotted him," says Niobe. "So odds are that he will come back later and try to do something else!"
You hasten to the docks to discover the body of Jane. Badly burned and her throat has been slit to the bone.
The witnesses are unable to give you any real information. "The Gnome turned into a ghost and took a shot at this Halfling. Then they both went invisible, two big bombs hit the Gnome, then something exploded in front of her and she was down. Her throat got slit next and then nothing?"
From the description you can work out the Halfling was in hiding until Jane attacked, then went invisible and killed her.
What are you doing now?
Seeing Jane's body sends a flood of rage through Marnir veins. The lack of information about her assailant is unacceptable. He turns to the watching crowd, raises his voice above the whispering and mutterings and shouts. "Any person who provides information leading to the capture or death at my hands of the Halfling who killed my crewmate will earn themselves one thousand gold pieces! I am Marnir, Free Captain of the Unbound Drake and I will have my vengeance!"
As is only natural the glint of gold loosens tongues, after a lot of wild speculation and sheer bullshit a scarred old salt limps forward. "Can't say for sure Captain." He says, leaning on a carved walking stick. "But in sounds like a nasty piece of work outta Port Peril. Halfling named Myskur Marquardt, though he goes by The Eel. He's the one you hire if'n you want someones ship sabotaged. I was on the old Honest business when she went down off'n the coast of Quent. Turns out someone had set something to slowly rot through the steering cables. Happened just as the wind picked up off the reefs."
He spits in memory of his old ship. "That were the first I heard of this piece of shit, heard a few more tales like that over the years as well. As to what he's doing here I can't tell you."
What are you doing now?
Niobe kneels next to Jane's body and hovers uncertainly.
"She's really gone," the mermaid finally says.
"I... I can't save her now."
Marnir beckons the old sailor over, away from prying eyes and open ears. "He sounds like a piece of work. Do you know how potential clients get hold of him?," he asks. Before waiting for an answer he continues. "This is my ship, and the rest of your reward will be waiting for you on board once The Eel is in my hands or dead at my feet," he says, slipping 10 platinum pieces to the man.
The Old salt squints at you shrewdly. "Heard he has an Alchemists shop in Port peril. Also heard he's one of the few friends Barnabas Harrigan still has. If'n that means anything to you?"
"Hahahahahaha" Kung bursts into laughter at Barnabas' name, his concern or worry about Jane seemingly completely erased. "Yaaaaa, Harrigan. Know him, and he know us. Hahahaha. He no friends!"
Marnir smiles, a narrow smile of grim resolve. "As my master-at-arms says, we know Captain Harrigan, and he's no friend of the Drake. If you could point me towards this alchemist's shop we'd be very grateful," he adds, holding up another platinum piece to tempt the man further.
The old salt nods in appreciation at your offer. "Like I told ya. He has a shop in Port Peril. On the Stinking row if memory serves me rightly? Trouble is he's here in Hell harbor right now."
What are you doing now?
Marnir hands over the platinum piece and claps a hand on the man's shoulder. "Look out for the Drake in the harbour. We'll have your reward ready once The Eel is taken care of."
He turns back to the his shipmates. "Once we've completed our business here, we're heading back to Port Peril. This Eel isn't going to get away with it. Let's get back to the Drake and get it a thorough check over. I don't want us to lose something important once we're at sea because we've been sabotaged."
Kung gives the ship a thorough once-over, to the best of his ability, working with the crew to make sure that everything is in good order.
Kung is unable to find anything wrong with the Unbound Drake.
What are you doing now?
Marnir conducts his own walkround of the Drake, knowing that two sets of eyes are better than one.
"I want us to be ready to set sail no more than two hours after our target leaves dock," he says to his officers. "We'll give Jane a burial out at sea once we enter deeper water. And we should probably sign up someone to take over her duties."
The Jester's grin departs as scheduled, with the new crew you've enlisted on board the Unbound Drake sales after her. The Grin has turned westward after leaving the harbor. Planning to run north up the Devil's arches and then make the loop around the eye.
What are you doing?
Maddie meets up with the others, looking clearly pleased with herself. Her mood, however, is quickly soured as she sees everyone's expressions.
"What happened?"
........
Maddie takes some time to scan the ship with Detect Magic to insure nothing was missed. She then says "We should hunt down this Eel and explain why you don't go to war with our crew."
Marnir is forced to dampen Maddie's good mood with the tale of Jane's death at the hands of The Eel, along with his plan for vengeance. "I've no doubt that Harrigan put him up to this, to destroy our feast and blacken our names among the Free Captains," he says. "But we're not going to let it slide."
Marnir takes the wheel as they follow the Jester's Grin westward, keeping a safe distance behind so as not to look like they're following her.
"What I'm wondering is, what did the Eel hope to accomplish? Killing Jane is a great blow to us... but an alchemist, alone on our ship? Why not set it afire and sink it? I keep waiting for the other fluke to flounder," says Niobe.
You make good time, your crew are mostly veterans by now and go about their work with enthusiasm and eagerness. They know a fight is coming and have predatory grins aplenty.
It's mid morning and the wind is behind you, the Drake seems to drive forward with a hunger for action.
Let me know when you're ready to attack?
"I don't think it's about killing us or leaving us stranded," Marnir muses as he guides the Drake through the waves. "I think Harrigan wants to destroy our reputations, make us the laughing stock of the Shackles. Or maybe he wants to use us as patsies, covering up the fact that he's planning something bigger and hoping that we take the fall." Marnir growls quietly in frustration. "It's a bloody awful system of leadership they've got here. Shame there's no linnorms - that makes it easy to prove who the ruler is."
As the Drake approaches the Jester's Grin Marnir calls down to Kung. "Hands to action stations please, master-at-arms!" He turns to Niobe. "Would you be kind enough to rouse Maddie from wherever she's stowed herself, first mate? It's going to get a bit bloody soon," he says with a grin.
HP 101/101
AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 25 (+9 armour, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural armour)
Speed: 30ft
Fort: +14, Ref: +10, Will: +14 (+4 vs fear) (+2 all heroism)
Conditions: heroism, see invisibility, 5 mirror images, tactical acumen
Melee attack (+1 furious battleaxe): +15/+10 (+8 BAB, +4 Str, +1 enhancement, -3 Power Attack, +2 heroism)
Melee Damage (+1 furious battleaxe): d8+15 (+6 Str, +1 enhancement, +2 Arcane Strike, +9 Power Attack)
26/26 rds raging song remaining
Kung repeats his captain's words, fulfilling his role as Master-at-Arms in the only way he knows how: plagiarism. "Hands to action stations please, Ma-!" he repeats, nearly calling out his own title with the rote repetition.
He makes himself ready, accepting Marnir's spells before his rage has any say about it, and giving his greatsword a couple good hearty swings.
HP 120/120
AC 24 touch 15 flat-footed 20 (+8 armor, +4 dex, +1 natural, +1 deflection/ring)
DR 1/-, concealment (20% miss chance)
Speed: 40 ft
Fort: +14, Ref: +14, Will: +7
Conditions: blur, grand destiny, tactical acumen
Melee (+1 furious greatsword): +17/+9 (+10 BAB, +6 str, +1 enhancement, -0/-3 power attack)
Damage (+1 furious greatsword): 2d6+19 (+9 str, +1 enhancement, +9 power attack)
23/23 rds Rage remaining
"Aye, cap'n," says Niobe. She rushes to find Maddie and says, "Cap'n's calling us to action stations. Since Jane's... departed... we will need to call upon your abilities much more heavily to pull this off." The druidess surveys the prey ship and continues, "Without her alchemy, the two of us will have to handle the enemy's magic and siege weapons."
The merwoman looks over the other ship to see if she can spot any likely ship's mage - an early target for any opening salvo.
"That's fine." says Maddie as she doffs her hat and then buckles on her sword and wand belt. "Let's get this started!"
The Unbound Drake comes down on the Jester's grin[/b] hard and fast. The [i]Grin scrambles on as much sail as she can but is soon overhauled. Red Mary's crews casually pot the catapult crews at the stern before they can find the range.
You come together to find the Grins crew lined up weaponless and surrendering. There is no sign of the captain, or any officers?
What are you doing now?
"Huh," Marnir remarks bemusedly as he sees the crew of the Grin aren't putting up a fight. He draws the Drake alongside and calls out "Where is your captain? If you wish to surrender peacefully then I want to talk to your captain." He turns to Niobe and mutters "Watch out for a trap, this feels fishy. No offense," he adds hurriedly.
Kung's face falls when he sees the Grin's crew lined up peacefully. He'd only just been whipping his own boarders into a nice, deadly frenzy, and now he might not even get to swing his own blade.
"Boo" he says, simply.
"Sure none of you want to fight?' says Maddie, who then looks at Niobe with a look that said You got me up for this?
Noting the unexpected sight of a crew surrendering with minimal resistance, and the understandable wariness of her new crewmates and Captain, Callidora walks to the railing, extending a hand to one of the sailors ready to board the enemy vessel to help support her as she climbs up on the railing. That act itself presented quite a sight in the diaphanous sarong she wore wrapped around her waist, its blue/green and violet matching her simple halter and beautifully tooled violet ray skin corset.
Standing barefoot on the railing she smiles at the opposing crew, her voice melodiously carrying across in honeyed support to the captain’s orders. ”You all heard the Captain, he is clearly a reasonable man.” she begins, her hands and body moving in a slow mesmerizing pattern and she speaks, harnessing powerful magic to snare the minds of her audience. ”and you’ve made a wise decision, better to be with us than against us….So help us….take us to your officers….or bring them to us....either would be fine.” she finishes in a sonorous honeyed tone, almost impossible to ignore, as she smiles, idly playing with an errant strand of her hair.
The simple minds are easily taken by Callidora's spell. The enthralled crew point to the captains cabin at the stern. "Cap'n ran in there within his bully boys. Ordered us to stand and fight while he prepared a surprise for you'n."
What are you doing now?
"Sure none of you want to fight?' says Maddie, who then looks at Niobe with a look that said You got me up for this?
Niobe shrugs helplessly to Maddie. "Cap'n's request."
"So... shall I... warp the door shut and set it on fire?"
"Let's not set it on fire," Marnir says, horrified at the suggestion that would probably lead to the loss of their prize. "Feel free to warp it shut though, while we negotiate," he says with a wicked grin.
Marnir turns to Kung. "Get the rest of the crew on deck and under guard, then we'll go and have a little talk with this coward of a captain."
Kung waves to the crew of the Unbound Drake, motioning them to board their prize and to hold that crew under guard. "Watch these lot!" Kung commands his crew, then turns towards the prisoners. "You lot stay in line. First person do anything sneaky, answer to Kung!" He looks back at his guards. "They step out of line, you hold first one and save for Kung. Do with others how you like, but save first rebel for Kung!" He grins a wide and wicked grin as he gives the captured crew a final look before following Marnir to the captain's cabin.
Niobe nods and casts warp wood on the door, which obligingly twists and creaks and becomes stuck in the doorframe.
As this is taking place you hear a voice hissing something on the aft deck by the ships wheel.
Confusion.
Spinning Marnir can see a Wererat crouched by the wheel having just finished casting his spell on the group. No one seems to have been affected by it.
What are you doing now?
Flashing Niobe a smile, Callidora turns back to her captive audience. "Now you all heard the Captain, be good and don't give Kung any trouble......I've heard about some of the things he does to people." she says with a shudder.