Maheem tries to escape, but is not fast enough. The alchemical component hit’s him making it unable to move.
”Wha is this s++%!” he yell trying to cut it off.
”I’ll kill you! Worm!” declares Sly moving and attacking
but she offers no real danger to Sh'torek
Round Two:
Ordered initiative:
Sh’torek
Pirates
Active Effects-
Maheem Entangled
Map
Notes
Actions-
Sh'torek takes a step toward Maheem and attempts to wrench the dagger from the large man.
As you get closer and attempt to pick up Maheem dagger, he uses this opportunity to attack you, but offering no real danger.
With a swift move, you take the dagger from him.
”S*+&, give it back!” he yell and tries to break free from the entangle!
”You thief! Die” declares Sly moving and attacking
but once more, she offers no real danger with her knife!
As he manages to just snatch the dagger from Maheem and avoid a nasty swipe from him, Sh'torek takes advantage of the situation and turns to strike at Sly.
With his new acquired dagger, the barbarian slash at woman, a deep gash in her chest, blood pour out of the wound.
His attempt however, is futile.
”F**$er! You are dead!” says Sly before attacking you again.
And this time, finally hitting the barbarian, cutting deep.
As Sly cuts the undine deeply, Sh'torek yells in pain, his anger rising beyond what he can control. His sea blue skin shifts to a near deep violet while his eyes become a deep red. "Then I will see you in Hell!" he responds to Sly as he stabs at her again.
Using the opening that Maheem gave, the undine was able to strike a deep cut in the pirate, blood flows out as he yells in pain.
In his fury, Sh’torek is unmindful of others and using his dagger with more brute strength than precision, cut Sly again. More blood pours out of her wounds, as the woman collapses to the putrid water, dying.
”You killed her! You basterd!” cries Maheem, cut, bloodied and trying to flee.
As the main threat to the barbarian falls, Sh'torek's breathing begins to return at a normal rate as he turns his attention to the now fleeing pirate. Just as he raises the dagger to take one last strike, he remembers the warning by the captain on the punishment for killing another pirate. Deciding to let Maheem go, he turns to Sly. He immediately bends down and pulls her out of the water. "Don't die," he tells the unconscious body, hoping she still lives. He then carries her back upstairs in an effort to find Sandara. If she dies, then so do I.
Maheem, the brave, fled. Leaving behind his companion to die at the undine monster.
Sh’torek, the merciful, stops himself and allows the coward to run. His mind racing on the implications. If she dies, so would him.
Quinn was the first thing that popped into his mind. The pirate goodness’s blessings could save Sly. He then carries her back upstairs in an effort to find Sandara. However, once upstairs a unpleasant surprise waits him. Mr Plugg and Master Scourge, are waiting, a devils smile on their faces as the barbarian climbs from the bilges, carrying the body.
”This is how ya treat ya fellow mates?” ask Plugg, his smile vanishing ”Ya killed her.” he says without even checking if the woman is dead or alive.
”Ya killed her.” repeats master Scourge as a good and old cronies.
”Scourge, take him to the sweatbox. A keelhauling for him tomorrow!” says Mr Plugg.
"She still breathes! She is not dead! Plus, it was they who attacked me! I only defended myself! I need the healer!" He looks to them both through narrowed eyes, prepared to drop the unconscious pirate and fight for his life if they do not listen.
A bloodied Maheem appears out of his hiding place and contradicts Sh’torek ”He is lying! He Accused us of not working and then without even giving time to answer, brought his knife against us!”
”I see… take him!” yells Plugg.
Sh’torek drops the woman and prepares to fight for his life. However, the resistance is short lived! With Master scourge, Mr Plugg and a wounded Maheem attacking at the same time, it takes only a few small seconds until he is knocked out. Before passing away entirely he hears Plugg says ”Don’t kill him, let’s make an example of it…”
An unconscious Sh’torek in put in the sweatbox, his crime, murder and trying to kill his superior officer.
As the day passes, Dughal, Boldwin and Ambrose don’t seem concerned with their friend locked unconscious in the sweatbox. No one does anything, or even offer an encouraging word for the soon to be keelhauled barbarian.
The day passes and at night, Sh’torek wakes up feeling the healing touch from his friend Sandara.
”I’m… so sorry…” she cries ”There’s nothing I can do for ya, besides give you food and water…” she says still crying giving him a long desired water and food.
An enraged Sh’torek tries to break open the Sweatbox, making an awful lot of noise, what makes Quinn literally flee for her life. Soon after, Mister Plugg and Master Scourge appears to tease and humiliate the imprisoned barbarian.
”He is making this so, interesting, isn’t he?” laughs Mister Plugg
”Can’t wait to see him keelhauled tomorrow, we be seeing then if he will still be this alive!” says Scourge and both laughs and leave Sh’torek to his despair and unsuccessful escape attempts.
After that, two pirates, hostiles to the group are assigned to watch the prisoner, in case of anything happening.
Speaking through parched lips, the barbarian still sounds resolute. "Thank you, Sandara. And please do not weep for me. It is far better to die than to continue living within this ungodly nightmare. I shall at least finally be free." He takes the food and water and sits, partaking of it and ignoring the pirates as they mock him.
Dhugal will pull Ambrose and Boldwin aside when no one is looking. "We need to do something. We just can't let him die. We could easily take out the guards, but there's no hiding Sh'torek on this ship. We may have to take action against Scourge and Plugg sooner than we had planned. Do you have any ideas that don't lead to a mutiny?"
”No, we can’t! Not here, not now!” says Ambrose ”Keelhauling can lead to death, but it is not a death penalty itself. We can try to improve his survival chance however…” he says searching for Quinn ”Priest have blessings, that can make someone tougher for some minutes… Just enough to survive.”
"Aye, we got some friends 'ere, but pullin' somethin' like that'll jus' get us killed," Boldwin grunts, "But toughenin' 'im up? Maybe somethin' to stop 'im from gettin' torn up. Sounds a bit risky though."
"I have a spell or two that may allow him to escape, but we would simply be trading our lives for his. There may be something of use in Ms. Longfarthing's laboratory."
Putting his hopes in his new boss, Ambrose slips out of the crew area and ask Peppery Longfarting if she could not help.
”Well, Plugg is my senior officer, so I can’t overrule him. Maybe I can appeal to the captain, but it’s more likely he will just laugh and make his punishment worse, just for fun.” she seems to be thinking when she adds ”Better your return to the crew quarters. If an opportunity arises, I’ll try my best to help him.” she says dismissing Ambrose.
Feeling helpless for don’t being able to do anything else, Sh’torek friends go to sleep dreading the Bloody hour in the next day.
Morning comes; everyone is assigned a duty for the day. Everyone is working when a lookout cries “Ship ahoy!” late in the afternoon.
Immediately the Wormwood turns from its course and the long lived pirate’s cheers at their new prey.
Peppery Longfarting can is seem talking to the captain and other officers. Plugg and Scourge are not happy at all, but then, Krine walks to the sweatbox open it and releases Sh’torek.
”Guess it’s ya lucky day! Instead of dying keelhauled, ya be dying as pirate!” she laughs and then summon the rest of the party.
”You there! Ugly!” she says to Dughal ”Ya be leading those band of incompetent into boarding our prey. See if everyone has a real weapon and report to me when done!” she says leaving you in the deck to prepare yourself.
Dugal growls at Krine, "With pleasure."
He turns to the others. "Grab your weapons and get ready. Let's stick together and work as a team."
Sh'torek pokes his head out, wondering if this is simply part of some sick entertainment. After a moment and realizing it's not, he steps out completely, subtly working the kinks out.
At Dhugal's instruction, Sh'torek nods and quickly makes his way to his quarters, gathering his weapons and donning his armor before returning back to the others on deck.
Boldwin double checks his gear, making sure that his weapons are intact.
Dhugal dons his armor and oils his falchion before reporting back to Krine.
"We're ready. We'll have better chances with two more pirates."
As soon as she spots the Wormwood, the merchant ship flees, but her sails are no match for those of the pirate ship, which closes over a period of 12 hours. During the last hour, Captain Harrigan instructs Kroop and the PC cook’s mate to slaughter half a dozen pigs, slit their throats, and throw them overboard to attract sharks to the scene of the battle.
As the Wormwood closes to within half a mile of the Man’s Promise, Krine summons you to the Wormwood’s poop deck (area A2) to give them their task for the upcoming battle.
”I’ve heard ye, choose any two and tell then to follow ye.” she says when Dughal bluffs about needing more pirates.
Then she says “The ship’s wheel is on the aft deck, just below the sterncastle. Ye’re going to grapple over, kill the guards on the sterncastle, take the wheel, and guard the ship’s boats. Kill anyone who tries to get away on one of the boats. Don’t move from the wheel until the fighting’s done, or ye’ll have to answer to me. Oh yeah, as we get close, it’s going to get foggy. Just stick to what I told ye to do.”
Round one:
The two ships soon enter into reasonable firing range (120 feet). With this speed, you reckon it will take about 24 seconds (4 rounds) until the wormwood catches the merchant ship.
The crew of the Man’s Promise begins to bombard the Wormwood with missiles, mainly crossbow bolts, some with fire, but also with two ballistas on the sterncastle attacking the Wormwood’s rigging in a futile attempt to slow the pirate ship. At the same time, banks of heavy mist suddenly envelop the enemy ship.
As crossbow fire is exchanged between the two ships, you are free to move and position yourself for better boarding the enemy ship. What will you do?
Sh'torek leans in again toward the others, "Are we to kill these people? Honestly, there are several on this ship I'd rather put an end to. My quarrel is not with those on the other ship."
Ambrose utters a short incantation, apparently to no effect. He points toward the stairs and says to nobody in particular,
"Fetch my things." Nothing appears to happen, but Ambrose seems satisfied and turns back to the others. "That hardly matters now. Once battle is joined, you fight or you die. If you care to take your chances with the sharks, this is a gods-given opportunity to escape this miserable ship." His coat, gloves, and sword float up the stairs and across the deck to stop and hover near the tiefling who dons them in preparation for the upcoming battle. He casts another spell, and the Asmodean pentagrams on his gloves glow faintly. The air around him begins to waver ever so slightly, as though from a heat wave.
Dhugal whispers to the others, "Whom do you want to take with us? I'm thinking that brute Jape would be useful. Possibly Sandara Quin also to provide healing?"
"Sounds good to me," Boldwin replies with a nod.
Dhugal returns to Krine, "We pick Sandara and muttonchops to go with us. Now get us within grappling range."
Dhugal finds a rope and grappling hook and prepares to throw it when the Man's Promise get's within range.
At Dughal instruction, you all grab a grappling hook and stand ready to board the enemy ship.
The arrows, as you see are mostly directed at the rigging, the fire is a problem itself, but there are others just taking care of this, conjuring water to drench the fire and protect the wormwood.
You see Sandara doing the same, until you are about to board the ship, when se run over to your party.
==//==
The boat will take three rounds to close in boarding distance.
What you need to do:
Describe your actions in the first three rounds using this format:
==//==
At the fourth round, you can throw the grappling hooks and climb aboard.
Describe your round four actions:
The distance between the ships are about 5~10 feet’s.
You can:
- Jump from the wormwood to the Man’s Promise. Acrobatics DC 14 (Don’t forget the +1 house rule bonus.)
- Throw the grappling rook (ranged touch with a -4 pen versus AC 5) and then use the rope to help you climb aboard. (Climb DC 12)
Decide how you want to proceed and do your tests.
Dhugal will find cover and will focus on total defense for the first three rounds. On round 4 he will throw the grappling hook.
Having little that he can do at a range, Boldwin follows Dhugal's lead and takes cover while preparing his grappling hook.
Once the ship is close enough, Boldwin spins the hook around before tossing it.
The hook bounces off and misses the railing entirely. The dwarf curses under his breath, drawing the rope back in.
Total defense
Total defense
As the ships get closer to each other, Ambrose will sling an acid splash at the enemy ship.
As the ships close, Ambrose tosses his grappling hook, but it fails to catch.
Nodding to Ambrose, he readies to board.
The party, stays hiding defending against an attack that seems to be concentrated in the rigging.
That changed however when Ambrose used a single spell in the ship.
Several bolts went flying in his direction some he was able to avoid; others were stopped by his magic protection. One bolt however found it’s mark, dropping the wizard before he could even throw his grappling hook.
Sandara that was about to jump, seeing the scene and conjure a burst of holy light, healing everyone present.
Sh'torek was reading himself to jump, but seeing that no one made it, he decides it'd for the best to wait a bit more, before throwing himself alone amidst the enemy, as does Japes;
==//==
Initiative:
You saw a gnome; yeah a gnome! she shot an arrow at the wormwood railing and jumped into the water ending up near the wormwood, but she ended up being attacked by sharks! She may be in trouble!
But then the gnomes yell back to someone at the merchant ship "I'm sabotaging their ship! Don't cut that rope, I'll be back in ten seconds!"