Ducking deeper into cover as the vicious hum of bolts passing nearby is punctuated by the meaty smack as they hit home. "We can try, but we can't yield the initiative forever."
Ileosa gave a nod to her allies in agreement before she retreated from the line and moved to Triss. "You wouldn't happen to have an idea why they're here would you?" Ileosa asked as she pulled the bolt out of her shoulder with a grunt of pain. Triss was a sailor after all, she might have insight the others lack.
"Good question. Is this route always this dangerous?"
The group retreats from the railing and make themselves hidden. they quietly discuss the situation as seconds go by. Triss looks at the others and shrugs a bit "I haven't done a lot of my sailing this far up north. But, from what I've hard beyond the men keeping the peace, this is a bit uncommon." she offers.
After a few more seconds you begin to hear a strange language.
The leader begins to speak "Cowards, villians! Betrayers of Mitra's Divine Will! See how they hide from our might, Mitra was right to call us to her cause! We will kill these blasphemers! COME, WE WILL SURROUND THEM AND WASH AWAY THEIR SINS IN THE SEA!"
Ella tilts her head to listen, and then says to the others "I don't speak that one."
Ella fumbled with the pouch, pulling out the wrong vial, and then having trouble with claws and stoppers, then with a Got You smile, she chugs the thing, just as the shouter stops shouting.
"Nor do I." Ileosa said as some of her wounds healed. "They have us at a disadvantage... they've more room to move than us. We're out numbered though that hasn't been too hard to manage yet... but what happens when those who are actually doing damage run out of targets?"
"Of all the cursed luck, not one of the many languages I speak." Godfrey holds his sling ready. He begins rummaging through the scroll box hanging at his waist and finally seems satisfied by what he has found. "I can obscure the area we are in with a fog, which at least will help against the missile attacks. We'll have no advanced warning if they try to board and we'll be steering blind. Neither desirable but perhaps better then any other alternative right now." He rummages a bit more. "On the other hand, I can render one of us invisible. We might get the drop on them, though you'll still displace if you slip in after them."
Triss seeing there is more wounds left on Ileosa's body and time available, calls upon her arcane powers. It seems her prayers are answered this time as a considerable amount of the wounds start to close.
Time passes and doubts are given purchase to weigh in as nothing seems to happen. Then suddenly from all directions, the sounds of claws are slamming into wood and finding purchase. The sounds of wood splintering is repeated over and over, time seems to move on like molasses but clawed hands grab the railings in all directions and suddenly four burly aquatic folks flounder onto the deck Tridents in hand.
"Thank you." Ileosa said to Triss before everything went wrong.
When the large creature found its way to the deck Ileosa sighed. "First the patrol, then the elementals and merfolk, no this!" Then she aimed at the creature and shot at it.
"Better this than then that incessant cowardly attack from the safety of the water. Now it is skill and strength that wins the day." Godfrey wastes no time with further words, charging into battle with abandon. The menacing hum as his swift two-handed strike blurs his sword into a glittering arc reverberates on the wooden deck.
Coloua stays out of the way of the melee, remaining as hidden as possible as she glares at one of the still untouched creatures.
Ella never wastes time with further words, just charges on one the blue creatures on deck.
1 is Godfrey, 2 is Ella
1=Dead guy, 2 bad guy still fighting Godfrey and Ella, 3 or 4 other side of boat.
1=Godfrey, 2=Ella, 3=Ileosa
The 'Merfolk' also known as Triton Warriors manage to scramble to their feet before the battle ensues again. Ileosa's crossbow finds it's mark straight in the chest of one of the warriors. Godfrey charges into the frey and finishes the Triton off in glorious fashion. The black blade glistening and glinting in the light of the moon as the Triton fall to the floor lifeless.
Ella charges in closely behind Godfrey and her claw finds purchase in the Triton's back. The blow causing his aim to go slightly off and allowing Godfrey to suffer only a minor wound from one of the prongs of the remaining Triton on this side of the boat.
The other two warriors seize upon their clear side of the boat and pull their crossbows out and fire one last bolt. Each choosing to wound one of the Villians that slew their friend. Godfrey's armor does it's job protecting him from the bolt but perhaps it's all the blood on poor Ileosa's clothes that give the warrior a good target as he lodges another bolt into the poor woman.
Cursing herself that she had cast healing on herself, as its continued effect would nullify her spell of wounding, Coloua lunges at the injured creature with her strangely shaped cane, hoping that despite her weaknesses in melee combat she at least might do some damage.
As she nears, she wracks her brain to see if she recognizes these things at all.
With a swift reload Ileosa took aim at the one who was foolish enough to shoot her.
"That was a foolish thing to do. Appearances are never what they seem." Ileosa told him.
As Coloua dashes forward and stabs the merman Ella is trying to gut, it distracts the creature, making him to turn, witch was a mistake. With his blood and remains of organs dripping off her claws, Ella nods her thanks to the gnome woman, then prepares to charge anyone remaining alive.
Godfrey sneers contemptuously at the shallow graze the merman had inflicted. As that pitiful remaining warrior falls to Ella's vicious assault, Godfrey turns to the remaining two and starts to chant ritualistically as he closes on the pair. When close enough, he outstretches his hand and a rush of many different rays of light bursts over the side of the ship and envelop the two mermen who had been shooting at him.
The merfolk are not prepared for the powers that be as Ella turns to face her new opponent. Little Coloua rushes from her hidden spot with cane banished managing to give the man a smart twak in the back. Ella raises a rage fueled claw and bring it down filleting her opens chest open like an expert sushi chef.
Ileosa turns and eyes one of the merfolks with their spent crossbows and fires her own expertly at them. The bolt buries itself deep into the lung of the poor merfolk giving just enough pause for Godfrey to step up and fire colorful lights into the eyes of the two Merfolk. The one with a bolt in his chest goes for his eyes and stumbles around. The other manages to raise his hand to cover his eyes while the other grabs up his Trident once again. He shakes his head, grabs it with both hands and charges Godfrey. Nimble as Godfrey is, one of the prongs finds home but his armor seems to hold. A small trickle of blood begins dripping down the shaft.
It is at this point that it seems the leader has finally managed to climb the side of the boat as well. Landing upon the deck, he looks around in his resplendent Sea-shell Armor. He grips his own trident and curses in Aquan. The warrior currently not blind or dead upon the ground looks back to his leader almost invigorated by his presence.
Seeing the leader return to the fray, Coloua begins preparing for the end of this little interruption. Knowing that her healing spell is almost over and she can make the impudent creatures begin to bleed soon, she glares at the one in charge to soften him up.
As a product of being frequently ganged up on by bullies, Ella's standard method of attacking is go for the main kid and hurt his so badly, so quickly that the others are scared enough the fight it over. Worked once or twice even.
So she charges the resplendent sea-shell armor, wondering in the back of her mind, what sea shells are strong enough to act as armor.
Happy to be spared for a round, Ileosa took aim once more, their leader her main target.
"Should have left while you had the chance." She commented.
Godfrey laughs outright at the shallow cut his marine foe managed to sneak through his guard. "If that's the best you can do, then you'll not to live long." He starts hacking at his foe, supplementing the vicious assault with a spell chanted between gritted teeth.
Coloua gives the Sea Shell Armored warrior the evil eye while Ella charges up and slams a claw down upon him. The sound of nails grating against hard coral fills the air and for once her powerful swipe doesn't pierce immediately through.
Ileosa takes aim as well, her bolt finding the weakened portion of coral and snaps into the flesh beneath. A small trickle of blood begins to seep through the small hole.
Godfrey steps up and slices aggressively at the warrior but misses. The warrior is caught off guard by the quick second swing and the sound of skin searing fills the immediate area, giving Godfrey the satisfying scent of seared flesh.
The leader raises his trident and strikes at Ella but even in her rage, she is able to dodge. The same goes for Godfrey, dancing narrowly away from the prongs of his own foe's trident swinging madly at him.
Coloua takes a glance at the other two merfolk, the returns her gaze to the leader, grinning and staring him in the eye as she draws a small blade from her pouch and slowly pushes it into her shoulder.
Ella ducks under his clumsy swing, and rips into his meaty bits.
One claw simply grazes his armor but her other one hooks under making the Man part of his merman-ness questionable for the foreseeable future.
As Godfrey dances back away from the mad thrusts of his foe's trident, he chants and his sword begins to glow red hot with the fires of his magic.
"Hmm... maybe I should add a bit more to this weapon." Ileosa said as she pushed a button and the empty cartage popped out. Ileosa picked it up and put it away as she got out a full cartage and loaded it into the weapon.
The dance continues as Ella steps in and attempts to find purchase once again. The first claw causes a searing pain in everyone's ears once again as her nails dig into hardened coral. But her second strike is awe inspiring. She slams her clawed fingers down onto the hole Ileosa's bolt made and with tremendous strength she rakes hard. Suddenly under the strain of unbridled rage and strength, the armor gives way explosively!
Chunks of Sea shell go everywhere before the large portion of it crashes upon the deck. The 'Merfolk' in front of Ella is stunned as large amounts of his blood is suddenly washed upon the wooden floor. He shakes his head and grips his trident in hand with renewed vigor and strikes at Ella Clumsily. The blood starts to slow when suddenly wounds begin to open once again upon the leader and the two surviving 'Merfolk'.
Ileosa reloads as she watches the new tempo of the fight unfolds while Godfrey strikes at his own combatant. The two dance, deflecting and interrupting each others blows. While the stunned warrior suddenly seems to get his faculties under control once again and charges forwards catching Godfrey's second strike before it begins.
Coloua grins from her spot a little ways away, a cut across her wrist with blood flowing freely as she smiles at the wounds opening on all the enemies.
Still bleeding, Coloua steps forward and stares the leader down. Gesturing at his broken armor and bleeding allies, she laughs.
"I'm sure you thought this would be easy, but obviously you overestimated your own abilities when you dared to try your luck here. You've lost most of your men, the two that remain are on their last legs, and your armor lies broken at your feet."
When she mentions his dead men, she gestures towards them and her centipede scuttles across them. The sound of creatures wailing and screaming in pain emanates from their bodies as if their souls were being sucked out and tortured by her familiar. She slowly approaches him as if completely unafraid of his trident, her eyes flashing.
"You can continue this charade if you wish, but if you lay your trident down and beg forgiveness, you might be able to earn a swifter and less painful death, or even an opportunity to live."
Ileosa paused when she heard Coloua speak. Instead of shooting the now armorless leader she just took aim and waiting to see what he'd do.
Ella pauses when hearing Coloua's voice. The gaintess is heaving with barely contained rage, his mismatched eyes glaring at the merman, her claws dripping in his blood.
Words are not really necissary to relate that she will kill him, easily, and he only has one chance to live. To listen to the small woman with the bug.
Godfrey pauses his assault, sword still at the ready as he waits to see how the mermen react.
Suddenly there is a shift in the battle. The whole deck goes silent for a moment as Coloua speaks, her familiar's mandibles and legs clacking and adding to the menacing aura surrounding her. Ella's bulging muscles coupled with the blood of the enemy dripping off her only accents the threats and offering of surrender that is laid out clearly.
The two warriors's faith seems to waver for a moment and their eyes lock upon their leader in hopes that they will either surrender or inspire them to greater heights. The leader heaves slightly from his injuries and his trident seems to shake a bit, almost looking as if there might indeed be a bloodless end to this battle.
He clutches a large pearl resting upon his chest from a humble chain and clenches his fist tightly around it. He speaks clearly, though the strain of the common tongue causes the words to warble slightly but his message is clear enough that everyone can understand "The shining sun has seen the wickedness in your hearts and the tides of wisdom have fallen upon my ears. Mitra's message is clear, you are an enemy to all her people above and below the sea. KILL THEM" he cries out before gripping his trident tight and continuing the assault.
"
26 Damage to BGG
14 Damage to Triton Warrior
Godfrey barks a laugh at the merman's words, "Mitran lackeys beneath the waves. How quaint." He resumes his relentless assault, hacking away at the warrior daring to challenge him.
Glancing down at bleeding arm and seeing that the blood starts to clot after one final spurt, Coloua steps right up to the leader and looks pointedly at his own bleeding wound as it begins to slow as well.
Holding her misery stick over her head and looking up into his eyes she declares "So be it then. Your 'God' won't save you today" and brings the weapon down onto the site of his closing wound.
Godfrey casually dodges the wounded merman's counter attack, cutting him down with little more then an afterthought. The unharmed merman's attempt to come to his companions aid is to late, but Godfrey is only able to slightly deflect the desperate thrust of his opponents trident. Hissing in pain, he rains a furious series of blows down on his new foe.
Ella smiles, not at the creature's commitment or faith, but because Mitra has acknowledged them as an enemy. Means the god knows fear. Maybe she's watching now. She hopes so.
"Of course that didn't work..." Ileosa muttered as she too aim at another of the warriors since there was too many around the leader.
Just wow...welp chalk that up to being cowed.
The battle resumes upon the last two words of the leader. Both Warriors spurred into action and striking at Godfrey. The man with the black blade manages to parry off a blow and only take a glancing wound from the other before slaying the wounded one before him.
Coloua steps into the fray, blood trickling down her arm as she expertly smacks ones of the leaders wounds causing him to shift his focus for but a moment. Alas, it was all the time needed for Ella to catch him off guard. With his wounded chest exposed, she slams a clawed hand into his ribcage. His eyes go wide at the sound of his bones cracking under the pressure. He can't even catch his breath from the pain as her other clawed hand slams down again and rakes.
The leader goes down, his vital organs exposed and blood washing the deck. Had someone come across this with no knowledge of the blow that took place to cause the injury, they'd swear a Viking had come by and performed a blood eagle from the front. Gasping and attempting to draw enough breath, his lungs inflate one last time.
During this moment,Godfrey whirls around and strike his other opponent scoring a large wound before a bolt comes in and catches him in the back. He falls to the ground, dying as he looks upon his leader breathing his final breath.
The Triton leader speaks these final, gurgling, raspy words "It will be the son who brings your doom." before the light fades completely from his eyes. Tears fall from the surviving warrior before blood loss takes him.
Smiling grimly, Coloua quickly reaches into her bag, grabbing a small vial and a large empty one. She drips a drop of something from the first onto her wound, and then begins busying herself trying to collect up as much blood from the leader into the other as she can.
ELLA: Ella calms down, checks on everyone to make sure no one is dead or dying, then butts heads with the little one. Since she is interested in the biological underwater adaptation of the merman. "Why do you need the blood?" she asks, in a slightly annoyed voice.
COLOUA: Coloua glances up at Ella as she puts her vials away. "I noticed that he was using magic during the combat. I have a method where I can utilize the blood of a fallen mage to potentially learn new magic techniques that I had previously not known. I'm hoping to gain some knowledge or power from him. Do you wish some of it for yourself? I'd be happy to collect more"
ELLA: Ella listens, annoyance turning to interest but then gone again. She had little interest in magic, just the biological study of the flesh. "Not his blood, this body. The combination of his gills and lungs, maybe insulation from the cold, or protection of his eyes. I'll wait."
COLOUA: "I am only in need of the blood, and just this one pint I have already collected. Feel free to do whatever you wish with the rest of him"
ELLA: Ella nods and waits, then easily slings the body over her shoulder to take down below for later. "The dolphins? Are they still out there?"
"No." Ileosa said as she came walking up, putting her weapon away. "They're gone." She went on to say. Then she looked to Coloua with a bit a superstition and asked "You can learn magic from people's blood? Even if it doesn't come from their blood?"
"Also one of you, remind me to buy you all drink when we return." Ileosa said with a slight polite smile.
"Although magic can originate in someone's bloodline and be passed through blood, in most cases you're correct it does not reside there. Despite this, blood holds a portion of a creatures' power and has enough latent effects from magic use to be used for my purposes"
The first time that the group rests, Coloua wakes up and while getting ready for the day, drinks the blood that she had collected from the merfolk's leader. After concentrating for a few minutes, she spends an extra hour sitting in the corner alone, letting her centipede wander through her fingers while she whispers to it.
"A drink? Why?" Ella isn't opposed, but is curious for the reason, that is all.
"Because this annoyed me enough to thank you all for ending it." Ileosa answsered with a shrug.
Ella will nod to that, in complete understanding. "Underwater Mitrans, who would have thought."
Godfrey, the watches the leader of their foe's die pitilessly, even as he begins to clean his gore-slicked blade with a chanted spell. "No, I think you'll find that your insipid god will do no such thing." Sheathing his sword, he watches Coloua go about her gristly work with no small amount of curiosity. "Fascinating. If it is no trouble, I would be most interested in learning more of this magic you speak of. The blood of any foe becoming a font of knowledge is tempting, given how vast our list of foes grows with our work."
He smiles, "As for a drink, I will be sure to remember. One never turns down a free drink of a decent vintage." He turns to a nearby sailor and gestures towards the corpses spread over the deck, "Be a good man and see to all this. The stink begins to offend me."
While Ella takes the leader's body below and the sailors start to clean up the rest of the mess, Coloua looks up at Godfrey with a curious expression.
This is not the first time he's mentioned wanting to 'compare notes' about abilities. I've never had anyone actually be interested, they are usually just afraid of what I do.
"I would be happy to try and work with you to share knowledge, but I'm unsure how much use I will be. I do not 'study' magic like a mage, but instead learn things while communing with my friend here, either internally or externally." She gestures towards the magus with her right hand, as her centipede crawls back up that arm to return to it's 'nest' inside of her.
"At a certain point in my past, I began to realize how strong both death and decay are, and how rot and insects will eventually overcome everything we know no matter how powerful it might be. Upon that realization I began to spend my energy towards understanding that entropic 'force' and after some time this one came to me. When I speak with it, it shares with me the knowledge of how to do certain things. Purely mechanically you might compare it to a wizards book of knowledge where they keep their magic, but in reality it is much more important as an ever-present mental and empathetic link with the concept of death and dissolution. I am unsure how to even try to explain it, and even if you were interested in spending time with my friend here I doubt you would be able to glean the same things from it as I can."
Beginning to head below deck herself, she looks back over her shoulder.
"We can try to share our work if you'd like, but I'm not sure how willing you would be to get intimately involved in my methods. It did not go well for some of the others I've tried to teach."