Baltzar also gets her Mage Armor ready.
At the first the Captain just stands there, taking in the details of the Covenant and her crew. As the enlarged Sandman overshadows almost his entire vessel, Captain Falkirk simply nods. It's a full minute or so before he blinks several times and comes to his senses. He barks out orders and several men come up on deck. They immediately stand aside, their weapons still sheathed. All together there are 15 sailors and one First Mate, in addition to the Captain.
Nivian simply stood at the wheel and smiled. This boarding was Sandys show - and the mask was enough of a sidekick to him.
When they line up on the deck, for a moment she considers their need for more crew...but then, press-ganging didn't work out well for their captors...they could ask, of course, and Nivian nodded to Fargrim, who was, obviously, part of their boarding party.
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When the group is able to talk without being overheared: "Some plunder, but not a big prize, and our greenhorns not yet bloodied. If we head to the rock, there will be a fight. I doubt whoever holds it now will be willing to give it up just like that. I'd prefer if we had one prize with a crew that tried to fight back, before heading there-...unless, of course, we mean to employ subterfuge...take some of these sailors hostage, force the others to spread a rumor about a chellish punitive expedition having set course towards the rock, in the next harbor, then release their crew when they did so. Whoever holds the rock will hear about it, given a week or two, and I am almost certain the fortress will be understaffed if we head there a short while after the rumors took hold..."
Sandman waited until they pulled a ways away from the fishing boat before taking off his mask and hanging it on his shoulder. "Mister Kroop, fire up the stove. We eat well tonight." he said, loud enough for the crew to hear.
He walked up the stairs to join Nivian at the wheel as the crew loaded the fish into their cargo bay.
"I do not think we are ready for that." he said. "None have been able to take and keep the rock. Half a crew of flegling pirates certainly won't."
Fargrim looks over their captives with a sneer. "Give up without a fight, eh? You're lucky we don't take slaves, you spineless whelps! I would ask if any of you have the steel to join our crew, but I don't believe any of you even have a bit of iron in ya! Go back to your catch!" He spits on the deck and cracks his knuckles as he lays his dorn-dergar in a line of the deck. "Any of you that think you've got what it takes, step over that chain and prove it to me." His face cracks into a mad grin.
Johara leans from the mast above, hanging on to one of the lines as she stretches out at an angle to watch the unfolding drama below. Her silken outfit waves in the breeze like a bejeweled flag.
Nivian smiles at Fargrims handling of the situation...doing exactly what she had hoped he'd do...test potential recruits and see if they can take a hit. She had seen the Dwarf settle fights, and his fists were weapons in their own right, as far as Nivian was concerned. Any who could take a good hit from him and not pass out would be worth having.
Speaking of 'worth having'...
As her mind wanders, Nivian looks up at the rigging, her eyes following Johara for a few seconds before focusing on the others ships deck again.
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At the private convo:
"Being ready is one thing. I said, I'd like to at least have them participate in one battle before we try...but that was not the point. The point was to try and use subterfuge to weaken the rocks defenses. If we can spread a rumor of several chellish military ships coming to claim it, many of those now holding it might run. The reason I bring it up is that assailing a fortress by sea would be difficult even with a highly experienced crew trained in assault tactics. We probably want to come over land, and sneak in...the less opposition we meet, the better. And if we want some rumors to work in our favor, we'll need to spread those before we set sail for the rock..."
Or do mean to say I'm getting ahead of ourselves there and we nore even supposed to go there before the end of book 2 or something?[/ooc]
"I defer to your expertise in such things." Sandman said. "If that is your plan, we still need to acquire additional cargo to sell in port while you spread your rumors. Let us find more prey and fill our hold."
Johara slides down the mast and makes her way to the captain's deck.
"Cap'n," she says to Nivian while Sandman is nearby, "that was a hard chase for a lot of fish. Is there any way that we might be able to figure out where we can chase down a richer target?" She tosses a scarf back over her shoulder and waits with her hands on her hips, unsure of the best way to find a more lucrative cargo ship.
The whole crew of the Elten Baide remain still, not even making eye contact with the burly dwarf or any of the other pirates for that matter. The crew of the Covenant, all gathered on deck and in the rigging laugh and sneer at the lack of courage in the lowly fishermen.
The dwarven Captain, Captain Falkirk, still standing in place asks "so that be it then? We're free to go?" While he doesn't seem worried about the answer, his men certainly are as sweat begins to roll down their faces. They look at each other and start to shift on their feet but Sandman's daunting presence and the close proximity of the chain-wielding dwarf give them pause.
The giant masked man gave Fargrim a nod, recalling the crew with their seized booty and disengaging from the fishing vessel. Without another word, he let them leave.
Fargrim spits once more onto the deck and retrieves his weapon. "Next time I suggested you raise a fight against someone looking to take your ship. We could've just as easily killed you all and sunk this boat. Aye, you're free to go." With the nod from Sandman, Fargrim orders the boarding party to gather all the booty and disembark. "Let's move! Wasting daylight here!"
As soon as the crew is back aboard and the ropes disengaged, Nivian looks up to Johara, signalling the rigging to release the sails again.
As the Covenant picks up pace, she jerks the wheel to the side, giving the other ships nose a small bump with the Covenants backside (), then waving at the fisherman and loudly laughing as the pirate vessel speeds away.
As they are on their way again: "Oh well, nice and easy...let's see if we find any more cowards, or a ship with cargo valuable enough that the crew provides some entertainment during boarding..."
The Covenant sets sail after giving the Elten Baide a kiss goodbye. Both vessels drift apart and hours later it's as if the two never met.
The next two weeks pass rather slowly. Training, carousing and sleeping occupy everyone's time until the point of boredom. Everyone's itching for a little excitement when the call goes out from the crow's nest. "SHIP HO!"
The crew springs into action. Riggers seem to fly through the air as sails and lines are deployed. In the blink of an eye, another call rings out "LAND HO!" The report is filtered down to the deck. A ship appears to be leaving a nearby island. Both are potential targets but which one to engage?
"The ship first? The island is not going anywhere." Sandman said conversationally to Nivian.
"I'm in agreement with Sandman. Although, if there are fortifications upon the island and the ship has communications with them... we may lose our opportunity for the island plunder. Either way its a risk and I say we take the ship first. We don't want to risk it coming back while our fighters on are away."
"Aye, the ship's the obvious choice. We may give those on the island time to prepare, but they can't run away from us while we're busy with the ship.", Nivian steers the Covenant towards an interception course with the vessel, "Also, depending on how long the chase will be, we may be able to sneak around, and approach the island from the other side during the night."
"Aye, cap'n," shouts Johara from the rigging. "Set sails portside, pursuit form, tack to their fore!"
"Sandman, lets refrain from the 'comply, and we will not harm you'-stuff this time around. The crew needs some entertainment...and I've got an idea..."
The opposing vessel turns broadside but is too far out to fire. Instead it seems to be turning, but it's hard to say yet if it's making a run towards you or a run away from you.
A few thin streams of white smoke can be seen climbing towards the heavens from the island.
Sandman was thoughtful for a moment. "I disprove of random punishment. A simple choice of fight or swim seems simpler."
"Fight or swim seems to be the law of the ocean," says Johara. "I'm sure at least one of them has some fight in him. Or her."
Fargrim rubs his hands together in excitement. "I hope this lot has less cowards aboard. I'm itching for a good fight."
"Oh, what I have in mind is not random. They very much get to choose their fate. But regardless of that, guaranteeing they will end up unharmed would very much be a lie."
"Fargrim, help with the wheel, Johara, some more rope on the main sail!", Nivian shouts, trying to keep catch up with their new prey.
"Aye Captain!" Fargrim rushes to aid, but his heart is more set upon the pending fight than his duties...
The pirates speed the Covenant forward as fast as the winds will carry her. Her prey is slow to react but turns to show you her broadside. At this range, there is no danger from incoming fire yet. The target appears to be putting distance between the island and itself.
As you continue to close, the enemy vessel turns to greet you. Nose to nose, the ships sail straight towards one another. The sky darkens as heavy clouds begin to roll in and the wind gains in strength. Sails slip lose and fall slack as the wind escapes but they are quickly recovered as flashes of lightning begin to flicker in the clouds above. The loss of momentum doesn't appear to hurt at this range but the other ship has definitely gained more ground, getting farther away from the island.
A lightning bolt arcs down into the water near the opposing ship and she has to alter course to avoid the strike and in doing so loses her own momentum. As the two ships close, more details can be seen. The oncoming schooner is a two-masted vessel, about the same size as the Covenant.
"Seems they are willing to give us a fight!", Nivian smiles broadly at Fargrim. The Dwarf certainly would enjoy what was to come...
Sandman came down from the helm to the main deck, marching to the prow and putting on his mask and causing the void of night to swirl in his scars. As they closed the distance, he grew in size.
"We need a ballista." he mused absently.
Johara manages to get herself tangled in the rigging and fails to help close with the enemy ship.
She is ruining the dramatic tension a bit, don't you think?
Since when do you care about drama?
Fear is very dramatic. Usually. Now, not so much.
Fargrim cheers when he spies the ship turning for a fight. "Alright lasses and lads! Looks like we're going to have a real fight this time! Grab your weapons and your hooks! Don't forget your boarding axes! If you fall, it'll be the only thing might keep you from a bloody date with a shark! Get to it!" He bellows with a mad grin upon his face, while rubbing his hands together gleefully. "One last thing! Those that surrender are to be given full quarter! They might have reliable information on the fortifications of that island!"
"Johara, that was an abysmal performance. See me later, for some private lessons involving ropes and knots.", Nivian shouts up at the entangled Rigging Master. She would understand, everybody else was likely too focused on the battle about to take place.
When Fargrim bellows his orders, she nods to him:"Good thinking on the surrenders...they can't escape, I got the wheel...go get ready to board, I know you'll want to go first!"
Fargrim's strenght was a boon in holding the wheel steady...but for those last fine corrections when closing to boarding range, he was more needed in the midst of the boarders, rallying them with his mere presence.
Johara salutes, then coils a rope around her wrist to aid her balance in the rigging.
The ships crash through waves on the way towards each other. Birds are already circling high above as if they know what's coming. Cracks of thunder seem to silence everything else every few minutes as lightning bolts crash down into the sea near the closing ships. The winds keep the sails taught and loose hair blowing. Salt filled sprays coat the prows and the occasional dorsal fin can be seen breaching the surface.
A few dozen feet away from each other, men on both ships spring into action. Raising arms and boarding planks, grappling hooks begin to swing and a loud roar echoes across the water. From her perch in the rigging, Johara can see a cage open on the other ship's deck. A large, winged beast takes to the skies.
Nivian takes note of the winged beast, expecting it to be their enemies trump card...and a means to keep them rallied. Taking it out swiftly could be a advantageous in breaking their morale.
If it was close enough...
Johara frowns slightly as the winged beast launches itself into the air. How does one fight such things? Well, she'd worry about it later. She shimmies and twists and prepares herself for battle.
Baltzar casts Mage Armor as the creature takes flight.
Fargrim readies his dorn-dergar into Reach mode and prepares to strike at the winged beast if it comes into range of his weapon...
High overhead the winged beast soars overhead. It dove downward and pulled up before coming close to the Covenant. It released a volley of spikes that hurl down towards the deck as it strafes across the sky. Screams ring out from the Covenant crew as several are impaled where they stood.
The ships crash into one another and sailors on both sides are knocked off of their feet. They quickly scramble back to their feet. Orders are shouted from both sides. Heavy crossbows are raised by the opposition as they prepare to fire.
The Nightmare Man's eyes flared with darkness and motes of starlight in the direction of the flying creature.
Lacking a way to get airborne, Johara takes cover behind the rigging.
Frustrated, Nivian takes of the enemies dispersion...and the fact the airborne creature seemingly wanted to stay out of range.
Little she could do about the latter right now, but the enemy might easily clump up in some position, either to assail the Covenant or to defend theirs.
Moving up behind Fargrim, Nivian keeps her eyes on the enemy formations, a spell ready in her mind.
Fargrim lets out a mad cackle as the ships crash together, maintaining his foothold. "Now this is a worthy foe!" Suddenly that mad grin slips from his face and before the enemy across the chasm can even react to the strange shift, Fargrim's dorn dergar streaks out and smashes hard into the face of the sailor!
The air around a few of the opposing crew turns cold and their heavy crossbows begin to rattle in their hands as they shiver uncontrollably. Fargrim's chain lashes out and splatters a man's head. Bone and blood cover the man next to him as the former's body tumbles forward and over the rails, his heavy crossbow clattering to the deck.
Baltzar moves 20-feet, getting close enough to try Slumber (DC 17) on the Manticore.