Flipping the switch again, the wall of safes slides back. The first clunking noise does not occur again.
Kristleifur thinks upon what he has heard, trying to picture the mechanisms in his head.
With a combination of his knowledge of engineering and especially his experiences with devices, Kristleifur is able to figure out that the first noise was most likely some kind of locking mechanism, that is now disarmed. The wall of safe's doesn't make too much noise along the track, so it can be opened fairly discretely.
Kristleifur gathers the others around at the next unsuspicious interval, and informs them of his findings.
"The first noise: that was a locking mechanism, now disarmed. That wall of safes behind the lockboxes? That is on a track, and doesn't make too much noise when it moves. Someone wanted that set up just so, very quiet, very discrete. But it would also be quiet to get it open too..."
As the others gather around, Armanus faces the entrances to keep watch.
"Then by all means let us look in the mysterious box we have gone to so much effort to unveil." Zyrel suggests. "Someone should stand guard outside in case of someone coming. I am happy to be that person if need be, though I see the... Armanus stands guard at the door already."
"I hereby volunteer for box-looking duties." says Kristleifur, in a moment of seeming solemnity.
I'll stand guard to. she smiles. this job is certainly more interesting than I thought it would be
As the party is discussing, the mealtime bell starts ringing. Strangely though, it is midafternoon and ringing more urgently than normal.
"An alarm?" Zyrel asks, donning his gear "Us - or are we under attack?" He looks to the others for opinions.
Kristleifur shrugs.
"No certainty here! But a few of us should go out and check. Not all-", he looks at Erick, "-in case this is a trick."
"I'll go have a look.", he finishes, picking up his musket and jogging towards the door.
Hey wait up. I'll go to.
Elsa quickly casts mage armour on herself, then follows
"I also." Zyrel agreed, bow in hand.
The group gets on deck and finds a chaotic scene. Two waterlogged corpses stagger around. Strange nautiloid creatures are clasped onto their heads with long tentacles dug into the bodies, causing them to move with spastic, jerking motions. A few crewmembers lie dead on the deck, while others hunker behind crates holding muskets.
Kristleifur sees the creatures, and comments as he levels his musket at the nearest one.
"See the seas! Meet strange and fascinating creatures!"
"And blast chunks out of them!" , he finishes, adrenaline pumping.
"Yell if it's an ambush, or you need backup. No more than half of us though."
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Erick turns to Armanus, as the two are the only ones left to guard the hold. "That sounds bad. Let's set up an ambush on the door." He motions to the most solid looking crates. "We can move those over here to fire from behind, and those between us and the door. Put a line of powder between here the two, and a powderhorn under some of those metal figurines, turn them into shrapnel if need be." Putting words to motions, he begins shoving crates into position.
The bullet strikes the creature. However, it seems less effective than it might be on a standard foe. The two beasts shamble forward, one towards Kristleifur and the other toward Elsa.
Armanus help with Erick's ambush, moving crates as needed. The tiefling readied himself for an assault.
"They're tough!", shouts Kristleifur, as he steps back.
Instead of shooting, he makes a strange gesture - and his outline becomes far hazier.
Zyrel pauses, apparently unconcerned, as he looks the creatures over. With careful, calm ease he draws and looses.
Elsa stares for a second, then rapidly casts a spell, targeting it on as many foes as she can, without striking friends
Zyrel’s arrow pierces into the beast. However, the arrow does not do much to puncture the beast’s rotting hide. Elsa’s blast of lightning is effective though, frying the creature in front of her and producing a truly horrific smell, a combination of charred meat and spoiled seafood. The creature in front of Elsa tries to slam into her, though she is quick enough to dodge away. However, two long tentacles reach out from the creature’s chest, one striking her. The other creature staggers toward Zyrel, seeing him as a threat.
Smoothly Zyrel draws his enormous sword, pivots, and brings the blade to bear.
Kristleifur steps back and blazes away at the back of the creature, though aimed away from his companions.
Ow
Elsa back peddles, casting to strike her opponent.
reflex DC 15 for half
Armanus waits with Erick for the conflict to head downstairs, but it looks like the others are doing admirable work.
Erick grimaces. "This is always the hard part, manning your post while you hear combat going on somewhere else." He comments to Armanus. "You can tell who's done guard work before by who runs off at the first sound of trouble."
Elsa's spell hits the creature, causing it to fall to the ground. However, the creature clasped onto its head manages to wriggle free. Zyrel identifies these creatures as incutili, a cephalopod that can control corpses with their long tendrils. They are very intelligent, but quite cowardly. His moment of remembrance sets him off guard, allowing the creature to slam into him.
Kristleifur exclaims as he reloads and fires again.
"What in the blazing hells is that thing!?"
"Inctili." answers Zyrel flatly, though he staggers from the blow. "The..." he considers explaining the taxonomy for a split second, then sacrifices accuracy for speed "squid on the head controls a corpse. Concentrate fire on the squid."
Sensing doom in his own future, Zyrel vaults down the stairs. "Reserves to the front!" he calls to those who wait below. "Cut off the head-squids!"
Erick waits for Zyrel to fully enter the hold, and comes close to blowing the elf's head off, only refraining due to his having called out before he came down. "Right, take my spot then. And drink a potion or something, you look like hell."
When Zyrel is fully behind the barricade, Erick will head up the stairs.
Right
Elsa tries to fry the little squid
reflex DC 15 for half
Elsa's spell hits the incutilis, and it lets out a burbling shriek as it is singed to a crisp. The other one begins to stagger backwards towards the edge of the ship.
get them, get them!
Once Zyrel is behind the barricade, Erick heads up to the deck, drawing his sword and pistol as he goes.
Kristleifur grins as the first creature crumples and dies, swinging his musket around towards the second.
"BOOM!", he says, as his musket does likewise.
Kristleifur’s bullet strikes the creature and it stumbles backwards, falling into the sea.
Kristleifur waves his musket in the air in exultation, and turns to the others, clearly delighted.
"Woohoo! Did you see that shot!? We did well!"
Elsa pulls out her crossbow and loads it
The incutilis does not make an attempt to climb back up, and the ship sails off.
So...did we win?