BLOCK 1
Darvyl
Nechtan
Ynyr
Inge
BLOCK 1
Darvyl
Nechtan
Ynyr
Inge
Out of tricks that can be used in the small confines of the boats, and on his last legs, Darvyl simply stabs at the marine.
Darvyl wounds the marine once more.
Nechtan sees an opportunity to go after the instigator of their problems again, and attacks Inge.
Twin Strike (1d20+8=18, 1d10+2=4, 1d20+7=23, 1d6+1=6, 1d8=7)
Nechtan hits and Inge gasps in anger and perhaps now a touch of fear.
"Happen tha'll be reconsidering piratical antics."
"Yes, now, see, isn't it much more sensible not to fight to the death, you know?" Ynyr says in a rather worried, and somewhat irritated manner.
Inge steps back, snarling and a wicked look comes on her face as she fires a bolt of ice at Darvyl, knocking the young warrior to the deck, whereupon he is savagely kicked by the remaining marine who moves to threaten Greylan.
The elven wizard cries aloud, "Cease!" and flame erupts in a curtain before him, setting light to the marine.
Sensing that his words will fall on deaf ears, Healaugh stares down the pirate.
"Nay lass. Tha's gone too far."
Vicious Mockery (Will) v Inge (1d20+6=20, 1d6+5=9)
Gesturing at Darvyl with one hand, he adds calmly, "On feet lad. Tha doest no good on deck."
Then he turns his attention to Inge once more, suddenly an oddly terrifying figure, clutching a javelin in one hand.
"Last chance. Tha's had warning. Now, tha stops or tha's doomed. Weapons down, marines away."
Intimidate Inge (1d20+10=25)
Inge looks at Healaugh with a newfound respect, and spits:
Illuskan
Healaugh shakes his head regretfully.
Illuskan
"Nay lass. Tha's wrongfully bewitching our own. Can't be doing with that."
Inge pauses, and then laughs.
Illuskan
Illuskan
"Aye. Happen we do. Be prepared when tha comes back for one. But if we takes prisoners from tha, we'll be leaving and tha canst sail home. Bury tha kin rightly. Tha'll be wanting body, like enough."
Inge looks around at the destruction of the guardian, the dead bodies of marines and seems to briefly consider her options.
Illuskan
she says harshly to Healaugh.
Waelish "Hold up a moment lads. May be reaching accommodation here with our Inge."
A flood of heavily accented Illuskan follows.
Illuskan
"Tricky talking two languages at once. Want you to be trusting us and that's none so likely if my lads and yoursen can't understand me. Dost know any Waelish?
Can't properly be speaking for leaders. M'honest halfling mesen, came to find and stop bewitchment. Reckon you've done us favour w'out meaning to, bring our own home to us. Don't reckon tha meant to do that, but don't reckon tha hadst choice neither. Reckon we've all been proper diddled by old un.
Reet. Weregild for yon Sven. Fair doings that is. Lament he'll be getting, pyre and proper rites to go to great feast hall. Grand warrior. Misguided like, but none o his fault.
Tha'll be needing to leave mind. 'm Brigid's lad, through and through and she'm goddess of chance and luckiness. Got no love for pirates the neither of us, but thinking tha's got skills enough to find ways round that. Tha's canny lass thesen."
Diplomacy (including Words of Friendship) (1d20+12=29)
Healaugh finishes his speech and hopes he's being convincing enough.
Inge considers Healaugh's words and with a growl and a resigned slump she calls her men off.
Illuskan
Waelish - "Reaching accord. Help out Ynyr. Tha's clever soul, tell rest of lads what's happening."
Illuskan
"Safe passage, release of any of our'n tha's holding still and lament for tha kin."
Healaugh nods with due respect to Inge.
Darvyl lies slumped on the deck where he fell, looking up at the marine while awaiting the results of the negotiations.
Ynyr watches Healaugh with unbelieving respect.
Waelish
"Lad's doesn't it seem that Healaugh has negotiated the end of the fight?"
"Could you please let up? Don't you know your Inge has agreed to let the people go?"
Illuskan
"Now, young lady, did I not hear and witness all that our Healaugh just said? And will we not do as he said we would? I am a man on honour, you know? And what my friend here says, I say, so what can be fairer than that?
Healaugh’s Lament for Sven
"Hewn-short on Norn’s loom, wet with blood is pulled Sven’s thread;
Called from the weave, the war-worker, hewer of shields.
Wound by the fates themselves, pulled taut, sword-cropped –
No more to sing in mead-hall of his deeds.
Weeping the whale-road rides his sister, sweet Inge of the arts;
Dauntless is she in heart-pain, calling her kin.
Winding the life thread, valkyries call the weird of battle –
No heart song stops the fraying of the thread.
Seafaring man, doomed on outer nesses, doomed to die a doughty king.
Now the web is woven and the weapons reddened in his blood.
In all the lands it shall be heard, a hero fell –
Splintered is his shield, broken his axe, fallen is the liege.
Leap flames and guide his spirit. Chant the war-song.
Mighty is Sven and proud his being.
Warrior’s blood, called to hero’s hall. Skalds fear him.
Now holds he axe in Tempus service, stayed for none."
As Healaugh chants, Inge's frowning countenance softens.
Illuskan
She looks at the shoreline, "We will retrieve my brother's body. You will sing once more your song."
Waelish - "Reet lads, help get boat to shore. Need to free villagers and build pyre for Sven. Do what's proper."
Illuskan
Inge tells the marines to stand down in Illuskan.
Greylan looks warily around and says (in Waelish) "Well done, old chap." to Healaugh, "Don't you think we'd better check on their prisoners now?"
He looks around at the rather vicious countenances of Darvyl, Ddraig and Nechtan, "Um... yes.... er.. aha! Ynyr! Would you like to see how they're doing?" he asks the friendly-faced artificer.
"I sense a pause in hostilities. Am I, therefore, not to eviscerate this unfortunate wretch?" growled Ddraig.
"Cannae fash all of this mumblety-jumblety talk. Brrawlin' done?", Nechtan asks.
Healaugh sighs. "Now then Ddraig. I knows tha's slow, but canst see yon lad's needed to steer ship. Get dressed. Happen tha'll feel better in armour."
"Ynyr, best set villagers minds to ease," mutters Healaugh, looking dubiously at Nectan's blue warpaint and Darvyl's set expression.
"Happen tha'd be best at that," he concludes, having also taken in Ddraig grumpily donning his armour and Greylan's elfin beauty. "Rest of us might be worrisome-like."
"Tha's reet Nechtan," he calls across to his self-appointed bodyguard. "Fight's done. Put down claymore and pick up oar. Tha said tha wanted to row boat."
"If'n tha'll sit along with me, Inge-lass. Reckon should keep eye on tha. 'm trusting halfing, and tha's given word, but lads here can get a bit tense-like."
Ynyr goes below to comfort the prisoners in a way that is all his own.
"Now then you, we have rescued you, do you see? You're to be set free and sent back to your village because my friend made it so, so that's alright then isn't it? Now you're sad, aren't you at your losses? Well, do you know that we have done a lot of avenging on that sadness so we hope that will be all that can be done now don't you think? We will be on our way back and we need to sing a lament and then you can go home can't you?"
With their unique blend of bustle and cheer, the heroes inform the villagers that they are free.
The group decamps to the beach to build a pyre and Healaugh sings his lament; the marines seem less keen on the entire affair but some sharp words from Inge are enough to quiet their mutterings.
Healaugh can't resist improving the shining hour and managed to find a competent singer among the villagers. With swift coaching, he coaxes the man into providing a solid lead to the main chorus, while he improvises a harmony.
As the last notes die away, he allows a second or two of silence, before turning to Inge.
Illuskan
Patting Ynyr in the small of the back, he adds, "Our Ynyr'll be doing translation."
As the heroes and their erstwhile foes mourn the dead, and the villagers disembark, a middle-aged man comes from the southern peninsula.
"Thank the gods! I had thought nothing could deliver us from that evil song!" he says with relief.
He explains that he is the village priest, and that he was able to resist the call of the night-twist, unlike the rest of the village. He retreated out of hearing to the old lighthouse, where he has been hiding ever since, unable to fight against so many warriors.
The villagers are relieved to see him.
Provide Inge and her men with safe passage from the Moonshaes.
Skill Challenge
12 Successes before 3 Failures
Primary
DC 16
Bluff ("these aren't the slavers you're looking for")
Diplomacy ("Look, they said sorry...")
Intimidate ("Just do it!"),
Streetwise (you know who to talk to in port)
Stealth (let's just keep a low profile)
Secondary (each can only be used once)
DC 18
Each use of a secondary skill brings down the primary DC of the challenge by 2. Failures do not count towards the challenge total.
History, Insight
Healaugh greets the priest, standing firmly in front of Inge and her men and getting straight down to business.
"Bad doings hereabouts. Happen tha'll know Askrigg. Cousin of mine. Runs fishing boat along coast of here. Could be using word with him. Need to be getting folks here out of Moonshaes."
Success 1; Failure 0