As her opponents drop from the timely arrival of the others, Maera dismisses her orb to take stock of their losses. She gingerly checks on the one Sandara stabilized, comforted briefly that he'll live, before approaching the body of the man they lost. Her expression grows increasingly saddened, and kneeling beside the body she futilely straightens his clothes, closes his eyes. Some part of her knew that one day, perhaps very soon, men would die in her name - she just wasn't expecting it tonight, on their first night out and under her watch.
"Did he have any friends here that knew him?" she asks softly of the sole conscious crewman. "I would wish to know if... if we need to send any word or anything back to friends or family. He died bravely in my service." ...On my orders "I would honor any wishes he might have, before we bury him at sea."
Despite struggling, Cassius is able to find the poison...in form of a puffer fish that was hidden in the fishman's cheek.
Malak grunts and nods to the captain. "He had a friend on the crew...I believe it's that one," he points to the unconscious crewman who still breaths.
Doc arrives and begins tending to said crewman's wounds as well as examining the poison.
Malak draws forth a set of manacles from his belt and begins binding the fishman in chains. "I'll take him below. We can question him later."
The young sailor comes to and looks at his friend's body and lets out a low, sad moan. "Not how we wanted to make it big..."
From what she knew of Sahuagin, Maera wouldn't be able to Charm information from their prisoner. Good o' fashioned torture would have to do. "Yes, we'll see if it's chatty after a day in the hotbox," she says grimly. They fancy themselves sharks. Let's see it breathe out of water, in the hot, hot sun.
As the young sailor comes to, Maera extends her hand to help him up. "Not how any of us wanted," she echoes. Is it ill luck to lose a man your first night at sea? "But his death was not without meaning. Come, I'll make you a drink, and you can tell me if your friend would have had any last requests. I would see them done, as well as I can."
When the sailor is fit enough to be moved, Maera will Create Water, then Enhance it to whatever drink he would like.
Amos, the last to get up the stairs, doesn't have a chance to act before they're all dead. He assists in preparations for a burial at sea and drafts a schedule of increased mandatory drills for the crew. This would not happen again. Not on his watch.
The dwarf prepares himself for a watch, since he has some of the best eyes of the bunch. He remains quiet through the after effects of battle, taking the time to search the bodies of the sahaguin.
"That turned out far from the plan." the dwarf puts away his weapon and after searching the bodies, makes sure he has his armor and gear strapped on.
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Handing the puffer fish over to Doc with a nod, Cassius helps with getting the captive down into a secure area. Making sure that it is securely fastened with whatever heavy manacles or ropes that can be found. Taking care to tie the creature in such a way that it would be unable to bite its way through the bonds, or anyone else.
The young man nods as he walks with Maera and the two disappear below deck to drink the man's sorrow away.
The sahaugin is placed in The Box to sweat a day away before he can be questioned.
The rest of the night goes on without any further issues, Malak staying on deck with his elongating weapon ready for anything. Seething.
The follow morning, Sandara calls a second council of officers.
"Alright. Last night we were assaulted. Tonight we will have a strong watch going, but in the meantime, we need to find a target as soon as possible so we can get everyone's mind off Samuel's death. With that in mind...I think we have to be prepared to prey on whatever we can come across as we sail. Are there any problems with that?"
The new captain is voicing herself very strongly right to start off with, but there is a fury in her eyes that tells that she needs this to blow the steam of her crewman's death.
"Let's get to plunderin!" the blood thirsty dwarf cheers, eager to get into the work at hand.
"That seems reasonable, it is best not to let them dwell too long." Thinking a moment, "If I might, I will help with the interrogation of our captive later, I have ideas on how to...persuade him...to talk. Though it might be best if we did it in the privacy of a cabin as opposed to on deck where everyone can see."
With the Captain's permission, I will be doubling combat drills until further notice. Perhaps some training will help prevent such events in the future.
"I think that would be best on both counts. Our new additions have courage a plenty, but they are green, that is clear." She sighs heavily, still feel the weight of her orders last night. "And we need a clean victory. Beyond the prospect of fileting a sahaugin."
Using his superior knowledge of water, the terrain, and the nature of ships, the dwarf shows why his job is a striker. He searches for signs of ships, knowing the land will give this information up as surely as it does the tracks of mortals. He says a short prayer to Gozreh, in exchange for just the smallest spark of inspiration.
By the fury of Gozreh, Fury's striker spots the signs that a ship has recently been nearby. A few bits of cast off trash that hasn't sunk yet. When all of this is spotted, Diabolito is able to tell Cassius where to head...and a ship is spotted off in the distance. It seems to anchored near a small strip of land, so it would be easy pickings. And, from the looks of things, part of the crew has disembarked the ship and has made landfall. Clearly they were not expecting to be found by those such as the pirates of the Fury
High above, Rosie calls out, "Ship Ahoy captains!" Looking down with a periscope in her hand, she points.
There is a single flag flying from the ship...a golden snake on a white shield.
Shall I ring to quarters, Captains? Amos asks from near the ship's bell.
"Golden snakes... that's Aspis Consortium," she murmurs, then chuckles slightly to herself. "I doubt anyone would miss these slimy snakes much... and they've made landfall, aye." She nods to Amos.
"Sound the call. Let's put our most experienced with us in the vanguard. If they're here for supplies I'd wager their officers are restin' easy like the fat cats they are while their poor sailors are ashore doin' the real work."
Amos grabs the bell and starts ringing the call.
Look alive, swabs! The Officers are about to show you how it's done! You all watch our flanks and we'll have this thing done in no time!
Sandara grins, "Usually, I would suggest that we sail by, since no one knows our ship yet, and then ambush them, but the snakes have already left themselves open for an ambush. Let's take them hard and fast," turning to Amos, "Ready your men on the ballistas as best you can...I know they aren't trained well yet, but I want them ready to fire if we see trouble from our enemies own siege weapons."
Looking over to Cassius, "No need to be fancy, simply get us close enough for the grapple..."
Amos nods and points to two men whom he had designated crew leads. Ready the Ballistas. Seige crews to your posts!
The dwarf grins and looks to the skies, giving a silent prayer, before looking to the captains.
"Any need to chum the waters, Cap'ns?"
He draws both of his weapons, pacing the deck as he asks his question.
"Rawwwk! Crews to your posts! Sound the call!" Rotgut echoes, flying over the deck and squawking at the crew, as if doing his part to spur everyone into action. Aramis crows with laughter as she watches the colourful bird, loading her musket from her place in the port shroud.
"A'right, lads an' lasses! Time ta get us some asps!" she hollers, a wild grin on her face.
Rather nervous about her first act of piracy, Indrana does her best to hide it by throwing herself into her job, Here we go, my last chance to back out...but I can't I have to do this, honor demands it. "Trim that sail up! Keep us going lads and be ready to drop sails on command!"
Thanks to the ship being docked, Cassius's less than ideal approach is enough to line the two ships up.
As the Fury comes up on the Kurstav they see that only one sleeping 'watchman' stands on deck. Though it is really more of leaning against the mast.
Diabolito grins, as they prepare for the battle this day. He does a little bit of casting as they get close enough to the ship, getting it in sight as he does some strong preparation, speeding up his most likely partner in melee.
As they get in sight and are working their last bits of strategy out, he will begin casting spells on himself, beginning to drop water off of bark like skin.
While people make their battle preparations, Maera be ready to launch a bard song as soon as Aramis (or whoever else) might take the opening shot.
As Fury approaches her target, Aramis leaps down to the deck with a thud, musket under one arm, rummaging in a coat pocket as she approaches Amos. "'Ere," she says somewhat awkwardly, passing her fellow gun-user a small pouch with 10 paper cartridges. "Were up 'alf tha night tinkerin', an' I thought this might be a touch easier 'n jugglin' powder an' pellets. I'm sure ye've seen better in Alkenstar an' all, but 'opefully it ain't terrible."
Without giving him a chance to respond, she makes her way to the front, musket loaded and in position, waiting for Diabolito and Indrana to finish their preparatory castings. Rotgut digs his claws into her shoulder, flapping excitedly. The gunslinger catches Maera's eye, nods, and takes the first shot.
Before the battle, Amos has Bullet brought up and saddled, just in case.
He examines his captain's gift for a moment. She was right, they aren't bad. He loads with just a few motions and fires a heartbeat after Aramis.
After Aramis' shot he bellows, Over the rails, secure the deck!
It's time, no going back now, I will do this. Indrana looks for anyone who may be a spellcaster, and takes them as her target to deal with. She quickly chants, her hand held palm up as acid forms into the shape of an arrow which then fires at her chosen target.
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Once the ship is lined up and the attack committed Cassius will pass off the helm to a crew member and join in on the assault. Accepting the boost of speed from the dwarven druid, Cassius sprints into action while drawing his cutlass and leaps onto the other ship's deck.
"Surrender and you will be treated fairly! We are after your booty! All who resist will be cut down!"
Once on the other side he will find someone that looks threatening and attack.
The dwarf grins and crosses to the other ship with the speed of rushing water, his teeth growing razor sharp as the morningstar disappears, leaving him only one weapon and prepared now for battle.
"Lay down arms, and count yourself lucky to keep your losses to a minimum," she commands, waiting to see which way this will turn. She will hold on any spells until the ship's officers appear to either surrender the ship to them or continue aggression.
Thanks to the poor lookout being asleep and caught unawares, two bullets rip through him and leave him a bleeding, slumped mess on the deck.
Indrana has her spell readied and Cassius jumps onto the other ship no issues.
Maera moves to board the ship after Cassius, and will try and secure any large weapons the ship has. If it does not, she will instead try and block the gangplank to cut off escape.
The ship has a ballista on the front and a catapult near the rear.
Diabolito will board as well, looking for possible ways that people can get on the main deck from quarters.
"Take control of their weapons, then block the plank. If they're a-sleepin' away in the cabin we don't wanna leave them anything to retaliate with or place to run," she orders, herself moves to capture a weapon until the rank and file crew can take over guard, as she and the other officers press into below ship. "We don't want reinforcements from land, either. But if we cut off the heads these snakes, their crew should give in."
As a handful of the boarding party leaps onto the Kurstav, one of the two doors in the aft castle opens and stepping out of the cabin is a dark-haired man steps out, his chest glistens and he has obviously been doing something...strenuous...His right hand grips a rapier and he holds it up and points it directly at Cassius. Then he lifts his other hand and points the pistol at Diabolito. "I don't know why you thought it was a good idea to board my ship...or kill one of my crew, but you have a three count before," he slams his foot onto the deck of the ship. "We remove you ourselves..." With his words, a clamber can be heard from beneath deck.
As he steps out, Indrana's Acid Arrow fires off and flies past him. "Hard way, I see..."
Boarding Party, you are up!