Above Deck (Tharivol, Blacklock, Stitch)
As the crew and you make your preparations, one of the pirates suddenly shouts at the top of his lungs: as the small ship you had spotted earlier emerges from your cloud cover, aiming right at you from the side!
The ship is like you've never seen. Narrow and sleek like a blade, but black as night. On its bow are two silvery warforged with massive bows. They immediately spot the gunner facing them and try to take him out. Both arrows land with a thud and the gunner goes white and collapses on his gun.
Meanwhile Below Deck
Wolfgang and Taoni get below deck and find three doors, unlocked. Two lead to small quarters with a bed and a travel chest for each. The third room is occupied by one large crate bolted to the floor.
In his demure purple outfit, Tharivol creates an illusion of uncovering another gun that is manned by his shifter partner. Tharivol appears positioned to load the gun.
"Get ready to dodge incoming fire. Because this gun should split their fire." He says calmly to his shifter partner.
"Have you seen Wolfgan--" Stitch turns, hearing the shout of alarm and stares at the incoming ship in alarm, frozen.
When the man next to him falls, Stitch breaks into action, fingertips folding back and surgical tools extending from each--scalpels, saws, hooks, and pliers--and begins trying to save the (probably already dead) man's life.
"Have you seen Wolfgan--" Stitch turns, hearing the shout of alarm and stares at the incoming ship in alarm, frozen.
When the man next to him falls, Stitch breaks into action, fingertips folding back and surgical tools extending from each--scalpels, saws, hooks, and pliers--and begins trying to save the (probably already dead) man's life.
Not having time to safely remove the arrowheads, Stitch slices the wooden shafts off the arrows, precisely tying and bandaging the wounds closed around the arrowheads with eyes flickering rapidly in focused attention. Have to take those out later, but now he won't bleed to death quite yet.
"Oh no," Stitch runs off to find the Talenta halfling.
(Navigator's Tools) If the character is also proficient in survival, you can grant them advantage on navigation checks.
(Navigator's Tools) If the character is also proficient in survival, you can grant them advantage on navigation checks.
The gunner is stabilized in no time.
Wolfgang opens the first chest and finds some personal effects, most of them of personal value...
Taoni seems quite crestfallen and borderline angry: "Are you playing me for a fool? I ain't opening no crate, less you think there'd be some kind of waterbed in it?!"
|
Wolfgang is dumbstruck for a moment, before he shakes his head and starts talking. "Eh, what? The devil is a 'waterbed'? And why would it be in a crate? No, no. I thought you wanted to see 'what she had under the sheets'. Well, in order to see what something has _under_ something you have to look _inside_ things. It's obvious that they want to keep whatever that is a secret.
Well??
Don't you want to know what they want to keep a secret from us? It could be anything under there! Some magical weapon that the plan to kill us all with so they don't have to share the loot? An ancient artifact that clearly outlines the need for human sacrifice? Some treasure of -incalculable- wealth...to which we might help ourselves to a small, and easily missed, portion of?"
Wolfgang stops rummaging the chest for a moment and sighs. "I'm sorry, but when you suggested we sneak a way from our gaolers and go find out things I took you at your word. If you are going to lose spine at the first whiff of grapeshot then I am sorry.
I was...just so enraptured by your freedom-loving spirit. Will you not see the deed through?"
ABOVE DECK
Tharivol manages to draw some of the incoming fire from the ship. As the gunner falls, Stitch jumps on the man, hands turned to tools, and makes short work of the bleeding, while Blacklock launches himself on the gun and plays with sigils. However, this is a canon he has never seen the likes of before, and he can't figure in such a short time how to fire and aim it properly.
BELOW DECK
Taoni looks at Wolfgang with a look of hatred and says: "You're an a'hole, Wolfie! But if you says there's gold hidden here, then I'll suffer your foolishness!"
As if on cue, Wolfgang's fingers find a small latch and a satisfying click is heard, freeing a hidden panel located in the chest's lid.
BUT THEN...
The slick black ship continues towards you and doesn't seem ready to stop. The Professor's eyes grow wide as he realizes what is about to happen and shouts at the top of his lungs: just as the ship slams through the side of your ship.
"Woah!" Tharivol surfs through impact.
Stitch is running, looking for the Talenta halfling, when the ship collides--sending Stitch tumbling to the deck with clanks and clatters. This is going very badly!
All around you, sailor crash to the floor, or far, far worse. A few dangling from the gunwale.
|
|
AOWWWWWHHhh!" Wolfgang cries as he is KNOCKED off his feet and onto the floor, though he lands mostly on his back and is spared any worse damage.
"SEE WHAT I MEAN!?" he yells quickly picking himself back up. "There. We've taken damage, probably a large weapon of the enemy, or a fireball or catapult throwing a rock or something. People are dying, things are broken and they'll just think that crate was cracked open in the battle now stop pussy-footing around and OPEN THAT THING."
Wolfgang renews his effort to loot the chests with determination and looks in the hidden catch he unlocked.
Tharivol delays.
ABOVE DECK
As the light ship crashes into yours, sailors on both sides are send flying. Some hang by their ship's gunwales, but others are not so fortunate, falling down. The great majority, however, are fortunate enough to have a charm that slows their descent.
But underneath is nothing but the deep blue sea...
At the same time, Blacklock manages to trigger the gun. It fires with a deep deafening vibration, sending a bolt of red and blue energy. The bolt sticks to the black ship, then spreads quickly to the elemental engine at the back. As the energy reaches it, you see it glitter and sputter, and the ship stops dead in its tracks.
The Professor gets back to his feet and shouts madly his joy: "Well done sailor!!! You're hired! And got a raise!" he pulls a long scimitar and a wand and runs towards the ship: "Leave no survivor!!!"
Meanwhile, Stitch catches sight of the Halfling Alitia, who managed to grab hold of the gunwale. She is currently trying to get back up, but struggling. He reaches her just in time. "Help me up, please!"
BELOW DECK
Taoni is sent hurling into the crate, head first, and punches a hole through the crate. She shakes her head, dizzy from the shock, then laughs out loud: "That's a new way to open a crate!"
Wolfgang gets back to his feet and looks at the content of the secret compartment. He finds a heavy enough purse, official identification papers, and two rabbit feet similar to the ones the Professor was handing before.
An old tinge of numb dread begins to resurface as the chaos whirls around Stitch, the shouts and screams of combat. Where is she, I'm too late, too slow. I stopped to save that man and she d--
Finally spotting her, stitch runs over to Alitia, alarmed. "I'm here, I'm here!" and reaches out to help her up. The warforged's high melodic voice struggles to be heard over the battle. "Don't worry, I'm here, I promised."
|
|
Wolfgang nods to himself, already a good day, and quickly deposits the goods into his beltpurse, mentally noting to go through them after things are less hectic. No time now, no telling when this window of opportunity will close.
That done he rises and claps in praise at the she-dwarf. "Yes! Excellent, excellent! That's a way to..." he waits for it, "use your head! Now, see if you can discern what is inside. If not, make the hole bigger. I trust in your talents."
That done, he bends to the other chest, wishing to harvest the low-hanging fruit before moving on to whatever it is that is in that crate.
Your ship is creaking in a discomforting manner. It is not clear whether it will continue to fly after being rammed with so much power.
ABOVE DECK
The chaos of battle surrounds you. The two ships are currently locked together and the Cannith's engine seems dormant. At the boundary between the two ships, a fierce battle rages. The Professor's troops are trying to board, but the Cannith's are holding strong. Around you, several sailors from both sides have already plummeted into the sea and some are hanging by their ships' gunwales.
As far as you can tell, the Canniths are completely outnumbered and it is just a matter of time before they are overwhelmed by their assailants. There are but a handful of soldiers. The others look like artificers fighting clumsily compared to the pirates of the Purple Peril.
Blacklock has reached the line of battle, while Stitch has reached Alitia. Tharivol is studying the scene.
BELOW DECK
Taoni smiles at Wolfgang: "You're my kind of pirate Wolfie! Together, we'll be famous, and rich!" she then looks inside the crate, her sight able to pierce the darkness, and says with clear disappointment, even disgust: "The Six bite me! What in Fernia is that?!"
Meanwhile, Wolfgang proceeds to the next chest. It seems to contain only a mundane mix of scholarly and piraty stuff.
|
|
"For my part, I should rather settle for just being rich. Fame, in my experience, carries more hazards than boons. Your time is not your own as it's spent pleasing people you neither know nor care for."
Wolfgang swears softly at the lack of valuables and turns to the crate. "What what? What do you see? Skootch over a bit and let me see," he says, peering in to the thing, bringing over a nearby torch if such is needed.
Stitch will look for any other people (on either side) in danger of falling or dying of wounds, and help them.
Tharivol gracefully hops across to the attacking airship and avoids fighting. He still has his rapier out but is more interested in finding something of value.
ABOVE DECK
The battle to board the Cannith ship rages and waxes bloody. Most Canniths not being warriors, they fall one after another. Blacklock makes a great show of himself, fighting side by side with the Professor.
During that time, Tharivol searches around, but founds little of clear interest.
As well, Stitch pulls up several sailors who thank him and join the fight. Alitia is nowhere to be found however.
BELOW DECK
Taoni replies with a shrug: "It's just junk! Looks like House stuff. Stuff for arca-heads' wet dreams..." and lets Wolfgang have a look.
Inside the crate, Wolfgang can discern an apparatus about as tall as him. The apparatus has a multitude of dials and levers. It looks like a complex machine that would give 'arca-heads wet dreams.'
ABOVE AND BELOW DECK
A loud cracking sound shakes your ship and you feel like you're free-falling for an uncomfortable split-second. This sends some more sailors overboard. From the sound of it, your ship might not have a lot of time left...
As well, Stitch pulls up several sailors who thank him and join the fight. Alitia is nowhere to be found however.
|
|
Wolfgang shakes his head as he pulls his head back. "Aye, you have the right of it. I can't tell what it is, and we've little enough time left.
Let us away." He looks around. "There might not be many others left on this ship. We could probably loot more rooms before the battle is done?
Let's work our way forward, see what else there is?"
Tharivol wants to appear to be in melee without being in melee, in order to say that he participated in the attack and that he didn't actually hurt any Cannith.
Once over there, he wants to search for anything of pocketable valuable to supplement his hazard pay which will most certainly not be enough to justify the danger of this trip.
As well, Stitch pulls up several sailors who thank him and join the fight. Alitia is nowhere to be found however.