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”Hang in there folks - the balance is shifting in our favor!” Luli cries with his usual optimism. Spirits of fire, feel our burning need and grant us your blessing to see that need met!
A burst of light pours from the halfling’s outstretched hands, flickering like flame over the Pathfinders before fading to an ember-like glow. ”Karma, guard me!” Luli implores. And those behind me too...
Karma growls and bares her teeth, ready to snap at anyone hostile within reach.
The lead ball from Conig’s gun misses Green, continuing on to blow through the blubber wall not far below open eye-hole on the port side of the whale’s head. Water begins sloshing through the openings at a moderate rate as the Zoot picks up speed.
Korum also misses, his glaive cutting another deep gash in the hull, the wall bulging with increased water pressure, threatening to burst into the crew area.
Olandil and Phelerosa exchange worried glances. “Hey! No pressure – but try not to miss, or we'll all drown.”
The lost agent pulls a curious stringy/web-tipped tool from his belt. “Phelly, I’m gonna have to try to seal up some of the damage, or we’re sunk when she dives. Look after Poppo, ‘K?”
After seeing his person take a shot from green-eyes, Stinky combines with her to take the hostile down!
On guard, Karma readies while Luli ✨casts bless for what may be the final time! (inside a whale)
Round #1/2:
Kala + Stinky
--
bubble boy
--
Agirran
--
Green sailor
Pink sailor
Floaty Voice
--
Luli
Conig
Black Midknight
Korum
Black Midknight peels blubber not lubber, causing Olandil to draw his breath through his teeth tersely.
Hpphhhhh …
As the Pathfinders wonder what’s next, a human corpse shoots to the water’s surface and hurtles at a surprising speed through the shallows, directing a rasping cry of hunger in Conig’s direction.
Round #2:
Kala + Stinky
--
Walker (orange)
--
Agirran
--
Green sailor
Pink sailor
Floaty Voice
--
Luli
Conig
Black Midknight
Korum
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Agirran suggests some tactical manoeuvring to the Zoot’s helmsman, which draws a frown from Olandil and Phelerosa.
“This is hard enough without your ‘help’, Agirran.”
"And who is the only sailor on board exactly?"
Drifting down the blow-hole from the top surface of the whale, comes a floaty voice speaking eldritch words of power
**Konk** Agirran looks up from being hit with the staff.
"Now you're dead." he says matter-of-factly to the woman with the stick.
Agirran takes a chunk out of Pinky’s thigh with his axe.
"Now you're dead."
“Oh, really?”
Pinky then takes a 5’ step to the NW.
Floaty Voice doesn’t seem to have made an appearance below decks yet. Similarly, Karma and Stinky’s sensitive noses don’t detect them.
But you can hear them …
Round #2/3:
Kala + Stinky
--
Walker (orange)
--
Agirran
--
Green sailor
Pink sailor
Floaty Voice
--
Luli
Conig
Black Midknight
Korum
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What is that up there? The unknown nature of the threat from above really bugs Kala, but there's not much she can do about it right now. Instead, she sloshes closer to the undead...thing, She tries to position herself between it and Conig, swinging Orc Brains in a wide arc in the hopes of taking off its rotting head.
Once her swing rings true, she directs Stinky into a flanking position with Black Midnight and commands him to engage Pinky. "Stinky, attack that one!"
Karma likewise stands ready to defend her charges.
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"Luli has the right of it." Just as the half-orc is about to toss aside his weapon, Korum's eyes fall upon the animated abomination. Years ago, the paladin swore an oath to destroy any necromatically manipulated corpse. Shelyn needed this horror to die. He clutched his glaive tighter as he moved to strike. Maybe not undead, but close enough.
Conig’s color spray stops the Walker like it’s been hit by an orca.
The meat puppet drops to the deck like liquid pulp, ejecting a tiny, amorphous alien through the top of its skull. The aberration *flagellates* its yard-long tendrils about uselessly, until Kala tenderizes it and Korum carves it up, like lunchtime salmon pie at the Festival of the Wind and the Waves.
Lucky Luli and his pupper ready for unseen intruders, while Olandil rushes to port to begin sealing the worst of the hull breaches.
Once again Pink Feather evades Black Midknight’s sharp blade …
which only cuts thick, humid air.
Stinky also fails to take a bite out of Pinky. Maybe he’s not hungry?
Round #3:
Kala + Stinky
--
Walker (orange)
--
Agirran
--
Green sailor
Pink sailor
Floaty Voice
--
Luli
Conig
Black Midknight
Korum
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Lucky Luli and his pupper ready for unseen intruders, while Olandil rushes to port to begin sealing the worst of the hull breaches.
“Oh, really?”
"Be right back." Agirran growls turning away and climbing the knotted rope ladder to seal the undead whale ship AGAINST THE FREAKING OCEAN! Best not bother the paladin with that whole ridin' around in an "undead" thing.
Olandil watches Agirran’s progress with disbelief. He opens his mouth like he’s about to say something, then apparently thinks better of it. Shaking his head the deep-cover agent returns to his work.
Upon climbing the rope to the top of the blow hole, Agirran discovers no artificial means for sealing the orifice.
He also discovers something else.
On the upper deck of the whale, surrounded by six twin images stands the auburn-haired woman Kala attempted to converse with in the Inkwell.
"I heard you climbing the rope, and thought I’d prepare you a little surprise."
Once she’s finished ✨casting, a fireball blossoms directly above Agirran’s head.
❂
“Here, boy. Do you like sticks?”
Pinky attempts to put the beat down on Stinky, before shifting 5’ to the SE.
Round #3/4:
Kala + Stinky
Agirran
--
Pink sailor
Red battle mage
--
Luli
Conig
Black Midknight
Korum
Conig reloads while the Hunting Posse gang up on Pink Feather.
Kala misses the mark with her blunt weapon, though Stinky finds a tender part of Pinky to really sink his teeth into.
The Chelaxian SCREAMS! but remains in the fight.
Round #3/4:
Kala + Stinky
Agirran
--
Pink sailor
Red battle mage
--
Luli
Conig
Black Midknight
Korum?
As Stinky strikes, Pinky closes her eyes and screams at the injustice, tilting her head skyward upper bulkhead-ward.
Black Midknight seizes the opportunity, her blade across the swash’s exposed throat. Deep crimson blood flows slowly but consistently from the neat slash-wound, as Pink Feather falls to her knees and then face to stain the Zoot’s lower deck.
Round #3/4:
Kala + Stinky
Agirran
--
Pink sailor
Red battle mage
--
Luli
Conig
Black Midknight
Korum?
Korum returns to hold the original line, before healing a grateful Kala.
Lucky Luli warps space-time for a nanosecond, to leave a singed Agirran clinging to the rope at the top-exit of the Zoot’s blow-hole.
Round #4:
Kala + Stinky
Agirran
--
Pink sailor
Red battle mage
--
Luli
Conig
Black Midknight
Korum
Agirran’s aim of making the Loyalist mage nervous seems to work as she takes to the air, flying 120 feet to the west and vanishing from sight in the heavy smoke hovering above … the Pinch!
Poppo’s eyes *roll* back in his head as he starts gibbering:
ɥ̝̱̬̞̺͉s̛̩̠̝ͅɐ͖q̶̛̲͓̰͇͙̗͇͘ʇ̢̛͎̬͓̬̣͍̙̪̀∀̨̣̩̗̪̠̦̯̞
͔̝̻̗̣̰̗̳¡̢̫͔̤͇̕ʇ̡̼͍̞̥͚̖̳ɯ̷̨̥̙̠̟̱̘l͓͉̦̠ò̺͉̩͡z̻̣̮̦̰͖̙̫̀́͟ ҉͢͏̞̠͔̰ʌ̤̙̗͉͕͚̦́͞ǝ̨̯̜͜͝l͕̳̻̮̣u̵̯͎ ̷͏̷̻̪̬͚̝̺̙̗'̶̧̝͕̜͔ɥ͙̠̺̬̻̝̀͢ͅd̺̱͡o̲̹̼̬͉̲l̩ņ̹͈̻̤͟͢ ̛͍̠̺̪ʌ͓̱̲̺̗͡ı̵͍̳̹͚̮ʌ͔̜̩̱̹͍͚̜̖͠s͏̰͚͖̲̻̤̦ ̷̨̗̙͕̬̼̻̠̖̲ʌ̢̞̲̭͔͇̟̟̣͠ʌ̢̡̢̙̳͉͚͚̜̺ɥ̸̞̻ ̴͜҉̝̯̜͔l̶̰̘͉̟̻̲̝̫͟͜ƃ̖̖̰̳͍͇͍͝ ̨͇̳͔̝́ʇ̴̘ɯ̘̫̼̘ɹ͖̜͕̪̕͜s̛̛̯͍ƃ̭̯̻̤͖͘ͅͅl̴̖͕̮̀͟Ẉ̡̢͎
̺͇̀̕͟¡̷̪̫̖̱̮ʌ̖̦̫̜̼̩̗͠ı̴̳̝̫͕̲́ʌ̱̯͎̦̤͇̕s̞p͖̬̟͞q͍̘͚͎ı̨̬̼ʌ̰̮̟ǝ̨͈̦͓͕̲̳̱̥̭ʌ̡̛̭̰͞ ̵͙͓ʌ̧̦̖͘͝ɥ̢͔̦̫͚̗̺͕͞ɯ҉̰̟͓̮̰̳͓ʌ̸̛̬̬̬̼͉̭ͅɥ҉̞́ʌ̢̙͓̗̣̜͇̯̼ɯ͓̲͓̺̹̺́͢l̸̻̠͢W̶̶̸̖̭̙̪͇
҉͖͖̫͉͡¡̸̸̣̞̙̲̭̱̫ɥ̛҉̘͚ʌ̥̼͈̭̥͢ʇ̘̦͍͜͢z̫ɥ͖͍̼͖̫̤̝̮ɥ̴̺̘͞ʌ̢̗̙̟̠͇͍͝ų̛̩̯̯̦ ̷̹̗͓̯̰́ɥ̡̨̗͖̗͚͙̻̘̰͚͡ʍ̬̞̭̰̼͎ͅı̵̨͔̠̦̲̮͓z͡҉̛͕͉̹̩͚͈̝p͏̜̥͙̗͍d̶̵̛̻̹̥̩͖̙͇̹x҉̢͏͙̱̘z ͉̫͔͇̕͟ʎ̵̸̖͉͚̺͢ͅ
Phelerosa clutches both temples and grimaces. “Kal wants to dive the whale. Everyone ready?”
Olandil steps back from his makeshift repairs. “It’s gonna have to do.”
He swipes his hair out of his eyes and addresses you. “You lot did OK for rookies. As soon as Agirran joins us, Poppo can seal the whale’s nostrils using some kinda bio-alchemical magnetic pulse thingy.”
“Next stop: a rendezvous with your Venture-Captain Benarry.”
“The Zoot’s *pinged* a lone sailing vessel about two clicks ahead.”
Poppo snaps out of his trance excitedly. “It’llbetheGloriousPayoff.Prepare2surface!”
As the Emeritus Professor of Applied Magic helms the whale upwards, the sudden change in water pressure causes the fireball-affected upper bulkhead to leak seawater into the crew space which falls like rain. A few moments later the damaged sidewalls of the whale burst inward, allowing water to pump in at a much faster rate.
Olandil quickly realizes there’s nothing anyone can do to save Poppo's creation. “Grab your stuff, Pathfinders. Looks like we’re going to have to swim for it.”
“Korum, I assume you want to be last one out? Make sure nobody gets left behind.”
It seems nothing surprises Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry, who has her own ship’s boats launched to pick you all up, as the Pathfinder Society Submarine Bonnifer Zoot slips silently to its final resting place in the deep.
Back on board the Payoff you are all congratulated on your success by a very relieved VC Benarry. “You had me worried after those two massive fires on either side of the Pinch on successive days. That smaller one around lunchtime on the first day didn’t exactly help me sleep that night either.”
“I thought I might have to order a Body Recovery Team into Pezzack.”
⚓
The Venture-Captain welcomes Olandil on board warmly, but the jaded agent ignores her outstretched right hand and *spits* on the immaculate deck. “You can save your pretty speech for someone that gives a Caydamn, Venture-Captain. I am DONE with the Pathfinder Society.”
He sneers as he walks towards the companionway leading below-decks. “Don’t worry; your precious Society can have all the information I’m carrying in my head. But I’m only talking to Grandmaster Torch. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to get very drunk and then sleep for a week.”
VC Benarry sighs but lets the man go. “He’ll come around. In a few days I’ll let him know about all the changes that have occurred while he’s been out in the cold. It’s not like he’s going anywhere.”
⛧
Phelerosa quickly becomes popular with the Payoff’s crew and her captain, telling tales-out-of-school about her school-chum ‘Zarty’ Dralneen.
“Oh, badness me, yes! At school she was always ‘Zarty.’” The ex-noble’s eyes glaze over as she reminisces. “The things we used to get up to …”
“Ol’ Zart took over biology class from a substitute Asmodean nun one time. Sister sure learnt a few things she didn’t know before.”
“And then there was the time Mother Inferior decided to raise money for avarice by holding a ‘Uniform Optional’ day. Zarty took the meaning a bit too literally …”
Noticeably, during her time aboard in and out of the limelight, Phelerosa never strays too far from either Conig or Luli.
🍴
Another bright spot arises when Poppo let’s slip the Grand Lodge Faction Mission over a celebratory dinner in the Great Cabin hosted by VC Benarry.
“Split me like Nethys’s Eyebrow again, Passfinders! I forgot to get Vantage-Captain Valsin that folio of original Amalia Wraxton poetry he wanted!”
The gnome quickly forgets his random outburst, putting his head back together with the Payoff’s Sailing Master to discuss the potential of using Numerian technology to solve the problem of calculating longitude at sea.
Calisro Benarry doesn’t miss the implication though. “Mister Conig, you reported purchasing a booklet of Wraxton poetry from Lorrin Meese at the Inkwell on the morning of the first day, did you not?”
She smiles at the spell-slinger. “I am certain VC Valsin will be delighted to take it off your hands for what you paid for it.”
🍷
Although Olandil is not attendance, VC Benarry begins *ringing* the side of her wine glass with a mithral knife, to call the table to order to honor him.
“Nobody gets left behind.”
|
|
“Korum, I assume you want to be last one out? Make sure nobody gets left behind.”
What the-? I thought captains go down with the ship?
"That's only on land." comes the retort. Korum does wait for the team and animals to disembark, as well as all 'non-essential' personnel. When there is only Olandi remaining, the paladin begins to climb. With a look back over his shoulder, "I would hate to impinge on your honor."
|
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Oh, thank the gods we're free of that place! Never again! Oh my word, I want a nice, simple mission. Out in the wild, tracking...something. Anything but this! Kala is restless on board, but so very, very glad to shake the dust of Pezzak from her feet.
When Poppo lets slip the faction mission, she mentally slaps her forehead. Crap. Too late, she overhears Benarry offering to buy Conig's from him. Double crap. I can't afford a bidding war with her. Well, let's see what I can do. Ugh. I hate this. Attempting to casually wander over to them as they are speaking, Kala tries to put on the charm. Laughing carelessly, she inserts herself into the conversation. "Haha! Or, since the Vantage-Captain Valsin wants it so badly, you could let him have it. I'd pay you back for it if you do." Pleeeease let this work!
|
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Agirran leans on the taffrail staring back over the water at the black of the Chelish coast, under the oncoming, purple night.
"'Glasses'?" Agirran says to no-one in particular. "Capt'n's gone as soft as the Society soft in her old age. It was recycled grog in cast-off boots when we went looking for old Sevenfingers's Tomb amid the Gloomspires."