Yeah, Thalmor told me, darn it. It was a suggestion to go talk to the quartermaster.
It was SUPER SECRET Giant language.
Drops of rain start to patter around the deck...light, almost tickling the skin, hinting at real rain, but just teasing instead. It feels refreshing.
Thalmor raises his eyebrow at Thuurvi, and then mutters back in Giant,
"Eh, we can talk to them if you want, fine. Not much we can do about an airship, I'm not plannin' to go onto that accursed deck any time soon."
Thuurvi uncrosses her arms and strolls over to the quartermaster.
"That ship, can we get out of its shadow?"
As Thuurvi approaches the quartermaster of the ship, thunder rumbles far off in the distance.
"What? Shadow? What are you-" The quartermaster looks up at the ship above, still not even as big as a thumbnail held at arm's length. With that, he stands, moving through the audience towards the door to the interior of the ship, muttering something under his breath. His assistant looks worriedly at Thuurvi. "I'm so sorry," she apologizes, hurrying to follow the quartermaster.
People begin to notice the ship above descending closer and closer. Several of the nobles stand, as people begin to point at the ship as tensions rise.
"This bodes ill. We should expect a collision or an attack momentarily."
Engineer concentrates and a glowing green ectoplasmic fist forms over his right hand. He then draws out and readies a wooden shield, preparing for the combat he expects.
"Oh for Devourer's sake. " says Thuurvi in a much louder voice than usual, turning her fiery gaze to the gentry. She loads up a sling and stone carefully.
"Three, what do you think? Are they ramming us or boarding us or both?"
[spoiler=Crunch]
[/spoiler
Thalmor grumbles, "boarding, lass, they want the damned artifact I'd wager. Won't do much good getting it if this contraption falls from the air." He jerks his chin up to the quartermaster, "and he looks like he's not prepared for this."
He cracks his neck and holds his spear, looking up at the airship, frowning.
Tuk leans out from the rigging to get a better look at the descending airship, "I looks to be about 1200 ft up..." he calls out to anyone interested.
He overhears Thalmor's comment, "You might be right there! We should man the decks help the crew repel the invaders!" he says, hopping down from the rigging, looing about, "This thing have any weapons? "
Jacynta looks up at the descending ship, and moves to stand with Thuurvi and Thalmor, gripping her belt knife.
"They might be after the artifact, but this ship is filled with dignitaries from all over Khorvaire, not to mention whatever might be in the hold. Does this ship even have the kind of power to repel pirates?"
"If they seem the personnel, I would expect a boarding action. If they simply desire the artifact, a ram to force us down might be in order. In either case, I suggest you prepare for battle."
The crowd of people on the deck starts to yell and move quickly towards the exits as the ship comes lower and lower. They seem to be trying to follow Thuurvi's guidance. Eyes dart upward, and voices are raised in alarm. Two different people cast spells, and in an instant are teleported away. A bolt of lightning silently flashes off in the distance, out over the water of Silver Lake.
Within thirty seconds, the ship has grown in view to be almost as big as a fist at arm's length.
Valeros, Ezren, Roderik, Omast and Kurst join you. Valeros draws his swords, glancing around, before pointing at the door leading to storage below decks with his short sword, looking at Roderik.
"I agree," Roderik nods, drawing his weapon as well. "We go below-decks. If they intend to ram us, we're more protected."
"And if they are after the pillar, it is a more defensable position than out here in the open," Ezren concurs.
"Let us below decks, then," Aemon adds in, joining the group, looking harried and nervous.
"What if they're after someone, like Jacyntas thinks?" Kurst asks, filing through the door after Aemon, his long sword in hand. "We need to get our armor. Dammit!"
"Then they'll likely be below decks as well," Roderik says, hurrying everyone along.
Thuurvi stows her sling and stone with a curse. "Like flinging a spoon at a hungry marsh giant," she grumbles. "Ezren. If it comes to that, can you teleport away with the pillar? Aemon? Damn the Host, does this ship even have lifeboats?"
Thuurvi doesn't wait for an answer. "Meet you in stowage. Devourer's Teeth. At least you can swim if a water boat goes under..." The rest of the half-orc's words are lost as she heads towards her bunk to grab her armor and items.
If need be, to get to the bunk...
Well, that's incredibly average.
Hearing his name, Ezren stops just inside the doorway, waiting for Thuurvi to pass. "Not at all. That is a skill I do not possess." She passes him, heading off towards her sleeping area.
"Kurst, Omast, go with her," Roderik instructs the men. "Gather everyone's belongings; armor, weapons, whatever they might need. Meet us in the rear compartment with the pillar." Both men nod, jogging after the half-orc woman.
Thalmor frowns, chewing something, and then follows Thuurvi, "fine," he mutters to himself, heading towards the pillar, "don't like being out here anyway."
As the last of you dart inside the door to the lower levels of the ship, a bellow from the descending airship causes you to look skyward. You see a large person jump from the deck above, dropping dozens or even hundreds of feet, to land on your deck. You get just a glimpse before slamming the door behind you, closing the group below-decks.
Tuk reluctantly joins the exodus to the lower decks, but cranes his neck to see what kind of creature just landed on the airship...."Blast the Hells! It's a fire giant!" he exclaims, beyond excited to see one up close.
he frowns though, thinking out loud, "Somethings off about that one..."
"A fire giant?" Roderik asks as everyone hurries down a set of stairs into the rear storage compartment that contains the pillar. "Are you sure?"
"Kythri's cooking in the kitchen," Kurst cursed. "What in Galifar would a giant want with this ship?"
"Any number of things, my friend." Ezren exhales solemly.
Thuurvi doesn't look up as she heads back to the stowage with Kurst and Roderik. "Giant? Fire giant? They want the pillar, obviously. Or there's been some other insult. Giants grow less noble the further they are removed from their titan ancestors; Storm giants are pretty good, but fire giants can sometimes be a barrelful of grudges wrapped in a bow of "honor". Don't cross them."
She wipes her brow. "Better to give them what they want than fall to the earth. And don't ask them what they want, either; they'll just kill you."
She watches her shadow wriggling like so many strange heat-worms, then makes a few quick passes with one hand, wetting the stairs with a sudden pattering of water. "They'll burn us. We need to wet everything, get cold weapons if we have them."
"I don't suppose there are any secret, very powerful, giant-killing weapons aboard this vessel?" Jacynta asks dryly. "Or do we otherwise have some plan of action?"
"Make illusions of the pillar all over the place, and we get potions of vanishing and Sharn feather tokens and jump off the ship," says Thuurvi. "Kurst, what supplies do we have in this lovely stowage compartment?"
”Well...” Kurst blinks at Thuurvi, looking around hopelessly. ”None of that.”
"We must flee. To engage such a foe in close combat would be suicide. If they want the artifact, so be it, out lives are of greater value."
"I don't suppose there are any secret, very powerful, giant-killing weapons aboard this vessel?" Jacynta asks dryly.
Tuk puffs up his chest and says, "Me! " then smiles, "Well not yet at least ! If some of the older Tuks were here, they'd show them giants a thing or two!" he declares, then remembers that the senior Tuks were no more.
His face somber, he nods, "Yeah, the stone thingy's nice and all, but let them have it...."
"Kurst. How do we lower the ship rapidly but safely? Otherwise we will be thrown off the ship one by one. And why was that quartermaster so unhelpful? Were they in on it?"
Thuurvi's tusks are showing a bit more than usual.
As everyone talks, the ship is rocked as a heavy object hits it. Cries of alarm are heard, followed by a loud voice bellowing something.
"Can anyone fly? No? Let's bar that door. A giant can't get down the stairs anyhow. The longer it takes for them to find us, the better. Who has a hammer? We hold the pillar hostage. We'll smash it if it's that precious to them. Devourer's Teeth, someone work with me here!"
Thuurvi grabs wood and anything else laying around to bar the trapdoor leading to the belowdecks they're in, as she rants at anyone nearby.
ok, pretty good.
Thalmor scoffs, ”if it truly is an artifact, I doubt a little hammer from any of us would do much. Maybe we could threaten to throw it overboard…” Thalmor seems resigned to whatever fate shall bring.
Engineer has his tools, his armor, and his psionic weapon ready to go. Anything else is simply bonus. Nonetheless, he grabs his backpack with it's adventuring kit and heads with everyone else.
"We must proceed quickly. The giant is unlikely to be deterred for long."
"If we get out of this alive, I am going to kill Grahame!" Jacynta snarls. "I should've just traveled by horse like a sensible person."
"...!"
Thuurvi looks about ready to headbutt the wall.
"Who has the damned artifact and what sort of safety enchantments did they put on it? KURST! Answers, now, and if you don't have them we need the Khyber-stained git who does."
Thalmor grumbles at Jacynta, "aye, and should've traveled by rail, these ships are unnatural." He moves to help Thuurvi, almost reluctantly, to bar the door.
"Lass, anything we can find on this ship won't stand in the way of a giant, might'n be better to help them get what they came for, then to get out of their way. Don't make 'em angry, if you follow."
"They're already angry, dear Thalmor. Right now we have more questions than answers, so a dark quieter place is best."
Guttural voices can be heard on the deck above, yelling.
"Quickly," Roderik barks, heading through the door in the back of the kitchen, "this way."
Still finishing up donning their armor, Kurst and Omast follow him through the door. Kurst struggles with several clasps as he snaps back at Thuurvi. "How in all of Galifar would I know that?"
Valeros draws his swords, nodding at Ezren. "We'll bring up the rear."
Jacynta says nothing, but shoulders her tangat and falls in behind Kurst, her hands tight on the weapon's haft.
"Devourer's Teeth," hisses Thuurvi, following Jacynta. "And that can't be giants up there. They'd sound louder and we'd hear their footsteps throughout the ship."
"I hear orcs. Perhaps the giant was an illusion or diversion. We should engage, post haste."
Engineer moves to the hatch leading towards the orcish sounds and takes stock of the situation. As they lean into the door, a massive glowing green fist manifests around Engineer#3's right hand.
"Prepare for assault."