Rodney says some comforting words while Rodalas peers intently into the hold. Umikh and Lumen seem to be trying to figure out the best way to help when everyone on deck hears multiple moist sucking sounds, then crystallized tinkling. At the source of each of those sounds appears a small creature that looks like some kind of mix between a jelly fish and a manta ray floating in the air at different heights, inside and outside of the ferry. They look very uncomfortable, but not necessarily hostile. They do pose an issue of being in the way if combat is to resume or a fire to be started in the ship.
Unsure of where the creatures came from or what they will do, Lumen tries to help heal Turq.
"So is burning down the ship the only way of taking care of that duegar down there?" he asks nodding toward the hatch to the hold.
He'll just escape I think, but it will give him less places to hide.
Umikh's still looking for a way to get a swing at 'im.
Turq nods his thanks, Netz and Mikh-ey have the cheese of it, unless you have a better way to flush this little bastard out, I'm lighting this ferry like a bonfire.
Lumen considers their options. "I can't say that I do. How long can they stay small like that? And how frequently can they turn invisible? I guess my concern is who owns the ferry? I'd rather not have to explain to the town why we sank their ferry," he says calmly. He wasn't sure that his questions would change anyone's mind as he figured they might fall on deaf ears, but he thought he should at least try.
Dunno, Turq shrugs watching the hold for movement, Only hear'd stories that me Hearth Ma told me when I was only a beardlin'...
Suddenly, as if inspiration strikes, a sly smile creeps across the Dwarf-raised human's face, Grab whatever buckets ye can. Ya hear that, ye grey bastard? We'll freeze yer @$$ to the hold unless ye come to the light! Ye may live if ye answer our questions...
The eladrin will watch to see what happens, not at all confident that the grey dwarf will respond.
Baldrick staring, mesmerized, at the floating creatures, murmurs: "Fire first or water first, Turq? Heh!"
Looking back down toward the hold, Baldrick stomps a foot: "Hey, we wanted to know about this Chardalyn stuff? Come talk to us, will ya?"
My dwarf friend speaks the truth. Come out and lets talk about this. You might even make a profit if your truthful."
The eladrin will watch to see what happens, not at all confident that the grey dwarf will respond.
As you make your ploy to lure out the dark dwarf, you hear a gruff laugh and you spy movement among the ropes.
Turq's eyes widen, How did he switch places with Netz?!? Well, sonuvabi...
Ye sneaky $hite! the tundra ranger exclaims, swinging his axe at the hearth guardian's head, but something was wrong and deep down he knew it... Aiming an inch high allowed Netzer to easily duck the swing!
"There they ar-- oh, now they're gone again! Okay.. hmmm"
Baldrick stands near the open hatch, ignoring Turq's antics (and forgetting about plans to fire or flood the hold), and stares intently at the ropes, waiting for the duergar to reappear.
Frigid water… if you want o break through the ice, there’s lots of it below you. Other than that, not really.
Turq drops to a low stance and swings the axe down hard to break the ice!
or
or
EDIT: If it is enough to break up the ice, Turq throws his shield to the pier and scoops a bucket of ice water and dumps it all over the tangle of rope!
Rodney drops a Faerie Fire on where the dwarf is hidding.
Umikh takes a step back from Turq and the hold, a bit shaken as to what he just witnessed. He's pretty sure that duergar had something to do with Turq's swing at their friend. However, all seems right again and no one else seems too fazed.
Burning the boat would be most effective if the little devil didn't escape, but it would be a big destruction of property, Lumen's right. Keeping a very wary eye on Turq for the moment, he joins in the effort to break through to the water.
Yeah, freezing it can at least be undone. Let's get this done in a hurry.
Lumen looks concerned when Turq takes a swing at Nezter. "More of the duegar's tricks? You feel ok, Turq?" he asks, watching him carefully.
He then peers down into the hold, contemplating his options. "Not sure if this will help, but it might draw him out," he says pulling out a small bag. He reaches inside of it, withdrawing a small, fuzzy ball which he tosses into the hold.
When the ball lands, it suddenly changes into a boar.
Talking half to himself, half to Lumen, This son of a... twisting my mind, blasted rock-eater! I'll show you!
Turq leaps over the edge of the boat onto the ice and slams his down, splitting the ice and shattering it near the blade. With some work, he manages an opening even though cracks form in the ice under his feet as well. Probably not a good idea to stay here long. Fiche g a bucket down he fills the buckets with the frigid lake water and prepares to send the bucket back to the deck as he looks to get off the now precarious ice.
Lumen’s fur ball explodes in the hold in a burst of sound as a board begins to squeal and grunt. Lumen’s command stuck in its head, the boat begins searching for the tiny dwarf. Shortly after that the hold illuminates ina burst of violet light.
Unfortunately the receding light does not leave anything/anyone illuminated.
The immediate efforts to flush out the dwarf failing embolden the pesky dueregar, laughing he comes out of hiding once again to attempt to toy with some one’s mind again. He wasn’t expecting the barrage of attacks that would come though. Blasted my small notes of light, the dwarf staggers back.
"Well that did not work. We'll have to do this the hard way."
And he readies his crossbow to fire once he sees the target.
The elf let’s loose an arrow at the dwarf but it sticks in the bundle of ropes nearby. Nezter’s javelin also narrowly misses the tiny dwarf.
The dwarf scoffs, looking over at the boat and back at the group. He moves over to the boar and slashes it with his dagger and then points back at Umikh.
After a pitiful melee exchange, the dwarf again moves to hide in the clutter on the floor.
Oh no ye don't ye dark bastard.
Umikh abandons the effort to help flood the boat. He's going after that guy!
As soon as the duergar pops out of hiding, Baldrick turns to Rodalas and yells: "HE'S RIGHT THERE -- SHOOT!" With his head turned, he misses the flight of magic orbs and by the time he looks back, the dwarf has disappeared again. Baldrick frowns in consternation:
Scrambling back up with the bucket of ice water, he notices Umikh descend into the hold. Snatching his axe up from the ground, he calls down at the dwarf warrior, I'm comin' fer ye, ye duergar prat...
The stout human defender places the bucket on the edge above the hold and jumps in.
With it getting more crowded in the ship's hold, Lumen watches patiently for the duergar to come out from hiding, preparing to call on Lathander to stike the creature with a cleansing flame.
The summoned boar begins scouring the hold sniffing and snorting until you hear it squeal in excitement. Flushing the dwarf from his hiding location the dwarf staggers into view with his dagger raised to strike at Nezter when he is waylaid by multiple attacks and spells. The dwarf collapses, quite dead, amongst the tackle and ropes.
Turq shakes his head, If the duergar are involved, that amounts to no good fer the Ten Towns. Best we get him and his things back to the constable... Good work, folks!
Dropping down into the hold to retrieve his axe, Baldrick kicks at some rope in a half-hearted search, before becoming distracted: "I've never seen a gray dwarf shrink before! They'll be awfully hard to find if they invade the towns like that."
Same here, Turq admits, But we normally only see their grunts. Who knows what kind of mages they got?
When there is room, Umikh jumps down and looks around for anything that might be hiding in the hold. He shakes his head as the others comment on duergar being involved in all of this. Yup, best to let the others know.
Not very long in waiting the dwarf’s magic seems to fade and the body grows to normal size.
EDIT:
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Turq looks at everyone and grins, I need a drink. Some hot food would be nice too...