Your move, gentlemen. Beren will move deeper into the ship, away from the edge where the sahuagins will get out so as not to be in close combat with them.
Lia takes a shot at another with her longbow.. then pulls another arrow.
Escher holds ready to deal with them as they board. For ranged attacks he usually throws throwing blades, and they would be lost in the water.
Karsh'e draws his sword and whip and waits by the rail for the sauhagin to begin climbing the hull. He begins a chant in orcish, then switches to a common translation. The story describes a group of heroes preparing themselves to wage battle against the darkness below.
...
Once the creatures come within 180 feet of the ship, Lambda launches a pair of spikes at one of them.
The two spikes miss, and the Sahuagin start throwing hooks and strong ropes made of strong seaweed so that they can climb into the ship.
Escher hacks at a rope. It will be easier to deal with them if there are fewer on the deck.
[ooc]That should sever a 6" thick rope. or 4" if it's particularly strong.{/ooc]
It does sever a rope, sending a sahuagin back to the drink!
Lia casts a spell to bolster her allies and steps away from the railings where the beasts will be coming up.
As soon as one comes within 10 feet, Lambda attempts to longspear it.
Lambda, you hit one of them!
And apparently impaled him. The sahuagin falls into the water! 4 left!
Jacen frowns trying to remember what he could from the House Library about these beasts; he then begins casting, targeting one of the creatures as it climbs
Jacen frowns trying to remember what he could from the House Library about these beasts; he then begins casting, targeting one of the creatures as it climbs
KNOW(ORIEN): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Magic Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
You remember the beasts are predatory fishmen that haunt the straits between Khorvaire and Xen'drik. They typically do not predate on most shipping lanes, as they serve a being of darkness in the deeps. You do not know why they raid shipping lanes, except that they are evil. You also heard that they share a kinship with the sea elves.
whip: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19 ... damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
it hit. Are you grappling, or causing an unbalance?
While it's climbing up the side, I'm just aiming for damage.
While it's climbing up the side, I'm just aiming for damage.
Well, you made it pause because of the stinging pain.
Beren takes aim, but then a new coughing fit shakes him extremely at the wrong time.
The sahuagin continue to climb the side of the ship. They are about 1/4 of the way up. Some of them fell into the drink and these two are steeling themselves to climb up behind other sahuagin.
Escher chops at a rope with two of them on it. While it may not harm them much, having only three rech the deck at a time should make it much easier to take them down.
Karsh'e continues his recitation to encourage his companions and strikes at the climbing fish-man again with his whip.
...
[Ooc] inspire courage again. +1 to hit and damage all around[ooc]
Escher chops at a rope with two of them on it. While it may not harm them much, having only three rech the deck at a time should make it much easier to take them down.
rope choppin': 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 5) = 9
You missed the rope and hit the hull.
Karsh'e continues his recitation to encourage his companions and strikes at the climbing fish-man again with his whip.
whip: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 ... damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Your whip missed. The Sahaugin are half-way up the hull.
Lia drops her bow and moves up, pulling her scimitar as she does and taking a slice that that same rope.
And somehow can't hit it...
Lambda takes another stab, aiming for one of the furthest-up ones.
...and misses badly.
I think I have one more MM to cast, let me check
I think I have one more MM to cast, let me check
Okay, Jacen!
@ closeest
The sahuagin that Jacen attacked goes into shock and falls into the sea. The other sahuagin are climbing fast, but are still at the middle of the hull.
Lia takes aim that the Rope Of Armor Class and tries to cut it once again.
And lets out a rare cry of pure happiness when it actually hits!
Lia takes aim that the Rope Of Armor Class and tries to cut it once again.
scimitar: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 1 = 23
S damage: 1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 2 = 10And lets out a rare cry of pure happiness when it actually hits!
That does enough damage to cut the rope through. Another sahuagin falls into the drink!
There is one left that is climbing.
@ last climber
@ last climberMagicMissle: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
He stops for a little while, feeling the pain, and then continues to climb.
Your bolt hits, and is stuck in one sahuagin, and he falls into the drink.
Lambda prepares to fend off any more, longspear at the ready.
Captain Harlock orders, "Men, cut their lines from the boat!"
The sailors do so, the ropes tumble into the ocean, and the boat continues on it's course.
"Steady as she goes," Captain Harlock said.
Karshe considers his meager coin. "Can I work for my passage?"
"Captain! I wonder if I might have a word ..."
Jacen gestures forward that they might walk to the forecastle of the ship.
"It is my feeling that our man Karsh'e has gone above and beyond in his service to this vessel, and I wondered if you might release him from his duties for the balance of the voyage? We not only need him in his best for for our business when we disembark, but the ship is also not yet in safer waters. If coin is required, I will pay for the balance of his passage."
Lia mumbles something about a cursed rope as they sail away from the threat.
Good job everyone."
Karshe considers his meager coin. "Can I work for my passage?""Captain! I wonder if I might have a word ..."
Jacen gestures forward that they might walk to the forecastle of the ship.
"It is my feeling that our man Karsh'e has gone above and beyond in his service to this vessel, and I wondered if you might release him from his duties for the balance of the voyage? We not only need him in his best for for our business when we disembark, but the ship is also not yet in safer waters. If coin is required, I will pay for the balance of his passage."
Captain Harlock considers your words carefully. "You would pay for the balance of his passage, you say?" he asks.
Captain Harlock considers your words carefully. "You would pay for the balance of his passage, you say?" he asks.Karshe considers his meager coin. "Can I work for my passage?""Captain! I wonder if I might have a word ..."
Jacen gestures forward that they might walk to the forecastle of the ship.
"It is my feeling that our man Karsh'e has gone above and beyond in his service to this vessel, and I wondered if you might release him from his duties for the balance of the voyage? We not only need him in his best for for our business when we disembark, but the ship is also not yet in safer waters. If coin is required, I will pay for the balance of his passage."
"I would. I believe from what I have seen that his performance has been exemplary, and frankly, I think it behooves both of us for it to remain exemplary. Alternatively, I can pay you for his passage and you can pay him for his work. But when the next round of creatures scale this ship, I would like his whip in his hand, not a mop. Can we agree that would be beneficial?"
The Scion of House Orien withdraws 5 platinum from his pocket.
"The change isn't my concern. The safety of our team and the young man we rescued is."
Captain Harlock considers your words carefully. "You would pay for the balance of his passage, you say?" he asks.Karshe considers his meager coin. "Can I work for my passage?""Captain! I wonder if I might have a word ..."
Jacen gestures forward that they might walk to the forecastle of the ship.
"It is my feeling that our man Karsh'e has gone above and beyond in his service to this vessel, and I wondered if you might release him from his duties for the balance of the voyage? We not only need him in his best for for our business when we disembark, but the ship is also not yet in safer waters. If coin is required, I will pay for the balance of his passage."
"I would. I believe from what I have seen that his performance has been exemplary, and frankly, I think it behooves both of us for it to remain exemplary. Alternatively, I can pay you for his passage and you can pay him for his work. But when the next round of creatures scale this ship, I would like his whip in his hand, not a mop. Can we agree that would be beneficial?"
The Scion of House Orien withdraws 5 platinum from his pocket.
"The change isn't my concern. The safety of our team and the young man we rescued is."
"Agreed," said Captain Harlock as he takes your money.
"Friends, I have a question. What do we think is to become of the young man that we found adrift? Rights of Salvage being what they are, his fate is tied to the Captain at the moment, but I wondered what we thought. If we make it up river to Rhukaan Draal, I could place him in the care of the House, possibly even arranging Lightning Rail passage back to Sharn so that he can get to Stormreach."
The half-orc enjoys his upgrade in status, especially being out from under the jaundiced eye of Mr. Green. He thanks the dragon-marked scion at least once a day.
"Friends, I have a question. What do we think is to become of the young man that we found adrift? Rights of Salvage being what they are, his fate is tied to the Captain at the moment, but I wondered what we thought. If we make it up river to Rhukaan Draal, I could place him in the care of the House, possibly even arranging Lightning Rail passage back to Sharn so that he can get to Stormreach."
Karsh'e frowns while he thinks about this. How does maritime rescue embodied in the Rights of Salvage tie the young man to the captain? Is he now a slave? Must he accompany the captain until freed from the life-debt, or until he saves the captain's life? Or is the captain now obliged to make sure the lad does no evil in the future? In the marshes the rescued one might vow to repay a life debt, but there was no question of slavery, and none that the rescuer would need to mentor or monitor the rescued. Life is more complicated in civilized society.
Indeed the half-orc feels no over-riding obligation one way or the other toward the young man for his part in the rescue. Perhaps he feels a budding curiousity now that Jacen has raised the question of the young man's fate. "Your resources are yours to use as you see fit, Lord d'Orien. If we brought him with us, I could teach him to cook, and we could all teach him to wield a blade. Then he would learn some skills."
Time skip!
------
It is mid-morning when you finally arrive in Rhukaan Draal. The goblinoid city was built around what was once a Cyran frontier town, and today it has grown into a sprawling goblinoid metropolis. The city appears as a crazy architectural tapestry; mud and timber huts surround ancient structures of stone and brick, interspersed with canvas tents and pavilions. Most of the roads are bare earth, and few of the wonders or conveniences of Sharn are evident here. Within this ramshackle city, a single building dominates the skyline—an enormous tower of red stone that rises up from the very center of the city. This is Khaar Mbar’ost, the court of the Lhesh Haruuc, the hobgoblin king.