Treesa stands behind Rayse and stares at Kargeld. Her eyes flash red with infernal fire and her voice is a hiss like a serpent. "You are right Kargeld. Here we part company as our Lord directs us. But if you want to sail south again, you and all of your men will perish. I have seen your future and the path you follow is to destruction. Know that if you draw a weapon against us you will be cursed to forever miss your target." She waves her arms above her head and begins to cackle madly.
Always glad to be underestimated, Rendylyn doesn't mind when Sakkarot tries to evade her questions...but doesn't she give up.
"My faith is in Asmodeus, who commands me to plan ahead. Sakkarot Fire-Axe, how can we tell you when our mission is complete? Must we send a messenger across the water? How long will you be at this camp?"
Sakkarot has one last thing to say: "Tomorrow you must depart this camp. It will never be truly
safe for you here. Over the next week, more tribes will rallyto my banner. I will promise them blood and give them
steel. Then at last I will be ready to march. A week after
that – I will be poised to strike. I will move my horde to
the valley just north of Balentyne. There we will wait for
your signal. Fire this rocket into the air. Within the hour,
we will attack. Make sure that the way is ready. After we gather, my horde will be idle and start to grow
anxious. I can hold them together for another two weeks.
After that, I expect desertions and squabbling. Get your
work done before then. You have one month to infiltrate
and destroy Balentyne."
Sakkarot hands them a single carefully wrapped signal
rocket.
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20+10
Posh discerns that whatever treasure Kargeld is hiding is likely stashed at the back of the hold, where the captain has his very small, private quarters.
Kargeld Odenkirk cries out, "You want my ship, do ye? I killed my brother to take her and I’ll kill all of you to keep her!"
The captain wields a fearsome greataxe, and his crew draw short swords. The two crew members closest to Kargeld draw short bows.
Vormog effortlessly cuts down the first sailor in front of him.
Posh draws his whip, and commences a tirade of describing the Captain's inadequacies as a leader of men.
+1/+1 Bardic performance for my allies
Rendylyn unleashes the anticipatory smile she'd had to hide during the long lake crossing. She'd laid out a few plans to take the captain by surprise and from behind, then discarded them all in favor of a frontal assault. We're doing this because we need practice cooperating in open combat, she reasons to herself, and not just because open slaughter is more fun.
She shouts out a benediction in Infernal, "Throw wide the gates of Hell!"
Rayse's eyes light up with sadistic glee as he moves to engage the nearest sailor. His sword flicks out with devastating force!
No, you get your action. Everyone is in armor.
Rayse' greatsword crashes into the chest of the lightly-armored sailor wielding a short sword. Like wheat against the scythe, the smaller man is knocked clear off his feet, over the rail and into the shallows of the lake. Grievously wounded, he twists as he tries to stay afloat, but regardless, the will to fight has drained from his dying body.
Treesa casts a spell protecting Rufus and orders him to attack, then continues Cackling to extend the Evil Eye on the Captain. "If you want to live, surrender. The Captain dies!"
Rufus charges forward to attack the closest man.
Rufus' ferocity and Treesa's ultimatum sends another wounded crew member tumbling over the rail.
"Stand your ground, cowards! Kill these whelps!" shouts Captain Kargeld.
The captain takes a throwing axe from his belt and hurls it with great force in the direction of Rayse...
The axe flies into the night and splashes harmlessly in the lake some distance away.
The remaining three crew members see an opportunity and attack!
"Rush the bowmen!" Rendylyn cries. Acting immediately on her own order, she sprints across the deck, spitting the syllables of a spell as she goes. Infernal flames spread across the deck, enveloping captain and crew.
Treesa points at the port side bowman and barks out a command to Rufus. "That one hurt me Rufus. Kill him!"
Rufus charges forward to the bowman that had shot Treesa.
"You are dead Captain. Asmodeus has directed it so it must be. Prepare your soul to meet him!"
Treesa sees Rendylyn charge into danger and covers her with Protective Luck, then Cackles to extend the evil eye and the Protective Luck.
Posh does not stop.
If anything, the flames erupting across the deck seem to embolden him. His voice rises, sharp and slicing, a whip-crack cadence of contempt aimed straight at Captain Kargeld.
“Behold!” he cries over the roar of battle, pacing along the deck with the theatrical precision of a master performer. “The mighty captain of the Frosthamar — scourge of throwing axes, defender of the lakebed! See how his courage flees faster than his men tumble over the rails!”
He lashes his whip through the air with a loud snap, punctuating each insult like a conductor’s baton.
“It takes a rare sort of incompetence,” he continues, weaving between crates and lines with nimble gnomish footwork, “to be outclassed by your own crew — and you have accomplished even that! Truly, we are witnessing the finest example of leadership-by-accident this side of the Watch Wall!”
Posh pivots, plants his feet, and with a flourish sends his whip slicing forward in a deadly arc at one of the scorched bowmen.
When Rendylyn advances and casts her spell, at least one of the sorry pair defending Kargeld is badly burned.
When Posh's whip lacerates the man on the starboard side he tumbles into the lake and flails in the shallow water.
Vormog is errant with his spear thrust, but in the next instant Rayse cuts deeply the poor sap standing against him. The force of the blow causes the man to buckle and spill over the rail into the icy water.
Rufus charges at the other sailor but the flames momentarily keep the dog from getting too close.
Captain Kargeld rages at the smell of burning flesh, steps up and swings his greataxe at the source of the flames.
The last man standing drops his bow and tries to stab at Rufus with his short sword.
Rufus growls as he is badly hurt. but his master told him to kill the man....
Treesa steps forward to cure some of the wound on Rendylyn.