Understandable, considering the circumstances. Thanks all the same for putting in the effort in the first place.
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If you did decide to keep the game going I would suggest getting at least two other players to fill out the party, unless you feel that you can adjust the CR of the encounters for just the three of us.
I'm willing to stick it out if everyone else wants to, but freely admit that there's not much point in letting a game drag on if so many people are finding it too difficult to keep a hand in. I will respect the GM's decision if it winds up being closed.
As Renzuran gets ready to ship off, he thinks back to the Rahadoumi woman Harrigan threw over the side. If it had pleased them, they would have happily done the same to him or the others with little provocation--and probably would have enjoyed doing it, too. As he knelt and prayed for the day's spells, Renzuran once again resolved to look for a way to seize control of the situation before the the situation turned any uglier. He had no desire to die on someone else's whim.
I'm still around. Just been waiting for the next scene to start.
Night 1:
Night 2:
Night 3:
Night 4:
Works for me; I just want the cash this time around.
With the battle having been won, Rezuran sheathes his rapier with a sense of relief. He prods one of the unconscious Rahadoumi crewmen with his boot, then turns to face those who had answered his request to prevent the boat's escape. "Thanks be to the Pirate Queen's fickle will that you lot came along. I not so proud as to admit that I probably couldn't have stopped them from getting away on my own." The half-elf removes his tricorne hat in salute and extends a hand with a palm wrapped in with a skull and crossbones tattooed on the back. "Names Renzuran Darber, one of what passes for Besmara's holy men. You heard what Morgan said, so now's the time to decide whether making the jump from outright slavery into indentured servitude was worth the trouble. I haven't been fond of the latter so far, but I can only imagine what you've been through with the former."
"No time to be gentle, mate..." Reaching out with his free hand and a quick prayer, a nimbus of cold blackness envelops Renzuran's bandaged hand as he steps forward and attempts to touch one of the men trying to deploy the longboat. If it connects a wave of negative energy will wash over the unfortunate Rahadoumi.
After his opponent is felled, Renzuran happens to notice the enemy captain and two of his crew attempting to free the boat. For a split-second he wonders if they could commandeer this vessel afterwards and sail to freedom, but ultimately decides against it. "You there!" he shouts at Sasha and Eugeni, "You don't look like you're with the Rahadoumis, so get off your duffs and help me stop them! We can't let this ship get away!"
Renzuran curses at his poor aim and reloads the crossbow, trying once again to get a bead on the marksman currently ensorcelled by Tevyn's hypnotism.
With both marksmen momentarily under the effects of spells, Renzuran decides this is a good opportunity to try picking one off from a distance. He stows his club and unhooks the crossbow from his belt. Steadying his aim upon the shooter he had confused, the same one who shot him earlier, he attempts to take the man down without killing him and lets the bolt fly.
After watching Tevyn knock out the swordsman, Renzuran nods in thanks to the halfling. "Much appreciated. Now how about we go and take care of those shooters before they get me with another lucky hit?" Turning and making his way toward the nearest marksmen, Renzuran attempts to get into range and cast a spell that will leave the enemy confused long enough to close the gap and attack.
Renzuran ducks and dodges out of the way of the Rahadoumi's swipes, but he's wishing the Garundi bastard would just go down already. Turning on his heel, he blocks with the buckler and swings the club up from behind it to catch the man in the jaw.
Not noticing what's happening with the Captain, Renzuran once again attempts to end the fight with the swordsman. Attempting to deflect the sword with his buckler, he takes another swipe with his club.
"AAAGH!" Renzuran cries out as the slug strikes him in the torso. Through sheer luck, it seemed to have glanced off of one of the studs in his leather armor and avoided doing internal damage, but it still hurt like hell. Sucking in a breath through clenched teeth, he squinted toward the shooter and made a decision.
Getting used to the rhythm of combat now, Renzuran disappears once again as the Rahadoumi's blade fails to connect, focusing on materializing in the space in sight behind him. Starting low and putting his weight into it, he brings the club in a rising backswing, intending to strike the man across the jaw as he turns around to face him.
When the Rahadoumi's attack misses him, Renzuran suddenly winks out of existence and immediately appears to his foe's left.
Hoping to bank on the man's confusion, Darber brings his club in a sideways swing in an attempt to strike the man's head, hoping to knock him out.
Seeing Morgan charge into the vessel, Renzuran figures that he's less likely to get overwhelmed if he sticks close to somebody else. Club in hand, he follows after the fighter to the stairs, not bothering to purchase a sap from Grok as he lacks experience with the weapon. While Morgan attacks the Rahadoumi swordsman directly, Darber sidles up from another direction and calls upon one of Besmara's gifts: a hand charged with chaotic energy that can curse his foe with misfortune.
Renzuran leans back against a railing and merely listens to the group ask their queries. As for him, he was indifferent. A ship needed taking, aft deck and sterncastle were to be held, keep the deaths to a minimum, don't let anyone escape; seemed simple enough. Who they were boarding was almost irrelevant in his mind. Pillaging was a sacred duty in and of itself.
Just for the record, my spells prepared for the day are: 0 (at will) Bleed (DC 13), Guidance, Resistance, Stabilize
Climbing up from below deck, Renzuran cracks his neck and looks to the horizon. The targeted ship is getting closer and if he's going to be ready to board with the others, he'll need his gear. Stopping by the quartermaster's Darber is relieved to find that he is able to retrieve his weapons without incident. Crossbow, club, dagger, and of course the rapier...he unsheathes the blade and inspects the edge. Even after all this time in storage it still carries a wicked edge, and he smiles, that lopsided grin slightly unnerving to those who witness it. He straps down his gear, grips his holy symbol in a moment of quiet prayer for the coming pillaging, and runs to take his position for the oncoming raid.
Renzuran sips his rum tonight, not wishing to compound the fatigue he had already built up from the day's activities.
Afterwards he turns in to get some rest for what is likely to be another hard day on the rigging.
Sure, why not?
Renzuran turns halfway from his location at the sails as he hears Scourge's shouting. "Oh, what is it now...?" he wonders aloud, and moves cautiously to get a better view.
After a good night's sleep, Renzuran has shaken off his fatigue and is once again ready to attend to his rigging tasks with as much grumbling resolve as he can muster.
While the line work job goes off without a hitch, the effort has once again left the half-elf tired and aching. He removes his hat and wipes the sweat from his brow, hoping against hope that nothing out of the ordinary will assault the ship today.
As is becoming typical, Renzuran sits at the table sipping his rum and fuming over his latest punishment. He doesn't bother advocating mutiny again though, because what would be the point? Until something drastic happens he plans to lay low and bide his time for a better opportunity.
After supper has ended he excuses himself and heads straight to bed in order to ease his aching muscles.
By the time Renzuran's boots actually manage to hit the deck, Tilly has been saved and Plugg is already yelling at them to get back on task. He wipes the sweat off his forehead and grudgingly goes back to work. Later, exhausted from the events of the previous day, Darber actually manages to nod off standing as he leans against the rigging. This is accompanied a short time later by a sharp kick to the back of the shin by Plugg sends him sprawling momentarily to the floor, before shooting back up and scrambling to the crow's nest. He curses his misfortune, and more specifically, Plugg himself, but keeps his grumblings out of earshot.
Darber is still attempting to climb down from the heights of the crow's nest to assist the others, but the fatigue in his bones and the storm winds whipping around him are doing an able job of impeding his progress. It's all he can do just to yell words of encouragement. "Keep at it! She's almost back aboard!"
From his position in the crow's nest (which judging from Bellamy's presence they sent him to act as an extra set of eyes, except why send a blind man up in the first place?), Darber squints to try and make out the shape of the crewman who fell overboard, but the driving rain makes his vision about as good as No-Eyes'. It also didn't help that the fatigue from the climb was beginning to weigh down on him. "He's over the port side! Can anybody see him...?!"
Unlike Servi, the crash actually does startle Renzuran out of his bunk. He lets loose a string of cusses as his arm reaches up from the floor to grope for his hat on the corner. When he finally gets topside, he shields his eyes with his hand and looks out over the stormy horizon. Besmara was either riled about something, he figured, or else she was just bored and wanted to see how they'd react. The goddess was notoriously fickle even at the best of times, and not even a priest like him could say which it was for certain. He glanced up at the mainsail whipping in the violent winds and exhaled nervously, kissing his holy symbol for luck. "'May we be dead before we hit bottom...'"
Renzuran grunts disdainfully and finishes his drink. "Keep your eyes open. You all might not feel ready to take action, but I'm not giving up on this yet. Scourge, Harrigan, Plugg... If we don't do something and do it soon, we're as good as chum. Count on it." With that he gets up and leaves the table, heading for topside. He's neither in the mood nor is optimistic about his chances for buttering up a member of the crew tonight, so instead he decides to sneak around the ship and see what he can find.
Renzuran sits silently among the crew at dinner, sipping his rum, but he is not sulking like the last time after he faced the lash. Now he wears a look of grim determination, like he's finally made up his mind about something. "I'm done with this," he whispers to the assembled party. "As long as Scourge captains this ship we're all living on borrowed time. At best we have an indefinite term of indentured servitude before he either tires of antagonizing us or finds some excuse to kill us during the Bloody Hour. It would be in our collective best interest to find some way to see his term ended as swiftly as possible before we all wind up feeding the sharks." The half-elf takes a sip from his glass and looks around the table for a response.
After yet another failed attempt to ingratiate himself with Tarroon, Renzuran scowls and makes his way to bed. For now, he's given up on trying to get in good with the captain's help, citing it as a lost cause.
While attempting to climb up the rigging the following day, Renzuran slips and twists his ankle. Swearing like a born sailor, Darber tries over to make it to the crows nest, but the strain on his leg is too great and he winds up collapsing in a heap.
Renzuran is genuinely surprised that he managed to get away with his dereliction of duty today, but if that was Besmara's fortune for him, he's not going to complain. At dinner, figuring that if he escaped the lash he at least owes the Pirate Queen a token of tribute, he downs his rum straight as an oblation.
As the rum hits him like a sack of hammers, he can't help overhearing Erik's invitation to Sandara. "Well, aren't we ever hopeful, lad?" he remarks with a lopsided grin. "You best be watching out for this one miss; I've seen sharks that've put less effort into a hunt." If Erik becomes offended, the now red-faced half-elf waves him off good-naturally. "Easy there, just having a bit of fun. Renzuran Darber, pleased to make your acquaintance." After dinner, Renzuran seeks out Tarroon to once again attempt to get in good with her, With any luck, he might lkearn something that will let him access the Captain's Cabin and maybe get a leg up on scourge.
Renzuran merely smiles and tips his hat at Scourge's comments, because really, what were their options? If and when they could find some way to get off the ship or, better yet, remove Scourge from power, they were pretty much stuck at his variable and shortt-supplied mercy.
To add to his troubles, try through he might, Renzuran just can't seem to get a handle on the rigging today. He wipes the sweat from his brow as he comes to dread today's Bloody Hour.
Glad to hear that you're alright, Servi. Also, good to have you both along for the ride.
I'm also fine with melding the groups together.
Not a clue. I'm still waiting on the results of my last Diplomacy check.
All set here.
Renzuran can't help himself and laughs at the scene, attempting to stifle himself with his gloved hand. "I think the young fellow's taken a real shine to you, miss. I think you might have been a touch safer when he was trying to break your face, though." He winks at the pair and sips his rum, clearly in a good mood.
After the evening meal, Renzuran decides to track down Tarroon and see if he can get in good with her. He was intrigued by the previous night's discovery of the Captain's Cabin and was interested in learning anything that might give himself and the group an edge over Scourge.
Catching on to where the his partymates are going with this line of reasoning, Renzuran tries his own attempt at persuading Owlbear: "C'mon matey, we can end this here and now before you have a chance to really get hurt. I'm sure that the captain would forgive you for giving up fair and square..."
Renzuran prods No-Eyes in the shoulder and points discreetly in Scourge's direction. "Did you see that?" he whispers. "That son of a sahuagin tossed that club in! He's rigging the fight!"
"Oh, damn..." Renzuran looks on apprehensively at the ongoing fight. Sharice seems to have the upper hand at the moment, but it looks like Owlbear's not going to give in so easy.
Trying to be heard over the the other crewmen, Renzuran cups his hands around his mouth and yells some words of encouragement. "C'mon Sharice, you can win this, you've got him on the ropes! Kill that sorry sack of chum!"
Renzuran debates whether or not he could cast lesser confusion on the owlbear to give Sharice an edge, but is unsure if he could get away with it without getting spotted. Still, he loops the cord of his holy symbol around his hand and palms the jolly roger, just in case. "I don't know why Plugg seems so confident," he says loudly to no one in particular. "I've seen Sharice tear the head off a fully-grown reefclaw with her teeth, so this shouldn't be that much of a challenge."
GM:
Noticing Tarroon as he snoops about the Cap-n's Chamber, Renzuran tips his hat and flashes her his friendliest smile.
"Afternoon, miss. I don't suppose I could trouble you for a moment? I can't seem to get in here." After she consents to the challenge, Renzuran taps Sharice on the shoulder and whispers worriedly. "Miss, I'm all for displays of bravado, but some of us aren't quite as sturdy as you are. There's a reason I usually carry a blade."
After waking up feeling refreshed, Renzuran takes time out to pray for new spells before meeting up with the others above deck for the day's tasks.
For once, Darber manages to get through his rigging job without any exceptional difficulty. Emboldened by his success, he decides to use his extra time to sneak off to an unexplored area of the ship in order to look around.
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