Let's see. New page, where are we...
Tyndal
Eldin
Anders
Terin (Unconcious or Staggered).
If it's still up when my turn comes around, I'll hit it with a magic missile (last 1st level for the day):
Aaargh!
Swings Glaive again.
Terin (Unconcious or Staggered).
Eldin is a go.
Also, if there's a crate around for me to climb up on, I'll get out of the water, too.
Terin (Unconcious or Staggered).
"Terin!"
Seeing the druid knocked back and down into the shallow water from the lizard's electrical attack, Eldin climbs back down into the hold, rushing towards Terin and trying to drag him away, ensuring his face is out of the water.
ensuring his face is out of the water.
All right, let’s see here:
Tyndal’s wrathful swing severs the front limbs of the shocker lizard (Terin id’d it), but somehow the crazed beast refuses to relent. Seeing Tyndal frantically kicking at Terin’s comatose form, Eldin rushes in and drags Terin to relative safety.
Anders clambers onto a wooden pallet jutting out above the dampened floorboards, and then fires a screaming bolt of pure magical energy at the beast. The missile rips into the face of the creature, tearing out one of the poor thing’s eyes.
The lizard, badly mauled, lurches forward on its remaining legs, determined to reach Terin. It manages to get beneath Tyndal’s legs, and then shudders to a halt and moves no further. It does not appear to be breathing.
Theatrical Demise [general]
A villain who is reduced to 0 hit points takes on more action, and then proceeds to absorb all damage until the following round, at which point it begins to take an action and then expires.
Nice battle everyone. Lick your wounds and relax a bit. With the searching of the ship and reviving the nancy-thug, you should be done on combat for a while.
"Let's get searching and see if we can't find Lady Lavinia's cash, and her father's ring."
"Let's get searching and see if we can't find Lady Lavinia's cash, and her father's ring."
"Right then."
Seann, in the heat of battle... the heat of after-the-battle, but mostly due to a splitting hangover, had completely forgotten the mission.
“Yes, I’ll join you in that in a moment. Tyndal or Seann, can you give me a hand with Terin – yes, thankyou, lets just get him a bit more comfortable up on these crates. He was knocked out by that last electrical discharge – I think he’ll be alright, but he might need some time to come around … I’ll see what I can do for him.”
Eldin therapeutically messages Terin into wakefulness.
“Terin, your nervous system has suffered some shock … you’ll be alright, but I recommend you take it easy for a while. We seem to have taken care of all the villains for now.”
With that, Eldin prepares to help the others search the ship.
"That cur Vark almost certainly took the captain's stateroom for himself. We're as like to find Lady Lavinia's dock fees there as anywhere, provided it hasn't already been spent on cheap spirits and cheaper women. I imagine that's the best place to look for Lord Vanderboren's ring as well, though he may have had a stateroom of his own when on board."
I head to the foc'sle to look for the captain's bunk.
Once there:
"Great idea Anders, I'll come up and give you a hand."
“Alright team; I propose we split up into two groups – one group tackles the below decks area, the other group take the above decks areas. Oh, before we start that, lets make sure we secure that thug down in the Low Tide – Tyndal and Seann, would you two be kind enough to take care of that? – Anyway, two groups to search the place … take our time, be thorough. Someone with an eye for detail and a good methodology should lead each group. If possible, people with low light vision should be in the below decks group, those with more human eye sight above decks. Sound like a plan?”
Anders:
Judging by the stained, disheveled bedding, it does indeed appear that Vark used the Captain’s Quarters for “entertaining.” This room is certainly due for a good airing out. At the foot of the bed, you can see a large trunk in plain sight.
If you attempt to open the trunk:
Your search check for the contents:
Harven's search turns up little more than dead bodies and the decomposing hand he tripped over earlier.
Eldin locates a bit of graffiti in the bilge, which indicates Vark has not yet paid the group. It is likely the crew was not dwelling aboard ship before the mission, as most areas below do not indicate signs of habitation. All bed sheets are neatly cornered in the crew quarters, and the galley appears well stocked and in good order.
… take our time, be thorough.
In the predawn light, activity on the docks begins anew.
Various sea birds begin to alight on the corpses on deck, and the monkeys amuse themselves by chasing each other between vessels.
Upon spotting the chest, Anders steps over to it and rashly flips open the lid. While the possibility the chest was locked had crossed his mind, he figured the best way to determine that was by attempting to open the chest. The possibility of a trap never occured to him.
Digging through the items in the chest, he gives a satisfied "Aha!" when he pulls out the cash. Placing the bag of coins on the bunk itself, he gives a more thorough search of the trunk for the signet ring.
The trunk does not appear to have any contents beyond those you have already discovered. Curiously, tucked amongst Vark's changes of clothing, there is an extravagant evening gown in the very bottom of the trunk.
Rest of the Captain's Quarters (DC20):
The ring displays the Vanderboren coat of arms, while the parchment appears to be a watercolor of a rainbow.
Anyone who searches the bodies on deck:
For searchers below:
The monkeys appear to be getting unruly, as evidenced by their game of “catch the severed hand.”
Tyndal grumbles, but heads up top to take care of the prisoner. He ties the thug up in rope, leaving a long length for lowering him into the Low Tide.
Completing that, he begins searching the bodies on the deck.
Wha..?! Ummm, yea.....,that's the spot....What! Oh Hey! Eldin! Umm, thanks for uh, taking care of me... I better head topside and see what's up.
Think we have something here....It appears to be the ring we need. Lets relieve the dead of unnecessary wealth and gather our crew together.
Mission accomplished, good work team.
Ow, my frickin' head is splitting!
Oh, Tyndal, I see you are already getting the servicable items from the slain cutthroats, good man. I guess I can head below again and try to settle the beasties down.
He speaks to whoever is down here "What do we do with this lot? I would think that we should free them as they were obviously to be smuggled out of Sasserine for some vile purpose. I think that the Standing Stone Park may be a good place for them, their captivity may have compromised their ability to live and forage in the wild on their own, and the park over in the Sunrise District would be a good place for them to recoup without the dangers of being exposed to the wilds just now. If they start feeling like they want a return to the wilds and freedom, it would be a short climb over the city wall and into the jungles for them.
Poor creatures.."
Ow, my frickin' head is splitting!
"Tell me about it. The thing I don't get is all the animals. Why the HELL would they be smuggling animals?"
"Tell me about it. The thing I don't get is all the animals. Why the HELL would they be smuggling animals?"
Familiar with the city, Terin can inform you there is a thriving black market in exotic animals (both import and export) in Sasserine.
Men are always exploiting animals for there own purposes, irregardless of the animals health and well-being. Some are kept as high priced status pets, like the various "nobles" strutting about with trained Corralaxes on their shoulders, Some, like the fearless tigers and other jungle predators are tortured until they are driven mad and used in the arena for the amusement of paying customers and slain for their pelts. Some animals are meant for and thrive as service animals but these ones are strictly for exploitation and would probably spend their lives in misery.
Makes you wonder who is the real "animal" in this equation....
Men are always exploiting animals for there own purposes, irregardless of the animals health and well-being. Some are kept as high priced status pets, like the various "nobles" strutting about with trained Corralaxes on their shoulders, Some, like the fearless tigers and other jungle predators are tortured until they are driven mad and used in the arena for the amusement of paying customers and slain for their pelts. Some animals are meant for and thrive as service animals but these ones are strictly for exploitation and would probably spend their lives in misery.
Makes you wonder who is the real "animal" in this equation....
"Among the Olman, the animals are revered, almost as much as the gods themselves. Me, I've got no time for religion, but I can sorta see where they're coming from."
"Set 'em free or sell 'em, either way good with me. Figure I'll let George loose in the park too. Never know when a wizard is going throw a fireball at ya anyway. Hate to see this little bugger fried"
Tyndal looks around the deck.
"So we done here?"
"Anybody want to try and dock the boat ourselves, or shall we go for help? Regardless, we should take our incontinent friend here to the watch, and this payment to the harbormaster. Maybe even suggesting to the harbormaster that he should think about hiring a better class of minion next time."
“Ah, you’ve found the ring Terin? Excellent! Has anyone discovered the coins that Miss Vanderboren paid to Vark? There doesn’t appear to be much down there – we found a small lump of silver and a shortsword – I’m not much of an expert with swords, but it doesn’t look like anything special to me.” He pauses for a moment, thoughtfully.
“It seems unlikely that any of this lot owned anything of great value – but on the off chance …. I have one favour of Fharlanghn remaining to me this day, one that will allow me to detect magical auras. If we gather together everything we have found, I can use my magic.”
“Terin, we will follow your lead on the animals, but yes, I think releasing them in the park – so long as there is nothing particularly dangerous here – is a good idea. Now, as for the bodies of these thugs – a burial at sea? As most of them were sailors it seems appropriate … I can say the rites for their last journey.”
"I found the coins in the captain's footlocker. Vark had claimed the bunk as his own. In more ways than one."
The dead may have family that would like to know what happened to them, I suggest we leave the ship, cover the bodies and head back to Ms. Vanderboren and let her decide what would be an appropriate way to handle the money to the harbormaster, the thugs corpses, and getting the ship to a dock.
On the last one I am sure she would know where to find people to sail the ship, but I am no sailor and I fear mine and a few others here's skills in sailing would do more harm than good.
The dead may have family that would like to know what happened to them...
"Yeah, how are we supposed to know who these people are... were? We can't exactly ask them, and they attacked us. We should just dump them over the side."
Not our problem, Lavinia will decide what to do with them and if they should be turned over to the watch. Either she says to dump them, turn them over to authorities, or she finds other means of disposal. I would rather not leave her out of a decision like this, she should be involved if only to have an equal amount of culpability in this and to see what her actions have caused.
I want her to know the whole circle that occurs with a task like this, so she doesn't enter into a course with blinders on.
Not our problem, Lavinia will decide what to do with them and if they should be turned over to the watch. Either she says to dump them, turn them over to authorities, or she finds other means of disposal. I would rather not leave her out of a decision like this, she should be involved if only to have an equal amount of culpability in this and to see what her actions have caused.
I want her to know the whole circle that occurs with a task like this, so she doesn't enter into a course with blinders on.
"...Oh. Sorry, must've missed summat."
Not our problem, Lavinia will decide what to do with them and if they should be turned over to the watch. Either she says to dump them, turn them over to authorities, or she finds other means of disposal. I would rather not leave her out of a decision like this, she should be involved if only to have an equal amount of culpability in this and to see what her actions have caused.
I want her to know the whole circle that occurs with a task like this, so she doesn't enter into a course with blinders on.
Harven stand there quietly listening to the "big folk" debate our next course of action. Why do they have to be so loud and boisterous and.... big?
Anyway, when (if?) there is a lull in the conversation, he pipes up with a small, "Yeah, let's leave it to Lavinia to work out. This is afterall her show."
"Right - it seems we are agreed. Well, we probably don't have the expertise, manpower or authority to bring this ship into dock. Let us return on the Low Tide with the items we have found, and our captive - ferrying over in several trips if needs be - and return to Vanderboren Manor."
Agreed.
"I need a drink," grumbles Seann, "I'm off to the Beached Whale."
Alright, how about we all sell this gear first, take a few hours of downtime and return this afternoon to Ms. Vanderboren's, say around 3 bells? That should give me time to rent a wagon and cart these poor animals to the park for release, though I could use a hand, what with the weight of these beasties and all. Seann, if I might suggest, perhaps your penchant for spirits would be alleved if you picked up one of those magical mugs that produces ale. T'would probably save you a bit of coin in the long-run. They call them Everfull Mugs down in the market place and I believe they run about 200 gold.