Tarren:
** spoiler omitted **
Sykala:
Below the decks is the room where you fought Faruq, the engine room (that Hurg keeps locked from the inside, especially since the Faruq incident) and weapons locker, which is now unlocked. There are several crossbows and hundreds of bolts, even moreso since you all raided the armouries at Whitebridge station.
I think I'm a little confused about where the elves are. Are they on the same side of the map as Nighfall station. If they are then they must be well back from the bank of the river if they are about a 100' away because the boat is pretty close to the bank (according to the map).
I think I'm a little confused about where the elves are. Are they on the same side of the map as Nighfall station. If they are then they must be well back from the bank of the river if they are about a 100' away because the boat is pretty close to the bank (according to the map).
Esteban takes another arrow as he continues to put the boat into reverse and attempts to steer it closer to the center of the river to go around the barricade.
For round 2, Ixius will peek around the corner of the cabin and fire a thistle arrow at one of the Ekujae (trying to maintain as much cover as possible).
"Fippin! See to Esteban! He's taking some hits!" Keliwyn yells as he follows Ixius' lead, and lets fly with an arrow of his own.
Tarren:
If the elves are on the opposite side of Nightfall station, then our boat is pretty much as far across the river from them as we can get. It seems like the best thing to do is jump ship and head for the nearby shore, then make our way through the woods to the fort.
Fippin has already declared his round 2 action, which was to ready his bow and cast true strike. However, he will try to call out to Esteban and the party members if he can still do that in the same round.
"ESTEBAN STOP TRYING TO PILOT THE F@~%ING SHIP. THE BLOCKADE GOES ACROSS THE ENTIRE RIVER. YOU NEED TO TAKE COVER , AND WE NEED TO GET OFF THE SHIP AND SEE IF WE CAN GET TO SAFETY. EITHER THAT OR KEEP FIRING AT THESE F%%~ERS FROM COVER. WE SHOULD ALSO TRY AND GET THE ATTENTION OF THE GARRISON. IF THERE IS ONE LEFT.
Tarren:
** spoiler omitted **
Sykala:
The wood near the bow has already taken a beating. As soon as you cast your spell, the wood groans and tears open to let a rush of water in. It roars at you as it fills the magazine, knocking the weapons and goods about in all direction.
Tarren:
A humorless smile crosses her face as the torrent of water knocks her against the stairs. As the water swirls around her, scales and ridges begin to form along the length of her body as she shifts her form to one more adapted to such an environment - that of a crocodile. The reptilian forn disappears underneath the surging current.
"Okay, well, that one hurt!" Esteban roars from the pilothouse as the torrent of Ekujae arrows is now being concentrated on the only visible crewmember of The River Queen.
Whatever the Ekujae are doing seems to be working. The creaking of wood and that a cracking sound rattles the ship before The River Queen lurches forward and to port.
Fippin looks around the corner of the cabin and unleashes an arrow. The air is aided by a true strike spell and it flies swiftly for its mark.
Ixius peeks around the other corner and shoots another thistle arrow.
attack: 1d20+6=24
damage: 1d8+2=6
Ixius peeks around the other corner and shoots another thistle arrow.
attack: 1d20+6=24
damage: 1d8+2=6
While Baas peers over the side, you hear a indecipherable roar as over a dozen Ekujae appear on the opposite river bank.
A couple of your arrows have hit the Ekujae but they vastly outnumber you.
"Let's get to shore!" Keliwyn yells, as he starts throwing his personal goods and extra bundles of arrows into a canoe. "Grab what you can! We're going to need some of this!"
The heads are made from a toxic plant and have one chance in four of becoming embedded under the flesh causing 1 pt extra damage each round.
Baas dives in the water and starts swimming for shore as fast as he can. Being a strong swimmer, he has little difficulty with the current of the river. He begins scanning the waterline to see how his companions are doing.
Tarren:
Glad to have surprised you :) I hope that it is something that now that you know about it, it sheds some light on some of her actions up to this point, like a good book (I am sure there is more craziness to come down the road too). I know you said not to start round three yet but I will be on the road all day today so as not to hold things up....Reflex roll: 1d20+3=9
A humorless smile crosses her face as the torrent of water knocks her against the stairs. As the water swirls around her, scales and ridges begin to form along the length of her body as she shifts her form to one more adapted to such an environment - that of a crocodile. The reptilian forn disappears underneath the surging current.
She uses her Natural spell ability and cast another Warp Wood on the boat just to make sure and remains in the magazine. She intends to go down with the boat and swim out afterwards.
Tarren:
** spoiler omitted **
Sykala:
If you have yet to exit the magazine than you can probably hear Hurg's screams as water begins to flood the engine room. The pressure of water from the break in the bow makes it impossible to open the door.
The Ekujae, seeing The River Queen is sinking, let out a cheer that is almost drowned out by Esteban's roar in response to the same awareness. The guards in the stationhouse up ahead have, by now, realized something is wrong and are cautiously heading towards The River Queen. A group of ten guards, crossbows at the ready, walk slowly towards the boat as if expecting an ambush while an equal number remain at the stationhouse.
When you glance back, the Ekujae have slipped into the jungle soundlessly. Their work is done.
Welcome to Nightfall Station.
Tarren:
Ixius will stay and help Esteban with the Queen. He wants make sure his chest full of stuff is safe.
Fippin will stay for now and help salvage as much gear as possible, particularly the canoes, paddles, and extra arrows.
As he's working he talks to his companions.
"I don't understand it. What happened to our boat? The barricade wouldn't have caused this, and neither would the arrows that the elves fired."
Keliwyn will load as much as he can in a canoe, and then ferry it ashore, swimming alongside. He'll also stay and help with the rest of the cargo as best he can. However, before he leaves the ship the first time, he suddenly remembers . . .
"Hurg! Anyone seen Hurg? Is he still below?"
"Now how will we leave this mosquito-infested swamp?" Baas wonders aloud. He salvages any of his possessions that he can find and brings them to the station.
Sykala:
It takes three attempts before crocodile-Sykala manages to smash the doors open. By this time, the engine room is completely flooded and Hurg is attempting to open the lock the escape hatch in the roof. He locked it after Faruq's yellow fever convinced him the crew was becoming insane one at a time.
When the doors burst open and a crocodile swims in, Hurg figures things have gone from really, really bad to much, much worse. He fights tooth and nail to resist all attempts at grappling him but does little damage with the small metal bar he'd been using to bust the lock. By the time Sykala gets him to the surface, he's exhausted and nearly drowned.
As a crocodile bursts to the surface of the water with Hurg clamped firmly in jaws, men all around you drop whatever they were doing and reach for their crossbows. Some don't need to reach at all as they remained armed and ready to shoot the Ekujae.
Sykala:
** spoiler omitted **
As a crocodile bursts to the surface of the water with Hurg clamped firmly in jaws, men all around you drop whatever they were doing and reach for their crossbows. Some don't need to reach at all as they remained armed and ready to shoot the Ekujae.
Sykala:
** spoiler omitted **
As a crocodile bursts to the surface of the water with Hurg clamped firmly in jaws, men all around you drop whatever they were doing and reach for their crossbows. Some don't need to reach at all as they remained armed and ready to shoot the Ekujae.
Wisdom check 1d20+3=21
Fippin clues in that the crocodile is Sykala, and shouts
"Hold your fire! Don't waste them on a crocodile. Save them for the elves. That crocodile is a friend, and it is trying to help the dwarf. It isn't going to hurt anyone."
The crocodile slithers up on shore and releases the dwarf backing off a bit to give you space to approach the dwarf should you desire to do so. It then rests in the mud of the bank as if waiting to see what the people are going to do. The croc's scales shimmer a bit with a green iridesence that reminds you of her armor.
After they get the River Queen secured and the cargo safe on land, Ixius smiles at Esteban and says "Looks like you're stuck here with us for a while."
After they get the River Queen secured and the cargo safe on land, Ixius smiles at Esteban and says "Looks like you're stuck here with us for a while."
The men who were working lower their crossbows. The others, who were guarding even before Sykala arrived, remain cautiously alert but focus as much on the jungle as the crocodile.
Esteban ignores Ixius' taunt, spits into the sand, and stomps away. "I'm going to talk to Gorse," he mumbles over his shoulder as he heads for the stationhouse.
It is not unusual for Esteban to disappear when heavy lifting is involved but to abandon his ship is strange.
The image of the guards, the croc, and the sputtering, virtually hairless and mostly naked dwarf brings a smile to Keliwyn's face, and he makes a mental note to add a drawing to his notebook when he has a chance. Looking around, he sarcastically sighs, "Ahh, paradise," before sitting himself in the middle of the odd bunch, reclining against Sykala's side.
It takes the men more than an hour to pull The River Queen onto the bank. Ironically, the trap set by the Ekujae becomes the means to raise the boat again. Working together, they are able to fasten the partially submerged logs to the boat, and then cut through the ropes anchoring them down. As the logs float, they pull The River Queen up from the muck allowing the men to maneuver her to shore just a bit upriver from where she was sunk.
The men express surprise at the bend in the wood but put it down to some magical trap, not suspecting foul play on the part of the boats escorts.
"Let's get back. We'll be eating soon," growls one of the guards.
As you approach the stationhouse a guard you haven't met yet meets the party. He nods towards you and shoots a questioning look to the guard apparently in charge.
"They're Esteban's men. Supposed to protect the barge," he explains.
"Good work. Our problems here are over then," the newcomer laughs. This earns a frustrated chuckle from the rest of the guards. "Like we needed this."
The men lead you onto the porch of the stationhouse, past a couple of crossbow wielding guards, through the front doors, and into a sparsely furnished parlour. "Wait here," he growls before leaving through a door at the back of the room that leads to a flight of stairs.
The rest of the men leave through another door from which the smell of a meaty stew wafts.
The men express surprise at the bend in the wood but put it down to some magical trap, not suspecting foul play on the part of the boats escorts.
The men lead you onto the porch of the stationhouse, past a couple of crossbow wielding guards, through the front doors, and into a sparsely furnished parlour. "Wait here," he growls before leaving through a door at the back of the room that leads to a flight of stairs.
Sykala transforms back into a human upon approaching the stationhouse still half covered in dripping mud and leaves muddy tracks across the floor. Smiling at Keliwyn, "O shaeraes shi vaeria mesi air'm ti shaerysi o kai jhaelol ol ei tylydoli"
Elven translation:
Ixius sits and waits in the parlour.
Fippin is a little impatient and antsy, and he paces about the parlor quietly chanting a little song to Desna in his native tongue.
The men express surprise at the bend in the wood but put it down to some magical trap, not suspecting foul play on the part of the boats escorts.
The men lead you onto the porch of the stationhouse, past a couple of crossbow wielding guards, through the front doors, and into a sparsely furnished parlour. "Wait here," he growls before leaving through a door at the back of the room that leads to a flight of stairs.Sykala transforms back into a human upon approaching the stationhouse still half covered in dripping mud and leaves muddy tracks across the floor. Smiling at Keliwyn, "O shaeraes shi vaeria mesi air'm ti shaerysi o kai jhaelol ol ei tylydoli"
Elven translation:
** spoiler omitted **
"On, shar sar o?*, Keliwyn says with a smile. "Everything's been so damn serious, when you didn't actually eat the dwarf, I figured it was a safe bet, and time for a little fun. Although, on second thought, I'm not sure that there is anything short of an ogre that might eat a dwarf." With that, the elf takes out his notebook and starts to sketch the image of the crocodile & the dwarf, leaving himself out.
*Elven transaltion:
By the way Fippin had wanted to make sure that the canoes were brought safely to the station house.
"Well I suppose it's better than I expected. I thought we'd find nothing but arrow filled corpses here."
From up the stairs you can hear voices shouting. One of them is clearly Esteban's -- you recognize his shout by now like it were your own. The other man seems to be standing up to Esteban but it is hard to make out what he is saying.
The voices grow louder as the two men make their way down the stairs.
"He can be replaced," says the new voice.
"That's not the point. How much longer will you ...?" Esteban begins to demand before being cut off.
"Nightfall Station is not going anywhere!"
"Neither is The River Queen for a few days at least!" replies Esteban angrily. "We need more capable men!!"
"Then you should have brought some...," says the unfamiliar voice.
The doors swing open and a young man barges through the door. Even though he's been yelling at Esteban his scowl becomes a smile immediately as he sees you. "And these are the mercenaries you brought? Excellent. I am Mynafee Gorse. Welcome to Nightfall Station. I understand you have braved a long and a perilous voyage to bring me these much needed supplies."
He smiles at each of you in turn and then raises his voice to shout to some unseen employee, "Why hasn't anyone brought you food?! ... No matter. The dining hall is through those doors. Eat, drink, and get paid. Our accountant will pay what is owed so far and then you should come to my office and we'll chat. A tour of the station will have to wait until tomorrow as it is getting late and rather dark. We'll have bunks prepared for you soon."
Esteban watches the conversation with an arched eyebrow and then says, "I'm going to rouse Morrich and see how long the repairs will take."
Fippin watches the man appraisingly, but he is being cautious for now. He nods, smiles and says...
"Great, I'm starving. Let's go eat." He then heads into the dining hall.
"Sounds good." Ixius follows Fippin into the dining room.
"Food and a bed sound fantastic," Keliwyn says as he follows everyone into the dining room, "But I do hope there is somewhere we can clean up as well?" he asks. "I'm aware that this is hardly a cosmopolitan metropolis, but after being stuck on that barge, in this heat, the bath I took in the river didn't really do the job, if you know what I mean." As the words come out of his mouth, it occurs to Keliwyn, for the first time, that the inhabitants of Nightfall Station might not be particularly fond of elves.