Not wasting a round waiting, Tyler lets one crossbow bolt fly down the side of the ship, devastating the shoulder of one of the creatures.  The arm flies off, completely separated as the creature falls silently back into the depths.  Needing a round to reload, he decides instead to begin tying the weapon to his belt and draw his melee weapon to back up Kiro.

Flynn smirks and fires a shot towards the the indicated side of the boat, following the first shortly after with another. He looks at his companions egging the sailors on and wonders if it won't cause more harm than good. In his own experience, a foolish and untried warrior was a dead one, despite any advice or courage they already possessed. Still... There were far to many of these things to not rely on them. And perhaps he might be surprised still by the inspiration his fellows might cause. For his own part, Flynn stayed silent, only indicating to Danathaea with short chuckle at her excellent aim.

Another human dressed in simple traveling robes has joined the crew on deck.  He draws out a crossbow as he makes his way up near the captain.  Taking a bead over the rail he lets fly and watches with satisfaction as the pale beast from the depths falls back into the water, its home now a grave.

Flynn (22) - 20xp [Private to Flynn Darktreader: (+40rp)]
Vertium (20) - 20xp [Private to Vertium Thrusius: (+40rp)]
Genovia (19) - 50xp [Private to Genovia Swiftfoot: (+40rp)]
Kahmaul (18) - 0xp [Private to Kahmaul Quddus: (+40rp)]
Adryn (15) - 0xp  [Private to Adryn Longmane: (+40rp) There are barrels, ropes, and a number of other things that will fit your bill, but you aren't experienced enough to know which might be necessary for the ship.  You do know that between you and Aethen and maybe the clerics you can replace the fresh water easy enough.]
Tyler (15) - 10xp [Private to Tyler Darkwatch: (+40rp)]
Dathnaea (14) - 20xp [Private to Chadaros: (+40rp)]
Aethen (13) - 50xp  [Private to Aethen Ironroot: (+40rp) +50 for a unique use of a spell!]
All manner of kelp and underwater plants burst from the water snatching at thistlings, dragging them off the boat.  They may not be dead, but the Sea Mace has moved beyond them now effectively removing them from the battle.
Arvil (11) - 10xp [Private to Arvil: (+40rp)]
Grondor (9) - 0xp
Kiro (7) - 0xp

Death toll
Thistlings - 20
Crew - 0

Begin round 2!
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:15, Fri 18 Mar 2011.

After a couple seconds something catches Adryns' eye that gives him an idea. An over-sized barrel sitting by the railing, large enough for a medium sized man to sit in, sparked a childhood memory of a game where he would roll large rocks to knock down pegs on the other side of the glade. If he could position himself properly, this giant barrel may just have the same effect, but on a much more devastating scale.

Adryn shouts to the crew, "Stand back from the railing!", as he rushes over to the barrel near the railing and begins to line up a shot, praying that the shear weight of the barrel would be enough to crush and/or knock many of their assailants back into the water, before this fight became an all out melee.

OOC: Ahhh, such fond memories of Donkey Kong come rushing back :)

Dathnaea releases two more arrows.  One glances off of the shoulder of a thistling, not penetrating.  The thistling manages to hang on and resumes its climbing.  The second arrow punches through a chest and the thistling rocks back into the ocean several feet below.

   Aethen quickly flashes through what he had at his disposal.  Selecting one that would serve more than one purpose, he focuses on his hand while speaking the words to bring it forth.  Finishing, and holding his arm up so as not to harm anyone nearby, a blade of pure flame appears.

   Since the fight had not broken out onto the deck, Aethen moves to the port side railing and throws in with the men there.  It is then that he sees men with scratches and more severe wounds, leaving a mess of blood mixed with the entrails of the creatures.  Considering that thistlings were more likely driven by smell than sight, Aethen began to worry that the blood of the crew would only antagonize the creatures into a frenzy, akin to that of a shark.

   Thinking of the best way to fix the problem, since the use of a spell would be too much for so minor a problem, Aethen takes men back one at a time to cauterize their wounds with his blade, profusely apologizing as he does it.  Alternating between this and defense, he hopes that keeping the crew's wounds from inducing fatigue.

   Not seeing a break in the constant flood of the creatures, Aethen wonders if they can create one, however brief.  Looking around for the others or the captain, Aethen yells, "Is there any way to oil the water?"

Flynn lets loose another two arrows. Each finds a thistling to bury itself into, dropping the creatures back into the quickly bloodying waters. He worries as the horde moves ever closer in on the ship. They are working quickly, but for every one they put down another three seem to fill its place.

In reply to Aethen Ironroot (msg #52):

As Adryn waits for the first wave of creatures to come over the rails, he stops to think... "What's actually inside this barrel?"

If it were oil, perthaps that would help facilitate Aethens plan.

OOC to Vertium: You wouldnt happen to have grease in memory, would you?
OOC to the GM: Being on the ship for as long as we have, would I have any idea whats actually inside this barrel I am about to hurl at these critters?

As he noticed the growing amount of enemies attacking the ship, Vertium got an idea. The side of the boat was quickly becoming wet and if he were to freeze the water, it would make it that much harder for the creatures to climb aboard. Taking that into consideration, Vertium fired Ice missiles at the feet of two of the climbing creatures, hoping that at least some of the ice would attach itself to the boat side.  Those two at least fall into the drink.

Vertium then looked around determining whether there was anything else they could use to their advantage. [Private to GM: Knowledge tactics check for 20.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:04, Thu 24 Mar 2011.

Seeing his Anthros brethren hurling barrels at the coming creatures Kahmaul smirks and rushes to aide him in sending another barrel overboard. Standing next to Adryn, "Either way these will slow them down and hopefully speed us through this rush. We should move to bear the brunt before they manage to get a solid grounding on the deck."

Seeing the flurry of activity keeping the creatures mostly at bay, "Addyir is with us! Lets beat these thistlings back and feed the bottom dwellers well this night!" He heaves a barrel with his full attention. When done he will stand 5 feet from the railing and looks to the heavens. He glows with light making a silent prayer and his gauntlets shape into his axe and shield.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:06, Thu 24 Mar 2011.

Arvil leans over the opposite side of the boat to which the ice missles were sent and casts ray of frost on side of the boat and smiles as several Thistlings (3) bounce off each other falling back into the water.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:12, Thu 24 Mar 2011.

Genovia smiles a wicked smile as the tactics of her companions begin to take a nasty toll on the thistlings.  Two more arrows send another three back into the drink.  "Well shot!" she praises her fellow archers.

Kiro sees the brilliance of his companion's moves and hears Aethen's question.  He smiles and leans over the railing.  "Shemen tsiy!"  The words of power leave his lips followed by a spray of fine, brown mist from his fingertips.  Soon the liquid is running down the side of the ship.  Any thistlings who try to clamber up through it slip and fall back into the ocean.  Soon there is strip of the Sea Mace's side that is entirely free of thistlings as they scurry around.  The overall volume able to climb up is thus reduced.

Grondor seizes on the barrel tossing immediately.  He hefts two on his shoulders and hurls them down the side of the boat with enough force to shatter them against the first thistling each hits.  The debris takes two more and slows a number of others as they dodge flying barrel bits.

Tyler remains ready to back up those in need, but can do little more than prepare himself mentally this round.  He encourages his friends with cheers as they slaughter the thistlings coming of the sides with barrels and arrows and well placed spells.  "Ever seen a fight like this, Captain Thrumhull?"

Then a thought hits him and he quickly bows his head and whispers a silent few words.  Suddenly a circle of light with a complicated pattern of geometric designs appears in the water below him and a pillar of light rises up from it.  When the light fades a sleek grey shape leaps out of the water and knocks three thistlings back into the water.

OOC: Summon Monster I - Celestial Dolphin
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:23, Thu 24 Mar 2011.

Captain Thrumhull grimaces at the loss of the barrels at first, but upon seeing their effectiveness grins fiercely.  When Aethen hollers his question about oiling the water, his grin turns to a frown.  "Don't be igniting no oil near my ship, ye land lubber!  We'll all be a roasted snack for tha' saelithist for sure!"

At Tyler's question, that captain throws back his head and laughs, shaking it from side to side in answer.

The extra crew of the Sea Mace take their cue from the adventurers and began hurling water barrels over the side to great effect.  Soon More than fifty thistlings are floating in the water and none have made the rail yet!
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:11, Thu 24 Mar 2011.

Adryn heaves a massive barrel over the side of the railing hitting the first thistling square in the chest. The force of the blow knocks it back in to the water, taking two of the thistlings crawling up behind it down as well.

Adryn shouts back toward the Megaumar, "Don't worry captain, if we survive this... I will personally replace your water supply". Adryn chuckles and tosses one more over the edge for good measure, eliminating two more attackers from the onslaught.

Flynn (22) - 20xp [Private to Flynn Darktreader: (+40rp)]
Vertium (20) - 20xp [Private to Vertium Thrusius: (+40rp) Not at the moment.  The tactics the group is coming up with are working better than I had planned for.]
Genovia (19) - 30xp [Private to Genovia Swiftfoot: (+20rp)]
Kahmaul (18) - 20xp [Private to Kahmaul Quddus: (+40rp)]
Adryn (15) - 50xp  [Private to Adryn Longmane: (+40rp)]
Tyler (15) - 30xp [Private to Tyler Darkwatch: (+40rp)]
Dathnaea (14) - 10xp [Private to Dathnaea Searii: (+40rp)]
Aethen (13) - 0xp  [Private to Aethen Ironroot: (+40rp)]
Arvil (11) - 30xp [Private to Arvil: (+40rp)]
Grondor (9) - 40xp
Kiro (7) - 60xp [Private to Kiro Latroony: (+20rp)]

Death toll
Thistlings - 81
Crew - 5 injured

Begin round 3!
Standing at the railing the crew draw their melee weapons as the thistlings reach the rail and begin to swarm over.  There are only forty people at the rail all around, but nearly double that trying to come over.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:35, Sun 27 Mar 2011.

As the thistlings climb the rail, Genovia targets those who have no crew or adventurer to prevent them from coming aboard.  Her first arrow punches through the chest of one and knocks it several feet out over the ocean before it plunges into the water.  The second shatters the head allowing the body to fall back and take the one right behind into the water with it.  "That works much better," she says with a satisfied smile.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:33, Sun 27 Mar 2011.

Tyler swings his mace crunching through the arm and torso of the nearest thistling.  Now the battle will get down to the blood and gore.  He adjusts his position a couple of steps back attempting to move slowly into a support position without leaving his back bared to the attackers.  He and Kiro have some unique abilities that might compliment each other, but his first order of business was to keep everyone else up and healthy.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:34, Sun 27 Mar 2011.

The barrel tossing was a nice distraction, but the shear numbers of thistlings had finally caught up to them. As the masses started to breach the top of the railing Adryn brandishes his new spear and charges down the railing into the incoming thistlings in an attempt to impale as many as possible.

The first strike tears through the torso of a thistling with ease and doesnt appear to break his forward momentum. Adryn charges through the first thistling, spearing a second, and finally a third. In one smooth motion, Adryn hoists the lifeless bodies of the thistlings into the air and tosses the bodies overboard into more oncoming assailants, knocking two more from the side of the ship.

Wondering to himself "Just how far will this go?" Arvil with an almost evil grin grabs hold of the closest thistling with a Shocking Grasp.  As planned, the soaking thistling has trailed water from the oceans and allows the arcing electricity to affect another too close behind it before the spell dissipates for distance.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:30, Sun 27 Mar 2011.

Looking at the number of injured sailors, Kahmaul frowns and swings down at the first coming thistling and removes the body of it from its grasping tentacles cleanly. He watches it drop slowly into the ocean as two more take its place. He calls out, "If any get seriously injured, fall back and begin to try and keep the things at bay with any weapon that can keep them out of reach. I can heal those most in need, but some of you will have to drag your friends away from these damn things if they fall, and let me heal them after we've gotten out of the thick of this horde!"

With speed the Invar executed two more swift shots, aimed to pin down a thistling making a lunch of one of the sailors, dropping the foul creature and freeing the man. He wondered what sort of creature made these things and how woeful it would be to deal with their mother.