The dragon ship leaves the port in Mesmembria with out incident. The winds are strong and after a few hours the rowers are able to rest as the sails take over and the ship sails north up the coast.

Around noon, one of the crew shouts..."I see three sails to the north." Both Thorfinn and Dobryny spot the sails as well but seem not to be worried about them. This was a fairly busy stretch of sea and there were always ships running along the coast north and south.

An hour later both the captain and his first mate begin to look nervous...the ships are closer and they have spread out as if to trap your ship. They can be seen clearly now. Definitely ships of the Rus, smaller and much faster, each look to hold about two dozen men.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:06, Mon 10 Aug 2009.

The Varangian captain addresses the crew and passengers..."It looks like we have a Rus raiding party headed our way. They no look like pirates by the look of them but either way, their ships are fast. There is no way we can out run them and they look well manned as well. I doubt we can defend against them. As much as I hate to say this, we need to either surrender of at least try and parley with them unless someone here has a better plan."

"So much you fear for your own life that you are so eager to surrender for a ghost of peril, captain? There are those here who are bound to defend and guard, by word and blood, so surrendering, for those, would not be an option. But let us not cling so much to what God can so easily take away when we have not even set eyes on the men who approach us. If they come to raid, such intent will be clear right away, if not, and you say we parlay, then parley we shall."

The Persian eyes the oncoming ships with much apprehension. He draws a small vial from his belt and drinks all of it's contents before putting the vial back in his belt empty.

He approaches the captain and says"The knight devoted to Jesu the prophet of Mohammed speaks well. You were hired to get me to Peryaslavets safely, do not think you can hand over your cargo so easily!"

A'kos stares aft with a thoughtful frown.

"They are Rus?" he asks aloud, to no one in particular.  "Where are the Rus in our party then, to speak with these pursuers?  If we are to parlay, it might make sense for our negotiator to be one who speaks clearly the language.  With such they may listen to reason."

Turning then, with a grin he remarks, "And if no, then we shall make the cost of their victory very high!"

Miroslav steps forward from his spot on the bench and shades his eyes as he looks at the ships in the mid day son..."They fly Sviatoslav's banner. I doubt they will take us as pirates or as raiders. Sviatoslav does not condone such behavior from his men. Perhasp there is another reason they close on us?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:34, Tue 11 Aug 2009.

All of this conversation was for those of more consequence than he, so Loukas remained at his oar, pulling the chest with his possessions out from under the bench ready to dawn his armor and blade if that is required.

As the ships get closer Miroslav can get a better look at those on board. Something is not right but he can't place his finger on it but one thing is for sure. These men mean to do some harm. To the crew and passengers he calls out..."Best that we arm ourselves. I do not understand what the meaning behind this all is but I have a bad feeling and from the looks of those onboard the Rus ships, they mean to do us harm."

When he is finished talking he goes to his sea chest and pulls out a mail shirt and shrugs it on over his shoulders and dons his iron helm. From under his bench comes his battle worn single edged axe.

The crew of the ship scramble seemingly ok with taking orders from Miroslav rather than Thorfinn. Even Dobryny and Thorfinn seem to take Miroslav's words as orders as they prepare for battle.

When the ships are near 50 yards away everyone can get a good look at what they face. Each ship has 20 men on board, all fighting men by their arms and armor. Sword and axe with chain shirts and iron helms. Not a missile weapon to be seen. Two men on each ship stand ready with boarding hooks attached to long hemp ropes. Their intentions are clear.

Jean comes out, finally finished with donning his armor and equipment.  He calmly awaited the trouble, quite pleased that no missile weapons were apparent.  The knight waited for the boarding hooks, ready to cut any ropes near him.

He actally imagined for a moment retrieving his horse.  Wouldn't that be a sight!  A mounted knight fighting aboard ship!

Having donned his studded leather armor and drawn his long sword, Loukas readies his small shield he looks around to see how things are coming together aboard this vessel, while watching the maneuvers of the approaching ships. Assuming their attackers do have bows he attempts to position himself so that he'll have protection from incoming flurries (i.e., a place where there is ships furniture, chests, etc. to protect his body whilst he uses his shield to protect his head) and be able to meet oncoming Rus.

As he does so he can not help but think, I wonder how cold the sea is today?

Thorfinn looks to the shore a wee bit more than 100 yards to the west...the Rus are closing faster than the dragon ship is able to go but He orders Dobryny to bring the ship around and head towards shore. He shouts to the crew and passengers..."Just because they use no bows, does not mean we will not! We need all rowers to the oars and all who have ranged weapons who are not rowing to let Hell rain down ont eh Rus as we try to make shore. We have no chance here but in the shallows and shore we might be able to pick them off as they follow!"

OK this is our first combat situation. I will let you guys do your rolling. All I ask is you let me know what you are rolling for and that you give me what AC your attack will hit. I have decied to use the Weapon Specialization rules from the first Ed for fighters only so there will be extra attacks come melee time for some of you. I also use the ROF on bows and such so most likely those armed with bows will get to make 2 attacks per rd.

Roderychus will arm himself and look for the best position to meet the raiders.

While he was looking for a good place to position himself, Loukas hears Thorfinn's orders and remembers that despite everything else, he's an oarsman. Accordingly he quickly hustles back to his oar, places his shield and drawn sword under his bench, but within easy grasp, and heaves to. Once the order comes or the raider's boots touch this ship he'll re-arm himself and defend the ship.

Jean launched two arrows at the approaching ship.

Jean rolled 7,12 using d20,d20. two arrows, to hit.
Jean rolled 3 using 1d6. damage, if 2nd hit.

A'kos retrieves his shield and spear from his horse, and arms himself accordingly.  His sword he leaves sheathed; he will draw once the others draw near and after he heaves his spear.

Storm's wind he untether's from the aft rail.  Should they draw close to the shore he will seek to escape the ship as swiftly as he may upon his steed's back.

He whispers, "Stay," to the beast, and pats him on the neck.

Turning he looks to Jaleh and flashes his grin.

"My life complete, I find today a worthy day to see if the gods truly do exist!"

Turning back to their pursuers, he studies the oncoming foe.

OOC: Let me know when the bad guys are close enough for me to give the spear the ol' heave ho.

Getting herself ready for the fight, Jaleh grabbed her bow and arrows then began to scale the rigging to get altitude. So focused was she that Jaleh nearly missed the grin from A'kos, but at the last moment she stopped and smiled at him before continuing her climb. Once she was high in the rigging, she readied the bow for firing and nocked an arrow. She then began sighting for targets on the other ship, particularly figures that stood out, like a captain or mate giving orders. Someone important to morale would make a good target too, she reasoned, like a standard bearer or drummer.

His grin fades as the haze of coming battle begins to descend.  Within his heart comes the icy rage he knows as blood lust, and he grips the spear with preternatural calm.  He begins to sight the distance between himself and the foe, and he lifts the spear and makes ready to cast.

"Lady Wind guide my spear to the heart of our ignoble enemies," he murmurs to the sky.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:57, Fri 14 Aug 2009.

Sorry I've been MIA for so long!

Balthazar responds to Thorfinn, "I speak Rus, and if I can parley with the leader himself within 120 yards, I can use certain practices I have mastered to alter his attitude to be friendly toward me.  Then hopefully I can persuade him to call off this attack."

"That certainly seems preferable to a glorious death upon the high seas..." notes A'kos grimly.

Sir Jean's arrow finds a home in the face of a crewmen on the middle ship. He falls backwards clutching the bleeding shaft protruding from his head. He is probably not going to die from the wound but also probably not in the mood for any combat either.

Thorfinn nods at Balthazar in agreement with his plan as the closest Rus dragon ship hit's the 120 yard mark. He says..."Work your magic on them."

All ships still speed towards the shore.

It was militarily satisfactory to see one of his arrows sink home, and he launched another pair at the enemy ship, hoping to further soften up the enemy.

Jean rolled 15,17 using d20,d20. two arrows, to hit
Jean rolled 3,4 using d6,d6. arrow damages.

Can Balthazar identify who the leader might be on that ship?

"Hey Jean, try not to shoot the leader, okay?"

As the ships get closer it seems that there is no way to pick out a leader by dress. All men on board wear studded leather armor and are armed with either an axe or sword. Their uniforms seem a bit too uniform to fit what you have heard of the Rus and the armor all looks new.

Armin reaches into a pouch on his belt and produces a small leaf and a few other items too small to make out and walks to the back of the dragon ship and throws the items in the air, in the general direction of the ship on the right. While doing so he mumbles in a language none here speak.

I see.  Balthazar urges his comrades, "If we stop shooting and surrender, the leader may show himself, then I'll have my chance.  Unless of course whatever Armin just did has a more meaningful effect anyway."

Balthazar scrummages around for a white flag to wave.

"I will not adopt such coward tactics, Balthazar. In any event, we have already opened fire against them, so I doubt they will tarry with introductions once they close on our ship."

A'kos grimaces in disgust at Balthazar.

"I agree with the chevalier," he nods toward Roderychus.

From her position up in the rigging, Jaleh drew back her bow and sighted her terget, she then let the shaft fly at the opposing ship aiming at the pilot or person stearing the vessel. Unfortunately, she was just a little off and the arrow suck in the wood a few inches off the target.

Both of Sir Jean's arrows strike the same target on the middle ship, droppingt he man almost instantly. Jaleh does not have as much luck as both of her arrows miss their marks (rate of fire is 2 per round so I rolled for a second attack for her but still missed)Miroslav had slightly better luck hitting and wounding one of the men on the middle ship with his bow.

The objects thrown into the air by Armin float in the air for a second then begin to swirl around each other until they become a blur that releases a large greenish cloud. The ship on the right is forced to pass right into the green cloud and slows down immediately as the entire crew begin vomiting over the rails.

The two other Rus ships are now closing and are within 75 feet of the Dragon ship of Thorfinn. There has been no attempt at communication from them yet...they seem hell bent on catching the ship.

The shore is also getting closer and with any luck you might just reach the shore as the Rus ship closes. Luckily the shore looks to be a sandy beach that the ship can easily land on without damaging it.

"Coward tactics?" Balthazar's jaw drops open.  "Ah, I bet what you two lack are simple math skills.  There are 3 ships coming at us.  Never start a fight you can't win.  But since you already have, it is a moot point."
Balthazar takes cover and continues to scan for somebody who might be a leader.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:26, Fri 21 Aug 2009.

While everyone on the three ships looks to be armed and equipped the same there does seem to be one particular man on the middle ship that seems to be giving some sort of silent commands with his hands as the ships draw nearer.

Jean put away his bow.  "I suppose then, that you have never seen a Frank fight?"

The knight went to the back of the ship where the horses had been stationed.  He prepared his mount for combat.  When all of its gear was ready, he mounted his warhorse.

Loukas rowed prepared to grab his sword and shield when ordered to do so. As he worked he couldn't help but note the Frank attempting to mount his horse. To Miroslav, he shouts, "Do you see that? That fool is attempting to fight on horseback! He'll kill more of us than them!"

Sweet. Balthazar waits for an opportunity to put his spell to good use.

Oh, and he also says to Armin, "A powerful spell, that.  However, you've only succeeded in knocking those sailors out for but a short while, and we can't make a getaway yet anyhow.  Next time I suggest you save it for a better opportunity."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:11, Fri 21 Aug 2009.

Armin gives Balthazar a slight bow ands says "I only work to buy us some time so we do not have to face three ships at sea. I agree we will have a better chance to defend on land."

He then looks warily at the Frankish knight atop his steed. He shouts "When we hit the beach, both you and your horse will go flying, wiping out all of us in the way. Please get down and urge your mount to lie on the deck...all of you with mounts must do the same!"

He then rushes over to where his Arabian stands and coaxed the beast to lie on the deck to brace for the impact that must be coming.

A'kos grunts.  Armin's words make sense as he looks fore and notes their swift approach to the shore.  With a frown he thrusts his spear through the straps of his packs, then grabs Storm Wind's harness and gently pulls his head toward him.

"Down Storm," he whispers, "lay down on the deck, there's a mighty stallion."

Jaleh patiently waited on the other boat to close a little, and while it did she drew back and aimed for the pilot again. She fared little better than before. Neither of her shots hit, though her first one came dangerously close.

Jaleh rolled 15 then 12 using 1d20 for arrow shots at pilot.

"Little woman," shouted the Falcon, "You've worse aim than a dwarf!"

His teeth glint white in the sun up at Jaleh where she perches.

"Oh! Shut it! I near put one in his gullet!" Jaleh called back at A'kos, sticking her tongue out at him as she finished.

A'kos roars his laughter as he turns his attention to the oncoming ships.  His turn would come soon enough; he hoped to give a fair showing of himself.  Growing impatient with the wait he sets aside the spear and strings his long bow, loosing 2 arrows in quick succession.  The first he fires too hastily, and it sails into the rigging, but the second finds the mark of some unfortunate on the deck.

You rolled ((4,19)).
This message was last edited by the player at 15:17, Sun 23 Aug 2009.

"You see, Jaleh!  That is how to find a mark!" he calls with delight as he sees one of his arrows fly true.

11:18, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 4 using 1d6. Damage.

The Persian grabs his scimitar from his pack and readies himself for any boarding action that might be happening soon.

Upon being alerted to the situation by Loukas, Miroslav shouts at the Frankish knight..."Take heed of the Persians words, they will save both you and your horse!" He then lets fly two arrows at the middle ship.

The ship hit by the stinking cloud is dead in the water with only the current and what little forward momentum it had propelling it.

The other two ships are both closing in however and are only about 40 feet away right now.

Jalah lets loose two arrows as do A'kos and Miroslav. A'kos manages to wound one sailor on the middle ship and Miroslav finishes the man off with his one good hit.
At first it looked as though Jaleh missed with both arrows but as it turns out she did indeed hit with one of them as one of the Rus rowers stands from his bench with an arrow protruding from his right thigh. (Last round was at med distance so her one shot was able to score...next round no penalties for range.)

The middle ship has been slowed somewhat by injury and loss of crew members, the right ship is almost stopped but the left one is very quickly gaining at 40 feet. The shore is at 50 or 60 feet.

Thorfinn shouts orders tot he crew to get rowing and it seems to work, mostly out of fear most likely. The ship begins to make a little headway towards the shore. As it stands now the ship and Rus ship on the left will reach shore at roughly the same time.

A'kos let's fly at the left ship now, and scores 2 more hits, one critical (nat 20):

12:59, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 6 using 1d6.
12:59, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 1 using 1d6.
12:59, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 22 using 1d20+2.
12:59, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 20 using 1d20+2.

OOC: Do you count Natural 20 as a critical hit?

"HA!" he shouts with joy.  "Another goes down under a withering barrage!"

Yes 20 is a critical hit.

Jean rode his horse to mid-deck.  He then instructed one of the hands, "Lower the gangplank as soon as we reach shore!"

As the meeting with the enemy draws near, Roderychus will pay attention to the strategy Thorfinn will adopt to meet the opponents, and will give any help he can on the positioning of the men.

OOC: How many more arrows can I loose before we're engaged?

[I was sort of waiting for a few more posts before moving on but here we go any way :)]

A'kos kills one of the Rus outright and wounds another on the left ship. Miroslav manages to finish off the Rus the A'kos has wounded.

Sir Jean notices that none of the crewmen seem to have paid any attention to his request for a gangplank and for the most part look to be clearing away from the area in front of the Frankish knight and his mount...as best as they can while still rowing.

Thorfinn yells for all to brace themselves and the crew that were rowing clear the area in front of the mounted knight. and hold onto their benches bracing for impact.

The ship to the left and the middle ship both slow way down to avoid beaching themselves so it looks like after a hard landing the passengers and crew of Thorfinn's ship will be able to better defend them selves on the beach.

There is time for one more missile attack but it is clear that the ship is going to hit hard and bracing yourselves is the only way to avoid injury and or death.

Balthazar is braced for impact!  By this point, he's got his gear - his spellbook especially - and is ready for a mad dash onto land.

A'kos kneels next to Storm's Wind and grasps the war horse's neck, holding tightly.

"Calm, Storm, calm..." he whispers as he waits for the impact.

The knight holds the nearest ship structure, trying to remain firm until the ship has stopped.

Armin gently slides under one of the benches and holds on for dear life praying to Allah, all the demons in the Nine Hells and a few heretical ancestral spirits with hope that he may once again touch solid ground.

Jean turned his horse around to face the aft of the ship.  Looking over his shoulder to time it well, he spurred his horse to the rear and in order to have it jump out of the ship just as it was going to collide into the beach.

If all went well, he directed his mount to ride up to the beach itself.

There was little Loukas could do but throw himself bodily into the rowing and await Thorfinn's orders. The mounted Frank, a frightening concept on land and a truly terrifying one aboard a galley, was something of a distraction, but he did his best to pay attention to Thorfinn's commands rather than be distracted.

The prow of the dragon ship slams hard into the wet sand at a little more than 8 miles per hour...not horrifically fast but it is a dead stop and anything not latched down is thrown forward.

Jean attempts to leap his mount off the back of the ship into the surf just as the ship hits the shore...and almost makes it. His mount back right leg catches on the rail as it goes over sending both rider and horse headfirst into the shallow water. Jean is uninjured but his horse has been injured in the rear right leg.

The two Rus ships are about 15 feet out and the Rus are pouring over the sides but the water is a little over waist deep so they are moving rather slow.

Thorfinn shouts to all on board..."Those with mounts get them off and harry the Rus on the shore and the rest of you fight from the height of the deck...use our ship as if it were a rampart." He then motions to several of the crew and they set up a quick ramp of planks to the beach for the mounted.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:05, Thu 27 Aug 2009.

Loukas jumps up at Thorfinn's signal and begins building the ramp with his crewmates. Once that's done he runs back to his bench, grabs his shield and moves to the ship cum ramparts to defend against the incoming Rus.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:40, Tue 01 Sept 2009.

As the ship settles upon the shore, A'kos swiftly rises and cries, "UP STORM!"

Mounting quickly, he disembarks the ship and turns turns the horse hard at the shoreline.  Grabbing a spear from among his packs he lofts the missile at the lead advance of the enemy ranks.

19:55, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 7 using 1d6+1.
19:55, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 18 using 1d20+1. To hit - spear throw.

With a wordless cry of triumph he turns the horse hard to look at Jean.

"Fool of a Frank, that was no way to treat a horse!" he yells loudly to the jackass floundering in the surf.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:19, Fri 28 Aug 2009.

Regaining equilibrium and his mount under him, Jean hoped the bouyancy of the water would relieve pressue on his horse.  He was already among the enemy on the left who where just jumping into the water, so he attempted to slay one with his lance.

He heard the peasant's cry from near the shoreline, but paid the backwater pagan no heed.

Jean rolled 18 using 1d20+2. to hit.
Jean rolled 8 using 2d4+5. damage.

Jean rolled 13 using 1d20. horse's bite.  (Hit AC3)
Jean rolled 3 using 1d3. damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:56, Fri 28 Aug 2009.

The Persian gets mounted on his well trained Arabian and finds himself on the beach wielding his scimitar in under a minute waiting for the Rus to come ashore.

In reply to Nestor (msg #58):

Roderychus will fetch his horse and move out of the ship, trying to remain close to the persian and fighting any enemy that approaches him.

A'kos manuevers near the Persian and waits, admiring Armin's horse as much as he's come to detest the fool in the water that is manhandling his beast.  He glances up suddenly to try to catch a glimpse of Jaleh where he saw her last in the rigging.

The Rus race towards the shore...at least as fast as a man can race in waist deep water. They ignore Jean and his mount and the ship and seem bent on hitting the beach.

Jean is able to skewer one on his lance just a second before A'kos kills another with a thrown spear. Jaleh misses with both her bow shots while Miroslav is able to knock another one down. A number of the Varangian on board Thorfinn's ship also manage to drop a few of the Rus raiders with bows and other missile weapons. There are still many many warriors to contend with though and the third ship is once again on the move and will join the party within a few minutes.

The Rus make it to shore this round but do not have time to do anything else this round.

Noting the approach of Roderychus from the other side, A'kos flanks Armin and draws his sword, awaiting the foe.

"This should prove most interesting, friends," he chuckles, though his glance betrays a hint of anxiety as he looks up into the rigging of their now beached craft at Jaleh.

It was easily understood why the pagan Magyar couldn't comprehend the sense in Jean's actions.  The pagan didn't understand the power of the Lord God.  As Jean directed his faithful mount to continue following the Rus and attacking, Jean allowed the power of the Lord God to flow through him and heal his horse.

Jean rolled 1,18,18 using d20,d20,d20. to hit, hoof/hoof/bite.
(missing, and two hitting AC -2)
Jean rolled 3 using 1d8. hoof damage.
Jean rolled 3 using 1d3. bite damage

Roderychus will try to block the enemies from reaching the persian, and unleashing the wrath of God on those infidels.

Can Balthazar make out the leader he identified earlier?  If not, he'll look for a good spot to target his sleep spell.  I take it we aren't doing battle maps in this game?  I'll have to leave the targeting up to the DM's judgement, but putting enemies to sleep who can then be slain is probably the best way to go.

If he does make out the leader, he'll cast charm person on him (if he's within range), and make sure the leader can see him.

Balthazar can indeed make out the leader but at this point it no longer really looks as though he is leading. The Rus are heading to shore with a passion as if there were perhaps gold bullion stored there.

I would normally do a battle map but we are dealing with around 100 bodies, that is just too much for me:)

"Jaleh, get down from there, dammit!" shouts A'kos as he prepares for battle.

To Armin he says, "I hope you have some tricks up your sleeve, friend Armin...I think we'll need them."

To the Rus, Roderychus he nods, "See you on the other side...perhaps!"

Jean and his mount trample tear apart a Rus warrior in the surf while Miroslav and some of the Varangians manage to off three more with their bows. Jaleh also manages to wound another of the raiders.

Both Balthazar and Armin have the same idea and with a flourish of their arms and an incantation they both send a total of 18 of the Rus to sleep, 10 of these are still in the water and drown almost immediately.

Even with the losses the Rus swarm the beach and once again seem to ignore all but getting to the Persian. Despite the best efforts of A'kos and Roderychus 3 of the Rus manage to get close enough to Armin to wound him bad enough to make him panic slightly.

Two of the Rus attack A'kos just because he stands in their way, one scoring a hit with his sword.
A few of them attack the Byzantine Paladin as well but fail to hit him.

Roderychus manages to strike down one of the Rus who is attacking him...as does A'kos

Armin and A'kos are both injured, Armin much worse than the Magyar. There are plenty of Rus as now the third ship is unloading in the surf. All seem hell bent on reach the shore and Armin...Armin, A'kos and Roderychus are quickly surrounded.

Realizing that despite Thorfinn's concern the Rus clearly aren't concerned about the ship, Loukas jumps onto the shore and makes his way to where Armin and the two warriors stand. He hopes that in their focus the Rus will not expect his flanking attack and it might reduce the pressure on the Persian.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:27, Thu 03 Sept 2009.

Jean continued to stay with the enemy, attacking them in the surf, or following them onto the beach if needed.  He used his mount to defeat the raiders as well.  This time, though, he decided to use his longsword.

He yelled at the pirates, "Suffer for your wickedness!  Hell has it's doors waiting for your souls!"

Jean rolled 8 using 1d20+4. to hit, longsword.  (ac10)
Jean rolled 8 using 1d8+6. damage, longsword (if hit).

Jean rolled 9,7,18 using d20,d20,d20. to hit, hoof/hoof/bite. (ac's: 7, 9, -2)
Jean rolled 7,3,3 using d8,d8,d3. damages for horse (if hit).

Roderychus wiltry to trample the enemies surrounding them, falling back to a defensive position in front of the persian afterwards.

If we'll be using warhorse attacks for this, here are the rolls:

00:38, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 2 using 1d3. bite damage.
00:38, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 5 using 1d8. hoof damage.
00:37, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 20 using 1d20. warhorse attack.
00:37, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 19 using 1d20. warhorse attack.
00:37, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 5 using 1d20. warhorse attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:40, Fri 04 Sept 2009.

Miroslav drops his bow and picks up his axe and quickly jumps over the rail behind Loukas and calls to the crew over the din of battle..."To the beach! These cannot be Rus they fight like women but by Perun's axe, a whole lot of women!"

Growling in annoyance that a blade evaded his defenses, A'kos strikes out at the offending Rus and his neighbor, scoring hits on each.

19:44, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 6 using 1d8+5 with rolls of 1.
19:44, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 7 using 1d8+5 with rolls of 2.
19:44, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 22 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 17.
19:44, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 18 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 13. duh...sry - to hit.

Armin wheels around his Arabian and brings his scimitar into play, the curved blade slashing at the lightly armored Rus warriors around him.
11:01, Today: Armin The Persian rolled 9 using 1d8+3.
11:01, Today: Armin The Persian rolled 14 using 1d20+3. attack Rus.

Balthazar needs a bodyguard.  He picks out the toughest Rus he can see and casts charm person on him, then gets his attention to come over and help him out.

Loukas, Miroslav and 6 of the Varangians hit the beach and the rear of the attacking Rus. Loukas is unable to capitalize on this opportunity but Miroslav and two of the Varangians each kill a Rus and a third Varangian wounds another.

Jaleh and some of the Varangians let arrows fly at the ranks of Rus marauders. Jaleh manages to hit once and miss once, the Rus she hits is finished off by one of the Varangian archers. The Varangians also manage to kill another.

Jean and his mount go on a rampage on the shoreline with Jean killing one Rus with his longs word and his horse making short work of another.

Roderychus and his mount also make short work of a marauding Rus, the man is decimated before he even knows what hits him.

A'kos cuts down two of the marauders with his blade. Both he and his mount are covered in the blood of their foemen.

Even Armin manages to cleave through the skull of one of his attackers with his scimitar.

A particularly large Rus approaches Balthazar and hovers near him weapon in hand. He is able to defend the mage against two attacks by his fellow party. Both the Rus look at the Charmed man with surprise but say nothing.

Even though the Rus seem to have a beam on Armin they do not take well with being attacked from behind and both Miroslav and Loukas have to defend themselves and they do so successfully. Two of the Varangians that jumped off the ship with them were not so lucky and go down under the Rus blades.

Roderychus, Jean and A'kos each get attacked twice but the Rus are unable to land a clean shot. Four of the Rus manage to hit Armin and he falls off his horse onto the ground. The Rus near the area swarm the body on the ground.

Oddly during this whole time none of you have heard any of the Rus speak...also they do not seem to be very efficient warriors but what they lack in skill is made up for in shear numbers.

The Rus were focused upon the Armin and Loukas intended to fight his way through them to where he, A'kos, and Roderychus were. He felt his blood rise as he pounded across the beach and came into sword range of his first opponent. Although the Rus were oddly quiet, the Vangarians weren't and the din of the battle combined with the crashing of the waves were still significant enough that the warrior did not note his approach. It seemed as if Loukas would be able to cut him down and move quickly on to the next one. Nevertheless things did not work out so well for as the Greek sailor swung his spathion he tripped over an unseen clump of seaweed that had washed ashore. He managed to keep his feet, but rather than cut deep into the Rus his shoulder was jarred as he buried his blade into the sand.

In frustration he yanked it out, but his target had moved further along with the tide of battle, so Loukas quickly identified another, hefted his shield and heard his uncle's chiding voice ringing in his ears as he attacked, If your feet aren't working with your hands, boy, your head's not likely stay long on your shoulders!
This message was last edited by the player at 16:30, Wed 09 Sept 2009.

Roderychus will turn his horse to where the rus are swarming over the persian, and will try to press them on with his horse, making them clear enough space so he can reach Armin.

OOC: I've made some really crappy rolls this time.
14:50, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 12 using 1d20. horse attack.
14:50, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 6 using 1d20. horse attack.
14:50, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 3 using 1d20. horse attack.

Noting all the nifty horsemanship, A'kos charges Storm's Wind into the fray, driving his tempermantal beast in the direction of the fallen Persian.

"Go Wind!" he cries, and the beast attacks the foes before him.

16:43, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 2 using 1d3.
16:43, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 1 using 1d6.
16:43, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 2 using 1d6.
16:42, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 2 using 1d20. Storm's Wind To hit #3.
16:42, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 12 using 1d20. Storm's Wind to hit #2.
16:42, Today: A'kos, the Falcon rolled 20 using 1d20. Storm's Wind - To hit.

OOC: A critical hit, a possible hit, and I'm pretty certain a 2 misses...

While Jean continued to attack, he offered to the foes near him, "If any of you lay down your weapons and surrender, your life will be spared!"

Jean rolled 6 using 1d20+4. to hit, Jean first.
Jean rolled 11 using 1d20+4. to hit, Jean second.
Jean rolled 14 using 1d8+6. damage, in case hit.

Jean rolled 19,11,20 using d20,d20,d20. to hit, horse. (hit ac: -3, 5, -4)
Jean rolled 1,5,1 using d8,d8,d3. damages, horse.

Are nat 20's critical?

Natural 20's are indeed critical!

Jean what language were you speaking to the Rus in?

OOC: Confused by the sitation, he will try in German first.

Alexander the aide of Armin has stayed on the ship up to this point. When he sees Armin go down in the crowd of Rus he leaps off the ship and rushes into the fray. He does not seem all too intent on finding his employer though.

Poor Armin!

Balthazar hides behind his bodyguard and turns invisible.  He will then attempt to make his way to Armin and see what can be done in turns of rescue.

Foregoing a swing of his sword, A'kos continues forward toward fallen Armin.

OOC: Once there he will dismount, slap Wind on the ass and lay about the Rus with his sword.

Loukas finds himself in the thick of the melee and this time he swings hard with a double shot in mind. The first swing is so hard and on target that one of the marauders drops instantly spraying brain matter all over his chest. The man drops so fast that his second shot just hit nothing but air.

Roderychus works his way towards the fallen Persian but is unable to break through the frantic mass of Rus warriors. His mount does happen to grab a hold of one of the Rus with his teeth and deliver a nasty but non-lethal bite.

A'kos and Storm's Wind rip into the mound of Rus right after Roderychus and also have little success in breaking through...these men seem obsessed with getting at the Persian. One of the Rus fall beneath the ferocious attack of Storm's Wind guided by the expert horsemanship of A'kos.

Two of the Rus fall to Jean and his mount trampled, bitten and skewered by the knight and his mount. He finds that speaking in German is wasted on this crowd...they obvious do not understand him or perhaps they do not care...but most likely they just don't grasp what he is saying due to language.

Being on foot and invisible, Balthazar is able to squeeze through the press of bodies to get a look at Armin on the ground.

Jaleh misses with her two bow shots as do most of the other Varangians onboard the ship, one manages to injure a Rus. Likewise only one of the Varangians on shore manages to injure a Rus other than Miroslav who slays one outright with his axe.

As Loukas admires his own work, Alexander quietly sneaks up behind him and plunges his dagger into the young mans back as he says something in his ear.

The Rus having dealt with the Persian begin to head back to their ships...not really a retreat but they are heading back and are actively attacking as they go.

Two of the Rus attack Loukas who still has the knife in his back but both are unable to hit even this injured man.

Miroslav and the two remaining Varangians who were with him and Loukas are attacked by a mass heading for the ships, Miroslav and one of his mates ward off all the attacks to them but one of the crewmen fall when a Rus axe cleaves his skull.

Both A'kos and Roderychus manage to avoid being hit but being in the path to the ships leaves Jean open for more attacks but his armor and skill protect him well. Only a single blow form a Rus axe lands on his left arm.

As the Rus flee back to their ships you note that they seem to be trying to get to the left ship and the one in the middle. Most likely abandoning the ship tot he right. Bodies of fallen Rus are strewn all over the beach as if tossed there by some enormous bored child.

Miroslav watches in disgust at the Rus run past him to the ships..."These are no Rus...these men fight like frightened peasants!"

As the warrior falls Loukas looks up to identify his next target all the while thinking that he needs to get to wherever the Persian is on the beach. Taking a breath he begins to move into the fray when he feels a sharp pain and hears Alexander's voice in his ear... Then the other two Rus attack him in addition the ferocious anger he feels overcomes any fear he probably should know. Pushing the words out of his mind he spins away from Alexander's attack he faces the man, "I would like to hope that your skills with a pen are better 'scribe', than they are with the knife!"

Without speaking another word he attacks.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:33, Mon 14 Sept 2009.

As Jean being in the water remained between the beach and the ship on the left, the pirates were trying to get by him one more time.  He returned the favor by attempting to stop a few.  At the rest, he yelled in Latin, "Surrender and your lives will be spared!"

OOC: To those that do not surrender:

Jean rolled 11 using 1d20+4. sword, to hit. (ac7)
Jean rolled 12 using 1d8+6. sword damage.

Jean rolled 19,10,18 using d20,d20,d20. horse to hit. (ac's -3, 6, -2)
Jean rolled 1,2,3 using d8,d8,d3. damages, hoof/hoof/bite.

The invisible Balthazar attempts to cause some chaos among the enemy ranks.  In their midst, he says loudly in Greek, "The head, the head of the Persian is lost!  Stay and find it!"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:20, Mon 14 Sept 2009.

A'kos watches the Rus retreat with mild disgust, disappointed that he was just warming up when they decided to leave.  Dismounting, he found one of their dead, and wiped his blade clean.  Swiftly he checks over Storm's Wind's legs, expertly eying the mount for any injuries before turning to look about and find the Persian Armin had been riding.

Briefly he notes the lad from the ship fighting Alexander, unsure of the intent of either.  Disregarding it as politics, he grab's Wind's reins and makes his way to the Persian.

The paladin spins his horse around, assessing the messy state of the shoreline. He spurs the stallion towards the rus that are retreating from the place Armin fell, trampling them and stryking with his sword.

01:27, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 11 using 1d20+4. Roderychus sword attack.
01:31, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 7 using 2d4+4. bastard sword damage.
01:34, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 11,5,7 using d20,d20,d20. warhorse attack.
01:36, Today: Roderychus Venturos rolled 4,3,3 using d8,d8,d3. hoof/hoof/bite.

OOC: lame rolls, bah...

The flat of Loukas's blade smacks into the side of Alexanders head nearly dropping the unarmored man. His dagger falls from his hand as he staggers back and into Miroslav who grabs him and slams him to the ground knocking the wind out of him.

The Rus that are passing Jean do not respond to his command in Latin either as he and his horse make short work of two of their number. They do not even seem interested in attacking in defense anymore, they are just trying to get on the ships.

Roderychus hits the fleeing Rus marauders from behind, cleaving through the helm and skull of one man while his horse strikes with his hoof and wounds another.

As A'kos approaches the pile of bodies he can clearly see that Armin's headless corpse lays amongst them, the fine Arabian mare approaches him and nudges under his hand like a dog forcing a pet.

When Balthazar calls out in Greek...the nearby Rus freeze for a moment in panic but then the head is spotted held high on the tip of a sword nears the frothing shore causing the Rus to again make their way onto the two ships.

As it stands now, unless the characters are going to chase after the Rus the battle is over and most are boarding the two ships leaving the third to sit empty. The beach itself is red with the blood of both Rus, character and Varangian but mostly the Rus. Three of Thorfinn's crew are dead and several of the characters are wounded though none severely.

The Rus on the other hand did not fair so well. 46 dead bodies line the beach, the warriors on their horses took a heavy heavy toll on the relatively unskilled marauders. 8 wounded men were left behind and 8 still sleep under the effects of the spells of Armin and Balthazar. The lone standing Rus is still under the charm of the Hedonite. Alexander lays on the ground clutching his head where Loukas caught him with the flat of his sword.

The splat of the flat of his sword against Alexander's skull was extraordinarily satisfying, but he did not hesitate and savor the moment. Rather, as Miroslav throws the would-be murderer to the ground, Loukas took advantage and quickly moved forward, placing his boot on the man's neck and holding his sword ready to strike, and speaking in Persian, "Well, Scribe, let us review your work... Is my uncle in hell or were you using a bit of dramatic verse to make my 'passing' more vivid? While you are at it, explain what the hell has happened here."

And before Alexander has a chance to reply he puts a bit of extra weight on his foot, pressing down on his neck, "And DO IT QUICKLY if you do not want to visit hell yourself THIS day!!!"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:06, Tue 15 Sept 2009.

Oh he stuck around?  Good.  Balthazar voluntarily ends his spell and approaches the man, speaking in Greek.  "So what was this all about?  Why kill Armin the Persian and take his head?  Why do you look Rus but speak Greek?  And how did you know Armin was on our ship?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:59, Wed 16 Sept 2009.

In reply to Loukas Ouranus (msg #97):

The scribe does his best to squirm out from under the foot on his neck but fails...Your uncle is indeed dead, by my own hand, by the order of the Logothetes tou Dromou, Nicephorus. Your uncle plotted against the Basilius and was a traitor and he sent you here on a traitors mission! As for the Persian...his death was important in that it would spoil the growing alliance between the Persians and the Rus. That heathen bastard Sviatoslav has become more than a thorn int he paw of the Basilius. So now you know all that I know...kill me and get it over with!"

In reply to Balthazar the Hedonite (msg #98):

The man drops his sword and falls to his knees clasping his hands together..."Please I know little of whay we do this. My name is Michael, I am but a simple farmer from Ithaca. Up until a week ago I was in a debtors prison in Byzantium. Most of us were from there...a few spoke of having family members held captive. We were given armor and weapons and told we could win our freedom plus 500 gold if we survived. The one who took the head would get an extra 500 gold. I do not know why we must kill the Persian nor do I know who made us do this. I can only guess that it was some high official. Please spare me!"

As the Marauders leave the area, Dobryny and Thorfinn secure the dragon ship left behind as well as deal with the three dead Varangians. Dobryny and Thorfinn can be seen arguing with each other. The Slav throws his hands in the air giving a clear indication that he has given up and let Thorfinn have his way...whatever the argument is about.

In reply to Alexander (msg #99):

Alexander's words rang through Loukas's head. He had never considered himself naive, but with the realization of the depth of the treachery that the murderer described... He glanced at Miroslav to see if the big Rus heard and understood. The hand holding his long sword itched and it took all of his will to resist using it. But just in case he pressed down once more on Alexander's neck to remind him of his plight and said, this time in Greek, in a voice loud, but tinged with a deadly chill, "You say that this entire attack was staged by the order of the Logothetes tou Dromou? That he never intended for the Persian to arrive in the lands of the Rus alive? That everyone aboard our ship was hired as pawns to die this day in  in the Basilius's service in an attack he had actually planned?"

"Such treachery must be unmasked. We must take those two back to Constantinople and present them to the Emperor himself."

Jean went about, ensuring all enspelled opponents were securely bound and gagged.

Hearing about some treachery, the knight looked among the fallen for any proof or evidence of such could be found.

A'kos looks at the prone bodies and considers slitting throats.  Instead he strokes the Arabian's neck and calls to Jean, "Frank, are you going to stand watch over them until help arrives?  Perhaps you could pray for them - I wish you good luck with that, fool."

Miroslav says to Loukas..."I speak Persian well enough to get the answer but thank you for switching to Greek...I think he speaks the truth. He should die either by your hand or be handed over to Sviatoslav for deeper questioning."

The Rus then looks to Roderychus and says..."Doubtless the Emperor knows of this plot...nothing is done without his knowledge. DO not forget how he gained the throne..by treachery! Against his own uncle no less! If we go back to Byzantium knowing what we know, we will be killed. Better to travel to tell Sviatoslav of this plot. We are almost in his capital now."
OOC: DOn't read to much into Miroslavs speech. I am not trying to steer the party here just present the facts and his opionion on them. If the party wishes to return to Byzantium it can very well do so. Even though he resides in the Byzantine Empire he is still a loyal Rus.

Jean can find no evidence other than the words of the charmed Ithacan farmer.

Dobryny and Thorfinn begin arguing again on the ship. One of the crewmen begins to take Armin's gear and put it on the beach.

"I think you grasp the situation well young Loukas...but there is no need to kill me as I am already dead. You have learned that the Rus were Greeks conscripted into service...once news of this reaches the Rus there will be war. I have failed just as these Greek farmers have. Armin is dead but the ploy is discovered. Why not let me flee into the mountains with these captives you hold?"

"The traitor Alexander speaks well, once Sviatoslav hears about this there will be war and the plot will have worked. We cannot know if the Emperor knows about this, but if he does not, then he is the only one who can avoid a greater incident and punish those who engendered this plan. It will be difficult returning to Constantinople now, but it is the only path to avoid war."

"What say you, murderer? Does the Basilius know of these plots or was your master acting independently?"

Alexander squirms underfoot again and says..."Of course the Basilius knows but by all means go alert him to his own deed! You will join the faux Rus for when they arrive back to the dock, they will be put to death to keep them quiet...their only reward a quick death."

He then cocks his head under Loukas foot and looks to Roderychus..."Oh yes there will be war, you are most correct but not the war the Basilius planned on!"

Loukas's young mind was flooded with emotions. A wiser, mature mind might've done otherwise, but it was quickly clear to him what his next move must be. "My uncle, whom you tell me you have killed, gifted me with this blade, which he called, Akribis Alitheia*... I wonder if he would've said after giving it that name and seeing matters as they lie today? In his name, murderer, I give you both the truth of my feelings and its sharpness." Before anything else can be said he pushes the sword with all of his enraged strength into Alexander and twists it to send the man to the hell he kept mentioning at the beginning of their 'pleasant' conversation.

OOC: *Using the internets I came up with these words as "Sharp (or "Accurate") Truth"... Since I know neither modern nor ancient Greek I may be terribly wrong in my translation of the phrase, but I'm going to pretend that is what Akribis Alitheia means and I will thank you to play along with me unless you know Greek and can find me a better translation!
This message was last edited by the player at 21:25, Thu 17 Sept 2009.

Miroslav approached Loukas and lays a hand on the shoulder of the younger man saying..."He would not have lived long enough to divulge so much information if it had been my kinsman he had slain. I thank the Gods you have more willpower than I."

The big Varangian captain leans on the rail of his ship and calls out to those on the beach..."We sail in five minutes! TO those of you who werepassengers...I am sorry but here we part company. Come aboard and get your gear. I'll have no part of this business. My ship and crew will lie low now at distant ports. I leave you with your intrigue!"

The paladin seems to have taken a hard blow realizing there is no way to avoid the shedding of blood.

"Such is the truth, those who hold the power in Constantinople have acted horribly and shamefully in the eyes of God. Many will suffer in consequence of their sin. Sviatoslav must indeed be warned as you said, Miroslav, so the truth may come to light and, maybe, we can diminish the evil consequences of this treacherous deed."

"Wait.  Our only evidence of these allegations are the words of the prisoners.  We have no proof to show the emperor, if we wanted to show him, other than their words.  Perhaps letting them go is not a good idea."

Jaleh gathers up her gear and heads for the shore. As she throws her sea chest on the sand she says "Wait, there is more. I was paid to kill Armin if the raiders fail to do it. Of course I am no assasin so I planned on just keeping the money and taking off but as it stands I am in as much danger as the rest of you. For the record I do not know who paid me. Things like this are usually handled through messengers and middlemen."

"Perhaps we cannot know if the Emperor has a hand on this plan, but at this point does it make a difference? Even if we arrive safely to Constantinople and somehow manage to speak to the Emperor how will we prove that these men killed the persian and not the raiders we thought them to be? Would that not sound like an excuse from men who failed at their task? The diplomatic incident is consumated and the Emperor, guilty or innocent, will have to act upon it. If we want to stop, or diminish, the conflict, I see more chance of success in alerting some of the other two parties involved, either the rus or the persian."

After a brief pause, Roderychus completes "But maybe Sviatoslav is not the one to be warned after all. Once the news of Armin's fate are spread the plotters scheme will have worked. If we convince the persians of what has passed, though, we may be successful in turning this around. If that turn of events forces the Emperor to turn back to polithics and diplomacy war may be avoided in the end."

A'kos eyes Loukas shrewdly.

"Young Loukas," he says, "we've other ways of interrogating where I am from - you were precipitous in killing Alexander...which is unfortunate.  Like as not the others know nothing - dupes to a plot that is greater than their ken."

Taking the reins of the Persian he walks slowly toward Storm's Wind.

"As for me, it matters not," he shrugs.  "I'll go where the rest will - even back to my own lands if need be, though some there would be wroth to see me.  I've the suspicion that opportunity for grand deeds exist in which ever direction we go - though I would caution against retreating until we have more information.  To return now would lead to too many questions, and place us in intrigues I've no desire to become embroiled in."

To Jaleh he grins, "Little woman, you are a terrible archer...perhaps you should stick to your charms."

"A'kos..you are correct but I magine even you would only last so long if he had slain your kinsman! Still we must decide where to go. For one I think the only clear choice is Sviatoslav. let him know the truth so he may send envoys to the Persians and let them know of the Byzantine Emperors scheme...to go to Byzantium now would be suicide, Persian is too far so in my estimation we can only go to Sviatoslav who is but a day or two  away from here."

He then looks at Thorfinn and scowls..."It also looks like we will either have to set off on horseback and foot since Thorfinn is fleeing...there is the third dragon ship of the fake Rus. We will be undermanned for sure but I am assuming Loukas will join us and Jaleh as well. We might even get a few of these farmers to man the oars as it looks as if their life is void if they return home....what say you all?"

Jaleh smiles at A'kos's comment but does not reply. Instead she responds to the Rus. "Yes I will not sail further with Thorfinn. He gave leave to any who wished to stay behind. I choose this path and will continue on."

The young man's face quickly goes goes from stunned grief to rage, "Interrogate? To what end?" he blurts out. "The murderer said he was working for the Logothetes tou Dromou and that the Emperor was aware of this plot. What more is there to learn? Welcome to the world of international politics! You have been pawns! The Basilius did not wish for this Armin to complete his tour. You were cover for his true intentions! He does not wish for the Persians and the Rus to grow closer together, nor does he wish for the Persians to know more about territory he considers rightfully his own. Are you all really so naive?"

It looked as if he would continue his enraged shouting, but he gained control of himself and glancing down at Alexander once more he yanks Akribis Alithei from the body. He then begins rifling the corpse to see if the man bore anything that would shed even more light on what is already, to Loukas's mind, a rather clear matter. As he does so he continues, still seeming not to speak to any one person, but to everyone, or maybe, the dead man himself, "What is the point of returning to confront the Basilius? He will either take vengeance upon us for mucking up his rather complicated, expensive plot directly. OR deny it all and kill us later... That is, IF we manage to get to him at all... My family has served the Basilius for generations... My uncle did not trust the man who bears that title today, and with these actions it is clear that he was correct. I can no longer serve John."

When he is done searching the body he cleans his sword in the sand, wiping it on his own cloak rather than the assassin's and turns to Miroslav, "My mother was Rus. Up to now I have held my father's Greek in greater esteem, but perhaps it is time I learned more of her people?"

Standing, his face flushed from the pace at which he has been speaking and undertaking these little tasks, not to mention the situation in general, he continues, "Though, to tell you the truth, I doubt your Sviatoslav will prove to be any purer... Nor do I doubt that he will need us to inform him of what has occurred here any more than the Caliph will. Why not take that dragon ship and then strike out on our own and damn any king?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:29, Sat 19 Sept 2009.

A'kos stares hard at the youth, "Who knows to what end?  A lesson for you though, dead men will not answer questions.  And I know enough of these affairs to know that I want nothing to do with them.  That is all you need to know of me."

He pauses then, then a smile creases his eyes, "But your suggestion to strike out is a brave one indeed, for one so young, and I approve of such.  A path unlooked for by those who would pull our strings, and one that might allow us to become the fly in the ointment of their plans..."

Shrugging he says, "Unless anyone has anything better to suggest?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:01, Sun 20 Sept 2009.

Jaleh's eye go wide upon hearing the suggestion from Loukas and the agreement from A'kos. She slides up close to the Magyar and says "Yes the life of a pirate would suit me fine."

Miroslav shrugs his wide shoulders and says..."The life of a rover and raider does have it's strongpoints but I urge you to come with me to inform Sviatoslav. He is quit unlike the Basilius and is a soldier above all else. If we wish to strike out on our own after that then I am fine with that. I can easily pilot this ship to his capital better and faster than Thorfinn could have gotten us there."

Roderychus ignores the talk about lawless and piracy and speaks to Miroslav
"You say Sviatoslav would be able to alert the persians in little time. Well, that could be the most effective route. What you say, brother Jean?"

Miroslav turns to Jean and says..."Yes Jean, are you aggreeable to a journey to tell Sviatoslav of this plot? I know neither you or ROderychus could ever be interested in a life of piracy but that is a decision to be made later for the rest of us...perhaps as a reward we will be given commisions in Sviatoslavs army...eh? Surely a more fitting future for mean of your bearing than a life on the sea."

He then looks at A'kos and says..."As for you, would you be able to give up your mount for months at a time? No open steppe? I have yet to meet a Magyar pirate!"

Sheathing his sword, Loukas rubs his face distractedly as he listens to the conversation, "Look, all I know is that I do not wish to return to Constantinople right now... Maybe some time in the future... After John's death."

Looking around at the others, "I do find myself in need of friends, though, and although I do not know much of any of you we have each been through something so bizarre that it will be a great bond whether we like each other or not. I am willing to make our first stop Sviatoslav as long as whatever stops that follow are agreed on by a majority of us."

"I suspect that that my fate is not on the open sea for long - but like as not we need the ships to get somewhere," shrugs the Magyar again, this time to Miroslav.

Chuckling, he continues, "A Magyar pirate...the thought amuses me!"

"It is good then...we will go to Sviatoslav in the ship left behind. Loukas and Jeleh are more than competent sailors as am I. We willb e undermanned so I ask all who will travel with us to bend their backs at an oar. There looks to be room onboard for the mounts."

He walks over to where Armin's gear has been left by the crew of the other ship. And begins to go through the bags and looks to find a goodly amount of gear.
"It looks as though Armin may have had quite a few valuable items in his gear. I know this might be as interesting to Jean and Rodyerchus it looks to be a small fortune in gold and gear."

"We also need to decide what to do with these Greek farmers...it would seems as though Michael has earned a place on the crew if he would have it...as for the others, I will let you decide their fate."

When Armin's gear is gone through the party finds:
2500 in gold
finely wrought mail shirt
small gold lion statue with some obscure writing on the underside
gold ring with a flame shaped ruby inserted into the fitting.
hammer that looks to be of Dwarven manufacture
An incredibly thick yet light cloak
scimitar of excellent quality
2 Potion of healing
a very well crafted dagger
a rather large pearl
a gold ring with inscription in Farsi
Some silk shirts and pants, all fairly small.

Plus the arms and armor of forty of the dead marauders are still in good shape and can be sold or kept.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:34, Thu 24 Sept 2009.

Loukas joins Miroslav as he looks through Armin's gear. When he sees the the gold ring has Farsi inscription he offers to read it. After he tries this he look says, "If none of you mind, I would not mind taking his dagger. It shall remind me what I have learned in all of this..."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:21, Fri 05 Nov 2010.

Miroslav shrugs his wide shoulders and says..."I have no interest in the dagger or anything else for that matter but we may have to ok it with the others before grabbing from the pot."

Jaleh also looks through the items in the bags. She chooses some fine silk shirts and pants for herself since Armin was just about the same size as her.
"A little alteration and these will fit me well and the fabric is like touching heaven!"

She looks at the dagger in Loukas's hands and says "I have my own and it suits me perfectly."

In reply to Miroslav (msg #133):

What did the Farsi on the ring say?

Handing the ring to Loukas, Miroslav says...I speak Persian but I do not read it."

PM

"We can keep the treasure in the hold, along with the arms and armor of the fallen," says A'kos, eying the small trove.  "They should bring a fair price at market - and perhaps there is among the Persian's items an enchantment."

"We must share the gold equally and find out if any of those items have any unnatural properties before dividing anything among ourselves. Armin was a travelled man and had a hand in the occult, it may well be as A'kos says."

Is Roderychus able to read the inscriptions in any of the objects?

"Let us take this stuff to the ship and get underway. There may be Imperial Naval forces nearby to 'clean' matters up after this plot. I have a device that will enable me to determine whether any of these are magical...", Loukas pauses adjusts his shield, rubs the chin of his weary and bereaved face, "I agree that we ought to be practical about these matters. Particularly right now."

"Let us put the slaves to work - they can man the oars as well," says A'kos after a moment.  "Any that aren't wounded anyway..."

Jaleh pulls a wicked long knife from her belt...presumably the blade she spoke of earlier. It has a wide flamberge style blade that has been blackened. She heads over to where the Greek farmers are tied on the beach and says "Here is your chance, you can either stay on as oarsmen or walk home."

She then starts to free the men one by one.

Only four of the Greeks wish to stay on as oarsmen for the party...counting Michael this makes five Greek farmers with some sailing experience in your crew.

Four other farmers decide to stay behind to care for the 9 badly wounded men on the beach.

One more of Thorfinn's crew jumps ship as it sails away..a soggy young man named Oleg makes his way to the ship carrying a small sea chest with him. His blonde hair and beard are littered with seaweed from his short swim.

Miroslav barks out orders to Oleg and the Greeks and very soon the Persians bags and every ones gear is stowed on the new smaller galley...the horses are packed rather tight but they seem to be a bit safer on this ship since there is less room to move about.

It looks like the crew for the ship will be:
Five Greek sailors/farmers
Oleg
Miroslav acting as navigator
Loukas
Jaleh
A'kos
Roderychus

[Have not heard from Jean or Balthazar...it is the weekend so we might not hear from anyone else...if need be we will assume they are ocming along and toss em on the boat!]

"Seems appropriate to sing a sailor's song - Jaleh, Loukas...lead us in verse!"

Exultant after battle, A'kos' eyes gleam with the joy of the journey.

"'Tis but a different plain we ride upon, friends!"

Loukas felt anything but exultant. Certainly, despite his years he was not naive. He knew that the world was full of treachery, murder, indeed, worse. But learning of his uncle's murder... The man who had shown more interest and, well, love to him than any other, even his own father, was dead. When he left Constantinople he was proud to be setting off without a mentor and that sense of liberty was like a drug. After today's events he was arguably even freer than he'd been then, but for the first time in his life he found himself without any sort of mentor. Indeed, despite being on their newly gained vessel he could not help but feel somewhat adrift as if he had been thrown overboard and left to swim or drown.

When he heard A'kos's voice, though, something snapped. Regardless of everything he had to be angry and sad about and fearful of he looked around their ship and realized that despite it all he was still not alone. No, indeed, not alone at all, and by the circumstances and situation they found themselves in today he realized that he was closer to these disparate souls than anyone else in the world. Loukas could not help but note that the peculiarity of the situation was both profound and absurd. Something tells me that you would appreciate this if you were here, Uncle!, he thinks to himself.

Settling in at his oar he remembers a song his uncle taught him years ago on his first journey, "I've got one and I sing it for all who've died today and as a warning for those who'll stand against us in the future!"

In a rather raw and uneven baritone he begins to sing,

Come cheer up my lads,
It's to glory we steer
To add something more
To this wonderful year
To honour we call you,
As free men, not slaves
For who are so free
As the sons of the waves

Heart of oak are our ships
Heart of oak are our men
We always are ready
Steady, boys, steady
We'll fight and we'll conquer,
Again and again

Our worthy forefathers,
Let's give them a cheer
To climates unknown
Did courageously steer
Through oceans to deserts,
For freedom they came
And dying, bequeathed us
Their freedom and fame

Heart of oak are our ships
Heart of oak are our men
We always are ready
Steady, boys, steady
We'll fight and we'll conquer,
Again and again

OOC: Erm, okay, I found this song on the internets and realize that it's 19th century British/Canadianness is rather anachronistic, but there must've been some 10 century song similar... Right? ;)

Miroslav grins broadly at Loukas's song. When the young man the Rus stands and heads over tot he rail of the ship and draws forth his dagger and begins carving the words "Heart of Oak" into the ship..."Heart of oak! A fine name for a ship!"

"Ha, ye've a heart of oak, and the heart of a Nordic skald, Young Loukas!" laughs A'kos.  "I'm proud to call you shipmate!"

I just caught up on reading the last 2 pages of posts and Balthazar is surely aboard ... but boy do I have a lot of questions!  I will have to wait until later to pose them, however, as I have to run.

Balthazar puts his hands on the railing and stares out to sea.  "If going to Sviatoslav can hold off this conflict, I'm all for it.  I detest war."  He is silent for some time, then adds, "Nicephorus is a fool.  If the Emperor is in on it too, then he is a fool as well.  Did he really think that a bunch of farmers could defeat our combined might?  Now Nicephorus has made powerful enemies, and I swear, by the Elder of my institution Lazarus, that I will have my revenge."  He is quiet for a short while some more, then adds, "No, my magical skills are not yet where they should be to take on the Emperor.  After our visit to Sviatoslav, we must seek out new lands, new civilizations.  Boldly go where no man has gone before!  Then we will be ready."  He turns to face Loukas, and adds, "Oh, and sorry to hear about your uncle."

Loukas's face reflects the bewilderment in his brain. Mages..., he thinks. When Bathazar mentions his father he nods his thanks and returns to his oaring.

New thread..."To Sviatoslav!"