The Resolute gets under way again, going slow at first as the captain makes sure the ship hasn't sustained any serious damage.

Victory in battle usually leaves people hungry, not to mention the penchant for after-battle celebration, so a bit of celebrating and feasting occurs while the final ajustments for continuing the trip are made.

"The hull is still intact though perhaps a bit scratched," the captain addresses the crew afterwards. "I'd reinforce it for any normal voyage, just in case, but doing so out here would make us burn even more coal to stay under way."

"As it is, our calculations never took into account acquiring any kind of provisions along the way, so we have a slight dilemma. If we continue under power, we'll use up most of our reserve. That means, if we run into any more trouble, we may not have enough coal to return. There's still the sails, of course, but this isn't really a sailing ship. It could add a month or more to our return time."

"If we use just sails now, it'll conserve our coal, but add a lot more time to our trip."

"This isn't my mission, I'm just the delivery man. So the decision is up to you."


Also, as you all sat around and ate and celebrated, performed chores and other tasks, it soon becomes evident that Bosh is also an Iron Fist--he went through the same training that the rest of you did.

You all vaguely recall that there were several groups of trainees in the compound. It was never clear why there were others, how they were divided, or what the purpose of multiple groups was. Also, just as your group was sent off to save the village, apparently the other groups were sent off on separate training missions.

"I think we should power in. Sailing will just give our enemies a better chance of catching us and causing greater problems. If one of them does catch us we loot their coal reserves. But they shouldn't be too interested in the ship after the mission to the island is complete." Rrger steps back after stating his opinion.

Dany pursed her lips, then gave a curt nod to Rrger and his position.  Stepping forward, the raven-haired gun mage agreed with her trollkin companion, "Time is of the essence.  If we run into trouble, we'll have to take on their fuel - presuming we win.  If we lose..."  And she shrugged, leaving it unsaid, but implied that fuel wouldn't be their problem at that point.

After a suitable pause, she continued.  "I say we go with best possible speed.  It is only a matter of time before the backers of either ship that tried to intercept us realized their first attempt failed." she noted with a touch of resigned glumness, "There is no reason not to expect more attempts the longer we are en route."  It seemed a simple enough equation, less attempts over the shorter amount of time.  Plus, the Resolute and her crew would be out of danger faster, the sooner the team were delivered.  Danyka like the captain and his crew and saw no reason to keep them in the cross-hairs any longer than necessary.

She looked to the others to see if there were any dissenting opinions on the matter.

Munching a big chunk of chicken "Hmm ? Win .. Lose, Are you in for a race of sort ?"  Listening to the both of them talking. "I say go for speed yes. And if they overhaul us, we can allways take their share of coal to replenish ours. No ?" Giving Boo his little fruits and a large carrot the little hamster stows away a large chunk in its mouth. Wich makes you think why in the first place they call these animals hamsters when they are hoarding food in their cheeks. Patting the little one.

"Certainly .. they dont know where we are right now ? Unless they all know where we are going. If so. I would wait there. get rested while we work to get there fast"

Danyka shrugged, "Not quite a competition.  But a race nonetheless.  Or mission is seeming reconnaissance of a land called Zu to the far south."  She paused wondering just how much Bosh needed to know for a moment, and settling on 'all' if he was really going to be able to help.

"Apparently, we are the second group to be sent." she looked to the others to see if there were any protest or addenda to her statements, "The original exploratory mission has been overdue for three months.  We were tasked with figuring out what happened to them; rumor is that Zu has something of import there.  But we weren't really told what."

She smiled faintly, "Which is why running into the Aggressor ..." both literally and figuratively, it would seem, "was unlikely to be coincidence, in my opinion."  Dany might be the brightest bulb on the tree, but she knew that her paranoia had kept her alive this long.  There was little reason to stop paying attention to those hunches...

The captain listened to the discussion. His own choice would have been full steam ahead, too, but for somewhat different reasons.

"I've been reading through the documents you recovered from the Aggressor," Captain Gant says, "and if I am reading them correctly, it is the Church of Menoth that has set these foes upon you."

"It seems as if they think discovery of this land of Zu is a blasphemy against their religion. It is unclear if they thing Zu is some sort of hoax, or they think in is real but must be expunged from all records."

"You are right: they do not know where we are now, certainly not where we will be in another day or two, but that does not mean they cannot find us. It is my experience that these things come in threes, so I expect at least one more attack, though I cannot say what form it might take."

"Within three days, we will cross the point of no return. I hope we will be beyond there reach then, at least until our return."

"Another thought occurs to me, though. Perhaps agents of Menoth are responsible for the disappearance of the lost ship. Perhaps they have kept it from returning."

"If Menoth's agents captured the other ship on the way home then you won't necessarily be out of trouble on your return trip." Rrger thinks for a moment, "Maybe we could take on coal at the island. Then you might be able to outrun them on the way back."
"If they took the last crew for prisoners they might have a staging point on or near the island itself. Is there a good place on thier map for that? And can we check it out?"

Dany nodded curtly to Rrger's assessment, "It is unfortunate, but once you are rid of us, you may not yet be out of danger."  She pursed her lips and sighed slightly, "I am sorry about that, Captain.  But unless you wait in port for an indeterminate time for us to return from our mission, we will not be able to help you on the return trip."

"We will do our best to have you prepared though." the thin Rynnish gun mage offered; it was the least they could do.

"But for now," she approached the documents, "let's look over the map.  Perhaps as Rrger supposes, there is a code or indication of a waypoint that we might leverage..."

[OOC:  Perhaps.... Profession: Scout can help with the map reading?!?

  15:22, Today: Danyka Ydrasyl rolled 25 using 1d20+5. Profession (Scout)/WIS Check:  Map reading?

Heh.  Let's hope we don't waste a natural '20'...:D]

"I have a spell that will let me interpret the writings, but I can only find out it's literal meaning. If the code switches a word for another or uses strange referrences I won't be able to do anything with it." Rrger looks around the room before adding, "I don't have it in my head right now but I can memorize it for tomorrow.",

Bosh, listening in to the conversation of the both. "Before I .. carried my trusty Maul, and had met with Boo. I travelled a great deal. Perhaps, once ashore .. I can ask around. besides that I do hardly look a militairy .." The cloths around what armor Bosh wears does indeed make him appear more monkish ".. It might allow us to get things cheaper. People trust none militairy more often quicker then otherwise. More out of fear then any other reason. Even if pointed out it is flawed"

Dany studies the rutters, which are kind of a coded map of the seas. It will take awhile, but she can work out most of the code. For example, the code for danger is fairly obvious, but she notices that if it's accompanied by a little dot to the side, it means it isn't really dangerous at all.

There's a symbol for safe channel, but apparently has some conditions that are applied to it; those she cant' figure out. So a channel might be marked 'safe' but the extra mark might mean 'only for Menites'.

"I have my orders," the captain replies to Dany, "but they are also subject to circumstances. If we make landfall without any sign of the ship, I'm expected to wait 30 days while you investigate. That would be at each port, if there is more than one."

"Beyond that, it's at my discretion. We might have to sail to a number of islands. How long I'll wait at each island depends on the size of the island and the size of the port, as well as what you find out."



RL has been crunching me this past week... still trying to figure out the next encounter. Pirate ship? Sea monster? Typhoon? Tax collector?

Over the next several days, Dany and the captain go over the charts. There's little that the captain doesn't already have on his charts, most of which comes from the Navigator's Guild.

There is nothing about the land of Zu on those maps, which makes sense since supposedly only one ship has been to Zu. In fact, it has one of those amusing map notations more-or-less where Zu should be: Here Be Monsters!

When one of the captain's marks match up with a Menite mark, it helps translate. So when a symbol =/= shows on the Menite map, the captain's mark equates to 'treacherous shoals'.

The other aspect is that the Menites have three designations: rumored, reported, and confirmed. There is also: friendly, neutral, unfriendly.

Some of the logs, once translated, further explain some of these. For instance, a place called Queery is marked Neutral on the map, but the Menite captain makes mention of it in his log indicating they can be bribed with a single gun, other mechanical devices, or possibly even gold or alchemical ingredients.


For the most part, it has to be explained to the Iron Fist members that ships may stay at see for 2-3 weeks at a time, but they never go out of sight of land. That's mainly because there's nothing Out There. The longest attempt at exploration to the west was six weeks out and six weeks back, with about half the crew dead from disease or starvation by the time they got back.

The fact that something was found to the south is a great wonder to the captain, and the main reason he agreed to this mission.


According to the captain's calculations, you reach the halfway point to Zu when the lookout spots something out in the water. From his vantage point in the crow's nest, it is more visible than on the deck. However, the call comes down:

"Serpent!"

Rrger spent the next few days teaching his 'jacks combat commands. Devro is a labor jack but after a while he's learned some basic attack/defense routines. Jantze the maniken does a little better and he can use an arcantrik torch. Little Burke is too small to carry a drill or a torch. As a mite, he could be useful tripping opponents so that's what Rrger works to teach him. Of course none of this will help against a serpent. The tall trollkin opens up his folding bow and moves to where the creature was spotted. "Devro, Jantze, Burke...Here!" he shouts, pointing to spots behind him.

In the time Bosh didnt spend below decks chained up against the wall he makes good by either sitting outside watching the shore lines go by far .. very far away. And making casuall talk with the crew. Afterall. If they were going to be working together it was just aswell that he got to know them. And they .. him in return. Being a 'friendly' Ogrun didnt seem to stick well at first with some. Having (probably) encountered their share of not-so-friendly ogrun. Once on the deck. Bosh directs his head towards the yellings of Rrger.

"Serpent ?"

Picking up his Maul from beside him. Bosh heads towards Rrger. "What serpent ?"  Raising his hand above his eyebrow and staring towards the spot indicated

The door to the captain's quarters popped open and Danyka popped out at the hew and cry from the crow's nest.  The Rynnish gun mage had made it a point of meeting with the captain daily to try and continue to decipher the pilfered map and to discuss any issue that the crew had had with any of the Iron Fist (and Bosh, whom she considered adopted Iron Fist at this point).  She might not be the leader of the group (if any such collection of free-spirited individuals might be), but the Llaelese brunette seemed to take the task reasonably seriously.

Dany spent a fair amount of time both above and below deck during the voyage.  With Argus, her mount, housed below in the hold, it wasn't surprising that she spent a number of hours with him.  But then above deck, Danyka spent as much time as necessary making sure that her fellow Iron Fisters were doing reasonably well.  Always affable, the raven-haired Morrow initiate was generally conversant on almost any topic and seemed willing to chat at almost any time, though she gently, but firmly, rebuffed any romantic advances or flirtations from any of the crew or her companions.  She practiced with her weapons regularly, both new and old.  While she conserved her ammunition, the new elven blad as well as the looted rapier saw continual use when she practiced.

"How big and far out, Mr. Finn?" she called up to the man in the crow's nest as she squinted her eyes and stared off into the distance.  Even though Dany was already running her own mental calculation, the lithe, young woman knew that the crewman in the higher vantage point had better information.

"And," perhaps more importantly, "what's her heading?  How much time do we have?"  Danyka began to fish around in her well-worn leather kit back to see if she had a spyglass handy.

"It's a sea monster," the Captain says, already on deck. "What kind don't much matter, but if Mr. Finn called serpent, then it's big enough to destroy this ship!"

He had his own spyglass out and was scanning the waves off the port side.

"There it is. Sea serpent. Six coils. Two minutes out. Wait! Is that a man on its back?"

He hands the spyglass to Dany.

"My eyesight isn't so great any more. Or maybe I'm seeing things. What do you see?"

"Should we attack on sight or wait for him to get close enough to talk?" Rrgr has his bow out and ready just in case.

Bosh with his massive beloved maul on his shoulder looks aside towards Rrger "If there is a man riding it, perhaps give it a chance to .. communicate. If there is going to be a fight there will be one. No matter how it turns out. Yet, if the intensions of this rider are peaceful .. or neutral to say the least. Then perhaps we will see another day without swinging a hammer"

"I am in favor of surviving." Rrger turns back to shout to the captain and Dany since they have the better view of the thing, "So do we attack on sight or will you try and talk to them?"

Dany took in a deep breath squinting for a moment.  She begged off on the Captain's spyglass, pulling a collapsible one of her own from her pack.  It was not quite as ornate as the captain's by still quite serviceable.  She squinted into the eyepiece to see what she could see.

As the others conjectured around her, the raven-haired Rynnish gun mage held up a hand to for a moment of quiet.  If it was indeed a man riding the beast, then there might be a chance to avoid bloodshed.  She tried to recall if Menite map had any helpful symbols.

"Captain," she noted as she continued to track the approaching serpent, "have the cannons manned.  But be explicit about waiting to fire."  Danyka wasn't really sure what they might have as negotiating chips, but they'd hail the beast once it was in hearing range.  "We'll try to talk ..." the lithe, Llaelese woman intoned, "Morrow willing they'll listen."  She swallowed hard, knowing that it was quite possible that no one spoke the right language, and then gave the assembled a slightly plaintive sigh, "... But be ready for a fight."

[OOC:  Is there really a man on there?  And if so, what's he like?  And are there any map notations that might help?

  19:26, Today: Danyka Ydrasyl rolled 22 using 1d20+7. Spot/Wis Check - as necessary.
  19:27, Today: Danyka Ydrasyl rolled 15 using 1d20+5. Profession (Scout)/Wis Check:  Map recall?]

There is definitely a humanoid on the back of the sea serpent, but it isn't a man. It appears to be some sort of fish-like humanoid, not just an aquatic one.

He seems to be observing the ship for a bit before the sea serpent turns and heads directly for the ship.

Almost at the same time, Gorren starts yelling about boarders from the opposite side!

A dozen similar creatures to the humanoid are clambing over the rails!

Danyka is startled by Gorren's announcement.  She whirled on her heel and it took her a moment to process the situation.  Dropping her spyglass into her haversack, the young Rynnish gun mage's hands then instinctively went to her sides.  The right hands pulled the thin blade at her side, while her left reappeared with a magelock pistol in her hand.

"To arms!" she called out to her companions and the crew of the Resolute, "Prepare to repel!"  She looked to see if there were enough present to engage the boarders.  If not, Dany would move to aid them, otherwise she wanted to keep an eye on the sea serpent and its rider.

[OOC:  Gah!  I guess we fight...

  Move Action:      Stow spyglass
  Standard Action:  Draw magelock pistol (left) and elven thinblade (right)]

Rrger speaks a few syllables and draws his bow, ready to shoot at the humanoid in what should be the brain area. He'll shoot from as far away as he can.

OOC:
Casting true strike (+20 to hit) Next round he'll make a called shot at 110 yards (330 feet) at -6 attack roll. What is the adjustment on a called shot, if it's even possible at that range.

Aiming for a small area the size of a head, for instance, entails a -4 penalty. Of course, the serpent is moving though not really dodging, and is diving in and out of the water.


Everyone had taken up arms again once the call of serpent had come down from the crow's nest, so now they were doing like Dany--turnng around to the other side of the ship.

You can now see that the creatures are sea devils... not really devils but just called that because they are vicious. They are wielding tridents.

With his bow pulled back about as far as he can, Rrger aims above the rider and times out the motion of the waves before releasing his shot.


OOC: This happens next round but I couldn't wait to roll it. nice hit...horrible damage

 +20 (spell) +5 (attack bonus) -6 (range) -4 (small target) = +15

22:38, Today: Rrger rolled 33 using 1d20+15. to hit sea devil on the serpent.
22:43, Today: Rrger rolled 7 using 1d8+6. damage on sea devil.

It would seem as if the sea devils that have clambored up the side of the ship onto the deck were counting on the sea serpent to distract the crew longer than it did.

Creswick, Katrin, Marco and Nicollo were already moving to deal with the sea devils, while Gorren and Bosh were moving to deal with the serpent.

Not knowing too much about the sea devils, Dany is unsure if her teammates can handle a dozen of them. She's sure they would prevail, but at what cost? She heads over to join them, but still keeps an eye on the serpent.

Rrger lets loose with his bow, and the arrow flies true, striking the rider in the head. It might not be a lot of damage, but it's a critical hit just the same. The rider goes limp, but doesn't fall off.

About the same time, a cannon discharges, and hits the serpent square in the chest.

Dany growled in frustration at being caught out.  She stepped up to a position just behind Creswick and Marco with the pistol in her left hand extended outward between her two stalwart companions.  The time for negotiation had seemingly passed.

"Yarps Roloc!" she called out and a cascading cone of light issued forth from the barrel of the rune-etched firearm.  Danyka hoped to catch as many of the enemy as possible in the area of effect and soften them up for those engaging them.

[OOC:  Step up, try to catch as many sea devils as possible in her Color Spray.

  Move Action:      Move as necessary, staying just behind front line,
                      avoiding direct engagement for the moment
  Standard Action:  Cast Color Spray

Alternately, if there are not enough enemy to Color Spray for the moment, Dany will cast Bless on her allies and I will alter the post accordingly.]

The most Dany can catch with her spell is 6 sea devils. However, two of the them save. The other four fall down unconscious.


20:58, Sat 28 Feb 2015: GM StarMaster rolled 24, 9, 5, 11, 15, 19  using 6d20+4 ((20,5,1,7,11,15)).


The rest of the Iron Fist has learned from their previous battle to work as a team, doubling up against a single foe, and then waiting to see where the next bullet is needed most.

Creswick shoots one of the devils, and then Nicollo finishes him off.

Katrin shoots one and Marco finishes that one off.

With six of the sea devils down and two stunned, the remaining four stop their advance/charge, then turn and dive back overboard.


On the other side of the ship, Gorren and Bosh wait to see what happens with the sea serpent. Without a rider controlling it now, and a large wound on its chest, it bellows in pain and lashes out in blind fury at the nearest object--the ship! As its head gets near in an attempt to bit the ship, not only do Gorren and Bosh smash it, but the ship's cannon thunders again, once more hitting the creature and driving it backwards away from the ship. It disappears below the sea.

Rrger watches the serpent sink for a moment to be sure it's not going to just come back up. When he's satisfied he turns to Gorren and Bosh, "Good job. That thing would have done some damage if it got hold of us. And that canoneer...I'd like to shake his hand. "

Danyka exhaled slowly as she watched the retreating forms of sea devils as they fled.  But, then she turned back to the business at hand.  She pointed to the two stunned and four prone enemies that remained on deck.  "Disarm and subdue them." the Rynnish gun mage intoned rather authoritatively, "and truss them up along with those..." and she pointed to the unconscious ones, "as well."

She fished about in her pack for a moment after sheathing her blade and holstering her magelock pistol, coming up with a section of rope which she tossed to her nearest companion.

Dany glanced in the direction of the sea serpent and gave Rrger and those that had faced the giant, aquatic wyrm a 'thumbs up'.  "Very well done..." she quipped, making a statement that was likely a candidate for Understatement of the Year™.  She gave the trollkin a slightly, crooked smile; Rrger's abilities had gone up a notch in her opinion; Dany was pretty sure that she couldn't have managed such a perfect shot...

The sea devils are all trussed up, but it soon becomes obvious that they are in distress. They are not amphibious; they are water-breathers that can only stay out of water briefly.

"We should either kill these things or throw them back quickly, there's no need for making them suffer." Rrger looks ready to throw them back, "We could tie a lead rope to each one and tow them along I guess. Pull them up one at a time for questioning - I wonder if they speak common."

"I believe that we have empty barrels that had housed fresh water..." Dany mused thoughtfully, then looked to the Captain for confirmation, "The prisoners could also be stored in there.  With sea water, of course."  She shrugged slightly, admitting freely, "It would not be the most comfortable of accommodations..."

But the thin Rynnish gun mage also knew that loaded with salt water, the barrels would likely keep the beasts alive and reasonably contained.  Or was that confined and constrained?

The Llaelese brunette shrugged to her trollkin companion's second musing, "I suspect not.  But there is little we can do but try."  Danyka swallowed hard and then added after a long moment, "I don't speak Sea Devil..."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:42, Fri 13 Mar 2015.

"You there, please get buckets to fill some empty barrells with seawater. And you lot, go get some barrels." Rrger talks to some of the crew, then continues with,"And you, tie ropes to their ankles. At least we can dip them in while we get water in the barrel. there's no need for them to suffer and die here." As the ropes are tied he tosses each one overboard for a moment before bringing them back aboard and moving to the next one. It's not comfortable for the sea devils but at least it will keep them alive long enough to make it into the barrels. "I don't know how you're goin to question them, Danyka. But I can pull them out one at a time when you're ready to start."

Dany blinked at Rrger for a moment, as her trollkin companion appointed her head interrogator.  Even after she had just informed him and the others of the Iron Fist that she didn't speak any Sea Devil at all.  In a charitable moment, the thin Llaelese woman might have taken the statement as a vote of confidence.

Biting her lip for a moment, the Rynnish brunette glanced at the crew of the Resolute and the rest of the Iron Fist. "I take it that no one here speaks Sea Devil..." Danyka prompted.  She didn't expect so - at least not at this point, given that no one had piped up already.  She muttered something that was likely indiscreet in Old Llaelese and then gave a soft, slightly beleagured sigh.

"All right, then." Dany said to no one in particular.  She rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment and then pointed to the nearest barrel.  "That one, I guess." she let Rrger know.  Then speaking slowly and loudly, as individuals often do when speaking to obvious foreigners, as though it will make them better understood, "Do you understand Cygnaran?"  She gesticulated for a moment, trying to make herself understood and then shook her head a bit sheepishly.

Mentally cudgeling her brain, Danyka tried to think of a good way to communicate with the fish men.  Why couldn't these things speak Cygnaran or Llaelese?  You know, like civilized sophonts...

[OOC:  I think that we are going to need some help here...

  22:44, Today: Danyka Ydrasyl rolled 18 using 1d20+2. Linguistics/Int:  Speaking Sea Devil?  Really?

No one happens to have a scroll of Comprehend Languages or Tongues on them, do they?]
This message was last edited by the player at 05:48, Tue 17 Mar 2015.

"Well, it kind of depends on what you think you can find out from them," the captain speaks up. He seems kind of relieved that you aren't torturing the Sea Devils.

"If you think what they can tell you is important, then I have two scrolls with Comprehend Languages spells on them. I was given them to facilitate trade with Zu."

"I can cast a spell of comprehend languages, but I need to memorize it first. And the spell only lets me understand what they say. It gives me no ability to speak to them."

OOC: He hasn't changed any spells so he just remembers the last ones. Can he memorize the new spell now or does he need to rest again?

Since he's not going for a full replenishment, Rrger has two options: he can study Comprehend Languages now, without rest, and swap it out for a spell he does have memorized; OR, he can rest for half an hour and study it to fill an empty slot.

Danyka chuckled and struck the heel of her palm to her forehead.  "Of course," she gave a nod of acknowledgement to both the Captain and Rrger, "you are right.  I can merely ask Morrow for guidance.  But that will have to wait until morning."

She mused simply, addressing Rrger's concern about the scope of the spell.  "It will only let us understand them.  But, that is better than nothing.  And I suspect that we might be able to get out point across.  And knowing what they say, will give us some insight...."  It was too bad that the spell couldn't be cast on another.  But, it wasn't a particularly powerful dweomer (given that even she could cast it); so, the Llaelese brunette couldn't really complain.  "We should be able to manage." she concluded, resolving to choreograph a bit of their technique since the spell was limited to touch - which should be easy in Rrger's case he'd likely be restraining the creature.  Danyka's spell focus which was her mage-locked firearm might be more problematic.  Unless they were going for a more intimidating approach, holding a loaded (or, since she was a gun mage, even an unloaded) pistol to an unarmed prisoner was generally not construed as an act of charity or peace.  It would definitely set the tone of the interrogation.

Dany took a deep breath, then seemed to come to a decision and squared her shoulders, "There is no need to use your scrolls yet, Captain.  But, thank you for the offer."  She leaned in to confer with the other members of the Iron Fist and Captain Grant, lower her voice a notch, "Post a guard to make sure that the prisoners don't escape overnight.  I can take first watch."  Then the Rynnish gun mage looked to Rrger and anyone else that might have access to the spell - which could potentially be any book caster, since the Captain had potential source material, "Try to prepare multiple instances in case the, uh, 'interview' goes long or we want to question multiple detainees.  Morrow willing, I should be able to manage at least two castings after morning prayers."

Spell-casters can spend Grit Points to spontanteously evoke the metamagic feat Targeted Spell which allows you to convert a self-only spell to a touch spell. It costs +1 spell slot, but you can also then use a Grit Point to cover that increase.

"Give me a little while," Rrger says, "I can study that spell a couple of times and give this a shot." With a nod he turns and heads to his quarters to study.


OOC: memorizing comprehend languages twice.

Rrger finds Dany after memorizing the spells, "I'm not sure what to ask, or how. One or two of them might speak common. But if we find them what should we ask?"

"For starters, we ask them why they attacked us," Katrin replies to Rrger. "I suspect we'll find they were somehow put up to it."

"The sea serpent by itself would have possibly attacked from natural instinct. Combined with the sahuagin controling it... that's pushing things past my limit of credibility."

Dany shrugged slightly and then nodded in agreement with Katrin.  "It is where I intended to start." the Rynnish brunette noted simply, "There may be slim pickings in the vast ocean - but finding us at random in the middle of nowhere is equally unlikely."

She pursed her lips, "They may not have the words to say who put them up to it... but we can probably flash a couple of religious symbols and see how they react."  Danyka gave another shrug, "We know that the Menites have been around here before..." a nod to the partial deciphering of the map that she and the Captain had been working on, "... so, they are the prime suspects to me."  Which, of course, since the followers of Menoth often seemed to wear their allegiance openly might work in their favor in this case.  Naturally, the Llaelese gun mage herself readily wore the symbol of Morrow in the open.  So, Menites weren't the only ones.

"It still," Danyka mused openly, "likely won't give us much insight into the true motives of our enemy..."  She sighed slightly with more than a touch of frustration, "But, we need to do our due diligence."

Rrger nods to the ladies and casts his comprehend languages spell. He walks around the barrels asking, "Can any of you understand me?". The tall trollkin looks and listens for some sign that any of the sea devils knows what he's saying. If he finds one he'll ask who put their people up to this attack.

Apologies again for the delay... been trying to get a few more players.


Rrger can understand the creatures, but none of them speak any language that Rrger knows. He'll have to cast Comprehend Languages on one of the creatures.


Once you do that, you can get some answers.

"Boss tell us to find ship. Boss tell us to attack ship. We find ship. We attack ship."

"Boss-boss tell boss to do this. Not see boss-boss. Boss-boss air breather."

Rrger looks back to the rest of the team, "He says they're here because the boss sent them. The boss sent them because his boss told him to. They've never seen this boss's boss becasue he's an airbreather." He turns his attention back to the sea devil, "Where is this boss, and how does his boss give him orders?"

"Boss on serpent. Boss-boss talk to boss. Hear boss-boss. No understand."

Rrger glances back over his shoulder, "It seems I've killed the boss, he was the serpent rider." Looking back to the sea devil he asks, "Who will be boss now, and where does the boss-boss meet him to give orders?"

Dany looked thoughtful for a moment.  "Well," she ventured after that moment, "I am not sure that you killed it..."  Then after another pause, the thin Rynnish woman conceded, "But point taken."  She nodded approvingly.

"Ask it where they were supposed to meet after completing the job." Danyka prompted Rrger, leaning in towards the conversation.  As if that were going to give her a better understanding of what was being said.  Still, like her attempts to speak more slowly and loudly in an attempt to be better understood, the Llaelese gun mage figured that it couldn't really hurt.

"You heard her. Where were you supposed to meet when the job was complete?" Rrger waits for the answer to his last three questions, figuring that more would confuse the creature.

"No island. Boss-boss meet boss in water." the sahuagin replies.

The sahuagin just doesn't have a great command of his own language of Aquan.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:48, Tue 07 Apr 2015.

"I think their boss is the strongest warrior in the group, makes sense I guess. They didn't have a meeting place, they 'just go home' after the attack, and the big boss gives orders in the 'middle of the sea'. I doubt we could find that without one of them leading us... Unless maybe it's one of the islands on your map. He looks back to the captive, "Is there an island or something in this 'middle of the sea'? We would like to meet the boss boss."

"No islands on my maps... none out this far. The captain of the Seacutter might have had something on his rutters, but that didn't get passed on... yet," Captain Grant replies to Rrger.

"Well? Is there an island or something? Where would we meet the boss boss?" Rrger watches the sea devil, awaiting a reply.

"No island. Boss-boss meet boss in water." answers the sahuagin.

By now, you get the idea that the sahuagin doesn't have a very good command of his own language of Aquan.

Rrger steps back and looks to Captain Grant, "Captain, I don't think we're going to get much more out of him. Not that we've gotten much so far. Any more questions or ideas?" He turns to Dany and shrugs, "I don't think he does much speaking. He talks like someone who doesn't know his language very well, unless he's just toying with us." He glances back to the creature and then back to his teammate, "I don't think he is though. Is there anything else you want me to try asking? And what do we do with them when we've finished here? We could kill them our let them go, this ship isn't really made to hold water creatures."

Danyka nodded in agreement to Rrger's assessment, "Flunkies.  Nothing more."  She pursed her lips as she contemplated their options.  "We are unlikely to find the meeting place without a lot of luck.  Or a lot of help." she mused aloud, then making a slightly plaintive sigh.  The tall Rynnish brunette glanced at the Captain, then continued speaking, "We'll review the map's legend once more, but I am not hopeful."

Dany pulled the tricorne hat from her head and ran her fingers over her hair pensively for a moment as she looked over the captives.  Rrger and the others of the Iron Fist seemed to be looking to her for orders.  She'd never considered herself a leader of men; so, the mantle he'd have her wear rested uneasily upon her shoulders.

Still, she could give guidance.  The Llaelese gun mage placed the curved-brimmed hat back on her head before she spoke again, "As Morrow preaches to us all," Danyka intoned quietly, "Mercy is one of his main blessings."  She smiled slightly, before adding, "But only for the truly repentant..."  Knowing that at least one of the sahuagin could understand her words, she spoke slowly and clearly once more, "If they can promise to leave us in peace, acknowledging the power of Morrow, then I can see no reason to keep them further..."

She started back towards the cabin's to review the map further, but turned once more and spoke very deliberately.  "But," the comely brunette added with a touch of menace, "if they prove false or unwilling to commit to peace ... then they cannot be permitted to leave."  Which, as her trollkin companion knew, meant only one thing, since the sea devils couldn't travel with them and remain alive.

In Iron Kingdoms, sea devils would probably be evil, but they aren't portrayed that way in all sources. On the other hand, they can promise not to attack you again, but that is only in the current situation. If they get another boss that tells them to attack, they will. There's no correlation to them between the two events.


The sea devils are living creatures, intelligent by most standards (though not overly so) and undoubtedly sentient. So it isn't as if you can kill them like they were just fish.

The captain thinks they should be killed... one less threat in the sea. However, at the moment, they aren't a threat.

Of all the Iron Fist, Gorren is probably the more blood-thirsty. He equates the sea devils to orcs.

Otherwise, the rest of the Fist and crew thinks they should be let go.

Rrger turns to the creature he's been speaking with, "If you and all your friends here will promise to go home and leave us alone, we can let you go. Translate to them and when they make the promise I will put them back into the sea." Rrger keeps his word and as each of the sea devils agrees he will throw them back into the ocean. His translator goes last and the tall trollkin looks back to the captain, "Maybe we can take on more fuel on those islands you were talking about. Otherwise we probably wouldn't have enough for the side trip anyway, right?"

The sea devils all agree, and are released back into the ocean, though Rrger is dubious about their ability to keep their word, assuming they have such a thing in their culture.

"Islands? What islands are you talking about?" the Captain replies to Rrger. "As far as I'm aware, there's no coal between here and Zu, and we aren't even sure there is coal in Zu!"


About fifteen minutes later, the lookout in the crow's nest calls down.

"SHIP AHOY! AFT PORTSIDE... UP!"

The call is strange, and when you spot nothing on the sea, you do, indeed, look up! There's some sort of flying... ship! There's a quite large sack floating through the sky with a small basket-like 'ship' hanging beneath it. As it nears, it is clear that it is some sort of giant oval-shaped balloon with a carrying structure suspended beneath it.

Several upper torsos appear over the top edge of the ship, and they wave down to you, while a friendly flag is run out on the bowsprit.

"WE HAVE SOME RECRUITS FOR YOU! THEY CAN EXPLAIN!"

Once this flying balloon is over the ship, a rope ladder is uncoiled down to the deck. It is quite difficult for the balloon to maintain position, so Bosh grabs the ladder and holds it steady.

A minute later, two people climb down the ladder. No sooner are they onboard than a strong crosswind pushes the balloon away and nearly drags Bosh overboard before he can let go of the ladder.


Welcome aboard Alexander Orlandus and Ioelenna Winterspire!

Also, we have new players taking over the characters of Nicollo and Gorren! Everybody, jump right in and start posting!

"New recruits, hey? Name's Rrger." A tall trollkin in an armored greatcoat smile (which might be disconcerting to some) and offers his hand in greeting.

In reply to Rrger (msg # 62):

Ioelenna is attired in leathers and is obviously a Nyss. She strides almost feline toward the Trollkin who spoke.

"I am Ioelenna Winterspire, Warmage of Cygnar and Nyssor."

Danyka hadn't actually gone inside, instead waiting until the prisoners had been freed and had left.  Though she had watched impassively, the tall Rynnish brunette's demeanor made it fairly clear that she'd taken a keen enough interest in the sea devils' fates.  Her mere continued presence enough of an indicator of her stance on the matter.

Once they were gone, she looked out over the side, seemingly lost in watching the water wash up against the side of the moving ship.

Dany's head snapped up to the crow's nest when the call rang out.  Then her eyes quickly moved off in the direction indicated by the lookout.  She watched warily as the airship approached and then relaxed once the colours were seen and the Resolute's lookout indicated that the ship had given the right code to approach.

She stood back the the new arrivals disembarked from the ladder and were deposited upon the deck of the ship.  Given the wind and her lack of strength, she had no desire to be swept away or in Bosh's way, trusting the ogrun with the mechanikal arm to pull his own weight - or not at the breeze's whim.

The Llaelese gun mage touched her hat in a greeting and a salute as introductions were passed around.  "Danyka Ydrasyl." she noted simply, giving her own name before prompting the newcomers, "How's Captain Flagg?  And did he give you any further orders to convey?"

What the two new arrivals are able to convey is that word had reached Captain Flag about the attack at the wharf just as the ship was sailing. He'd made some inquiries and discovered that some faction of Menoth is behind this. Apparently they believe that the existence of Zu undermines their belief system.

Fearing the worst, Captain Flagg took the two best recruits he had and decided to send them out to rendezvous with the Resolute in an experimental new flying ship. It was at the limit of its range when it spotted the ship. It was at the point of no return; any further and it would not have been able to make it back. That was the reason it couldn't stay.

The Resolute has reached its point of no return as well. It's at the halfway point to Zu. It does not have enough supplies to make it back; it is closer and easier to reach Zu. Of course, that was before encountering the enemy ship.

Rrger listens intently to the new people's information. They'd suspected that the church of Menoth was behind the attacks but now that it was confirmed it really hit home. Their enemies had no shortage of men or equipment to send after them and were serious about stopping the mission. "At least they got information on the first attack, there were divers around our ship in these breathing suits. The ship that attacked us was more of a threat, if the captain hadn't rammed them they probably would have taken us. And you probably saw the Sahaguin we just threw back into the water. They came with a serpent that would have torn us up if not for our gunner's good aim. I think that about catches you up. Did you see anything as you approached from the air?"

Danyka watched the waves on the water as the silence dragged on for a bit.  "I suspect that it matters not..." she intoned quietly, in answer to Rrger's query, even though she hadn't been the original target.

She pursed her lips for a moment and then sighed slightly, "Since we have passed the Point of No Return, we are committed."  The tall, Rynnish brunette glanced in the direction of the Captain of the Resolute, before continuing, "We have little choice but to try and make the best time to Zu.  Speed is our ally and our best hope ..."

Once again, sorry for the delay. I kept hoping the other three people would post, but apparently they aren't going to.


The next couple of days pass uneventfully for the most part. The ship gets caught on the edge of storm but it passes to the east.

On the fourth day, you spot a bird flying overhead, indicating that you aren't too far from shore, even if it's not yet in sight.

Rrger spends the days tinkering with his 'jacks and teaching them some combat tricks. None of them were designed or built specifically for war so it's a little hard to get through to them. They eventually start to get the idea though, storing the new tricks for later use.

After making sure that the new arrivals had quarters and were settled in, Danyka spent the next couple of days settling back into a routine.  Early mornings were always filled with vespers and receiving the Lord of Light's first blessing of the day.  For the Rynnish brunette, that meant time spent on the aft deck, facing the morning sun since they were travelling westward.

Dany was readily willing to have anyone else on board join her, in fact nothing seemed to please her more, and as lay clergy she could speak the prayers and led others in song.  But she wasn't one to preach nor was she overly zealous about her faithfulness to the Healing Teacher, Morrow; she simply tried to let her acts speak for herself and for Him, forgoing any sermons or proselytizing.

After morning prayers, Danyka would eat and then 'make the rounds' - ensuring that the horses and other animals on board were healthy and that the other members of the Iron Fist were hale.  She tried not to be too intrusive, but did appear to feel it was her charge to tend to the flock, of sorts.  Late morning usually found the Llaelese gun mage practicing with her new thinblade.  Dany seemed adamant that she needed to prove worthy as its new owner.

At least one hour in the afternoon, usually the one after lunch, were spent meeting with the captain and going over the map once more.  Although their course clearly plotted, there were still portions of the parchment that defied interpretation.  And even though, Danyka could read magical dweomers and writing, the mundane coding of the map rebuffed her attempts to unravel its mysteries.

Exasperation usually forced her to yield by mid-afternoon.  Which generally meant that she could be found playing her mandolin on the foredeck in the warm afternoon sun.  Weather permitting.  When the birds were spotted, Danyka knew that their time on the Resolute was coming to a close.  The tunes that emanated from her instrument that day, had a touch of gentle melancholy in them; her concession to the calm before the storm.

Birds flying overhead become more frequent, even to the point where a few gulls stop and perch on the yardarms. Land is spotted while still a long way aways, a gray speck on the horizon that slowly grows in size.

In a few more hours, you start to spot small islands dotting the oceanscape. As you pass nearby one or two, you can see that they are uninhabited coral atolls or rocky outcroppings, with sparse or no vegetation, though they are resting and nesting places for the various birds.

Closer to the landmass, about 5 miles out, you can start to make out details. The land looks like it's probably some sort of peninsula, as you can clearly see both sides of it at this distance. At three miles, you can see topographical, landscape and building details.

It's a rocky coast, with towns and at least one city built upward on the hillsides. You also pass a larger island that has a fishing village on it. The buildings are of two types: wooden shacks or white-washed adobe with colorful tiled roofs. There are far more shacks, though, that white buildings in the fishing village.

On the mainland, shacks or shanties are only along the water. None of the buildings on the hill are wooden, but all are white-washed with colorful tile roofs.

At this point, the captain slips the wind out of the sails until the ship is barely moving.

As the Resolute approached the land, the Rynnish brunette stopped her blade form exercises.  And as the housing became more distinct, Danyka moved to stand at the railing near the prow of the ship to watch the continent of Zu become bigger and bigger.  She was quiet for pretty much the entire time.

Noticing the disparity in building types and quality, the Llaelese gun mage shook her head slightly and mused to no one in particular, "Haves and have nots..."  Her burgundy lips were pressed into a slight, disdainful moue as she added, "Seems class separation is not a purely Immoren construct..."  Perhaps not surprising really, but Dany still felt that the sentiment bore expression.

When the ship's progress ground to a halt, Danyka moved to talk with the Captain.  She handed a wax-sealed envelope to the leader of the Resolute's crew, "Captain, this is the preliminary report for Captain Flagg of the Iron Fist.  It details our encounters with both the Menite ship and the sahuagin - and the basis for our conclusion that the Protectorate is the Immoren player behind the attacks.  Please see that he gets it."

"We, of course," the young Llaelese woman reiterated, gesturing to encompass her fellow Fisters, "have been tasked with trying to determine in as much detail as possible the fate of the previous expedition.  Assuming they made it this far."  She prompted the Captain for some information on timing, "How long will you remain before heading back?" which gave her the first deadline they would have to report in, "And if and when should we expect resupply?"  Which presumably would give them a secondary deadline for additional information gathering, should the Resolute be returning to Zu.

"As I told you before, Miss," the Captain replies to Danyka as he takes here report, "I have my orders, of course, but they are also subject to circumstances. If we make landfall without any sign of the ship, I'm expected to wait 30 days while you investigate. That would be at each port, if there is more than one."

"Beyond that, it's at my discretion. We might have to sail to a number of islands. How long I'll wait at each island depends on the size of the island and the size of the port, as well as what you find out."

"I doubt very much whether this or another ship will be sent back. If you don't return with me, and I have no information about the lost ship, then the mission will be considered a failure."

"If a return to Zu happens after that, it is likely to be a fleet, especially with this report to them."

In reply to Capt Milo Grant (msg # 73):

Seems like the right and proper military move.

"Thirty days..." Dany mused softly to herself as she looked out at the sprawling coastline revealed before her.  The tall Rynnish brunette took in a deep breath which caused her light frame to shudder slightly, before Danyka turned back to face the others.  "Of course, Captain." she noted off-hand, "I do remember you saying that.  It is not much time.  A month to learn all that we can..."

Another deep breath followed.  "All right, people." the Llaelese gun mage intoned, her tone taking on a touch more finality and authority, "Let's get saddled up and ready to move once we hit the shore.  We need to hit the ground running; so, let's be ready to start digging."  She wasn't sure what kind of legwork would be required or what type of diplomacy.  Dany didn't know a lot of things about the situation.  But, waiting off shore wasn't going to give them the answers either.

"Do we know the name of the natives or this port?" she prompted the Captain of the Resolute; he'd obviously been given slightly different orders than they had - since there was potential trade involved.  Given their martial focus, Danyka wasn't really sure what level of diplomacy they were supposed to engage in.  She preferred not to fight, but Fate had always seemed to have other plans in mind.