Ok Berta you can use my stone later...you also owe me a few drinks later...Keeps his crossbow out for now but will grab his axe if they are to board the ship....stands waiting and briefly puts his hand on Raels shoulder...

I wish I knew what they want...are they possible allies or enemies...Meep sure seems excited...Valmir if we battle it looks like you are getting a new ship. takes his hand off Rael and aims his crossbow to wait for what might happen

Angrboda looks over at Rael, "You really are anxious to burn things aren't you?" she says laughing, "You sure you don't worship Kakatal?" she says, although she does find herself wishing they had not squandered their elemental help on Media now that they had another boat to contend with.  "What are the chances they want to be our friend." she asks Valmir.

Angrboda our little Rael is growing up...anything up your sleeve for this one? no more magic orbs.

Rael chuckles nervously "anxious? more like desperate... its all about showing the other side how far you are willing to go." he was sweating again and his palm was sweaty he was sure he will drop the knife at any moment.

"I am not some great warrior or a sorcerer of great power... I am just a normal mortal man and I am in a very desperate situation..."

"This is a cruel harsh land... I doubt they would seek friendship, one does not gain a reputation as a fierce pirate just by stopping and saying hello to random ships."

"Well we I can put it this way. If they want something we have, they will get it. I've yet heard of any attack that they were thwarted. Then again the only survivors tale was one of someone from a different ship." He shakes his head in an almost resigned loss. "The tales say that they have sorcerers so skillful that they often target the steerage of a ship, setting it adrift.  As I said earlier about the chains and things that fall overboard. Tis the same with any ship that goes inert, them chains tear it and it's crew apart. See, that way Maria has no blood on her hand."

A slight chuckle escapes his chest. "So close."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:55, Sat 05 Sept 2015.

Angrboda snorts, "If I had a silver dragon for every story I heard about powerful Sorcerers, I would have more money than the emperor himself." she says derisively.  "Well I guess we will just have to see what kind of magic these humans wield."  It is quite obvious from her demeanor that she has very little respect for "petty" sorcerers.

"So we can't run and they'll rip us to pieces if we heave too ..."

"Do the tales suggest anyone has tried to board them ?"  Berta's jaw has a grim set to it for all her lips curl back in a broad grin.  "I'm for turning about and trying our luck !"

Great another battle... Rael could fill his bladder swelling up at the hint of battle and he just notice that itch at the left lower back, a place where the soft leather he wore chaffed against his flesh... soft leather my ass the thing was hard as an old sole.

"A novel idea Berta but for it to work we must not look like hunters waiting for our prey or else they would shoot us down from afar..." he shakes his head "No, we must hide weapons and look afraid and panicked..." for his own part Rael had little trouble acting the role.

Valmir snorts at Berta's suggestion. "Didn't you hear me, they take out your ability to move. Some may have tried but an object at rest has a hard time catching anyone." As the discussion about what to do about the approaching pirate continues you are all plainly aware of one single fact, The pirate is moving considerably faster than you thought. In ship to ship battles it often takes a faster pursuing ship an hour or greater to catch up. This ship is taking that hour down to minuets. Only a span of about 10 minuets has passed since the first sighting and the pirate is rapidly gaining definition.

You are now able to clearly see figures about the deck of the other ship. Instead of a common figurehead you see a rather thin "ram" on top of the bow. Pirates in all sorts of garb are seen rushing about the deck readying for approach. At this point the are nearly a mile off and rapidly closing. One figure stands out among the rest. Instead of rushing about, this figure in red calmly walks the deck pointing out orders. Others around her jump to her motions.

Valmir pulls back on the large lever causing the ship to slow. "No use burning her out, we may need something later." he seems to say to no one in particular. "Besides your black skinned friend, did any of you take something from the castle? We are not a merchant she has to be after something else. Her actions make me think that she thinks he have it."

Other then a little gold and a few of the books, I don't think anyone took anything else.  We used our orb already.  Angrboda did you take anything she might want? keeps holding his crossbow but is starting to think it won't do much good against this ship.

"Well, that depends.  If they really have a sorcerer on board they could want the books I took.  Although that guy," she says pointing to the meepman, "was of great interest to Media so it could very well be him that they are looking for." she shrugs, "Either way it doesn't really matter, we are heading for a fight." she finishes.  She then turns to watch the rapid approach of the other ship, lightly fingering the small silver orbs in her pocket.

Nods at Angrboda...Then a fight we shall give them. Valmir slow down the ship, let the bitch catch up to us...Rael, Khazim and Berta are you ready for this?..puts his crossbow down on a bench so it is easy to grab if needed and pulls out his mighty axe once again...goes down on one knee and closes his eyes and says a few words to Donblas while waiting for the ship to get closer.

No I am not ready... Rael wanted to scream instead he just nodded grimly tightening his hold on his knife "Try to take out the captain first..." he adds "It might cause them to lose moral and if she is a sorcerer as well it would mean less trouble for our side."

He glance at the hell maiden next to him "I don't suppose you have a demon or two for this occasion?"

Angrboda smiles, "I see the usefulness of chaos is wearing off on you.  Good.  Unfortunately I have not had the time to do any summonings, although I do have a couple of surprises left from the tower." she replies.

The ship pulls parallel to your own vessel roughly 500ft (152m) matching it for speed. The red clad figure, now identifiable as a raven haired woman, walks to the rail and puts a horn to her lips. Her voice echos across the gap "Ahoy! Heave to and prepare to be boarded!" The mass of pirates at her back seem to be frozen waiting for some key word or action before resuming their flurry of activity. The pirate crew seems to be made up of just about anything imaginable. Men standing well over 8' (2.4m), Man-beasts some of which have extra limbs, A green scaly man-thing, as well as humans in various skin tones (including red).

I am Viktor of Pan Tang...you are welcome to board but we don't have much to offer your highness...says in his loudest voice possible and takes a knee and bow to the captain before getting up and swings his axe around once and stands by the edge in front of Rael.

For one crazy second Rael had the notion to poison Meep, some slow poison that he had an antidote for. Use it as a leverage if indeed the black giant was what these people were after. Just for one second he harbored such unholy notion but he quickly shake it off disgusted with himself for ever thinking such a thing.

Instead he stood his ground, behind Viktor, trying to look fierce and not scared witless.

Angrboda watches the ship as it approaches and sighs at Viktor's invite.  She moves to a place where she can see the boarding but will not be in the front ranks when it occurs.  She grasps the elemental ball in her pocket, ready to throw it if need be.

Looks back at Rael and talks with a quiet voice...Tell me, my friend, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? and swings his axe around a few times while waiting for the response from the pirate captain.

Rael is frightened, what sane would not be when faced with a crew three time the size and ten time more vicious but he has faced demons, sorcerers and mad gods no this crew will not break his spirit only his flesh.

He lift his knife in a salute to Viktor "I don't dance and most devils avoid me if they can..." he really wished his voice could sounds like Viktor, confident and strong and not a wavering squeak.

"Ram them ... and if they do stop us, then we shall see if they can avoid a collision, speed they're going," Berta clarifies.  But one look aft is sufficient to convince her that even where it viable, even desirable, the chance has long since passed.

"Mirath's Pale Hands !" she swears.  "That ship is fast.  The captain must have sold her soul and that of all her crew to Lassa to bargain for such favours !"

"If I'm to die, then I'll look my foe in the eye, not hide behind this mask ... or worse, be mistaken for one of Media's bitches," the warrior woman snarls, setting aside her heavy helm and shaking loose her red tresses as she fits her sword to her off-hand.

Seeing Angrboda seeking a position of tactical advantage, Berta nods to the pale skinned woman, moving to the fore of where battle may come, choosing her place that she might block the path of any that might threaten the Sorceress, knowing that it may only be her spells that will give this ship and its passengers any hope.

Valmir looks to Viktor as he has taken it upon himself to address the pirate in the crews stead. "I hope you know what you are doing."

The raven haired pirate calls back after Viktors invite. "We have no issue except that we are returned what is ours!" She then motions to the poop deck. The ship then begins to slide sideways closing the gap between the two ships. The pirates on the Mistress remove a section of the guardrail and begin to prepare a gangplank. In the background of your own ship the black skinned man begins to clap excitedly and starts making loud meeping noises. Strange, for the amount of time you have spent with the odd man, you swear that you are beginning to hear minor inflections in his meeping, as if he were actually talking rather than making noise. What it is, you still have no idea.

The ships drift close enough and the gang slams down, hooks digging into your own deck. You see the green scaly-man thing motion to a handful of others and begin down the gang towards your own ship. Now that you are close enough you see this demonic individual in all it's glory. Standing roughly 7'(2.1m)tall this thing is covered in scaly green skin. It's head has two large red eyes that lack any pupils, a wide frog-like mouth filled with tiny needle like teeth, and short spikes where hair commonly would be found across the top and back of his head. He is wearing no armor, or clothes, except a belt that contains a long wicked looking knife and a sheath only a few inches long that houses a rather large bent sword hilt. Behind this frog-demon a band of 4 sailors gather and move across. Beyond a wide variety of weapons and no armor they look like any typical Young Kingdoms bunch.

The black skinned man rushed through the assembled heroes and embraces the frog demon. "Get off me you stunking thing." it croak's in a barely recognizable approximation of language. "Maria thanks you for finding her navigator and would like to offer a finders fee as a reward." You can see that Maria is on the other side of the deck motioning at a small silvery box that a small skinny man is holding. The small man motions to the small box and then toward your ship. The discussion between the two do not seem heated, more like the smaller man is telling Maria something very "matter of fact".

Rael consider this turning of events "Hmm, this put us in an interesting dilemma." he speaks softly to his companion ears alone "On one hand this is the place Meepo wants to be... on the other, there is one crazy queen who has our heart in the palm of her hand? should we face certain death now or later?"

He glance at the ship captain and yells to her "Tell me captain have you ever heard of Queen Pollidemia?"

Angrboda's ears perk up at the mention of a "finders fee", "How much of a finder's fee?" she asks.  "Of course I am not one of the people who has their heart ripped out." she thinks as she moves quietly forward to listen to the rapport between the interested parties.