In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 196):

OOC-so close...

18:14, Today: Vander Wargrider rolled 14 using 1d20 with rolls of 14.  Raw int check.

When the first of the ladies reacts to nearly getting something chomped off, Zug Zug steps forward to deliver a grizzly coup de grace by way of greatclub across the top of the dome with a splat. Zug Zug readied to finish off the second helpless zombie too, if neither Pearl nor Xao beat him to it...

As Pearl cleared the face of her bundle and the zombie thing tried to bite her, she took the dagger she was using and stabbed with both hands on the hilt right into the forehead of the thing hopefully killing it.

The zombies were defenseless and while Pearl pierced the brain cleanly on one side, Zug Zug splattered it like a ripe melon on the other side.

One of the zombies is earing shiny gold earrings while the other has a primitive vine necklace wrapped around a raw uncut green amethyst.

The ship gives another shudder and the water surges up again, now lapping above the ankles of those below deck.

---

Up top the raft construction is going poorly. Perhaps poorly is the wrong word to use. Absolutely horrible. There is plenty of good solid wood lying around that can be pried up off the deck or even just ripping doors off the hinges but the problem is cordage. Every piece of rope or binding is rotten past its ability to lash things together. The party has some rope but it is going to need more if they want to build a raft that has any hope of staying together.

At this point it seems their only likely avenue is to grab the largest pieces of wood that can float and then throw rope between them to form an array of floating buoys as opposed to a solid raft.

"I want these." Zug Zug said about the gold earrings while he was in the middle of taking them. Once the water was up to his ankles, Zug Zug waved a hand at his throat. "No more time. Must go, Now!

Without another word, he raced back to the top, expecting to see the others hard at work on a raft. When all he seen was a mess, he was visibly irritated. "What have you been doing?"

OOC: Lore Check passed. Craft check shy by 2. If somebody could aid another to improve on my crafting directions, or if it was an easier check mow that the Lore is passed...

Throwing his hands in the air, Zug Zug muttered a string of curses, that, had they been rope, would have been enough to craft a raft and tie nooses for all the mutineers on the other crew. "Look. Like this... first we need to stablize the frame. It will also..." Zug Zug started laying out the pieces and explaining what he was doing with words and gestures that were awfully big for the big dumb barbarian he had been pretending to be.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:10, Mon 24 May 2021.

"...this is proving futile." She said with regard to building the raft.

[OOC: Has the ship she's been watching moved at all?]

Zug Zug was right it was probably time to get out of the body of the ship.  They had gotten all they could for now.  Perhaps something would float to the surface when the thing goes under.

When Pearl came to the top behind Zug Zug she saw the progression as well and just let him rant while she went to work on the raft.

Hopefully my craft check will be enough.
09:47, Today: Pearl McCalister rolled 17 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 14

She snatches the necklace from the redeaded undead and stuffs it into a pocket before chasing after the other two up to the deck. She takes a look at what is happening and starts to pitch in following Zug Zug's direction. "I wonder if the zombies would provide bouyancy. The spider silk is water proof, we might be able to use that too." She muses while ripping up panels of decking.

Who said the below deck crew had any time to make craft/lore checks?

The crew below deck grab the jewelry and head back to the staircase. As they are heading up to assist with the raft creation there is a snarling from down below. A rancid looking arm with long sharp claws reaches up out from the hold and snatches at Pearl's ankle, just barely missing. From out of the hold comes a snarling undead face to go along with the arm. It's a ghoul! Correction...ghouls. Two more faces start snapping up and more arms start reaching for the retreating deck crew.

From the churning of the water it is possible there are more than three down in the hold. When Xao explored the cargo hold she had to stay above the water but had noted it reeked of death down there. There might just be three or there might be thirty...

---

Above deck just as the below deck crew runs up and out of the hatch Kalia peers through her dragon's eyes...

Roll a 1d2 and call it: even or odds...

Evens. Roll incoming.

00:06, Today: Kalia Tyrnddare rolled 2 using 1d2 with rolls of 2.

In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 205):

Vander tosses down efforts with the wood. "We better off just dog paddling!" He snarled, kicking the wood-and then rubbing his hurt toe. Shaka looked over at him, panting. "No offense." He said, and pet the animal, who did not seem to take any offense.

He does look over at Kalia, who seems to be oddly disoriented.

Rafe, who's been oddly silent during the crisis, approaches with an armload of extra wood. "Well... this should definitely float, but I don't have the tools to put it together properly."




14:07, Today: Rafe Rookward rolled 23 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 20.  Lore/Sailing check.

14:07, Today: Rafe Rookward rolled 11 using 1d20 with rolls of 11.  Crafting check.

Pity I couldn't have reversed those rolls.


This message was last edited by the player at 19:34, Wed 26 May 2021.

Through her dragon's eyes Kalia sees that the ship is approaching and seems to be picking up speed! If they can only hold thee ghouls at bay for awhile their rescue could be fast approaching.

"Hold them at the hatch!" She yells as she readies a spear to turn the first one through the hatch into a ghoul-kebab.

"Wait, there's more of them?" Rafe demands, abandoning his futile messing around with the wood to draw his sword and lift his shield.

OOC: Do we hear the yelling and screaming?

Zug Zug came barreling up from below because he'd been at a full on sprint. "Undead things!" Was all he'd managed to get out. "Raft made?" He looked around in dismay at all the pieces but nothing built. "No time!" He grunted in agitation. "Come on! Come on!" He yelled at Pearl, extending a beefy green arm to scoop her up and out the last few steps. "Get ready! They coming! Smash heads!"

OOC: Ready a smash upside the head of the first ghoul to come up
This message was last edited by the player at 00:46, Fri 28 May 2021.

"The ships incoming! Stand your ground and form a wall! Rescue is on the way!" She yelled as she gave Drakar it's senses back and commanded him to return.

In reply to Zug Zug Bob (msg # 214):

Vander leaps upon Shaka, saddling up. He gets his bow ready, and tries not to look at the mess of the raft laying on the deck. "Let's go!" He says to Zug Zug. "Can we get others from below up here!? We can escape on ship Kalia saw!"

Pearl about jumped out of her shoes when the ghoulish had tried to claw her.  Thank goodness if missed her.  Scrambling to the top deck, Pearl agreed with Zug.  "Yes, close the door and brace it so they can't get through!"

The group forms a ring around the hatch smashes and stabbing down to keep the ghouls at bay. They quickly discover that there are only a half dozen undead bloated from soaking in the water for who knows how long but they are ravenously hungry and claw up. Still with their superior position the party holds the line and avoids the fearsome paralyzing scratches and infectious bites. After a few seconds the ghouls seem to realize that they cannot break through the guarded staircase and scatter. The party hears them clawing around the lower deck and then they hear signs of struggling coming from the cabin to the North. They must be cutting their way through the webbing there to try and flank the party! Even as the party moves to adjust their positions they can hear other ghouls coming back to the hatchway and yet another one trying to claw through the cargo hatch!

All seems lost, there are just too many ways for the ghouls to swarm them when all of a sudden a blast of fire appears from the sky. Floating overhead is the red headed pirate wizard.

Floating above their heads the wizard calls down.

"Are there more of them? Did you find anything of value on the ship?"

Even as she is calling down the group can hear the remaining four ghouls scratching around below deck, likely planning a new path of attack as they speak...

Rafe peers skyward, shading his eyes with the edge of his shield.

"Yes, there are too damn many of them down there! We need to get out of here!"

Pearl was thankful to see the ship's wizard appear above them.  The situation was becoming dire and they needed to get off the ship fast.  Rafe had answered the bit about the ghouls and so Pearl answered about the stuff, "Yes, we found a number of things of value, but weren't able to check the whole ship due to it sinking and those damn ghouls down there."