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Visitor :  Dice Roller| Game Info| The Cast |
| Prologue: Red Sky at Morning. Posted by Raellus. | Group: 0 |
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| Author | Message | Page: 3 2 1 [all][bottom] |
With the terrible consequences in store for them should the cog lose it's captain, the warlock once again pulls at the cosmos and coalesces a bolt of energy from nothing. Corros 8/13 HP Moving to angle for an advantage attack Eldritch Bolt at Pirate #12 | |||||
She can see others engaged in combat, the half orc she had seen being sick earlier, the man in dark clothing, but it seems that of all of them the Captain of the Seahorse and the man who exhorted her to pray to Arma before the battle had commenced appear to be in worst shape, so she makes the snap decision that for the moment at least the swordsman and the Captain's needs are greatest and so she decides to aid them by trying to strike down one of their opponents. And so her head tilts backwards slightly, her lips moving although no words are audible, both pupil and iris of her eyes shifting from their normal hue to a milky white as her body becomes a conduit for the Goddess's sacred power and she summons fire from the sky in an attempt to strike down one of the two men attacking the swordsman. Jenna Casted Sacred Flame cantrip against Pirate #10 | |||||
Nicolai [11/15 HP] rapier (dagger in off-hand for personal grooming) bonus Disengage from Cunning Action, maneuvering out of contact with #1, and letting the air out of #12 | |||||
Gronk is coming out of his swoon of violence, slowly regaining his sense of context, the red veil descending to reveal a picture more closely resembling reality. He looks around the carnage-strewn deck as he tries to make sense of it all. Four pirates, one barely standing, face off against three allies near the cog's wheel. Both the pretty female cleric and the young warlock are behind Gronk, out of immediate danger, and both appear to lost the mysterious revelry of spell-casting at present. To Gronk's right, a big brown bear is locked in close combat with a large, fork-bearded pirate, fiercer in aspect to any of the other pirates Gronk has seen on this morn. Perhaps he is the pirate's champion, or their captain. The hirsute dwarf is nowhere to be seen. There's little time to waste. Gronk isn't too bright, but he knows that the fastest way to kill the body is to remove its head. With that in mind, Gronk summons his last reserves of inner strength, and heads directly for the pirate champion, hoping that the bear appreciates the help enough not to turn on the helper. Gronk (17/26 + 8 HP from Second Wind) Morning Star, "Spike" Attacking Pirate Captain - | |||||
Only once had Ulfgar reversed the combo, slashing first then moving in for the bite. It was a terrible experience that also had a nickname… He called it, ‘getting shitfaced’. Ulfgar Frostbeard Multi-attack vs. the Pirate Captain - Bite: +5 to Hit, +1d8+4 damage piercing, Claw: +5 to hit, 2d6+4 damage slashing. Hit Points: Current Form: [14/34], Base HP: [14/21] | |||||
Almost in unison, Jenna and Corros let loose with their spells. Corros' target, the bloodied pirate still facing off with the cog's captain, is struck down by the blast of magical energy (Pirate #12 is dead). Jenna's target staggers backwards, briefly engulfed in flames. Although he survives the spell attack, he is badly burned (Pirate #10 is seriously wounded). Having been deprived of his intended target by the friendly warlock's arcane marksmanship, Nicolai switches targets on the fly, heading for the next closest pirate and launching a lightening quick sneak attack. Once again, the point of the assassin's rapier tastes blood as the blade slides smoothly through his victim's throat from back to front. The cutthroat has become cutthroat-ee, slumping to the deck , lifesblood pouring out too quickly to staunch (Pirate #11 is dead). Gronk charges at the pirate captain, launching a tried and true overhead attack with his massive morning star. The effect is wholly ungratifying, the spikes of the weapon burying themselves in the wooden railing next to the fork-bearded seadog. Ulfgar-Bear has much more success, "gut-ripper" nearly living up to its name (Ulfgar-Bear does 20 damage to Pirate Captain). Outnumbered, badly wounded, and facing the prospect of imminent death, the pirate captain sees the writing on the bulkhead. With an agility belying his larger-than-average size, the pirate captain disengages from his two large, fierce opponents and leaps back to the deck of his galley, leaving a trail of blood. One accomplice is able to join him, Nicolai's original opponent taking the opportunity to withdraw. This leaves only one pirate, well-scorched, alive aboard the Sea Horse. Badly wounded and abandoned by his mates, he drops to his knees in front of the mustachioed fighter and begs for quarter. Tactical Summary Pirate #1 is still unwounded and back aboard the galley. Pirate #12 is dead. Pirate #10 is seriously wounded and asking for quarter. Pirate #11 dead. The Pirate Captain is seriously wounded (-48 HP, total) and back aboard the galley. There are two unwounded pirates on board the galley, the helmsman and the slave-master. There are two seriously wounded pirates aboard the galley. Your Turn. - | |||||
Ulfgar-Bear took off after the Piratical Captain like the man had a one pocket full of salmon and the other full of honey. Once aboard the enemy ship the druid launched his attack against the leader of the freebooters. Seeing the slave-master only filled Ulfgar with even more rage. Once the bearded-one was dealt with, the slaver would be next. Ulfgar Frostbeard Multi-attack vs. the Pirate Captain - Bite: +5 to Hit, +1d8+4 damage piercing, Claw: +5 to hit, 2d6+4 damage slashing. Hit Points: Current Form: [14/34], Base HP: [14/21]  Just jump to 40 seconds to see the #1 thing you should never try to outrun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkuDevHbhhY Even the mouth-breathing morning news folks know about this. Poor pirate didn't get the memo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs9vGLWM_F4 | |||||
Instead, he starts walking towards the pirate ship. When his eyes fall on the helmsman, he left hand comes up again, crafting a sigil in the air and releasing another bolt of energy, this one more like a piece of lightening, arcing from his finger to his target. They won't get away that easily. Corros 8/13 HP Walking towards pirate ship Casting Witchbolt at the Helmsman | |||||
And so she uses the pirates' own ropes to deftly move from one ship to the other, swinging across the gap between the two. When her booted feet strike the deck of the black sailed vessel she looks about quickly, her gaze resting on the Slave Master. Her eyes begin to turn white once again. He would be the next to suffer the Goddess's wrath. Jenna 13/17 HP Moving from one vessel to the other Casting Sacred Flame against the Slave Master | |||||
Nicolai [11/15 HP] rapier (dagger in off-hand for emphasis) negotiating with #1, making with the face-stabby if he doesn't surrender | |||||
Four of the Five leap down from the tubby cog's slightly raised main deck to the black-painted main deck of the slim pirate galley; only one lands squarely on his feet. Jenna is just regaining her footing when the slave master is upon her. A tall, muscular thug, naked to the waste and carrying a whip in one hand and a club in the other, attacks the unsteady cleric. His whip is a blur, striking with a loud crack before she can raise her shield against it and leaving behind a stinging wound on her neck (Jenna loses 2 HP). She avoids the brute's far more dangerous follow-up club attack and launches her an attack of her own, knocking the bald brute back with a heavy blow from her war hammer (Thug loses 10 HP). Ulfgar-Bear slips on the smooth deck of the galley; fortunately, so did the pirate captain (no change in initiative order). Jaws snap shut on empty air, but the brown bear's claws once again rake the pirate captain's chest, drawing yet more blood (Ulfgar Bear hits for 12 damage). Knowing that capture means certain death, the savage pirate leader has nothing to lose. Ferocity born of desperation, he launches a powerful counter-attack, striking the bear with both scimitar and dagger (Ulfgar-Bear loses 13 more HP). Neither of the two combatants has much left to give; both could potentially finish the other with the next attack. Although he tries, Gronk is of no help to his ursine ally. He too slips on the slick deck and his morning star attack against the fork-bearded pirate chief fails to hit home. One of the pirates wounded in the cog defenders' opening volley of missiles seizes the opportunity presented by the off-balance Half-orc to launch an attack of his own; but his short sword sings by Gronk's right ear without leaving a mark. As Nicolai asks a pointed question, his rapier is pointed directly at his old pirate crewman enemy's chest. This man too knows that the best that a captive pirate can hope for is a clean drop from the gibbet, so he ignores the surrender demand, instead hacking at Nicolai's outstretched arm with short sword. He misses and it's nearly the last mistake he'd ever make. Nicolai's rapier darts foward and pierces the pirate's chest, nearly letting the wind out of him (Nic hits Pirate #1 for 10 damage). Deflated but defiant, the pirate staggers back off of the slim, red-painted blade, then lurches forward again, short sword cutting into the assassin's off arm (Nic loses 4 more HP). A wounded companion rejoins the fight, attacking Nicolai from the flank but missing with the weak swing of his hand-axe. Corros stays aboard the cog, his position near the railing offering a commanding view of the pirate galley's deck. His latest incantation produces a lightening bolt-like arc of energy which strikes the pirate helmsman, knocking the salt-cured man to his knees (Corros does 8 points of damage to Helmsman). Also aboard the Sea Horse, the mustachioed fighter dispatches the surrendering wounded corsair with a hacking blow from his great sword. Tactical Summary Nic is in close combat with Pirate #1 who is now critically wounded. Pirate #14 is seriously wounded and attacking Nic. Jenna is in close combat with the Slave Master who is now seriously wounded. Pirate Captain is critically wounded and in close combat with Ulfgar-Bear and Gronk. The Pirate Helmsman is critically wounded. Pirate #15 is seriously wounded and attacking Gronk. Your Turn. - | |||||
Bonus Action: 19:01, Today: Ulfgar Frostbeard rolled 1 using 1d8. Combat Wild Shape Bonus Action HP. -1 Spell Slot Ulfgar Frostbeard Multi-attack vs. the Pirate Captain - Bite: +5 to Hit, +1d8+4 damage piercing, Claw: +5 to hit, 2d6+4 damage slashing. Hit Points: Current Form: [2/34], Base HP: [14/21] | |||||
Determined to press home her advantage, Jenna Drax does not intend to give him any chance to recover from that blow. Instead she raises the Warhammer above her head, swings it a second time, her intent being to show him the same mercy that he had shown others and end his miserable life there and then. Jenna 11/17 HP Warhammer Arma's Blessing Melee attack on Slave Master | |||||
Nicolai [7/15 HP] rapier (dagger in off-hand for drawing attention, apparently) bonus Disengage from Cunning Action, maneuvering out of contact with #14, and attacking #1 | |||||
Leaning into the lightening escaping his left hand, Corros maintains his concentration and continues to pour the lethal energy from some sub-dimension into his target. The condition of his new found companions is worrying. The bear, wherever that came from, looks like it's surging in one last effort. The blond priestess is looking oddly satisfied even as a whip is snaked around her neck and she prepares to brain the wielder a second with a hammer. The half-orc is still doing some damage, and the two weapon wielding blur is dispatching targets at an impressive clip. The half-elf might like to do more, but at the moment, he's a bit tied to his lightening bolt. Lightening crashes. It's the moment he's been waiting for. Corros 8/13 hp Maintaining concentration on Witch Bolt Traget Helmsman | |||||
The mangled remains of the Pirate Captain lie at Ulfgar-Bear's four feet, victim of one final tooth-and-claw attack. At the same time, Gronk finishes his fifth opponent of the contest. Meanwhile, the pirate helmsman writhes briefly and slumps dead to the deck, victim of Corros' mysterious arts. Nicolai and Jenna fail to finish their respective opponents with their next attacks, but with the help of the others, the fight is soon over (Nic loses 4 more HP; Jenna loses 2 more HP). +1000 XP. Four of the Five stand on the pirate galley's narrow, black-painted deck, with Corros looking on from the cog. Through gaps in the deck, the four can see the galley slaves, chained two to an oar, eight oars to a side, sitting on their benches below. They look up, fear mixed with hope clear in their red, rheumy eyes. There's plunder aboard, to be sure, but it will need to be ferreted out. The galley itself is probably worth something to the right buyer, if for nothing more than scrap. Then there's the matter of the galley slaves. The two vessels, still connected by the pirate grapnels, are carried onward by the southeasterly wind. Two ships, one short and stout, the other long and slender, bound together are much more difficult to handle than either alone. Beacon Rock looms closer now, but the ships are drifting further offshore. The Sea Horse's captain leans against the port railing, his strength ebbing away with the blood still dripping from nearly a half-dozen wounds. Aside from the two ship's boys, still nowhere to be seen, and the elderly helmsman, he has no crew. "That's Forkbeard, alright.", he coughs, looking at the large, mutilated corpse on the black deck below. "There's a bounty on his head. If we can get to port..." That's all he can manage. He looks to be on the verge of collapse. Three of the Five aren't much better off (Nic, Jenna, and Ulfgar-Bear are all critically wounded; Corros is seriously wounded and Gronk is slightly wounded). Your Turn. - | |||||
Looking at the three who stand with her aboard the pirate vessel the Priestess can see that all have wounds that appear to be at least as serious as hers, if not more so. Then there were the other three who had joined the battle, and were still aboard the Seahorse. She could heal some of them, but she was still learning the ways of Arma, in many respects was a mere novice, with so little understanding of how to channel the Goddess's power. She should not even have been here on her own, without guidance of a more experienced Priest, but Arma had willed it otherwise. And so she is attempts to ascertain which of her newfound comrades in arms needs were the greatest. Seeing the Captain of the Seahorse against the railing the decision is made for her. The blond haired Priestess can see the rock ahead loom larger. "He needs healing." she announces to her companions aboard the pirate vessel. "And if he perishes then we may all perish." Needing to touch the man to heal him, Jenna moves across the black deck to reboard the cog and attempt to heal its Captain. Jenna Performing Battlefield Triage Returning to cog to cast Cure Wounds on its Captain | |||||
"Gadewch i natur yn darparu lle na all dyn!" Ulfgar said in an unknown language as he cast a spell. 10 small berries appeared in his right hand. "Here girl, take three of these!" he said now switching to Common as he offered Jenna a trio of berries, hope she would take them before leaving for the Cog. "One for you wizard. Three for you foreigner," Frostbeard said, offering a berry each to both Corros and Nicolai. "Eat.. you eat this..." Ulfgar said slowly but loudly, holding up one berry in front of the half-orc and pantomiming the action required to put a single berry up to your mouth. "Eat this," he affirmed one more time. Clearly the dwarf assumed the half-orc couldn't understand the Common tongue or was perhaps otherwise 'challenged'. Ulfgar finished the last two berries himself. Casting Goodberry to heal 3 HP Jenna, 1 HP Corros, 3 HP Nicolai, 1 HP Gronk, 2 HP Ulfgar These count as 1 day of nourishment in addition to the healing. 1 Spell Slot remaining | |||||
"I can probably do something about the slaves," Corros sort of announces to no one in particular, "if someone can do something about this for me." The warlock waves his impaled arm about carefully. Tugging on it once himself already had sent waves of nausea through him that the half elf didn't think were caused entirely by the motion of the ocean. | |||||
At Jenna's proclamation, he raises his gaze and nods. "Not capsizing and drowning is a priority," he agrees wryly. "Find out what we need to do to keep his ship afloat and whether we should strip anything from this one to make that happen." He looks up, then down, sharply at Ulfgar's reverse transformation. When the dwarf approaches him, he raises an eyebrow. His knowledge of druidic magic is largely academic and likely highly inaccurate, but pragmatism says that if the hill dwarf intended him ill, he'd already have been eaten by a bear. "Thank you," he says simply, accepting the proffered fruit, and washes it down with a swig from his waterskin. Nicolai [6/15 HP] taking a breather | |||||
When she's reached the cog's Captain she leans her shield and warhammer against the railing, within arm's reach should she need them, says quietly to the sailor. "This will not hurt." She then places her right hand on his forearm, grasping his limb firmly, her lips moving in silent prayer to Arma, her eyes clouding over as she focuses on using the Goddess's energy to heal the man. It only takes a split second for a ripple of that power to course over his arm. "It is done" she says in the same low voice. "And now we need your help to ensure we do not sink." Once she's spoken with the Captain she turns her attention to the half elf, taking several steps towards him. And feeling her cheeks color, for she is clearly a little flustered to be this close to him. "Well met. My name is Jenna Drax." she manages to say before nodding towards the crossbow bolt still lodged in his arm. "Let me help you with that." Squatting down for a moment and keeping her eyes on the deck, Jenna reaches for a fallen dagger, uses it to slice a length of cloth from the clothing of one of the fallen pirates. She then rises up to her full five feet seven, steps in close. "I am sorry, this may hurt a little." And then she yanks the bolt from his arm in one rapid movement, which she imagines may well be extremely painful, tossing it to the side and wrapping the strip of cloth around the wound, tying it off tightly. "I will check on you later, make sure it is healing. If necessary I can use magic to help." Jenna then steps back, smiles. If there's no further need for her aboard the Seahorse she'll retrace her path back to the pirate vessel. | |||||
"Corros," the half-elf introduces himself with a wave of his good hand. He's slightly amused at the reaction he is invoking in the priestess, with her blushes and avoidance. Most of that exits with the blaze of fire that rips through his arm when the crossbow bolt is forcibly removed. Hopefully the whimper he tries to dampen by practically cracking his teeth isn't audible. "Right love, that hurt," he smiles when he says it, though, before looking away and letting out a stream of silent curses that would probably blister a holy woman's ears if she could make them out. The work is solid, the injury isn't any worse than many others he's had, and there are plenty of other scars on his arms for this one to join. "Thank you Jenna." He gives her a prize grin this time. Corros risks a glance at the approaching rocks before skipping across the gap right behind Mistress Drax, stepping foot on the galley for the first time and taking a moment to step around the pools of blood marking the death of her crew. The helmsman smells like cooked meat. Before he can dwell on that fact for too long, he makes his way to the slaves. "Okay," he addresses the slaves in the galley, balancing one of benches. The smell is atrocious, but at least the odor of desperation is receding. "The good news is, due to unforeseen death on the part of the pirates, you lot are free to go. The bad news is, we're about to get smashed to pieces on the rocks and all drown together unless you help us out. We need four or five of you that know something about sailing to head back over to the Seahorse to replace some crew who just died for your freedom. Then the we're going to need the rest of you to help us get this ship back to shore. You're free let's make something of it!" Maybe it wasn't the speech that inspired the Brackanal Lords to take up arms against the Armies of the Deep, but Corros figured it wasn't bad for a street rat. | |||||
"Good summary, Corros," he grins, glancing up at the half-elf. "How's the arm?" | |||||
"Really? Berries are for eating? My, aren't you a smart little man. Thanks!" Gronk answers with a smile, popping the berry into his mouth. He's used to being treated like a dumb brute, and he'd long ago stopped getting angry about it. He laughs it off instead, storing up that little bit of residual resentment he can't help but feel to fuel his next rage. "That was some good fighting there, Mr. Bear.", he continues, considering himself somewhat of an expert on the subject. The Half-orc looks around for something that needs doing, wanting to make himself useful. He notes the pirate captain's weapons- two particularly fine blades, one long and curved, the other short and very pointy. He isn't a finesse fighter though, so he picks them up and takes them over to Nic. "You look like you might appreciate these.", Gronk offers. - | |||||
Corros and Nicolai find the keys to the galley slaves' shackles on the dead slave master. After that, freeing said captives is a simple, if somewhat time consuming process. "Who among you are experienced sailors?" Corros asks. About half of the rowers raise their grimy, blistered hands. "Up on deck, then. Your skills are needed above. The rest of you, your strong arms are still required here below. We'll arrange for food and ale to be brought down while we get things sorted." Although there is some grumbling and a few doubtful, worried looks exchanged, the remaining rowers are cooperative and seem willing to help. Much revived by Jenna's Cure Wounds spell, the cog's captain sets about organizing the ad hoc crew. The most pressing need is a tow cable. The captain- Trelk is his name- arranges its fashioning and attachment, then, leaving his elderly helmsman aboard with a couple of able-bodied seamen, transfers over to the pirate vessel to supervise the towing operation. According to its freed prisoners, the pirate vessel is called Jet Spear. The trip into Balefyre takes about two hours, with Captain Trelk and the rowers doing most of the work. During that time, the Five search the galley, finding a small chest in Forkbeard's cabin. Nicolai examines it carefully, determining that it is trapped with a spring-loaded poison needle. He disarms the device with ease, opening the chest to reveal 45 gold pieces and a milky green peridot gemstone worth about 500 gold pieces all on its own. With the addition of Forkbeard's personal weapons (both +1), it's not a bad haul, but clearly these pirates had just begun their current cruise. The dead pirates, all except the infamous Forkbeard, are tossed overboard, and soon the two vessels have a tail of hungry blue sharks. They all pass through a small flotilla of fishing vessels just setting out from Balefyre to look for the day's catch. The crews stand watch the procession wearily from the decks of their modest working boats, the Jet Spear apparently having made quite a name for itself already. A detachment of the city guard, identified by their orange cloaks and helmet plumes, is waiting on the jetty. From the beak of the galley, Trelk hails them in his booming sea captain's voice, seeming to put the leery soldiers somewhat at ease. Once the ships are settled in and tied to the jetty, the shaky-legged former captives file off of the galley, giving the Five their heartfelt thanks as they leave. One of the freed galley slaves, a filthy young man barely out of his teens, invites the Five to dinner at the Vander estate in the West Ward. Trelk approaches the Five as well, speaking low and quickly as the leader of the city guard detachment makes his way up the gangplank. The mustachioed fighter, sporting a couple of large, bloody bandaged, lingers nearby. "You've more than paid your way. Here," Trelk handing each of the Five five gold pieces- the inflated fee each paid in Seagate for the passage to Balefyre. "You took it, so Forkbeard's head, and the bounty on it, is yours by right. I suppose his treasure is yours as well. By law of the sea, the galley is mine. I'll cut mustache in from my share. A fair split, I'd say." "Well, what do we have here?" Sergeant D'Kord asks, inserting himself into the conversation. "Captain Trelk, you've outdone yourself! I thought your fighting days were behind you. Ah, here's your secret. Who are your new friends, here?" Trelk introduces the Five to Sergeant D'Kord, second in command of the Fire Watch, Balefyre's city guard. He'd apparently been given word of the Sea Horse's contest with the Jet Spear by the lookout in the stone watchtower atop Beacon Rock. He could be forgiven for failing to believe that the old cog would come out the winner. "Commander Overmark is going to want to meet you. When you've seen to your wounds and lodging and such, come to the keep. Make sure to bring that with you." he adds, pointing to Forkbeard's still-attached head. Balefyre's Harbor Ward awaits. The docks are a bustling place, redolent of fish guts and wood smoke, tar and pine. +1000 XP for saving both ships, freeing the prisoners, and safely recovering Forkbeard's personal treasure. Your Turn. - |
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