Qui-Lin moved up behind Kealoha and took up a fighting stance.

"What do we do," she asked everyone and no one.

The distances aren't that great. Everyone should assume not only that they heard Daladain, but that they can hear the approach of the creatures, who are not being stealthy.  They are loudly hooting and laughing in a constant stream of shrieking gibberish.

"We confront them," Atraxus says as he returns to the top deck, sword drawn and shield ready to bear. "We find out if they know what happened to the crew, and if they are responsible for their deaths, then we stop them from escaping."

As the creatures approach, a couple of things become quickly apparent.

One.  The are not human, or of any common humanoid race.  They are hunched and feral looking, with short black fur over pinkish skin.  Big ears, big teeth, big jaws.   And they don't have much knowledge of personal hygiene, it seems.  They wear bits of filthy leather and cloth, barely enough to let you know they are probably not just animals, although you might prefer they were.  They aren't carrying weapons other than claws and teeth, but those look serious.

Two.  They are not stopping to talk.  They charge straight towards Daladain and Kealoha.  Being more of a "Sneak Attack" fan than a front line type, Kealoha goes back up the stairs, position herself to either keep running if they follow, or drop behind them them if they pass by.  They are headed right towards Daladain and Qui and they look mad.

Three.  That noise they make... the constant hooting, laughing, shrieking, gibbering...  it's very unnerving.  In fact, at the supernatural level.

As they rush in, everyone must make a Will save (DC 10) or be "Shaken".

Perhaps the one positive thing is the geography:  the narrow doors of the ship and the confines of the stairwell slow them down and force them into a line as they approach.


 

Atraxus moves to engage the strange creatures, but something about their unearthly gibbering causes his legs to grow numb and refuse to move...

OOC:

17:13, Today: Atraxus Wildheart rolled 3 using 1d20+1.  Wisdom Save DC 10. *sigh*

Her slender jaw drawn tight in grim determination, the pint-sized pugilist stood her ground and faced the onrushing horrors without fear.

17:59, Today: Qui-Lin Xiang rolled 20 using 1d20+2.  Will save DC 10.

There was a high-pitched SHING of metal on metal as her shortsword came free from its scabbard in a graceful move.  As the first one came near, she lashed out with a swift stab.


18:02, Today: Qui-Lin Xiang rolled 6 using 1d20+5.  Short sword strike.

Since that was ineffective, she spun and drove a kick into its abdomen.

18:02, Today: Qui-Lin Xiang rolled 11 using 1d20+5.  Unarmed strike.

I've just realized that 5e doesn't have the shaken condition!  Assume it's the same as frightened.

FRIGHTENED
• A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability
checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is
within line of sight.
• The creature can't willingly move closer to the source
of its fear.

Kealoha has a plan.  Actually several plans.  But one in particular involves waiting to see if the gibbering things run past, and then dropping behind them.  Plans can go astray, though, especially if the other side doesn't really have one and is making it up while they go along.  The third creature senses her waiting above.

Maybe something in the shrieking meant "hey guys, look up!" but the other two do not change their course.  The rearmost creature breaks off, and chases Kealoha, up and out.

And now there are two... rushing the party.

Qui-Lin Xiang knocks one down with a kick, and then there is one.  This one looks a little dismayed that it's fighting alone.  It claws angrily at Atraxus, but to no effect.

The one knocked down isn't dead, though.  Looks like it's going to pick itself up, and shake it off.

Atraxus reflexively brings his shield up to bear to block the creature's vicious claw attack. As the screech of claws on metal sears through the air, the sound snaps Atraxus out of his fearful spell. The fires of Orcish rage, the boon and bane of his heritage, causes his blood to start to boil. He bears his tusks, and slashes as the creature with a roar.

OOC:

19:17, Today: Atraxus Wildheart rolled 14 using 1d20+1.  Wisdom Save DC 10.
19:21, Today: Atraxus Wildheart rolled 15 using 1d20+5.  Attack vs. Gibberling.
19:22, Today: Atraxus Wildheart rolled 8 using 1d8+3.  Dmg.

I'm not sure if I'm still suffering disadvantage from the failed frightened save last round, so please feel free to reroll my attack if it does.

So much for the new approach...!

As the strange creatures surged forward, Daladain retreated in good order, getting behind the heavier set warriors who were advancing up the stairs. As he moved he quickly intoned a spell, “Ne estas kiraso kontraŭ la sorto.” As the words finished a subtle glow surrounded his body. Confident he now had shields in front of him he turned and began to decide what to do next.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
“There is no armour against fate.”

---

Retreating behind Atraxus, then casting Mage Armour on self. AC now 16 for next 8 hours.
08:19, Today: Daladain rolled 11 using 1d20.  Wild Magic Surge?
07:56, Today: Daladain rolled 19 using 1d20.  Wisdom check v Shaken DC10.

Still wooting and shrieking in an endless, baffling babble, the creatures, (yes, Gibberlings) press their attack.  The one knocked down gets up, rushing forward to rejoin the battle, and just as it does so, Atraxus defeats its companion.  It falls the deck in a squeal.

Any rational being, already wounded, alone and outnumbered, might consider other options at this point.

It lunges at Atraxus.  It almost succeeds, but Atraxus's shield gets in the way.  The thing claws angrily at the shield.

If anything, the frustration in not being able to kill only seems to make it madder.

The hint of a grin tugs at the edge of Atraxus' lips as his sword strike fells the creature. That grin widens into a smile as his shield foils the second attacker's vicious flailing. He follows up with a second sword strike...

OOC:

18:27, Today: Atraxus Wildheart rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  Attack vs. Gibberling. I'm guessing that misses.

Qui-Lin tried to defend Atraxus, not that he probably needed it... her sword flashed out, and she followed it up with a front thrust kick.

18:31, Today: Qui-Lin Xiang rolled 23 using 1d20+5.  Short sword strike.
18:32, Today: Qui-Lin Xiang rolled 9 using 1d6+3.  Short sword damage.
18:33, Today: Qui-Lin Xiang rolled 9 using 1d20+5.  Unarmed strike. I'm sure that's a miss

Daladain stepped forward. Well, forward but still behind the big warrior types who would protect him from harm. He raised his hand and pointed towards the Gibberling. As he intoned arcane words his eyes flashed white. “Frosto mortigas la florojn, kiuj floras ekster sezono.” A beam of pale slight shot forth from his fingers, but missed its target and flew off into the sky, dissipating into nothing. He cursed and readied himself again.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
“Frost kills the flowers that bloom out of season.”

---

Cast Ray of Frost - missed.
07:18, Today: Daladain rolled 7 using 1d20+5.  Ray of Frost.

The Ray of Frost might have missed but the Monk did not.  The creature, previously wounded, is finished off.  It looks like a filthy mop of hair and claws lying on the deck.

And all is quiet.

Peeking further towards the aft end of the ship, they see the ship's galley.  It doesn't look very used.  Not nearly enough pots and pans hanging up to support a big crew.

And down below, through the hatch, is the bridge.

Atraxus wipes his blade on one of the fallen Gibberlings before returning it to its sheath.

"Let's keep searching the ship for survivors," he says. "And best we move quickly. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can return." He heads toward the hatch, and enters the bridge.

Atraxus goes down the hatch into the bridge.

The walls and furnishings are similar to that in the lounge above.

The ship’s wheel is a peculiar looking thing, even though it is recognizable as a ship’s wheel.  It is three rings, actually, one nestled snugly inside the next, the whole mounted on a pedestal towards the front of the ship.  Each ring is made of bright, smooth, highly polished metal.  The innermost ring is so finely polished that seems mirrorlike.  The middle ring is of a redder, coppery tone, and the outer ring a more conventional but still very shiny iron.  The innermost ring has a slot in it, like a keyhole.  By the height of it, whoever handled this wheel was of approximately human height.


There are charts on the walls, but they don't seem to show any place Atraxus has every heard of...

They don't even make sense.  No oceans, coastlines, cities... just a network of symbols and places.

Then there is a voice.  From this deck, past the stairwell...

"Hello?  If it's quiet, then something's happened to the idiots.  I warned them.  Nincompoops.  No sense talking to any of them."

The voice distracts Atraxus from trying to make sense of the ship's strange machinery and incomprehensible charts.

"Well met," Atraxus says in the direction of the voice. "Well, at least as well as one can meet in the midst of chaos storm and a shipwreck. My name is Atraxus Wildheart. My companions and I dispatched the creatures above the deck after they forced our hands. We're here to get you to safety. Your ship has struck a cliff in the Southlands. There is a safe haven not far from here, but we must move quickly."

Daladain looked around the interior, trying to make sense of everything. He was no seafarer, but even he could tell these charts were far from ordinary.

When he heard the voice he glanced about, trying to put a face to the voice in the gloom.

"This ship isn't going to hang here forever," Qui-Lin warned. "We should leave, before it pulls free and plunges into the sea below."  She was speaking not so much to her comrades, as the person that lay within the darkened bridge.

"No, it will not be here forever.  Maybe not as long as it takes to peel an egg."

It's the gravely, soggy sounding voice of the very odd creature approaching in the lower deck of the ship.

It is about 6 feet tall, but would be taller if it wasn't so hunched.  It has a very froglike head, and a very froglike though humanoid body- the hands have claws and have a more reptilian style.  It looks strongly muscled, especially in its legs.  It's eyes swivel independently, and generally only one is looking at whoever it is talking to at the moment  The other goes off in other directions as if it has different business to attend to.

Its skin is a patternless jumble of purple and pale green, and its eyes are shiny and gray.  There is no discernable “lighter on bottom, darker on the top” arrangement like the norm for typical mundane reptiles and amphibians, just swirls, blotches and stripes of color.   Sometimes, they seem to move of their own accord.

It is wearing a peculiar shirt- dark blue, with a colorful pattern of flowers and flamingoes.
 It also has a ring of flowers around its neck, which may or may not be part of the shirt.  It has a belt with a scabbard and sheathed sword that seems quite ordinary in comparison.

"Call me Babageetz, if you want to," it says as it approaches.  Its feet make damp slapping noises against the floor.  "If you call me other things I might not answer.  Can we trade help for help?  There might not be much time, as you have wisely observed."

Qui-Lin was taken aback by the creature's appearance. But only for a moment.

"We came to help," the young monk replied earnestly.

"I made the mistake of setting the morons free first," the creature explains.  "They started running around screaming, I think they like to do that.  They were looking for a way out, but they are afraid of the light from outside.  They are of no help, may they run forever in the dark and windy halls they come from.  I do not care about them.

"But there are innocent creatures of chaos, who must come with me through the chaos portal, to go home, before this ship goes home.  And it will, because the morons let loose the gearlings, and the gearlings will make order again and this ship will go back where it came from.  Dear, sweet, innocent creatures of chaos, they must all be free.  Chains are obscenities."

Babageetz lets out something that may be a sigh.  Or a muffled moo.  Hard to tell.

"Chains are even worse when I cannot touch them.  Iron with the terrible taint of Order.  It burns me.  Simple latches and I cannot open them!  Maybe you can, and let them go home with me?"

Daladain didn't like the look of this fellow. Creatures held in chains tended to be there for a reason. But who was he to judge?

Leaving the others to converse he looked around the chamber, looing for anything that might be of interest or explain where this ship was from, or going to.

Looking for any kind of map, charts, logbook, etc. Also, anything shiny!!!

Daladain finds the charts on the wall, and others rolled up neatly (and tied with strips of leather, also quite neatly) in a rack under a desk.

None of them show any place Daladain has every heard of...

They don't even make sense.  No oceans, coastlines, cities... just a network of symbols and places.

And then he realizes.. they do make sense. 

Babageetz notices Daladain noticing.  "Do you read these?  It took me time to learn, a lot.  It makes much too much sense to me, I despise it.  Everything the mouslings did made sense, to them.  Awful creatures.  But I need to know, or you must leave, to help or not to help."