[PF] The Dragon Empire, IC II

[RandomWombat]

IC Thread the first. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16960639#post16960639)

The party may continue their adventures here.

[Archemist]

Azrin holds his hand out suddenly to steady himself. "Whoa there! Did you feel that? As if the ground were moving out from under us... maybe I'm just so used to the motion of the ship. That must be it."

And subscribed here, now, too! Yay!

[Indori]

Orrick watched the pair depart from the sickbay, and he caught Amon's eye as the boy turned the corner. But he offered no word to him, of encouragement or excuse. He just flattened his lips and let him go. Perhaps the boy wanted something, wanted him to say something. But what would he say? Sorry? He wasn't. Good luck? His heart was too low for that. Until next time? There was no guarantee, and a painful swallow confirmed it. A familiar looking sailor, whose name escaped him in that moment, appeared in the doorway just then. He was watching Amon go, too, until he looked into the infirmary and saw the doctor standing there. The man's brow was furrowed in confusion, but his face softened suddenly. Had he reasoned it out? He turned and walked away. How long before the rest of the crew knew? How long before the Captain knew?

Orrick turned around and faced the opposite wall. The table he used for surgery was in the middle of the room. Amon's wet and frothy brush was on it, sitting in the middle of a red and cream-colored swirl. Setting his jaw, he took the brush and began to vigorously scrub the table.
To infinity, and beyond!

[H. Von Studley]

Ed returns the handshake and leaves, heading back for the Fog. It frustrated him slightly to leave it in Florey's hands, but it was her responsibility after all. He had his own job to do.

[RandomWombat]

With their business in the guardhouse taken care of, the rest of the crew returns to the Fog. It is not Dean, but rather Reed, who hails them when they arrive. He walks up and salutes to Edmund, "Captain, the Admiral had business to attend to and left me with a message for Robert. He's been reassigned to the Dragon Slug to replace their lookout, and we've a new recruit to assume his duties as Lookout of the Fog. He said the recruit was eager to work with you, Captain. The Admiral also sent a supply of potions for our attack on the orc stronghold. Olivin helped bring them into the cargo hold. And Dean has your light armor you wanted and the extra funds from turning in the enemy equipment."

The party gains 2004 gp from their loot.

"You should, uh," Reed pauses and scratches at the back of his hand as he considers how best to say it. "You should speak with Orrick. He told the Admiral about Amon, and the kid got taken somewhere with the Admiral. I didn't ask."

[brandnewb]

When Robert hears the instructions for his re-assignment he nods to himself. Once the man is done speaking Robert comes briskly and smartly to attention. "Sir, given the haste with which the Fog will be departing I request permission to go promptly to gather my things. It has been an honour serving with you, and I am sure I will be fighting alongside the Fog as soon as the Slug joins our actions against the Orcs"

[Archemist]

Once the man is done speaking Robert comes briskly and smartly to attention. "Sir, given the haste with which the Fog will be departing I request permission to go promptly to gather my things. It has been an honour serving with you, and I am sure I will be fighting alongside the Fog as soon as the Slug joins our actions against the Orcs"

"Indeed, it's been good to have you along, even and especially during the more harrowing parts of our adventures. Fair winds and following seas," adds Azrin, using a recent bit of naval lingo for goodbye.

[H. Von Studley]

When Robert hears the instructions for his re-assignment he nods to himself. Once the man is done speaking Robert comes briskly and smartly to attention. "Sir, given the haste with which the Fog will be departing I request permission to go promptly to gather my things. It has been an honour serving with you, and I am sure I will be fighting alongside the Fog as soon as the Slug joins our actions against the Orcs"

Ed frowns at the bad news. "Damn. I suspected we might lose you when I heard the Slug lost her lookout, but I had hoped it wouldn't be the case. You've been an asset to this crew and I'm sorry to see you go. Farewell Robert. Be safe." Ed draws himself up and returns Robert's salute with a formal salute of his own. "Dismissed, marine."



"You should, uh," Reed pauses and scratches at the back of his hand as he considers how best to say it. "You should speak with Orrick. He told the Admiral about Amon, and the kid got taken somewhere with the Admiral. I didn't ask."

Ed stares blankly at Reed, stunned by the news. Slowly his expression darkens and a grim look takes over. "Where is he?" he growls, then takes off for the sick bay without bothering to wait for an answer.

He bursts into the sick bay, finding the doctor bent over and scrubbing the table. He stares for a moment, breathing hard to compose himself, then speaks in a low, dangerous voice.

"Doctor. What did you do?"

[Indori]

Orrick ceased his scrubbing, only aware of Edmund's presence from the sound of his voice. Evidently he had not heard the uneven rhythm of heavy boots stomping down the timber stairs next to the door, or he had been too preoccupied to notice. He set the brush aside and straightened up, rubbing his lower back gingerly with one hand. It took a few moments for him to actually say anything. Was he trying to find the right words to explain himself? Or was he hoping that the moment would pass, like a storm, that he could wait it out and avoid dealing with it? As it turned out, Edmund would outlast either possibility. Orrick could feel the man's gaze on the back of his head by then, and he knew that no further delay would satisfy.

"Captain," he said with a sigh, turning. His blue eyes met Edmund's clouding greys. His voice was ragged, but he seemed very calm despite his superior's heated demeanor. "Only what the law required."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed gritted his teeth, keeping his voice calm and low. "The law?" He almost spat the word. "You went behind my back and defied a direct order, and now a member of my crew has paid the price. And you want to tell me about the law?"

[Indori]

Orrick's eyes narrowed at the accusation. He the circled the table and picked up the brush again. For a moment, he looked like he might bend over and start scrubbing again, but instead he gestured at Edmund with it and said, "The law of this land is derived from the authority of the Emperor, not from your personal whim. An illegal stowaway, one whom I asked you to report when last we made port, mind you, has no place on His Majesty's vessel." He waved the brush from side to side as he finished, then dropped it on the table in frustration.

[H. Von Studley]

"And what of the chain of command? What of following orders? You'd condemn me for breaking the rules, but pick and choose your own laws to follow?" Ed strides forward and stares at Orrick, only the table separating them.

"As Captain of this ship the authority of the Emperor is invested in me. I've been given command and entrusted to make decisions in the best interests of the the Empire as I see it." Ed speaks rapidly, getting more and more heated. It's clear he's had this conversation before. "The law can't help us in the situations we have to deal with. Applying some generic rule on stowaways would have seen a young boy go to prison. Devoid of context and reason, applying your law blindly is just as reckless as not following it at all."

[Indori]

Orrick's anger was rising, too, and he was beginning to lose sight of an easy exit from the argument. Later he would have some degree of remorse about not telling the Captain sooner that Amon's fate was not so dire, and that the judgement of a higher authority would give him the chance that he so desired. But for the moment, his vision had narrowed until all he could focus on was Edmund's face. By the time his opponent was coming to the end of his thought, the doctor's hands were on his hips and his jaw was set. He leaned over and put his weight on the table, supporting himself with his knuckles on the wooden surface. Like lightning, and even with a hint of malice, he struck with his sharpest point, saying, "And ignoring it nearly got that very boy killed. Only a miracle -actual divine providence - saved him from that spore weapon." He pointed at the wall, through which he was sure Edmund knew the enemy warship was being refitted and supplied only a few steps away. He punctuated his point by jabbing that finger down onto the center of the table between them, saying, "My only regret is not declaring him medically unfit from the start."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed waves his hand dismissively, as if to turn aside Orrick's argument. A hint of disdain creeps into his voice. "Get over yourself Doctor. When you asked me to report Amon you weren't concerned for the boy's health, you simply wanted to make sure I followed procedure. And anyone could've been struck down by that weapon. It nearly killed Dean too. Should we declare him unfit for duty and throw him off the ship? We're soldiers. We risk our lives. It's the nature of the job. Amon's skills have been a valuable addition. His bravery in our first battle saved the lives of many of our crew."

[Indori]

Orrick stood shaking his head with a furrowed brow for the duration of Edmund's retort before rejoining the battle. "Your disdain for the mechanism by which this military operates irks me, Captain. It irks me to no end. Mr. Darkwick is a tested and competent soldier, of age and trained for his profession, just as I am in mine. And mine is the profession into which you dance with your presumption of the man's ill health, which I assure you paled in comparison to the grave danger faced by Amon."

He drew himself up again and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't look as proud and strong as he had before. His shoulders were hunched up, and his head was dipped a bit forward and to one side.

"He on the other hand is not prepared for this war, and, like it or not..." He gave the merest pause just then and squinted his eyes. Whether Edmund knew it or not, he was choosing his wording. Moments before, he would have felt no hesitation, but some of the fight had gone out of him. He still thought that he had taken the reasoned approach to the Captain's fiery rhetoric, but attitudes had shifted little. He imagined saying the words, "Your father agrees with me," and watching for a twinge of pain in Edmund. Many of these military families, he imagined, were so dependent on one another's support and agreement that they could barely stand to be sided against by a loved one. Was the Captain the same in that vein? Was he desperate for his father's approval? Orrick was not astute enough in the sociological methods to know, nor had he ever bothered to inquire about their relationship.

"Like it or not, the Admiral agrees with me."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed pauses and stares at Orrick for a moment at the mention of his father. Funnily enough, this argument was beginning to sound like one they had had, many times before. The realisation softened his resolve for a moment, but the rising anger pushed aside the thought.

"And it irks me, Doctor, that you'd deign to tell me whether Amon is prepared for war or not. The boy can fight, and fight well, and his other talents are extraordinary. I may not have your medical training, but don't you dare pretend that you understand war like I do." Ed slams his hand down on the table to punctuate his sentence then straightens up and turns away from the table. He takes a few steps and breathes heavily, trying to calm himself. After a moment he turns around again, staring into Orrick's eyes with a piercing look. When he speaks it is barely louder than a whisper.

"We both know what this argument is really about Doctor. Whether or not I was right not to turn in Amon, you betrayed my trust. We've fought together, bled together. Hells, I think we even died together. I've valued your counsel and treated you with nothing but respect. I've confided in you.

"We face more danger now than we ever have, and for this crew to succeed we all need to trust each other. I have to be able to trust that you aren't going to sell me out if you disagree with a decision. And you have to trust that I know what I'm doing. It isn't a fluke that we've survived this far.

"If you can't do that, if you can't accept that I've been made Captain for a reason and respect my decisions even when you disagree, then I will sign your transfer orders myself. But I need good men, and the Fog still has need of your skills. What'll it be Doctor?

[RandomWombat]

The heat of the argument and the loud shouting have drawn attention, as Edmund finds when he turns away from the table and towards the door. Orrick can also see over his shoulder the faces assembled there. Rebecca looks in from the right side of the door, face scrunched up in scrutiny as though debating stepping into the debate, but she seems to be deciding against it for now. Dean looks in from the other side with a notebook, drawn there when the shouting and banging on the table interrupted his taking final inventory before the voyage. A few other sailors and soldiers the two do not immediately recognize stand around in the hallway, plus the concerned faces of Mossgandra, Bernie, and Ronsk.

Ronsk? Ronsk Blacknail stands in the doorway clad in scale mail, with his arms crossed and eyebrows raised. At one hip of his belt hangs a traditional dwarven waraxe, at the other a spyglass. It seems the dock worker signed up with the navy and took up some of his family's gear (dwarves always have at least one set of family armor around, and weapons are valued as highly as art is among other peoples) to face the orc threat. This must be the new Lookout that the Admiral mentioned.

Everyone is silent while they wait for the argument to reach its conclusion.

[Indori]

For a second or two, Orrick thought that invoking the name of Admiral Grimace might have settled the dispute, but Edmund steadfastly waded back in, and his sudden physical dominance of the conversation took the doctor off guard. Hammering the table nearly sent Orrick jumping through the ceiling, and he noticeably rocked back onto his heels. Whether his weak position was spotted or not, the fire cooled a little as Edmund continued. To Orrick, this was an ultimatum. Get in the boat, or get out of the boat. Ship up, or ship out. Was it so harsh a thing for Edmund as well? The doctor broke eye contact and scanned the room, apparently considering. There was a small crowd gathered just outside the sickbay, including Dean himself.

Although it would follow to either accept or decline, he instead returned to the subject that had started the conversation.

"He isn't ready," he said, looking up to meet Edmund's face again. Before he could take it as a resignation, though, he continued, "But he will be. Your father intends to prepare him. Justice may be blind, but judicious men wield it."

He looked down at the floor in silence for a moment, hoping that there would be consolation in the fact that Amon would have his chance to prove himself in the proper way.

"He will be a soldier, I know it. And in the end he'll be more than a criminal or a janitor," he said with a laugh, gesturing to the table. Amon was liked by some, and not by others. The doctor wondered who, if any, among the crew would treat him differently after an incident like this, especially one that had become so public. Then, more softly, he continued, "For my part, Captain Grimace, you have my honor-bound oath that I shall not attempt to undermine your command while aboard or abroad, so long as you are sound of mind. I will bring to your table any concern I have with your decisions, if I am reasonably equipped to question them."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed nods stiffly, clearly mollified by the news that Amon will receive training. "Good. Make your things ready, we set off presently."

Turning to leave, he truly notices the crowd gathered at the door for the first time. All the tension of the fight leaves him in a rush at the sight, and a trace of an exasperated smile forms on his lips.

"Can I help you?"

[Aeryk]

Hearing the rising voices of his Captain and the ship's doctor, River approached the cabin to make sure everything was alright, standing just to the side of the open doorway. He listened in to the heated argument, oblivious to the people being drawn towards the noise. He hadn't realized the half-orc child had been such a bone of contention, and so listened carefully to the exchange knowing one could learn a great deal about a person's character while they were in distress.

He thought he had a good bead on the Captain, but Orrick on the other hand was a hard read. As the argument unfolded River had to admit he could see the merit in both men's perspectives. He could definitely appreciate Orrick's respect for the law, which he himself shared, though perhaps not to the same extreme. However to have gone behind Edmund's back like that could certainly not be overlooked and he thought that Edmund's ultimatum was certainly justified under the circumstances. It was good of the Captain to have even offered this second chance. River didn't think he would have it in him to do it himself.

Finally the argument came to its conclusion, and River stole away, finally seeing the crowd and taking note of the new face. "That must be Mr. Silver's replacement," he thought to himself, making a mental note to talk to the man later. He strolled across the deck with his thoughts; he was happy to hear that Amon was being granted the opportunity to follow his desires, so some good had come of all this. River considered Orrick's promise to the Captain, taking it with a grain of salt. If he had hidden his motives from the Captain once, he might be prone to doing it again. It would be some time and take lots of proving before River would fully trust Orrick and so he resolved to keep an eye out and tread carefully around him in the future. Regardless, he was glad for having been witness to the event, but for now he put it out of mind, considering what the days ahead would bring. Certainly they would be difficult and dangerous, but that was fine by him. He looked out to sea, excited to be hitting the water once more, relishing the sense of freedom being on the open waters gave him. A sudden carelessness washed over him, and he looked about to see if anyone was watching. Seeing that they still had a few preparations to make before leaving port, he stripped naked and plunged into the seawater for a brief swim, ensuring before he did so that he would be able to climb back up the side of the ship.

[brandnewb]

Olivin had been coming up from the storage rooms below when he heard the shouting. He recognized the Captains voice, but not the other voice. Not able to understand what was said, and a stranger to the crew Olivin made a point of avoiding the area. He took his new whip in hand, and headed up to the deck to practice with it. He is extremely happy about his new weapon, it is even better than the one that he had used before being put into slavery. While he waits for orders to make sail, he stands up on deck freshening up on old skills and testing out his new weapons.

[Archemist]

Azrin, having checked in with Alphonse, heads down below to see how Orrick has been faring, and show him the spores. On approaching the sickbay, he hears loud voices and listens in for a bit. He is surprised but happy to see Ronsk come around the corner in uniform, and goes to shake his hand. Then he remembers himself and gives a smiling salute. He whispers, "Looks like you're just in time for some fireworks... it's not *always* this dramatic."

[RandomWombat]

Ronsk laughs when Azrin pulls back his hand and salutes. "Not'n officer like you all, jus' a lookout, no need fer that. A handshake'll do fine." The dwarf holds his hand out for the gnome's.

When Edmund finishes his argument, Ronsk is waiting or him at the door. This time he salutes, "Ya already did, cap'n. When you all saved my dau'er, ya got me fired up to make somethin' of this dwarf." He pounds a fist to his chest. "Got a nat'ral keen eye. The Adm'ral got me picked out as lookout, sent me yer way."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed nods, pleased to see the dwarf again. "Good to have you aboard. You've got some big shoes to fill, but I have no doubt you'll do fine." Striding past Ronsk, Ed heads upstairs for some air and some space. Taking a moment to clear his head, he finds a scrap of parchment and a quill and quickly jots down a note in small, cramped handwriting.

Amon,
Work hard and be strong. Finish your training quickly and you will have a place aboard the Fog when you return.
Good luck,
Captain Grimace.

He strides down the gangplank and finds a dockworker that had been loading the Fog. He hands the man a silver piece and the note. "There's a half-orc boy named Amon in the naval training barracks. Please see that this gets to him for me."

Ed strides back onto the ship, resting one hand on the tiller and staring out into the Stalling bay. They hadn't even left the harbor and they'd already lost a man. He had a feeling this would be an interesting trip indeed.


Ed is ready to depart.

[Archemist]

Azrin shakes Ronsk's hand. "Glad you're with us. That's a fine axe you have there - if we're lucky you'll get to use it on some orcs." He salutes again as the Captain goes by, then goes in to talk to Orrick.

"Mister Drummond! I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time, though perhaps I have something here that could take your mind off all that for a moment. We found these spores in the prison, from a creature the gnomes call a Basidirond - it's like a plant, except it can grow in people." He shudders. "Ick, I know. Anyhow, we may be able to compare it to the orc weapon and see if it's similar. Oh, and one of the symptoms the guard had was a green spot on his neck... I hadn't heard of that in connection to the Basidirond before, but do be on the look out for anything similar on the crew.

"Lastly, I haven't forgotten my offer to help you restore your alchemy book. I'll need a day to work on my own things, but after that I can help you if you like on the journey east again."

Azrin is also ready to go, when the ship is. He leaves the spore vial with Orrick's stash of alchemy stuff. His plan on the journey out:
Day 1: Craft alchemical cartridges for his musket. (Flares of a couple colors, 20-odd regular cartridges, basically whatever he gets for a day's crafting.)
Day 2: Spend a few hours learning spells, then help Orrick.
Day 3: Help Orrick.

RW, I'll leave it up to you what I should roll for and when. I may talk more with Ronsk, Orrick, and Pomutiki on the journey, plus hopefully get filled in on the mission by Ed.

[RandomWombat]

The doctor recalls a certain grey circle on the base of Bernie's infected foot, though he certainly was not infected with these spores.

[Indori]

Orrick watched as Edmund walked away and addressed the crowd. Amon would be safe, but he did not feel like he had won the day. His heart was heavy at the Captain's reaction and the boiling argument. He watched him address the crowd lightheartedly. How was he able to change like that, so quickly? One moment Orrick thought he might had come across the table and struck him, the next he was joking with the rest of the crew. One mark of a good leader is the ability to motivate his people to perform their best. Edmund had chosen to do it by setting them at ease. But how shaken was his faith in the doctor?

Orrick did not have long to dwell on the thought, as Azrin approached almost immediately, talking about some kind of gnomish plant they had found at the prison. Confused at the whole situation, he started looking around, as if trying to reason something out as Azrin finished. He was clearly distracted, likely by the sudden influx of information after the emotional drudgery of arguing with Edmund. "Basidirond? Prison? Wait, what happened?" he asked, squinting at the gnome in bewilderment with his mouth half open.

[Aeryk]

River climbs back onto the ship after his swim and puts his clothes on. He is ready to depart.

[Archemist]

"Basidirond? Prison? Wait, what happened?" Orrick asked, squinting at the gnome in bewilderment with his mouth half open.

"Oh, I thought you'd heard from the Captain - Landis escaped! He killed a guard with something like this Basidirond thing, and he and his cohorts are gone. Except Mindy, I suppose. She's been helping the Guard-Captain to try to sort it all out. I hope they catch him soon! At least he doesn't have that goopy green blob anymore." Azrin puffs a little after getting all that out.

He paces a little, and throws his hands up in the air. "A messy business, to be sure. We can't do much to help while out to sea, but if Landis' plans and what the orcs are up to are at all related, we can try to find out from the orcs' side, at least."

[Indori]

Orrick listened to Azrin's explanation with expanding interest and increasing clarity, mumbling about how dreadful it was the whole time. "And you said you have a sample of the spores?" he asked. Once they were offered, he carefully drew the small folded paper packets out of their glass container. Holding his breath, he opened one of the packets and found a lightweight, whitish powder. He leaned close over it, moving some of the particles around on the paper with the edge of the vial, trying exceptionally hard not to inhale. As he was examining it, he was also processing everything that had been told. The escape of Landis and his company was a significant turn of events, and the basidirond plant, potentially connecting them to the orc threat, added a gloaming specter on the whole situation. Were they really connected, and, if so, how? And the conflict in Aigodon? He wondered if that mess added to the pile.

Leaning back, he covered the spores once more, careful not to spill any. "How interesting," he whispered, rubbing his chin with his thumb and noticing for the first time in a while that he had not shaved for at least a day. He remembered something. The circular green mark. What had that halfling's name been? Bernie! "The sailor, Bernie! He had a fungal infection on his foot, but he had a mark not unlike what you described. I had never seen anything like it. We should have him brought in."

He immediately jumped up from his chair, leaving the washed table with renewed vigor.

Orrick will arrange to bring Bernie to the sickbay for examination (to be done either OOC or as part of a sidebar), or ask Dean about him if he can't find him. Otherwise Orrick is ready to move out, as this can happen at sea.

[RandomWombat]

The Northeastern Fog departs Stalling, slipping out onto the open sea.

Day 1

The party can take care of anything they'd like to do for the day.

Weather Roll: [roll0]

1-33: poor weather, slows the trip
34-66: neutral weather
64-100: good weather, speeds up the trip

With Alphonse able to steer the ship for him, Edmund has time to make the scrolls he was considering making.

I forgot before, but the Admiral sent three Doctor's Masks. These will give +1 to Fortitude against airborne diseases and poisons.

Examining the spores determines that one of the samples, the green spores, are the same as the ones in the plague balls. Azrin found two kinds of spores on the basidirond however; the other kind is a white powder. Further explanation from Azrin reveals that they are a powerful hallucinogen, a mechanism of the Basidirond against both predators and prey.

Bernie is found working the sails, but the doctor's expression tells him something important is happening. With what happened with his leg before the halfling has no complaints about passing off his duty to another sailor on deck and following the doctor down to the sickbay.

Using the ship's alchemy lab and his gunsmithing kit, Azrin is easily able to produce these pieces of ammunition. No rolls necessary; the flares cost 5 gp each and the 20 cartridges cost 120 gp altogether to craft. The gnome's expertise means the crafting takes up only a few hours, leaving him time left over for anything else he'd like to do.

During his brief swim before leaving, River only encounters a few small fish and sees some underwater plants at the bottom of the harbor water. He manages to find a secluded corner of the deck to jump down into the water without being seen, setting up a rope so that he can climb back up. About an hour after he returns the ship departs.

Exploring the ship gets Olivin more familiar with its layout, and practicing his Common lets him understand and speak it a bit more fluently. There are plenty of people around to talk to if he wants to learn more about the island, or get an update from the Ulselandic soldiers about how things are going on the rest of the Criedian continent.

[brandnewb]

Olivin takes to the deck, enjoying the fresh salt air. He is extremely excited, this has been his first sea voyage in years where he is not chained up, or being held prisoner below deck.

He spots a stranger manning the mask, and makes his way over to make conversation, and practice his common.

"Hello, I Olivin." he says happily. "Happy day, nice wind." he smiles "Miss nice sailing, was sailor lots. With orc chains not use circle in long time." When he says circle he points at the helm, clearly not sure what it is called in common. "Was help circle-man before slave."

[RandomWombat]

"A fellow sailor, are you?" Alphonse grins and pats the tiller. He recognizes Olivin doesn't know the term and explains in simple words, "This circle is called a tiller. You were... a first-mate? Helper of the captain?" He asks, taking a guess at Olivin's meaning. He wasn't sure if Olivin meant he was a first mate or a navigator.

[brandnewb]

First mate." Olivin repeats the word carefully. He points at the strangers rank, which is clearly higher then the others on the ship. "No this. No captain friend." He points at the stranger clearly trying to translate "First Mate" from his language and says, "You first mate?"

He pauses for a moment, looking at the sky, the winds and the retreating shoreline. Trying to get a feel for what direction they are heading.

Knowledge Nature: [roll0]
Knowledge Geography [roll1]

[Indori]

Bernie is found working the sails, but the doctor's expression tells him something important is happening. With what happened with his leg before the halfling has no complaints about passing off his duty to another sailor on deck and following the doctor down to the sickbay.
Orrick led Bernie down to the sickbay, the poor halfling limping along behind him. As they walked, the doctor asked him a few questions in a serious tone. "How is the leg? And the pain? Any unusual sensations?" Belowdecks, he helped the sailor up on the freshly cleaned operating table. He was just about to pull off his boot when he stopped abruptly and gave Bernie a hard look in the eye. For a moment, he was supremely still, then he took to looking around, almost nervously. Something had been brought in earlier, and he suddenly wanted it badly.

He opened a small pine box on the other table in the room that served as his desk. He drew out a mask-like leather contraption with a long protrusion extending out of it, like a grotesque nose or beak. There were circular eye holes cut in the leather and sealed with glass disks, and it had straps and buckles, apparently to attach it to one's head. Clearly lacking any bedside manner, Orrick put the thing over his face and buckled it behind his head. When he looked up at Bernie through it, he looked like some kind of giant bird. The mask covered his entire face and reached halfway over the back of his head. Silver hair was poking out at odd angles through the straps. Inside, the experience was a little different. The beak of the mask was full of aromatic herbs, which annoyed him to no end, but it was also lined with a charcoal material that filtered out foreign airborne agents. He moved his head around, trying to get a feel for seeing through the thing, until he realized how he must have looked.

"Sorry," he mumbled, which through the mask sounded even less like human speech. He returned to Bernie's side and had him lay back. When he wasn't looking, he gently pulled the sickle from his belt and laid it on the table. He also made sure that at least one of his explosive vials was still on his belt. Satisfied that all was safe, he gingerly pulled off the boot of Bernie's previously infected foot.

How does it look? Is the mark still there?

[brandnewb]

Once he has a good idea of where he is Olivin starts pointing at different spots on the horizon and naming cities that are in each of those general directions. He just hopes that the stranger recognizes the names of the cities.

When he is done Olivin looks back at the man smiling, "Was help find home man."

[RandomWombat]

The ship is heading east, slightly northeast. "I am first mate, yes. I help the captain," the man nods in the positive. "You are a navigator then, I think. My name is Alphonse. What is yours'?" He at least recognizes the name of Mirorhen, the city the crew is trying to break the siege on. "Is Mirorhen your home?"

"No sir, nothing unusual. I can walk now, but it still hurts to put pressure on it. I think it'll heal okay," scratching his head worriedly, Bernie wonders what the doctor is thinking. When Orrick stops he gets a questioning look, which turns disturbed when he sees the weird mask and Orrick swiveling his head around like some kind of birdman eying the room. "Doc...tor?"

Bernie is hesitant, but lies down when directed. When the doctor starts to take out his sickle the halfling instantly pulls away, falling off the other side of the operating table. "Good gods! What are you doing?" The loosened straps of the boot cause it to fall off on its own in the frightened sailors attempts to drag himself away on the floor. The skin on the bottom of his foot still looks raw, and there is no circular mark there. Orrick recalls that the mark was on the outermost layer of skin, and was removed along with the fungal infection. The discoloration didn't go any deeper and hasn't returned.

[brandnewb]

Olivin repeats the word to himself “Navigator” almost as if tasting it. “I am Olivin. No Mirorhen, Alynnon my home.” he looks up and points in the general direction of the city. “Orcs have now.” Olivin looks sad mentioning that, then slowly a firm and angry look crosses his face. “I will save.” The tone of his voice is incredibly grim, in stark contrast to his regular character.

After a few moments he smiles again. When the Alphonse identifies himself as the first mate Olivin gives him an aqward salute. It is quite evident that Olivin was a civilian, and merchant sailor. The rigors of military discipline are not natural to him. He scans the deck and asks, “I help? When tired can help circle...” he pauses “tiller.”

[RandomWombat]

"I'm okay for now. I'll let you know if the captain and I need someone to take over here. What is Alynnon like?" Alphonse makes conversation as the Fog glides easily over the water. The weather is calm, the wind favorable, the sun warm, and the breeze cool. A perfect day to set sail.

[Archemist]

Azrin is relieved to see Bernie's got no evidence of a green spot. "I'm so glad you're recovering well! Mr. Drummond here is a mindful doctor." He adds to Orrick, "Glad that was nothing. Also, may I come back in a little bit and use your scales, and mortar-and-pestle? I should make some more cartridges for my musket before we see action again. And I have some ideas for mixing in some new metals for a little extra color and pop - should make a nice flare."

He heads to his bunk and picks up the necessary materials, then heads back to Orrick's area (assuming he got permission), cuts up some paper, mixes up some powder with some strontium, nickel, and sodium, and rolls up the little bullet burritos.

After that, he goes to study some of his new scrolls, with Botticelli's help... if you run into Azrin at dinner, however, he will be a bit cross, as the studying has not been going well. A whole lot of magical misfires - thankfully they've been erring on the side of fizzles and not large explosions.

[Indori]

Orrick pulled the freakish mask up off of his face and rested it on his forehead. He stared at Bernie's exposed leg with pursed lips, clearly a little agitated that the halfling was not exhibiting any more significant symptoms. Replying to Azrin's excusing of himself, he said, "Yes, Mr. Bluestone, that would be fine. I may consult you with regard to a few arcane frequency extrapolations that I need to make while you are here. My thanks for your assistance with this." He turned back to the foot and stared at it, blissfully unaware of Bernie's panic. Surely there was more to it than that.

Does Orrick know any other symptoms that someone playing host to the basidirond (sp?) might experience?

[RandomWombat]

Symptoms are rapid degradation of the respiratory or cardiovascular system (depending on whether the spores were breathed in or delivered to the bloodstream via a bite) as the devouring spores eat the host from the inside out. If the victim survives, it means the spores died out. If the victim dies, it means there may be a basidirond sprout growing inside the body somewhere.

If the orcs were using this on Mirorhen, they may have basidirond shambling about within the city.

[Indori]

How terrifying! Do basidirond hosts maintain a great deal of their old intelligence?

[RandomWombat]

How terrifying! Do basidirond hosts maintain a great deal of their old intelligence?

A basidirond host is as intelligent as a dead body. They don't turn into zombies, the corpse just acts as incubator and food for the new sprout.

[Indori]

Gotcha.

"Bernie," Orrick began, fully removing the leather mask and massaging the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "Those spore weapons the orcs used against us a few days ago, the green clouds? Have you ever encountered anything like that before? On the ship or off." After a moment, an idea came to him. "Or maybe you were bitten, here, on the sole of your foot?"

[RandomWombat]

Bernie stares up at Orrick in fear and confusion. "No, I haven't seen anything like that before. And I certainly wasn't bitten. Is he okay?" The halfling looks hopefully to Azrin for help.

Everyone can determine their Day 2 activities while this scene plays out.

Day 2 Weather [roll0]

1: Something bad happens.
2-33: Poor weather conditions.
34-66: Average weather conditions.
67-99: Favorable weather conditions.
100: Something good happens.

Day 2 is relentlessly stormy and the winds are wild. It breaks on the Fog out of nowhere and any extra progress they may have made during the first day's pleasant weather are set back.

All characters without Profession: Sailor must make a DC 18 Fortitude save or take a -2 to their checks for the day due to feeling sickened by the rough waters. Failing by 5 or more renders them bedridden with nausea.

[Aeryk]

[roll0]
River comes above decks to enjoy the driving rain. He is still unsteady on his feet, having very little experience on a ship, but he fights off some brief nausea and is otherwise fine. At some point if he sees Ronsk he will approach him and introduce himself, "Hello sir, I am River. Who are you?" He extends his hand for a handshake, looking the other man in the eye.

River will also make an effort to work and be around Olivin, but he will not talk to him. Mostly he just wants to observe and learn what he can about him before he approaches him directly.

[Archemist]

Azrin reassures Bernie that the doctor is indeed all right. "We were just a little worried, but you look like you're healing fine. Mr. Drummond here is just being thorough with his questions. I'm sure you would let us know if you'd been bitten by something." He nudges Orrick's knee.

I'll roll and then edit the post with Azrin's Day 2 activities.
Fort: [roll0]

The next day, the seas are rough, but Azrin finds the whole thing more exciting than unpleasant. He takes pride in how the crew battens things down and furls the sails. He makes sure to pay more attention to detail on his morning rounds - generally he's been very happy with how the ship has performed out over deep water.

He spends some time reading his two scrolls, then goes to see if Orrick needs any help with his alchemy book.

I'll roll for spellcraft in the OOC thread.

[RandomWombat]

The dwarf can be found up in the crow's nest, dutifully performing his shift. He looks to have been on a ship before and is steady in the stormy weather. His metal gear has been taken off and stowed away, so as not to attract lightning while up so high, and he instead wears stock leather armor and a military club. River receives a solid handshake, after which the dwarf resumes watch as he speaks. "Ronsk Blacknail, lad. And who's it that's got the guts to climb up 'ere 'n chat in the middle of a storm, eh?"

"If there's nothing wrong with me I can go, right?" Bernie cautiously reaches for his boot to slip it back on.

[Aeryk]

"Ronsk Blacknail, lad. And who's it that's got the guts to climb up 'ere 'n chat in the middle of a storm, eh?"

"I am called River, sir," River repeats, more loudly this time, assuming the dwarf must not have heard him over the noise. "And I love being in the storm! Still working on my sea legs though I'm afraid. Seems as if you are right at home here," he observes. "The crew all seem to know you, so I figured I ought to say hello. What did you do before?"

Don't let my small talk slow anything down, I'm just filling the space until we get into the thick of things again!

[RandomWombat]

"Humble dock worker, liftin' 'n movin' whatever to wherever, sometimes goin' along if a ship needs an extra hand 'r two. Us dwarves got a bit o' martial tradition though - ain't the first time I handled a weapon," Ronsk shouts back over the howling wind. "Yer cap'n Edmun', he saved my lil' girl from kidnappers. I owe that man a lot. Where you from?"

[Aeryk]

"Humble dock worker, liftin' 'n movin' whatever to wherever, sometimes goin' along if a ship needs an extra hand 'r two. Us dwarves got a bit o' martial tradition though - ain't the first time I handled a weapon," Ronsk shouts back over the howling wind. "Yer cap'n Edmun', he saved my lil' girl from kidnappers. I owe that man a lot. Where you from?"

"Yes, he's a good man, our Captain. I grew up in the streets of Stalling, but I was taken in by the temple of Irori. After awhile I tired of simple temple life and felt a yearning to see the world. I must experience it first hand instead of hearing second-hand tales passed down from those who adventure abroad. By the time I heard the stories, they'd already been filtered by a hundred tongues and been transformed beyond believability. Though it seems there may indeed be such fantastic things after all. My eyes have been opened to how things really are outside the city walls, and I am learning much."

[Indori]

"If there's nothing wrong with me I can go, right?" Bernie cautiously reaches for his boot to slip it back on.
"Yes, yes, Bernie, you can return to duty," Orrick replied, though he was clearly still perplexed. Nothing had been working out for the best recently, ever since they had been down in the belly of the siege ship. The doctor absentmindedly adjusted the kerchief around his neck as the halfling left, then half-heartedly set about his other duties.

For the remainder of Day 1, Orrick spends his time filling the new formula book. I figure he can get about halfway or two-thirds done before bedtime, and he'll resume on Day 2.

That is, he'll resume if he can pass this Fortitude check: [roll0]
The second day of the voyage was fraught with excitement as a sudden storm descended on the Fog. Below decks, Orrick continued his work at regaining some remnant of his arcane formulae by the light of a lantern. He gratefully accepted Azrin help at determining the proper daedron alignment for a chemical transmutation, from which they later made a discovery (Orrick was quick to write down the exact process) regarding the infusion of primary plane masking into a biological being first theorized by Hambleford two decades prior. With his spirits lifted to some degree, despite the inclement weather, the doctor afforded himself some time at midday to rest from his labors and imbibe a modified ration of brandy.

I think Orrick can finish filling his formula book on the second day, including adding his first Level 2 extract: Invisibility!

[Archemist]

Below decks, Orrick continued his work at regaining some remnant of his arcane formulae by the light of a lantern. He gratefully accepted Azrin help at determining the proper daedron alignment for a chemical transmutation, from which they later made a discovery (Orrick was quick to write down the exact process) regarding the infusion of primary plane masking into a biological being first theorized by Hambleford two decades prior. With his spirits lifted to some degree, despite the inclement weather, the doctor afforded himself some time at midday to rest from his labors and imbibe a modified ration of brandy.

Azrin is glad to find Orrick is a fellow reader of Hambleford. Primary plane masking is something he'd only seen in theory. "Bottled invisibility! To think one could just mix this and that and make such a thing!"

[brandnewb]

Olivin spends the trip enjoying the fresh salt air. Having been a slave for so long he is not less than ecstatic about the chance to crew a ship again as a free sailor. He busily runs about looking for every opportunity to assist with tasks on deck. Eventually his over-enthusiastic helpfulness begins to wear on those currently on duty. When the storm hits he has exhausted his ability to assist without causing annoyance. The storm hits and he walks about on deck, long years at sea guarding him from any apprehension. Olivin watches as a stranger climbs his way to the top of the mast, despite the inclement weather and nods approvingly. After some time he decides to practice with his new whip, testing his ability to fight on the slippery deck.
With a crack he snaps the whip in an attempt latch onto the railing as if he were going to trip an opponent. Then gives the railing a good yank, the railing is not able to move so instead Olivin begins slipping accross the wet deck toward the railing.


[roll0]
I was looking at the acrobatics rules, and I could not figure out what the acrobatics check for not falling on a slipper deck would be. It says +2 to acrobatics checks if the surface is slippery. It should not be that difficult since he was expecting it, easy DCs are like 5. So I figure he needs a 7 on his acrobatics to stay upright and slide toward the handrail.
[roll1]
I will put what happens after I roll.


Olivin latches onto the post, and gives a good tug. Not being about to move the rail Olivin instead slides accross the surface of the deck. He skids smoothly over the deck a few feet then comes to a stop. He sakes his head in disgust and says in his native language, "That was bad, I am losing my touch. I should have gotten a lot more purchase on that there."

After a pause he looks around the deck, "Anyone want practice?" In the rain he seems fairly odd making such a request.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed stands at the bow of the ship, staring intently ahead and enjoying the spray on his face. He was in a good mood, despite the slow pace and inclement weather. With all the recent drama it felt good to be sailing again, united with a common purpose. He and Orrick had mostly stayed out of each others way, and the extra space had helped him cool off a little. He would never agree with what the doctor had done, but with hindsight it wasn't exactly a black and white issue.

With a nod to Alphonse at the helm, Ed makes a quick note of their bearing and then begins to stroll the deck, observing the men. A few of the soldiers were having a hard time keeping their lunches down in the swell, but spirits seemed generally high. He sees Olivin ahead, facing the rail and practicing intently. He approaches behind the man and catches a few words in Ulselandic and in the Common tongue.



Olivin latches onto the post, and gives a good tug. Not being about to move the rail Olivin instead slides accross the surface of the deck. He skids smoothly over the deck a few feet then comes to a stop. He sakes his head in disgust and says in his native language, "That was bad, I am losing my touch. I should have gotten a lot more purchase on that there."

After a pause he looks around the deck, "Anyone want practice?" In the rain he seems fairly odd making such a request.


Using his basic Ulselandic he replies from behind Olivin's back. "Not so bad. Difficult in rain."

Then switching to common with a hint of an amused smile, "I'll practice with you."

[Aeryk]

A whip crack punctuates River's conversation with Ronsk and he looks back over the crow's nest in alarm. It was the newly freed slave, Olivin. River quickly realized Olivin was practicing his skills, as he himself had been doing just days before. Just then Captain Edmund approached. River couldn't make out any words over the pounding rain, but as both men squared off, he figured some sort of challenge was about to happen. Turning back to Ronsk, River says, "Well, it's nice to meet you sir, but you are not the only new face aboard. I must go see about this Olivin fellow, and it looks as if something interesting is about to happen. Perhaps when it is over I can return and give you a break up here?" River descends from the crows nest to observe Olivin from the gathering crowd.

[brandnewb]

Olivin straightens to attention when he sees the Captain. And smiles when the man offers to practice with him. “Captain great fighter, I see fight orcs.” he says in broken common, the deference in his tone making his respect for the Captains skills apparent. “Not to hurt Captain?” Olivin asks his voice indicating genuine concern for the injury to his Captains leg. It is evident that he is not aware of the unspoken tension involving the injury, any hint having been lost to him because of his inability to read subtle ques in common.

Olivin begins gathering his whip in preparation for a spar, clearly confident that the Captain is a formidable opponent limp or no limp. He begins backing away from the Captain to give themselves a good 20ft distance to begin.

"You start Captain."


Not sure how you want to do it.

Olivin will let Ed start by casting a spell. Then we can do initiative after that. Its not exactly sporting for a fighter to beat up on a cleric without letting him have a spell.

Also Ed would have seen that Olivin hit that railing from 15ft away.

[H. Von Studley]

Maybe a grappling contest, or bare-knuckle boxing or something? Just something friendly. Ed won't do any casting (initially at least) so Olivin will probably have the edge. Weapons are probably not a good idea though.


Ed waves away Olivin's concerns, a little uncomfortably. "I'm fine."

He drops his weapons in a neat pile off to the side, and unbuckles his gauntlet. "It's been a while, but how about we go a few rounds and see how we feel?"

Raising his hands he strides towards Olivin, inviting the man to close and begin.

Embarrassingly, Ed can't even make it 20' over to Olivin without double-moving and he knows it. He'll instead walk 10' forward and ready a friendly little left jab for when Olivin steps in, no PA or anything.

[brandnewb]

Olivin nods and quickly roles his whip and puts it in his belt while the Captain sets his own gear aside. He takes a ready position watching the Captain limp the distance toward him.

When the Captain stops and takes a readied stance Olivin sees the que to begin. He moves in swiftly, coming strait into the readied attack of the Captain. He attempts to sweep his opponents legs out from underneath him.

Move action to approach Ed, draws the readied attack.

Trip combat maneuver.
[roll0]

[H. Von Studley]

Readied attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (nonlethal)

Crit confirmation: [26]
Additional Damage: [6] (rolled in OOC)

Ed throws out a quick jab but is taken by surprise as Olivin lands his kick perfectly on Ed's bad left ankle. His legs fold underneath him and he goes down hard in a mess of limbs. That was a hell of a kick, he thought. Clearly Olivin wasn't messing around. Ed rolls backwards, getting his legs underneath him, then rises and throws a hard uppercut with all his power behind it.

Nice. Ed's going to go a little harder now. Attacking with PA, FS and DS. Also he provokes by standing, so you've got another punch. Ed's AC is usually 18, but he's technically prone when the AoO goes off so it's AC 14.

Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[brandnewb]

The Captain lands a solid blow on Olivin as he comes in, shaking him hard. Olivin more out of instinct than a clear head sweeps the legs out from under him, still dazed from the hit. Then without a moments hesitation Ed is back up after him again with a second swing. This punch also connects solidly and Olivin is spinning from the impact.

This time Olivin goes to punch the Captain, attempting to return the favour.

[roll0]

[brandnewb]

Sorry Damage roll.
1d3+5

Edit: Gah! Ill try in OOC

Total Damage on Olivin right now, 22

[H. Von Studley]

Ed steps back under the force of the blow and gives Olivin a grin. His leg ached, and a bruise was beginning to form on his cheekbone, but he was clearly in his element. This time he throws a quick combination; a little left jab to distract and then a big straight right aimed at Olivin's chin.

Same again,
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[brandnewb]

Olivin is ready for the Captain this time, when Ed swings at him he ducks to avoid the punch, then attempts to send a hit back at him. Olivin's fist swings around in a wide left hook.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Aeryk]

River stands at the sidelines watching the friendly bout. It seemed both men were fairly skilled. He was suddenly glad they were all on the same side. River takes special note of the fact that Olivin capitalizes on the Captain's weakness by tripping him, wondering to himself what it says about the man's character. Regardless, he stands motionless with arms crossed, intrigued at the activity.

[RandomWombat]

A group of sailors watches the captain and new recruit spar on the deck, hooting and cheering whenever a good hit is made.

"Oooh, low blow! Now there's some real free-style brawling, there."
"Nice uppercut, cap!"

Each formula takes 1 hour per spell level to record, or 30 minutes for a 0-level spell. Azrin can make a DC 15 Craft (Alchemy) check to decrease the spell levels of formulas he helps with by 1.

[H. Von Studley]

The blow catches Ed hard and rocks him back for a second. Not deterred though he dances forward, light on his feet, getting up inside Olivin's guard and throwing a hard right elbow at the side of the other man's head.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[brandnewb]

Olivin is shocked at the speed that the Captain can move with despite his injury. The opponents elbow comes flying toward Olivin's temple and he only just has time to get his left arm up to stop a devastating blow. Olivin immediately brings his right fist up from under, attempting to uppercut the captain.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[H. Von Studley]

As Olivin expertly blocks the elbow and counter-strikes, Ed has a moment to feel impressed before the blow connects. My guard was only open for a moment. He's quick. Very quick. Ed pushes back off Olivin's chest with his right hand, making some space, and then throws one last left hook.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Confirmation: [26]
Additional Damage: [11] (Rolled in OOC)

[Archemist]

Azrin helps Orrick a bit more with his formulae.

Craft (Alchemy) to help: [roll0]

Upon hearing the commotion upstairs, though, he'll run up to the deck and watch the fun. "They make it look so easy!" he comments to River.

Edited to add: Azrin is apparently not much help to Orrick after all.

[brandnewb]

Olivin stumbles backward for a second, head swimming from another thunderous blow. With world a-spin and head throbbing Olivin resorts to instinct. He tucks his head and moves in slow, attempting to grapple his opponent. After such a critical impact to his attempt to grapple his opponent is due largely to instinct from many a bar-room brawl.


total Damage on Olivin: 42

Grapple: [roll0]

Olivins CMD: 21= 10+4bab+5st+2manuver mastery
Gotta change pace here, Olivin can't keep up with the odds in a fist fight even without 2 crits.

[brandnewb]

Olivin’s head was clearly not on straight following the last colossal hit. When he attempts to come inside the Captains guard he fumbles the maneuver terribly. World reeling he leaves himself vulnerable to a counterattack.

Sweet Jesus, a crit fumbled. Do I have to confirm that to see if something happens?

[H. Von Studley]

Ed feels a shudder up his arm as the left hook connects solidly. He follows through with the punch, spinning to his right before glancing back up at Olivin. He's shocked to find the man still on his feet. Ed had seen his share of brawls, be they in the ring or occasionally in the tavern alleyway, and he'd never known a man to come back for more after taking a shot like that.

Still, it's clear the man is hurt. His next attack is slow and predictable, but even so Ed barely manages to turn the force of Olivin's charge away from himself as he pivots aside. Breathing hard, he holds his hands up towards his opponent, palms outward.

"Enough, I think. We'll both need to be in one piece for tomorrow." Ed works his jaw side to side as he speaks, prodding it experimentally with his finger. He knew that uppercut would leave it the most remarkable shade of purple tomorrow. Then he steps forward, holding out his hand to shake and grinning.

"Best scrap I've had in years. Though if you want a real test you'll have to have a crack at River over there." Ed nods to where River is standing watching the fight. "Fastest hands I've ever seen. You couldn't pay me to spar with him."

Turning back to Olivin, Ed's face goes serious for a moment. He switches to Ulselandic, speaking slowly and picking his words carefully. A newfound respect fills his voice. "You will fight well beside us."

Finally he turns to the assembled crowd and his face shifts back into his more usual, stern expression. "Alright everyone, show's over. Let's get back to work. We've got more miles ahead of us yet."

[brandnewb]

Olivin stops when the Captain signals for the fight to end. He shakes his head, trying to clear it of the confusion caused by several major hits. He looks over at River appraisingly, and nods.
“I think…” Olivin pauses trying to say something, but unable to get the words out for some reason. He turns his head and spits a mouthful of blood onto the deck. He wipes his mouth then takes a second attempt at speaking. “I think you win Captain, with your permission I would like a second try sometime. I look forward to fighting beside you against my enemies.” He speaks in Ulselandic impressed that his Captain can also speak the language.

When the Captain orders everyone back to work Olivin moves off, rubbing his jaw and looking for a way to help on deck. His shirt has some blood sprinkled on the front.

[Aeryk]

"You honor me, Captain. I think you could not pay me to fight you either, sir." River puts his palms together and gives Ed a slight bow of respect. He turns to Olivin, sizing the bigger man up. He speaks slowly and simply to ensure that Olivin can follow, "You fight well. Very tough." He spreads his hands open at his sides then gestures between the two of them and raises his eyebrows questioningly, "You want fight me later? When you feel better?"

[RandomWombat]

The excitement is over, except for the continuing storm. Everyone cools down and goes back to their own business.

The two alchemists are soon interrupted by an influx of seasick soldiers, those not used to rough seas. Most just need a moment to sit and get oriented, and can still work, but some of them are disabled by nausea. Among them are Dean and Pomutiki, who found themselves evacuating the contents of their stomachs over the railing.

Rebecca comes in later in the morning, looking a little green, but she's keeping herself composed. "Doc, just wanted to ask, you recommend any food that'll settle easily with the crew? We don't have too much variety of options, but I don't wanna feed them just to have them puke it all up again."

Encounter roll: [roll0]

Well, that looks interesting.

Ronsk descends the ladder, his shouting having been unheard over the howling winds. Reaching the deck he hurries to the captain, "Cap'n Edmun', there's somethin' huge off the starboard side comin' at us!" Even as the lookout delivers his warning, a piercing roar echoes across the water, like some kind of banshee scream. The entire ship shudders as something brushes up against the side, shaking unsteadily in the already violent water.

[Aeryk]

River dashes to the rail in alarm to see what made the impact.

Perception check if needed: 1d20+7

Edit: didn't work. Posted in OoC thread. 23

[brandnewb]

Olivin nods to River, “Yes I spar later.” he says in broken common. A single droplet of blood appears in one of his nostrils. “Always like good fight.” he says with a grin. He grins and dismisses himself to go down to the doctor. He will spend whatever time before the encounter resting and look to get a CLW potion from the doc.

He had been resting below for some time when the ship suddenly lurched as if hit by something.

He grabs his whip and rushes up on deck. How many hours past before the encounter. And was I able to get a CLW?

[Indori]

Orrick couldn't help but become distracted by the scuffling of feet and the shouts and cries from the crew above. Thuds from stomping heavy boots resounded through the ceiling. When Azrin ran out to see what the commotion was all about, the doctor just shook his head in exasperation. Who could work with all these distractions?
The sudden tide of ill sailors took the sickbay by storm, and Orrick did his best to accommodate. The first few that came in were lucky enough to receive a helping of ground ginger to mix with a mug of water, but as more and more came through, the doctor realized that he would have to more carefully ration his supply to avoid using it all. He arranged for those who were very ill to sit in a row down the middle of the sickbay floor, about where he thought the center of the ship was. He explained to them that seasickness is caused by the motion of the rocking ship and that the sitting amidships should minimize the motion. When Rebecca came in, he made sure to give her a pinch of the ginger (one of the untreated sailors put up a fuss about it until Orrick asked him if he wanted vomit in his supper).

"Now what is all that shouting up above? Food that will settle, you say? Of course, let's see, anything with a significant allotment of complex carbohyd-" he began, but stopped upon catching her eye. "Ah, bland things. Bread or rice, plain. Water to drink. Absolutely no grog."

Just as he was finishing, there came a great, shrill cry, and the whole ship shuddered as if a great weight was thrown up against it. The sudden movement sent Orrick and Rebecca stumbling into the wall of the sickbay.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed stares at Ronsk blankly for a second before the whole ship shudders. With a look of shock on his face he begins yelling orders.

"Hands to stations! Ready cannons and ballistas both sides of the ship! Watch to starboard! Break out weapons gentlemen, and be ready for anything!"

Ed hurries over to the helm and takes the wheel himself. "Anyone catch a glimpse of the thing?" Finally, he lifts his fist skyward and a flash of white light bursts out of him in all directions, washing over the crew. New strength and resolve floods through their bodies.

Ed casts Bless. All allies within 50' of Ed (which I think is the whole crew) get a +1 morale bonus to attacks rolls and saving throws against fear.

[RandomWombat]

"Oh, just the captain letting off some steam. He and that slave we rescued decided to have a sparring match," Rebecca answers, waving off the ginger so that another sailor can have it. "I'll be okay, I've dealt with worse. Just a little wobbly is all. I'll get some bread and water for the patien-" The crash causes her already unsteady footing to fail, and she falls back through the open doorway into the hallway with a start.

The encounter happens only a few minutes after the sparring match.

Anyone looking over the railing doesn't need a perception check to see what's below. A huge dark colored shell with rust red ridges rises and falls in the stormy water, dim orange limbs extending from it and streaked with golden spines. The creature is as large as a small boat itself, though the Fog still dwarfs it.

Olivin recognizes the creature below as soon as he sees it. A Dragon Turtle, highly territorial creatures who make their lairs on deep caves, decorated with the wrecks and cargo of ships that intrude on that territory. They can capsize a ship with terrifying ease, and while not intentionally malicious they often use the crew of such vessels for a light snack. Olivin knows of one by this description living in the open sea near the southwest coast of Criedia, the continent he is from. Its territory does not extend this far that he recalls, but it may have moved to a new lair for some reason.

Despite being territorial, these creatures are distantly related to true dragons. They are intelligent and this one in particular was offered gifts of jeweled golden idols by ships from the United City-States. Once the orcs took to the sea they quickly learned the same lesson and provided treasures to appease the creature whenever it decided to show its scaly face and object to their presence.

This Dragon Turtle has a fondness for gold and gems.

[brandnewb]

When Olivin realizes what they are dealing with he rushes over to that Captain, “Captain.” He says “It is a Dragon Turtle. There is one that lives near my homeland, and this one matches the description. In fact I encountered it once I think some time ago. I do not know why it is so far from home but heed this. These monsters expect payment to appease them, they will sometimes leave a ship alone if it provides them a sufficient offering. They like gold and gems.” Olivin makes this statement slowly, and switches between Common, Draconic and Ulselandic when he is not sure what word should go next allowing the others on the deck who might speak those languages to fill the gaps for the Captain. “I suggest that we fill a row-boat with some manner of precious metal and jewels then send it afloat. A fight with this monster will not go well, and do not underestimate him. They are as intelligent as a man, and certainly no dumb beast.”

[H. Von Studley]

Ed stares at Olivin in alarm for a moment before recovering and calling out a few orders in a hushed voice.

"Someone find me Dean and Azrin, quickly!"

Then he steps away from the helm, moving to the starboard rail and offering a low bow out to the creature. He calls out over the waves, doing his best to make his tone confident but respectful.

"Greetings, mighty Dragon Turtle. To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?"

[Archemist]

Ed stares at Olivin in alarm for a moment before recovering and calling out a few orders in a hushed voice.

"Someone find me Dean and Azrin, quickly!"

Then he steps away from the helm, moving to the starboard rail and offering a low bow out to the creature. He calls out over the waves, doing his best to make his tone confident but respectful.

"Greetings, mighty Dragon Turtle. To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?"

Azrin, also having run to peek over the rail (possibly requiring a quick boost) decides against casting the spell he'd had in mind prior to seeing it's a DRAGON.

He hurries to the captain and mentions "It will probably understand us if we speak in Draconic - Olivin or I can translate." If Ed had been using common, Azrin will begin shouting a translation down to the dragon.

[RandomWombat]

"Pleasure? You are trespassing upon my waters, landwalker! If you do not want to taste the biting water, you will be quick to pay your passage! Stop your squeaking flattery and get on with it!" the shrill voice of the massive turtle announces in irritation once Azrin translates.

"Dean was feeling under the weather, sir, he went to the sickbay," Reed shouts from nearby. The crew is straining to see the creature over the edge, but Alphonse is running around making certain they don't all run to one side of the ship at once and capsize them anyways.

[brandnewb]

Olivin whispers to the captain, "These are not his regular waters. I do not know if we want to risk being so bold, but if there is some greater beast that has driven this Dragon from his old home it would be good to know. We would most certainly want to avoid whatever has taken up residence there."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed nods to Olivin, barely listening to the giant beast, then replies in a hushed voice. "Okay good. Reed, we need to know how much gold and other precious metals we have aboard the ship. And quickly."

He turns back to the Dragon Turtle. "Of course, great one. I'm just organising something with my people now. My crew tells me these aren't your usual hunting grounds. What brings you to these waters?"

[RandomWombat]

Edmund's translated attempts at inquiry just inspire the dragon turtle to rock the ship again, not intending to capsize it just yet, but jostling it for intimidation. "What I do is not your concern! Your concern is giving me a reason not to do something!"

Moving quickly, some stumbling as the ship rocks violently, the crew readies a lifeboat on the starboard side to be lowered onto the water. Reed hurries down into the cargo hold to find the ship's funds, taking a few others with him to help carry some of it up. They return with a chest of gold and lug it over to the side of the ship. "Captain, this is half our funds. The other half is in another chest below."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed gives Reed a nod of acknowledgement and then turns back to the Dragon Turtle.

"Of course, you are right. We will happily pay our toll. But there is one more question I should ask of you. We go now to destroy an orcish fleet. It lays siege to a powerful city. If you were to help us defeat the orcs, you would be handsomely rewarded. It would certainly be more than we could offer you.

"Alternatively, if you prefer not to deal with us I'd be happy to point you towards their ships anyway. Between all of them they're bound to have something valuable to offer."

Ed bows low.

"But if you prefer we will gladly make our offering now instead, meager though it is. The choice is yours."

[Aeryk]

River simply stands by the railing, watching the exchange between Edmund and the dragon-turtle. In his opinion, Ed's idea seemed fairly clever. He could only hope the dragon would be enticed by the offer.

[RandomWombat]

There is a rumbling from below as the aquatic beast ponders its options. Its draconic reply is translated and given to Edmund, "The cities of men were always far more cooperative before the winged and tusked men came, this is true. I will consider your what you say. But your cleverness does not exempt you from the toll." Even not understanding the words straight from the turtle's mouth, Edmund detects that its tone is less confrontational this time.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed bows his head respectfully and gestures for Reed to lower the chest down to the beast.

"As you wish. Should you decide to help, we aim to fight off the coast of Mirorhen, at dawn two days from now. A green flare will signal our attack, and our allies will be flying the same colours as we do now. Your consideration is greatly appreciated."

[RandomWombat]

Not one to mince words when there's nothing left to discuss, the turtle quickly snaps the rowboat out of the air with its jaws and dives below the waves. The crew is awkwardly silent, waiting to see what happens next, but nothing attacks and the storm rages on around them.

"I guess that worked. It's too bad we had to give that thing half our gold," Reed looks down over the railing to where the turtle and rowboat vanished.

"We'll just have to kill enough orcs to get a bigger bonus when we get back," another soldier pipes up.

Unfortunately, when Edmund left the wheel unattended briefly, the ship was left to drift on its own until Alphonse ran up to take the reigns. With the weather so chaotic and forceful it's entirely likely they've gone off course.

[Indori]

Orrick ended up pulling Rebecca back into the sickbay and listening to the whole exchange through the hull of the ship. Every time he tried to step out and make his way abovedecks, some frantic sailor was running past as if trying to find something. Between the weather and the frenzy to dump a portion of the vessel's wealth into a boat, he abandoned the effort to see what was going on. His mood was souring again. The discovery that he and Azrin had made earlier was blotted out by the ill luck the ship had suffered all day long, from the weather to the seasickness to the dragon turtle, and some murmuring from the gathered sickened sailors confirmed that they had sensed the downturn in fortunes as well.

[RandomWombat]

Leaning back against the wall and slowly sliding down into a sitting position, Rebecca breathes steadily to help keep the nausea at bay while she waits for a break in traffic to get back to the galley. "Hey doc, you're looking more somber than usual. Is the weather getting you down or is something else on your mind?"

[brandnewb]

Olivin goes up to the helm to stand by the first mate, he begins considering their current baring to see if they have gone off course.


Not sure which skills are the applicable ones. I took the knowledge skills that are linked to sailing a ship.

Geography: [roll0]
Nature: [roll1]
Prof Sailor: [roll2]

[Indori]

"Ms. Sherman, your powers of observation are quite extraordinary. My mind is occupied by a great many things, not the least of which," he said, pausing as one of the sailors vomited into a pail due to a particular vicious roll on the part of the Fog. Covering his nostrils with an index finger, he continued, "Not the least of which is how I'm to keep this crew in fighting condition with all this ruckus. My days have been darkened by depressive thoughts ever since we took a prize that siege vessel." He imagined first killing one of the unnamed slaves, then confessing the action to her the very next day. "I fear neither luck nor the gods have not been on our side since then, and this incident with a seafaring wyrm has done little to assuage me."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed breathes out slowly as the Dragon Turtle disappears. That had been too close. A beast that size could have easily capsized them, or just wrecked the hull from below the waterline. He clenches his jaw in frustration. It pained him to make nice with a beast that was little more than a common bandit, but he knew the Fog wouldn't have had a chance against such a foe.

Once this was over though... If they ever rid these waters of the orcs, he resolved to come back better prepared and stop that creature for good.

Alphonse shouting jolted him from his thoughts and he realised the ship had drifted during the encounter. Ed strides back over to the helm, his face betraying none of his frustration. With the help of Alphonse and Olivin (whose sailing skills clearly surprised him) he attempts to get their bearings and steer the Fog back on course.

Profession: Sailing check to not get lost. (Ed can use the sextant bonus for the first time in over a year of this game! :smalltongue:)
[roll0]

If the sextant bonus doesn't apply given that it'd be pretty difficult to use one in a storm, the result is at a -2.

[Archemist]

Alphonse shouting jolted him from his thoughts and he realised the ship had drifted during the encounter. Ed strides back over to the helm, his face betraying none of his frustration. With the help of Alphonse and Olivin (whose sailing skills clearly surprised him) he attempts to get their bearings and steer the Fog back on course.

Azrin heads over to the tiller and adds his compass into the mix of various navigational instruments. He attempts to assist the captain and Olivin.

Profession Sailor: [roll0]

[Aeryk]

River watched in wonder as the little boat was torn below the waves. The wealth meant little to him, but the chance to see such a magnificent beast was simply something he could've only imagined in his wildest dreams. At the least, they hadn't been sunk or eaten, and at best they had perhaps bought the creature's aid, but either way, things were pretty good as far as he was concerned. Seeing that Ronsk was still on deck, he went and told the dwarf he could take a break from watch. He climbed the rigging to enjoy the storm from above, drowning out the hustle and bustle below, he reveled in the storm with a peaceful smile as he peered into the rain.

[RandomWombat]

Between the four minds of Olivin, Alphonse, Edmund, and Azrin, they are able to determine the proper course towards the orc stronghold. With the atmosphere on deck calming down they have time now to tend to their duties, and even take a moment to think. Alphonse sighs and returns to maintaining course. "Is there anything outside the island that doesn't want to kill us?"

Ronsk returns to his precarious perch in the crow's nest.

The party has lost 1000 gp to the turtle's toll, roughly half of their total funds.

Nodding with her eyes closed, Rebecca makes an effort not to look at the sailors losing their stomach contents. Things are quieting down above now and the shaking caused by the aquatic bully subsides. "Guess I can't rightly say there's nothing to worry about. I think you're looking at it in the wrong way though. I don't think luck and the gods are looking poorly on us." Sitting up straighter, she opens her eyes and looks down the wall to where Orrick sits, "We've trounced everything in our way. We've taken casualties, sure. People have almost died. But nobody has died. Scarred and battered for some, but we're all still kicking."

[Indori]

Orrick smirked at Rebecca, a little grimly, and said, "You have the outlook of a warrior, accounting our successes compared to the lives lost. I will have to learn to see things that way, but all my life has been spent in less martial pursuits. I suppose I am short sighted. Only a week ago we struck the first blow against the orcs, and it seemed we could do no wrong. Now, though..."

He looked down at the floor between his outstretched legs.

"As I said, short sighted. I know we're doing well." He looked back at her and tapped his temple with two fingers, then dropped the hand into his lap and rested his head against the wall. He stared off into the rest of the sickbay, but not at anything in particular. "I just wish I could...convince myself."

[H. Von Studley]

The lost 1000gp has been noted in the party inventory.

Satisfied that the ship was back on course, Ed patrols the deck, filled with restless energy, doing his best to ignore the dull throbbing from his leg. Tomorrow they would face perhaps their toughest challenge yet. A potentially grueling battle for the submersible, a risky infiltration of Mirorhen and a long night's vigil waiting for these 'Blessed Ones.' Blessed by who? Gorum? That other orc we faced had been a follower. Were the Blessed Ones worshipers of Gorum as well? Ed gave a grim, quiet laugh. The God of War doesn't pick sides, but I haven't failed him yet.

He eventually tires of walking and leans against the rail, his back to the sea. He pulls out his glaive and axes one by one, going over each with a whetstone in preparation for the next day. The repetitive motion and mindless work calms him a little. Once he is finally satisfied, a thought occurs and he heads downstairs to the cargo hold.

He retrieves the new armor and shield Dean had procured for him in Stalling, staring at it in the dim light, suddenly grateful for the solitude of the hold. He takes the chain shirt, feeling the weight in his hand. The whole thing was barely heavier than one of his greaves. A look of dismay mixed with disdain crosses his face. He'd been wearing heavy armor, real armor, for as long as he'd been fighting. The weight wasn't so much restricting as it was comforting, and he'd borne it better than most.

He reaches for a buckle to unstrap his mail, preparing to don this new one, but his fingers stop in mid-air. No. I don't need this. My leg is fine. I'm fine.

His mind made up, Ed balls up the chain shirt and shoves it into his pack, then turns and slowly climbs back upstairs.

[RandomWombat]

"You can see it I guess even if you don't believe it. That's a start," Rebecca rests a hand on her knee and stands using the wall as support. She offers a hand up. "Things are calming down now, so we can probably get back to work. Even if the gods are against us we should still do our best to make sure everyone makes it out of this."



For once, nothing comes out of the woodworks to cause trouble and attack or otherwise hinder the crew. Over the course of the day and into the night the weather calms and by the apex of the moon's arc the water is still and quiet. A gentle wind drags the ship forward on its path to war.

[brandnewb]

With danger avoided and the ship back on course Olivin takes the opportunity to go for a rest. He heads below to get ready for the coming day.

[Archemist]

"Captain, how fortunate we are that you had your sextant handy - we would never have gotten back on course if the sky hadn't cleared briefly just then as the sun was directly overhead."

Azrin checks back in with Orrick, also, and finishes "helping" him with the day-two studying. Within the wooden walls of the infirmary, it's been a rough day, and thankfully the seas are calming. Elsewise the lack of a non-moving reference frame might have started to upset Azrin's stomach as he continued his reading. It still smelled like a few other sailors had had similar symptoms earlier... Azrin finds he miraculously still has a good appetite for dinner, and a little afterwards he takes his leave of the doctor.

"Well, good night, Mr. Drummond. Or should I call you 'Doctor Drummond'? All in all, a decent day's work. Some elements were against us today, but we put some others together favorably this morning. I'm very intrigued to see your new alchemical mixture in action. Soon, perhaps. I suppose if it works well I won't see it."

[RandomWombat]

Day 3

Weather: [roll0]

1: Something Bad Happens
2-33: Poor Weather; the party will arrive at the orc supply post during the afternoon
34-66: Neutral Weather; the party will arrive at the orc supply post around noon
67-99: Good weather; the party will arrive at the orc supply post in the morning
100: Something Good Happens

Will update post if anything interesting happens, otherwise you may make your last minute preparations.

Edit: The storm resurges in the morning, though not as wild as the day before. The sky is overcast, the wind slows their pace, and the water is choppy. At this speed they will reach the supply stronghold in the mid-afternoon and will be seen easily during approach at their slow pace. The orcs will have time to prepare for their docking. The orcs will take no penalties for light sensitivity in the overcast weather.

[Archemist]

"Baervan take this cursed weather," Azrin mumbles as he gets out of bed in the morning. "It'll be good to see land again, even if it's crawling with orcs."

He prepares his spells for the day with Botticelli and makes sure he has his musket and dragon pistol both strapped close at hand. He checks his ammunition supply and checks the knot on his grappling hook.

Azrin gets breakfast and does his rounds, checking that the ship is still ship-shape.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed rises early, restless at the thought of the battle ahead. The ship makes slow progress against the waves, and with little else to do Ed asks a hand to summon the Fog's officers to the helm to discuss strategy. "Fetch Azrin, Orrick, River, Pomutiki and Alphonse for me would you? And get Mossgandra and Hsmorjo too." He turns away before a thought strikes him. "And Olivin too please." Their newest recruit had impressed him in their bout, and the man knew they sea in this region far better than he did.

"I've been thinking about the battle ahead. While killing as many of the enemy as possible would be ideal, our top priority is capturing the submersible and getting out of there. We'll need all the time we can get to get to Mirorhen. I'm open to any ideas you all might have in doing just that. But we should start by learning a little more about what it is we're after. Mossgandra?" Ed speaks with a resolve he only gets when planning for a battle. After translating his words for the non-common speakers, he nods to Mossgandra to proceed.

[RandomWombat]

Mossgandra and Hsmorjo are on deck already, watching the horizon for sight of their home continent. They are quickly called to the helm by the deck hand. Alphonse had taken the previous shift at the wheel and was below resting before the battle, but is called back up to the meeting. He dutifully returns, standing straight despite being tired. It's a little longer before Pomutiki gets there; he'd been doing his morning check of the siege weapons and ammunition. Between everyone gathered, there are enough shared languages to discuss things in detail, albeit with some effort.

The elven commander begins her explanation, "The submersible was in our hold, in its passive mode. It's doubtful the orcs know what it is yet; it's old dwarven tech, not something very common. To them it would just look like a large container of cargo with no visible means of opening."
"I would be more worried that they damaged it trying to get it open," Hsmorjo cuts in.
"I doubt their weapons would do much aside scratch the surface. The dwarves knew what they were doing when they made that. It's not certain what they've done with our ship in the interim; it might still be there with the submersible onboard, they may have taken the ship elsewhere and stored the submersible at the supply post. I doubt they've moved it far though. The commanders at the outpost will want credit for retrieving whatever's 'inside' the mysterious indestructible crate."
"As for the submersible itself, there is a hidden latch that opens and lets you inside. It has seats for two drivers and can strap you in so you don't get thrown around in an impact. The control levers are labelled in Ulselandic. First you need to extend the limbs and switch it out of passive mode, then open the frontal and peripheral portholes. There are also two sealed bullseye lanterns in the front you can open; they have everburning fires and will light the area in front of you if it's dark or deep underwater. From there you can move it around and see where you're going; another lever extends and retracts front-mounted claw weapons. The machine seems to have a bit of a mind of its own as far as targeting goes; point it at an enemy with intent to harm, pull the lever, the thing takes care of the rest."
"Frankly a little unsettling if you ask me. Like the claws are picking at your mind for cues where to go."
"Dwarf tech hasn't done us wrong thus far, Hsmorjo."
"When we're careful with it."
"Yes, of course. Moving on. Two people can remain inside for two to five hours without running out of air; twice that for a single passenger. The controls are clunky and slow, and the machine isn't exactly the fastest transport, but with two people to man the controls it's a serviceable combat asset."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed scratches his chin thoughtfully. "I see. So we'll have to get close enough to the stronghold to see if your ship is there or not. If not we'll have to capture an orc and make him tell us where the submersible is.

"Either way I think we just ruled out stealth. It's probably not feasible to sneak aboard a ship, especially if someone sees us coming. And as for the stronghold, a stealthy entrance might be possible, but we won't get the submersible out again without someone noticing. With the time we have it seems a frontal assault is all that's left to us.

"Pomutiki, what's the state of the cannons? We'll need them and the ballistas firing continuously. I don't want our men getting pinned down by archers or guard towers. And would it be possible to rig up any explosive ammunition? If they have walls or a gate I want to be able to breach from the ship before we send men in. Azrin and the doctor may be able to help you there. Between the two of them there's not a lot they don't know about explosives.

"For that matter, what about incendiary ammunition? If the submersible really is nigh indestructible then we could try to start a few fires behind their lines and burn them out. It really all depends on the terrain and their defenses."

Ed turns to the native Ulselanders, Olivin, Mossgandra and Hsmorjo. "Do you have any idea what we'll be looking at? Fortifications, siege weapons, numbers, terrain, that sort of thing?"


"Does anyone else have any other thoughts? This, right now is where the battle is won or lost."

[brandnewb]

Olivin thinks back on what he knows of the orc fortress from his visits there as a slave. He also says, "If we need to make one of the bastards talk, I would he happy to do the honor." he pats the cat o' nine tails on his belt.

[roll0]
I will edit my post when I know what my roll got me.

[RandomWombat]

Fort Barthem was once a trading post between Mirorhen and the elves. Traveling north by sea and using the old dwarven highways is far faster than traveling around the mountains to their forests, and far safer than traveling over them. In fact, the dwarven roads and tunnels are lined periodically with enchanted stones that make assuage weariness and allow caravans to travel faster, one of the many wonders of Old Ulseland. Another benefit was that this trading post was far from the Dragon Turtle's territory, meaning no 'extra taxes' on merchants. Setting sail to or from Mirorhen itself ran the risk of encountering the sea monster and losing some profit to appease it, even if Mirorhen was on the outskirts of its territory.

Now that benefit is lost, and in orcish hands the fort is just another way to cut off Mirorhen from its allies.

The fort itself is fairly modest in its construction. Olivin has only seen the outside when the ships stopped for supplies and to turn in loot. The coast is mostly cliffs and rocky bluffs, making it difficult to make land. There are three piers and a sturdy loading area built over the water, then the fort itself built into the cliff face. The fort is mostly wood. A passage through the fort leads into a tunnel up to the inland roads. The passage is blocked by a portcullis and the wheel to raise and lower it is inside. The roof of the fort has parapets to accommodate archers, and there are two ballistae mounted there.

"The cannons are in ship shop - ah, that is ship tap - I mean - oh for - tip top shape, captain," Pomutiki fumbles over his words a bit in his excitement, "We can attach alchemist's fire bulbs to the tips of our ballista bolts to make incendiary shots! The cannons would be too risky, they'd likely destroy the alchemist's fire delivery container in the combustion of the gunpowder. We could also make a shrapnel bomb using gunpowder and a fuse and fire it from the cannons."

[H. Von Studley]

"The cannons are in ship shop - ah, that is ship tap - I mean - oh for - tip top shape, captain," Pomutiki fumbles over his words a bit in his excitement, "We can attach alchemist's fire bulbs to the tips of our ballista bolts to make incendiary shots! The cannons would be too risky, they'd likely destroy the alchemist's fire delivery container in the combustion of the gunpowder. We could also make a shrapnel bomb using gunpowder and a fuse and fire it from the cannons."

Ed grins at the gnome's excitement. "Perfect. And tell me about the shrapnel bombs. Are you thinking for strictly anti-personnel use?"

[brandnewb]

Thinking back Olivin tells the captain what he can about the fort,

"I have not been right inside Sir, but I have seen it. The Fort is fairly modest. The shores around it have cliffs which prevent an easy landing to assault from the land. The docking area consists of three Piers and a loading area. The fort itself is made of wood and built into the face of the cliff. There is a tunnel in the fort that leads to the roads inland, the tunnel is blocked by a gate. The rooftops have ballistae and cover for the archers to shoot down."

He pauses for a moment,

"All in all it will be difficult."

[H. Von Studley]

Thinking back Olivin tells the captain what he can about the fort,

"I have not been right inside Sir, but I have seen it. The Fort is fairly modest. The shores around it have cliffs which prevent an easy landing to assault from the land. The docking area consists of three Piers and a loading area. The fort itself is made of wood and built into the face of the cliff. There is a tunnel in the fort that leads to the roads inland, the tunnel is blocked by a gate. The rooftops have ballistae and cover for the archers to shoot down."

He pauses for a moment,

"All in all it will be difficult."

"We'll need to take out the ballistae and the archers first if we can. Once we've destroyed those defenses we can land a force of soldiers to take the walls and open the portcullis. Or we can use incendiary bolts to light up the whole fortress and pick them off as they run outside. Fire might take longer, but it will cost us fewer casualties."

[RandomWombat]

Ed grins at the gnome's excitement. "Perfect. And tell me about the shrapnel bombs. Are you thinking for strictly anti-personnel use?"

"Oh, yes. The regular cannonballs are much better for breaking structures."

[H. Von Studley]

"Oh, yes. The regular cannonballs are much better for breaking structures."

"Strong enough to break down wooden walls, or a portcullis?"

[RandomWombat]

"Strong enough to break down wooden walls, or a portcullis?"

"Wooden walls will break easy as a ship's hull. A metal portcullis, well, that'd take some doing. Break or bend the wrong thing and it'll just be stuck in place."

[H. Von Studley]

"Wooden walls will break easy as a ship's hull. A metal portcullis, well, that'd take some doing. Break or bend the wrong thing and it'll just be stuck in place."

"Alright, good. I'd rather not burn the place down if we can avoid it. And it'll be far easier to crash through the walls with cannon fire than climbing them and raising the gate."

[RandomWombat]

Notably, the door to the interior of the fort is on the dock side, so opening the portcullis and gaining a route inland would be as simple as breaking in and having a two or three people turn the wheel to raise it.

"Should our cargo still be there, it will be on the loading platform. They would have difficulty fitting it indoors; we had to keep it stored on deck ourselves."

[brandnewb]

Olivin adds the the conversation, "I think the door to the interior of the fort is on the dock side, so opening the portcullis and gaining a route inland may be as simple as breaking in and having a two or three people turn the wheel to raise it."

[H. Von Studley]

"Alright. If no one else has anything to add, we should begin our preparations. We'll have to make some plans once we get there and see what we're dealing with. Pomutiki, get started on those new pieces of ammunition. The more we have the better. Good luck everyone."

Ed takes the helm and begins guiding the ship over the last few hours to the stronghold. During that time he'll brief the rest of the crew on the plan.

[Aeryk]

River will be in his room to spend the last little while before the attack meditating in preparation.

[RandomWombat]

Land becomes visible as the last of the preparations are made. The rocky bluffs shield the inland from approach, except for a structure built near its base, Fort Barthem. Small shapes are already moving on the loading platform, and on the rooftops of the two halves of the fort. The Ulselandic ship is nowhere in view, and must have been moved already, but some of its cargo remains in one corner of the platform.

Strix can be seen taking wing, and orcs forming up to guard anyone trying to approach down the piers.

Here is a map (http://s7.postimg.org/9dcyzf43e/Fort_Barthem.jpg) of the battlefield, sans the Fog, which hasn't landed yet.

Party members can request aid during the battle and it will be assumed that a soldier from the Fog is near enough to arrive and help. Also choose which named NPCs will be accompanying you in deploying onto the battlefield once you go in on foot.

Ronsk can't tell how many enemies might be waiting inside the buildings either. This is what he reports is outside from his vantage point. 'O' designates an Orc, 'S' designates a Strix, as the first letters in my little notations.

[H. Von Studley]

As the Fog rounds the bluff and the fort becomes visible, Ed sees a scramble of activity as the enemy moves to repel its attackers. He spins the tiller, bringing the ship in within range of its siege engines and begins shouting orders.

"Ballistas! Load incendiary bolts and target their ballistas! Light them and stop the firing at us! Cannons, load shrapnel bombs and fire on the orcs on the pier! Aim for clusters of them! Soldiers, pikes and bows at the ready! Prepare to repel those Strix!"

I'm not sure of all our attack bonuses, so could you roll it please RW? Map looks cool. And I like that way of controlling our NPCs.

[Archemist]

Azrin is out on deck with the rest as the ship nears the fort. He casts his familiar Message spell, and includes the Captain, Orrick, River, and Olivin (this last on a bit of a whim, but the former slave seemed to know the land better than anyone, and Azrin could relay translated messages for him if needed).

He readies his musket, loading a regular cartridge, and casts his spell of Guidance. He will shoot if a Strix approaches within 80' or so. He also looks to see if there is a leader-type Strix (or orc, for that matter) organizing things dockside.

[RandomWombat]

As Edmund slows the ship and curves its course to bring to bear the siege weapons, the siege crew brings out the ammunition and loads it. "Loading starboard! Take aim and fire when ready!"

The boom of cannonfire and the quieter twang of ballistae announce the arrival of the Fog's new explosive ammunition. Two shrapnel bombs explode in front of the orc frontline, blasting them with shrapnel. The casters immediately behind them drop on the spot from heavily bleeding wounds, but the orc soldiers forming the defensive formations are still (barely) standing when the cloud of sharpened metal subsides. Blood drips down and stains the wood of the dock as they struggle to keep upright.

With the threat of further explosive attacks looming, the enemy forces scatter to give fewer opportune targets and the Strix take wing. Azrin notes one of the Strix (SN) giving orders. None of them approach within ideal range just yet.

Forgot to mention, but the Strix with large rings are currently flying above the battlefield (http://s16.postimg.org/asd2l29zo/Fort_Barthem.jpg).

The two shrapnel shots target the first two clusters of orcs, from left to right. These shots are a smaller form of the catapult Bombs, dealing piercing damage to all creatures within 10 ft. from flying shrapnel.
Group 1 takes 24 damage, and Group 2 takes 20 damage.

The two fire bolts explode against the enemy ballistae, toasting their siege crews. SS3 and SS4 take 7 AoE damage. SS1 and SS2 evade the AoE

I will from here on be using group initiative to make things easier. I'll average the party's initiative, their NPC allies' initiative, and the enemy initiative, and run things in Phases like Fire Emblem. I may return to individual initiative for smaller encounters, but it makes larger ones more expedient.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed roars with triumph as the Fog's siege weapons go to work. "Damn fine shooting Pomutiki! Now load regular shot and take out the caster and those Strix!"

As the crews reload and fire, Ed continues closing distance with the dock, getting the Fog ready to deploy its soldiers.

If Azrin points out the leader to Ed or Pom we can target him exclusively until he goes down. Otherwise we'll aim for the remaining caster and a few Strix with regular cannons and bolts.

[brandnewb]

The air begins to fill with the rumble of battle. The air fills with the sounds of feet pounding across the deck, men shouting orders and weapons being drawn. Olivin takes his whip in hand. He watches as the ships company of marines and disciplined soldiers form up for battle, in preparation to assault the enemy. After considering for a moment he takes his own position to the side, were several other sailors not employed in the rigging or other ships tasks wait. The group of sailors have cutlasses drawn and grim expressions all around. Olivin can tell these are not the type of sailors he served with on the merchant ships back home. They had the grim expressions and stone carved demeanor of men who had danced with death before.
Finally an apprehensive hush rolls over the ship and crew as the vessel slides over the last distance to the range of siege equipment. The Captain handles the ship into range, standing tall the man begins yelling concise orders to the siege crews.
With an angry roar the cannons begin their challenge to the defenders of the fort, drowning out all other noise. Olivin watches the rounds wreak havoc among the orcs on the pier.

Olivin gets into a ready stance, and prepares to attack if one of the flying creatures comes within range.

Olivin will ready a disarm combat manuver on any Stix that comes near him. He has 15ft reach with his whip.

Edit: Also he will have a Enlarge Person Potion held in his off hand. To be consumed when needed

[Archemist]

As the crews reload and fire, Ed continues closing distance with the dock, getting the Fog ready to deploy its soldiers.

If Azrin points out the leader to Ed or Pom we can target him exclusively until he goes down. Otherwise we'll aim for the remaining caster and a few Strix with regular cannons and bolts.

Azrin does indeed mention to the Captain, "Sir! Do you see that one Strix, the one with the fancy hat? He seems to be giving the orders."

Fwiw, if the Strix are mostly now flying, they'll be hard to hit with our siege-size stuff. If we get close enough Azrin will FF the leader, but we'll see. If they get within 30' of me I can also Slumber them, which may dampen their day.

[Indori]

Orrick watched the scene unfold grimly from a position on the deck that he had intuited over the course of the previous weeks that had no particular use. Just a few feet to either side, men scrambled to and fro in the heat of the fighting, carrying ammunition here and heaving rope there. He was happy to be any closer to the orcs on the wharfs as they were torn apart by the artillery employed so effectively by Pomutiki and his men. Not far off the starboard side of the ship, grey figures rose into the air from the docks below. Strix, as confirmed by Azrin's observation about the leader. The doctor drew a brown-fletched arrow from the quiver at his side and moved to the railing along the starboard side, between two of the cannons. Thinking back to the strix commander that had wasted its life fleeing from Captain Grimace and his crew, he fitted the arrow to the string of his bow and searched for the nearest floating figure to fire upon.

Orrick will make a bow attack against the nearest flying strix. I'm not sure what the ranges are here, but the longbow has a range increment of 110 ft.
Here goes: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[RandomWombat]

Another wave of cannon and ballista fire launches into the scattered enemy, who are keeping spread out and preparing for the Fog's landing party. One of the cannonballs impacts the orc shaman in the chest, expertly aimed and efficiently removing the caster from the fight. The second clips a Strix in the way of the leader, sending them spinning in the air. They weakly keep in flight, but drift lower in the air. Both ballista bolts go astray, one striking the wood of the pier and the other plopping into the water.

The Fog pulls up next to the northmost pier and its sailors set down the gangplank.

Cannon1 hits Orc Shaman 3 for 22 damage, wiping him from the fight.
Cannon2 hits Strix Soldier 2 for 17 damage.
Ballista 1 misses Strix Soldier 1.
Ballista 2 misses. Natural 1; it misfired while being loaded and the bolt fell into the water.
Orrick hits Strix Conscript 2 for 6 damage and drops him in the water.

The party may now send in a landing party (http://s29.postimg.org/f7q627k6u/Fort_Barthem.jpg). The docks are each about 50 ft. long.

[H. Von Studley]

I should've said so earlier, but I had one more plan I wanted to try. I didn't realise we were so close to the dock. I thought we'd have another round of approaching, sorry.

Would it be possible to fire the Firedrake across the dock as we approach the northmost pier? I want to cut off the northern end of the docks with a line of fire. That way we can load the cargo without having to fight the full force of the orcs. The fire would have to be far enough away that it wouldn't spread to the cargo though.

[Aeryk]

River anxiously watched the siege crews go about their work with efficiency and expert precision. He was first in line for the landing party and he tensed and relaxed his muscles in rapid succession, priming himself for the battle.

[RandomWombat]

I should've said so earlier, but I had one more plan I wanted to try. I didn't realise we were so close to the dock. I thought we'd have another round of approaching, sorry.

Would it be possible to fire the Firedrake across the dock as we approach the northmost pier? I want to cut off the northern end of the docks with a line of fire. That way we can load the cargo without having to fight the full force of the orcs. The fire would have to be far enough away that it wouldn't spread to the cargo though.


It could have, but Edmund brought the starboard side to bear during the approach, so the Firedrake was pointed diagonally and would have only set the dock you're landing on on fire.

[Archemist]

Azrin feels the dock and shore rushing up upon them, almost as he blinks. "Time to go!" he cries.

He lines up for perhaps the second wave off the boat - there are still a lot of orcs out there and he wants to get a shot off before things get crazy. He shoots at that leader-Strix, now that he seems closer.

Attack: [roll0] (I don't think we're in Point Blank range so... 40-80': -2, 80-120': -4. If SN is more than 40' but within 80', Azrin spends a Grit point to resolve the attack against the target's Touch AC.
Damage: [roll1]

Edited to Add: TYPICAL. And a misfire. Sigh. Azrin's gun gains the "Broken" condition, which can be repaired as a Standard Action if I spend another Grit point, or via the Gunsmithing feat if I take a couple hours when this is all over.

Azrin pulls the trigger... and nothing happens. Drat! He looks like he's about to toss the thing on the ground in frustration but then stops himself. "I can't stay mad at you, my friend," he says. He slings it back over his back and draw his pistol, though, as he moves towards the gangplank. "No offense? None taken, I suppose..." he adds, laughing under his breath.

[H. Von Studley]

As the Fog arrives at the pier, Ed shouts to the siege crew. "Again! Hit them again! Bring down their leader!"

Leaving the helm, he hobbles toward the starboard side of the ship, drawing his reclaimed shortbow as he does so. He pushes through the crowd of waiting soldiers and lays a hand on River's shoulder. Muttering a few words, he channels energy through his palm, lending new strength to the monk.

Ed casts Bull's Strength on River. That's a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength for the next 4 minutes.

Edmund Grimace (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=789267)

Chaotic Good Human Fighter/Cleric (ECL 3)

HP 42/42, Initiative +8, Speed 10, BAB 3.
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 17, CMB +7, CMD 18
Fort+7, Ref+3, Will+5
Masterwork Glaive +8 (1d10+6)
Throwing Axe +7 (Melee) +5 (Thrown) (1d6+4)
+1 Orcsbane Warhammer +8(+10) (1d8+7(+2d6+2))
Shortbow +5 (1d6)
Masterwork Banded Mail +7 (Heavy)

Effects: None

Spells (CL4): (L1) 3/3, (L2) 2/2
(D1) 1/1, (D2) 0/1

Abilities: STR 18, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 10

Special Abilities: Channel Energy 3/3, Ferocious Strike 5/5, Destructive Smite 5/5.

[Aeryk]

As the Fog arrives at the pier, Ed shouts to the siege crew. "Again! Hit them again! Bring down their leader!"

Leaving the helm, he hobbles toward the starboard side of the ship, drawing his reclaimed shortbow as he does so. He pushes through the crowd of waiting soldiers and lays a hand on River's soldier. Muttering a few words, he channels energy through his palm, lending new strength to the monk.

Ed casts Bull's Strength on River. That's a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength for the next 4 minutes.

River feels an invigorating surge of strength course through his muscles at the touch of Ed's hand. He turns to meet the Captain's eye briefly and nods giving a quick, "Thank you, sir," then as an afterthought, "We got this," with a confident smile. He turns back, ready to meet his enemies.

River will simply charge the closest enemy he sees within 80 feet of their landing position with an Elemental Fist (cold).

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] (cold)

[brandnewb]

Olivin stands by, waiting for a signal to charge. As soon as he sees movement among the forward ranks of the friendly forces he rushes on in pursuit of River. River is faster on his feet than Olivin and gets to the target well ahead. Watching as River attacks the foe, Olivin angles the charge to a position so that he has line of sight on the same enemy. At the end of the charge Olivin cracks his whip at their shared opponent, utilizing the full 15ft of reach the weapon grants him.


With a reach of 15ft it should be pretty easy to get a position on the enemy where I could still hit him. But if you rule not then Olivin will attack some other Orc. Or if River killed the Orc Ill go after someone else. Just saving time by posting now either way.

Power Attack [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Edit: Also Olivin still has his enlarge person potion in his off hand.

[Indori]

The din of battle swelled as men began rushing over the side of the ship to get at the orcs below. Thumping boots, barked orders, and shouted curses replaced the thunder of the cannons for a moment. Orrick for his part, tried to stay out of the way as he drew out another arrow. Catching sight of another strix flyer off the starboard stern, he adjusted his stance and fired on it.

Bow attack on SC1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Orrick Drummond (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=790225)
Male LN Human Alchemist, Level 4, Init +3, HP 39/39, Speed 30 ft
AC 16, Touch 13, Flat-footed 13, CMD 17, Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 3, Action Points 1
Longbow, composite +6 (1d8+1, x3)
Bomb (8/8) +7 (2d6+4, x2)
Sickle +4 (1d6+1, x2)
Masterwork Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Condition Scarred Throat (-1 Con drain, difficulty speaking)
Extracts L1: 1/4, L2: 0/2

[RandomWombat]

River's sheet seems to have forgotten his fourth hit dice. I believe I was having the first 3 hit dice maxed, and the rest either half or roll, right?

After Edmund grants River Gorum's blessing, River charges down the gangplank and across the pier. Though Azrin's bullet fails to fire, River is like a speeding bullet himself, and his fist impacts an orcish face. The greenskin goes down immediately. Olivin is close on his heels running into the battle, and snaps his whip outwards. It wraps around the neck of the nearest orc, then he yanks it and throws them to the ground as the whip returns to him.

Cannonballs and bolts fly out past the flying enemies, only one managing to clip its target. The slight hit is still massive however, considering the size of the weapon, and the strix leader is left badly injured. The strix leader flees as the enemy begins closing in on the ship's landing point, several converging on River and Olivin. Olivin manages to evade a pair of clumsy strikes, but River takes two painful gashes from the enemy's falchions. A huge orc lumbers up next to Olivin, looming threateningly with a greataxe. His jaw and tusks are particularly vicious. His armor is made of black reptile hide and dried blood is smeared across the orc's face almost like decorative warpaint.

The strix converging on the ship have their shortbows ready and take aim, firing at the siege crew and ranged attackers onboard.

Map (http://s23.postimg.org/68vrwe9ru/Fort_Barthem.jpg)
River charges Orc Footsoldier 3 and deals 13 damage, dropping him.
Olivin charges (I assume) to get in range of the orcs and whips Orc Conscript 5 for 10 damage, dropping her.
Azrin misfires.
Orrick misses.
Orrick, Azrin, and Edmund are still on the ship, as are the named NPCs, who Edmund can deploy. Olivin and River can call Extras for backup if they need to.
Cannon 1 misses.
Cannon 2 misses.
(6 regular Cannonballs remaining, 2 Shrapnel Bombs, 6 Chain Shot, 4 Blast Shot)
Ballista 1 misses.
Ballista 2 hits Strix leader for 15 damage.
(24 regular Bolts remaining, 8 Fire Bolts)

Orc Footsoldiers 1&2 move in and attack River, hitting for a total of 27 damage between them.
Orc Footsoldier 4 moves in to attack Olivin, but misses.
Orc Conscript 6 moves in to attack Olivin, but misses.
Blood Orc 1 moves in, but cannot attack since it doesn't have a proper angle for a charge.
(I don't think Olivin can AoO at reach with the whip until next level?)
Strix Soldiers 1&2 shoot at Pomutiki, one of them hitting for 3 damage.
Strix Soldier 3 shoots at Azrin, but misses.
Strix Soldier 4 shoots at Orrick, but misses.
Strix Conscript shoots at Orrick, but misses.

Allies with ranged attacks (Dean, Reed, Alphonse, Hsmorjo) will begin attacking the nearby Strix next turn unless deployed.

[Archemist]

Azrin heads off down the gangplank at a run, ducking as he sees a Strix loose an arrow in his direction. "None of that, now." He pauses to concentrate for a second, inhaling a deep breath, then waves his hands over his head and waggles his fingers towards the offending flyer. "Kazam!" he yells. A dark cloud forms around the Strix, lightning crackling within.

Move action to head 20' down onto the pier.
Standard to cast Aggressive Thundercloud (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/aggressive-thundercloud) at SS3. He/she must make a DC 15 Reflex save or take 3d6 damage.

[Aeryk]

Realizing his surge of adrenaline had probably made him act a bit rashly, River cursed himself for a fool and doubled back to recover. "On me!" he shouts to some of the other soldiers around him. "Let me catch my breath," he says, wiping blood away from a nasty slash carved down his arm, "Then we'll advance together."


River's sheet seems to have forgotten his fourth hit dice. I believe I was having the first 3 hit dice maxed, and the rest either half or roll, right? Thanks for pointing that out. I meant to ask how hp was working, but I forgot :P

River will do a Withdraw as a full round action if it is safe to do so (initial square is not considered threatened) and move back to the boat as fast as he left it, then ask for Extras. He will spend the next round drawing and drinking the potion he received from Orrick and then advance to Olivin's position with the extras.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed stands firm as a wave of arrows whip past around him. Staring out at the dock before him his heart sank a little. There was no way he could cover that kind of distance with his ankle and his heavy armor. River was being cut up in the front while his Captain watched from the sidelines. Ed ground his teeth before he saw the opportunity.

"Pomutiki, load shrapnel bombs and target the centre orc once he's clear! Everyone else, focus fire on those Strix with whatever you can!" Ed roars above the noise of the battlefield, then switches to Ulselandic.

"Olivin, pull back now! Mossgandra, take your troops up to support them once the smoke clears!"

For his own part, Ed hobbles forward over the railing and down the gangplank, moving painfully slowly. As he does so he lifts a hand and a white flash emanates out from his body in all directions, washing over the crew and filling them with new strength and resolve.


-Targeting OB1's space with the last two shrapnel shots, once Olivin's clear. It's a 10' blast radius right? Sorry for telling you what to do B, if you don't want to move back I'll change the order.
-Ballistas and other NPCs can keep trying to bring down Strix, focusing their fire to bring them down one at a time.
-Ordering the Ulseland soldiers plus Mossgandra forward to support the PCs in melee.
-Casting Bless, so everyone gets a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls and saves against fear for the next four minutes.
-Moving 10' (lol) towards the battle.


I'll have to check, but my HP might be wrong. I don't remember if I did full hit points for level 4 or not.

EDIT: HP was wrong, I'll take the average (4.5) for fourth HD. Ed's max HP is now 39 (or 38, depending on whether we round up or down.)

Edmund Grimace (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=789267)

Chaotic Good Human Fighter/Cleric (ECL 3)

HP 39/39, Initiative +8, Speed 10, BAB 3.
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 17, CMB +7, CMD 18
Fort+7, Ref+3, Will+5
Masterwork Glaive +8 (1d10+6)
Throwing Axe +7 (Melee) +5 (Thrown) (1d6+4)
+1 Orcsbane Warhammer +8(+10) (1d8+7(+2d6+2))
Shortbow +5 (1d6)
Masterwork Banded Mail +7 (Heavy)

Effects: Bless (40)

Spells (CL4): (L1) 2/3, (L2) 2/2
(D1) 1/1, (D2) 0/1

Abilities: STR 18, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 10

Special Abilities: Channel Energy 3/3, Ferocious Strike 5/5, Destructive Smite 5/5.

[Indori]

Orrick ducked behind a barrel just as an arrow from one of the strix archers lanced through the air, passing just over his head. Another flew in immediately, sticking with a thud in the rim of the barrel. Looking around, he realized that most of the Fog's crew was headed down the gangplank to assault the fort directly, but few were left to stave off the strix soldiers that threatened to descend on her stern. He leapt up with a huff and, reaching out with his free hand, he jerked the strix arrow out of the barrel and fitted it to his own bow. He leveled the bow at the nearest flying enemy, who looked a little less formidable than some of his compatriots, and fired. Without bothering to see what become of the shot, he dropped back behind the barrel to avoid incoming fire.

Bow attack on SC1 (includes Bless): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Then Orrick will take a free action to drop prone.
Orrick Drummond (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=790225)
Male LN Human Alchemist, Level 4, Init +3, HP 39/39, Speed 30 ft
AC 16, Touch 13, Flat-footed 13, CMD 17, Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 3, Action Points 1
Longbow, composite +6 (1d8+1, x3)
Bomb (8/8) +7 (2d6+4, x2)
Sickle +4 (1d6+1, x2)
Masterwork Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Condition Scarred Throat (-1 Con drain, difficulty speaking)
Extracts L1: 1/4, L2: 0/2

[brandnewb]

Olivin cracks the whip hard, snapping the neck of the orc. Blood splatters across the wood dock, whip coming darting back to a ready position beside him. The frenzied thirst on Olivin’s face compliments his reckless haste to face his former captors. A group of Orcs come charging in, but Olivin is ready. He dodges back and forth, avoiding there attacks.

Olivin squares his shoulders, a grim determination on his face displaying his evident unwillingness to give ground.

Then just barely over the clamour of battle Olivin hears the Captains orders,

"Olivin, pull back now! Mossgandra, take your troops up to support them once the smoke clears!"

A conflicted look crosses Olivin’s face, he stands for a heartbeat almost as though he were about to stand and fight despite the Captains orders. But at the last moment he withdraws hastily, cautiously avoiding the Orcs parting jabs.

Olivin will use the withdraw action to avoid AoO, and take a double move back to the ship.

[RandomWombat]

Azrin runs out onto the dock alongside Mossgandra and Hsmorjo, he and the nagaji flinging magic at the Strix flying over the water. Azrin's reaches its target, but Hsmorjo's tiny jet of acid flies past its own. River and Olivin flee past them when it becomes clear the orcs are going to overwhelm their position, and the cannons shatter the air once more. The orc troops are ripped apart by the shrapnel bombs and when everything quiets they lie on the ground in puddles of blood. Half of the Album forces have fallen to the might of the empire's siege weapons, and the enemy does not know their shrapnel ammunition is spent, remaining scattered.

The Strix prove tenacious, evading attacks and arrows flying at them. Their bows fire back as they move out of range of the Fog's siege crew. The remaining orc conscripts, too, take out their bows and do what they can. Pomutiki and the trooper next to Mossgandra take a few glancing shots, but Orrick easily avoids the shot aimed back at him by using his cover.

SS3 is enveloped in the thundercloud and takes 9 damage. 3 rounds of thundercloud left.
River and Olivin Withdraw and double move back onto the ship. Some Human Recruits deploy to the battlefield.
Edmund deploys to the pier and applies Bless to the party. Mossgandra, Hsmorjo, and the Shock Troopers deploy to the battlefield.
Orrick's attack misses, barely. He drops prone into cover.

Cannon1 fires a Shrapnel Bomb at OB1's space, hitting and dealing 15 damage to all nearby. OF1, 2, and 4 are down. OC2 is down.
Cannon2 fires a Shrapnel Bomb at OB2's space, hitting and dealing 21 damage to all nearby. OB1 and 2 are down.
(All Shrapnel Bombs are now spent)
Ballista 1 fires at SS1, missing.
Ballista 2 fires at SS1, missing.
(22 Regular Bolts remain)

Reed and Dean fire at SS1, Dean hits for 2 damage.
Alphonse throws a dart at SC1, but misses.
Hsmorjo throws an acid dart at SS1, but misses.

SN enters the fort via a ladder.
Orc Conscripts fire at Ulseland Trooper 2, dealing 6 damage total.
Strix Soldiers fire at Pomutiki, dealing 5 damage total.
SC1 fires at Orrick, but misses.

[brandnewb]

Olivin watches as the cannons tear apart everyone standing where River and himself just fled. The rest of the crew pour out onto the dock, and Olivin prepares to follow. Then he notices the flying creatures making there way toward the ship.

He quickly turns to River, “They are flanking us.” Olivin watches as the creatures approach the ship. Without any other explanation Olivin walks to the side of the ship with whip in hand and locks his eyes on the nearest enemy.

Olivin will attack now if they are in range, or ready a attack if they are not. The attack will be a disarm combat maneuver targeted at the nearest flying enemy. He will aim at any with ranged weapons first. If he can't get them now he will get them when they come in range as a readied action.

Disarm: [roll0]

Olivin Instance (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=78018)

N Human Lore Warden Fighter 4

HP 51/51, Initiative +0, Speed 30, BAB 4.
AC 14, Touch 10, Flat-Footed 14, CMB +11, CMD 21
Fort+7, Ref+1, Will+2
+1 Whip +11 (1d3+8)
+1 Whip Trip/Disarm +16


Effects: None

Spells : None

Abilities: STR 20, DEX 10, CON 16, INT 14, WIS 10, CHA 7

Special Abilities:

[H. Von Studley]

Ed barely notices the carnage ahead of him as both shrapnel bombs hit their mark. "Cannons! Cease firing! Ballistas, target the orcs on the dock if you can't get a shot at the Strix!"

He moves a few feet further down the pier, towards the orc ground troops, but the rest of the Fog's soldiers quickly pull ahead of him. His leg throbs in protest at the sudden burst of movement. Frustrated, he spins, lifting his shortbow, and fires off a quick shot at the Strix moving closer to the ship.

Ed moves 10' forward and takes a shot at SS3. If SS3 was the one Olivin disarmed, he will instead target SS1.

Attack (with Bless): [roll0]
Damage: [roll]1d6[/roll

EDIT: Stuffed up the damage roll, but I don't think it'll matter.

[Indori]

Orrick sheltered himself behind a stack of barrels as the strix counterattacked. The characteristic thumps of several arrows hitting the wooden obstruction signaled his turn, and he responded in kind with another arrow of his own at a strix that was just emerging out of a suspiciously isolated stormcloud.

Move action to stand up.

Bow attack, on SS3 this time: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Orrick Drummond (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=790225)
Male LN Human Alchemist, Level 4, Init +3, HP 32/32, Speed 30 ft
AC 16, Touch 13, Flat-footed 13, CMD 17, Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 3, Action Points 1
Longbow, composite +6 (1d8+1, x3)
Bomb (8/8) +7 (2d6+4, x2)
Sickle +4 (1d6+1, x2)
Masterwork Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Condition Scarred Throat (-1 Con drain, difficulty speaking)
Extracts L1: 1/4, L2: 0/2

[Aeryk]

Glancing around and seeing that things are going reasonably well, River takes a few moments to pull out his potion of CLW and drinks it.

Draw potion,
Drink Potion
CLW: [roll0]


River (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=969183)

Lawful Neutral Human Monk (ECL 4)

HP 18/36, Initiative +5, Speed 40, BAB +3.
AC 18, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 14, CMB +10, CMD 28
Fort+6, Ref+8, Will+7

Unarmed Strike +10 (1d8+5)
Flurry of Blows +9/+9 (1d8+5)

Effects:
Bull's Strength (+4 Str) 38/40 rds
Bless (+1 Atk, +1 vs Fear 39/40 rds)
Scarred Chest:-1 Con

Abilities: STR 16+4, DEX 16, CON 15, INT 17, WIS 16, CHA 7

Special Abilities: Elemental Fist (+1d6) 2/3.

[Archemist]

Azrin sees River is tending to his own wounds, so he goes ahead and does his own thing. He first directs the lightning cloud over to the next nearest Strix.

Then, seeing a crowd of orcs up ahead still, but not wanting to be on the front lines just yet, he spends a moment clearing his musket.

Move action to direct the cloud to SS2 - DC15 Reflex save to avoid 3d6, as before.

I guess I'll spend the Standard (and Grit point) to clear the musket, which will no longer be broken, then.

Azrin Bluestone (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=5153)
M Chaotic Good Gnome Gunslinger 1, Witch 3, Level 4, Init +3, HP 29/29, Speed 20
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15 (+2 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Size, +2 Natural)
CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 2 Gunslinger Grit 1/3
Grapple Launcher Experimental Musket (mstwk) (29 cartridges) +6, 7 @PB (1d10, x4)
Light Hammer +2, thrown +5, or 6 @PB (1d3-1, x2)
Dragon Pistol (5 cartridges) +6 (1d4, x4)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 11
Condition Not too shabby.

[RandomWombat]

Moving to the railing of the ship, Olivin carefully lines up his whip and snaps it towards the nearest strix. The end of the whip expertly wraps around the birdman's shortbow and yanks it out of his grasp, sending it plummeting into the water below. While distracted, the strix is struck in the wing by Orrick's arrow and struggles to stay up, but falls down into the water alongside his bow. Edmund's own attack arrives too late, after the opponent has already been wiped out. The two recruits move to join their captain, taking their crossbows and aiming at the strix. Hsmorjo helps as well using another bolt of acid. A ballista bolt launches across the water and impales one of the orcs, sending him to the ground. Pomutiki lets his siege crew man the ballistae, now that the cannons aren't firing. He spawns a ball of fire in his and and throws it, joining the others striking the strix. Alphonse manages to get the same one in the leg with a thrown dart, and it's looking worn down from all the attacks. Mossgandra and her troopers move up to the end of the pier.

The fires on the rooftops have stopped spreading. Taking their own bows, the orcs and strix fire back, while their remaining front line troops advance.

Map (http://s10.postimg.org/rps5fsf1k/Fort_Barthem.jpg)

Olivin Disarms SS3 using his whip.
Edmund's attack misses.
Orrick hits SS3 for 7 damage and drops them.
River heals 9 hit points.
Azrin's thundercloud moves over SS2, who passes the Reflex save.

Ballista 1 misses.
Ballista 2 hits OF6, dealing 16 damage and dropping them.

Pomutiki uses Produce Flame and throws one at SS1, dealing 6 damage.
Human Recruit 1 shoots SS1, dealing 1 damage.
Human Recruit 2's attack misses.
Hsmorjo uses Acid Dart on SS1, dealing 2 damage.
Alphonse tosses a dart at SS1, dealing 4 damage.
Reed and Dean's attacks miss.

The strix soldiers fire their bows, dealing 5 damage to Azrin and 6 to Orrick.
The orc conscripts fire their bows, dealing 1 damage to Hsmorjo.

[Aeryk]

River moves up along side Azrin and the Captain, drawing a shuriken as he goes and throws it at the nearest enemy.

River will move up in conjunction with Azrin to benefit from a CLW. Also not sure how far away the nearest enemy is, so just apply any range penalties as necessary (range increment, 10ft)
Shuriken: 1d20+7
Damage: 1d2+5

Edited:
To hit: 26 - any range penalties
Damage: 6
See OoC thread for rolls

[H. Von Studley]

Ed drops his bow and turns his attention to the enemies in front as they advance toward the Fog. He slowly pushes forward towards them, drawing his glaive and standing shoulder to shoulder with Mossgandra as he finally approaches the end of the dock.

Ed double moves 20' forward (I think that puts him next to Mossgandra) and draws his glaive.

Edmund Grimace (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=789267)

Chaotic Good Human Fighter/Cleric (ECL 3)

HP 39/39, Initiative +4, Speed 10, BAB 3.
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 17, CMB +7, CMD 18
Fort+7, Ref+3, Will+5
Masterwork Glaive +8 (1d10+6)
Throwing Axe +7 (Melee) +5 (Thrown) (1d6+4)
+1 Orcsbane Warhammer +8(+10) (1d8+7(+2d6+2))
Shortbow +5 (1d6)
Masterwork Banded Mail +7 (Heavy)

Effects: Bless (38)

Spells (CL4): (L1) 2/3, (L2) 2/2
(D1) 1/1, (D2) 0/1

Abilities: STR 18, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 10

Special Abilities: Channel Energy 3/3, Ferocious Strike 5/5.

[Archemist]

Azrin tags along with the Captain, remaining just behind as they catch up to Mossgandra.

If River catches up, Azrin will use his Standard to cast CLW on him. I'll edit this after he does his thing.

[brandnewb]

Olivin watches in anger when the rest of the flying enemies stop short of where he can attack them. He hesitates for several moments as he considers his options, looking at the potion in his off hand and attempting to gauge how far away the enemies are. After a few more moments of indecision Olivin heads to join the rest of the crew on the dock.


Olivin will advance as far as he is able to make it. I am not sure what the distances are. He wants to move up so that he can cover the space in front of the leading Good-guys with his whip.

Either; Move action to get in place + standard action to ready a trip w/ the whip

or

Double move to get into place.

[Archemist]

Figure I'll just post again briefly so as to be going last of the party people, to simplify the timing thing and also the rolling.

Azrin sees River catch up to the others, still looking a little wounded, though. "That's a nasty tear, my friend! Here is a little something I learned from the Captain - " Here he pauses and gets a very serious look on his face, and touches River's knee, saying, "Bless'd Gorum sustain thee for battle!"

Given his own gnomish tendency towards being skeptical of calling on some savage god, he has a little trouble sounding imposing during this intonation. Azrin is perhaps as surprised as the others nearby when it seems to work. "First time for everything," he shrugs.

CLW for River: [roll0] hp

Edited to add:
Azrin Bluestone (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=5153)
M Chaotic Good Gnome Gunslinger 1, Witch 3, Level 4, Init +3, HP 28/33, Speed 20
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15 (+2 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Size, +2 Natural)
CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 2
Grapple Launcher Experimental Musket (mstwk) (29 cartridges) +6, 7 @PB (1d10, x4)
Light Hammer +2, thrown +5, or 6 @PB (1d3-1, x2)
Dragon Pistol (5 cartridges) +6 (1d4, x4)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 11
Condition Took an arrow to the knee; still at it.

[Indori]

Orrick returned fire on the strix that had just clipped him with an arrow then turned to follow the captain and the others down the gangplank.

Bow attack on SS1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Move action: Move as far as possible toward/down the gangplank.
Orrick Drummond (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=790225)
Male LN Human Alchemist, Level 4, Init +3, HP 26/32, Speed 30 ft
AC 16, Touch 13, Flat-footed 13, CMD 17, Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 3, Action Points 1
Longbow, composite +6 (1d8+1, x3)
Bomb (8/8) +7 (2d6+4, x2)
Sickle +4 (1d6+1, x2)
Masterwork Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Condition Scarred Throat (-1 Con drain, difficulty speaking)
Extracts L1: 1/4, L2: 0/2

[RandomWombat]

Edmund advances, taking his position next to Mossgandra. River soon arrives behind him and throws a bladed star past him at one of the orcs, piercing the greenskin's hide armor and imbedding itself in flesh. Azrin quickly closes the distance to River and taps him on the hip, mending most of the wounds he has left from his reckless charge. Olivin is eager to get into the battle, but finds the pier crowded. One of the Ulseland soldiers moves aside for him to pass, where he can strike with his whip past the two frontliners. More waves of missiles are exchanged with the strix flying over the water. Orrick manages to bring one down before joining the others on the pier.

The orc frontliners rush in, Edmund deftly striking one of them down and slashing the other two as they approach. One of them gets through his guard however, the orc's blade biting through his armor. Another orc drops his bow and rushes in, Mossgandra easily deflecting the clumsy attack. More arrows fly, River catching one and the other deflected by an Ulseland trooper's blade. The last however hits Edmund in the side where the falchion pierced his armor, exasperating the nasty wound.

Map (http://s13.postimg.org/5kfq22252/Fort_Barthem.jpg)

River throws a shuriken at OF9 for 6 damage.
Orrick hits SS1 for 9 damage and drops it.

Mossgandra takes Total Defense.
Reed and Dean shoot, both missing.
The Human Recruits shoot, one hitting SS4 for 8 damage.
Alphonse's dart misses.
Hsmorjo's acid dart misses.
Pomutiki's flame misses.

OF5 advances, provoking an AoO from Edmund, who hits and drops it for 7 damage.
OF7 advances, provoking an AoO from Edmund, who hits for 15 damage. The orc attacks him, but misses.
OF9 advances, provoking an AoO from Edmund, who hits for 12 damage. The orc attacks him, critically hitting for 24 damage.
OC7 charges Mossgandra, but misses.
OC10 shoots Edmund for 5 damage.

River Snatches OC9's arrow. He may immediately throw it back as an improvised thrown weapon if he wants, which would be at -8 to hit (-2 total with his BAB) and deal 1d3+Str damage on hit.

[Aeryk]

River snags the enemy's arrow, whipping it back with incredible speed back in the direction it came. Without looking to see if it hits, he steps up beside the captain where Mossgandra had been standing only a moment before to deliver a furious assault to the orcs. Feeling re-energized and very much invigorated, he unleashes a double triple kick.

Immediate Action: Throw arrow back: [roll0] (includes Bull's Strength and Bless)
Damage: [roll1]
5' step diagonally left

Flurry of Blows: First Attack vs OF7
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Secondary kick, if OF7 falls, will be redirected mid-air to OC7 with Elemental Fist. If OF7 is still standing, River will save the Elemental Fist attempt and just do another regular hit against him.

Attack: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
+Cold: [roll6]

Edit: Third attack, Ki strike, see post below.

River (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=969183)

Lawful Neutral Human Monk (ECL 4)

HP 30/36, Initiative +5, Speed 40, BAB +3.
AC 18, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 14, CMB +10, CMD 28
Fort+6, Ref+8, Will+7

Unarmed Strike +10 (1d8+5)
Flurry of Blows +9/+9 (1d8+5)

Effects:
Bull's Strength (+4 Str) 37/40 rds
Bless (+1 Atk, +1 vs Fear 38/40 rds)
Scarred Chest:-1 Con

Abilities: STR 16+4, DEX 16, CON 15 -1, INT 17, WIS 16, CHA 7

Special Abilities:
Elemental Fist: (+1d6) 2(pending)/4
Edited to add: Ki Pool: 5/6

[Aeryk]

RW, I forgot that since we levelled up I have a ki pool now, and this is our first combat since then. With your approval I'd like to add another blow to my flurry of blows as a swift action.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

If that's ok, the way I want it to pan out is that River will keep striking the first target til he falls and use any left over blows against the adjacent enemy. Thanks :smallwink:

Edit: and of course I go and roll a 1...figures, lol!

[brandnewb]

Olivin winces when the Captain takes a massive hit. He takes his whip and targets a trip attempt at OC7, lashing his whip out to take the enemies feet out from underneath him. Hoping to take the enemy down and give his Captain some breathing room.

Trip
[roll0]

The enemy getting tripped will not provoke an AoO, it will however when he stands up.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed goes pale as the falchion cuts deeply into his side. He ducks backwards, falling back behind River as the monk steps up to deliver a series of powerful strikes. He pauses a moment to catch a breath, and then leans forward, spinning the glaive around and over River's head into the orc in front of him.

Ouch. Ed will 5 foot step backwards, swapping places with River, and then attack OF7. If OF7 has already been dropped by River, he will instead attack OF9.

Power Attack (with Ferocious Strike): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Edmund Grimace (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=789267)

Chaotic Good Human Fighter/Cleric (ECL 3)

HP 10/39, Initiative +4, Speed 10, BAB 3.
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 17, CMB +7, CMD 18
Fort+7, Ref+3, Will+5
Masterwork Glaive +8 (1d10+6)
Throwing Axe +7 (Melee) +5 (Thrown) (1d6+4)
+1 Orcsbane Warhammer +8(+10) (1d8+7(+2d6+2))
Shortbow +5 (1d6)
Masterwork Banded Mail +7 (Heavy)

Effects: Bless (37)

Spells (CL4): (L1) 2/3, (L2) 2/2
(D1) 1/1, (D2) 0/1

Abilities: STR 18, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 10

Special Abilities: Channel Energy 3/3, Ferocious Strike 4/5.

[Indori]

Orrick watched an arrow streak in a strike the captain, who he then realized was not well off. When had that happened? No matter, the alchemist backtracked the path of the arrow to an orc standing on the adjacent pier. Moving to a better position, he lined up on the assailant and fired on him.

Move: as necessary to avoid any cover shenanigans.
Standard: Bow attack on OC10: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Orrick Drummond (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=790225)
Male LN Human Alchemist, Level 4, Init +3, HP 32/32, Speed 30 ft
AC 16, Touch 13, Flat-footed 13, CMD 17, Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 3, Action Points 1
Longbow, composite +6 (1d8+1, x3)
Bomb (8/8) +7 (2d6+4, x2)
Sickle +4 (1d6+1, x2)
Masterwork Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Condition Scarred Throat (-1 Con drain, difficulty speaking)
Extracts L1: 1/4, L2: 0/2

[Archemist]

Azrin motions to Hsmorjo. "Here, let me switch spots with you, quick." He waves his hand at the thundercloud as he moves, having it use its last bit of steam to envelop the nearer Strix.

Then he casts a new spell, summoning a much larger cloud around the Rhedrans on the pier. "Don't worry folks, this is just to give us a break from those arrows. Keep moving forward and fight as you're able!"

As before, DC15 Reflex save for SS2 to avoid 3d6 damage.
Azrin casts Obscuring Mist after stepping back 5' to where Hsmorjo was (assuming we swap or whatever). The OF7 set of orcs will be in the cloud just barely (with partial concealment for 20% miss chance), and the rest of the party should have concealment from anybody further than 5' away. The Strix might even be on the edge themselves, though not if it's a sphere and they're flying at a higher altitude. It'll last 4 minutes unless the sea breeze moves it around.

Azrin Bluestone (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=5153)
M Chaotic Good Gnome Gunslinger 1, Witch 3, Level 4, Init +3, HP 28/33, Speed 20
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15 (+2 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Size, +2 Natural)
CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 2
Grapple Launcher Experimental Musket (mstwk) (29 cartridges) +6, 7 @PB (1d10, x4)
Light Hammer +2, thrown +5, or 6 @PB (1d3-1, x2)
Dragon Pistol (5 cartridges) +6 (1d4, x4)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 11
Condition Not too shabby.

[RandomWombat]

Mossgandra sidesteps around the orc in front of her, allowing River space to advance. During the maneuver Olivin makes use of the opening to lash a whip around that same orc's foot and pull his feet out from under him. Edmund pulls back from his attackers, striking out vengefully against the orc that wounded him and in doing so striking it down. Orrick and Azrin try to take down the strix flying above, but their attacks are easily evaded. (Or wait, was Orrick aiming at that orc across the way? Wow that went way off.) To keep them protected from the archers, Azrin whips up a cloud of fog on the dock to provide them with cover.

Another volley of missiles is sent at the strix, some aimed haphazardly from within the fog at the last known position of the creatures. Through the mist the sound of bodies plunking into water is heard. Mossgandra swings downwards at the prone orc, striking him against the ground with her strange axe-gauntlet and finishing the job. The enemy forces back away from the cloud of fog, their archers firing blindly into it in the hopes of hitting something.

Map (http://s9.postimg.org/tg0zhtc3i/Fort_Barthem2.jpg)

Olivin trips OC7.
River hits OF7 for 10 damage. His other attacks miss.
Edmund hits OF7 for 14 damage, dropping it.
Orrick's attack misses.
Azrin's thundercloud is evaded and it disperses.
Azrin conjures a Obscuring Mist.

HR1 misses due to total concealment.
HR2 hits SS4 for 1 damage.
Alphonse misses.
Hsmorjo hits SS4 through the total concealment for 6 damage and drops it.
Pomutiki flings fire at SS2 for 4 damage and drops it.
Mossgandra strikes OC7 through concealment for 10 damage, finishing it.

SC1 misses.
Orc Conscripts fire randomly into the mist. Hsmorjo is hit for 4 damage.

[brandnewb]

Olivin will move north so that he is just inside the mist. He is getting enough room to drink the enlarge person potion while inside the mist and avoid knocking anyone into the water. Intent is that the enemy will not see that he grows larger because he is still hidden in the myst.


Move Action: move north
Standard Action: drink potion

Olivin Instance (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=78018)

N Human Lore Warden Fighter 4

HP 51/51, Initiative +0, Speed 30, BAB 4.
AC 14-2, Touch 10-2, Flat-Footed 14-2, CMB +11+1, CMD 21+1
Fort+7, Ref+1, Will+2
+1 Whip +11 (1d3+8)+1 damage
+1 Whip Trip/Disarm +16 +1
15ft +5ft=20ft Reach

Effects: None

Spells : 6/6 rounds left on Enlarge Person: +2 Sgt, -2 Dex, -1 AC, -1 Attack Rolls

Abilities: STR 20+2, DEX 10-2, CON 16, INT 14, WIS 10, CHA 7

Special Abilities:

[Indori]

Orrick watched in disappointment as his arrow swerved off to his right, and high, narrowly avoiding an armed strix winging over the water. How had that happened? Shaking it off, he drew another shaft and aligned it on the orc across the way. However, before he could fire, a mysterious fogbank suddenly settled around him. Azrin's calls explained the situation well enough. The others must have been having a hard time of it. He had seen the captain injured, but so some of the other crew members must have suffered wounds as well. Perhaps this was the best time to play it safe.

Reaching to his belt, he found one of the vials he had prepared during the morning. The liquid inside was sky blue in color. He downed it in one gulp and tossed the vial into the sea. No doubt the soldiers next to him in the cloud got quite a shock when the shadow next to them appeared to shrink to the size of a halfling in the span of only a few seconds.

Move and standard: Draw and drink an extract of Reduce Person.
Orrick Drummond (Small) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=153582)
Male LN Human Alchemist, Level 4, Init 4, HP 26/32, Speed 30 ft
AC 18, Touch 15, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 5, Ref 8, Will 2, CMB +2, Base Attack Bonus 3, Action Points 1
Longbow, composite +7 (1d6+1, x3)
Bomb (8/8) +9 (2d6+4, x2)
Sickle +4 (1d4+1, x2)
Masterwork Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
Abilities Str 11, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Condition Scarred Throat (-1 Con drain, difficulty speaking)
Extracts L1: 1/4, L2: 0/2

[Archemist]

Azrin also takes advantage of the fog to reload his musket with a fresh cartridge, of the normal variety, and cast his Guidance spell on himself. Sure, Gorum had maybe had something to do with River's healing, but asking for help from multiple sources was always better.

He moves up a bit if the rest do as well.

Move action reload and standard for Guidance. 5' step along the pier if the others move up and make a space.

[Aeryk]

Using the sudden mist to his advantage, River adopts a low profile and attempts to dash around the crates without being seen.

Stealth [roll0]

[Aeryk]

River doubles around the back of the crates and throws a shuriken at the nearest orc.
Shuriken Attack:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]
vs. OF8 from where the barrel or whatever that circle thing is. I believe that puts him 10 feet away. He wants to keep his back to the wall and use the choke point if necessary.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed breathes deeply, glad of the brief reprieve. The wound in his side was a nasty one. Reaching into his belt, he pulls out the vial the doctor had given him and drinks deeply. Tossing it aside, he grips his glaive tightly and steps forward.

Move and Standard to draw and drink CLW extract. Then 5' step forward.

[roll0]

[RandomWombat]

River wastes no time in bursting from the mist and darting around the boxes. While he doesn't go unseen, he does get around to flank the enemy and nails the nearest to him with a sharp-edged throwing star. Edmund tries to move up as well, but bumps into a large shape - Olivin, now ogre-sized and with a whip comparable to a dragon's tail if that dragon were also a rat. Rat-dragons. Probably exists somewhere.

Orrick's silhouette shrinks as someone moves past in the fog, and Azrin prepares himself while loading his gun. There is the clang of metal and a few cries and grunts of pain from outside of the fog as the Fog's forces continue to press the advantage. Hsmorjo and Mossgandra take a few hits while bringing the fight to the enemy, but no major wounds. The enemy is ragged and the orcs are continuing to fight out of their stubborn pride, but the two remaining strix valiantly take wing and flee. The fires atop the forts are beginning to wane and will slowly recede unless they are actively spread further. The two catapults are now ruined lumps of wood, with a few metal bits attached. The siege crews are not visible from the ground, but are probably no better.

Map (http://s27.postimg.org/4mmqmfsj6/Fort_Barthem2.jpg)

Olivin gets big.
Orrick gets small.
Azrin gets loaded.
Edmund gets better.
River gets around and hits OF8 for 6 damage.

HR1 hits SC1 for 1 damage.
Alphonse stops wasting his darts.
Reed and dean attack SC1, Dean hits for 3 damage.
Pomutiki burns SC1 for 5 damage, finishing it.
Hsmorjo fires an acid dart at OF9 for 5 damage.
Mossgandra slashes at OF8, but misses.

Orc Footsoldiers attack Mossgandra, one barely hitting her for 8 damage.
Orc Conscripts fire at Hsmorjo, dealing 4 damage total.

[Aeryk]

River steps in to flank the orc with Mossgandra and attacks.
Assuming from the position on the map that's a 5' step, in which case River will do flurry of blows. If it's longer than 5', he will just do a single attack. In either case, first hit will be with elemental fist.
Attack 1:[roll0]
Damage 1:[roll1]
Elemental Fist: [roll2] cold damage

If applicable,
Attack 2:[roll3]
Damage 2:[roll4]

*If he's too far for flurry of blows, the single attack will be at a +1. Also, if OF 8 falls after the first attack, second attack will be directed at OF 9 with a shuriken (-1 to the attack roll). If that applies, damage for shuriken is:
[roll5]

[brandnewb]

Olivin steps out of the fog with his whip ready and looks down across the battlefield from his new height. He spots Mossgandra and River engaged with a pair of Orcs. With his new lumbering Strength he lashes out an attack attempting kill OF9.

Power Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Olivin Instance (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=78018)

N Human Lore Warden Fighter 4

HP 51/51, Initiative +0, Speed 30, BAB 4.
AC 14-2, Touch 10-2, Flat-Footed 14-2, CMB +11+1, CMD 21+1
Fort+7, Ref+1, Will+2
+1 Whip +11 (1d3+8)+1 damage
+1 Whip Trip/Disarm +16 +1
15ft +5ft=20ft Reach

Effects: None

Spells : 5/6 rounds left on Enlarge Person: +2 Sgt, -2 Dex, -1 AC, -1 Attack Rolls

Abilities: STR 20+2, DEX 10-2, CON 16, INT 14, WIS 10, CHA 7

Special Abilities:

[Indori]

Orrick grabbed the amulet that hung around his neck. Somewhere up ahead in the fog was the captain, and he was badly wounded. Azrin's quick thinking may well have saved the man's life. The doctor hoped that this would help as well, despite whatever differences the men had had between them. With a yank, the amulet came free from its chain, and Orrick whispered a few words into it before tossing it onto the dock neck to him. If the nearby troopers had not been phased by the sudden reduction in his silhouette prior, they would certainly be put on edge by the sudden appearance of a skittering, eight-legged creature in the mist with them. With determined purpose, it crawled off into the blurred distance.

Full round action: use the Summon Monstrous Spider necklace. Orrick told it to defend Edmund and to kill any orcs that try to approach him.
Orrick Drummond (Small) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=153582)
Male LN Human Alchemist, Level 4, Init 4, HP 26/32, Speed 30 ft
AC 18, Touch 15, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 5, Ref 8, Will 2, CMB +2, Base Attack Bonus 3, Action Points 1
Longbow, composite +7 (1d6+1, x3)
Bomb (8/8) +9 (2d6+4, x2)
Sickle +4 (1d4+1, x2)
Masterwork Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
Abilities Str 11, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Condition Scarred Throat (-1 Con drain, difficulty speaking)
Extracts L1: 1/4, L2: 0/2

[Archemist]

Azrin tells the Captain, "I'll press on; we'll make you proud, I hope, Sir."

He runs up towards the edge of the fog, and it's a good thing he doesn't look back as a giant spider looms out of the fog where he'd just been standing.

As he reaches the edge, he sees the huge former slave avenging himself upon two orcs, and off to the right, three other orcs shooting at the intruders. Azrin raises his musket, aims quickly, and fires at one of the latter group.

Move action up the pier past Ed to beside UT2. Standard to shoot (with Guidance) at OC8. Assuming Point Blank range,
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Azrin Bluestone (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=5153)
M Chaotic Good Gnome Gunslinger 1, Witch 3, Level 4, Init +3, HP 28/33, Speed 20
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15 (+2 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Size, +2 Natural)
CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 2
Grapple Launcher Experimental Musket (mstwk) (28 cartridges) +6, 7 @PB (1d10, x4)
Light Hammer +2, thrown +5, or 6 @PB (1d3-1, x2)
Dragon Pistol (5 cartridges) +6 (1d4, x4)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 11
Condition Not too shabby.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed starts as the giant spider appears beside him, lifting his glaive defensively. It takes a long moment before it occurs to him that the creature belongs to Orrick. He turns his gaze forward through the mist, straining to see, before the telltale flash outline Azrin firing his musket up ahead. Ed surges forward, giving Azrin an encouraging nod as he passes, ignoring the sharp pain in his side and the dull pain in his ankle. He readies himself as the mist in front begins to clear.

Ed double moves up past UT2, stopping inside the mist.

Edmund Grimace (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=789267)

Chaotic Good Human Fighter/Cleric (ECL 3)

HP 18/39, Initiative +4, Speed 10, BAB 3.
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 17, CMB +7, CMD 18
Fort+7, Ref+3, Will+5
Masterwork Glaive +8 (1d10+6)
Throwing Axe +7 (Melee) +5 (Thrown) (1d6+4)
+1 Orcsbane Warhammer +8(+10) (1d8+7(+2d6+2))
Shortbow +5 (1d6)
Masterwork Banded Mail +7 (Heavy)

Effects: Bless (35)

Spells (CL4): (L1) 2/3, (L2) 2/2
(D1) 1/1, (D2) 0/1

Abilities: STR 18, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 10

Special Abilities: Channel Energy 3/3, Ferocious Strike 4/5.

[RandomWombat]

Coming up behind the orc engaged with Mossgandra, River takes a swing at it. Out of the corner of its eye it sees the fist glowing with frost magic, and ducks aside, but gets kneed in the gut by River's second strike. With its falchion the orc manages to deflect Mossgandra's strike, but its counterattack is likewise deflected. Azrin fires and grazes one of the archers on the sidelines. Olivin steps out of the fog, and with his enlarged whip he slams one of the two orcs to the ground. Hsmorjo moves out of his way by charging at one of the archers, but the orc has plenty of time to prepare and blocks the nagaji's claw with his bow. Discarding the weapon he draws a morningstar in its place. The reckless charge backfires as an arrow and the morningstar both find their mark, nearly knocking Hsmorjo to the ground. One of the elven troopers comes up beside him and cuts down the third orc before they can finish the job.

Edmund moves forth just as the huge bronze spider arrives beside where he was, exiting the shrouding mist to find the battle nearly over. The battle outside, at least.

Map (http://s21.postimg.org/5a24wb1ae/Fort_Barthem2.jpg)

River steps in to flank with Mossgandra. His first strike misses, but the second lands for 6 damage.
Azrin shoots OC8 for 3 damage.
Hsmorjo charges OC8, but misses.
Olivin whips OF9 for 12 damage and drops it.
Orrick summons a Resolute Spider, which moves up towards Edmund.
Edmund double moves past Olivin.

Mossgandra slashes at OF8, but misses.
Ulseland Trooper 2 attacks OC9 for 12 damage, dropping it.

OC8 hits Hsmorjo for 8 damage.
OC10 shoots Hsmorjo for 6 damage.
OF8 misses Mossgandra.

[Archemist]

Azrin reloads his musket, glad for the routine that process has become, and, finding Hsmorjo kinda between him and his previous target, Azrin aims at the further orc and fires again.

Edited to add: Well, Azrin pulls the trigger again, at least. He must've gotten a couple of these cartridges damp, perhaps. He shakes his musket threateningly in the direction of the orc.

Reload and attack OC10, who is unfortunately just outside PB range, I think: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Azrin Bluestone (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=5153)
M Chaotic Good Gnome Gunslinger 1, Witch 3, Level 4, Init +3, HP 28/33, Speed 20
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15 (+2 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Size, +2 Natural)
CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 2
Grapple Launcher Experimental Musket (mstwk) (27 cartridges) +6, 7 @PB (1d10, x4)
Light Hammer +2, thrown +5, or 6 @PB (1d3-1, x2)
Dragon Pistol (5 cartridges) +6 (1d4, x4)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 11
Condition :smallfurious:

[Aeryk]

River continues to press the assault with another pair of strikes at his opponent.

Flurry of Blows [roll0]
Damage[roll1]
[roll2]
Damage[roll3]
*Includes flanking bonus with Mossgandra

River (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=969183)

Lawful Neutral Human Monk (ECL 4)

HP 30/36, Initiative +5, Speed 40, BAB +3.
AC 18, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 14, CMB +10, CMD 28
Fort+6, Ref+8, Will+7

Unarmed Strike +10 (1d8+5)
Flurry of Blows +9/+9 (1d8+5)

Effects:
Bull's Strength (+4 Str) 35/40 rds
Bless (+1 Atk, +1 vs Fear 36/40 rds)
Scarred Chest:-1 Con

Abilities: STR 16+4, DEX 16, CON 15 -1, INT 17, WIS 16, CHA 7

Special Abilities:
Elemental Fist: (+1d6) 2/4
Ki Pool: 4/6

*Edited to adjust number of rounds left for BS and Bless in stat block

[H. Von Studley]

Seeing Hsmorjo in trouble, Ed pushes forward out of the mist and brings his glaive down from up high at a steep angle.

Ed moves up and Power Attacks OC8.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Edmund Grimace (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=789267)

Chaotic Good Human Fighter/Cleric (ECL 3)

HP 18/39, Initiative +4, Speed 10, BAB 3.
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 17, CMB +7, CMD 18
Fort+7, Ref+3, Will+5
Masterwork Glaive +8 (1d10+6)
Throwing Axe +7 (Melee) +5 (Thrown) (1d6+4)
+1 Orcsbane Warhammer +8(+10) (1d8+7(+2d6+2))
Shortbow +5 (1d6)
Masterwork Banded Mail +7 (Heavy)

Effects: Bless (34)

Spells (CL4): (L1) 2/3, (L2) 2/2
(D1) 1/1, (D2) 0/1

Abilities: STR 18, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 10

Special Abilities: Channel Energy 3/3, Ferocious Strike 4/5.

[brandnewb]

Olivin smirks in satisfaction when the Orc he attacked goes down. He quickly surveys the battlefield then decides that he will pursue the one shooting the crossbow. Olivin lumbers forward, steping right over the small figure of a Gnome beneath him. He widens his legs as he walks over letting Azrin just pass between his ankles/knees on the way by. He approaches OC10 and stops 20ft short of the enemy. With a swing of his massive Whip he targets the orc with a heavy blow.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Olivin Instance (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=78018)

N Human Lore Warden Fighter 4

HP 51/51, Initiative +0, Speed 30, BAB 4.
AC 14-2, Touch 10-2, Flat-Footed 14-2, CMB +11+1, CMD 21+1
Fort+7, Ref+1, Will+2
+1 Whip +11 (1d3+8)+1 damage
+1 Whip Trip/Disarm +16 +1
15ft +5ft=20ft Reach

Effects: None

Spells : 4/6 rounds left on Enlarge Person: +2 Sgt, -2 Dex, -1 AC, -1 Attack Rolls

Abilities: STR 20+2, DEX 10-2, CON 16, INT 14, WIS 10, CHA 7

Special Abilities:

Edit: update enlarge person rounds remaining

[Indori]

A small Orrick emerged from the cloud of mist just as the fighting outside was coming to a close. Orc bodies littered the dock, some killed by the landing party, but many torn to bits by the Pomutiki's siege weapons. Looking ahead, the doctor spotted a large collection of cargo, mostly large crates and barrels. He recalled Mossgandra telling them that the submersible device would have to be stored out in the open. She had said that it would look like some sort of large container, but that it had a secret switch or lever somewhere. He made his way over to the collection of booty, slipping and sliding on the large quantity of blood that was draining off of the dock, and began to look for the latch the elven commander had told them about.

So, it looks like all of the orcs that were on the docks are dead (or will be from this last round of attacks), so I'm going to have Orrick react accordingly. He'll double move to get near the cargo that is still on deck and see if he can find the submersible.

If I need a Perception check to find the latch on it, here's that: [roll0]

Orrick Drummond (Small) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=153582)
Male LN Human Alchemist, Level 4, Init 4, HP 26/32, Speed 30 ft
AC 18, Touch 15, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 5, Ref 8, Will 2, CMB +2, Base Attack Bonus 3, Action Points 1
Longbow, composite +7 (1d6+1, x3)
Bomb (8/8) +9 (2d6+4, x2)
Sickle +4 (1d4+1, x2)
Masterwork Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
Abilities Str 11, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
Condition Scarred Throat (-1 Con drain, difficulty speaking)
Extracts L1: 1/4, L2: 0/2

[RandomWombat]

Again Azrin picks irritatedly at his rifle, apparently having trouble with the finicky device. A pair of strikes from River pummels his foe first in the back and then the back of the head, sending him to the floor. Another one down as Edmund slashes between Hsmorjo and the trooper to slay the orc with the morningstar. Lastly is the final archer, whom Olivin sees to. One powerful whip lash across the face is enough to bowl him over. Hsmorjo backs away from the fighting and mends his wounds with healing magic. The bronze spider skitters up next to Edmund, its metallic limbs clinking on the wooden boards. The fires above are beginning to die down.

The group spreads out and looks around for any more survivors outside, but things look clear. Orrick approaches the cargo, but all he sees are boxes. Boxes. Boxes of things he can't see because they are inside of the boxes.

Azrin misfires.
River hits OF8 twice for 18 damage total, dropping it.
Edmund strikes OC8 for 13 damage and finishes it.
Olivin whips OC10 for 10 damage and drops it.
Orrick stares at boxes.
The mist is dissipated by the sea breeze.

Hsmorjo heals himself for 10 damage.

Combat is more or less over.

[Archemist]

Azrin slings his rifle over his shoulder again. "I'll see to you later, Mister."

As the fog begins to dissipate in the afternoon breeze, he joins Orrick in looking over the crates. He pulls out his little hammer and taps on one, perhaps using the back-end of the hammer to pry open one of the smaller crates.

Azrin waves over Pomutiki, Hsmorjo, and Mossgandra and asks, "Well, do any of these look big enough to be our machine? Or should we look around inside the fort?" He's pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of the people in this conversation are down at his own eye-level, a rare occurrence. He smiles at Orrick and asides, "This height suits you."


Edited to add! Azrin also scans the crates with Detect Magic.

[RandomWombat]

At the back of the cargo pile Azrin finds a large metal barrel. Very difficult to miss. His magical senses detect that it is indeed magical.

[Archemist]

At the back of the cargo pile Azrin finds a large metal barrel. Very difficult to miss. His magical senses detect that it is indeed magical.

"Oh ho!

"What have we here?"

I think I'd even spotted it on the Maps you'd posted earlier, haha.

[Indori]

Orrick was mumbling to himself. "Hmm. It appears to be some kind of box..." He snapped to attention when Azrin approached and started knocking on the one he was looking at. Despite having used this particular brand of magic before, he wasn't quite used to seeing Azrin from that particular perspective. Somehow he had even ended up an inch or two shorter. "I thought this would help me keep out of sight to retrieve the submersible, but our crew has made my effort superfluous it seems."

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at some of the others. The new recruit, Olivin, was lumbering past just then. The differential in size was almost comical.

[Indori]

Orrick followed Azrin over to the large barrel-shaped object. "Ah, yes, I thought this one looked interesting. I knew as soon as I saw it that it must be the device."

Bluff roll: [roll0]

[Archemist]

Orrick followed Azrin over to the large barrel-shaped object. "Ah, yes, I thought this one looked interesting. I knew as soon as I saw it that it must be the device."

Bluff roll: [roll0]

"Now, they'd said something about a lever..."

Switching to Draconic: "Sir Olivin! A thousand pardons. Could you use your altitude to peruse the top of this great... edifice?... artifice? for a lever of activation?"

[Aeryk]

River, who is standing by the barrel in question, gives a dark, disapproving look at Orrick, but it passes quickly as he looks curiously to the barrel, waiting for someone else to do something.

[brandnewb]

Olivin ignores the items on the deck, and casts a dark and vengeful eye toward the fortress. As soon as the Orc with the crossbow is down he is lumbering onward toward the wall. He is scanning the wall, for some avenue to climb over, or open the gate with his greater size. He had just decided on a location to try when he heard Azrin's call.

He turns his head, heat and passion of a zealot clear in his eyes. When he shouts across the dock his voice, a deep baritone due to increase size, rumbles through the air. He shouts in Draconic “We cannot stop!” He looks around the group fiddling with barrels, a terror clearly beginning to creep into his voice. “My countrymen may be suffering inside!”

Olivins eyes are now wide with urgent panic, his voice starts cracking despite his large size. His next words come as a pitifull pleadingly and in Common desperate urgency evident “Please... Dont.... Stop.” When he tries to speak in common the stress of the moment has stolen much of his newly learned vocabulary. Without waiting for a moment longer he runs sprinting toward the wall and attempts to climb over.

[brandnewb]

Olivins climb check, either the gate, or the wall. It does not matter if he could reach, his in going to try on wherever he thinks would give him the best chance [roll0]

If there is a door then forget the whole climbing thing, he will just use that.

[RandomWombat]

There is a door to each of the two sections of fort, with the portcullis leading directly through into the cliff face. Between the two rooftops is a small 'bride' roofing the path into the earth, usable to cross between the two rooftops. Judging by the lead strix's disappearance there are also avenues of entry from the top. Either way, he'd have to do some squeezing to get inside with his current size.

Pomutiki comes scurrying across the pier and to the loading area, excited to see this dwarven submersible for himself. "Oh wow! That's a big barrel. I think... there was supposed to be a hidden entry hatch?" The gnome looks around from different angles but can't seem to find anything. Mossgandra walks over and squats down somewhere he's already passed by, pulling at one of the metal 'bands'. With a pop it comes loose and she steps back. The hatch lands heavily on the dock's surface and reveals a dwarf-sized entrance. Plenty big enough for an average human to get inside if he bends over a little. "There it is!"

[Archemist]

I think Orrick has Azrin slightly beat for Int. But Pomutiki may be better at this sort of thing than us... I just worry he's low-Wisdom. :smallwink:

"Ooooo," sighs Azrin. "This metal barrel doesn't seem like much from the outside... I'm not sure how seaworthy it'll be. But at least now we know we can get in."

Olivin's larger-scale antics catch his attention. "My goodness! He's right, here I thought we got what we'd come for, but perhaps we should put this on hold for a minute and clear this fort. Pomutiki and Mossgandra, perhaps you can work on how we might get this contraption back onto the ship? What do you think, Sir?"

[H. Von Studley]

Ed stares after Olivin for a moment, clearly torn. Every second was precious now. They still needed time to evade the blockade and warn the city, but he didn't like potentially leaving slaves in there any more than Olivin did. Finally he sets his jaw, his mind made up.

"Alright, Pomutiki, start loading up the submersible and get it secured. The rest of us are going into that fort."

Ed grips his glaive tightly and strides off after Olivin.

Good post B. I liked it.

[Indori]

Orrick looked at the newly revealed submersible, then at Olivin, then at Edmund, then back at the submersible. He somewhat wanted to play with it, and his size at the time lent itself to fitting inside the thing. But that wouldn't last forever, only a few minutes in fact, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to be contained in a small metal space when the effect naturally reversed itself. With a disappointed look, he turned and followed Edmund.

RW, once we get back into combat, let me know how much time is left on that Reduce Person extract, if any. It lasts four minutes.

[Aeryk]

Ed stares after Olivin for a moment, clearly torn. Every second was precious now. They still needed time to evade the blockade and warn the city, but he didn't like potentially leaving slaves in there any more than Olivin did. Finally he sets his jaw, his mind made up.

"Alright, Pomutiki, start loading up the submersible and get it secured. The rest of us are going into that fort."

Ed grips his glaive tightly and strides off after Olivin.

River, who was also very curious about this strange contraption, dutifully turned and followed along behind Edmund and Olivin.

[RandomWombat]

Pomutiki gestures to Mossgandra to join him inside and they enter to get the machine up and running. The rest of the party follows Olivin towards the fort.

Which of the two halves will the party venture into, or are they splitting up? The enemy leader went into the right wing of the fort.

Also, Olivin will need to make an Escape Artist check to get inside the door. DC 30 to get into a tight space seems a little excessive for this, so let's go with DC 15. He doesn't need a check if he crawls in prone, but that will leave him vulnerable.

[H. Von Studley]

Right I guess? May as well try to capture the leader. Ed's following Olivin though, so ultimately it's up to him.

[brandnewb]

Olivin looks at the small doors, then crouches down and opens one. After a few moments of squirming, trying to get his large shoulders through the hole, he stops and looks back. Instead he just opens the door and holds it open. Leaving the way through to follow the enemy leader open.

OOC: I figure by now he only has 1 or 2 more rounds left on Enlarge person at most. And I have been super busy.

[Archemist]

Azrin will wait on the Captain... and perhaps a couple of the others as well. He remarks to Orrick, "Maybe we smallfolk should let the others go in first."

[H. Von Studley]

As he walks, Ed lifts his glaive, channeling healing energy for himself and the crew. Arriving at the doors, he steps past the giant Olivin and moves over the threshold, wordlessly signing for River to join him at the front.

I'll change that if you don't want to Aeryk, just thought that might help move things along. Ed can go first, then maybe River, with the Orrick and Azrin in the middle and Olivin watching the rear.

Channel Energy (everyone within 30' of Ed, though he'll try to do it before he gets within 30' of the fort.)
[roll0] hit points replenished.

[Aeryk]

River nods, and moves to the front with the captain, readying himself for whatever they might meet on the other side.
River will ready an attack in case there is any hostile creature on the other side.

How many rounds have passed since the combat? Just so I know for Bull's Strength and Bless
np man, it's exactly what River would do :smallwink:

[Archemist]

Azrin gives his musket one last shake to get the last of the paper and unburnt powder out. Then he reloads and follows them in.

Gonna burn that last Grit point to do a Quick Clear again. He's got to drop an enemy to get one back again. :smallsmile: He'll reload and follow along behind the Captain and River, sure.

Azrin Bluestone (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=5153)
M Chaotic Good Gnome Gunslinger 1, Witch 3, Level 4, Init +3, HP 32/33, Speed 20
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15 (+2 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Size, +2 Natural)
CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 2
Grapple Launcher Experimental Musket (mstwk) (27 cartridges) +6, 7 @PB (1d10, x4)
Light Hammer +2, thrown +5, or 6 @PB (1d3-1, x2)
Dragon Pistol (5 cartridges) +6 (1d4, x4)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 11
Condition Thanks for the healing, Ed!

[RandomWombat]

It's been about four rounds since the end of combat, five now.

As the party enters they hear noise from the submersible. Those who look over can see it begin unfolding, with a long lobster tail and a set of similarly inspired legs forming out of the mass of the iron barrel. It doesn't seem to be done, as pincers and small antennae begin to extend from the front, followed by a porthole being opened at the front for Pomutiki and Mossgandra to look out of. Pomutiki waves to anyone who happens to be looking and can be seen saying something inaudible.

Inside the fort the group finds a small chamber containing a circular mechanism through which the portcullis can be raised. It might be a struggle for one person, but there are stokes for up to four to turn it at once. A doorway leads into a simple barracks, with a few empty weapon racks against the back wall. A ladder leads up to a still-open hatch to the rooftop, and another trapdoor leads down through the floor.

Map (http://s1.postimg.org/c834nljdr/Fort_Barthem.png)

[Archemist]

Azrin casts his Detect Magic spell again, his eyes getting a little glow. He looks around the room, and up and down. He says, "Well, it's not quite the orc squalor I was imagining, but it does have that characteristic smell."

[Aeryk]

River looks around the room warily, waiting on the captain's action, ready to follow.

[RandomWombat]

It's more of the 'hi mom i'm on the rollercoaster' kind of wave.

[H. Von Studley]

Ed moves quickly through the barracks, checking any space large enough to hide. If it's clear, he'll silently signal the others and make his way into the basement.

[RandomWombat]

Azrin detects a small magical aura under one of the beds. Edmund finds that the area is difficult to see in, being as the orcs and strix prefer the dark. They've covered up the windows and snuffed any torches. He can open the small windows easily enough however, letting streaks of light into the room. So far as he can see there is no one here, systematically checking beneath the beds. Eventually he comes to the one Azrin spotted, beneath which is a small wooden box.

[Archemist]

Azrin has beelined to the box, pointing it out to the captain. Azrin then reaches down, picks up the box, and examines it more closely.

[RandomWombat]

The box is sealed with a simple non-magical lock.

[Archemist]

The box is sealed with a simple non-magical lock.

"It seems something around here is worth locking up... I'll be disappointed if it's someone's unmentionables but there's only one way to find out. I'm not good at this sort of thing, though, perhaps one of you can give this lock a nice sharp whack?" Azrin offers up the box. "Or we can just hold on to it until we get back on board ship and I can break out my tools."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed takes the box in his left hand, reaching for his handaxe with his right. He sticks the sharp blade into the seal of the box and gently attempts to pry it open.

[brandnewb]

Olivin looks finally shrinks down after the others have entered the building. He follows the group in and arrives while the Captain is searching the room. He looks around him self and considers the portcullis and the open hatch. After a moment of indecision he begins climbing the ladder toward the open door.

[RandomWombat]

I rolled Strength for Edmund off-screen; natural 20.

Edmund cracks the small case open with ease. Inside are two unmarked green packets of... tea. Apparently magical tea, if Azrin's senses are to be trusted.

Olivin climbs the ladder and pulls himself up onto the roof. Across a small hump is the hatch leading down into the other side of the fort, and the areas around the two ballistae are scorched and blackened. The bodies of their siege crews are burnt to a crisp.

[H. Von Studley]

Lol. Of course. 3 (4?) nat 1s when we attack the enemy, but give us a box to open and we're gods amongst men.

Ed shrugs, offering the box back to Azrin. Tucking the axe back into his belt, he draws his glaive and heads for the trapdoor leading down.

[Archemist]

Azrin passes the box to Orrick, if he's willing. "Perhaps you have some room in your pack... here's some magical tea, looks like. Worth analyzing with your kit back on the ship." He follows the Captain towards the trapdoor, musket ready.

[Indori]

"Ah, very good," the tiny Orrick said, taking the proferred box from Azrin. He gave the cracked seal a long, lazy inhalation, enjoying the concentrated scent of the tea. With little thought else about it, he crammed it down into his satchel next to the waterproof bag containing his research materials and scurried off to follow the others. He brought up the rear as the group approached the trapdoor.

[brandnewb]

Olivin runs across to the opposite trapdoor. He swings the door open and takes a careful peak down into the hatch.

[RandomWombat]

Olivin look down into the other half of the fort, finding a similar layout in the room below, with a trapdoor leading below and a doorway into another room, which is too dark to make out. There is no mechanism to operate the portcullis on this side, however.

When the rest of the group opens the trapdoor, they find it leads down to a small indent in the rocky wall of the cliff, and from there leads to the rocky shore below the docks. The entrance to the crawl space is disguised with a camouflaged curtain made to blend into the rocks. The trapdoor locks from the inside of the fort, and the group found it unlocked, meaning somebody went out through here.

[brandnewb]

Olivin jumps down the hole without question, and runs over to the door he could not see into. He opens it and enters ready to fight anyone he meets.

[RandomWombat]

Olivin takes 3 non-lethal damage from the fall and runs through the doorway into the dark. He runs into a bed and trips over it.

[brandnewb]

Olivin will try to open a window or something so that he can see. He will take a quick look around the room then return to the others. "There is no-one here, let's burn it to the ground and keep going"

If he finds a orc he will fight him.

[RandomWombat]

Olivin finds no signs of life in the room. Like the other it is a simple barracks, with near-empty armory racks against the back wall. A few spare spears and morningstars remain.

[Aeryk]

River follows after Olivin, lowering himself from the trapdoor then dropping lightly to his feet. He will then search for an exit point and signs of recent activity.

River is basically going to hold the ledge and lower himself by hanging down through the trapdoor, then land. I don't think I'll need an Acro check for that, but I'll roll one anyway, just in case. Also, perception to search the room.
Perception: [roll0]
(Not sure why, but perception was not checked off on my character sheet as a class skill. When I check it off again, it doesn't include the +3 bonus, so it's only listed as +7 instead of +10. I double checked, and the same issue existed in a number of other class skills, not sure why.
Acrobatics: [roll1]

[H. Von Studley]

Ed frowns as he sees the open curtain. "Well, we've lost him then. Let's finish searching this place and then get going. I don't want that Strix to beat us back to Mirorhen."

He crawls back up through the trapdoor, then heads up, across and down into the other barracks. While he's up top he will briefly check if any of the enemy's siege ammunition survived the fire. Carefully lowering himself down the ladder (there is a ladder right? :smalltongue:) he casts Light and Detect Magic and scans the room the same way Azrin did. If nothing captures his attention, he'll try this room's trapdoor.

[brandnewb]

Not interested at all in anything but finding more orcs, Olivin ignores everything in both rooms. When he returns to the original room he puts his whip back in his belt and starts trying to turn the system that would raise the gate. He does not bother trying to ask for help.

Stg Check [roll0]

[RandomWombat]

There is the clinking and clanking of metal as Olivin turns the wheel and lifts the gates to the tunnel inland. A final loud CLUNK and a halt to Olivin's march around the wheel informs that it is locked in the open position now. A small rod pops out of the top of the wheel, as though it were able to be pressed back in.

Edmund's search yields no particular objects of interest, though the small amount of spare equipment here could be taken back to the Fog for a bit of extra funds, making up for what was lost to water and fire. As for the siege weapons their ammunition is scorched, but the heads of the bolts are still perfectly fine. Pomutiki could repair them with relative ease to restock some ballista ammunition.

[H. Von Studley]

Done with their search, Ed gathers what he can carry and heads back for the Fog. He'll send Reed and Dean with a few sailors to scavenge the rest and take the orcs' and strixs' equipment and then help oversee the loading of the submersible. Once their prize is squared away he heads for the helm, ready to depart.

If that's all there is to the fort then I'm ready to get going again.

[RandomWombat]

Fully unfolded, the submersible stands strangely similar to a giant mechanical lobster. At the head windows open to the front and sides, through which the pilot can see, 'eyes' in the front can open to bullseye lanterns lit with eternal flames, the tail is used for propulsion in the water, its legs can crawl on land, and its claws look like they would be very painful to get snipped by. A pair of apparently decorative antennae sprout from its 'head'. Perhaps they are used to measure depth?

It does not look like the quickest mode of transportation, but its ability to travel underwater without the need to rise for air frequently is still important if this plan is to work. Loading the thing onto the Fog proves difficult and nearly snaps the gangplank, forcing the crew to have everyone move to one side to counterbalance the weight and then slowly haul it up with ropes. A lot of ropes.

[Aeryk]

River also returns to the Fog once the fort is cleared.

[Archemist]

Azrin also returns and helps with the ropes. Not the pulling and heaving, of course, just supervising the tackle and getting it lashed down once it's on the deck.

And of course, when things quiet down, he will continue examining it and compare notes with Pomutiki, who probably got to have all the fun of figuring out what all the levers do.

[RandomWombat]

Pomutiki happily shows Azrin inside and details the effects of each lever. "And this one - whoa now don't touch it just now - this one makes the pincers snip at whatever's in front of you. I don't know how they aim where you want, but they do! Probably magic. It's usually magic."

[brandnewb]

Olivin joins the rest of the crew and helps when they load the submersible onto the ship. Now that the fort has been cleared he is determined to go to the next location to battle the Orcs. He often glances in the direction of the gate he had opened, as if wondering if more orcs could be found hiding inland. But now that the intensity of the moment had faded Olivin can appreciate the need to keep moving. Liberating this island would not be worth the cost of losing the city that is under siege.

[Indori]

Orrick followed the others back to the Northeastern Fog, collecting a few strange looks from crew members who weren't used to seeing the top of his head. It didn't take long for him to return to his normal size, though, and he ordered the spider he had summoned from the pendant on his neck to wait out of the way on the deck.

[RandomWombat]

The brass spider had long since vanished (it only lasted 4 rounds), the pendant having returned to Orrick afterwards.

So I guess what we need to know is, who's all riding the submersible and who if anyone is staying with the ship for the naval attack?

[brandnewb]

Olivin overhears the discussion about the submersable and comments in Common, "I speak language, can drive it. Or swim whatever Captain wants."

Olivin begins double checking all is equipment so that it will not be lost during a long swim.

[H. Von Studley]

As the crew stows the submersible, Ed slips below decks with a grim look. He swing his pack onto his table with a thump, scattering a few pieces of parchment. His leg had held him back out there. Badly. It had taken him three times as long to join the fight as the others. He couldn't run, could barely walk. Every swing felt sloppy and slow. Enough was enough. His damn pride was going to get someone killed.

Ed rummages through his pack, pulling out the crumpled chain shirt. He stares at it for a long moment, then sighs slowly. Reaching up, he slowly and deliberately removes the ornate heavy armor and replaces it with the simple chain shirt. Tucking away his mail in a chest, he turns and heads back up to the deck. He felt exposed, vulnerable, more like a common brigand than a professional soldier. But even he had to admit, the stairs seemed a lot less difficult now.

Ed's walking around AC is now 16, 18 when he uses his shield.

[Indori]

Orrick readied himself by stacking all of his belongings neatly in the magical bag the Emperor had given them, then wrapping that in the waterproof bag usually reserved for his formula book. He folded over the top of the waxy bag and cinched the drawstring tight. After a few moments in quiet thought, he unpacked it again and tossed one of the masks the admiral had provided in with the rest of his kit. Taking a glance around the sickbay to ensure that nothing was out of place, he began to head above decks. He took a moment to talk to Dean about running the infirmary while he was away, including how and when to wear the other protective masks. "My thinking is that you and Mr. Marridy should likely wear them in the event that the orcs use that siege weapon again, although I will leave that final decision to his authority."

[RandomWombat]

Everyone slowly gathers on deck, around the submersible's idle barrel form. Mossgandra is also there, geared up and ready to go, but Orrick has yet to arrive. Pomutiki looks disappointed at being left behind, but if ship combat happens while the others are gone he'll be needed to take command of the siege crew. Catching Edmund on his way to the gathering, Alphonse walks along beside him. "Looking more limber, captain. So, the plan is for you all to return before we launch the attack? Or will there be a second color of flare if you wish us to join the attack without you?"

Dean can be found cataloging the spoils of the battle, basic equipment taken from the enemy. He looks up when Orrick walks in and looks a bit nervous when placed in charge of the infirmary. "I don't think I quite have the talents to make use of the sickbay equipment, Mr. Drummond. I can tally and keep track of it sure, but I've never had any medical experience. The best candidate for treating the injured while you're all away would probably be Hsmorjo. I don't know if he knows anything about medicine, but he does have healing magic."

[Indori]

"Oh, my good man, I would never try to burden you with the healing arts! Just watch it for me, will you? Make sure the men don't get into my brandy?" Orrick responded with a smile and a pat on the arm. Continuing in a croaking and strained voice, he said, "Very good advice about Hsmorjo, though, and I think I shall follow it."

And he did just that. With a bit of looking and asking around, he found Hsmorjo in short order. In overly formal Draconic, the only syntax he knew, he extended the request. "Dear sir, if it pleaseth you and if ye haveth the skill, wouldst you taketh up the duties of the healing chamber during my absence? I would be remiss if a sailor were to suffer death whilst I followed adventure." Mercifully, the vocalizations required a fair amount of hissing, which could be done with little interaction from the vocal cords. He punctuated the request with a short bow.

[RandomWombat]

"Oh, that I can do, sure," Dean nods. "I'll keep an eye on things there once I'm finished taking stock."

The nagaji rsarri is easy to find, up on deck with the rest of those gathered. Orrick joins them abovedecks and Hsmorjo listens to his request. There's a hint of amusement at the extremely formal tone and he answers, "Verily, I assure thee, thy wounded shall be attended to. Prithee carry caution into this darkening night." His tone becomes more serious as he adds, "We know little about the Blessed Ones, only that it is they who create the ghost-faced orcs you've encountered. They infuse their servants with magical tattoos that allow them to fade in the shadows. Bring enough light with you, or you will find yourselves in their domain tonight."

[H. Von Studley]

Ed nods at Alphonse's question. "Aye. The Fog will follow the same signals as the others in the fleet, whether we make it back or not. Remember, green to attack, orange to wait for more information, and red to call off the attack and sail away. But we'll do everything in our power to make it back."

[RandomWombat]

"Understood, sir. Stay safe in there," Alphonse wishes the captain luck as they join the others preparing to depart.

Mossandra gestures for those observing to step back and enters the vehicle, beginning to unfold it into its deployed form. The hatch opens in the lobster's side and she waits for her co-pilot to enter. The rest of the crew will need to counterbalance the weight of the thing as it climbs off the ship and jumps down, then quickly compensate for the loss of the weight, but there should be little risk of tipping the ship.