Privateers of Lssthp II [IC]

[J-H]

Servius Calventius Pamphilius Yuan-ti Evoker AC: 13 / 16 (Mage Armor) HP: 27/27 PPer: 11 PInv: 17 PIst: 11 Conditions: -- Concentrating: --

Over the next few weeks, Servius spends some time working with Tegu. She's nearly his opposite in temperament, so they don't spend too much time together - but she's bearable, especially in the morning before she has drunk much. He spends some time working with her on his balance at sea, getting better at dodging and absorbing blows, while she works on her quickness using padded sticks. It's not precisely fun, but Servius also didn't enjoy getting punched and clawed by a Slaad. Until he picks up some means of teleportation, he'd best get better at surviving enemies that get too close.

Waking up early to work with the purser also means the food quality is slightly better; that which is served first is less burnt than the dregs of the pots and skillets. Lemon or orange juice squeezed onto a dish every meal is an adjustment - it works for meat, but not so well for porridge - but the risk of scurvy is well-known and planned for by all competent captains, quartermasters, and students of the sea.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg wasn't best pleased at having to welcome a Yuan-Ti as an apprentice; but as the Captain had said: 'needs must'. He had selected one of his more clumsy assistants - Ttharg hoped that the assistant's clumsiness when it came to wielding a surgeon's blade would translate nicely into a killing blow eventually - to fill the marine vacancy.

As the Captain had mentioned, the Yuan-Ti already had a rudimentary understanding of anatomy and surgery; it was just a case of putting things back into a person rather than taking them out. He gave the apprentice the bare amount of training, trusting his other assistants to help buoy the new arrival's skills. Instead, Ttharg focused on improving the ship's surgery - making the space more efficient and organised. Towards the end of the month at sea, Ttharg appreciated his team needed a break, and decided to regale them with stories of his previous times in Baratano (omitting any notions of personal piracy, of course) as he passed around his bottle of Goblin Rotgut.

(All the others can now see Ttharg wearing the bottle of Holy Water as an amulet around his neck)

[Dirty]

A handshake between Ttharg and Fork had sealed the clumsy lizards fate.

Second chances were rare in this particular environment, but it was about making do with what they had and every man was going to be making himself useful. Besides, Fork figured, this particular individual at least has had some experience killing.. albeit patients, not enemies. It shouldn't be too awkward a transition for the fellow.

In order to make sure the new inductee found his place, and in order to tighten up the ranks, Fork set about with a brutal schedule for the marines. It was in part to make sure that the men knew that the fallen marine was taken serious and in part because they were sailing towards a possible heap of danger. He needed their heads in the game. Also, Lizardman mariners were harder to control if they were left unchecked. Their natural violent tendencies did not mix well with the boredom and routinised life onboard.
This meant four weeks of non-stop training and drills. Fork had them hang from both the sides of the ship for hours only to blow a whistle, where they had to scramble up and get to the other side as fast as they could. Patience, strength and endurance were tested. He had them completely do all their weapons and gear every day. Unpack, fix, clean and pack again. Discipline was demanded.

They dove from off of the head of the mount, had to swim under the White Cliff and be fished out along the tail end by four teammates. In full gear. This was particularly gruelling since it tested mettle, reaction and teamwork. It wasn't without danger. Fork came up with many ways to keep the Marines occupied during the four weeks. If they recognised the necessity of it or not, he didn't mind. A strict system was the only way he knew how to keep order on a long voyage. Tried and proven. He liked to think that they were glad for the distractions of boredom, even though he came close to testing their limits sometimes.

He needed them to be at their absolute best.

[zylodrizzt]

Nibum gathers together the carpenters. Standing in front of them he begins It occurs to me that i cannot live forever. That i cannot care for this ship all by myself so... ive decided instead of just calling you hatchlings layabouts i decided id pass along wisdom so maybe one day youll be worth more then just labor. You all did reasonably well during that fight but your repairs were unfocused. I have been working in this ship since before anyone and i imagine before some of you lost your egg tooth.... yes like an old man he rattles on and on for a good while losing his point now and again but all in all he starts a regimine of exercises with spare supplies broken in various ways (in which he makes sure mending is applied so they can be reused) to focus the repairs to what really matters. At times he has to stop himself from yelling at the hatchlings and jumping in himself. He teaches them easier methods of quick repairs things they'd likely never learn from more modern craftsmen. He is actually really enjoying teaching and proud of his students but his reply anytime they finish something is a scowl and you still got alot to learn hatchling

[TriciaOso]

As the ship makes its way south and east, the weather becomes more unpredictable and colder. As Cauda warned, the stars themselves become fewer; only the most chaotic draconic spirits make their way to the Outer Edge, and the constellations behind the dancing stars fade away. In the dimness, safety lanterns multiply onboard. Nibum watches them narrowly. The job of lookout becomes tedious to the point of absurdity; there's little to see and they can't see it very well anyway. Fork still sends them up anyway.

But midway through your fourth week on this journey, a voice pipes from above: "Sails ho!"

Everyone scrambles to the railings to see.

Spoiler: Perception 5+

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Sure enough, a ship is coming into view. It's a lithe sailing ship, no harness for a mount but heavily rigged.

Spoiler: Perception 10+

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It looks much the worse for wear, like a ship about to break up and sink. Holes and scorchmarks stud the hull and the sails are tattered. It flies a white flag of distress.

Spoiler: Perception 15+

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Those of you who can see through the gloom to the deck can see ballistas and catapults, the mark of a ship too poor to employ spellcasters. No crew are visible on deck, which is eerie.

[Dirty]

Carefully monitoring the crews reaction time, and glad that he'd been pedantic about setting out watches, Fork peered put over to see what the commotion was about.
It didn't take him long to clock that something was off about the vessel.
"Take positions! Stay sharp and hold still." He ordered as he sent the newest marine running for the captain with the information that Fork could make out.

(Passive perception 16, i think he clocks all three of the notes?)

[J-H]

Servius moves to the forward deck to get a better view. He has his warlocks distribute themselves evenly about the ship. "Keep an eye out in all directions. The ship may be in front of us, but it could be bait for an attack from behind, or below."

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

"ALL ORDERLIES PREPARE TO RECEIVE CASUALTIES!" Ttharg bellowed. He directed two of his team towards the forecastle, and two towards the poopdeck. The last remaining medic, the new Yuan-Ti, remained with him on the main deck. Ttharg took a position towards the centre, ready to rush to whatever part of the ship needed him most. He drew his shield, but kept his warhammer holstered to keep a hand free.

He mentions to the Captain: "Captain, if you need, I can amplify my voice to make a challenge from afar."

[TriciaOso]

He mentions to the Captain: "Captain, if you need, I can amplify my voice to make a challenge from afar."

The Captain nods. "Give them a hail."

The other ship does not respond. All the time, the wind pushes you closer; the silent ship, its sails ragged and untrimmed, merely wallows. Cauda asks the Captain, "Shall I have the White Cliff fight the breeze?"

"I can take over a party in a boat to investigate," volunteers the First Mate.

"Or we could sink it from here," Tegu comments with a neutral voice.

"It's flying a white flag, I'm not going to sink it," the Captain says. "And if you get there and they still don't respond, Mr. Achelous, what are you going to do? No, we're in this together."

"Bring us closer, Cauda, with caution. At boarding distance, and try to take her amidships.

[Dirty]

As the White Cliff moved closer, Fork decided he wanted a better view. He hurried up the ropes and climbed the long climb towards the crows nest. It was a cramped spot, and not ideal if things were going off, but he hoped the vantage point would give him more information to work with. As he got up he immediately started scanning the strange ship they were inching towards, as well as making a scan of the whole 360 degree view he had. Even the water got some attention, although the main focus was definitely the ship they were closing with.

[J-H]

Servius Calventius Pamphilius Yuan-ti Evoker AC: 13 / 16 (Mage Armor) HP: 27/27 PPer: 11 PInv: 18 PIst: 11 Conditions: -- Concentrating: Warding Wind (10 minutes)

Servius studies the ship as they come closer to it. Something is off, but what detail...

The wind shifts slightly, causing the sails behind him to flap in the wind. The sails on the ship they are approaching don't change, and in fact are rather full given the angle it's at.

Realizing what's wrong, he calls out "There's something wrong about its' sails! They aren't moving with our wind. It could be an illusion of some sort... and what's underneath it?"

He moves up to the front of the ship and hisses a precise incantation while gesturing for the on deck to come close to him. A strong wind whips around them, warding Servius, his subordinate, and anyone around them from several forms of ranged attacks.
(warding wind)

[TriciaOso]

With Servius's words, the Captain swears and calls a halt. But as the ship stops abruptly, the sea behind you seems to drop suddenly, forming a whirlpool that engulfs the back of the ship and throws the whole deck into a mild but perceptible tilt.

At the same time, the illusion around the unmanned ship drops. It is the same ship, but rather than just damaged and raddled, it is hulled and ruined; a shipwreck hauled back to the surface, worm-eaten and soaked. Within the cavernous hole in the side, something moves, and emerges--

Spoiler: Nature 5+

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It's a giant crab. It seems to be wearing the shipwreck as a shell, like a hermit crab.

Spoiler: Nature 10+

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You've heard of crabs like this, but you didn't know it could create illusions.

Spoiler: Nature 15+

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You've heard of crabs like this, and you knew it could create illusions -- chronomancy illusions, showing the last moments of the ship's 'life' before it sank.

Spoiler: Nature 20+

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Don't sahuigin domesticate these things to hunt surface dwellers?

The ship lurches forward as the crab paddles beneath it, and the both claws lash out; only one manages to grab hold of the deck, crunching through the railing.

Spoiler: Perception 17 (must be amidships)

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Over the sound of the whirlpool and the crab attack, you can hear something scrabbling on the side of the ship. If you look over either rail, you can see the sahuigin climbing up the side.

Spoiler: Perception 12 (must be on the stern)

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Over the sound of the whirlpool and the crab attack, you can hear something scrabbling on the side of the ship. If you look over either rail, you can see the sahuigin climbing up the side.

Spoiler: Summary

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ACTIONS: Someone creates whirlpool behind the ship.
The giant crab drops the illusion around the ship and moves forward. It is out of range for its bite attack, but makes two claw attacks.
One hits with a 17. 19 damage is inflicted, split between the hull and the mount.
Everyone is surprised for this round but Servius.

DAMAGE:
Mount - 9
Hull - 9

INITIATIVE:
21 Cauda
21 Siduri
20 Fork
20 Enemies
18 Tegu
17 Ttharg
16 Kabett
13 Servius
12 Captain Magyar
12 Enemies
8 Nibum
5 Cocytus

[J-H]

Servius Calventius Pamphilius Yuan-ti Evoker AC: 13 / 16 (Mage Armor) HP: 27/27 PPer: 11 PInv: 18 PIst: 11 Conditions: -- Concentrating: Warding Wind

Servius' orders to open fire can't be heard over the rushing wind surrounding him, but the roaring burst of flame that engulfs the crab and the ship it's hiding within should act as a sufficient beacon.

Spoiler: Fireball!

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(8d6)[25] fire damage, Dex DC 15 half
Crab Dex (1d20)[10]+??

[TriciaOso]

A great number of of things happen at once.

With the rocking of the ship, Fork tumbles from the crow's nest. Grabbing at rigging, he slows his fall and takes only scrapes and bruises.

Nibum reaches down and casts a spell on himself and Triceratool, bolstering them for the fight to come. At the same time, his familiars spot the sahuigin climbing up the side of the ship and let out blaring alarms to warn the crew.

As the sahuigin clamber over the rails, Siduri darts forward and strikes one of them three times, sending him back to the water with a broken neck. But two of the sahuigin move faster and more dangerously; equipped with thicker hides and heavier spears. One scuttles to Fork and jabs at him repeatedly as he lies prone on the deck. The other moves onto the helm; Cauda draws herself up, summons her radiant Archer form, and puts an arrow of light into his chest. He retaliates with two jabs that leave her barely breathing.

And then Servius' fireball detonates.

The point-blank explosion rocks the crab, and rips away some of the shipwreck that shrouds it. In retaliatory fury, it inhales a huge amount of water and then sprays it directly straight ahead, in a massive torrent.

The jet hits the warding wind and sprays, giving some protection for those in the line of fire. The White Cliff and Servius manage to dodge the worst of it, as does one of Servius' gunners. Two medics and a carpenter are blasted off of the stern and drop amidships, landing unconscious at Ttharg's feet as the jet blasts overhead. On the poopdeck, Cauda dodges but is still knocked unconscious by the spray, and two medics and a carpenter fare worse, knocked unconscious and carried off the aft of the ship to drop into the vicious whirlpool.

Four more sahuigin drop over the rails and onto the decks.

Spoiler: Summary

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ACTIONS:
Nibum casts Heroism on himself and Triceratool.

Fork falls out of the crow's nest. He catches some ropes on his way down and takes only 10 damage.

Servius casts Fireball on the crab. The crab fails its dex save and takes 25 damage. The shipwreck takes double damage; damage to the shipwreck lowers the crab's AC.

Nibum's familiars spot the sahuigin climbing up the side of the ship and alert the crew, preventing a second round of Surprise. Triceratool takes the dodge action.

Sahuigin begin to reach the railing of the ship and climb aboard. 2 Sahuigin champions and 5 regular Sahuigin.

Cauda takes Starry Form Archer (bonus action) and shoots her Starry Form attack as well as a guiding bolt (action) at the nearest sahuigin (Teal Sahuigin Champion). Starry Form hits for 9 radiant. Guiding Bolt misses.

Siduri attacks the nearest Sahuigin (gray Sahuigin) with two attacks and a Flurry of Blows. 3 hits. The Sahuigin drops.

Sahuigin Champions act. Teal goes for Cauda, who damaged him. Two of his three spear attacks hit, for 19 damage.

Orange Gunner gets an opportunity attack on Teal Champion as it passes; misses.

Green Champion attacks Fork, using its advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points. Two of his three spear attacks hit, for 21 damage.

The crab uses its Water Jet attack, hitting Servius (succeeds), Yellow Carpenter (fails), Green Gunner (suceeds), Green Medic (fails), Yellow Medic (fails), Blue Carpenter (fails), Orange Medic (fails), Cauda (succeeds) and Blue Medic (fails).

Yellow Medic, Green Medic, and Yellow Carpenter are pushed back 30 feet and fall into the main deck. The failing damage knocks all 3 unconscious.

Orange Medic, Blue Medic and Blue Carpenter are pushed back 30 feet and fall into the whirlpool. The falling damage knocks all 3 unconscious and they are being sucked into the whirlpool.

Cauda is knocked unconscious but does not get pushed back. Green Gunner takes 12 damage and is not pushed back. Servius takes 12 damage and is not pushed back; makes his concentration check for Warding Wind. The mount of the White Cliff takes 12 damage.

DAMAGE:
Crab - 25 damage
Shipwreck - 50 damage

Teal Sahuigin Champion - 9 damage
Green Sahuigin Champion - 0 damage

Green Sahuigin - 0 damage
Blue Sahuigin - 0 damage
White Sahuigin - dead
Yellow Sahuigin - 0 damage
Orange Sahuigin - 0 damage

Fork - 31 damage
Nibum - 0 damage, +3 temp HP
Triceratool - 0 damage, +3 temp HP

Cauda - unconscious

Yellow Medic - unconscious
Green Medic - unconscious
Orange Medic - unconscious (drowning)
Blue Medic - unconscious (drowning)

Yellow Carpenter - unconscious
Blue Carpenter - unconscious (drowning)

Mount - 21
Hull - 9

INITIATIVE:
21 Cauda
21 Siduri
20 Enemies
20 Fork
18 Tegu
17 Ttharg
16 Kabett
13 Servius
12 Nibum
12 Enemies
8 Captain Magyar
5 Cocytus

[J-H]

Servius Calventius Pamphilius Yuan-ti Evoker AC: 13 / 16 (Mage Armor) HP: 15/27 PPer: 11 PInv: 18 PIst: 11 Conditions: -- Concentrating: Warding Wind

Servius blasts the giant crab again, this time aided by rays of flame from his gunners.
The wind around him keeps him from even noticing the sahuagin on deck.

Spoiler

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Fireball!
(8d6)[32] Dex DC 15 half
Crab Dex (1d20)[12]

[TriciaOso]

The second blast of fire tears away more of the crab's protection, making it easier for the gunners to unleash even more flame on it. The shipwreck falls away from it in flaming debris, exposing its vulnerable thorax, and the crab moans aloud as it begins to cook inside its carapace. This prey is not as easy as the ships it normally preys on, and it begins to paddle uneasily backward.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg curses under his breath as his orderlies are blasted both onto and off the ship. Those on the deck would survive for a moment, but those knocked in the water would surely disappear and drown if Ttharg didn't do something.

Instinctually, he began to climb the rigging next to the mast. For a moment, his thoughts were lost in battles past, but he refocused and climbed harder. Once he had a vantage point for his two wayward orderlies, Ttharg called out to one of them: "Let the salt of sea, cleanse ye wounds!" Healing magic began to flow around the orderly and his eyes blinked back awake.

As soon as the orderly had come to, Ttharg shouted: "TRIAGE, TRIAGE! GET THE OTHER ORDERLIES UP! MEN OVERBOARD! STOP GAWKIN' AND START PATCHING YOUR MATES UP!" He looked down at the newest Yuan-Ti medic, the only one who was unharmed. "THAT MEANS YE! GET TO IT!"

Spoiler

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Move Action to climb the rigging (Athletics 18) to get a vantage point for the two drowning medics.
Bonus Action to cast Healing Word at 1st Level on the Orange Medic for 6 healing.
Action to command the crew to use Triage, focusing on picking up other medics first.

[TriciaOso]

Amidships, the trainee medic attempts to stabilize one of the others, but his hands shake and he fails. Minicliff hovers over his shoulder and presses a clean rag into his hands and he tries again, successfully stabilizing one of the fallen medics. Fetcher, Nibum's construct, scrambles up and pours a potion down the third medic's throat, and he rises choking to stabilize the carpenter.

In the whirlpool, one of the medics suddenly opens his eyes and shoves his head above water, gasping for air. A wave crashes over his head and almost takes him back under, but he fights clear and grabs hold of his drowning buddy, getting his head above water, too. He grabs at the unconscious carpenter, but can't hold onto both of them.

Kabett follows your lead as well, running to the edge of the forward deck to sending a healing word back to Cauda, who writhes and then wriggles blearily upright.

Kabett also directs an ear-splitting whistle to the White Cliff. The sea serpent whips its head around and swallows a sahuigin whole. At the same time, the sea serpent's tail lashes out and raises the revived medic out of the whirlpool. He clings to his drowning friend and together they rise above the whirlpool.

The carpenter circles the whirlpool, drawn towards the sahuigin seashaper greedily awaiting him at the bottom of the funnel -- but Cauda jukes away from the sahuigin champions and leaps overboard, transforming into a dolphin as she does. She darts through the water, evading the grasp of the whirlpool but still battered by the waves. She loses her dolphin form, but manages to pull them both up onto the tail.

Spoiler: Summary

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ACTIONS:
Cocytus uses his action to command the gunners.
Fetcher administers a potion to Green Medic, back up with 8 hp.
Minicliff gives a help action to Purple Medic.
Healing word brings Orange Medic back up with 6 hp. He takes 5 damage from the whirlpool; still up with 1 hp.
Medicine check from Purple Medic for Yellow Medic w/ advantage - succeeds, stabilized at 0 hp.
Medicine check from Green Medic for Yellow Medic - succeeds, stabilized at 0 hp.
Medicine check from Orange Medic for Blue Medic - succeeds, stabilized at 0 hp.
Kabett heals Cauda with healing word, back up with 7 hp.
Cauda bonus action disengages, takes the shape of a dolphin and dives in to save Blue Carpenters. Take 14 damage from the whirlpool and returns to her original form.
White Cliff uses a tail attack and a legendary action tail attack to lift the drowning out of the water; Cauda and the Orange Medic holding the unconscious.

Blue Carpenter fails a death saving throw.

White Cliff kills Green Sahuigin with a bite attack.

DAMAGE:
Crab - 101 damage
Shipwreck - destroyed

Teal Sahuigin Champion - 15 damage
Green Sahuigin Champion - 0 damage

Green Sahuigin - dead
Blue Sahuigin - 0 damage
White Sahuigin - dead
Yellow Sahuigin - 0 damage
Orange Sahuigin - 0 damage

Fork - 31 damage
Nibum - 0 damage, +3 temp HP
Triceratool - 0 damage, +3 temp HP

Cauda - 18 damage (5 hp remaining)

Green Medic - 17 damage (8 hp remaining)
Orange Medic - 24 damage (1 hp remaining)
Blue Medic - unconscious (stable)
Yellow Medic - unconscious (stable)

Yellow Carpenter - unconscious (1 failed DST)
Blue Carpenter - unconscious (1 failed DST)

Mount - 21
Hull - 9

INITIATIVE:
21 Cauda
21 Siduri
20 Enemies
20 Fork
18 Tegu
17 Ttharg
16 Kabett
13 Servius
12 Nibum
12 Enemies
8 Captain Magyar
5 Cocytus

[zylodrizzt]

Nibums cursing would have been alot worse had the ship taken more damage but he dealt with the immediate threat, a sea scale coming up over the side of the ship. He sent his minions to administer aid as soon as it happened and guided triceratool to the left of the nearest champion and channeling all his rage into a booming strike with his newly acquired spear. He has made some modifications to the spear and so when he strikes a speaker goes off and says as loud as a cannon directed mainly at the champion WHOEVER CAN GET THAT DAM SHELLFISH DONT WANT THE SHIP WRECKED!. Triceratool takes a defensive stance.

(Crit booming blade on champion. Triceratool takes dodge action and moved a bit. Fetcher and minicliff aid in reviving downed crew)

[Dirty]

Fork had one of those classic: 'Oh no..' moments when he lost his footing as the ship got rocked from the initial impact. The fall down went in a sort of slowmotion way, where he felt hyper aware, however everything that happened was inevitable and he was hopeless to stop the events from transpiring. As such, the impact with the deck was expected but still came way too fast.

All breath was knocked out of him along with some teeth. The damage was mostly internal though and soon blood was escaping his ears, nose and left eye. He felt quite stunned for a moment, which is why the finer details of the goings-on escaped him. He maybe able to construe together the sounds of fireballs and waterblasts, and shouts and screams into a semi-cohesive account of what went down this day, but later, and only after much sleep and talking to people who can explain to him the events that transpired. Right now, in this moment, it was chaos and he was turned inward.
Therefor, it was a complete surprise to Fork when he suddenly got stabbed repeatedly. Pain had lost all meaning to Fork. The first one was a surprise, an unwelcome way to be prodded back into reality. His vision tried to show him what was happening but he was still seeing double. The second one was a nuisance, a total irritation. It was rude, and that pissed him off. He became aware of the Sahuigin. On his ship.. Stabbing him? His vision zoomed into focus again. Just in time as the third spear was aimed right at his head.

He turned his head and the spear narrowly missed him, thuncking onto the hardwood deck instead.

Fork rolled away and scrambled up. He scanned the deck. "Get those fish off of the ship!" He said weakly as his chest was still trying to handle breathing, and all that escaped him was blood and whisper. He fumbled in his right breast pocket and quickly blew his signal whistle. Once, sharp and loud, two seconds long. This whistle has been heard several times the last couple of weeks. Every marine that has been training the last four weeks would know what this particular order meant. It should come as no surprise.

-Kill all enemies.-

Upon hearing the whistle the marines should be left with no confusion. Someone else heard the whistle too. Rumble bolted towards the Sahuigin closest to Fork and attacked fiercely, as Fork fell down to one knee to grab his weapons. The slowness from the fall was replaced entirely with something else now. Routine and muscle memory, survival. He'd found his second wind and Fork was going to kill every last one of them or die trying.

Spoiler: Actions

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Action: Command Marines
Bonus Action: Have the drake attack (to hit: 22, damage: 5)

[TriciaOso]

Even as Fork calls out, the Champion strikes him again and again, sending him unconscious. But the Marines roar and charge into their well-drilled action, sweeping the remaining lesser sahuigin from the deck. Tegu and the Captain assist, with some rage-fueled strikes of the maul and well-placed longbow shots, respectively. Rumble and a furious Tegu round on the Champion and tear him apart, both stooping to devour bits of fishy flesh. But Fork is bleeding out...

Spoiler: Fork

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Whiteout. This is getting familiar. Three stars on the horizon, burning fitfully.

One winks out.

The crab seems to consider fleeing, but beneath the waves, a furious Sahuigin Baron whispers to it, and it turns to finish the job. It strikes twice at Servius, the source of the fiery pain inflicted on it, and with the second strike its claws close on an unconscious body and drag him away.

It takes a final bite out of the White Cliff, and receives a retaliatory blast of icy breath and a bite in return. It is barely clinging to life, but seems intent on finishing what it started, one way or another. Servius dangles from a claw... and then the call of a Healing Word from Kabett rouses him, albeit in a desperate position.

Spoiler: Summary

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ACTIONS:
Rumble attacks Green Sahuigin for 5 damage. Uses a reaction to add 9 damage to Nibum's attack on Green Sahuigin.

Yellow and Green Marines attack Yellow Sahuigin. 3 attacks hit, doing 22 damage. Yellow Sahuigin is killed.

Orange, Blue and Purple Marines attack Orange Sahuigin. 3 attacks hit, doing 11 damage.

Tegu rages and attacks White Sahuigin. 2 attacks hit, doing 25 damage. Blue Sahuigin is killed.

Orange Sahuigin attacks Orange Marine. 1 attack hits, doing 9 damage.

Captain Magyar uses a bonus action to give herself advantage on attacks and attacks Orange Sahuigin. 2 attacks hit, doing 15 damage. Orange Sahuigin is killed.

(Cocytus uses his action to command the Gunners.)

(Cauda uses her bonus action to disengage and her action to become a dolphin and jumps in the whirlpool; takes damage, loses dolphin form, grabs the Carpenter.)

(White Cliff uses a legendary action to pull Cauda and Blue Carpenter out of the whirlpool.)

Siduri attacks the Teal Champion. 1/4 attacks hits, doing 6 damage. It passes the Stunning Strike save.

Teal Sahuigin attacks Siduri. 1/3 attacks hit, doing 8 damage.

Green Sahuigin continues attacking Fork and hits 2/3 times, doing 16 damage. Fork is unconscious.

Sahuigin Baron crits on an Animal Handling check and the crab does not flee. Crab's Water Jet does not recharge. Crab attacks Servius, hitting with both Claws for 37 damage. Servius is knocked unconscious. Warding Wind drops. Grappled by the crab.

The crab then bites the White Cliff, hitting, and does 27 damage.

Fork makes a death saving throw and fails.

Tegu moves to attack the Green Champion and goes nuts, hitting 3 times with 2 crits; does 50 damage overall. Green is killed.

Kabett directs the White Cliff to retaliate with its Rime Breath. The crab makes the save and has resistance to Cold. 61 damage is reduced to 15. Healing Word on Servius for 4 hp.

DAMAGE:
Crab - 135 damage
Teal Sahuigin Champion - 21 damage

Fork - unconscious
Servius - 23 damage
Ttharg - 0 damage
Nibum - 0 damage, +3 temp HP
Triceratool - 0 damage, +3 temp HP

Cauda - 18 damage (5 hp remaining)

Green Medic - 17 damage (8 hp remaining)
Orange Medic - 24 damage (1 hp remaining)
Blue Medic - unconscious (stable)
Yellow Medic - unconscious (stable)

Yellow Carpenter - unconscious (stable)
Blue Carpenter - unconscious (2 failed DSTs)

Green Gunner - 12 damage (21 hp remaining)

Orange Marine - 9 damage (24 hp remaining)

Mount - 36
Hull - 9

INITIATIVE:
21 Cauda
21 Siduri
20 Champions
20 Crab
20 Fork
18 Tegu
17 Ttharg
16 Kabett
13 Servius
12 Nibum
8 Captain Magyar
5 Cocytus

[TriciaOso]

Cocytus marshals the gunners for a final salvo, and the crab collapses with an oddly-delicious smell rising from its shell. Servius is left clinging to the massive floating claw, but the sahuigin remaining beneath the waves are already fleeing. The whirlpool collapses.

As one, the crew turns to destroy the last remaining sahuigin champion. Arrows blossom from his chest as the Captain fires again and again, and Siduri ruthlessly turns his face into her petrifying gaze, then crushes the stony body in her coils.

Delicately, the White Cliff returns Cauda and the medics and carpenter to the deck, and extends its neck to lift Servius back aboard as well. Fork's vision of the blizzard and the great Hunter is blotted out as Ttharg returns him to consciousness.

The battle is over. And meat is back on the menu... crab meat, anyway. Crab meat until everyone is sick of it.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg finished up healing both the dying carpenter and Fork, hauling the latter to his feet. "Gotta stop takin' a nap on the job, lad!" Over the next few minutes Ttharg and his team patched up wounds, applied bandages, and set broken bones. The new Yuan-Ti apprentice had been shaky to start with, but was now adapting to the job nicely.

As soon as he had finished patching up the crew, Ttharg's amulet began to glow and he picked it up to look through it. He could see the ghostly after image of the crab firing it's deadly jet of water across their face which had sent crew tumbling. Bahamut's blessing began to flow through him and he felt as if he could also push his foes away if he ever hit them with the power of Bahamut's storms.

(Level 6 Tempest ability unlocked)

[J-H]

Servius rubs at his bruised and cracked ribs. He'll be moving carefully for a few days. "Thanks for the help," he coughs out to Kabett.

Despite the injury, he felt he did quite well in that battle. Fire is truly the solution to many problems.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Over the next couple of weeks, Ttharg continues to improve the ship's surgery; even being able to incorporate some of the crab's shell into his own armour for added protection. Even though the surgery wasn't designed for the beast that carried them, Ttharg felt that his team would be able to respond better to treating the creature over time with the new upgrades.

(Finish improving the ship, Ttharg gains +1 AC when close to the ship via crab armour additions, and the mount gains +1 HD)

Ttharg then spends a few more weeks with Kabett, learning more about taking care of the mount and general druidic wisdom from them.

[J-H]

Servius Calventius Pamphilius Yuan-ti Evoker AC: 13 / 16 (Mage Armor) HP: 38/38 PPer: 11 PInv: 18 PIst: 11 Conditions: -- Concentrating: Warding Wind

Servius resumes his training with Tegu. Although his sore ribs keep hurting, he learns how to push through the pain better. That's something they don't teach you in school, or at a print shop. At least, not for anything beyond cramping hands or squashed fingers.

After this, he gets some scrap wood from Nibum and begins training his gunners to aim better, drilling them daily to shoot accurately at targets across the deck, preferably in heavier seas.
A few planks are scorched by the misses.
Then a few more.

Eventually, he decides to be less systematic about it, and makes it more fun. Scraps of wood are floated out beside the ship to bob up and down on the waves, serving as moving targets. The warlocks get competitive, and it soon turns into a tournament for bragging rights, with extra points awarded for shots made at long distance, at targets being moved by Mage Hand, and even a competition where Servius casts Water Walk on the gunners and they have to aim while walking on the moving waves themselves.

It is...fun. They're pretty good at it, although not as systematic as Servius would like.

[TriciaOso]

Spoiler: Servius

Show

There is a tide in the affairs of serpents which taken at the flood leads on to fortune... Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.

In the warm the warm fug in the apartments above, the voice of your father, reading the great authors of history from remaindered texts. The heavy thump of the printing press in the workshop below.

---

In an honest service there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labor; in this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst, is only a sour look or two at choking. No, a merry life and a short one, shall be my motto.

Huddled around carefully guarded furnaces, the rough laughter of rough sailors, well-intentioned for all of that, telling stories of heroes of the sea. The rise and crash of the waves, fast becoming second nature.

---

Servant. Serpent. Scribe.

I do not offer you obedience or service, safety or certainty. You know well certain ones, at certain times, have the opportunity to rise, to wax in power. Seize it while it lasts, and grasp in weeks what decades of study could not give you. But the bargain is this... danger, and great deeds, and great enemies. You will not be forgotten, a mere printer's son. And I, I will not be rewritten as an appendix of Her greatness...

The dry, hissing voice of the god; the dry, eternal heat of the Near Fire. The endless coils of Apophis, and tangled and laced among them, huddled and writhing, the countless souls of the Yuan-Ti. The humans call it a Hell of Fire, but to a serpent's soul it's warmth and brotherhood and safety. And behind it, the scuffle and thump of the eternal struggle in these titanic caverns. Tiamat does not lie still, with the snake-god binding her limp as rope; they struggle. For millennia they have struggled, and the sound of it fills your dreams.

You sail on, and you get stronger.

[Dirty]

"Gotta stop takin' a nap on the job, lad!"

"Thank you.." He said deflated. Even though he knew Ttharg didn't mean to, the words stung a little. Fork felt he was supposed to be better than this. There was something gnawing at his soul and it made him feel restless and uneasy. He also felt quite sick, in the physical sense. His insides needed time to rearrange themselves again.

The first week he tried pretending nothing was wrong and pushed the training onwards. The fight with the crab and its subsequent spoils had invigorated the marines, and they had witnessed first-hand the fruit of their labour. After the week though, Fork handed the training regime over to the squad leader, and things settled into a bit of a more routinised schedule.

The restlessness hadn't gone away.

He found himself wandering, and distancing one evening when he came upon Cauda. They never really had spoken but as Fork was gazing up at the sky Cauda made an off-beat remark which made something click for him. He asked about the three stars he'd seen. Not just twice when he'd fallen in battle but also in a dream not long before that. He asked about the stars and the vast frozen wasteland, the kill and the wind that blew but never refreshed.

They settled into a conversation that lasted for weeks on end. They'd stop when it was time to work, and pick it up like no time had passed. This took practice on Forks end, since Cauda wasn't the easiest to follow, but he managed. They compared, riffed, discussed and listened as they connected dots that hadn't been obvious. It was exactly the outlet Fork needed and he was grateful. It also grew his awareness and managed to keep him stable and grounded when he was feeling like he was losing his place in the only world he knew how to be anything.

[zylodrizzt]

After the attack of the crab nibum lists off all the work that needs done to the ship in front of the carpenters ... and in conclusion leave it all to me cause i cant trust you hatchlings. Leave your tools wirh me and take off for a week but dont layabout too much cause im going to work your scales off when you get back. he says grinning in his head. Once he collects up the tools and everyone has gone thier merry way nibum begins drawing up plans for what he's gonna get done during the week. Then servius shows up talking about games seriously games thats what you think is important right now? Dont i have enough work? Does it look like i have time for that? Fine ill figure out something secretly he really likes the idea but he'd never tell that to the hatchling gunnery coil walker. He draws up plans for some more armor for the sails... maybe a chain woven into them? During that week nibum and his assistants have a blast with all the work
Early to rise and late to bed. When his carpenters returned he not only kept ip with all the work but also made repairs and perhaps improvements to all thier tools. You better make good use of these or else
Now get your stuff and get in that rigging. Gotta add some metal thread to them sails he says as he thinks about his next project.

[TriciaOso]

Spoiler: Ttharg

Show

The bond you feel with the sea serpent touches also the bond you feel with Bahamut, in his aspect of God of the Sea. You find yourself thinking and dreaming of the ancient past of the dragons, when they emerged from the chaos of the sea, moving towards the order represented by the land. Frogfolk becoming sea serpents becoming the first dragons.

In your dreams you see the carving away, the infinity of chaos giving way to the single, gem-like facets of identity. Bahamut is rooted in the sea, multivalent and shining with all colors from his platinum hide, but his teachings were a return to the Sea, an embrace of Chaos after Tiamat's overdose on order. You've never worried about these things, doctrine and alignments; your connection with Bahamut was primal. And that's how he likes it.

But now he needs you to understand. You see the first draconic spirit, a ball of infinite possibility, and how it came to know itself; how by defining itself, it broke itself into pieces, shedding identities like shed skins. You understand why Tiamat feels that all the other gods were once a part of her and could be again; all of them were a part of something greater once, and Tiamat, control freak that she is, still sees herself as that greater thing.

You see, however, that she, too, was cast away; Tiamat, Lawful Evil, and Erathis, Lawful Good, were the last masks to be cast away. (Erathis, your own progenitor as a blue dragon, and another god of storms...) And then all that was left was Primus, eternal order, perfect understanding, who departed the world forever.

And shattering that perfect order, the revelation of Bahamut. Bahamut led your people back to the sea, and taught them that only by embracing chaos and that total potential can you reach back to that ancient draconic spirit.

Tiamat thinks she can get there by eating all the gods. You understand Trionyx's heresy now, and are immune.