Part I: Boarding Vengeance

//Told me there had been a psot since I started writing mine so it didnt post my dice roll I guess...


Stealth 2D6 = 8

The member 'Garvan' has done the following action : Diceroller

'D6' : 3, 5

Wulfric watched Garvan's spitball spatter on the jail wall. He and Artimus sheathed their weapons quietly and headed toward the dim hallway in search of the trade-book. Thoughts flickered, back and forth, and Wulfric wondered whether it was worth their lives for a merchant book...he wanted to join his companions. However, the huntsman realized that more foot-soldiers meant more footsteps; more footsteps meant more noise; more noise meant almost certain death.

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Wulfric joins Midnorton and the other men toward the exit, patting Artimus + Garvan on the shoulder.

Artimus Grinned at Garvan as Midnorton took Ronal back to their tiny and wayward vessel.


“ Fool hardy or Daring iz only meazured by victory, Non? Come my friend, you’re not getting any prettier and in thiz light I might miztake you for an orc.”


The Mariner reached into his pocketed belt and withdrew a tiny hand mirror with his left hand and gripped his Brettonian foil with his right. On bended knee he paused at the top of the stair, peering around with curv-ed vision aided by the dusky mirror.

The fierceness of the Orcs always betrayed them, what they had in bloodlust they bled out in tact and poise. This was a weakness that Artimus was sure to exploit like a boxer beating on the broken rips of a sputtering opponent.

The parchment had some value, that was clear enough, but the promise of gold was not what truly invoked the will of the swordsmen now in crouched repose. The proposition of slinking through the belly of the creaking and lost ship couldn’t be ignored. there was a small revenge to be exacted on the creatures that had murdered and pillaged to claim it so peccantly. It was a contradiction though, Artimus shed no tears for the losses of the empire, yet the orc’s brazen attacks offended him, their deplorable ordure hanging in the air tainting his flesh by their very proximity. Even the grouting of the ship seemed to seap with new grime fested by their vile occupation. Maybe it was their very nature, their unrecoverable corrupted collective psyche that damned them in his mind. The empire as lousy, bloated and exploitive but it had vestiges of light ,pockets of kindness, clutches of honorable men and moments of exceptional accomplishment that could not be ignored. Even by the mind of a staunch bigot.

Perhaps the mocked pecking order of revilement that he was unconsciously ordering in his mind was a veil to the truth, a heavy mist over the battlefield of his mind. Perhaps Artimus would justify a whole myriad of actions and influences, justices and offenses to draw his blade or set his will against that of an enemy.



Even to the waylaying wayfairer himself it wasn't entirely clear. The truth hung somewhere in midpoint like a man swinging from his neck, a unspoken sentence carried out. In kind, the trial of the Orcs had reached quiet verdict, their fate sealed and a moment of striking to be carried by keen blade.



If the way was clear he would proceed with Garvan close behind, he decided, if an orc was on approach he would restrain his strike till he could feel the heat of the feculent and foul being. Otherwise they would head in the direction that was directly above the head of ronal’s cell
Stealth (2D) + 1D =10
Sword (3D+2) + 2D 16
DMG (2D 2) 3d might = 25
Spot? 1D+2 = 6 out of a possible 8

The member 'Artimus' has done the following action : Diceroller

#1 'D6' : 4, 3, 3

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#2 'D6' : 4

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#3 'D6' : 4, 1, 6, 2, 1

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#4 'D6' : 6, 5, 4, 4, 4

Fellowship - The 31st of Auguste - 11:45 PM

Artimus and Garvan

The mariner's eyes darted down the shadowy hallway as the far-off footsteps of orcs and pirates echoed through the ghostly ship. The fisherman loomed behind him, his grizzled face contorted into an expression of grim unease as he watched Artimus begin to step silently down the hall.

[Garvan, Stealth check:]

Garvan crept behind him, Artimus looking for the gilded door. The fisherman turned into an alcove, eyes fixated ahead of him, when suddenly he felt the impact of his foot upon a bucket astray, watching in horror as it rolled loudly across the floorboards and crashed against the cabin wall.

They froze, Garvan's heart beating like a drum in his chest. The pair listened intently, hands upon weapons, for the unavoidable charge of orcs into the lower cabins.

But several moments passed, and no further stir was made. With quiet trepidation, the mariner crept further down the hall until he was face to face with the black gilded door. With a cursory look at the staircase leading up into the upper belly of the ship, he turned the handle quietly and opened the door…


Midnorton and Wulfric

Midnorton gasped for air as he broke the surface of the darkened water, present to the sound of Wulfric and Ronal rising behind him. Ronal's voice was calm in the midnight shadow of the great ship, sputtering water as he spoke.

"Your mates are fools, pardon the insensitivity. Brave, but fools." he paused, sensing that perhaps the conversation was inappropriate for the moment.

"Though I suppose I'd still be sharing a bed with two corpses and a straw chamberpot if that weren't the case."

They wasted no time, and before long Wulfric was dragging himself up into the anchored skiff, the moonlight pouring down upon them from above brightly. Too brightly.

Ronal shook his head as the bowmen settled themselves into the boat, but suddenly his face turned a ghastly white.

Off in the distance, not a kilometre away, two longboats were being rowed into the cove. Bright torches burned freely from their decks, and from this distance they could almost see the silhouetted forms of the hunched, bloodthirsty beasts that they knew to be aboard.

"By the gods…" breathed Ronal. "They've returned…"

Artimus and Garvan

The fisherman watched as Artimus disappeared into the room soundlessly.

Artimus breathed quietly as he entered the dark room, nearly tripping over the strewn remnants of fine furniture and linen that once made up the treasurer's cabin. In the dim light from the hallway behind him, he could see the footchest lying at the foot of the bed.

[Artimus, Stealth check:]

Moving swiftly to the chest, he quietly pulled the top off and reached inside, sighing with relief as his hands closed around the thick bundle of parchment inside.

Suddenly, his moment of thanks was interrupted by the nearly deafening baritone snore from the bed in front of him, and as his heart leapt into his throat the mariner could see that he had failed to spot the new resident of the chamber.

In the dark of the room, Artimus could see the bulk of a massive orc, sprawled about the bed in front of him and clutching a scimitar in his slumber. The beast coughed and rolled over, the snores resuming noisily in the dark.

==========================|

OK gents,

Artimus and Garvan, you've not roused any suspicions yet, but I need another stealth check if you intend on making a silent exit the way that Wulf and Mid went, or any other way you intend on going.

Wulf and Mid, you have approximately 1 minute to figure something out (by your estimation), as the boats are drawing nearer and in this moonlight its improbable (though not impossible) that the orcs will not spot you.

+50 EXP each for good posts

Artimus received [THE NORTH SWORD TRADE MANIFEST]

Upon the site of the two new threats Midnorton cursed to himself before he turned to Wulfric. “Hey, I suppose you don’t have maybe some oil or something in your pack. I’m thinking we each wrap some oil soaked cloth around an arrow and each fire at a separate longboat. The blaze should occupy them with enough time for our companions to get back to us. Maybe even do enough damage to cripple the ships.”

He looked at the longboats again and the swarm of orcs on them, “Otherwise, I suggest we crouch down to lower our silhouette from being spotted and hope the others manage to slip out without being noticed.”

If we have something combustible to use…

Midnorton with the lit arrow head, took aim at the first longboat and unleashes his arrow…

If we hide…

Midnorton lowered his body into the skiff with only his head above the rail as he watched the longboats approach.

====================

If Bow Attack

[Dice 1: 4,4,6,1 = 15]

Else Stealth Check

[Dice 1; 4,4,6,1 = 15]

The member 'Midnorton' has done the following action : Diceroller

'D6' : 4, 4, 6, 1

The huntsman grieved their misfortunes in the moonlight. It poured on them, silvery white, separating them from the blackness. As a hunter, he was fond and thankful for bright night sky. Tonight, however, he was the game, and he cursed that glowing moon.

"Time for another swim. Perhaps the company was not meant to part..." Wulfric whispered to Midnorton and Ronal, dipping his feet back into the water quietly.


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Wulfric slips back into the water for cover, swimming back to the shadowy ship underwater. If the orcs continue on their way, he will swim back to the skiff. If the orcs are docking here, he will go inside first and attempt to aid Artimus and Garvan....

Garvan held his breath trying to blend into the darkness aroudn him. He could only imagine what was happening with Artimus in the next room. He eyed the bucket on the floor, silently cursing the object that could have been his demise.

Hand upon his pommel, Garvan waited anxiously for his comrade to return.

=================

Garvan will wait for Artimus to return, rushing to his aid at any sign of danger. Upon his return they will stealth back the way they came and swim to the boat. They will burn the ship upon leaving with the lantern left in the brig.


Stealh = 2D6 = 5

The member 'Garvan' has done the following action : Diceroller

'D6' : 4, 1

Fellowship - The 1st of Septem - 12:00 AM


Artimus and Garvan

Artimus cradled the book in his arms as he left the grisly murder scene and appeared in the dimly lit hallway, Garvan sighing with relief.

The Mariner had looked briefly through the manifest, but all documents were of a legal nature, dealing with trade throughout an Imperial shipping lane. There was not time to look into it further.

Together they turned towards the staircase from whence they came, Garvan cradling the lantern that would bring fire to the lower cabin.

[Stealth checks:
Garvan (5)
Artimus (11 (-1 for DM roll penalty) = 10)]

Garvan's breath caught in his throat as his foot caught upon a familiar foe, the bucket once again skidding across the floor and smashing against the cabin wall with a great clatter...


Midnorton and Wulfric

The fellows stared out at the longships from the water, Ronal treading beside them as the boats pulled further into the harbour.

The moonlight spilled down upon them, but fortune was aligned; a cloud obscured the moon for just a moment, granting them shadow as the enemy crafts pulled close enough to see them.

Midnorton eyed them as the far-off orcish crew from one longboat tossed a thick bundle across onto the other ship, followed by several more exchanges of barrels and cargo. It was ten minutes before the transaction was finished, and the newly loaded longboat turned to head into the shoreside camp while the other sat sentry at the mouth of the bay...


Artimus and Garvan

The flames began to lick across the floor as Garvan smashed the lantern, the pair hurrying down the stairs into the flooded cabin, and swimming out into the warm ocean...


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[Artimus and Garvan will surface near the rest of the party in just a minute. There's no telling how long it will take for the boat to begin to burn, or for it to be noticed.

While this inferno is beginning, the second longboat (approx. 40 yards long, crewed presumably by orcs, is sitting still at the mouth of the bay.

By your estimation, the odds of the orc crew not seeing your skiff as it pulls out of the bay are on the slim side.]

EXP: +50 each

[Welcome back guys, hope you had a great weekend!]

-LK

Wulfric noticed the splash of his fellows returning from the ship, and he prayed to the moon that they carried the Manifest with them. By the pace of their escape, Wulfric could tell they had not fled smoothly, and the company was now in a jam.

They couldn't return to the ship again. They could flee for the bluffs, but if a camp of orcs spotted them, the hills spelled certain death. Out in the bay their skiff bobbed noiselessly.

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Wulfric addressed the company, deeming it the best option to sneak back onto the skiff, and try to row away undetected.

If spotted, and he is sure that the longboat is an orc-boat, he will follow up with Midnorton's plan of lighting the arrows abalze and firing at the longboat

Midnorton lay hidden on the boat for several minutes as he thought of many ways to try to get by the orc ship. The flamed arrow was still a possibility, but he tried to think of other ways to get by. Until it hit him, why not use the sea to do it.

With that thought in his mind, Midnorton silently dove back into the water and looked for seaweed that often grow in the coves. He searched frantically to find some and enough to ‘camouflage’ the boat to make it look like sea drift.

He returned to the surface long enough to tell his companions of his idea about the seaweed, but worried there would not be enough to work. He dived again as he continued to search…

======================

If enough seaweed is gathered, Midnorton will try to wrap the boat with the seaweed. Only on the side that will face the orc boat. He then will instruct two of the best swimmers to get into the water on the opposite side of the seaweed to guide the boat through the water. The rest will remain (mainly the archers) remain in the boat under the seaweed.

If things go badly, the archers will rise up and fire arrows (hopefully flame if enough time to light) at the orc boats.

To find Seaweed (Search):
[Roll 1: 1 ] Urgh.. Horrible.

The member 'Midnorton' has done the following action : Diceroller

'D6' : 1

The member 'Artimus' has done the following action : Diceroller

#1 'D6' : 6, 5

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#2 'D6' : 6, 3, 3

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#3 'D6' : 3, 2

Garvan let his sodden leather tunic drop to the bottom of the skiff with a heavy thud as he clambered aboard the vessel. Removing the contricting garbs from his was invigorating, as if he had removed an anchor from his old bones. Garvan unleashed a howl into the warm sea air.

"Lads, we've no time to play dressup," He already had rigging wrapped around his forearms and the wiry fisherman hoisted up the sail with hidden strength.

Between the grin on his face and the inhuman sheen in his eyes Garvan was frightening to behold. His pale flesh reflecting the moonlight as he dashed around the boat tying down line. The fishman leaned back agaisnt the vessel with one hand on the rudder, "Insulting really. No Orc is going to outsail the Great Garvan of Marienburg!" He spat into the water and pointed his ship towards the Vengeance.


============


Garvan is going to sail hard back to the vengeance. fin


SAIL = STR? = 4D6 = 9

The member 'Garvan' has done the following action : Diceroller

'D6' : 2, 3, 3, 1

Fellowship - The 1st of Septem - 12:20 AM


The slimy seaweed hung off the boat in a dark affair, the lowered mast shrouded in a thick layer of the gelatinous plant as the fellowship drifted through the dark water into sight of the longboat.

Artimus swam beside the boat as the remainder of the fellowship lay crouched within, Ronal cursing under his breath at the unconventional nature of their escape.

Moonlight hit the skiff, glimmering over the surface of the camouflaged hull, lazily drifting within 200 yards of the enemy boat. Through the seaweed-webbing, Midnorton could espy the torches burning upon the longboat, and the shadowy forms strutting across her deck. But it seemed that no eyes turned towards the fellowship, and they floated cautiously past the longboat with nothing amiss...

When they were safely away from the longboat, Artimus clambered back into the boat to aid Garvan in raising the sails as the two bowmen busied themselves scraping off slimy plant matter. From afar, Artimus could see a thin pillar of smoke billowing up from the cove behind them...



Fellowship - The 1st of Septem - 1:45 AM

With sails full, the small skiff flew over the waves as the Vengeance II came into view. Garvan had been suspect about their ability to find the great ship once again, but the coastline had proved beneficial in determining their approach.

Ronal had remained quiet, his face severe as he peered out at the far off lanter-light of Lord Brahnzik's schooner. With a clearing of his throat, he spoke above the roar of the waves.

"You've not introduced yourselves, fellowship. I'm afraid I'm at a loss as to whether or not you intend to save me, or boil me with your boat-disguise for dinner."

He laughed, perhaps a little too loudly.


=====================================

You've come into view of the Vengeance II, the orc-pirate cove long behind you.

I'm offering up the next post for your intentions between now and sunrise (when the ship is leaving). Lord Brahnzik will be awake when you arrive on board, and some of the crew will see you coming.

Feel free to roleplay (I'll be doubling experience tomorrow for a good roleplay segment, here).

Well done on the disguise, guys!

EXP: +50 ea. for posting, +50 ea. for Midnorton's fabulously creative idea and your carrying out of it, and +25 ea. extra for having set a significant fire to the North Sword (crippling piracy!)

Total: +125 exp ea.

Midnorton smiled at Ronal and spoke, “Fear not my friend, we are not part of a pirate ship or such. We belong to the Vengeance II which is proudly owned by Lord Hamus Brahnzik. We just recently set sail out of Cassidy Bluffs for various things. I do not know what Lord Brahnzik or the Captain will have planned for you, but trust me it will be much more friendlier than those orc pirates.”

Upon pulling up to the Vengeance II, Midnorton latched onto the side of the ship to hold it steady as the freed prisoners disembark before he climbed back up onto the deck.

He looked for the Captain and Lord Brahnzik to report their activity and results. “My Lord and Captain, things went well. We found the ship that the orcs took over and scuttled it. However there was a large orc encampment there, I suggest we should leave as soon as possible to avoid any unwanted guest. We also managed to free some of the former crew members of the pirated ship.”

Midnorton said the next line in a lowered voice as not to spread, “We also obtain some important treaty documents concerning trade. I believe Artimus was able to retrieve them and now holds on to them. I’m not sure if they are sensitive or not though.”

==============

That ended better than I thought it would. No real battle, just a few sneak attacks.

Wulfric stepped aboard the Vengeance II once again, less aloof now that he had spilled some orc blood. The voyage had officially begun.

The huntsman cringed as Midnorton announced their discovery of the manifest, and hoped dearly that Lord Brahnzik was the only soul that heard. Even then, he was not an uncle or a brother and a clashing of interests was not out of the question...

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Wulfric briefly greets Brahnzik, then mentions a foot-wound off handedly, asking Artimus to help him bandage up in their cabin. There he intends on reading the Manifest more closely with the Mariner and anyone else in the company that joins

Garvan was already revling in the luxiuries offered up by the Vengeance. Song and drink had been the mainstay of the activites since their return. Perhaps too much drink. Artimus' song had put them in great spirits and Garvan was inclined to continue the celebration of their triumphant return. Through drinking and dancing with the crew Garvan had ascertained that many had placed wagers on the outcome of their success; More against than in favor.

The wine had gotten to his head so garvan had left his comrades to seek the comfort of the morning sea air. Sweat beaded on his brow as the fisherman trailed a soaring gull with his pistol, stumbling occasionally. His concentration was intense. He had grown tired of eating fish and was determined to shoot down one of the birds that had been trailing the great ships voyage. Maybe he just wanted to shoot something. The bird had so far managed to evade his clumsy attempts and the challenge had evolved to a personal vandetta against the bird.

He took aim, slightly leading the bird, and squeezed the trigger.

CRAACKK.

Miss. Cursing ensued and Garvan tucked the weapon into the knotted cords at his waist. His mother must of been a whore he surmised. Unable to kill a bird and an uncanny skill for being out witted by a bucket.

He needed sleep. Garvan dragged himself below deck and fell onto his bed, shutting out the world arround him....




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Im still convinced we could have just sailed past those orcs but good job witht he seaweed plan guys . Im going to spend some EXP to increase my ballistics skill and possibly some more for a pip or two in AGI.

Garvan will spend the rest of the voyage practicing with his firearm and fishing. Again, in the evenings, he will drink and gamble with his fellows.