Chapter Five - Slipknot Peet

[Trogdor]

Having arrived at a burning Farshore, the Sea Wyverns have split up to deal with the various threats they've identified. Berek and Wavedancer have rushed forward to deal with the murderous pirate who is currently killing colonists at a prodigious rate.

GM

This is a thread for Berek and Wavedancer only.

[Trogdor]

Berek and Wavedancer hustle over to what seems to be a town square, where what appears to be a pirate leader is fighting a bunch of local swordsmen. It's clear even to Wavedancer that the locals are amateurs at the art of sword fighting. And it shows by the way they're being taken down. By the time they arrive on the scene, two more locals have been dropped to the ground, dead or dying. Worse yet, a half dozen pirates have joined the fight.

The pirate leader is a tall man with deeply tanned, leathery skin. He wields a wickedly curved rapier in one hand ,and a punching dagger in the other, and coils of knotted rope are wrapped around his arms, and torso in a tangled display. Many ,of the ropes
are fashioned into nooses, and hanging from quite a few are morbid trinkets like jawbones, skeketal hands, and leathery trophies. From his neck dangles a tattered hangman's noose, and as he leads the fight against the colonists in this square, be curses and roars orders to his fellows, who seem almost as frightened of him as the colonists he's trying murder.

Berek, sped up by Daerith's spell, acts first.

Initiative

Round 3: Berek 22, Slipknot Peet 9, Wavedancer 8, Pirates 4

Effects
Berek: Haste
Wavedancer: Haste

Map

[mackaber]

OOC

Unfair you could have put Berek in charging position... grumblemumble. Berek charges P5 and power attacks him with his axe.

Following his initial bolster Berek moves swiftly. As he can't get to pete just yet he decides to take out one of his henchmen first on the way to see the pirate.

As he draws his bloodied axe from the pirates skull he exclaims.

"You're next!"

[Trogdor]

Berek rushes one of the pirates and brings his axe down on the nearest pirate's head. The blow connects and there's a splash of blood. Berek pulls back his axe and looks at the next pirate, saying, "you're next!"

But the dwarf has counted this chicken before it's hatched. The head wound, while spraying a good deal of blood, was far from fatal. "Not if I kill you first," the pirate replies with an evil grin, raising up his cutlass.

But it's the pirate leader who shows his prowess now. With a flourish and a flash of blades, another of the colonists drops to the ground. He seems to be paying Berek and Wavedancer no more attention than he would any other colonist.

Wavedancer, just before the pirates, acts.

Roll

Berek charges P5: 33; hit for 13
FWIW, there would have been no chance to charge Slipknot Peet. That circle in between P5 and P6 is a well that takes up the whole square.

Slipknot Peet: automatically drops one of the colonists. (Basically he drops a colonist every round he's not engaged.)

Initiative

Round 3: Berek 22, Slipknot Peet 9, Wavedancer 8, Pirates 4

Effects
Berek: Haste
Wavedancer: Haste

Hit Points

P-5: -13

All others at full

Map

[mysticknight232]

While running towards the pirate leader, Wavedancer prepares himself for inevitable combat by casting defensive spells on himself. Multiple images spring forth each with electricity coursing around the persona.

"Hey pirate dog" taunts Wavedancer, "why don't you pick on somebody that can actually fight back" he declares! And with that, all of the Wavedancer's level their magical spears at the pirate leader and they begin their evocation spell, firing a thin ribbin of liquid hot fire at the man with all the flamable rope around his neck.

Actions

During the two rounds it takes to get to the pirate captain I would like to cast Defensive Shock on myself and Shocking Image on myself. If for some reason I can only cast 1 spell, I'll pick Shocking Image.

Then I will stand my ground. Taunt Slipnot Pete and fire Scorching Ray at him (both rays).

[Trogdor]

Wavedancer finds himself directly in line with the pirate leader, only a low well separating them. So the sorcerer focuses his magic through his spear sending first one, then another stram of fire at the pirate. The first hits him in the chest, setting a few of the ropes on fire. But as Wavedancer is throwing the second ray, something terrible happens. Maybe it's his concentration failing; maybe he improperly channeled the magical energies; maybe it was just bad luck. But as he tries to finish the spell, a crashing pain fills his head and he can feel that he's losing a part of himself. He's losing his good judgement and his force of will. Slowly but surely, his brain is failing him.

Then the swordsmen, likely members of a local milita, all attack the pirate leader, recognizing him as the greatest threat to the town. And while they may be amateurs at fighting, they have all clearly been trained somewhat in the use of a sword. While three of the swings go wild or are deflected by one of the pirate's blades, two strike home: one on the shoulder, and one in the side opening a rather large gash. Apparently defending their homes from pirate invaders brings out the best in the people of Farshore.

But then the pirates counter-attack. Several of the colonists take wounds, and one goes down. No matter how well they're doing, the colonists can't win this one without help.

Berek, with a wounded but still angry pirate in front of him, has a chance to act, as does Daerith, newly on the scene.

Roll

Wavedancer casts Scorching Ray at Peet, aiming both rays at him (-4 into melee): 24; hit for 12 / "1" (16; miss); fumble!
Weak-minded Fool: You take 1 point Wis bleed. (Yes, that said "bleed.")
(If I didn't have the Fumble deck, I would have had the ray hit a bystander. So this fumble is a mixed blessing.)

Colonists all attack Slipknot Peet (4 are flanking): 21; hit for 8 / 16; miss / "19" (22; crit); critical hit for 14 / 15; miss / 12; miss
Nameless attackers don't draw cards. They just do extra damage. Trust me; you like this rule.
It was the NE swordsman who got the normal hit and the SW swordsman who got the crit.

Pirates 1-4 attack colonists: 18 / 21 / 15 / 12
P5 moves and attacks Berek: 14; miss
P6 moves and attacks Berek (+2 Flank): 18; miss
A colonist swordsman can take three hits from a pirate before he goes down.

NOTE: Daerith and Fin will arrive where they are shown on the map, having each taken a move action to get where they are. They only have a standard action left.

Initiative

Round 4: Berek 22, Daerith 21, Slipknot Peet 9, Wavedancer 8, Various Colonists 4.4, Pirates 4.1, Fin

Effects
The Sea Wyverns: Haste
Wavedancer: 1 Wis bleed

Hit Points

Wavedancer: Wis 9/10

Slipknot Peet: -34
P-5: -13

Map

P7, P8, and P9 have a makeshift battering ram that they're using to try and break down the door to the chapel.

[mysticknight232]

"Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh" yells Wavedancer as an unseen hand grips his head and squeezes. Wavedancer's scream was clearly uncontrolled and not intentional as there are no pirates about him to do him harm at the moment. Those around him do not know of the pain that wracks him internally as his concentration stumbles and he staggers, visably shaken.

ooc

Ouch! I have this visual of my brains seeping out my nose. Not pretty!

[mackaber]

Berek is getting angry and decides to leave his assailants behind even if that means risking getting hit. With the guile only a man ranging the strets of sasserine can develope he slips past the two men in a blink of an eye and engages Pete with reckless abandon.

OOC

5ft step E. Swift action and ranger'S trick for 5ft step SE. Rage activate Focus on pete. Full attack using PA. No Bull rushing for now.

[Vardaen]

Daerith looks at the men with the ram, "I AM DAERITH AMLYN, SEA WYVERN, AND YOUR BANE!!!!!" He does not hold back, not now, not here in Farshore. He begins chanting, "Igneus manebus inflatus vetorum." When he finishes two rays of black fire spring from his blade as it points at them. The Scorching rays of fire streak toward two of the men holding the battering ram aimed to end their actions and set them ablaze.

OOC

Man! I could so Fireball 4 of them, but that would mean setting a southern house and the forest right there on fire. I'll have to settle for this.

Scorching Ray 8 and 9

Sheet updated.

If I fumble like Wavedancer I think I'll spend an Action Point

[Trogdor]

Berek slips over away from the minor pirates toward the pirate leader and wails into him with his axe, The pirate tries to parry the first blow, but instead gets a terrible gash in his arm; he tries to dodge a shield bash isn't quick enough and gets some spikes in the side; and he tries unsuccessfully to avoid two other attacks. All this is too much for him, and he falls to the ground dead, a bloody mess from all that Berek has done to him.

Daerith, on the other side of the chapel, fires two rays of fire, one at each of two of the pirates holding the ram. Both hit, though one is only a glancing blow. Still, it's enough to get all three pirates to drop the ram, ready to attack the new foe come against them.

"You'll pay for messin' with Slipknot Peet," the pirate says with a scowl. "I cheated the hangman's noose. I ain't gonna let a lubberly dwarf be the end a' me!" Then he slashes out with a rapier and punching dagger. Berek parries the dagger, and blocks one stab of the rapier with his shield. But Peet is fast enough for another stab, and this time gets through Berek's defenses, giving the ranger a minor scratch on one arm.

Wavedancer, feeling the draining injury in his mind, but still having enough strength of will to do something, acts.

GM

You know, I truly didn't think about the fact that P5 moving would open up the route to Slipknot Peet for Berek. I was just thinking about these rogues getting the flank.

Roll

Berek moves E SE and attacks Slipknot Peet: 39; hit for 14 / 26 hit for 15 / 37; hit for 9 / 28; hit for 16; 54 total damage - DEAD
No AoO since 5-ft step and surprise shift both do not provoke AoO.

Daerith fires Scorching Ray at P8: 24; hit for 7 (yea, 7; I rolled a 1, 1, 2, 3)
Daerith fires Scorching Ray at P9: 25; hit for 15

Initiative

Round 4: Berek 22, Daerith 21, Wavedancer 8, Various Colonists 4.4, Pirates 4.1, Fin 3

Effects
The Sea Wyverns: Haste
Wavedancer: 1 Wis bleed

Hit Points

Wavedancer: Wis 9/10

P-5: -13
P8: -8
P9: -15

Map

Edited to account for Berek's additional attacks.