Island Empire - A Warlock Alone Part2

OOC: Sorry you must have posted right after I did and I missed it.

The look outs are hampered by the fog, a smell of whale blubber and green fir branches also comes to you suggesting they are enhancing the fog with smoke. The first sign of the attack comes as a fight of hurled harpoons comes out of the fog on the seaward side. Half a dozen men are wounded or killed by the incoming missiles. A brace of them would have stuck in Remona's chest, but Michael catches a glimpse of flickering force magic as her shield spell turns them aside. The splash of oars can be heard, but the enemy is not yet visible.

end games

Seeing that the harpoons have been lauched gives Michael a good indication that they are within range of his catapult trap. "Artilleryman, Count 5 and release" Gentlemen Stand to...prepare for boarders" "Master Willum if you please" Then Cursing himself for not thiking of it earlier. "Firemen man the pumps and lay out a spray to either side of us..." Michale is operating that water will cause the fog and smoke to dissapate some as well as making any attackers hit with the water miserable thus making opportunites for his crewman.

Archers fire at will at targets of opportunity, ballistamen target that warehouse with firebolts.

Willum begins his song and the men take it up. Such magic is far from instant, but it does hearten the men to be doing something to help.

The catapults fire, and you hear more splashes than crashes from the first volley, but boats become visible soon after and the next volley may prove more devastating.

The men run for the pumps, but it will take some time to start to use them. The icy water should be quite unpleasant for the attackers. Archers and marksmen start to find targets as the enemy gets close.

As the flaming ballista bolts fly they illuminate men running from the warehouse to attack the ship from the dock side. However, the wooden building does seem to be catching fire from the shots. Remona catches the lead boat in a burning hands from her wand. Nac'Losin puts healing magic to work for one of the Harpooned Marines.

Suddenly the ship rocks precipitously knocking some men from their feat and a couple from the rigging. Something large, really large struck the ship from underneath. A large shape rises on the seaward side of the boat. A smell of death assails your nostrils. As the smoke clears a bit you see that an undead whale is pressing against the side of the ship holding it to the dock. The men in boat begin to leap onto the whale's back and use it like a ramp to reach the decks. The carry small picks, ice axes really, and use them by stabbing into the whale's flesh and pulling themselves along for purchase.

End Games

Silently cussing himself for not thinking of this obvious ploy, Michael shifts his gears.. "Light the fires gentlemen' he says then adds "Archers, center on the the men coming from the warhouse and across the docks." Michael will then modify is eldritch blast into wall and unleash it the lenght of the whale three times in rapid succession.

35 points of damge
24 points of damage
32 points of damage.

The blasts rip into charging men and throw great chunks of rotting whale flesh into the air. Several of the attackers slide into water not moving after the blasts but several reach the deck hurling their ice axes and drawing blades.

Archers and marksmen pour fire into the attackers on the dock and flames rise up around the ship.

Remona unleashes another wave of flame and Chandar leaps to engage the biggest and most powerful of the attackers on deck with his massive sword.

Michael will let lose another wall of eldritch might along the seaside so as to appear to be defending it heavily hoping to force the attackers in a massive rush against the port side so they can counter it.

28 first wave
19 second blast
30 third blast

As his troops seem to be holding their own for now he will keep the reserve below deck but will call out as it would be expected "First Squad man the deck" so as to appear to be already calling out his reserves. He is hoping they will go for the bait so he can trap them with his overlarge crew once they commit their full force.

Michael will also watch to see if the fire is burning away any of the false fog and will hold the others in place to cement the impression that they have commited the bulk our the defense.

The singing of the crew led by Willum and a spell cast by Nac'Losin in combination with the fire and the pumps coming online seems to be cutting the fog. The fires beginning at the warehouse are sending up new plumes of smoke however.

Chandar and the Marines are holding fast against the seaward attackers. Grumbar's cooks dump their boiling 'soup' on the whale's back scalding attackers and making the approach even slicker. Grumbar has his dwarven armor and a massive cleaver as he joins the fray. He lowers his head and charges taking man square in the stomach with his pointed helm. The man's breath gasps out at the impact and he tumbles backward over the rail into the burning sea.

Your attacks and the viscous archery and marksmanship are starting to take a toil on the seaward attackers. However, a large contingent is now hitting the landward side from the warehouse. The men come howling with barbaric war cries eager to destroy you. They wear heavier armor and many carry stout wooden shields. Their own archers firing, stout short northman hunting bows begin to attack from the dock and warehouse at the men in the maintops.

OOC: Listen check?

End Games

Sensing that he is on the verge of drawing them into his trap, Michael will once again commite partial reniforcments to give the appeareance of a struggling defense. (1 and 3 Archers to the Quarter Deck 2 and 4th to the Forecastle and the 20 archers (5 per squad) asecnd to their postions. "Target the landward attackers" "Catapults reorient and target the warhouse and archer postions with fire attacks" "2 and 3rd Marines reinforce the landward side"

Listen check
18

Over the din of combat Michael hears a strange sound coming from the rear of the ship down near the water line. It almost sounds like a tree being chopped down. Several of the crew obviously hear it too and begin looking around...

Sensing the point is close where the fight will reach it's climax Michael moves to the rear of his ship from his position on the quarterdeck and will let fly with sonic adapted blast to the center and each side of the ship hoping the sound compression will alleviate the attacks somewhat. As he unleashes his attack Michale will call for a sqaud to start trowing the modified thunderstands over the stern rail as well as the waterproof gerneades he had made. Then as if going for broke he says..."Archers, misslemen, when you can switch to gernades..i want a solid wall of flame thunder around this ship..."Catapults, ballista, target the warhouses"