The sailors seem to be in good spirits; the fine weather and steady wind promise an uneventful trip. Sasha continues to socialize with Noriaki and Takahaan (and also Captain Dartmoor, when he gets tired of looking out for the kraken). Aerys has a few drinks, sings some sailor songs with Alkas (it appears that she is also from Bacarte, and knows a lot of the same songs), gets rather merry, and challenges everyone to a game that involves coming up with lines of verse (original or not) according to some simple rules. Sasha and Gelik both participate: Sasha is terrible at it (though she laughs good-naturedly at her failings), but Gelik turns out to be very good, although he has an annoying gift for choosing lines that are insulting to the other players--Sasha eventually loses her temper at one of his jibes and quits the game in a huff. Ishirou remains quiet and dour and does not play, although he does observe the game. The scholarly woman, whose name turns out to be Ieana, takes little interest in the proceedings.
[sblock=Insight 19 (active or passive)]Gelik only gets more unpleasant when people take offense at his mean sense of humor, and he seems to have a certain amount of contempt for people who can’t take a “harmless joke” without getting rattled.[/sblock]
The hours pass calmly, only briefly disturbed by signs of coming fog that Captain Kovack corrects his course to avoid. Toward evening, Kovack invites his passengers down to his cabin for supper, and the meal is cheerful and crowded, with Aerys making toasts and a couple of the Irregulars ladeling soup while trying to conceal the fact that one of their number has fallen into the tureen...
...And that’s the last thing you remember.
* * * * *
The adventurers awake to the feel of sand against their backs, salt on their skin, and the bright sun glowing through their eyelids. They lie on a beach strewn with their belongings and the bodies of other passengers--dead or living, it is difficult to tell. Captain Dartmoor’s army is scattered--piskies and grigs lie face up and face down, some in the sand, some being pushed and pulled about by foamy water.
But there is no time to think about what disaster could have left them all stranded on this beach, sick and half-drowned: Alkas feels something cold nudge his face, and realizes that it is the pincer of a lobster-like creature the size of a dog. Many more are emerging from the waves.
| GM: | Fight! (I guess it was kind of bizarre to put that insight check in just before a fight. Oh well.)
Special rules for this fight:
All PCs begin prone and down 2 healing surges. You are all wearing your usual armor or clothes, but carrying nothing else--all of your other possessions are on the sand (they are considered to be in I7 or G10, where the grey boxes are on the map).
The Dartmoor Irregulars begin the fight unconscious (save ends) owing to having failed the Endurance check earlier. A conscious character who is adjacent to Dartmoor may, as a standard action, attempt to wake him up, which immediately grants him a saving throw against this condition. Dartmoor also wakes up immediately if he takes damage. (Of course, once Dartmoor is awake, he automatically wakes up the rest of the Irregulars.)
Any PC can retrieve an item (theirs or someone else’s) as a minor action if he or she is adjacent to either of the grey boxes (doesn’t matter which one).
It also takes a minor action to either give an item to someone else (who wants to take it) or to take an item from someone else (who wants to hand it over).
The NPCs are unconscious and stay that way even if damaged, because they are inferior beings.
Terrain: the light blue area represents shallow water and is difficult terrain. |
|
[sblock=Initiative]
Initiative (includes Combat Leader bonus) for Alkas; Hu Li; Castile; Dartmoor; Noriaki; Takahaan; Bad Guys (1d20+3=10, 1d20+3=20, 1d20+3=17, 1d20+2=13, 1d20+5=21, 1d20+4=15, 1d20+2=15)
Hú Lí, Castile, Noriaki, and
Takahaan get to go first, before the bugs.[/sblock]
[sblock=status]
PCs
Alkas (K6) HP 35/35; surges 11/13; prone, unarmed, shieldless
Castile (G11) HP 33/33; surges 11/13; prone, unarmed, shieldless
Dartmoor (J7) HP 28/28; surges 8/10; prone, unarmed, unconscious (save ends)
Hú Lí (H8) HP 24/24; surges 6/8; prone, unarmed
Noriaki (G12) HP 27/27; surges 7/9; prone, unarmed
Takahaan (I8) HP 24/24; surges 6/8; prone, unarmed, shieldless
NPCs
Aerys (H11) HP 29/29 unconscious, prone
Dwarf you’ve never seen before (J8) HP 28/28 unconscious, prone
Gelik (I9) HP 22/22 unconscious, prone
Ishirou (I6) HP 24/24 unconscious, prone
Sasha (H10) HP 23/23 unconscious, prone
Bad Guys
Eurypterid 1 (L6)
Eurypterid 2 (K9)
Eurypterid 3 (K11)
Eurypterid 4 (J13)
Eurypterid 5 (N5)
Eurypterid 6 (O8)
Eurypterid 7 (O10)
Eurypterid 8 (L8)
Eurypterid 9 (M12)
Eurypterid 10 (L15)
Misc
Equipment (I7, G10)
[/sblock]
[sblock=Enemy Stats: Eurypterid]Eurypterid
AC 15, Fort 13, Ref 14, Will 12; HP 1 (minion)
pincers +5 vs. AC, 6 damage (or 9 against immobilized, restrained, or helpless target)[/sblock]
