Chapter 1 - The Vaunderboren's Ship
Session 1- 18/1/08
Azura felt the wind breeze through her matted hair as the ship sailed into port, the drums of her orc companion, Mochoppa, behind her. The wind was cool and had the smell of salt on it. Azura felt a nuzzle against her thigh; she looked down to notice it was Moonlight, a white wolf of whom Azura had known several generations of the female wolfs pack. The trio had come a long way. After Azura’s exile from her home, Moonlight and Azura traveled north with a caravan, she met the Orc in that caravan, he had caused a little trouble with the humans when Azura had met him. He got along well with Moonlight and Moonlight had never been a bad judge of character. The trio joined another trades caravan which headed to a southern port, where they took the ship through tropical seas to arrive in this port. Azura had to spend a lot of the gold paying for the damages that Mochoppa caused and to prevent the sailors from picking a fight that they would definitely lose. He was the strongest orc she had ever seen.
After the ship had moored, the trio made it into the large port city. It was the perfect place to have a port, there were two large stone walls that had large trebuchets and ballistae every 20 ft, the gap between the walls meant that there were very few waves inside the harbor. Large trade galleons were moored up and there were people fishing and couples and/or fishermen rowing out to the centre of the docks. Azura moved into the forest of houses with her companions followed. They kept moving for hours, receiving snooty looks from the people as they walked by. They must not have seen an elf or orc before. Probably not used to seeing us either, Azura thought to herself. They came to a clearing.
“Shall we take a break?” Azura asked Mochoppa.
“I iz needin’ a break!” Mochoppa said loudly. “I iz gonna play drums.”
Mochoppa moved over to a side of the square and sat down pulling out his two drums and beating them. Azura sat down by the fountain in the centre, Moonlight lying down by her feet. Azura pulled out a pack of Goodberries that she had made before they had left. The last of them. As she started to eat one she noticed a grubby little child peer into the ragged cloth in the palm of her hand. Azura waved at the half starved girl to come over, she ran across, Azura offered the berries in her hand to the girl. The girl looked at them, as if she had been told not to take from strangers, Azura smiled at the girl who smiled back and took one which quickly disappeared into the girls mouth as she snatched the rest of the berries and ran off. As Azura stood to give chase as hand tugged on her arm.
“Are you Azura? Azura Moon-and-Star?” Azura turned to see an aging halfling woman, “And is that Mochoppa Toothgrip?”
“Yes.” Azura gave the old halfling a cautious look, “why?”
“My mistress has sent me to give you these.” The halfling passed over two decorated pieces of parchment which Azura took graciously. By the time she had opened it the halfling had disappeared.
Azura quickly read the letter, picking out that it was an invitation to a Lavinia Vaunderboren’s estate to discuss a ‘business venture’ on Festival Street down Blue Skink Lane.
“Mochoppa, time to go.” Azura called as the orc growled while picking up his drums and slinging them over his shoulder.
As they arrived at the Vaunderboren manor Mochoppa hammered on the large iron door, the door opened to reveal again the old halfling.
“Hello, I believe we spoke before.” Azura said politely.
“Oh yes, Azura,” the small halfling looked up at the towering orc, “and Mochoppa. Come in Lavinia is expecting you.”
They followed the little aide to a large room filled with the Vaunderboren family portraits. Mochoppa looked around in awe at the splendor of the human architecture. Azura thought of it as intrusive and slightly on the large side. After a while and a lot of Mochoppa drumming, four battle hardened adventurers walked into the room. The first a male half-elf in leather armor and covered in daggers, a tan dwarf in green and brown robes carrying a curved spear in hand. They were also accompanied by a woman in a purple robe and a crescent moon tattoo on her right cheek and a handsome human man in shiny full plate armor and a long sword by his side and the old halfling following up behind. The four adventurers smirk at the two misfits, as the halfling showed the group out of the door.
“Who were they?” Azura asked.
“That is neither here nor there.” The small old woman spoke softly, “Now the others are waiting for you in the dining room.”
The mismatched pair moved through the room and the corridors behind the halfling who seemed quite at home in this place. After a few moments the pair were shown into a large dining room with a young priest of Pelor sat in one of the chairs. Azura and Mochoppa took seats next to one another and Moonlight sat between the two of them. Over time a human turned up with a short sword by his belt and in leather armor turned up and took a place at the table. As Azura looked around she noticed a large portrait of a short man with a beard, he had a mean look on his face an a crescent moon scar above his right eye. Over time another trio enter, a man in simple robes and a priest of Bahamut, with a rather shady man with a pair of short swords and wearing studded leather armor following the little old halfling.
"Anything else for anyone?" She asked as the three took their seats. Everyone stayed silent, the little halfling bowed to the group and then left through the large wooden doors behind her. Azura looked around to see a portrait of a young man with a short brown beard and a small crescent moon scar above his eyebrow, a family portrait of one of the Vaunderboren's. The group looked at one another, seeming to get scope of what each did. Azura managed to work out that the group, from left to right around the table, herself a druid, Mochoppa a barbarian, the cleric of Bahamut, the man in simple robes, the man in leather with the single short sword, Azura couldn't quite gather what he was, the priest of Pelor and finally there was the human in studded leather with two short swords and a javelin was clearly some form of thief, a rogue in other words.
Just as it seemed the Pelorian priest was about to ask the leather clad human what he did, the doors opened with the old halfling pushing them open for a a young human woman, into her twentieth years, in a long blue dress.
"Hello." She said smiling at the room politely
"Anything I can get you mistress?" The halfling asked politely bowing.
"No, that will be all Kora, you are dismissed." The woman spoke in the same polite tone, Kora bowed again and then scuttled out of the room.
"Hello." She repeated, "Thank you all for coming. Since my parents died I have found it hard. It seems that all I have been left is this house and well a large pile of debts. We do have a family vault in castle Teraknian, of which I hope that contents are enough to cover the amount owed."
Lavinia paused for a moment, clearly in distress of her predicament, Azura felt pity for the young human woman. "Now there is a problem with opening the family vault. It requires two rings, these rings have been handed down over generations, on was given to my mother by my father as a wedding ring and the other my father wore. The problem is that both rings are missing. My mothers was destroyed in the fire and I have asked a skilled blacksmith in Khauldren to make a new one, but my fathers has gone missing, upon the ship the Blue Nixie. This is the task I have asked you here for. It was impounded for me not being able to pay the debt on time by the harbor Master. He appointed a man called Vark to take care of the ship while impounded. I paid off the debt to him a few weeks back but he would not let my men back on the ship. I am not in a position to stand around idly and let a man like him walk all over me. Now you are here to get my money back and find out about my ship since you can speak Vark's language, if you catch my meaning. In return you shall each get 100 gold pieces for your efforts."
"So where is this ship of yours?" The robed man inquired.
"It is moored out in the harbor." Lavinia replied.
"To avoid mooring charges?" Asked the Pelorian cleric.
"I assume so." came the man in studded leather.
"I see. And what language are you referring to?" the robe man questioned.
"Bashin' stuffs!" yelled Mochoppa.
"Mochoppa, you are smarter than I thought from the rumors I've heard." Lavinia chuckled. Mochoppa looked confused, not sure as if to take it as an insult or complement.
"He is quite intelligent." Azura added, "Have you any spies on the ship that we should look out for?"
"None. I couldn't get anyone into his crew." Lavinia informed.
"Do you suspect the harbor Master of being a part of this?" asked the man in leather.
"No," Lavinia replied quickly "my father was a good friend to the harbor Master, he would not do anything like this to anyone. It's Vark and his crew."
The man in leather nodded. "Any other questions?" Lavinia asked politely "No? Well I have another meeting that I must be leaving for."
"Uh, before you leave, who were those in here before us?" asked the Pelorian cleric.
"Oh, those were the Jade Ravens, my fathers adventuring company. They are heading to Khauldren to collect my mothers ring." Lavinia said as she left the room towards the doors.
After she left the group sat around the table. It seemed an age as they sat there, no one moving.
"I'll break the ice then. The names Veit Turen, a local priest of Pelor living at the temple." came the cleric.
"I iz Mochoppa Toothgrip." Came the hulking orc, not to be out done.
"The names Gabriel, Gabriel Gray." The man in leather said as he bowed before everyone else.
"The names Endos Cotto." From the man in studded leather.
"Sigismund." The man in robes spoke softly.
"I am Fitz Mulawaganalisc. Cleric of Bahamut." From the cleric in scale mail.
"Azura, Azura Moon-and-Star in your tounges." Azura spoke in a mildly patronizing tone.
"Are we going to take this job then?" asked Gabriel. The humans all nodded, Mochoppa soon followed suit.
"I'm with him, if he wishes to do this then so will I." Azura was bored, she didn't care if she did the job or not, but the pay was good and Mochoppa wanted to do it so why not.
"So shall we carry on?" Veit asked politely. Azura stood up taking her equipment with her, a longbow and quiver, a club, a sling bag full of her gear and a club, and moved towards the door. Moonlight following. Veit and the others sped out quickly after.
"Thank you for the hospitality Kora. Hope to be seeing you again soon." Sigismund said as he left.
"See you soon Kora." Veit added.
The party moved around Sasserine looking for a tavern close to the water front for a few hours looking for a suitable price until Sigismund took a detour down to the waterfront. Night had fallen and the lamps had been lit, giving the water a pretty look to it as the light shone onto the water. Azura looked out across the water, with better sight in the dim light than the humans she could make out the letters on a ship in the middle of the harbor the words 'The Blue Nixie'. On it there were 4 life boats and too few lights for the crew to see the deck, Azura couldn't make out how many crew there were too many shadows to see.
"There she is." Pointed Veit.
"Well lets find somebody to get some information on it then." Endos suggested.
"I agree. The more we know the easier it will be to assault." Fitz added. As he moved over to a night watchman. Gabriel and Sigismund followed.
"Hello good sir, I don't suppose we could ask you a few questions?" Fitz questioned.
"Uh, depends on what." The guard replied wearily.
"Well, see that ship out there?" Sigismund asked.
"Yeah." came the wiley guard.
"How long has it been out there?" Sigismund following his first question.
"About a day." The guard said dismissively.
"How many is the crew?" Asked Gabriel.
"Dunno." And with that the guard got up, tired of being harrassed. "Now that's all, so I'll be going."
"How rude." Fitz scowled after the guard. After a moment they came back to the main group.
"So how're we getting over there?" Asked Veit.
"Borrow one along here?" Endos suggested.
"What!?" Veit clearly showing his Pelorian side, "We should hire it instead, especially since we're being paid for such actions."
"Fine, but where are we going to rent a boat at this time of night?" asked Sigismund.
"Follow me." Veit suggested as he led the party to a row boat rental place. The journey took a few minutes and afterwards consisted of Gabriel, Sigismund and Veit all bartering for a cheap boat. Once the price was decided Mochoppa and Fitz carried the oars down to the boat along the pier.
"Moonlight. Go and find a place to hide until I come back." Azura whispered to her companion in Elven.
"What was that you said?" Asked Veit.
"I was telling Moonlight to hide." Azura replied in a patronizing tone. The cleric seemed insulted but kept his peace as he clambered into the boat. Mochoppa and Fitz were the first in followed by Endos and Sigismund then Veit with Azura and Gabriel getting in last. Mochoppa seemed to enjoy the ease of rowing, it was easy for an orc of his capacities however Fitz seemed quite uncomfortable at trying to match the pace, it took for Sigismund to politely to point it out for Mochoppa to slow down. Fitz was quite grateful at the change of pace.
The water was quite calm due to the large wall protecting the harbor from the waves. The cool breeze occasionally made things difficult but the cloudless night made the trip simple. As they pulled up to the Blue Nixie Mochoppa and Fitz pulled in the oars.
"So how do we get up?" whispered Sigismund.
"Can anyone climb?" asked Gabriel.
"Mochoppa can." Azura said in a hushed tone.
"Now does anyone have any rope?" Gabriel again.
"I do." Fitz said as he rummaged around in his rucksack. He eventually pulled out a long hempen rope.
"Good. Now we need to tie it into knots." Gabriel ordered. Azura heard the scuffling of shoes as the guards walked around on deck.
"There are people moving around on deck." Azura whispered calmly to which the rest of the group all nodded as they all hurried to tie lots of knots in it. Once done Mochoppa grabbed the rope as he tied it around it around his wait and started to climb the slippery wall of the ship. About five foot up he slipped back down making a splooshing sound as he landed heavily in the boat and the others moved to stabilize the small row boat. Azura noticed on of the footsteps draw closer, but before she could warn the party there was a guard looking over the side of the trades ship.
"Who are you?" he spoke in an aggressive tone. Veit went to speak ...
"I am the harbor Master's Apprentice. I've been sent to pick up your payment for your mooring." Gabriel spoke clearly and confidently to the guard, he was very convincing.
"Uhh, hang on I'll go get the boss." the guard seemed confused but Azura could hear him move away from the side.
"That was lucky, now Mochoppa get up there." Gabriel again ordered. Mochoppa tied the rope to his falchion and with a mighty throw the blade caught ahold of something. Mochoppa tried the rope before climbing and quickly ascended to the top. Azura could hear the cutting of the rope from the weapon and then the orc looking overboard as he gestured for the next one to come up, Fitz grabbed the rope and started climbing.
"Oi!" Came a loud voice, "Who are you!?"
There was a ring of steel, Azura gathered that a sword of some kind had been drawn.
"Mochoppa!" She called in orcish, "Don't spill his guts!"
There was a human roar and thudding along the deck. There was another ring of steel as Mochoppa lifted his falchion and, from what Azura could see, he turned the blade sideways in his hand, something he normally didn't do with his weapon and he readied himself to swing the blade that way. Good boy, Azura thought. Fitz lept up over the railing to place himself on the deck and drew his heavy pick.
Azura noticed that Gabriel wasn't the strongest looking human. She gestured and murmured in Slyvan as she cast 'Guidance' and then touched the human. Gabriel looks at her with a bit of confused look and then started to climb the rope which he did aptly, he was about halfway up the rope when the crash of a door was heard and what sounded like another two guards. The first guard after closing the gap Azura could see a rapier thrust overboard, she was relieved not to hear an enraged orc cried in pain. Before the arm could retreat though she heard a roar of Mochoppa, the fire of rage within his eyes as he cleaving the first guard in two, the top half of the body falling overboard landing ten feet away from the boat. Veit and Endos laid across the boat, keeping it steady as best they can.
"We'll stay here you two go up." Veit cried nodding towards Azura and Sigismund.
Azura started to climb the rope but the boat shifted causing her to lose balance and slip over into the boat. Gabriel as he arrived on the deck started to gesture and speak in a language that Azura didn't understand, however once the spell was cast she understood it to be 'Hypnotism' but she could not make out the effects. Gabriel then moved out of sight, Azura couldn't hear where he went to as Fitz called "By the Blessing of Bahamut!" and then a scream of a guard. There was a scream of pain from Mochoppa but Azura couldn't make out anything of what had happened on deck, until a man dressed in leather and black dived off of the side of the deck and started to swim to shore. Another call of pain came from Fitz and a war cry from Mochoppa as the wet sound of a blade landing into a body.
Azura sensing the urgency of the battle on the deck got up and clambered up the rope, Sigismund following. Gabriel again started making his gestures in a different way taking longer this time <Sleep>. Fitz yelled "By the Power of Bahamut, I heal you!" and the following hand gestures Azura could tell that it was a more powerful version of 'Cure Light Wounds' <An empowered Cure Light Wounds, Divine Magicked> and touched Mochoppa as his wounds closed with a platinum light. On deck there were three men by a door heading down to the hold one in well made studded leather weilding an ornate rapier and the rest in normal studded leather with rapiers all swinging at the cleric fruitlessly. Mochoppa feeling renewed, charged into the man in studded leather but the man he sung over the head of him as he ducked.
Azura jumped onto deck removing her bow and moves back up deck to aim at the targets before her. Gabriel's spell putting to sleep the hypnotized guard and one that had just burst through the door as he moved up beside Azura while Fitz swung at the man in the studded leather, who Azura assumed it to be Vark, and missed him completely. Vark and the guard behind Mochoppa moved to surround him and both stabbed into his chest. Mochoppa spat up blood as they removed the rapiers. Mochoppa fell to the floor, bleeding. Sigismund jumped onto the ships railings and started to make movements and speak in the same language as Gabriel did. A green orb formed around his hand <Lesser Orb of Acid> and he threw it straight at Vark, he started to burn horribly as the acid burned his torso. Mochoppa's blood started to line the floor as he lay there bleeding.
Azura let her bowstring go as the arrow clipped Vark's shoulder causing a flesh wound. Vark cursing at her as she loaded another arrow. Gabriel started casting again holding out his hand towards Vark <Daze>. Vark seemed to have no ill effect. Fitz chased Vark and swung his heavy pick towards Vark's head, but Vark ducked as he lunged in return at Fitz glancing off of the light steel shield Fitz carried. Sigismund cast the same spell and threw it at Vark, missing this time and burning through the mast. Mochoppa continued to bleed out, his breaths strained.
Azura fired at the only remaining guard leaving Vark to Fitz, trying to avenge her comrade, her shot was a poor one though as it flew and stuck the stairs leading to the stern of the ship. Garbriel started casting the long spell again. Fitz swings at Vark who neatly dodges allowing the pick to hit the guard Azura aimed at. The guard stumbled as he lept overboard yelling "Burn em'! Burn em' all!" Mochoppa continued to bleed out. As Monkeys and parrots start screaming while Vark falls a sleep, with the end of Gabriel's gestures. Finally, a human woman screamed as a shrill keening crash is heard below deck. All fell quiet.
Fitz quickly leapt to heal the dying Mochoppa. Azura and Gabriel quickly went to tying the sleeping foes with Gabriel's rope. Azura looked through the grates to the hold noting a ten legged spider with a large black head and sticky pads on the tips of it's legs. A Raggadassa. Azura at once knew she could not allow this to reach the shore. There would be alot of killing before it could be stopped. Gabriel looked through too after seeing Azura's horror.
"What is it?" he asked as it went through the bodies, checking to see if they were alive.
"A Raggadassa." Azura replied in a determined tone. "It's a tropical killing machine. We cannot let it reach the shore. We have to kill it. It can swim."
Sigismund looked down the hatch. He saw the Raggadassa and gasped as it saw him. Sigismund quickly withdrew his head and moved back as the Raggadassa avoided the grates, dodging Azura's line of fire.
Azura moved back and started Summoning, something she had only done a couple of times before. <Summon Nature's Ally I>. Gabriel moved back to be next to the hulking orc. The Raggadassa appeared in the hatch and another orb of acid hit it in the head, it shook of the acid as it burned the exoskeleton around it. The Raggadassa lept at Mochoppa biting his neck. Azura could see the poison just seep out. Sturdy old orc, Azura thought to herself, until Mochoppa fell to the ground, a the clear poison seeping out of the wound first before the blood. The Raggadassa turned to Fitz. Fitz in response moved in to swing his pick aimlessly at it.
Azura finished conjuring the wolf as it appeared and bit the Raggadassa's leg and started tugging backwards to try to pull it over. Azura started to cast again knowing the wolf would disappear soon. Gabriel made some hand gestures to bring up an image of a halfling next to the Raggadassa <Silent Image> as he fled to stand beside Azura. Sigismund ran to hide behind the stern's mast. The Raggadassa tore at the wolf with it's pedipalp's both hitting it and then tearing at it with a bite. Fitz moved behind it and swung his pick at it again missing it...
Author's Comments
Well this was the first session. I apologize to Bob and the group for taking so long to post. This was a bit unfortunate for Mochoppa this week, he almost died twice and without Veit and Endos actually being there we could've made these fights a whole lot easier if they were. Hope you enjoyed and I'm trying to speed up the posting of the sessions.
