Knightfall
World of Kulan DM
The Black Death:
It appeared out of nowhere — a black-hulled ship with red sails and a pirate flag. Its sudden, unnatural arrival was accompanied by churning waters and dark, foreboding clouds. Worse, it's speed was more than a match for the Ishtar. From the moment the call came out from the crow's nest to the crews reaction was less time than the pirate ship took to close the distance. The storm appeared to be powering its sails but not the Ishtar's.
As the vessel neared, its name became clear not from the depictions of death and woe on the ship's hull or its skeletal masthead but from the chant rising from its decks.
Black Death! Black Death! Black Death!
“Gods help us,” a crewman spoke next to Bactra.
“I wouldn't count on it!” Dabuk grabbed a hold of one man after another and tried to shake them from their fearful stupor. “Get you minds out of your bellies! I need archers! Here! And there!”
“You heard the man!” Salisan's bellow roared over the chanting coming from the other ship. “Prepare to repel boarders!”
The chanting paused. There was silence and then came the rain. Lightning flashed and thunder cracked. Arrows came through the air falling to the deck alongside half-frozen raindrops. Many of the piercers carried fire with them.
Men cried out; those that did not fall took cover wherever they could. A roar came from the other ship. Voices. A ball of fire streaked out from a forward catapult. Its aim wasn't true. It hit the water.
Dabuk ordered the sailors to return fire. Dozens of bows twanged. While most only hit wood and wave, a few found flesh a bone. One pirate fell overboard as the Black Death came alongside. Hooks carrying ropes flew through the air catching wooden railings and tearing into sails. A few ripped into men.
Salisan ordered his men forward to cut ropes and stand at the ready. The bulk of the pirates came across jury-rigged planks, swords drawn. Others tried to swing across the gaps. Steel met steel and the decks of the Ishtar ran red with blood.
The heroes stand side by side with the sailors and for every man lost, two pirates fall. Yet, the odds are still on the side of the pirates. Salisan's strength helps even the odds but just barely.
Then a fireball goes off on deck. It incinerates sailor and pirate alike. At its center stood Salisan's first mate. He is turned to burning ash.
“Calbrunnor!” Salisan yells.
The heroes seek the source of the magic. They do not have to look long. On the sterncastle of the pirate ship is a foe they have faced once before. An evil enigma who nearly destroyed hope in Onaway.
“The Foulsoul! How'd that damn witch find us?” Dabuk hated her almost as much as he hated ogres. She'd led the ogre war bands against the Tangled City. And she had been the driving force that had almost corrupted his sister into a unliving monster.
“She must not escape again.” Crystal spoke the words that he'd been thinking. They had been standing back to back with Mesik hovering nearby covering Dabuk's sister.
“Agreed.”
They kept one eye on her as they fought for their lives. She was laughing maniacally. She held up a totem skull that nether of them recognized from their numerous encounters with her. But Crystal quickly guessed its purpose.
“Hells! She'd going to animated those that have fallen. We have to get that out of her hands.”
“Archers! Kill that witch!” Dabuk's command was barely audible over the clash of swords and cries of pain. Half a dozen bowstrings took aim and fired. None hit the necromancer. Another volley came closer but only killed a few nearby pirates.
“I doubt that will work!” Crystal yelled. “She'll have protections. We need to get to her.”
“Teleport?” Mesik asked.
“Not in this chaos!”
The witch finished her incantation and the dead began to rise.
“Kill them all, my lovelies!” Elyiniia screamed.
The undead began killing sailor and pirate alike. The pirates hadn't expected such a betrayal and many of them fell; but they would quickly arise again.
“This is completely insane!” Mesik yelled.
And then it got much worse.
“Merrow!” A scream pierced the roar of battle.
* * *
It appeared out of nowhere — a black-hulled ship with red sails and a pirate flag. Its sudden, unnatural arrival was accompanied by churning waters and dark, foreboding clouds. Worse, it's speed was more than a match for the Ishtar. From the moment the call came out from the crow's nest to the crews reaction was less time than the pirate ship took to close the distance. The storm appeared to be powering its sails but not the Ishtar's.
As the vessel neared, its name became clear not from the depictions of death and woe on the ship's hull or its skeletal masthead but from the chant rising from its decks.
Black Death! Black Death! Black Death!
“Gods help us,” a crewman spoke next to Bactra.
“I wouldn't count on it!” Dabuk grabbed a hold of one man after another and tried to shake them from their fearful stupor. “Get you minds out of your bellies! I need archers! Here! And there!”
“You heard the man!” Salisan's bellow roared over the chanting coming from the other ship. “Prepare to repel boarders!”
The chanting paused. There was silence and then came the rain. Lightning flashed and thunder cracked. Arrows came through the air falling to the deck alongside half-frozen raindrops. Many of the piercers carried fire with them.
Men cried out; those that did not fall took cover wherever they could. A roar came from the other ship. Voices. A ball of fire streaked out from a forward catapult. Its aim wasn't true. It hit the water.
Dabuk ordered the sailors to return fire. Dozens of bows twanged. While most only hit wood and wave, a few found flesh a bone. One pirate fell overboard as the Black Death came alongside. Hooks carrying ropes flew through the air catching wooden railings and tearing into sails. A few ripped into men.
Salisan ordered his men forward to cut ropes and stand at the ready. The bulk of the pirates came across jury-rigged planks, swords drawn. Others tried to swing across the gaps. Steel met steel and the decks of the Ishtar ran red with blood.
The heroes stand side by side with the sailors and for every man lost, two pirates fall. Yet, the odds are still on the side of the pirates. Salisan's strength helps even the odds but just barely.
Then a fireball goes off on deck. It incinerates sailor and pirate alike. At its center stood Salisan's first mate. He is turned to burning ash.
“Calbrunnor!” Salisan yells.
The heroes seek the source of the magic. They do not have to look long. On the sterncastle of the pirate ship is a foe they have faced once before. An evil enigma who nearly destroyed hope in Onaway.
“The Foulsoul! How'd that damn witch find us?” Dabuk hated her almost as much as he hated ogres. She'd led the ogre war bands against the Tangled City. And she had been the driving force that had almost corrupted his sister into a unliving monster.
“She must not escape again.” Crystal spoke the words that he'd been thinking. They had been standing back to back with Mesik hovering nearby covering Dabuk's sister.
“Agreed.”
They kept one eye on her as they fought for their lives. She was laughing maniacally. She held up a totem skull that nether of them recognized from their numerous encounters with her. But Crystal quickly guessed its purpose.
“Hells! She'd going to animated those that have fallen. We have to get that out of her hands.”
“Archers! Kill that witch!” Dabuk's command was barely audible over the clash of swords and cries of pain. Half a dozen bowstrings took aim and fired. None hit the necromancer. Another volley came closer but only killed a few nearby pirates.
“I doubt that will work!” Crystal yelled. “She'll have protections. We need to get to her.”
“Teleport?” Mesik asked.
“Not in this chaos!”
The witch finished her incantation and the dead began to rise.
“Kill them all, my lovelies!” Elyiniia screamed.
The undead began killing sailor and pirate alike. The pirates hadn't expected such a betrayal and many of them fell; but they would quickly arise again.
“This is completely insane!” Mesik yelled.
And then it got much worse.
“Merrow!” A scream pierced the roar of battle.
* * *
