Youth Meet 17, Adv 2, 7/6/18

The fight on the Sea Ghost continued to rage on throughout this meeting, with most of the smugglers coming up top to trade blows with the group – we had some serious fighting back and forth, healing was dispensed, and some deaths. But the combat SEEMS to be over for now and the party was about to give the Ghost a once over to look for treasure and answers as to what’s going on at Dunwater.

Write up follows:

Valerie charged over to Veldryn and her skeleton who was barely held together after getting a nasty bashing from the lizardman there. Shield out, the Half-orcish druid tried to intersperse herself in the fight. Ned was hoisted to his feet, the assassin downing a fast healing potion and then growling, took out a poniard and dipped it liberally in poison. He glanced up the main mast and giving Darveig a nod, hoisted himself up the guide ropes and began to climb.

The Captain and his aide tore into the crocodile, blades slashing and dancing around the beast, hacking its thick hide but failing to drop it. Then the ship’s Bosun came out with a messenger bag around his neck looking wildly about. The Captain shouted, “HERE!” and the Bosun tossed him a glass vial which he upended and drank – healing his wounds! Bloody Bjorn did the same with a tossed vial his way and the wizard was thrown one, drinking it down and now pissed off as he stood up and snarled at Talion. From behind him a small dragon like figure emerged and swarmed towards Deja and the ranger – getting close enough to have the figure slash down and try to poison the two of them with the venomous stinger on its tail!

Bloody smashed Will Stoutly again, doing terrible damage to the sailor who was barely hanging on at this point. The battle was all over the place and finally the ship’s wizard fired another two magic missiles at Talion, the chaotic bolts ripping into the Ranger’s chest.

Veldryn hid behind Valerie and her skeleton who were working tag team against the lizardman, the necromancer needing to get the Bosun out of the fight. She called upon Hel and hit the smuggler with a black bolt – and he froze in place, Held by the powerful magics! Arrows were shot and Deja pegged the mage once and then critically hit the pseudo-dragon in the chest as it tried to wing away, flipping over and falling into the sea.

Magnus laid hands on Will, pouring all of Tyr’s healing into the sailor and straightening him up. Firing some scornful remarks at Bloody Bjorn, Will hacked at the First Mate with his broadsword, driving the man back to the deck wall. Darveig sported Will and the two of them held Bloody at bay, barely for now. The lone lizardman then collapsed to Valerie and the skeleton’s assault – just in time for the next two lizardmen to hit the stairs from the lower deck and charge up the steps. Val used her prodigious strength the smash the door closed and brace it with her shield and shoulder as the two scaled foes on the other side tried to batter it down.

The ship’s wizard shot a Gust of Wind spell at Deja, trying to blow the Halfling off the ship but she was gripping the capstan tight and refused to let go. More arrows followed and the wizard went down again...this time for the last time! The crocodile disappeared and before the Captain could hit Veldryn, Valerie leaned away from the door she was bracing and called out again – this time Frey dropping a Dire Badger onto the deck who ripped Captain Siggurd’s midsection open.

Talion and Deja were pissing arrows at this point, both of them running with near empty quivers as they shot indiscriminately into the battle at any target that was available. By now, Ned had reached the cross beam on the mast, ran across it, hit a rope and jumped, spiraling down, falling on Bloody Bjorn with a surprise backstab with his poisoned blade and dropped the giant of a man to the deck, killing him. Hurt and tired, Ned looked over at Will, Darveig, and Magnus and said, “I’m done, you guys hit the rest.”

The lone smuggler that was supporting Bloody tried to take Ned out but Darveig and Magnus turned their attention to him. As for the lizardmen, one of them had run DOWN into the hold and we heard running across the bottom of the ship, while the other had burst the door open and engaged Valerie there – the two of them shoving and pushing back and forth.

So – we had the Captain and a smuggler fighting the Dire Badger, the Bosun held in place, another smuggler fighting Darveig, Will and Magnus, a lizardman struggling with Valerie at the top of the stairs, Veldryn and the skeleton catching their breath and going to help Valerie, Talion and Deja on the Forecastle Deck with bows observing and shooting with a handful of arrows left between them, and another lizardman running across the bottom of the ship to most likely climb the stairs to the main deck from the Poop deck.

The Captain and his minion tore the Dire Badger apart in short order, dispelling the beast, and then moved to engage Veldryn. Before he could get there, the opposite door opened up and the lizardman there emerged, shooting Will Stoutly in the chest and the veteran seaman stumbled backwards and collapsed off the ship – dead. An exchange of arrows follows along with Veldryn trying to Command the captain (and failing) and after swords and axes and everything else flew…

Valerie had managed to shove the lizardman back into the hold and slam the door closed, the Captain hacked at Magnus, dropping the paladin, the smuggler tore into Darveig, slaying the young squire, and hit points were dropping like mad everywhere. The lizardman with the bow was killed and one of the lone smuggler’s was killed.

The Captain Siggurd and his smuggler companion jumped off the ship and tried to make it to the jolly boat while the group ran to heal Magnus and Darveig – saving one but failing to help the other as we had NO healing left – not even the paladin lay on hands. Darveig died in Magnus’ arms, whispering it was worth it and then left – dying in battle and we assume on his way to Valhalla.

We shot at the Captain who was knocking on the side of the boat while the lizardman down there was trying to pass a healing potion to him – but a final arrow last shot from Talion over the side of the Sea Ghost hit the Captain in the chest and the last 2 hit points withered away – and he sank at long last…dead!

Ordering the last smuggler back onto the boat we had three now with us: the smuggler, the Bosun, and the last lizardman. We dragged everyone to the Main Deck, spent some time tying them up, and then dispensed the Bosun’s sack of healing poitons he had (5 remaining) to the group. A few cure minor’s went out but the party was pretty beat up.

We questioned the three extensively for a time, made sure they were bound up tight, and then Deja, Talion, and Veldryn went to start looking over the ship – hitting the first room under the Forecastle which seemed to be the lizardman’s cabin. There were a few things in there but a locked wooden chest was the most appealing. Deja was sure it was locked and trapped and we went out to the lizardman to get the key from his waist. With careful fingers he turned it and unlocked the chest, hand rest on top as he tilted to cover back to peer inside.