Eron pulls his bow and shoots the parrot

Attack 22 damage 8

Initiative:

• Eron:  16
• Parrot:  6

The parrot-familiar vanishes with a startled RAWK! a puff of magical feathers as the arrow strikes it.

(Arlynn also used Misty escape, but she would take a shortie and then cast detect thoughts again to make sure there is no sentient creatures skulking about the captured smuggler's ship :-) Otherwise she would suggest turning the ship over to the marines and return to Saltmarsh for some celebrations.)

Eron’s gonna stay with the Sea Ghost.  As it’s only a couple hours till day break and he will proposition to commandeer this vessel for privateer use and privilege.  “The bilge needs its ballast changed and the galley needs a chef, but overall this little pups got potential.  Let’s sail er back in style and collect, something tells me there’s gonna be a lot more questions.”

Arlynn breaks for an hour to refocus and recover her spells.  It is now one hour until dawn.  There isn't yet any hint of light on the horizon.

[Everyone may take a short rest, if they need it.  Please post any hit dice spent and the results.]

Casting Detect Thoughts again, she once again picks up the surface thoughts of an intelligent creature near the aft decks (same area as before).   The surface thoughts reveal fragments of the stowaway's mindset, tinged with desperation, resentment, and fatigue.  They come in vivid, fleeting flashes, like images painted in smoke:

• "Sneakin’ shadows, can’t stay out here forever. Them land-crawlers be sharp-eyed... sharper than they got any right to be."
• "That cursed breeze, blowin’ me off my feet. Bah, a real spell-slinger don’t get caught in a gale like that... stupid, stupid Punketah."
• "Feelin’ the grip slippin’... just need a minute. Curse these tiny fingers. Could use some rum... or a blasted miracle."
• "Parrot’s gone, can’t spy for me no more... They’re sniffin’ for me, I can feel it. S’pose they think I’ll just crawl into their nets, hah! Not likely. Not yet."
• "Tired. So tired. But vengeance be sweeter than sleep. Always is."

Fane doesn't need any HPs, so will spend her short rest attuning to the Black Pirate hat [assuming it needs attunement to figure out what it is].

[Is the taxidermized parrot in the vicinity that Arlynn is detecting the thoughts? If so Fane will direct her towards it.]

Once our short rest is done, Fane and Eron will investigate the locked chests, carefully...

• A locked wooden box carved of some sort of exotic hardwood.  Large and heavy.  (Guest Quarters)
  • Investigation: 25 (natural 20)
• A brass bound sea chest, locked; no key (Masters Cabin)
  • Investigation: 25 (natural 20) [NO JOKE!]

"I think we might have a stowaway of sorts, although this one decided to hang on to the aft." The blue-haired half-elf says with a soft laugh to her companions as she finishes her scan. "I believe the former wizard of this ship, Punketah, can be fished up now, but we should be careful, although he's most likely cold and exhausted he might still have some pesky tricks up his wet sleeve. The deceased, demised and departed parrot seems to have been his familiar by the way, a norweigan blue if I'm not mistaken."


(Using two dice to recover hp: 12)

Fane, as you examine the chests, you confirm that both are locked, but that the mechanisms don't look complex.  It should be easy enough to pick them, for someone with the right tools and knowledge.  

Of more concerns, however, is the hardwood box.  Concealed within the latch is a dart trap.  Someone would need to disarm this, or anyone attempting to pick the lock would be at risk of whatever poison the dart contains.  From your investigation, a skilled thief could likely disarm this trap as well, with the right tools.

Upon hearing that some of you were considering returning to shore (presumably via the jollyboat) and leaving the ship to the two marines, they grow uneasy.  They had assumed the three of you would be helping them bring the Sea Ghost back to Saltmarsh.  As it is, 5 hands will be pushing the limit of the bare minimum necessary for a vessel of this size.  If it is just the two marines, they two will need to leave the ship to go back to town and gather more hands.  They implore you all to wait with them for sunrise and they will give you instructions to help them bring the ship into port.

Arlynn would go to work with some slender tools that appears in her hands, carefully trying to open the chests first.

Chest 1: 10
Chest 2: 9

She then tries to disarm the vicious trap that Fane fortunately noticed in her examination.

Disarm: 16

Later, the blue-haired half-elf shrugs and nods, accepting to assist with bringing the Sea Ghost back to Saltmarsh at sunrise.
She does however insist on dealing with the swimming smuggler wizard as soon as possible.

Eron dives in and swims after Punketah, “Caster Punketah we sail at first light surrender and live.  Come aboard relay what you know of the Lizardfolk and matters will go better for you!”

persuasion 21

Fane watches Eron jump into the water.

"That's one way to do it I guess."

She will walk the edge of the ship shadowing where he is swimming, ready to give ranged support if necessary.

"Not much of a planner that one." The blue-haired half-elf says to Fane with a soft laugh as she joins the elven warrior mage by the railing, looking down to make sure the boys play nice together in the water below.

As Eron dives into the dark sea, he swims around the exterior of the ship until he reaches the port side of the aft decks.  There, clinging to the top of the anchor chain near the top of the ship with aching fingers and scrubby knees, is the halfling pirate deck wizard, blown off the ship hours ago by Arlynn.  Punketah stares, slack-jawed, as the human continues swimming in the ink-black sea and shouting for his surrender.  A chuckle bubbles up from his chest, and soon he’s laughing uncontrollably, shaking the chain as his mirth echoes into the night.

"You!  You jumped into the drink?  To find me?" he wheezes between bursts of laughter.  "You gave up the high ground—gave up your ship—just to come out here, with nothin’ but your two hands and a fool’s smile?"  He cackles louder, the chain trembling beneath him.  "By the salt and the spirits, you lot are crazier than I ever dreamed!  Oh, this is rich.  This is gold!"

Still laughing, Punketah wipes his face with a briny sleeve.  He shivers, though the warm night air suggests it must be exhaustion, not cold that shakes him.  "Alright, alright.  You win, you mad sea-dog.  I surrender, sure as waves rise and fall.  I can't see no wriggling out of this net, anyhow."

Before Eron can respond, Punketah grins and whispers a sharp incantation.  In a puff of mist, he vanishes from the chain, reappearing atop the aft deck of the ship.  He sprawls onto the planks, arms wide and head down in a theatrical gesture of submission.

"Ladies, and brigands," he calls out to the Fane, Arlynn and the two marines, his voice dripping with tired mirth.  "Punketah, the greatest wizard of these waters, humbly offers his terms.  A parley!  My freedom in exchange for... well, we’ll figure that out, aye?  I’m feeling generous tonight, and your sea-jester friend out there has chased away my blues!"

He raises his head slightly, peering at the party with gleaming eyes, his grin still firmly in place.  "But fair warning: you best hurry with your offers.  A mind like mine don’t sit idle long, and there’s no telling what I might think up next."

[Meanwhile... Eron please roll a D20.]

Eron rolled a 3

As Eron swims just off the port side of the ship, he senses more than sees something pass near him in the water.  

Up on the deck, one of the marines stands with Fane and Arlynn near the halfling, while the other lingers near the siderail, keeping an eye on Eron in the water.  He narrows his eyes and leans over with his lantern as if he sees something, scanning the surface of the water.  

"Our offer is this great Punketah. Surrender and live to see another day." The blue-haired half-elf says firmly and steps closer to relieve the halfling smuggler of any obvious arcane focus and then tying him up with her rope, ready to take him out forcefully if he resists. "Just to help you resist any urges to turn on us oh great wizard." She says with a smirk if and when the halfling is secured.

Intimidate if needed to make the hafling comply: 15

Yet unaware of the possible danger in the water, Arlynn keeps her focus on Punketah for now.

Eron heads straight for the anchor chain and climbs back up to the deck.

Initiative 15

Athletics 25

Fane will call to the marine, "Drop the ladder please so Eron can get back up, if you would be so kind."

She will hold her two short swords in her hand.

"While you may have been impressive to your former mates, everyone currently around you is skilled in the arcane. Surrender as she says."

(Another intimidation if Fane is considered providing a help action: 13 )

Eron stays steady as he goes no stranger to normal animals even aquatic animal behavior he doesn’t flounder or splash realizing there may be sharks about.

Animal handling 23