This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Let's try and see if we can't all come back from this trip? Torm watches over us all, I like to think he's smiling right now."
Utar takes a moment to fix his robes, then removes the pin taken from the fallen drow priestess, offering it out.
"I'd like to have something for each of you, but I don't. Neya, I think you could make some use of this."
Pausing at the boats, Utar spends a minute examining them. One is obviously damaged, but the other? Last place you want to find out you've a leak is halfway to your destination.
(OOC: So, we have the following final rolls for this group check: 12, 19, 21, 18, 12).
In response to Graxx's violent proposition, Neya prepares the group for a quiet approach to the large sailing ship in the distance. The monk does not bring out these tricks very often, and it takes some getting used to. Some party members take to it better than others.
Approaching the longboats first, Utar notices a mound of black, boiling goo inside the more damaged of the two vessels. Basing it on the grand fight in the village, the half-orc can safely assume they will get no help from the Creatures of the Wood this time around. Waving the issue away, Doozey signals for the party to jump on the second longboat, which seems to be in good enough shape after a quick group inspection. Graxx pushes it onto the water and into the night CRAP sails. While on the boat, the party makes sure to don some of the (additional) cloaks they collected throughout the night. They hope this ruse is as successful as the last one.
A couple of minutes worth of rowing pass and the longboat has now traveled a good two thirds of the way or so. So far, nothing seems to suggest that your presence has been revealed. Suddenly, the sea quiets down, and the storm abates. Above, the thin moon's light give you the most clear view you've had this entire night. The water is calm and the sky is clearing up fast, though the wind is still howling/screaming. Looming in front of you is a much larger sailing ship that you could have estimated from the landing. A makeshift wooden dragon skull serves as the ships figurehead. Right next to it, on its side, black paint spells out the words "THE THIRD DRACOLICH" in Draconic (I'll assume those who can understand it translate it to the others).
You are approaching the ship as intended. As best as you can tell, no one has noticed you despite Utar struggling to keep his balance on the boat and Graxx fumbling with his oar a couple of times. Just as you are about to make the preparations for the final approach, the longboat takes on a red cast...
You all look forward, trying to identify the source of this sudden red light. You notice that it is coming from the other side of the sailing ship that your are approaching, such that it is obscured by the vessel. A terrible tearing sound is heard, followed by a third and much louder blow of that same warhorn. A heavy mist rises from that point beyond the sailing ship. The wind carrying it picks up once more. It feels hot and stuffy despite you being out here in the water. The screams in the wind are deafening. Whatever this is, it is probably not good news.
Graxx pokes Doozey as the pair sees this strange occurrence as the distraction they needed to hurry towards the ship. As the longboat is brought to a stop next to the ship's port side, the halfling and human man can see a rope ladder leading onto the deck above. The clanging of metal on metal and the dying screams of the people above join the several other sensory stimuli you have been dealt during this approach.
Looking around for potential explanations, Neya and Utar notice that fire has now erupted from The Third Dracolich's other side, opposite from where the party approached. They notice that the ship now has a slight tilt to it, as if the fiery side was heavier. Before any plans for climbing up the ship can materialize, the monk and the cleric notice that Biscuit is staring at the distance, towards the mainland's shore. Neya and Utar look in that direction and find the beached shape of a familiar vessel. Warsh's raft is abandoned there, almost coming apart and sporting a few flames of its own. The light of the moon reveals a few bodies lying next to it. Whatever happened there was quick and recent.
Neya: The new tingling feeling on your hands (Insignia of Claws) make you want to test them out in battle, which can likely be found just beyond the sailing ship's rope ladder right behind you. Nonetheless, that scene at the distant beach is quite intriguing.
"Hn! Much appreciated, Mister Utar. If'n it weren't for the missing horses, I would be wish'n I'd life the overstuffed tough guy on land." He admits in a whisper, and following a quiet but morose chuckle pat Biscuit just behind the ear and adds something in Sylvan. The Tundra Bastiff perks up at the words, and move over beside Utar, seeming ready for an uncomfortable climb up. As the smallest, and thus least noticeable of the group, Doozey made his way forward as if intending to be the first up. But if either Neya or Graxx insist upon taking the lead, he only hesitated for a moment, then acquisce with a grim expression on his face.
"Second then, but not a one less." He would whisper then, and follow whoever goes first.
(@MB: Utar is concentrating on Protection from Evil and Good, so I'll assume that casting of guidance was accidental. Let me know if you indeed meant to switch over concentration).
Utar secures the boat and the ladder, inviting his compatriots to go up first. Graxx prevents Doozey from taking the lead and goes up the ladder ahead of anyone else. The halfling goes second, followed by Neya and then Utar carrying a huge dog with some difficulty.
-> Utar should roll an athletics check. (OOC: Ha! You beat me to it. Utar climbs with Biscuit successfully).
The cultist-robe-wearing quartet moves up the ladder but comes to a stop as soon as Graxx's head crests over the edge of the ship. The barbarian sees yet another battle scene in front of him. Kobolds and Kuo-toa disguised as undead battle another crew, a group of pale-skinned pirates. Graxx would probably describe them as humans who have drowned and are now bloated with gallons upon gallons of water inside their bodies. They stink badly too, and a cloud of grayish gas floats around each one of them. Their eyes are shut by strings of their own skin, and they fight with a combination of their crude blades and their own jagged teeth.
These bloated pirates are clearly following someone's orders, as everyone can hear a commanding female voice shouting from beyond the fire. Though Graxx cannot see the source of this voice, he can see where it is coming from. A second, glowing ship made of bones and issuing a baleful mist has crashed into The Third Dracolich. Both ships are on fire at the point of impact, and the cultists' ship is leaning that way clearly due to the force being exerted by the bone ship. It is safe to assume that this hellish ship''s bowsprit must be tangled in the rigging of the forecastle of the Cult's vessel, though the barbarian's viewing angle doesn't quite reveal that with certainty.
On the other side of this conflict, the Kobolds and and Kuo-toa seem to be taking their orders from the few human cultists left on the ship. In this messy scene, Graxx cannot easily identify any drow or Sky Pony tribesman. Nonetheless, it is quite clear who is giving the orders from the Cult of the Dragon's side. A tiefling woman of white skin and horns holds a thin blade and shouts orders to her sailing cultists, who respond to her by using either the name Ixasor the epithet "Wearer of Purple". Her eyes shine with arcane power.
Graxx relates the details to his companions on the ladder as best as he can. It is pretty obvious that there is plenty more to gather here, but the chaotic scene and the party's quiet approach make it hard for the group to digest all of it within just a few seconds of arriving.
(OOC: If jumping aboard, and in addition to whatever else you decide to do, please roll a deception group check. Everyone should also roll a perception check as you look onto the battle scene. There is no failing this perception check, but the roll will determine which additional detail you pick up as you look around.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
From the moment Graxx mentioned drowned bodies, Doozey eyes went wide as several other images flit through mind. During that time he is frozen stiff, and seeming unable to comprehend a word spoken by the others. Fortunately, whatever overcame the stoutling lasts for but a few short moments. After which time, a shaken but still determined stoutling finally pressed forward to the deck, and almost immediately went for weapon seeing the bloated men; the crossbow if not within spitting range of them, but the rapier if so.
"I... No... can... I cannae be down 'ere." He snaps the bow back down, rubbing the side of his forehead. "I... I'll head up fer the riggins, if'n I can. Biscuit. Stick by Utar. Keep'em safe." He quietly request prior to looking around.
Doozey's Perception: 12, if able to be helped by Biscuit 'subtly': 26. (Otherwise, 2nd roll can be biscuits. And just subtract 3 from the roll.)
Graxx: After relating what you can see to your companions, you turn to face the deck of the ship and finish climbing over the edge. The helm of The Third Dracolich is not very far from the point where you jumped, and as such, neither is Ixas. You approach her while wearing your robe and notice that she does not seem startled by it. The ruse seems to be working for now. She looks back at you for a moment and says: "You, Sky Pony. You made it back just in time for a good fight. Jump onto the lower deck and introduce them to your blade." After saying that, she does a double take while looking at your weapon. You remember that the two tribesmen you defeated in the village carried axes, and now realize that you are holding a very different weapon. Before Ixas can be further bothered by it, Utar's act catches her attention. In turn, you notice that she is holding her side. She is clearly hurt and weakened from the fight on her ship.
Doozey: You come aboard next and, after a brief moment of daydreaming, notice that the rest of the party has come up behind you. You then gives some commands to Biscuit and prepare to head to the lower deck of the ship, where the fight is happening (you are currently on the upper deck). Utar thinks quickly and, before the disguises are revealed, acts as if he is a cultist who has captured up. As he goes through the act, you take a good look at the bloated pirates below. Your hunter training tells you to focus on their scars first and they are quite telling. The tainted pirates bear the scars of torturous imprisonment, something you might understand more than a bit about. The flesh of one of the pirates’ arms is blackened as if by exposed to intense cold or frostbite. Another pirate bears the tell-tale marks of lightning damage. He smells faintly of ozone too. The leg of a third pirate is charred all the way to the bone. One of the arms of the fourth pirate has been completely melted away. The face and arm of a fifth pirate bears a number of greenish pustules that weep a sickly yellow fluid.
Utar: Your halfling companion doesn't respond immediately to your impromptu acting, and Biscuit is completely oblivious to it. The act works for no longer than 3 split seconds, but it catches Ixas' attention. Your hood is up but your face is still exposed, giving Ixas the chance to spot you as a half-orc fairly easily. She might not know the faces of her newest recruits in detail, but she remembers them well enough to know that none of them belong to a half-orc. She says so herself, aloud, while pointing her thin blade at you. All is not lost though. For one, she seems to be busy enough fighting the bloated pirates alongside her crew that she doesn't immediately spring up to confront you in battle. Also, because her attention has turned to you, she is no longer closely scrutinizing Graxx. It looks like she has at least given the Sky Pony the benefit of a doubt to prove that he is on her side. Finally, as soon as you released Biscuit from your grasp, the mastiff began sniffing the deck and scratching at it. He is certainly trying to tell you that there is something down there. In fact, now that you look down, You can see thin streaks of bright white light pouring through the gaps in the wood. You deduce you are just above the captain's quarters at the moment, given that the helm is right in front of you.
Neya: You step onto the deck and immediately hide behind a crate. On the plus side, you are fairly confident that no one saw you. On the minus/negative side (?), you can hear Utar and Doozey's little act crumbling just as soon as it started. Trusting that they will be able to take care of themselves for now, you take advantage of your hidden position to scan the battlefield and notice a few interesting things. First, you can get a better view of the bone ship from your vantage point. Carved in blood-red markings on its side, you see the name "AUDACITY". You also notice that the hellish ship is missing one of its own longboats. Second, you hear screams coming from below the lower deck (you are all on the upper deck currently). These are not the screams of battle but those of desperation. Third, the Cult's ship and its masts are awash with tangled rigging, all of which could be used to either hide or climb up easily. That said, the tilting deck will certainly make it hard to run around.
(OOC: The entire area is considered difficult terrain. If you want, each of you can roll a {DC 12} acrobatics check as part of your movement to be able to move about the ship. I summarize this mechanic in the spoiler box below.)
When moving around the tilted ship, you may choose to roll a {DC 12} acrobatics check:
Choose not to roll the check to begin with: you have to deal with difficult terrain normally for that round;
Roll and fail: you have to deal with difficult terrain normally for that round and you fall prone;
Roll and succeed: you ignore difficult terrain for the round;
If you have experience sailing (the Sailor background, for instance) this mechanic does not apply to you. It is safe to assume all the enemies here have enough sailing experience.
You all realize that this chaotic scene has afforded you some extra time. Nonetheless, with the ruse not starting so well (except for Graxx), the fight will certainly find its way to you sooner rather than later.
Utar pulls the hood of his robes forward over his face, obscuring his pallid skin and tries to sound more than a little hurt.
"What do you mean? I've been on the Third Dracolich for a while now. Vig's Dock, Aleston, all of it. I thought you'd know how hard it can be to be noticed for your work rather than..."
Utar waves at his face, now obscured, tusks still poking out from under his face.
"... Well, you know."
Deciding it best not to draw Lightbringer at this precise time, he darts his eyes for a fallen weapon, picking it up quickly.
"We can review my work once we're at sea. Want me to aid the Sky Pony below decks? Clear this scum out?"
Utar rolls his shoulders and gives the weapon a few practice swings as if impatient to get started and makes to head below decks.
"Let's try and see if we can't all come back from this trip? Torm watches over us all, I like to think he's smiling right now."
Utar takes a moment to fix his robes, then removes the pin taken from the fallen drow priestess, offering it out.
"I'd like to have something for each of you, but I don't. Neya, I think you could make some use of this."
Pausing at the boats, Utar spends a minute examining them. One is obviously damaged, but the other? Last place you want to find out you've a leak is halfway to your destination.
Investigation 6
Stealth 23
(OOC: So, we have the following final rolls for this group check: 12, 19, 21, 18, 12).
In response to Graxx's violent proposition, Neya prepares the group for a quiet approach to the large sailing ship in the distance. The monk does not bring out these tricks very often, and it takes some getting used to. Some party members take to it better than others.
Approaching the longboats first, Utar notices a mound of black, boiling goo inside the more damaged of the two vessels. Basing it on the grand fight in the village, the half-orc can safely assume they will get no help from the Creatures of the Wood this time around. Waving the issue away, Doozey signals for the party to jump on the second longboat, which seems to be in good enough shape after a quick group inspection. Graxx pushes it onto the water and into the night CRAP sails. While on the boat, the party makes sure to don some of the (additional) cloaks they collected throughout the night. They hope this ruse is as successful as the last one.
A couple of minutes worth of rowing pass and the longboat has now traveled a good two thirds of the way or so. So far, nothing seems to suggest that your presence has been revealed. Suddenly, the sea quiets down, and the storm abates. Above, the thin moon's light give you the most clear view you've had this entire night. The water is calm and the sky is clearing up fast, though the wind is still howling/screaming. Looming in front of you is a much larger sailing ship that you could have estimated from the landing. A makeshift wooden dragon skull serves as the ships figurehead. Right next to it, on its side, black paint spells out the words "THE THIRD DRACOLICH" in Draconic (I'll assume those who can understand it translate it to the others).
You are approaching the ship as intended. As best as you can tell, no one has noticed you despite Utar struggling to keep his balance on the boat and Graxx fumbling with his oar a couple of times. Just as you are about to make the preparations for the final approach, the longboat takes on a red cast...
-> Everyone should roll a perception check.
Perception 7
Doozey's Perception: 9. (If somehow Biscuit can quietly help in this event: 10)
(Otherwise, Biscuit knows to stay quiet in these sort of situations)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Thank you," Neya says as she accepts the pin. As she does, she feels a momentary tingling in her hands.
Perception: 22
Extended Signature
Perception: 14
You all look forward, trying to identify the source of this sudden red light. You notice that it is coming from the other side of the sailing ship that your are approaching, such that it is obscured by the vessel. A terrible tearing sound is heard, followed by a third and much louder blow of that same warhorn. A heavy mist rises from that point beyond the sailing ship. The wind carrying it picks up once more. It feels hot and stuffy despite you being out here in the water. The screams in the wind are deafening. Whatever this is, it is probably not good news.
Graxx pokes Doozey as the pair sees this strange occurrence as the distraction they needed to hurry towards the ship. As the longboat is brought to a stop next to the ship's port side, the halfling and human man can see a rope ladder leading onto the deck above. The clanging of metal on metal and the dying screams of the people above join the several other sensory stimuli you have been dealt during this approach.
Looking around for potential explanations, Neya and Utar notice that fire has now erupted from The Third Dracolich's other side, opposite from where the party approached. They notice that the ship now has a slight tilt to it, as if the fiery side was heavier. Before any plans for climbing up the ship can materialize, the monk and the cleric notice that Biscuit is staring at the distance, towards the mainland's shore. Neya and Utar look in that direction and find the beached shape of a familiar vessel. Warsh's raft is abandoned there, almost coming apart and sporting a few flames of its own. The light of the moon reveals a few bodies lying next to it. Whatever happened there was quick and recent.
Neya: The new tingling feeling on your hands (Insignia of Claws) make you want to test them out in battle, which can likely be found just beyond the sailing ship's rope ladder right behind you. Nonetheless, that scene at the distant beach is quite intriguing.
Utar reaches for the rope ladder, gently pulling the longboat towards the hull of the ship.
"Doubt this is supposed to be all tilted like this. Best make ready for a quick exit whatever we find up there."
Looking to Doozey, he adds,
"Want me to bring Biscuit up with me?"
Utar makes sure to wait to be last up the ladder, tying off the longboat with a length of rope to stop it drifting in the current.
As the first member of CRAP passes him to ascend the rope ladder, he touches his amulet, then their back, casting guidance.
"Hn! Much appreciated, Mister Utar. If'n it weren't for the missing horses, I would be wish'n I'd life the overstuffed tough guy on land." He admits in a whisper, and following a quiet but morose chuckle pat Biscuit just behind the ear and adds something in Sylvan. The Tundra Bastiff perks up at the words, and move over beside Utar, seeming ready for an uncomfortable climb up. As the smallest, and thus least noticeable of the group, Doozey made his way forward as if intending to be the first up. But if either Neya or Graxx insist upon taking the lead, he only hesitated for a moment, then acquisce with a grim expression on his face.
"Second then, but not a one less." He would whisper then, and follow whoever goes first.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Graxx puts his hand on Doozey's shoulder halting him from proceeding.
"My tribe is what's causing some of this destruction. It's only right for me to take the first blow to come. Strike true my friends."
Graxx gives a nod and then will be first to ascend the rope ladder.
"I suppose I go up third, then...?" Neya says. "Keep your wits about you. I'll be shocked if this ship caught on fire on its own."
Neya follows up the ladder.
Extended Signature
Athletics 19
(Imagine this is needed to climb a ladder with a dog... phew, rolled high.)
(@MB: Utar is concentrating on Protection from Evil and Good, so I'll assume that casting of guidance was accidental. Let me know if you indeed meant to switch over concentration).
Utar secures the boat and the ladder, inviting his compatriots to go up first. Graxx prevents Doozey from taking the lead and goes up the ladder ahead of anyone else. The halfling goes second, followed by Neya and then Utar carrying a huge dog with some difficulty.
-> Utar should roll an athletics check. (OOC: Ha! You beat me to it. Utar climbs with Biscuit successfully).
The cultist-robe-wearing quartet moves up the ladder but comes to a stop as soon as Graxx's head crests over the edge of the ship. The barbarian sees yet another battle scene in front of him. Kobolds and Kuo-toa disguised as undead battle another crew, a group of pale-skinned pirates. Graxx would probably describe them as humans who have drowned and are now bloated with gallons upon gallons of water inside their bodies. They stink badly too, and a cloud of grayish gas floats around each one of them. Their eyes are shut by strings of their own skin, and they fight with a combination of their crude blades and their own jagged teeth.
These bloated pirates are clearly following someone's orders, as everyone can hear a commanding female voice shouting from beyond the fire. Though Graxx cannot see the source of this voice, he can see where it is coming from. A second, glowing ship made of bones and issuing a baleful mist has crashed into The Third Dracolich. Both ships are on fire at the point of impact, and the cultists' ship is leaning that way clearly due to the force being exerted by the bone ship. It is safe to assume that this hellish ship''s bowsprit must be tangled in the rigging of the forecastle of the Cult's vessel, though the barbarian's viewing angle doesn't quite reveal that with certainty.
On the other side of this conflict, the Kobolds and and Kuo-toa seem to be taking their orders from the few human cultists left on the ship. In this messy scene, Graxx cannot easily identify any drow or Sky Pony tribesman. Nonetheless, it is quite clear who is giving the orders from the Cult of the Dragon's side. A tiefling woman of white skin and horns holds a thin blade and shouts orders to her sailing cultists, who respond to her by using either the name Ixas or the epithet "Wearer of Purple". Her eyes shine with arcane power.
Graxx relates the details to his companions on the ladder as best as he can. It is pretty obvious that there is plenty more to gather here, but the chaotic scene and the party's quiet approach make it hard for the group to digest all of it within just a few seconds of arriving.
(OOC: If jumping aboard, and in addition to whatever else you decide to do, please roll a deception group check. Everyone should also roll a perception check as you look onto the battle scene. There is no failing this perception check, but the roll will determine which additional detail you pick up as you look around.)
(OOC Oof! Good catch, sorry Graxx, no d4 bonus for you...)
Perception 11
Deception 13
From the moment Graxx mentioned drowned bodies, Doozey eyes went wide as several other images flit through mind. During that time he is frozen stiff, and seeming unable to comprehend a word spoken by the others. Fortunately, whatever overcame the stoutling lasts for but a few short moments. After which time, a shaken but still determined stoutling finally pressed forward to the deck, and almost immediately went for weapon seeing the bloated men; the crossbow if not within spitting range of them, but the rapier if so.
"I... No... can... I cannae be down 'ere." He snaps the bow back down, rubbing the side of his forehead. "I... I'll head up fer the riggins, if'n I can. Biscuit. Stick by Utar. Keep'em safe." He quietly request prior to looking around.
Doozey's Perception: 12, if able to be helped by Biscuit 'subtly': 26.
(Otherwise, 2nd roll can be biscuits. And just subtract 3 from the roll.)
Doozey's Deception: 12.
Biscuit's Deception: 9(if needed).
(If otherwise able to use the chaos and other nearby objects to avoid notice, add +12 instead to the roll).
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Utar nods solemnly at the last part of Doozey's order, not sure if it's meant for him or Biscuit... Or both.
Remembering that he's supposed to be playing cultist and hoping that he can pull off the same trick twice, Utar yells,
"Who searched that halfling?! He must have had a knife to cut himself free! Don't just stand around scratching your arses, do something!"
Neya is now wondering how this ship-to-ship collision happened and how this possibly-undead and fake undead fight broke out.
Stealth: 7 (+7 to roll, +10 more if Pass without Trace is still active)
Perception: 20
Extended Signature
Graxx slowly begins to walk toward the strangely attractive wearer of the purple. Stopping halfway between the group and the wearer of the Purple.
"Wizard..." Graxx thinks in his mind.
Deception: 13
Perception: 20
Graxx: After relating what you can see to your companions, you turn to face the deck of the ship and finish climbing over the edge. The helm of The Third Dracolich is not very far from the point where you jumped, and as such, neither is Ixas. You approach her while wearing your robe and notice that she does not seem startled by it. The ruse seems to be working for now. She looks back at you for a moment and says: "You, Sky Pony. You made it back just in time for a good fight. Jump onto the lower deck and introduce them to your blade." After saying that, she does a double take while looking at your weapon. You remember that the two tribesmen you defeated in the village carried axes, and now realize that you are holding a very different weapon. Before Ixas can be further bothered by it, Utar's act catches her attention. In turn, you notice that she is holding her side. She is clearly hurt and weakened from the fight on her ship.
Doozey: You come aboard next and, after a brief moment of daydreaming, notice that the rest of the party has come up behind you. You then gives some commands to Biscuit and prepare to head to the lower deck of the ship, where the fight is happening (you are currently on the upper deck). Utar thinks quickly and, before the disguises are revealed, acts as if he is a cultist who has captured up. As he goes through the act, you take a good look at the bloated pirates below. Your hunter training tells you to focus on their scars first and they are quite telling. The tainted pirates bear the scars of torturous imprisonment, something you might understand more than a bit about. The flesh of one of the pirates’ arms is blackened as if by exposed to intense cold or frostbite. Another pirate bears the tell-tale marks of lightning damage. He smells faintly of ozone too. The leg of a third pirate is charred all the way to the bone. One of the arms of the fourth pirate has been completely melted away. The face and arm of a fifth pirate bears a number of greenish pustules that weep a sickly yellow fluid.
Utar: Your halfling companion doesn't respond immediately to your impromptu acting, and Biscuit is completely oblivious to it. The act works for no longer than 3 split seconds, but it catches Ixas' attention. Your hood is up but your face is still exposed, giving Ixas the chance to spot you as a half-orc fairly easily. She might not know the faces of her newest recruits in detail, but she remembers them well enough to know that none of them belong to a half-orc. She says so herself, aloud, while pointing her thin blade at you. All is not lost though. For one, she seems to be busy enough fighting the bloated pirates alongside her crew that she doesn't immediately spring up to confront you in battle. Also, because her attention has turned to you, she is no longer closely scrutinizing Graxx. It looks like she has at least given the Sky Pony the benefit of a doubt to prove that he is on her side. Finally, as soon as you released Biscuit from your grasp, the mastiff began sniffing the deck and scratching at it. He is certainly trying to tell you that there is something down there. In fact, now that you look down, You can see thin streaks of bright white light pouring through the gaps in the wood. You deduce you are just above the captain's quarters at the moment, given that the helm is right in front of you.
Neya: You step onto the deck and immediately hide behind a crate. On the plus side, you are fairly confident that no one saw you. On the minus/negative side (?), you can hear Utar and Doozey's little act crumbling just as soon as it started. Trusting that they will be able to take care of themselves for now, you take advantage of your hidden position to scan the battlefield and notice a few interesting things. First, you can get a better view of the bone ship from your vantage point. Carved in blood-red markings on its side, you see the name "AUDACITY". You also notice that the hellish ship is missing one of its own longboats. Second, you hear screams coming from below the lower deck (you are all on the upper deck currently). These are not the screams of battle but those of desperation. Third, the Cult's ship and its masts are awash with tangled rigging, all of which could be used to either hide or climb up easily. That said, the tilting deck will certainly make it hard to run around.
(OOC: The entire area is considered difficult terrain. If you want, each of you can roll a {DC 12} acrobatics check as part of your movement to be able to move about the ship. I summarize this mechanic in the spoiler box below.)
When moving around the tilted ship, you may choose to roll a {DC 12} acrobatics check:
You all realize that this chaotic scene has afforded you some extra time. Nonetheless, with the ruse not starting so well (except for Graxx), the fight will certainly find its way to you sooner rather than later.
Deception 16
Utar pulls the hood of his robes forward over his face, obscuring his pallid skin and tries to sound more than a little hurt.
"What do you mean? I've been on the Third Dracolich for a while now. Vig's Dock, Aleston, all of it. I thought you'd know how hard it can be to be noticed for your work rather than..."
Utar waves at his face, now obscured, tusks still poking out from under his face.
"... Well, you know."
Deciding it best not to draw Lightbringer at this precise time, he darts his eyes for a fallen weapon, picking it up quickly.
"We can review my work once we're at sea. Want me to aid the Sky Pony below decks? Clear this scum out?"
Utar rolls his shoulders and gives the weapon a few practice swings as if impatient to get started and makes to head below decks.
Acrobatics 17