"Looks like your witch has abandoned you bandit." Aubrey calls out, panting, still in pain from his wounds, gritting his teeth. "And I believe you have very much overstayed your welcome on this ship." The young noble continues, unleashing a beam of golden crackling energy towards the wretched bandit.

Eldritch Blast: 12  Force: 12

With another flick of his hand the young noble then uses the eldritch power of his talisman to push the bandit leader off the ship and into the Breitwasser.

Telekinetic Shove on bandit leader, str save 14 or be pushed 5 feet away from Aubrey, and hopefully into the Breitwasser.

(In case the eldritch blast drops the bandit leader, Aubrey would turn to push the thug on the gang plank into the water, in both cases moving as necessry.)

Aubrey's Eldritch Blast catches a bit of the Bandit Leader's shoulder pauldron and ricochets up into the sky without harming him.  The man bellows in rage as he resists Aubrey's telekinetic shove. You cannot budge him, despite pushing all the power you can muster through your amulet. 

But then... he relents.  Defeat, even shame in his eyes, he goes limp and Aubrey's push sends him off the side of the ship and into the water.

Grugga rushes over to the burly cook and applies his healing himself. He grinds up a familiar purple crystal and forces Mr. Howie to breathe in the dust.

Cure Wounds: 8 healing (rolled in game log).

He looks around seeing one last bandit standing on the gangplank. He whistle for Zip to blast a warning shot ((purposely missing)) near the bandit's head and yells "Time to leave while you still have your head!"

Leelan watches the leader get sent overboard. Before running over to his companion. He quickly determines who requires the most medical attention and notices that Aubrey seems to have had better days. He hastily provides a bit of healing magic to the noble.

Cure wound: 9

Considering the situation, he says to his companions, "Perhaps it would be wise to capture the leader while we still can. He could tell us about his associates, and whether we’re still at risk of running into them again."

As Grugga and Leelan apply healing to the cook and Aubrey, the foes break rank and scatter.

• The last Thug on the gangplank dashes back to shore, and South along the bank past the Warlock's empty rock.
• The severely wounded Thug from the gangplank starts to drown.
• The whip-blinded Thug staggers north from Raqisat.  
• The still able-bodied Thug near Raqisat disengages and runs East.

If you want to continue pressing the fight, we can continue...

1. Cosette/Raqisat
2. Bandit Leader
3. Aubrey
4. Grugga 
5. Boat Thugs
6. Leelan
7. Sniper Thugs
8. Rohuzar 

Rohuzar drops his axe on the deck and dives in after the leader to attempt a grapple.

If it matters, Expeditious Retreat is still up

Athletics 11 

The Bandit Leader appeared to be planning to swim away, but Rohuzar drops on him from above and locks him up in a bearhug.

[He cannot beat that.]

He doesn't stop resisting, but he cannot escape.  Neither man can swim adequately while grappling, and they start to sink beneath the surface while they struggle.  [Both can hold their breath for at least several minutes, so drowning isn't an issue, yet.]

It is with great satisfaction Aubrey sees the bandit leader leave the deck of the Golden Empress and the rest of the bandits turn and run. "Thanks Leelan, that feels much better now." He says, looking down at the gnome beside him with a grateful smile as the deep stabbing wounds to his back are mostly healed by the scholar's magic. "And yes, a prisoner, excellent idea." He adds with a nod. As Rohuzar dives after the bandit leader, Aubrey hurries up to the railing, looking down as the orc has a good firm hold on the bandit leader. Realizing Rohuzar might have a hard time bringing him ashore, Aubrey uses the powers of his talisman to help him there.

Telekinetic Shove on Rohuzar to move him ashore, save can be voluntarily failed :-)

Rohuzar will let that life-line do its work! 

This telekinesis thing is bawler

     Raqisat will take the attack of opportunity on the bandit fleeing North.  He believes in not leaving foes alive, but not so much he feels like running after them.  So After the one attack he will wander over to Cosette see if she wants to greet our new friends.

Opportunity Attack: 18 Damage: 8

.

Cocking her reloaded crossbow, Cosette stares down her sight at the able bodied bandit fleeing to the East. “Know this! You’ve been spared by Shadowjaw!” She calls out after him then quickly shifts to fire off a shot towards the north fleeing bandit. Whether she drops him or not, let it be a warning to the survivor(s) that they were not pursued.

Attack: 25 Damage: 15 

Cos then rests her weapon on her shoulder and looks over to Raq who’s joined her. “After almost losing my fun weekend nights,” She wiggles her thumb she almost lost in her excitement to pick off the vanishing woman, “I’d hate to miss my boat.” She’d wink. Then with a bit of a skip, and a heavy sway in her hips, Cosette leads the way, striding off towards the ship.

[Edit: When you shout your own characters name wrong… correcting Blackjaw to Shadowjaw. And in case DDB decides to say I manipulated, I’ll record the roll below.]

Grugga helps Mr. Howie up and checks on his allies. He peers overboard and watches Rohuzar and the bandit leader being dredged up from the river in 5 ft increments like a strange squid.

He leans over the railing and wipes sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm. As the whipmaster and the crossbowwoman approach the ship he waves at them and yells out, "Hello! Thanks for the help back there. Do you know these people?" He points to the bandit leader being hauled up by Rohuzar.

     “There’s other ways to have fun,” Raqisat points out even as Cosette is already practically skipping off to the boat.  He gathers his whips back up but does not put them away yet.  These are strangers.  Just because they were attacked doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous..,

     “Your boat?” He asks, humor in his voice.  “Shouldn’t you at least cheat them out of it honestly first?”  He scrambles over rocks and stays just a step or two away from her, wanting area to move in case more hostilities break out.

     “Know them?  No. Not at all,” Raqisat calls back as they approach.  “Know their sort… Likely members of the Burned Knights.  Thieves and ruffians with delusions of grandeur.  They’re lousy all around the outskirts, preying on any they outnumber or who look like easy pickings…”  Raqisat holds his tongue about his thoughts on their latest selection of target haven’t quite having made up his mind.

     “Fancy raft you’ve got there.  Passing by and strayed too close, I presume?”

While making sure Rohuzar reaches shore safely, Aubrey too turns his attention to their two unexpected allies. The two newcomers see a young good-looking well-dressed man approaching them with relaxed yet determined steps down the sturdy gang plank of the Golden Empress. He's wearing a grey trimmed blood red coat over a white shirt. His hair is dark brown and he sports a short well-trimmed beard. He has amber eyes and golden hued skin. He is wearing a golden signet ring on his left hand and is wearing a medallion of some sort in a golden chain. 

"Greetings travellers, and as my esteemed collegue just expressed we are very grateful for your intervention on our part. We would need to sort out with this gentleman being collected out of the Breitwasser howcome he and his associates thought it would be a good idea to try to claim the Golden Empress as their own, but then we would like to have you stay for lunch and discuss a suitable reward for your decisive action on the battlefield." He says with a polite smile while gauging the newcomers. "My name is Aubrey Goldentide and I would like you to be our guests at the Golden Empress." He says, with a bow, allowing the intriguing couple to walk up the gang plank.

"This fancy raft is the first of it's kind and will traverse the Breitwasser with speed and comfort if you'd care to stay with us for a while. We're journeying south to Amnifortis for some excursions into the ruins." He turns and politely explains to mysterious man with the whips.

[OK.  Here is how the combat resolved.  While he was grappled, the Bandit Leader was still armed and resisting.  However, rather than continue to drag it out, we will say Rohuzar and the others were able to beat him into unconsciousness before he managed to break the grapple or escape. So...

• Bandit Leader - Captured and unconscious
• Woman and Kobold - Magicked away
• 2 Boat Thugs - One drowned, one fled south on foot
• 3 Sniper Thugs - Two killed by crossbow while fleeing, one fled east on foot]

Mr. Faerondaerl, kicked overboard at the onset and having kept a low profile for the duration, swims ashore and then goes about disconnecting the bandits' grappling hooks from the side of the Golden Empress.  Then he helps Mr. Howie back to his quarters to rest from his ordeal.  The big cook's worst wounds were healed by magic, but he looks even more awkward and unhealthy given his recent gut perforations.

Capt. Neck awaits orders on whether to bring the ship out to the relative safety of deeper waters.

After sorting out introductions with the unexpected helpers, Aubrey would reluctantly suggest taking the bandit leader aboard the Golden Empress again and secure him tightly before interrogating him about the prophet and the forge.

Assuming the two intriguing travellers decides to come aboard too, Aubrey would indeed give Captain Neck orders to proceed down the Breitwasser.

Aubrey also ponders where would be the closest place of law and order where the bandit leader could face justice for the heinous crime of trying, however futilely, to hijack the Golden Empress. 

The young noble would then try to see to that Mr. Howie gets all the medical attention he would need in order to be able to prepare a suitable meal for the  team and their guests. He would thank the cook for his bravery but explain that he is much to valuable and an absolute necessity to the success of the expedition to put himself in any danger henceforth.

Finally Aubrey would be an excellent host, giving the tour of the Golden Empress to their guests while lunch is prepared, planning to discuss any reward and other arrangements as lunch has been properly enjoyed.

Rohuzar frowns. "He said something about knights... Vhat vas that about do you think?" Rohuzar looks at Grugga and Aubrey 

"A fancy name for a group of simple bandits I suspect." Aubrey says to Rohuzar, helping the orc mercenary to get the unconscious bandit leader aboard the Golden Empress, tying him up and letting him lie on foredeck before turning his attention back to his guests.

     “I don’t precisely suspect the Burned Knights are knights as such,” Raqisat says with a shrug as he co to yes to approach.  His robes, his face covering in particular, are unusual for these parts and more akin to what those in some of the Disputed Lands are apt to wear.  “They’re bandits, rogues and ruffians.  They like to play at having respect, I suppose.  Seems they’ve come from the Eastern Lands led by a have crazed Orc with delusions of conquering and ruling Ambigortis…”  His words are accented like a foreigners but he is easy and comfortable with the common tongue as if native to it.

     “Cosette and I have heard tales around a few campfires the last few nights.  We’re looking for a way in due to our own curiosity.  I’m a bit of an anthropologist, you see.  People and cultures fascinate me…” Raqisat looks to Amnifortis for a solemn moment then turns back and adds “Even dead cultures.”

     With a wave of his hand he dismisses such ill tidings.  “Anyway, others around have warned us of these Burned Knights, as they call themselves.  They say they’re real ‘Hard Cases’ looking to chase everyone else off.  After looting them of anything they can, of course.  I imagine they say your unique craft sailing by and could not help themselves…”

     Almost in the immediate area of the others now and no longer needing to shout to be heard, Raqisat is feeling more comfortable about the intentions of these others and visibly stows his whips at his sides.  “What you think, Cosette?  Can we trust them?” He asks and tosses the group a wink.