First mate, Lozredak, the hobgoblin you had seen earlier, now stands at the wheel. The captain looks over the on the quarterdeck, yelling orders back to her.

Jeras the cook can be seen pacing up and down the deck, looking down in to the water, a kitchen cleaver in either hand.

The trio working the ballista swing it around to face the starboard side.

Apart from Hammerdasher, the other passengers, stay close to the mid mast, clutching their daggers and short swords tightly.

Bigge sees what Ula and Avaria are about to do. 

"Toss it as far out as you can," Bigge shouts. Then he calls up to the ballista crew. "Watch the barrel. With any luck one of those devils will surface for it."

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Barrel tossing - no rolls needed to lift it up and over the rails but if you want to follow Ula's suggestion (that Bigge is wholeheartedly in agreement with), Strength Checks from both Ula and Avaria to see how far you manage to get it away from the ship. Plus Dex Checks (at disadvantage for Ula) to avoid getting fish sauce slim on you as it goes over.

Jan, you can see Godrick Hargrove, still focused out to sea, moving his hands and whispering something under his breath. You're not sure which, but it's clearly part of the somatics of a spell.

((Would she be able to move nearer him on the pretext of getting a better angle for a crossbow shot, or would it be blatantly obvious she was moving towards him?))

(There's a lot of activity and movement on the deck so it wouldn't be too blatant. If you just want to get a bit closer, she can. But if you want to move within a few feet without appearing to be moving closer to Hargrove, or attracting his attention, throw a Stealth roll in).

“You got it!!”  Avaria shouts over the chaos, attempting to chuck the barrel as far as possible, looking to Ula, “Ready?  On 3.  One… two…. Three!” And she attempts to toss as far as she can.

Athletics (If you meant straight strength, remove 2)  25

DEX check 18

Just a bit in his direction, she'll have other opportunities to get closer later, perhaps.

“Heave!!…”, bellows Ula as she helps toss the barrel as far as she can…

STR check: 10 

DEX check (dis.adv.): 6 

Marrin steps back and watches Ula twist in an unpleasant fashion as she tries to toss the barrel.

Otherwise she is just watching the movement on deck and waiting for new orders.

Avaria and Ula get the barrel up and as they throw it out, there seems to have been some misunderstanding about whether they were going to throw the barrel as Avaria said 'three' or they were going to throw the barrel just after Avaria said 'three." Avaria heaves with all her might but catches Ula still waiting for the count to end.

This has the affect of putting quite the spin on the barrel. Rancid fish tumbles out as the barrel spirals through the air. But at least both Ula and Avaria avoid getting doused in fish sauce.

The barrel bobs in the rough water, about 60' away from the ship, spilling more and more fish out into the sea. Suddenly several giant pink hued tentacles slap out of the water, a gaping maw follows, swallowing whole most of the fish.

For a few moments the tentacles and creature stay at the surface. Long enough for Bigge to shout "Now."

A rapid swoosh sounds as the ballista fires a bolt straight towards the giant squid-like creature.

Jan also sees a frigid blue-white light streak out away from Godrick Hargrove's hand towards the creature.

Initiatives please.

Jan Initiative: 23

Jan grips her crossbow and extends her right hand, keeping her body between her gestures and Godrick as she mutters "میرے لیے مرو", and weakens the creature before raising her loaded crossbow to her shoulder and sighting along it, feet spread wide and bracing against the deck.

Attack: 23 Damage: 10

Ethel makes a mental note to ask Jan what her quarry is doing toting around a priceless tome like it’s a field guide to birds, if any of them live to see the sunrise.  Then she takes a long, deep breath and braces for battle.  Initiative 3

Avaria watches with a bit of dismay as the count is misread and the barrel goes spinning out of control.  At least it landed in the water and neither her nor Ula seemed to have gotten any of the gross fish sauce on them.  "Hey it worked!" she cheers to Ula as the squid pops up in time for the ballista to fire at it.

Initiative  17

Initiative: 21

Marrin focuses on the nearest giant squid she can see and yells at it,

"Ha! You just ate rancid fish, you are stupider than octopi!"

Kind of vicious mockery: 2

((DC 14 wis save or no damage, if fail disadvantage on next attack

If they are more than 60ft away she will hold her mockery until they close into that range.))

Ula’s initiative: 20 

As the squid comes up, to eat the fish sauce, Ula casts a sacred flame at the thing, then moves 10 or 15 feet back away from the side of the boat.

Cast a spell action (sacred flame): DC14 DEX save or take 2 (radiant damage)

Initiative Order:

Jan

Marrin

Ula

Squidwards

Avaria

Crew

Passengers

Ethel