Rel stands stunned for a moment as a voice she has only heard in whispers and dreams speaks directly in her mind. Her black irises flicker.
She continues to hold her black warhammer in one hand and peers uncertainly at the young woman. "Die to this beast? We are going to kill this beast. As you said, we are guarding the crate. You have to tell me WHY you need to see your brother so urgently. What is he?"
She turns and with her free hand, fires off another jet black beam of energy, this time drawing on her father's divine favor to will it to hit: Eldritch Blast to hit: 15 + 5 from Favored by the Gods = 20 Eldritch Blast damage: 9 + 2 from HBC = 11 Repelling Blast: creature is pushed back 10' further.
Her free hand grips the door frame again and she stares at the woman, waiting for a satisfactory answer before letting her through.
The black beam once again hits this massive creature with such force it launches the entire serpent back even further.
"I don't know why he is there. I don't know if he is alive or dead. I just wanted to have an answer before I die myself.. to this sea serpent. You must let me find out before it is too late..." She stares at you intently Rel. Through the heavy rainfall on her face you can see tears running down her emaciated cheeks.
As Bellamy's spell fails to damage the sea serpent, it begins thrashing through the waters towards the boat once more, lunging with teeth first towards none of you it seems as it accidentally bites down on it's own tongue. Causing it to shriek in pain once more. It then whips it's tail around and coils it around Zane, lifting him up and into the waters with it.
Another volley of crossbow bolts unleashes from the crew. Once again only one bolt connects. Captain Flame continues to focus everything on maneuvering the boat in the harsh waters.
Bite attack on Bellamy: Natural 1, critical failure. Serpent harms itself for 2 points of damage Tail attack on Zane: 22 hits for 14 bludgeoning damage. Zane is grappled . Con save 13 to avoid status effect at start of your turn succeeds. You can attempt to break the grapple on your turn with a successful Athletics or Acrobatics check
Zane will use his last bardic inspiration on Cutting Words to reduce the damage by 5 (rolled in game log).
On his turn Zane will take a deep breath, close his eyes momentarily and mumbles something to himself, casting Healing Word on himself as a bonus action to heal 5 health.
He will then find the softest spot and sink his rapier straight into the creature (I believe with advantage due to Bellamy and Melby): 24 to hit, 8 piercing damage.
Thren's radiant flame singes the beast. Zane, while being constricted by the beast, manages to swings his rapier with precision into its tail. Blood comes spewing from the creature once more but this time it is an immense amount of blood, a major artery must have been hit. The serpent thrashes about in the waters but not of it's own will. It's nervous system shutting down, Zane is launched through the air towards the boat, landing nimbly back on the deck. As the sea serpents thrashing slows, it twitches for a moment before becoming still. Lightning flashes once more as you see the waters around the motionless monster become crimson as the boat sails on, away from the dead creature.
Zane: Dex save 20 to land safely back on the boat, success
Well done everyone. The beast has been slain.
The crew cheers as they watch. Captain Flame on the Water turns his head for the first time and shouts "YESS! Great work everyone! Hang tight for a bit longer though. We are not quite through the storm!"
Thren looks at Zane “you hurt” extending an arm out to pick him back up, then looks around and smiles “Korg smiles apon us” then looks around seeing that Rel is missing “did rel go below deck chasing some?” He says with not a lot of worry but a bit concern about the item they were transporting.
Thren yells at the captain “make sure we don’t die here yell if anyone is injured” then runs downstairs into the ship seeing rel “what’s happening down here the serpent is dead” looking a bit baffled by the situation she is in
Zane shakes violently and then pats all across his body to check that his possessions are still there. He will then wedge himself into a corner near the stairs, but still abovedecks, and pat-squeeze water (and blood) out of his exposed body parts, which is head and arms. He keeps listening to what's going on below, though.
Bellamy calls back Melby and gives the owl an affectionate hug. He then release to owl back to its watchful post. Bellamy walks down the stairs to get out of the rain and puts a hand on Zane's shoulder "Are you alright?"
Awestruck, Tex's gaze remains for a moment on the dead sea creature. It was so big and powerful, yet in a joint effort they were able to stand their ground against it. The unsteady movement of the tormented ship brings him back to reality and he notices that most of his companions left the main deck. "Mighty brave how you finished that," he comments to Zane as he passed him to head down, too.
As the sea serpent dies, the thin black filament connecting Rel's hand and earrings to the creature pulses darkly, then snaps back. Her irises return to grey. A subsonic shudder hits the air, as if from the sweep of some vast bird's wings. The sea monster's body shrivels and its life force is sucked hungrily away, with Rel herself healing 7 hp she does not need in the torrent of vital energy channeled through her to some shadowy plane (Hexblade's Curse).
She notices Zane is alive with some relief, and looks at Thren strangely. "What? Thren, I'm right here. Yes, I saw the sea monster die - I was here as we all killed it. No one is below decks - I was guarding the door here to the cargo hold. But yes, we can go look. This young woman abandoned her post during the attack and wanted to rush below decks to open the crate. She is not a sailor. She claims it is her brother inside the crate. Or coffin?"
She regards the the weeping black-haired woman warily. "Now that we have slain the sea creature and the worst of the danger seems to have passed, we are going to talk this over calmly. If we all agree you must see your brother, then you shall. But we were ordered to guard this crate, NOT to open it. Now you are going to come below decks with me and a few of my friends, and explain this entire situation to us before anyone does anything rash."
She reaches for her father's divine Guidance to calm herself and the woman. Persuasion plus Guidance: 10 + 4 = 14
Rel will help steady the woman and walk her down into the cargo hold with Thren, Bellamy and Tex (if they are all coming), but is not yet going to allow her to open the crate. She signals to the others to help keep a hold on the woman so she doesn't bolt and open the crate prematurely.
Zane nods as Bellamy and Tex make their remarks. "I'll keep watch here until you check out that situation," as he gestures through the door with his head. "We don't want another one of those things sneaking up on us in middle of all of this."
He will stay on the deck and make rounds on the ship, checking if he can see anything else approaching (feel free to roll for me if needed).
"Wait. Her brother is inside the crate? In the crate we are hired to protect?" Texrepeats confused while they descend into the ship's belly. "I think we have been ordered explicitly not to open that crate." he says while Lizzy scampers over when they enter the hold and positions herself between the woman and the crate. "Now you want to open it? I mean, does Lord Agustin know that you are here? And who is he to you and your brother, anyway?" Tex tries to help Rel to persuade the woman to answer their questions, "Look, we can help you, but, first, we really need to know more."
While they interrogate the woman, Tex will start a ritual to detect magic.
The woman stares at you all for a moment before saying "I suppose I have no choice but to explain now. You are working for Lord Agustin but I hope that you can listen to my story with an open mind." She pauses a moment before continuing. "My name is Valeriana Dullan. You can just call me Vale. My brother and I work... or I guess I should say worked for Lord Agustin. Housekeeping and things of that nature. About a week ago, my brother lost his ring, a family heirloom passed down from our father. It was late but he insisted on searching for it in the manor.... My brother, did not return that night. I spent the next few days asking around the manor and came to find that Lord Agustin has secrets that many don't know or care to ask about. I searched the manor high and low and I came across a secret passage. A secret door in his study that led down underground. I went down and found him....I found my brother. He lay motionless in a crate, before I had a chance to figure out what was wrong, somebody came down the stairs so I hid nearby. It was Lord Agustin and a few strange people. He had them seal the crate and haul it away with instructions to be delivered to the port and be loaded onto the ship Dragonfly for delivery to Port Damali." She looks at you all with sincerity. "I need to get in that crate. I need to find out what Lord Agustin did to him. Help me, I beg you."
Rel pauses. The young woman reminds her of herself during her own desperate escape from the great drow city. Death chasing behind.
And yet the... Matron? The matron indicated that she is not to die, but seemed uncertain about her brother...
She tries to make her voice soft and kind as she remembers her father's was, reaching out for his Guidance.
"We are listening, Vale. Lord Agustin left special instructions that no one was to open the crate, but especially not ourselves for some reason. We are trying to understand whether it would be dangerous for us to open the crate while out on the open sea, still in the midst of a storm."
Rel taps her finger on her lips. "First, how did you convince the captain to let you aboard the ship as a deckhand? I may know nothing about sailing, but I know enough to see that neither do you. Second, can you please take a deep breath and think back. Describe the strange people who were with Lord Agustin in the secret location below the manor when they sealed the crate. Any detail you recall may be important. Finally, if the ring was inherited from your father, then tell us of your father and the origin of the heirloom. Was your brother wearing the ring when you saw him lying in the crate motionless?"
Persuasion plus Guidance: 16 + 2 = 18 (to calm Vale down and help her remember).
Rel looks to Tex and Thren to see if they have any other questions or ideas in this strange situation.
Tex listens carefully to the exchange, while continuing to charge and calibrate a small device with a pair of antennas almost like a ritual. Once it’s finished, he’ll announce whether there is anything of note, and states, “If we open the crate, we are sure to void our deal with the lord and,” Tex warns, “we might draw his ire. As a lord, he probably has ways of making our lives here near impossible.” He continues, “And the captain, unawares as he is, is also at risk of his deal if we anger the lord, which in turn he will project into us, rightfully so if I may add.” He looks over Vale and says, “I just want you to understand what is at stake here for us if we help you,” but he was likely speaking equally to Rel and Thren. “If we open this, we should try to do it in a way that is not obvious and would maybe discovered after we hand over the crate, like perhaps from the bottom side?”
Addressing Rel first she says, "He is probably trying to avoid letting anyone lese know what is in there. Less mouths to squeal that way. The people he brought down to seal the crate were people I have never seen before. They were acting strange, very obedient in a way. They had a glow in their eyes. A reddish glow if I remember right. As for how I got on this boat, well, a persuasive conversation with the captain. I begged and pleaded to learn about sailing. Maybe because we share the same color eyes he saw himself as a young sailor, eager to learn." She pauses as she thinks about the ring "Ah, the ring. I don't recall him wearing it but didn't look close enough. I don't know much history of it. Just a sentimental item passed from generation to generation."
Replying to Tex, "I just watched the five of you take down a massive sea serpent. I would not be afraid of Lord Agustin. I understand that you want to complete your task for him, I am sure he is paying you well. I cannot offer any money for helping me. All I can do is beg and hope you are good people."
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The spear sinks deep into the beast and then instantly disappears causing a geyser like blood effect to spurt from the creature.
Rel Is up
The creature is looking very bloodied at this point
Rel stands stunned for a moment as a voice she has only heard in whispers and dreams speaks directly in her mind. Her black irises flicker.
She continues to hold her black warhammer in one hand and peers uncertainly at the young woman. "Die to this beast? We are going to kill this beast. As you said, we are guarding the crate. You have to tell me WHY you need to see your brother so urgently. What is he?"
She turns and with her free hand, fires off another jet black beam of energy, this time drawing on her father's divine favor to will it to hit:
Eldritch Blast to hit: 15 + 5 from Favored by the Gods = 20
Eldritch Blast damage: 9 + 2 from HBC = 11
Repelling Blast: creature is pushed back 10' further.
Her free hand grips the door frame again and she stares at the woman, waiting for a satisfactory answer before letting her through.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
The black beam once again hits this massive creature with such force it launches the entire serpent back even further.
"I don't know why he is there. I don't know if he is alive or dead. I just wanted to have an answer before I die myself.. to this sea serpent. You must let me find out before it is too late..." She stares at you intently Rel. Through the heavy rainfall on her face you can see tears running down her emaciated cheeks.
Bellamy is now up
Bellamy moves close enough to just see the sea creature and lets loose another firebolt
Hit: 14 Damage: 10
(In game log)
Then he once more directs Melby to flyby the sea creature and use the help action granting advantage for the next person to attack.
As Bellamy's spell fails to damage the sea serpent, it begins thrashing through the waters towards the boat once more, lunging with teeth first towards none of you it seems as it accidentally bites down on it's own tongue. Causing it to shriek in pain once more. It then whips it's tail around and coils it around Zane, lifting him up and into the waters with it.
Another volley of crossbow bolts unleashes from the crew. Once again only one bolt connects. Captain Flame continues to focus everything on maneuvering the boat in the harsh waters.
Bite attack on Bellamy: Natural 1, critical failure. Serpent harms itself for 2 points of damage
Tail attack on Zane: 22 hits for 14 bludgeoning damage. Zane is grappled . Con save 13 to avoid status effect at start of your turn succeeds. You can attempt to break the grapple on your turn with a successful Athletics or Acrobatics check
Dragonfly Crew: Crossbow attacks, 12, 12, 17 hits for 4 damage. Captain Flame: Boat maneuvers Dex check 14 success.
The sea serpent is looking extremely hurt but feeling proud about actually hitting somebody with an attack.
Zane and Thren are up
Thren will cast sacrad flame extending his arm to unleash the weird blueish yellow flame
dex 13 save or take 1 point of damage (yes I’m being serious)
Zane will use his last bardic inspiration on Cutting Words to reduce the damage by 5 (rolled in game log).
On his turn Zane will take a deep breath, close his eyes momentarily and mumbles something to himself, casting Healing Word on himself as a bonus action to heal 5 health.
He will then find the softest spot and sink his rapier straight into the creature (I believe with advantage due to Bellamy and Melby): 24 to hit, 8 piercing damage.
Thren's radiant flame singes the beast. Zane, while being constricted by the beast, manages to swings his rapier with precision into its tail. Blood comes spewing from the creature once more but this time it is an immense amount of blood, a major artery must have been hit. The serpent thrashes about in the waters but not of it's own will. It's nervous system shutting down, Zane is launched through the air towards the boat, landing nimbly back on the deck. As the sea serpents thrashing slows, it twitches for a moment before becoming still. Lightning flashes once more as you see the waters around the motionless monster become crimson as the boat sails on, away from the dead creature.
Zane: Dex save 20 to land safely back on the boat, success
Well done everyone. The beast has been slain.
The crew cheers as they watch. Captain Flame on the Water turns his head for the first time and shouts "YESS! Great work everyone! Hang tight for a bit longer though. We are not quite through the storm!"
Thren looks at Zane “you hurt” extending an arm out to pick him back up, then looks around and smiles “Korg smiles apon us” then looks around seeing that Rel is missing “did rel go below deck chasing some?” He says with not a lot of worry but a bit concern about the item they were transporting.
Thren yells at the captain “make sure we don’t die here yell if anyone is injured” then runs downstairs into the ship seeing rel “what’s happening down here the serpent is dead” looking a bit baffled by the situation she is in
Zane shakes violently and then pats all across his body to check that his possessions are still there. He will then wedge himself into a corner near the stairs, but still abovedecks, and pat-squeeze water (and blood) out of his exposed body parts, which is head and arms. He keeps listening to what's going on below, though.
Bellamy calls back Melby and gives the owl an affectionate hug. He then release to owl back to its watchful post. Bellamy walks down the stairs to get out of the rain and puts a hand on Zane's shoulder "Are you alright?"
Awestruck, Tex's gaze remains for a moment on the dead sea creature. It was so big and powerful, yet in a joint effort they were able to stand their ground against it. The unsteady movement of the tormented ship brings him back to reality and he notices that most of his companions left the main deck. "Mighty brave how you finished that," he comments to Zane as he passed him to head down, too.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
As the sea serpent dies, the thin black filament connecting Rel's hand and earrings to the creature pulses darkly, then snaps back. Her irises return to grey. A subsonic shudder hits the air, as if from the sweep of some vast bird's wings. The sea monster's body shrivels and its life force is sucked hungrily away, with Rel herself healing 7 hp she does not need in the torrent of vital energy channeled through her to some shadowy plane (Hexblade's Curse).
She notices Zane is alive with some relief, and looks at Thren strangely. "What? Thren, I'm right here. Yes, I saw the sea monster die - I was here as we all killed it. No one is below decks - I was guarding the door here to the cargo hold. But yes, we can go look. This young woman abandoned her post during the attack and wanted to rush below decks to open the crate. She is not a sailor. She claims it is her brother inside the crate. Or coffin?"
She regards the the weeping black-haired woman warily. "Now that we have slain the sea creature and the worst of the danger seems to have passed, we are going to talk this over calmly. If we all agree you must see your brother, then you shall. But we were ordered to guard this crate, NOT to open it. Now you are going to come below decks with me and a few of my friends, and explain this entire situation to us before anyone does anything rash."
She reaches for her father's divine Guidance to calm herself and the woman. Persuasion plus Guidance: 10 + 4 = 14
Rel will help steady the woman and walk her down into the cargo hold with Thren, Bellamy and Tex (if they are all coming), but is not yet going to allow her to open the crate. She signals to the others to help keep a hold on the woman so she doesn't bolt and open the crate prematurely.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Zane nods as Bellamy and Tex make their remarks. "I'll keep watch here until you check out that situation," as he gestures through the door with his head. "We don't want another one of those things sneaking up on us in middle of all of this."
He will stay on the deck and make rounds on the ship, checking if he can see anything else approaching (feel free to roll for me if needed).
"Wait. Her brother is inside the crate? In the crate we are hired to protect?" Tex repeats confused while they descend into the ship's belly. "I think we have been ordered explicitly not to open that crate." he says while Lizzy scampers over when they enter the hold and positions herself between the woman and the crate. "Now you want to open it? I mean, does Lord Agustin know that you are here? And who is he to you and your brother, anyway?" Tex tries to help Rel to persuade the woman to answer their questions, "Look, we can help you, but, first, we really need to know more."
While they interrogate the woman, Tex will start a ritual to detect magic.
Persuasion with bardic inspiration: 5 + 4
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Bellamy with then head back to his cabin doing his best to dry out his fur and clothing,
The woman stares at you all for a moment before saying "I suppose I have no choice but to explain now. You are working for Lord Agustin but I hope that you can listen to my story with an open mind." She pauses a moment before continuing. "My name is Valeriana Dullan. You can just call me Vale. My brother and I work... or I guess I should say worked for Lord Agustin. Housekeeping and things of that nature. About a week ago, my brother lost his ring, a family heirloom passed down from our father. It was late but he insisted on searching for it in the manor.... My brother, did not return that night. I spent the next few days asking around the manor and came to find that Lord Agustin has secrets that many don't know or care to ask about. I searched the manor high and low and I came across a secret passage. A secret door in his study that led down underground. I went down and found him....I found my brother. He lay motionless in a crate, before I had a chance to figure out what was wrong, somebody came down the stairs so I hid nearby. It was Lord Agustin and a few strange people. He had them seal the crate and haul it away with instructions to be delivered to the port and be loaded onto the ship Dragonfly for delivery to Port Damali." She looks at you all with sincerity. "I need to get in that crate. I need to find out what Lord Agustin did to him. Help me, I beg you."
Rel pauses. The young woman reminds her of herself during her own desperate escape from the great drow city. Death chasing behind.
And yet the... Matron? The matron indicated that she is not to die, but seemed uncertain about her brother...
She tries to make her voice soft and kind as she remembers her father's was, reaching out for his Guidance.
"We are listening, Vale. Lord Agustin left special instructions that no one was to open the crate, but especially not ourselves for some reason. We are trying to understand whether it would be dangerous for us to open the crate while out on the open sea, still in the midst of a storm."
Rel taps her finger on her lips. "First, how did you convince the captain to let you aboard the ship as a deckhand? I may know nothing about sailing, but I know enough to see that neither do you. Second, can you please take a deep breath and think back. Describe the strange people who were with Lord Agustin in the secret location below the manor when they sealed the crate. Any detail you recall may be important. Finally, if the ring was inherited from your father, then tell us of your father and the origin of the heirloom. Was your brother wearing the ring when you saw him lying in the crate motionless?"
Persuasion plus Guidance: 16 + 2 = 18 (to calm Vale down and help her remember).
Rel looks to Tex and Thren to see if they have any other questions or ideas in this strange situation.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Tex listens carefully to the exchange, while continuing to charge and calibrate a small device with a pair of antennas almost like a ritual.
Once it’s finished, he’ll announce whether there is anything of note, and states, “If we open the crate, we are sure to void our deal with the lord and,” Tex warns, “we might draw his ire. As a lord, he probably has ways of making our lives here near impossible.” He continues, “And the captain, unawares as he is, is also at risk of his deal if we anger the lord, which in turn he will project into us, rightfully so if I may add.” He looks over Vale and says, “I just want you to understand what is at stake here for us if we help you,” but he was likely speaking equally to Rel and Thren. “If we open this, we should try to do it in a way that is not obvious and would maybe discovered after we hand over the crate, like perhaps from the bottom side?”
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Addressing Rel first she says, "He is probably trying to avoid letting anyone lese know what is in there. Less mouths to squeal that way. The people he brought down to seal the crate were people I have never seen before. They were acting strange, very obedient in a way. They had a glow in their eyes. A reddish glow if I remember right. As for how I got on this boat, well, a persuasive conversation with the captain. I begged and pleaded to learn about sailing. Maybe because we share the same color eyes he saw himself as a young sailor, eager to learn." She pauses as she thinks about the ring "Ah, the ring. I don't recall him wearing it but didn't look close enough. I don't know much history of it. Just a sentimental item passed from generation to generation."
Replying to Tex, "I just watched the five of you take down a massive sea serpent. I would not be afraid of Lord Agustin. I understand that you want to complete your task for him, I am sure he is paying you well. I cannot offer any money for helping me. All I can do is beg and hope you are good people."