Rylia is at first intrigued by the street market in Lower Central. "Have I been there? We really should visit sometime. Try out all the foods." She seems to have quickly moved on from the somber mood that had arisen for a moment. 

"Who are the Tyrants?" she asks, when Leo mentions the name.  "Sounds like there could be an interesting story there. Definitely ought to check out that place."

But as she notices the large flying animals, that completely captures her attention. "Leo! What are those? The flying animals behind us. Not hippogriffs. Are there always flying animals roaming about the city?" She shifts in her seat, trying to get a look at them. 

"Ah, the Tyrants," Leo responds with a chuckle. "They're a bunch of shapeshifters spread in Sharn who deal in secrets and stuff. They´re some doppelgangers and changelings specialized in acquiring and selling information, forgery, fraud, false identities... It's best to stay away from them, trust me."
Leo shrugs after giving a quick glance at the flying animals when Rylia asks. "These are probably just some noble folks having a fancy ride. Yeah, many of those eccentric types have their own flying mounts. They think that adds a touch of flair to their outings."

OOC - Love the background music.  Grin...Nice.

Brother Coltinar takes it all in.  He comments, "Just be wary my friends.  The intentions of others are what is at heart here.  Trust though we must in those that assist us in our travels we must be ready to deal with subterfuge quickly."

Brother Coltinar adds, "We should get a feather fall stone my friends or perhaps we already have one or two or three."

Brother Coltinar checks his inventory just in case he absentmindedly forgot he had one.  He didn't recall having one though.  A future purchase most likely he thinks.

Quote from Cwreando >>

 

Brother Coltinar adds, "We should get a feather fall stone my friends or perhaps we already have one or two or three."
Brother Coltinar checks his inventory just in case he absentmindedly forgot he had one.  He didn't recall having one though.  A future purchase most likely he thinks.

 OOC You don´t have any (it is feather fall token indeed) Nevertheless, you have TWO wizards in the party :-D

OOC - One would hope that at least one of them will be with a person that would need it.  Grin.

17

As Leo talks to Rylia, the winged creatures draw closer, revealing that they are being ridden by humanoid figures that appear to be tieflings. As you approach the Gate of Gold, a ship emerges from a hidden spot behind a wall, hurtling towards Leo and the skycoach. With quick reflexes, Leo executes a sharp maneuver to avoid the collision, spinning nearly 180 degrees towards the south and accelerating the ship's speed.

However, the danger is far from over. The two winged beings ridden by the tieflings close in dangerously, each positioning themselves on either side of the ship, while the pursuing ship remains hot on your tail, trying to trap you. Tension spreads, when Leo's voice cuts through the escalating chaos: "Damn! They're pirates! We're under attack. Take cover!"

//--- DM Roll initiative---//

 And change the soundtrack

Rylia playfully protests, "Hey now! You were the one that made the Cracked Mirror sound so interesting! It's fine to..."  That's about the time Leo sharply turns the Amelia to avoid the appearance of the other ship.  She tries to find something to hold on to. 

"Pirates? There are pirates in the city?" she calls out in surprise. 

(Rylia Initiative: 17)

Arr marveled at the sight of the cityscape during their flight but their sense of orientation is overwhelmed by the speed of the transport and the unfamiliar perspective. Curiously, they listen to Leo and his descriptions, when the flyers first appear. ‚The rich and their entertainment…,‘ they think observing the riders when, suddenly, Leo‘s sharp maneuver nearly hurled them overboard. In a flash, they grip the hand rail and begin to yell, „What …“ but Leo cuts them short. „Damn!“ They get on their knees, taking as much cover as the side of the ship can provide and lookout for their pack to get a few crude spears and their other weapons in case they even get boarded. ‚Or we just fall overboard,‘ they wonder, ‚That would be a quick end. If we continue to attract trouble like this, we really should get one of those stones to slow a fall.‘

(Arr’s Initiative: 22)

Paladin holds a javelin aloft, and thumps it against his shield as he begins to take aim

Initiative 9 

Bryn init: 20

Bryn, like the rest of the group, was just starting to relax and enjoy the ride again when the skycoach suddenly banks and turns and Leo exclaims, "Pirates!"  Bryn looks around and realizes the flying mounts they thought were some rich folk were coming for them! In a fluid, practiced movement, he unslings his shortbow and nocks an arrow, taking aim at the creatures.

//--- DM Initiative order -
OOC I rolled for Coltinar and Braxiel in the log game (badly, sorry! You can reroll for the next turn if you want)

Bryn =>> Next (Initiative: 23) //--- DM Roll your attack---//
Arr =>> On deck (Initiative: 22)
Bandit Captain (Initiative: 21)
Tieflings riders (Initiative: 20)
Hobgoblin (Initiative: 18)
Rylia (Initiative: 17)
Paladin (Initiative: 14)
Pilot (Initiative: 13)
Leo (Initiative: 12)
Bandit Pirates (Initiative: 11)
Flying animals (Initiative: 6)
Coltinar (Initiative: 4)
Braxiel (Initiative: 3)

The battle is about to begin

A spike is launched and sticks on the deck of the boat, millimeters from bryn's face.

Bryn, reacting quickly as the spike narrowly misses his face, readies his weapon and prepares to counterattack. The flying animals, now closer, reveal their fearsome appearance with their unique features. As they approach, you can see that they have a head resembling that of a humanoid, a lion-like body, and dragon-like wings. Their tails are adorned with a cluster of spikes. The creatures are being ridden by tieflings, each holding crossbows.

Just behind, you can spot the pilot and three other figures on the ship.

//--- DM Bryn, it's your turn. Please roll to attack. I'd say you've found a spot to be hiding, so you can roll the sneak attack ---//

OOC - Brother Coltinar's roll is not a problem....

IC - "What in Sharn is going on", as he ducks for cover or shields one of the others less defended than himself.  "Leo you never said anything about pirates."  

Brother Coltinar thinks to himself, "Think man....what can we do."  He runs through his mind and weapons for options.

Brother Coltinar prepares as he waits for his initiative.....

"Yes, yes, pirates, signorina. Didn't I say? Maybe it went unnoticed," Leo responds with a nervous smirk. "But-a you know, my noble-e lord-a, if I were-e to speak-a of all the mishaps a trip to the Cogs can-n have, we would not leave-a Tavick until the next moon-n."

"But don't worry, Amelia will leave those bastards eating Syberys' dust! Come on, principessa!," Leo shouts, trying to accelerate, although the old ship doesn't respond with the intensity he'd like.

ooo- I am okay with where I am at too

Braxiel looks to be worried and clutches his bag and his books, "Why is everything trying to kill us!!" 

Retroactive action - The moment he would have gotten onto the ship he would have cast mage armor, not fully trusting the driver. 

The Ship "Amelia"

Consider that the lines in the ship map bellow are indicated with the letters from a to j (from top to bottom), and the columns (full squares) numbered from 1 to 6 (from left to right).
So Leo is under the red tarp, more or less where the dotted line is in the center. So I would say he's at G4.
We can assume that Rylia ran close to him and is in G3.
Bryn, is hidden under the small table in E4.
Coltinar and Braxiel are at E3 and F3 respectively.
Paladin at C3 and Arr at C4, near the anchor.
The tieflings and their mounts are at D1 and D6 and the other ship is pointing at J1 and J2

With the maneuver you lost the entrance to the Gate of Gold and are now heading south (and not north as indicated in the image of the ship). You´re approaching the border with Callestan.

Lower Dura

Lower City

Bryn hisses as the manticore tail spike narrowly misses his face, then takes aim at the creature from his hiding place and releases the arrow. "Watch yourself, everyone...lots of projectiles coming our way...take out the flying mounts to get rid of multiple attackers!"
Sneak Attack: 24 Damage: 11
Bonus action: Bryn shifts to a new hiding spot beneath the tarp and behind the side of the ship, setting up his next arrow. (Stealth: 25)

As Bryn's arrow flies through the air, it finds its mark just under the manticore's right wing. The creature lets out a guttural roar of pain, its eyes narrowing struggling to pinpoint the origin of the attack. However, it deeply fails as the rogue with nimble movements sneaks to a new position under the red tarp taking refuge close to Leo and Rylia. Blood trickles down from the wound, staining its fur, and the beast's wings beat with a powerful force as it readies itself to retaliate.

Meanwhile, the tiefling rider atop the manticore momentarily loses their balance due to the creature's sudden movement in response to the attack. However, with skilled horsemanship, he manage to regain control and maintain his firm grip on the creature's back, determined to stay in the fight despite the unexpected assault.
He shouts something in a language that no one can understand (assuming that no one speak infernal)

Turn 1
Bryn a
Arr =>> Next 
Bandit Captain x Out this turn
Tieflings riders =>> On deck 
Hobgoblin x Out this turn
Rylia =>> On deck 
Paladin =>> On deck 
Pilot 
Leo
Bandit Pirates 
Flying animals 
Coltinar 
Braxiel 

Arr peek over the side of the ship to situate themselves. Despite the decent hit by Bryn that flying beast keeps up with them. These pirates are prepared to fight and don’t only rely on terror. Some street gangs they know would back out once they realize they meet resistance but these pirates seem accustomed to skirmishes and the tactics, are they guiding them, pushing them into a trap? „Don’t run from those you can’t outrun. They could be driving us into a trap!“

Arr take one of their self-made spears and work themselves up into their battle stance. Then, in one fluid motion,  they jump up and hurl recklessly the spear at the manticore that already suffered from Bryn‘s attention. Without waiting to see if the spear connects, they let themselves fall onto the ship‘s floor in a position that would be prone to a close combat attack but they think might provide some cover against ranged.

end of turn

Arr's spear sails through the air with a mix of determination and desperation. At first, it appears that their attack might miss, the trajectory slightly off, however, it finds its mark with a resounding impact. Flying on the left side of the ship, the wounded manticore lets out a pained screech, its flight becoming erratic.
The rider atop it fights to stay in control, his grip slipping on the creature's back. With a desperate burst of agility, he manages to propel himself off the manticore and onto the deck of their ship. A quick roll and a display of impressive athleticism later, they land on their feet, narrowly avoiding a disastrous fall into the sky below.
Athletics 19 He is now at D3
He even draws his shortsword and tries to attack Arr on the ground, but fails miserably.
Attack 8

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battle, the second tiefling takes aim with a bow, targeting Paladin in their line of sight. The arrow flies through the air, but fate intervenes as it glances off the sturdy protection of the Warforged's armor, leaving him unharmed.
Attack 17

As the pursuing ship draws dangerously close, the tension escalates. The two pirates from the enemy ship leap onto what appears to be some sort of flying skateboard, expertly maneuvering it in the air. Their agile movements showcase their familiarity with this unconventional transportation as they prepare to get on board the "Amelia."

Turn 1
Bryn OK
Arr OK
Bandit Captain X Out this turn
Tieflings riders  
Hobgoblin X Out this turn
Rylia =>> Next
Paladin =>> On deck 
Pilot X Out this turn
Leo 
Bandit Pirates 
Flying animals 
Coltinar =>> On deck
Braxiel