Tyranny in Phlan (DM Lerus)

(@Red: Since the ice lingers for a bit, I'm willing to say it is enough to put the nascent fire out.)

The hail magically avoids Utar and Doozey, as well as Biscuit's body, and is expertly placed so it doesn't encompass Villonah at all. One living person is not afforded such kindness, however. The armored enemy combatant is pelted by cold rocks! (Tear of Virulence#3 {AA-14} takes 30 bludgeoning and cold damage and is DEFEATED.)

As Raist repositions himself for some cover, he sees that an icy layer is forming in the dock and putting out the flames.

Several feet away, Neya continues to punish the last kobold in the area. By the time she lands the third strike, the enemy stops responding. Kobold Fanatic#2 {Z-4} takes 41 bludgeoning damage and is DEFEATED.)

Villonah reloads her crossbow but then realizes that there are no more targets for her to aim at.

WE ARE NOW OUT OF INITIATIVE. YOU MAY DO AS YOU WILL.

Raist slumps down and restarts the ritual

After a few more labored breaths Boozey eventually takes one, final, steadying breath to center himself. Then, despite the dangers of beast within reasserting itself, rather than push away the transformation, he next focused on taking in the state of the battlefield. "We need to move faster. Raist! Forget the ritual. I'll cast the gosh darn spell myself once everyone is on board. In the meantime, everyone, search their bodies for anything of use, and then either dump them into the water or leave'm be. Either way, we're getting out of here within couple of minutes -- no arguments, please." He said, still seeming a little breathless, yet determined to power through all the various aches and pains riddling his body.

Without waiting for a response, Boozey then went over to Biscuit's body and knelt by his head. In death, the loyal mastiff had once more reverted to his true, fey touched form. And Boozey sat there staring for a long moment, before finally taking Biscuit's head into his hands. "Don't worry brother. As I live, so do you. 'till the end the world and back again... Now... wake up." As the last words leaves Boozey mouth, his eyes and mouth briefly light up with a evergreen glow of magic, before the energy concentrates in his mouth and is exhaled as an orb of light and life. The orb then gently drifts its way down and slips into Biscuit's mouth; the beast's head seeming to briefly animate long enough for the maw to open up just enough for the orb to pass on inside.

- Spending one 1st level spell slot to revive Biscuit, restoring him to full life within a minute. (Deducted)

After a few seconds, Biscuit's wounds start to slowly but surely knit themselves close once more. Boozey doesn't wait for the magic to finish restoring his companion before hefting him onto a shoulder and making his way to the boat. When next his eyes meet Villonah, there's almost sheepish look to him, before he awkwardly says, "It's, uhh... a long story. But, give him a minute, and Biscuit will be up and at'em 'fore you know it." He said, assuring her as much as it was to ensure anyone else. Once Biscuit is secured on the boat, Doozey took the next little while just catching his breath, and drink from the little keg around Biscuit's neck at least 3 potions of healing worth of its contents.

- Potion of Healing(x3) from Biscuit's Keg of the Goodstuff, restoring 18 HP. 

-Also spending another charge of tireless, gaining 9 Temp Hp. 

"<><>FINE<><>suit yourself<>"

Raist gets up and heads towards the longboat leaning heavily on his staff

Despite dealing with the interruption, the occurrence gives CRAP a sense of urgency. To Raist, this means resuming his ritual as soon as he can despite the elf's heavy wheezing. To Doozey, this translates to skipping the ritual altogether before more members of the Tears of Virulence decide to show up at the docks. 

The halfling is assertive in his argumentation while still being able to multitask as he explains. He breathes some life back into Biscuit, to Villonah speechless amazement. The gnomish warrior takes it upon herself to hold Biscuit in a comfortable position while the breath-of-life works itself through the beast's system, at least initially. As she wonders if Doozey is able to gift life back to any one of his companions, the ranger moves on to his next task: drinking some of the healing potions he had stored within Biscuit's neck apparatus and mentally refusing any of his own body's sign of tiredness. (Doozey heals 18 HP and gains 10 temp HP.)

As Raist finishes collecting his unfinished ritual's materials, Neya and Utar signal the readiness of the folding boat. A still recovering Biscuit is dragged onto the vessel, an action that earns Villonah's disapproval. Nonetheless, soon thereafter, the party is pushing off into the sea but not allowing themselves to move too far from shore.

(OOC: Even though the boat ride would not take a full hour, I'm willing to play it loosely here and allow the party a short rest while the watery portion of the trip is completed. Feel free to roll Hit Dice.)

Utar slumps down against the side of the boat and breathes a sigh of relief, "Let's remember not to linger anywhere else in Phlan, we could do with keeping our presence unnoticed and ourselves fresh for whatever fights come next."

While the rest offers a chance for some of the aches to leave his body, Utar cannot help but worry about what still lies in store for the group.  Phlan already feels very different from the place he knew even this morning.  It no longer feels like it used to; familiar and comforting, with known smells and sights and people.  The city feels dangerous; sharp and angular like a guttersnipe's knife, constantly looking for an opportunity to slide the blade deep between your ribs.  Phlan no longer feels like home; it feels like a predator and Utar cannot help but think that the folks that made their homes here are its prey.

(OOC Going to spend 8 hit dice (for 8d8+32 healing) which gives: 59 hp back to Utar.)

Raist slumps against a bulwork 

(Spending 3 hit dice) 11

Though he could practically feel the disapproval, Doozey rather pointedly avoided meeting Villonah's gaze, least guilt got the better of him. But, it's not entirely enough to keep from weight of it from settling on his shoulders. He powered through it all the same, and once all there seemed left to do was to shove of, Doozey made good on his word. From one of his many belt pouches Doozey produced the stem of a reed, and after words of power sung in Sylvan, he motioned with the reed as a conductor might to an invisible orchestra.

To everyone on the boat, including a stirring Biscuit, they'd feel the wind pick up around them, gently rustling their clothes and hair, and despite being nowhere near a forest, smell all the scents of one around them. Along with the breeze came a compulsion to take a deep breath, filling their lungs completely, then exhaling just once a blue mist that quickly dissipates into the air around them. "Couldn't agree more, Utar. Couldn't agree more..."

-Casting (3rd level)Water Breathing on everyone present. (slot deducted)

Biscuit lets out an exhausted sounding "Boof" in agreement, as he too settled into place on the ship near Villonah; the glamour that masked his true form slowly restoring itself during the trip. With that, Doozey then got to work on sailing the ship, only rarely calling in the assistance of the others as need be.

(OOC: The previous roll here determines how successful the boat ride is, including the level of tranquility during it.)

As Utar share a piece of his mind, Doozey guides the boat forward, Villonah tends to a recovering Biscuit, and Raist patches some of his wounds.

-> Utar recovers 70 HP.

-> Raist recovers 11 HP. 

-> Villonah recovers 11 HP (rolled interactively in her sheet/game log -> just one Hit Dice.)

(OOC: Pausing here to give @drache a chance to take a rest as well.)

Neya will sit on the deck and rest.

Hit dice (7 of 9 monk HD):  58

As Doozey begins the ship's approach to one of the unused smaller docks in the residential district, Neya finishes patching her own wounds. (Neya recovers 58 HP.)

As the ship gets nearer and nearer to the dock, each of you see something of interest near the base of the dock:

-> Utar notices some movement and hears the slightest of noises; there are at least three humanoids there (passive perception).
-> Doozey can tell that they are trying to hide and/or take cover (passive survival).
-> Neya's eyes meet the gaze of one of the people on the dock. She recognizes fear on their face (passive insight).
-> Raist notices that one of them is wearing the red-striped apron he recognizes as being worn by the staff of local bakery (passive history). 

Your ship is not yet docked. How would you like to proceed? 

Utar's focus instantly snaps to the humanoids hiding near the base of the dock.  He tries to gauge their intent or at the very least see if any of them have daubed vile green paint across their bodies.

Perception - 15

Looking to the other members of CRAP, he points to their hiding places.

Short of catching a whiff of fear-stink, or in having Neya point out her own insights, Doozey lowly growls out a word in Sylvan that has Biscuit immediately sitting up at attention, lingering fatigue be damned. "Seems got welcome party. Can't say how many, but I know where they've hidden. I'm... gonna bring us in all the same, but ya'll be ready. If they're try'na ambush us, let's make shore they regret it." He quietly says to the rest of the group.

He then waits a beat, if not to give the others time to ready themselves, then at least a chance to voice their own thoughts. But without a strict request to forestall docking altogether, he makes proceed good on his word bringing the ship the rest of the way...

"<>one seems<><>to ne wearing<><> and apron<><>from <><>that bakery <><>what.is it<><> oh yes Drake's cakes<><> which seems <> ironic at<> present."

“They seem to be more frightened than belligerent.”

Utar and Doozey prepare for the worst, based on the information they collect, but Neya's insights and Raist's comments are enough to calm things down a bit. Doozey does not see a reason for delaying the docking procedure, and Utar all but guarantees this is no ambush by confirming the absence of any green paint on the three humanoids as the boat approaches. This is not to say that this couldn't turn dangerous nonetheless. 

Two humans and one halfling come out of their hiding spots, and the shorter of the trio sighs loudly in a defeated manner: "They see us..." The male human springs backward and tries to sound threatening: "You there. Do not invade our city. Shooo Shooo!" A moment passes before the lady of the bunch speaks up: "Oh, I recognize the elf... they are the librarian who comes by every so often to get fresh bread in the mornings... always the same order: draco-buns with a smattering of firebreath jam!"

The human man doesn't back down: "And so what... so many of our own have turned coat. This librarian of yours can also be your murderer!" The halfling male shrugs and agrees: "He's not wrong." The male duo stare CRAP down while the lady seems more amicable. You can see on their faces that they are deciding whether to run or get ready to fight for their lives.

Your turn!

"At ease, ya'll, at ease. If'n we wanted to hurt ya, we could've just as well had done so from ashore, or, well, ya know... kept a better secret of knowing ya'll were there? At least 'till better positioned to deal with ya." Doozey said in assurance with Biscuit wearily Boof'ing agreement.

-Persuasion: 13. (if needed)
(And if assisted, here's the adv. roll: 25)

Whether they believe his words or not, the halfling persisted in following through with getting the boat docked in place, and trusted Raist to 'pull up anchor once all were safely on dry land. "But speak'n of invaders. Where ya'll last see any? And were there any other folk look'n to find a way outta town? Or ya'll just hanging here hope'n to be missed or somethin?"

"We don't serve that worm and none of us are covered in green!"

Utar resists the impulse to strike his palm off his own forehead, of course, everyone is paranoid now. Pointing at the front of his own tabard, he brushes the remnants of their battle at the docks from it.

"Look! I serve Torm, and I would vouch for my fellows. If you mean us no harm, we mean you no harm, we might even be able to help."

(OOC Does this count as help or do I need my own check?)