Wick regales Captain and the crew with the first little bit (no more than twelve verses, or so) of the Ballad of Wick Stumbleduck. You want action? Oh, buddy, there's action. Romance? Absolutely. A sneaky little verse about besting a cantankerous sea Captain at her own game? Well, it's all in good fun...

Performance (rolled in discord): 24

And the crowd loves it, the ship is humming the tune for hours after the performance and the name of Wick grows in fantastical stature. Even the captain has a good laugh at her own expense. The time passes joyfully as the ship travels deeper into these drifting coral fields. The fog however is becoming more dense, so it’s something to consider as the group continues. In the distance, what sounds similar to ape-like screeching can be heard. While to the sides of you, the mist pools around your ship.

(I mean, let's go?)

You are actually traveling. You’ve drifted deeper into this territory.

Wick stands at the starboard bow, staring into the mist. One hand scratching Captain's ear, he pushes a thought to the rest of his team. "So, this looks inauspicious... What's the game plan, game planners?"

Perception: 9

As Dahme’dre observes the captain, she notices a couple of things. She sees that the captain has recovered from the intense jump and is able to easily pilot the vessel. It would seem that the burst of jumping takes a great deal out of the pilot. She also recalls, as well, that the small ship that you had “obtained” did not have anything of the sort. It is possible that it is a custom modification that Thuluku has implemented into her ship’s design.

Meanwhile, Dahme’dre, as you look the captain over, you feel a sense of dread hit you in the gut. Not from her, but there’s something else, something off. 

Dahme'dre seeks Guidance from as she braces herself ready to defend against incoming attack. (Dodge).

 "Something's wrong!" she exclaims to Thuluku.

As you turn your head to say that, you trip slightly, stumbling just a hair’s breadth as a foot-long spike embeds itself in the wall. If not for that stumble, the spike would have been a direct hit. However, that is the least of your worries, as the sound of cracking wood echoes across the ship. Turning your gaze upward, you realize exactly what causes that sinking feeling. A large, leonine creature hangs on the mast, feline claws digging into the wood. Two large, bat-like wings extend outward from its powerful back. Meanwhile, a fanged, baboon-like maw stares down at you, Dahme’dre, with hungry eyes. It’s lips are is almost peeled back over it’s face to bare its fangs toward you. Besides this, two things stand out to you. The first is it’s odd coloration, a base blue with several black streaks covering its body, yet there are bright blue markings at its face. Meanwhile, the second and most notable trait of this creature is the absolutely massive trunk of a tail that the creature curves like a scorpion. At the end of the tail are many, many more of those foot-long, spear-like spines. It growls down to you in broken mimicry, “Huuuumaaannn..." Then, you hear it in stereo, “Huuumaaan...” As two other of these creatures crawl up both the side of the ship and the back of the helm where Thuluku is. She backs up, cursing and summoning her strange weapon. They begin to close in, growling and chittering like apes as they do. Thuluku calls down, “This isn’t good! Manticores! A portal must’ve pulled a troop into the plane! You four handle the two down there, I’ll handle this one!”

With that... Roll Initiative!

Dahme'dre grips her staff firmly. "Oh good. It's just monsters from the void between dimensions. Here, I was worried." (Initiative: (3)17, Mondra'Goran: 8)

The air swirls 'round Dahme'dre rustling her Cloak with her Thaumaturgy.

On her initiative, Dahme'dre will Bless Thuluku, herself, and Alijurn (assuming he's on deck) with El'iam's grace, and back away, unless she feels that she is in the monsters reach. She'll stand her ground if it avoids granting the creature an Opportunity to strike.

On his initiative Mondra'Goran will lift from his place in Dah'medre's hair and attempt to Help the next attack against the creature by diving past its face to distract it.

Great! I will say that, for the purposes of actual combat, it is only you four against two manticores. You can still bless Thuluku, but she and the manticore are in the background so to speak.

(If Wick and Alijurn are on deck She'll give them the spell then.)

I’ll say it’s all hands on deck, so you may certainly bless them. I’ll allow them to decide where they are.

(Rolls made on discord)

Initiative: 20

Wick, standing on the bow of the ship with Captain, rolls out a string of vicious mockery. He focuses primarily on the monster's face (and is far more clever about it than Adaxter feels at the moment).

Damage: 4 (psychic) WIS save DC: 13

(With a face like that it's too easy. But the low hanging fruit isn't as rewarding.)

Alijurn has been sitting practicing rigorously at his ship-knot tying skills for most of the time they've spent drifting after the jump. As the manticores board the ship he quickly grabs his mace.
Initiative: 8
He shouts at the two manticores. "Approach!" the dragon bellows as he casts Command (2nd lvl to hit both, wis 12). 

Manticore 1 In.: 22

Manticore 2 In.: 23

List:

Manticore 2

Wick

Manticore 1

Dahme’dre+Mon

Ashe+Cupcake

Alijurn

The second manticore, the one that climbed up the side of the ship prowls toward you all, “Give... huuuumaan... juicy... sweet... huuumaan...” Seeing the group advantage, the manticore takes flight 50 feet in the air. As it does, it’s tail whips toward Alijurn, Wick, and Dahme’dre and three foot-long spices are launched toward them!

A: Attack: 18 Damage: 10 piercing

W: Attack: 18 Damage: 10 piercing

D: Attack: 10 Damage: 8 piercing

However, the attack goes wide as the three of you deftly move out of the way. Alijurn doesn’t even need to move as he holds his shield out past him and catches the spike like a magnet.

Wick is up next against Manticore 1 (Wis: 15). Wick manages to weave a perfectly worded insult toward the creature’s face, which isn’t all that difficult to find material on! As he says it, one of its many, many teeth falls out. The creature’s attention is now split between its favorite meal and the bard that just compared its face to something that need not be repeated.

The first manticore is now up. Though his attention is diverted, he knows what he wants. He leaps toward Dahme’dre in a frenzy, claws and fangs bared and ready to rend her flesh from her bones!

Bite: 7 Damage: 6 piercing

Claws: 12 Damage: 6 slashing

Claws: 24 Damage: 6 slashing

As it leaps toward Dahme’dre, the manticore gets a mouthful of staff as she just nails it right in the face. Backing up and screeching, it claws at her, but is deflected by that same staff! However, as Dahme’dre recovers from two heavy blows, the claws of the beast rake toward her, just barely catching her blocking forearms.

Despite this, Dahme’dre blesses herself, Wick, and Alijurn

Ashe is up next.

Dahme'dre raises her staff to block, producing a Shield to turn the attack away.