(G495 01/10/2022 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, KT) LR56

 
(G495 01/10/2022 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, KT) LR56

[Myself and Dak have landed on and are fighting the crew of the  Black Mirror, the last of the three xebec ships that had attacked the Lost Refuge.]


DAY 569 (23rd  Eleint) (September) cont ...

I banked over the ship and gained altitude, a distant bird was of no interest to the pirates who were currently being beset by a half-orc barbarian, a giant squid and a dinosaur.

I started firing up a 'Call Lightning Storm' spell, with the intention of trying to winkle them out from behind their barrier. The seas were calm and there was hardly a cloud in the sky, so there would be no help from nature to strengthen the lightning, but even as it was the bolts would still be pretty lethal if they hit.

While I did that Dak had entered the captain's cabin but then came back out again. Through the glistening wall that circled the main mast he was watched by three wary members of the crew. I landed and joined Dak and was immediately targeted by the Captain and his blasted anti-magic wand. Now we were both hit! Myself and Dak had ten feet radius circles of a magic-nulling field around eash of us.

The pirates attacked and I suddenly felt very vulnerable, defending myself only with my very limited  fighting skills. I felt dull and slow without the aid of all my various magical items and effects. Still,  the Giant Squid was still there and even better, the lightning storm I had conjured above the ship was still active.

Dak went below to fight some of the other crew and I was left on deck, ducking and weaving, fighting and running from the captain and two other pirates and trying to lure them into range of the squid  and the lightning bolts. I narrowly avoided being stabbed in the back as the captain manoeuvred behind me and I jumped down from the poop deck to the main deck. As they rushed to try and get me the squid managed to catch one of them by the leg and then pounded him to death with its tentacles.
The captain too was hit by its flailing attacks, but still followed. I went down the hatch looking to hide behind Dak.
It was just as chaotic down here, and unable to defend myself against all of them I left Dak to it and run up the ladder again to the main deck. The summoned squid disappeared and I saluted it with my scimitar as it faded away - it had saved my life for sure. The pirates that were still up here were sheltering behind the barrier again and I called down some lightning, but it seemed to disappear as it went down into it.

Dak returned to the main deck and shrugged.
'They are hiding behind the ward down below too, shall we just wait them out?' he asked. My blood was up though and tired of all this running and jumping about as I was, I wanted to see the job through.
'There must be a way to get that barrier down,' I grumbled as I went into the captain's cabin. I gave it a good search, but found no clues, then I went down below to the other cabin, but with the same result.

I returned to the main deck and asked Dak to chop a hole in it, which he did. He dropped down but he was still on the other side of the barrier.
'Hmm,' I pondered and rubbed my chin.
As I considered our options, Dak climbed the aft mast and once he was up started winding up for a jump.
I knew he was pretty springy, but I wondered if had met his match. Coming crashing into the barrier at falling speed would probably be bad, but I said nothing, not wanting to put him off.

He took three steps along the beam then hurled himself over the barrier and came crashing down onto the pirates by the main mast. He landed with a crunch and before they could react he had already filleted one with his falchion.

I wanted to help so started looking at the pirate corpses on my side of the barrier. I noticed they all wore similar amulets so I tried touching the wall while wearing one. It didn't work and terrible pain went right up my arm.

The pirates had all scattered again and Dak climbed back up the mast. I popped my head down the hatch and saw that the three that remained alive (including the captain) after all the mad  fighting and leaping about were sheltering behind the barrier there.

Dak was tired and looked fed up, but I was determine to finish this while I still had the lightning storm at my command.
'Wait over on that side of the ship, Dak old pal!' I called up at him. 'I'm going to smoke them out!'

I found some oil and rags and when they were lit I tossed them down the aft hatch. Coughing and spluttering the Captain was the first to come up the forward hatch and I hit him with a lightning bolt that frazzled him to a crisp.
'Take that you bugger!' I cheered.
The other two could stand the smoke only a little longer and were dispatched by my lightning and Dak's falchion. No quarter was asked for and none was given.

'Right, let's get that fire out!' I yelled and went below. The fire was really raging, but between the two of us we managed to get it under control, with water buckets and blankets until it was nothing more than smoldered blackened beams. All the equipment that had been burnt up we tossed out the portholes.

It was now my duty to eat the Captain's heart so I returned to his corpse, cut it out and gave it a nibble. Dak looked on in disgust, but distasteful as it was I was doing my duty to my fallen friends of the Sharptooth Clan.

After that we had the more pleasant task of looting the ship. We threw the bodies over the side, all except the captain. He was a half-elf and the shape of his skull interested me. I put him aside for later.

There was plenty of treasure onboard, which was great, but we could hardly sail the ship by ourselves so I teleported back to Waterdeep to arrange a crew. I arrived in the OJB and got my brother Corum to use his connections and find me three useful fellows.
This did not take too long as the OJB was a busy place, and after I'd given them 100 gold each we returned to the Black Mirror.

'What now?' asked Dak.
'We can't really go back to Waterdeep,' I replied. 'There might be a few raised eyebrows if we sailed in with a broken deck and fire damage. Let's head for Daggerford, its only a few days away.'


DAY 570 (24th  Eleint) (September)

The three new crewmen seem to manage the ship well enough. I have some knowledge of  sailing so I act as captain.

This evening I removed the former captain's head and boiled off the flesh. His body I committed to the deep.

The skull is indeed an interesting shape. I would greatly like to compare it to a half-orc head, but every time I try and take a closer look at Dak's noggin he backs away and gives me an odd look.


DAY 571 (25th  Eleint) (September)

We had a fair wind and made good time today. Just sailing, we will make repairs  once we have more crew onboard.


DAY 572 (26th  Eleint) (September)

We arrived in Daggerford just as it was getting dark.

I was in need of a drink so we headed to one of the better dockside taverns and had a pretty decent night spending some of the gold we had taken from the pirates.

We returned to the ship to sleep.

DAY 573 (27th  Eleint) (September)

Today was spent going around the usual sort of places to find six more sailors to crew the Black Mirror.

We should really rename the ship now that we own it. The Ember? The Vanquish? The Squid? The Sea Salmon?

I'll need to ask my pirate slaying companion what he thinks.