[Game Thread] Chapter 1: There Is No Honour

[Avelestar]

Jules and Kevot burst below decks, and discover a grim scene unfolding. Three of the smugglers are all facing towards the ship's stern, carefully watching the door to another room and listening to the screams from within. Both animal and human death cries can be heard, along with a bestial roar of triumph and anger. The from out the door skitters a spider like creature, about the size of a pony. The creatures body is dark brown with yellow stripes, its furred legs long and spindle. The front pair of its ten legs rear up threateningly, their tips flattening into terrible discs studded with dozens of hooked suckers. The monster's head is horrifically oversized, dominated by immense mandibles that chatter and clack with obvious hunger and anger.

 

The smuggler closest to you lets fly a crossbow bolt, but it smashes against the beast's hide and it hisses angrily, locking its sites on the closest smuggler, armed only with rapier and buckler. It's the woman from before and she screams in terror "KILL THE DAMN THING, IT JUST ATE RAYNE!!" The trio haven't noticed you yet, and you see that the woman closest to the beast has a rapier and buckler, as does one of the other smugglers, the one closest to you is desperately reloading his crossbow. Meanwhile Herb, Boar and Hubris are all still on deck but can easily hear the screaming from below, and can just make out the shape of the beast through the metal grate.

OOC: Forgot to resize the monster picture, so I just slapped a spoiler on it.

[HarpyBane]

Jules looks up at the beast, his eyes wide "Oh @$*%. This might be a little difficult." He swallows in his throat, and casts a spell, hoping that it works. "Doesn't look much like an animal...but you can never tell what mother nature creates." Gulping again, he finishes his spell.

OOC casting speak with animals...doubting it works, but gonna try.

[Barark]

Herb looks down through the grate to see the size and shape of the monster below. "I an't gunna go down 'ere" he looks around, fixing his gaze on the door oppersite where the others dissapeared, "The rings prob'ly in dere any'how." he makes his way over and swings the door open.

[Avelestar]

Jules quickly casts his spell, and the bestial roaring of the creature becomes more clear, however what he hears isn't very reassuring. "MY TERRITORY!" it screams, "TASTY TASTY!" it cries. With that it leaps onto the closest smuggler, a rapier batted aside by one powerful pedipalp, and the other latching onto the poor soul's back, gripping tightly and drawing him in. With a sickening crunch, the creature bites deeply into the smuggler's skull, blood spurting onto the hull and all over the beast. Dropping his meal, the beast turns his attention to the other two smugglers, as another bolt fails to penetrate his hide. The female smuggler drops her crossbow and draws a shortsword, whilst the other turns to flee...coming face to face with Jules and Kevot behind him "Help us, please!" he begs.

Seeing the action going on below decks, Boar snorts at Herb and says simply "Now that's my kinda fight." Leaving both weapons out, the beardless dwarf moves over to the mast, and jumps down the open hatch, landing with a heavy thud. The beast however is too focused on the foes infront of it to pay any attention.

OOC: Harpy you can make a Knowledge (Nature) check to try and work out what it is, you can do this with any animal you come across and I'll give you little tidbits as to its strengths and weaknesses. Red you can assume that anything Hubris does occurs at roughly the same time Boar jumps below decks, and the first of the 3 smugglers is torn to pieces.

[HarpyBane]

Jules studies the animal, trying to remember anything he can about the odd species.

[Avelestar]

Jules identifies the beast as a Rhagodessa, a fairly simple minded but ferocious creature. They're usually found in small caves or forests, claiming an area for their own, which they fiercely defend. A Rhagodessa's main hunting strategy is to pounce on their foes, and grab them with their strong front legs, or pedipals. These are covered in dozens of tiny hooks and spikes, gripping tightly onto flesh and clothing, from here there's only one place to go....into the beast's mouth. Even if you can manage to escape from the strong pedipalps, the many hooks and spikes tear and rip at your flesh, causing great damage as you pull yourself free.

[Redoak]

The sounds of more death and violence serve to snap Hubris out of the semi-trance he was in after seeing someone killed for the first time. Hoping to avoid more of the same he dashes over to the stairs where Kevot and Jules had descended. A quick inventory of the scene of horror, and hearing the pleas of the smuggler trying to get away from this marauding creature move him.
He thrusts out the top half of his quarterstaff to the smuggler,"If you surrender and co-operate we will protect you, take hold of my staff I will pull you to safety." he shouts with good intentions.

[HarpyBane]

Growling, Jules shouts towards the cleric If you arn't careful, you'll die too! Those spines will stick to you fast, don't let them touch you. Jules then steps over to his right, giving room for the man behind him to step in.

OOC taking a 5 ft step to the right, clearing up the doorway/stairs back up to the deck.

[Barark]

[Prometheus]

A bloody cry flies from the dwarf as he rushes the beast, dropping the flimsy throwing axe to take full grip of the bright, well-crafted Dwarven weapon. Fueled by fury, he charges the monster, and his axe swings true.

OOC Drop 2nd axe to grab waraxe in both hands, rage, charge if possible, move and attack if not. Dice rolled assuming it wasn't. If it was, AC is 14, and attack roll was a 27.

[Askaran]

Kevot throws down his dagger with a frown and hastily draws his greatbow and nocks an arrow, pulling it back and letting loose the slender missile, though in his haste he squared his shoulders to much, causing the string to slam powerfully into his forearm and causing the arrow to plunk uselessly into the wooden deck, a grunt of pain escaping him as a bruise forms up beneath his bracer.

[Avelestar]

Jules steps to one side, and the male rushes past him, accepting Hubris' staff and is pulled to safety up the stairs. He stands behind the wizard, and looks longingly up at the stairs to the deck...but pulls out a crossbow and loads a bolt, swallowing with a heavy gulp. The burly shape of Boar can be made out in the flickering torch lights, as he leaps down the stairs, steps around the mast with a heavy thunk and then explodes into action, bringing his axe down on the rhagodessa's rear, cracking through the tough carapace. The beast screams in agony, and spins around to face this new threat...leaving himself open to an attack from the female smuggler. However her rapier doesn't seem to make a mark, sliding off the carapace.

Kevot looses an arrow, but misses due to the smuggler pushing his way past him and an error in his firing stance. Wounded but not down, the rhagodessa tries to grab onto the barbarian with its pedipalps, the hooks glinting wickidly in the flickering light of the hold. Luckily these miss, but Boar leaves himself open for a nasty bite on the shoulder as he dodges away from the grabbing limbs. (11 Damage)

OOC: Prom I'm going to give you the charge, as I probably should have had Boar double move last turn anyway. Enjoy Harpy what cleric, just a typo?

[HarpyBane]

Jules stays back, knowing his blade would probably just scratch at the armor like the smugglers rapier.

OOC yeah. I meant Hubris, my bad.

[Prometheus]

Boar grunts in pain. Even fueled by his anger as he is, he can't take another hit like that. As he dodges to the side, he withdraws the heavy steel shield on his back, and swings again, to much less success this time.

OOC Take out shield, attack.

[Askaran]

Scowling, Kevot draws another arrow, this time ensuring the correct stance as he takes aim at the vicious beast, with a calm breath as he pull back his bow, he takes in the chaotic jumble of noises around him, elven ears twitching somewhat as he lets out half a breath and releases, sending his white-fletched arrow flying towards the beast. letting out grunt of dissapointment as the projecticle glances off its chitnous hide.