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Pantsless Pirates [IC]

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Zahn Cragscale
"Do you know what these amalgamations can do? Magic? Fight with skill or raw power?"

Zahn asked, blunt as always. He did not look away from some strands that had frayed in the net, with a critical eye. Eventually, he put the net away.
 
The Highwind's sails turn, and the ship starts her journey northwards.

"Experience has taught me the amalgams themselves aren't capable of magic. Or good tactics either-but they're usually directed by someone who can do both," Sasha tells you. "Still, I wouldn't rule anything out."
 
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Zahn Cragscale
Zahn nodded his understanding, huffing in exasperation as he poked his calloused finger with the barbed hook that he was threading onto the fishing line.

Before long, he was finished and helped wherever he could in order to make the ship run smoothly: but when the time came that freed up most of the crew during the straight voyage, weather permitting, he took out his fishing gear once more to spend the time of the journey fishing, at least until it came time for him to set his head down to sleep.

Even if he aimed to replenish the pantry with some fresh fish, the lizardkin had an open ear and would converse with anyone who wished to have a chat, or asked him a favor, or requested a task of him.
 
Nanbako listened saying "Well, only one thing for it. Lets go on another adventure! Strange machine parts, technology no one can understand. I cant wait to get some samples." the Tabaxi said with a wide smile.
 
Penny said:
Joy returns both hugs, sniffing once after she's released. "Thank you," she says softly. "At this point, I shouldn't be shocked by the Hegemon's evil and thirst for domination, but...I'm just not clever enough to predict all their cruelties."

She nods at Sasha. "In Her name, it's my duty and pleasure to deplete their resources however I can. The Spire won't know what hit them."

Joy goes with Helena to the weatherdeck. Once she's under the sky again, she sighs and smiles. "It's a nice breeze today," she says, and if Helena allows it, rests a head on the other woman's shoulder.
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"Tis aye." Helena said simply, her arms still wrapped around the shorter redhead. For a while, she was content to stay silent, enjoying the weather and company. Eventually though, she looked over to Joy.

"Ah'm curious. 'ow come yer 'ere? Ya 'ardly seem the sort fer piracy. Murder'n theft bein' rather anathema to ya." She asked. "Nae judgement, just wonderin's all."
 
You talk for a while longer, your captain taking charge of the ship's travel. The Spire isn't too close, so you've time to prepare in whatever ways you need.

The skies grow dark and storm clouds roll above the Highwind, sending sheets of rain onto her decks. But, her crew is experienced and competent-the storm will not stop you. It does make it a little harder to see the Spire, but at the same time, it'll make it harder for the Highwind to be spotted in return.

With the destination nearly reached, Sasha calls for Kadah, the tabaxi woman having some of the keenest eyes on your ship. She takes a spyglass and starts peering through. "We've got... Two-no, three, patrolling ships. Not sure we're gonna be able to get past without alerting at least one."
 
Helena made her way over to the captain, scowling as she got pelted with rain. The redhead had wrapped a hooded jacket over herself, but there were still icy droplets on her face and neck.
"Reckon ah'n a few others could swim o'er and board one've 'em when we're close!" she shouted, trying to be heard over the storm. "We'd take control 'n the 'ighwind can sail by unseen by 't'others." she suggested.
 
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Zahn Cragscale
Zahn stood on deck in the rain, wearing naught but his cotton, brown-orange vest and his usual cotton loincloth. He also had a leather harness that crossed over his torso and held his moon-touched longsword, sheathed, as well as his warhammer, trident, two handaxes and a quiver of javelins.

His arms were crossed, as his gaze slowly encompassed the two ships in the distance.

"This idea is good. If we take a ship, we can steer it and ram another ship with it, take both out and the third is all alone."

The warrior spoke, illustrating the idea in his head, which was very optimistic all told.
 
The ships are barely visible through the squall and the distance. Sasha laughs at Zahn's suggestion. "Straight to the point as always, Zahn. I trust you four to be the vanguard?"
 
Helena said:
"Ah'm curious. 'ow come yer 'ere? Ya 'ardly seem the sort fer piracy. Murder'n theft bein' rather anathema to ya."
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"I live to serve my Goddess," Joy says, smiling up at Helena, "and so, I live to bring pleasure, leisure, and freedom to those who would seek it and share it. It is my reason for being, my holy purpose."

She keeps one hand around Helena, but sweeps the other arm out across the horizon. "In days past, we were celebrated by both the commons and the...well, maybe not celebrated by the nobility, but accepted. Tolerated, at least. But the Hegemon has no place for sacred hedonism. To those that rule now, all exist only to serve. A person has no value but their toil and their product. The sweat of one's brow and the ache of one's back is not the means to a better end, but its own reward."

She grimaces and turns away, gripping the taffrail. "The Hegemon steals the colour and music of life. It reduces its people to tools. I...She can't abide it. Though I know it's strange to fight in her name, there's no way but rebellion to protect what's good in life. The meaning of life. Service in Captain Sasha's ship is the best way I've found to do that."

She smiles and leans her head on Helena's shoulder again. "Besides, this crew understands Her holy words as well as any temple I've seen, even those that had never heard them."


Joy squints against the rain, holding one hand up over her face. Her white shirt is plastered to her skin, translucent with wet. "We've surprise on our side, but we're still facing three alone."

She turns to Sasha. "It'll take my most powerful magics, Captain, but I can summon a powerful wind - ten miles an hour, enshrouding myself, but wide enough to push sail at my direction. Would it help us?"
 
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Zahn Cragscale
Zahn's eyes squinted and his eyelids crinkled, as they always did when he 'smiled'. All shipmates knew what his expressions meant, even if other kindred might not, if they had little experience with lizardfolk.

"I am ready, just give the order."

And, given that he was at the top of skilled swimmers, when it came to the crew, none could doubt that he would be able to swim and catch up to the ships in the distance.

His feat, when he jumped into a freak whirlpool a couple moons past to rescue a drifting fisherman, had not yet been forgotten.
 
"Right... Take one of the tenders, and sneak in using the weather," Sasha tells you. "We'll stay on the edge, and once we see the chaos unfolding, the Highwind will come in and help mop up."

You four go to the the smaller vessels, lowering one to the choppy seas below, and following yourselves soon after. You start off, the salty sea spraying into your faces.

Give me a check, from one of you. Let's say... Strength, adding proficiency if you have sea vehicle proficiency and adding it again if you have Stealth proficiency.
Whoever isn't doing it can Help, letting you roll with advantage.
 
Helena lowered herself into the boat and put a hand on the tiller, ready to steer them in.
"Zahn, oars, row'n command! Joy, be ready ta back 'im up if 'e needs it! Nanbako, eyes on our quarry, call out distance 'n direction! Tell me if it looks like they've been alerted!" She ordered, making sure everyone knew their jobs. She gave Nanbako her orb of direction so the tabaxi had a reference for where they were going.

"Joy, Nanbako, be ready on the bailin' buckets, if we take on too much water we're goin' ta 'ave a royally shite day." Helena ordered, turning the tiller to keep them on course for the patrol ship they were heading for. She timed orders to row so that whenever possible their movement was obscured by large waves and sea spray.

19 + 10 =29

Ik Helena's the one doing the str check but I wanted to flavour it like a team effort since I'm getting help action'd.
 
Joy and Nanbako keep the boat mostly clear of water. Your feet are thoroughly soaked, but the steady efforts of the two women prevent any risk of capsizing.
Zahn's strong muscles keep the tender moving quickly, while Helena's directions and intuition keep them hidden behind wavetops and sheets of rain.

You all work seamlessly together, getting quieter as you approach near to the enemy ship. You hear the sounds of orders being shouted up top, though it's not quite so many as you'd normally expect. But, when all is said and done, you find yourselves at the base without having been spotted.
 
Nanbako took her position taking the orb and looking it over for a bit in general interest.Giving directions and ready on the buckets, the Tabaxi wasnt too keen about all the wet fur but it seemed they had made it to the base without being spotted. THe feline felon stretched and handed the orb back to Helena. "So how are we getting in without getting spotted?"
 
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Zahn Cragscale
When the orders came, the lizardfolk was ready: he deftly got into the boat and went on to man the oars, as was expected. And, just as in the vast majority of cases where he had to man the oars, he did a good job of following the directives coming from the head navigator, Helena.

Swiftly, their smaller vessel approached the closest enemy ship and it seemed like it all worked splendidly: their target continued on its way with no apparent clue as to the pirates' presence.

"We have gotten here, now we must quickly beat the enemy and take control of their ship."

Zahn spoke, softly, as to not give away the game before it could even begin in earnest.
 
Joy sweeps her wet hair back and blinks rainwater out of her eyes. Her clothes, soaked through, are plastered to her skin, and her nipples poke clearly through her shirt and chest wrapping from the cold. Despite it all, she looks at the others with a look of fierce determination, confident eagerness in her eyes.

"I know little of subterfuge or strategy!" she says quietly, but firmly. "Best I not plan the attack. But once it begins, not one of you will fall while I draw breath!"
 
"Let's see if we cannae get up there quiet like before we start a foight. If they're nae expectin' us we can do mere damage." Helena said, as she began climbing up the side of the ship, a dagger clutched in her teeth, ready for use. Hugging the side she climbed, slow, quiet, and careful, before poking her head up to have a looksie while staying hidden. This was some proper piracy, and she felt her heart begin to race at the idea of taking the ship. She glanced around, seeing if she could spot the captain or an officer to target first, kill them and she'd slow down the response once things got loud.

Athletics: 15+2 =17

Stealth: 10+ 7 =17

Perception: 5+5 =10
 
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Zahn Cragscale
Rivulets of water cascaded in many very tiny rivers in the crevices made by the lizardkin's scales, as he approached the ship and set his hands down, interlacing the fingers of one hand with the other's.

That way, his crewmates could put their feet on his hands and he could boost them up tremendously, almost allowing them to jump straight onto the deck, if they so desired.

Once everyone was up, he followed suit: muscles bulged, as his hands gripped tight the ropes on the side of the ship, to allow those that fell overboard to hold on for dear life. Pulling, he reached up for the next rung made of hemp fibre, before one of the previous ones gave out with a snap. Thankfully, the rope breaking was covered up by the crashing of waves against the keel and the hull of the ship, while the barbarian recovered from this misstep and clambered up and to his feet on deck, crouching slightly and trying to put the bulk of the middle mast between himself and one crewmember of the enemy ship that he had spotted, as he got up and into position.

Athletics: 4 + 8 = 12
Stealth: 14 + 5 = 19
Perception: 18 + 4 = 22
 
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You surmount the side of the ship, with Zahn's eyes seeing best. There's three sailors immediately apparent to him, two at the central mast and one at the helm. He also sees, after a moment of disbelief, what looks like a dozen chained... Captives?

They're anchored to a small indent in the deck, thoroughly secured by chains, but they're not resisting. They're barely moving at all, just swaying with the storm.
 
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Zahn Cragscale
Like lightning striking from a blue, cloudless sky, Zahn whipped his head back towards the seeming prisoners for a double-take: displeased, a hiss escapes from his scaled muzzle. He motioned for his three allies to stop and wait, speaking his mind a moment later.

"Look over there: prisoners huddle together, I think. We can't sink these ships before getting them out of the way!"

As always, the young lizardkin advocated to do the right thing, despite how difficult it would be to get these people out of the line of fire and to safety. Next, his pointer finger went on to warn Joy, Helena and Nanbako with a few more hushed words, covered from the enemy by the heavy rain: "I think we have important crewmates to take out there and there: do you see them?"
 
"I see them," says Joy, crouching beside Zahn. "Only three on deck - the rest must be sheltering from the storm. We have the advantage, but we can't allow them to call for their crewmates!

"My magic is precise. I can fight without risking the prisoners."
 
"We need ta find a way, signal the 'ighwind. If 'ey attack, them poor bastards're dead. First thing though... on me mark."
As Helena 'spoke', she climbed a little higher up the side to get a pick of her quarry. She looked down to the others, that familiar wild grin on her face. The effect was likely exaggerated by the storm, plastering her hair to her face and blowing it wildly around, that, and the knife in her teeth probably helped too.
"Ah'll make a scene an' get 'ere attention. 'it 'em fer the arse end. They'll nae expect ye. Yer a good fighter lad, dinnae let me die."
(Bardic inspiration, 1d8)

With a quick nod to the group, Helena threw herself over the railing on to the weatherdeck. As she flew through the air for a brief moment, she flung the knife at one of the sailors. It impacted at the same time she hit the deck. Drawing her cutlass, the tall redhead glanced over all three of the crew and swaggered toward them.
"Stand and deliver ye feckless dogs! Ah'll be takin' this 'ere prize now. Whether ye be breathin' when me flag's raised over the mast be up ta ye! This be the only quarter ah'll offer." She shouted, making sure she was heard over the wind.

Attack with a thrown dagger:

d20 adv (11, 18) +7 = 25
1d4 (1) + 4 + 3d6 (2, 3, 5) = 15

Also, bonus action, bardic insp to Zahn.

Sadly I'm not a valour bard so it's not as directly useful.

Also, ooc question. Don't suppose I could sneak a persuasion or intimidation check in to get them to surrender?
 
You can try, but it'd be DC 30 or so.

One of the sailors goes down, the dagger cutting a gash into his side. The other two's heads whip to face Helena, with a muttered "Shit!" from one of them.
 
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