Chapter 2: Rites of Passage

[Darren]

"Sometimes the battlefield is not as clear as we'd like it to be, Amal. And sometimes the needs of the mission require expediency more than honor. It's the greater good, Amal." For a brief moment, Kal stops sawing at the rope as he seems to drift into memory. "Some of the things we had to do during the war for the greater good...." Coming back to himself, Kalarian shakes his head and returns to sawing at the rope.

[Jeremy]

Goran, who of course remembered to grab his bow and anything else to hand, dashes aboard the ship, glancing this way and that to

be sure the rest of his companions are aboard. Stowing the bow as normal, with a mighty swing of his sword Goran severs the last lashing line, and calls out when all the lines are cut. He approaches Kal, speaking quietly.

"Even after the fighting I continued to feel that we were being watched, or scried, from afar."

The half-elf looks a question at the Deneith.

"Perhaps it is the burden I carry...we must be on our guard at all times, more so than usual, if that's possible." Goran looks troubled.

"Something is wrong, worse than before. I can feel it."

---

Is anyone else hurt besides Kal? Goran will attempt to heal whomever, if no one is hurt worse than Kal he will offer to help with the leg wound, assuming it is still a major hindrance to him.

[Darren]

"I fear you may be right, ranger," Kal replies. "Since we go to face the man who so desperately wants to get his hands on that which you carry, I suggest you stay further out of the fight if one is to come. Remain at range where your bow can be of most use, and our Master Streko will watch your back, just as we planned."

[Jeff]

"I'll trust your decision," Amal says to Kal.

In under a minute, Mist, Kal, Amal, and Goran manage to sever the large ropes that bind the Thunderhead to the western dock. As soon as the ropes fall free, the soft murmur of the ship's bound elemental increases. The rippling in the air becomes a visible ring of concentrated wind.

Goran thinks it sounds vaguely like the aerial voice he heard when he felt the invisible presence near, but it's not quite the same. Within moments the ship begins to float backward. Most of you have never been on an airship before and the sensation is strange. The deck feels secure and solid, surprisingly smooth in its motions so far...

"Hang on!" Ralsor calls out from the wheelhouse.

...and then the whole ship jerks backwards, forcing you to stumble to recover your balance. "What are we doing?" the half-elven pilot shouts in the rising wind. "Is there a plan in dealing with this enemy of yours? I can get you over there....but then what?"

The female gnome seems extremely nervous, but she huddles off to one side of the ship, keeping everyone else between her and where the "enemy" is supposed to be on the north dock—though they're currently blocked by the tower wall. Mist watches Kal's and Goran's exchange with silent interest.

Kal and Grafth notice that there are ballistae mounted on two sides of the ship, though they seem accessible only from belowdecks. Goran notices that the nearest gondolas is lifting up from the street level.

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Goran has 4 Cure Minor Wound spells available. He needs to decide who, if anyone, he will use these on. Jeremy, go ahead and see Kal's and Grafth's hit points in my signature to see who you think needs it most.

If anyone has any questions about what things look like or how they work (airship, elemental-powering, docking tower gondolas, etc.), please just let me know in the discussions thread. I'd like to make sure you can all get a good visual of what things look like.

[Darren]

Kalarian places his hands on the railing of the ship, looking down at the ground below him. As he turns, he runs both hands across his head, smoothing down his hair as he thinks. "I don't know, Ralsor. I haven't had time to formulate a proper plan. I had one, but it blew to pieces when that wall went up and those warforged attacked." As he did during the original planning session, Kalarian begins to pace again. "We know that this man, this employer, usually rides a dragonhawk. I see you have these fine weapons aboard," he says, referring to the large ballistae, "perhaps we can have someone man them, ready to shoot down the beast? If we can trap this enemy on the platform, stuck between us and the ice wall that he meant to use to keep others out, perhaps we can corner him and force some information out of him." He strides closer to Ralsor, but keeps his voice so everyone can hear. "I will not lie to you. I have a feeling we may be out-manned here. I fear their magic may be stronger than ours and their resources greater, but my friends, we have little choice. Action has been thrust upon us and we have no choice but to act."

Kalarian leaves the thought hanging in the air a moment. He walks once again to the railing, looking at the ascending gondola, trying to see who might be aboard. He turns back to his companions with a grin. "Shall we see what fate has in store for us?"

[Jeremy]

Goran nods at Kal's point about staying back. "That was my plan earlier, but things rarely go as planned, something we both know from the field of battle..." he finishes in a mutter, "...something I'd like to forget."

The half-elf then chuckles and turns away from Ralsor at his question, waving his hand towards Kal.

"Yea, talk to the Denieth, he's the planner." he snorts, but good-naturedly. He walks over towards the ballista and begins to inspect it, in case he needs to use it.

---

Jeff, is there a ballista that points anywhere near the gondola platform?

Also, I will use one spell on Grafth and one on Kal, if they want it.

[Darren]

Yes, please!

DM Edit: Goran has healed Kal 1 hit point.

[Jeff]

In order to speak with Ralsor as he pilots the ship, at minimum Kal needs to move to the base of the steps that lead up to the wheelhouse. Otherwise, they'd have to shout at one another to be heard.

When the Deneith heir finishes speaking, Ralsor grunts a reply from atop the steps. "Unfortunately, there's no time to show you how to operate the ballistae...and they haven't seen much use in a while, so they'd need to be cleaned and adjusted. Listen, friend...once we're past dealing with whatever this is, you're going to let me borrow that dragonshard for my troubles."

"Ralsor, what's going on?" says a new voice, which only Kal is close enough to hear. He turns to see a woman in along, black and gray skirt emerge from the steps below. She looks shrewdly at Kal. "Who are these people?"

"Get below, Misha," Ralsor says. "Things could get...strange."

[Josh]

At Goran's offer for healing, the shifter merely nods his thanks. He moves to where Kal and the pilot are speaking. To Ralsor he says, "You've more experience in aerial tactics than any of us will be... is there a way to box them in?" He looks to Kalarian, "Perhaps there's a way to get close enough for some of us to make it to the dock? Our first priority is to get Pel back- without the information she's obtained, this whole endeavor will be pointless."

[Jeff]

Ralsor blows out a sigh of frustration. "Yeah, well....I can get you close. Close enough to jump onto the dock, if that's what you mean. I take it you have no fear of heights? It can be dizzying if you're not used to doing this sort of thing."

The gnome woman timidly steps out from where she's trying to stay out of the way. She looks at the newcomer—the human Ralsor called "Misha"—with a quick, inspective glance. Then she approaches Grafth.

"Sir," she says in a tone that seems to Grafth a tad bit forced, "I can help your injury. I...I do have a spell I can use."

[Joe]

Streko removes a handful of darts from his haversack and races to the edge of the airship, hoping to spot Pel.

He looks down at the darts in his hand and shakes his head.

"This should inspire fear in the enemy," he mutters. "I feel completely useless here."

Streko goes over to Kal. "I am out of spells and these paltry darts are all I have to assist in a...HA...long range battle. Is there anything I can do aside from adding my weight to this vessel?"

[Jeff]

Mist walks over to Streko. "Ralsor d'Lyrandar has hired me to defend this airship, and I assume him to refer to its crew and passengers as well. I will defend you, Streko Tavven, if that is your wish. Stay near to me. I am trained for reconnaissance, not battlefield tactics or bodyguard defenses." She reaches into her cloak and produces two more daggers, holding them out, handle first, to Streko. "You may use these, if you like. They are expendable."

The airship continues to withdraw from the west dock...when at last the nose of the ship clears the edge of the dock, the air elemental ring turns the whole northwards. "It might help me to know who we are fighting. You can tell me why later."

[Jeremy]

Goran nods and pulls off his bow, nocking an arrow on the string and searching for a likely target. He is focusing now, and he will take his time.

[Darren]

Kalarian shouts to Streko. "Just watch Goran's back. Don't let anything happen to him." Turning back to Ralsor, he continues, "I don't KNOW who we are fighting, d'Lyrander. If I did, I'd tell you. You have all the information I do. We need to be wary of a dragonhawk, and that's all I know. That, and I BELIEVE that man may be Malov ir'Turian, if that name means anything to you. Now, how quickly can we make those ballistae work?"

[Jeff]

"Give up the ballistae notion," Ralsor says. "There's no time. It'll take me ten minutes to give you even the basics. And you're in a hurry now, aren't you?"

[Joe]

Streko returns the darts to his haversack and takes the proffered daggers from the Warfroged.

"Thank you. I am tasked with keeping my half-elf friend safe from attack and will stay with him. You do what you need to do. Your assistance will not be forgotten by myself or my friends."

With that, Streko returns to Goran's side. "I stand behind you, Goran, at your service. Should you need more medium ranged weapons, I have a couple at your disposal that were recently made...expendable." He juggles one of the daggers, hilt down, on a stubby finger. "Should things get close, I prefer my sickle, but these can be thrown...and you are better at that than I!"

Streko begins to pray for Olladra's blessing in the coming battle and for the safety of his friend Pellorian.

[Jeff]

Ralsor turns the wheel and the elemental shifts its current...the airship pitches northward, and the nose of the vessel nearly clips the top of the gondolas. Within seconds, the ship has drifted further north, rounding the corner of the docking tower...

...and the north dock comes into view. Three figures, predictably, stand there: the Aundairian nobleman, a wand in his hand, the blond scholar, and the commander-that-is-Pel. The two men look skyward, but Pel is sharp-eyed and spots the airship first. Nevertheless, the other two soon look over to see the Thunderhead drift in close.

The nobleman searches the dark sky around them...

[Darren]

"Don't you have any crew aboard this gods forsaken ship?" Kalarian shouts in frustration. "Fine, just put us between the dock and the rider when he comes. If he runs, we follow. Is there a rope we can get over the side to Pel to pick her up?"

[Jeff]

"If you want off this godsforsaken airship, be my guest, sir!" Ralsor answers, just as annoyed. "I'm following your bloody plan, d'Deneith! Do I look like a rutting warlord to you?!"

"Yes," he adds. "There's rigging in the forecastle, right in front of you."

Leaving the ship floating where it is, he thunders down the steps. "If you can get your friend back—whoever she is—I can make life difficult for them afterwards..."

[Darren]

It's hard to tell from Kal's expression whether he likes Ralsor or not. "Bring the ship around to the other dock, then. Let's see about getting Pel on board. Like I said...if the dragonhawk rider appears and runs, we follow him." Running towards where Ralsor indicated, Kalarian waves Amal over. "Help me with the rigging. Grafth," Kalarian yells, "stay by us. I imagine we won't get this done without a fight. Goran, you cover us with your bow." Now Kalarian grins again. "We'll get her back."

[Jeff]

"The 'other' dock?" Ralsor snaps. "There's three others, if you recall. Would you care to take the wheel and take us precisely where you want to?"

So far the men on the north dock have made no moves against the ship, but they are fully aware of the sudden scrambling of a couple people aboard. Pel is doing an excellent job of seeming one of them. She seems to be speaking something to her "fellows."

Amal joins Kal, rushing into the storage room in the forecastle of the ship. Among miscellaneous other gear, Kal does indeed spot coils of rope.

Ralsor steps into the room as well and lifts a tarp over a dusty crate. "Here!" he says, "These might be serviceable." He lifts a pair of heavy crossbows which look like they've seen better days and old, old battles. "Who wants a weapon!?" he calls out to anyone, almost laughing.

_____________________________

Just FYI: Heavy crossbows are considered "simple" weapons. They have range increments of 120 ft., deal 1d10 damage, and threaten to critical on a roll of 19 or 20.

[Darren]

"Dammit, d'Lyrander! Don't argue semantics with me right now. If you want to run this operation, stop asking me stupid questions. Otherwise just shut up and do what I ask you to do!"

As the half-elf lifts the crossbows, though, Kalarian's mood changes. "Now you're talking, you cantankerous bastard!" Kalarian grins wickedly as the weapons. "Yeah, these just might work. Mist!" he bellows. "Grab one of these, will you?" Kalarian almost can't help from laughing with joy.

[Josh]

"Sir," she says in a tone that seems to Grafth a tad bit forced, "I can help your injury. I...I do have a spell I can use."

Grafth inspects the gnome for a moment, trying to understand why she seems familiar. "I'm alright for the moment, but you have my thanks. The fight has only just begun, and I... or one of my other companions, may need more serious healing very shortly. Keep your spell at the ready."

"Help me with the rigging. Grafth," Kalarian yells.

Grafth helps Kalarian with the rigging. "Someone should be looking out for the dragonhawk rider," he says, moving to the port side of the ship in an attempt to get a better view of the airspace north of the docking tower.

[Jeremy]

Goran, keeping his eye on potential targets, yells back loud enough to hear, to the others.

"Be quick with that rope, and don't bother with the others, just get our friend. I'll shoot down anyone who hinders you. And no, I need no crossbow!"

He then speaks in a lower tone to Streko.

"Good to have you watching my back, friend. Yea, I could probably throw the dagger with some skill, but I'm better with this." He uncurls and curls his hand on the grip of his beloved bow.

"You fight with what feels most reliable for you. That's the best way to have a chance of success."

[Joe]

Streko nods at Goran's words. "Thank you, my friend. Until things get more dangerous, perhaps I should keep an eye out for that Dragonhawk. You can alert me if you need immediate assistance and I will never be far away."

He slips the daggers back into his haversack, adding them to his inventory and returns the sickle back into his grip.

He will keep an eye out for the Dragonhawk until otherwise told not to.

[Jeff]

The gnome nods at Grafth's words and lingers near the stairs down, where the woman, Misha, has now gone below.

"Order your friends around," Ralsor mutters to Kal, "but not me." He kicks over a large box of quarrels.

Mist enters the storage room and takes one of the heavy crossbows and a handful of bolts. Then she exits. Ralsor follows her, carrying one of the crossbows but offering it out to anyone else who wants it.

Kal and Amal together carry a heavy coil of rope—it's hard to say how long it is, but you suspect it would at least reach to the street level, which is sixty feet down. Grafth joins them, readying the rope.

The Aundairian nobleman sneers when he sees the rope carried out. He waves his hand in an arcane gesture and shouts into the wind. Almost immediately the rope in Grafth's, Kal's, and Amal's hands wriggles as if alive and begins to enwrap them. Even as they struggles to evade the writhing coil, Kal recognizes from the man's words which spell he cast (see below). Grafth and Amal manage to step free of the flailing rope, but Kal is caught in the middle of it, temporarily snarled in it.

Streko sees no sign of a dragonhawk, but then it is late at night and there are no lights in the sky beyond the Thunderhead and a few of Passage's towers.

_______________________

• Spellcraft checks = Kal (22), Streko (5). Kal identifies the spell as Animate Rope.
  
• Reflex save = Grafth (21, success), Kal (13, failure), Amal (19, success). Kal is currently entangled. Each round he will be able to make an Escape Artist check to attempt to get free of the rope. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it. Kal moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Dexterity. Any attempts to cast a spell while entangled requires a successful Concentration check (DC 15 + the spell’s level) or the spell is lost.

Turn-based mode has begun, though not actual attacks have yet been made. This is the initiative order:

18 = Kal / Tangat
16 = Grafth
15 = gnome
10 = Ralsor / Mist
9 = Nobleman/ scholar / Pel
7 = Goran
6 = Streko
5 = Amal

[Darren]

Kalarian snarls in frustration as he tries to free himself from the rope. "Forget about me for a minute and get a rope over to Pel!" he shouts to his friends. "Mist! Fire on that wizard!"

_____________
Kal will make his check to try to free himself from the rope.

[Jeremy]

Goran has already chimed in: he's ready to shoot anything that causes trouble...

[Joe]

Streko suddenly has an idea...a rare and shocking occurrence to be sure. He turns to Goran.

"I might be able to stun all three of them in one shot. But, the rescue must be quick and your cover fire accurate. What say you?"

Before Goran can reply, Streko reaches into his haversack and removes two thunderstones.

"Pel will also be affected, but better stunned than dead, I always say. If you believe this a sound plan, I will take it to Kal. Otherwise, if we can get close enough, I always have my darts. I'm pretty good with them, or so I've been told." Streko grins wickedly.

[Jeff]

ROUND 1

18 = Kal / Tangat
16 = Grafth
15 = gnome
10 = Ralsor / Mist
9 = Nobleman/ scholar / Pel
7 = Goran
6 = Streko
5 = Amal
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Kal struggles to be free of the suddenly animate rope. It takes valuable seconds of his time, but at last he slips free, leaving the rope flailing about at his feet, unable to entwine him again. But Kal knows he daren't touch the rope again until the spell that animated it expires.

Tangat barks at the rope, then bounds past it to put himself between Kal and Goran.

Grafth, unable to help with the rigging any longer, moves around the forecastle to scan the northern sky. The crescent shape of Aryth, the orange-red moon known as the Gateway, hangs in the blackness.

Ralsor eyes the three men upon the north dock, seeming hesitant to simply begin firing upon them. As a scion of a dragonmarked house, he must be careful about illegal entanglements. "Damn it," he says aloud, then, "This is the best I can do for the moment...."

He claws at the top of his shirt and the dragonmark imprinted upon his skin—the Mark of Storm—at the collar flares up a livid blue.

There is a sudden shift in the wind, and an icy flux with it. Then, all at once, a column if swirling sleet rains down from the darkness and drums upon the docking tower, showering tiny pieces of ice upon the upper and lower level, almost completely swallowing the northern dock. Ralsor's control over the effect seems strong, however, as the edge of the sleet storm stops just before the commander-that-is-Pel.

"That's your friend, I hope?" Ralsor says with a nervous smile.

The driving sleet blocks your sight of the blond scholar and the Aundairian nobleman almost completely, making it nearly impossible to see their actual locations, and though the ice doesn't seem to be harming anything, the north dock suddenly looks very treacherous to walk upon. However, the last ten feet of the dock jut from the sleet storm, dry and unaffected.

Pel looks over to the airship and smiles. "I've only learned so much," she calls out in the commander's voice, "But it'll have to do! Now what?" She looks nervously all around, suddenly very aware of the sixty foot drop. She quickly casts a spell with no visible effect, but you've seen her do it before: a spell to summon invisible armor.

Mist rests the heavy crossbow upon the railing of the airship and loads a thick bolt, ready to loose it when she has a target.

From within the cylinder of swirling sleet come the curses of the two men. One of them—the blond scholar, perhaps?—attempts to step forward to be free of its effects, then slips and falls to his knees on the icy wood....and you hear another, pained curse.

The other man—the Aundairian noble, perhaps, who seemed cooler-headed than his companion—barks out a spell of some kind....and then an arrow flashes out from the storm as fast as if fired from a composite bow like Goran's. The arrow thuds into the wooden surface of the wall just behind Ralsor. Moreover, the arrow seems slick with some sort of slime, and the wood of the wall begins to soften and melt. Both Kal and Streko recognize the spell for what it is (Acid Arrow).

"Twelve Bloody Moons!" Ralsor swears, and you're not certain if his anger comes from nearly getting hit by the arrow or the fact that the arrow is melting part of the wall of the forecastle.

Goran as yet has no ready target for his own arrows (it's as hard to aim for something within the sleet storm as it is to aim for something from within it), but he does notice that the northern gondola is getting closer. From here, Goran can tell the large wicker basket is filled with Lyrandar guards. He's fairly certain some are carrying bows.

Amal readies the second heavy crossbow, loading it with a bolt and readying to fire. "Lord Kalarian," he says, "We cannot return fire upon the Lyrandar guards that are coming, so be ready."

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• Kal's Reflex save = 20 (success, no longer entangled)
  
• Spellcraft check = Kal (24), Streko (21).