Chapter 3: The Glittering Tower

[ChubbyPixie]

Wikerus hears shouting from the other room in a foreign, fishy tongue. He's not at all sure what to do... remain here? Go back? ...then has an idea. He reaches into his pack and removes a small, silver phial, from which takes a swig after but a moment's hesitation. He then listens intently.

DM:

...uile d.....olygl...t
(found in the pile of soldier belongings)

[Pulpatoon]

Wikerus:

You got it!
Although the voices are too far away to make out clearly, such fragments as reach your ears suddenly snap into comprehension. The pirates want to know here the "others" went, and that they feel very strongly that the members of the party who still remain in the stairway room should show them they way to the door-place, right away.

[kensanata]

Splinters finishes reloading the musket and slowly moves his aim to the pirate doing the pointing and shouting. No pointing and shouting at my friends, pirate! His wooden finger on the trigger, he waits like an enlarged wooden action figure, motionless.

Should I get the feeling that any of my friends are being attacked, I'll shoot.

[Starbeard]

The Princess strikes the rim of the boat imperiously with the pommel of her wand. "Stop that unseemly howling this instant! Our lost party members have merely suffered from flagging morale during the fight and hid themselves, which is no worse than can be said of you vulgarians—scuttling off gutless and tail-tucked from a perfectly defensible position, made even more defensible through the magic of invisibility! How quivering your hearts must be that a princess and a lady would stay to fight where the bravest among you would rather run. Now pull yourselves together and return to marching order, so that we may locate and recover the lost members of our party."

The Princess gathers the hem of her dress and looks expectantly at the pirates, motioning for them to take up the boat and carry on.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Flintlock watches Wickerus with interest. And Envy over whatever the elixer offers. Hey. Can I get a sip?he whispers.

[Pulpatoon]

The pirates settle down once they gather from the Princess' gestures that she intends to continue the expedition. One pulls the weird Eldish pole-arm from the bottom of the boat, looking concerned at the resultant hole. But there are more pressing matters, as evidenced by the many concerned glances the pirates turn in the direction of the ascending stairs. The boat is hauled up onto shoulders again, and the party makes its way through the door.

[1d6] = 1

As the party enters the rag room, they hear heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. The fleeing Eld returns, leading a giant white gorilla!

The gorilla charges towards the rag room door, even as a pirates slams it shut.

Elsewhere:

Wikerus drank about a third of the elixir, leaving enough for Flintlock and one person other to sample it.

Actions!
More on Monday!

[ChubbyPixie]

Flintlock watches Wickerus with interest. And Envy over whatever the elixer offers. Hey. Can I get a sip?he whispers.

Wikerus glances down at Flintlock's midsection for a beat then asks "Do you have, you know, internal organs?" He listens for a moment longer, then proffers the phial. "The results are simultaneously miraculous and hum-drum. But give it a shot and let me know what you think. ...ah...but only drink half, please. I'd like to save the rest for later. "

[Urson]

Jake

Jake collects the various goodies from the fallen Eld We'll sort these later.

If there is any way to block the door, he'll assist in making sure it gets blocked.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Flintlock looks down at his belly and presses it with his hands. He looks back to Wickerus and shrugs. I dunno. Never been dissected before. D'you think it'll cause me to rust? In the end, he decides to leave it alone and just have Wickerus describe the effects and what he hears. The fleshy man is captivating and Flintlock almost forgets the imminent arrival of pirates (and possibly Eld). D'you think the pirates'll be more inclined to drink this stuff if we make it look like we're drinking too? Maybe empty one of the urns and fill it with water? Too complicated?

[kensanata]

Splinter is taking careful aim at the Eld. Careful... careful... BAM! (next round I guess).

[coil23]

Since Horton cannot drink it per se, he seeks to sample it in another way. He rubs some over his heart (or where it used to be) to connect with his spirit, he splashes some in his eyes so that he can see another way and through other eyes, and he rubs some on his hands so that he can act with its guidance.

Don't miss our next episode where the Consequences of Stupid come crashing down. This is what poor judgment looks like!

[Pulpatoon]

Jake scoops up a few of the scattered items from the fallen Eld as the party flees the monstrous ape.

Jake and two particularly brawny pirates hold the door shut, and Splinters levels his musket at it. Two pirates wait on either side of the door with cutlasses drawn.

The remaining eight pirates abandon the boat, dumping it unceremoniously among the rags and rat bones. They rush through the rag room's second door, bursting into the hallway beyond.

The first door flies open under the pummeling fists of the great white ape, knocking Jake and the two pirates holding the door off-balance.

The other two pirates attack the ape from the sides with their cutlasses, while Deet unloads his musket at it.

Using the playtest rules for multiple attacks:
[1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 3 [1d8] = 3

The pirates are unable to land blow from the apes sides, as it defends itself with four muscular arms. Deet's shot goes wild as one of the pirates sent sprawling bumps into him.

Splinters steels himself to look past the chaos of the ape and waits for an opportunity to shoot at the Eld, still standing in the room beyond.

[1d8] = 1

The Eld dashes out of Splinter's line of sight, and the Wooden Boy is unable to see if he hit or not.

Elsewhere, Flintlock forgoes a sip of Wikerus' potion, while Horton anoints himself with it.

I wonder if that works?
[1d6] = 5
It does!

The fluid seeps into Horton's dry wood, just in time for him to achieve perfect understanding of the panicked yelps as eight pirates rush into the hall outside.

Most of the pirates keep running down the hall, but four of the duck into the side-door to the portal room. They look at the three party members with wild surprise. The gasp and bark at each other in their language.
Wikerus and Horton:

"Eld and apes!"
"It's them! The ones as scampered off!"
"Where's their cursed door?"

Actions!
More on Wednesday! Friday!

[Rusty Tincanne]

Not knowing what is going on, but seeing the pirates are in a panic, Flintlock tries to use it against them. He points hurriedly at the portal, miming they should go through.Quick! Through here! He puts his hand through to show them they can pass beyond safely.

Maybe...

[kensanata]

Splinter tries to remain behind the boat, aiming his musket. Is the Eld coming back, is the ape separating from his three enemies? Splinters wants to shoot somebody.

[ChubbyPixie]

Wikerus nods vigorously in agreement with Horton as he puts the phial with its remaining oil back in his pack.

[Urson]

Jake

The overconfident kid catches his balance and steps back into the fight, swinging for the ape's knee with his maul.

maul[1d8] = 1

[Starbeard]

Seeing how it worked unintentionally last time, the Princess attempts to scare the ape away by touching it with her wand and making parts of it disappear.

[mb.]

Mumbling a constant stream of "ohdearohdearohdear," Deet charges forward to jab his bayonet at the terrible ape thing's face. With valiant barks and growls, ever-faithful Schroff dodges in to snap at its ankles.

Deet – bayonet [1d6] = 3
Schroff – Bite [1d6] = 6

[Pulpatoon]

Flintlock: "Quick! Through here!" He puts his hand through to show them they can pass beyond safely.

We'll call this a contested WIL check, I reckon.
Oh, wait, Flintlock has a WIL of 1. Oh, well, here goes:
[1d20] = 4 Failed by 3.
Pirate WIL: [3d4] = 11
Oh dear.
Pirate 1 [1d20] = 3
Pirate 2 [1d20] = 6
Pirate 3 [1d20] = 13 Failed by 2, still better than Flintlock.
Pirate 4[1d20] = 10

The pirates do not understand Flintlock's words, but take the meaning of his gesture. They are immediately suspicious. One says to another:
Wikerus and Horton only:

"The metal one looks too eager, doesn't he?"
"The Captain said we'd need a boat to cross, didn't he?"
"And who was the lily-livered fool who dropped our boat?"
"Nevermind that, these sorry buggers are trying to pull one over on us!"
"Let's gut 'em and steal their magic."
The pirates do not seem to be aware that you can understand them, or to have noticed the reed boat (yet).

Meanwhile:

Splinter tries to remain behind the boat, aiming his musket. Is the Eld coming back, is the ape separating from his three enemies?

The Eld is not presently visible. The ape is tall enough that it is easy to target over the heads of its enemies. Shall I go ahead and assume you fire at it?

The Party and the Pirates dart in and out around the ape, trying to get their jabs in, but equally eager to avoid its long, powerful limbs. The Princess is able to strike the ape's ankle with her wand, rendering briefly transparent. It only lasts a split second, but the ape is clearly rattled.

Splinter's musket [1d8] = 3
Jake's maul [1d8] = 1
Deet – bayonet [1d6] = 3
Schroff – Bite [1d6] = 6
Group damage: 6

Princess DEX check: [1d20] = 4
I'll give the ape disadvantaged damage rolls, this round, due to it being freaked out over a lapse of visibility.
Characters in melee range: Ragroom Pirates 1, 2, 3, 4; Deet (5); Schroff (6); Jake (7); Princess (8)
4 ape attacks: [1d8] = 1 [1d8] = 6 [1d8] = 2 [1d8] = 5
Ragroom Pirate 1: DISAD Ape Fist Attack [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 5
Ragroom Pirate 2: DISAD Ape Fist Attack [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 2
Deet: DISAD Ape Fist Attack [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6 Dropped to STR 5. Crit Damage: [1d20] = 12
Schroff: DISAD Ape Fist Attack [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 3 Also dropped to STR 5. Crit Damage: [1d20] = 14

Most of the party is able to avoid being struck, but are equally unable to land a satisfying blow. Deet, however, catches a lightening-fast jab, and falls in a crumpled pile to the floor. Schroff runs to put himself between the ape and Deet, only to receive a decisive kick. The scrappy little pup falls on top of his master.

[ChubbyPixie]

With a panicked glance at Horton, Wikerus yells "Now or never!!" and attempts to throw his net over one, or hopefully more of the pirates if they're grouped together, before they can act on their entirely reasonable suspicion.

Um... how do nets work?