Pirates of the Aether

[Wordplay]

Kieran stands by the helm, makes the necessary orders, and gets the crew to work the sheets and sails.

'Forward! Now ready about, put us on an intercept course!'

'Gunners, let me know when ye're ready! Wait for me order'.

Spoiler

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Move ship 2 forward, then North-west 10

[theskorpionking]

Grym watches in awe as the crew springs to life aboard the ship. She had been on an airship only once before and the experience wasn't anything like this.

[Lentrax]

The pirates close with the Gambit, turning, and then there is a cloud of smoke.

Seconds later you hear the thunder of guns, followed by impacts of shot on the hull.

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She is firing guns in four batteries.
Attack1:(1d20+8)[18]
Attack2:(1d20+8)[13]
Attack3:(1d20+8)[15]
Attack4:(1d20+8)[14]

Damage1: (3d10x3)[30]
Damage2: (3d10x3)[33]
Damage3: (3d10x3)[39]
Damage4: (3d10x3)[33]

None of the attacks deal damage, especially considering I forgot to penalize for range.

[Wordplay]

Kieran steels himself, standing firm on the Gambit's deck.

'Hold firm lads an' lasses! Mark the range - the guns are coming up well short'.

'Hold yer nerve, and dinnae fire until me order! We mus' save our powder fer when it counts'.

The roar of the canon strikes a little fear into Kieran's heart. Harder to master is the spark of exhilaration, the same sensation Kieran gets every time the sails billow before a storm front.

I mus' keep my feelin's under control - or I could endanger the lives o' me crew. Think carefully now Kieran - there's a chance to catch them here...

[Vixsor Lumin]

Arryl climbs the rigging and draws his bow and a dragonsbreath arrow. While hanging from the ropes he begins singing a loud battle hymn of the Protector.

[Wordplay]

'Arryl, quick take the helm!'

'Hold yer course men...steady...hold fire... Tack ho! Now, turn!'

Spoiler

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Continue North-west six, then turn North, move two, turn north-east, move four.

'Alright! Fire! Let 'em have it! Rake her from stern tae stem!'

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Fire on their stern.

[Vixsor Lumin]

"Aye sir!" Arryl dives from the rigging down towards the wheel, only flapping once to break his fall. The second he lands he grabs the wheel and begins following the captains orders.

[Snowbluff]

Barty

Barty grabs onto something to keep from being thrown around. "Somewhere, a lawful god of sailing is weeping."

[Techwarrior]

"To my knowledge, no such gods exist."

Erin says with a chuckle, then glances around, trying to get a good look at the ship and judge how far away they are. Hopefully, this would all be over soon.

[Lentrax]

Spoiler

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Gun 1:(1d20+6)[23]
Gun 2:(1d20+6)[13]
Gun 3:(1d20+6)[15]
Gun 4:(1d20+6)[26]
Gun 5:(1d20+6)[15]
Gun 6:(1d20+6)[10]
Gun 7:(1d20+6)[17]

Damage 1:(4d10x2)[40]
Damage 2:(4d10x2)[50]
Damage 3:(4d10x2)[38]
Damage 4:(4d10x2)[40]
Damage 5:(4d10x2)[54]
Damage 6:(4d10x2)[48]
Damage 7:(4d10x2)[32]

The guns on the Gambit open fire, the rolling thunder of a practiced broadside billowing smoke out into the Aether.

With loud cracking sounds, the balls strike home, some with enough power to rend themselves into the pirates vessel.

The Gambit closees wnough for you to hear a powerful female voice call out,

"Heave to, lads! Bring us about an' give 'em a rake across her stern!"

[Wordplay]

'A CURSE UPON YER LADY-TOOK EYES, YE FILTHY SKY-RATS!' roars Kieran in reply.

'Send them right tae the bottom!' he bellows, as he draws his twin cutlasses.

[Snowbluff]

Barty

Clinging for dear life on some of the rigging, he sees the captain draw his swords. Barty takes this as a signal to draw his own.
"Hehehhe. Time to murder these meatbags!"

[Snowfire]

Melanie stands close beside Kieran as he reacts, then steps back towards the pirate vessel, light swirling faintly around her.

"Oh fair justice,
Hold us now."

A sphere of rippling light washes out around her, a protective shield against the attacks soon to come and she holds up her left hand, the same power wrapping around one of her shards.

"And show these misguided,
Their error of ways."

The shard leaps away from her hand, blazing a path across the air between the two ships, aimed straight for the mast of the vessel.

Spoiler

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Standard action: Evoking Radiant Shard for an attack against the enemy vessel's mast.

Attack: (1d20+8)[12]
Damage: (2d6+3)[7] + (2d6)[6]

Move action: Evoking Crystal Shelter on herself. All within 20' gain +3 AC and +1 on reflex saves.

Swift action: Readied to expend cartridge.

[TheMightyQuinn]

Rok

*At Keiran roars, Rok adds his own bellows to the battlecry, letting loose the chain-lashed harpoonat the main mast, hoping to avoid the more heavily armoured sides.*
"Ready capn, at your command!"

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Attack -
(if we're 150 ft away, that's a -2 for range
(1d20+12)[14]

Damage -
(2d8+10)[16]

[Wordplay]

Kieran's eyes widen as Rok hurls his harpoon at the pirates' ship.

'Everyone, make sure ye're armed - Master Hakett a brace o' pistols fer me if ye please'.

Kieran asks the nearest crewman to pass him a pair of the pistols whilst Kieran remains at the helm, guiding the ship.

Spoiler

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When we called battle-stations, the crew should have fetched the weapons from the ship's armoury and placed them on deck within reach. Those are the pistols Kieran's asking for - not someone else's.

[hoverfrog]

Having experienced ships clashing before Bellamy yells a warning, "We'll stop suddenly, grab hold and try not to fall over board."

With that he launches into the air and slings an enemy crewman.

Spoiler

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Sling [roll]1d20+8[roll] not adjusted for range.
Damage (1d3-1)[2]
Confirm critical [roll]1d20+8[roll] on a natural 20
Damage (1d3-1)[0]

[Lentrax]

Several things happen all at once. The enemy launches another broadside into your fore, raking the deck. In the smoke and confusion of the hurtling cannonballs, Melanie loses sight of the enemy ship and her shard blast goes wide.

As Bellamy leaps off the ship with Bruce, he lets loose a projectile that finds its way through the smoke and caroms off a cannon, losing its momentum, but the richochet takes it into the eye of one of the pirates, who claps a hand over his injury as he falls away from the deck gun.

Then as the enemy ship passes, a few of the crew exchange musket fire from the rigging, but none of the bullets strike home.

But then with lightning speep, the enemy ship heaves over, and with a speed that you would never expect from a shi[p that small, she puls about enough to blast at you from her port guns as well, raking the Lady's Gambit again from stern to fore.

Perhaps it was the prayers to the Protector, or to the sloppiness of the pirates, but only a few of the balls struck home, rending holes in the hull of the ship Massive spinters fly out in a spray, but none of the crew fall back from them. They all stand ready, awaiting orders.

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Port Guns:
Attack 1:(1d20+6)[22]
Attack 2:(1d20+6)[10]
Attack 3:(1d20+6)[19]
Attack 4:(1d20+6)[13]

Damage 1:(3d10x3)[24]
Damage 2:(3d10x3)[27]
Damage 3:(3d10x3)[45]
Damage 4:(3d10x3)[21]

Port Guns:
Attack 1:(1d20+4)[18]
Attack 2:(1d20+4)[18]
Attack 3:(1d20+4)[7]
Attack 4:(1d20+4)[11]

Damage 1:(3d10x3)[81]
Damage 2:(3d10x3)[57]
Damage 3:(3d10x3)[27]
Damage 4:(3d10x3)[27]

Dang pirates can't hit anything, it seems. 24 damage to the Gambit.

Will update map later today. Until then, feel free to post actions. There will only be one empty hex between you, meaning you are 75 feet away.

[Wordplay]

Kieran's nose wrinkles. Beneath the strong scent of the discharged gunpowder Kieran catches a fainter smell, like rich spice - cinnamon.

Burnt galewood.

'Full ahead, then turn on me mark! Get those guns reloaded!'

[hoverfrog]

Bellamy tries to gain some height above the enemy guns. Picking his target he looses a sling stone at anyone who seems to be issuing commands or anyone casting spells. If he sees such a person he yells back to the crew to target them. "That one, he's in charge of that section. Aim for him."

Spoiler

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Fly closer but stay above the line of fire

Spot check (1d20+10)[13] to pick out a commander
Sling (1d20+8)[27] not adjusted for range though he should be within 50 feet by now.
Damage (1d3-1)[2]
Confirm critical (1d20+8)[28] on a natural 20
Damage (1d3-1)[0]

I can't cause much damage but I can pick targets for others.

[Wordplay]

Seeing Arryl at the wheel Kieran calls out,

'Spin us around, an' bring us alongside on our starboard side!'

'Rok! Grapple 'em and haul away! Anyone else with grapple help him!'

'The rest o' ye, get ready tae board their ship!'

'Take out the casters first, an' keep our casters alive! After that, take out their guns, then subdue their crew!'

Seeing Bruce and Bellamy whirl above the smoke Kieran calls out

'Master Saltfoot! Spot their casters fer us, call 'em out as ye see 'em - disrupt their casting with yer sling'.

'Erin, get up here lad! I want Mistress Grym, Melanie, Aimari, Erin and Master Scrounger behind Rok. Ye'll form the first wave. Keep each other alive'.

'Master Stoneforge, get that hole on the port side patched!'

[theskorpionking]

Grym smiles as she unsheathes her sword. She nods towards Kieran "Aye, Captain.", then steps behind the hulking figure of Rok.

[Snowbluff]

Barty

Barty moves up next to Grym, but is avoiding looking at her directly. "HUA..." He beckons to Larry.

"Hegh hegh hegh..."

[Vixsor Lumin]

Arryl shouts "Aye aye Captain!" as he throws the wheel hard to one side.

[Lentrax]

Spoiler

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Whomp. Whomp.

The grapple guns fire, shooting ropes across the chasm between the two ships. As they are winched tight, you can see crewmembers on the other vessel firing thier own grapples.

They appear eager for a fight.

[Snowfire]

Melanie shakes her head at Kieran's order.

"Captain, I'm not a close combat fighter. All my strengths lie at range. And I can't do that from behind Rok. Here is much better."

She looks out over the deck, peering out through the gunsmoke and trying to locate any officers or mages aboard the vessel, the Light of her soul swelling again around her in valiant protection.

Spoiler

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Spot: (1d20)[5]

Continuing to evoke Crystal Shelter on self.

Round is not finished, I need the results of spot check before I use her standard and swift actions.

[PersonMan]

Aimari smiles, flames roaring to life at her sides. Perhaps they were eager now, but would they be once she began to set them alight? Aiming to avoid setting their ship on fire, Aimari steps back then forwards, hurling two flames from her hands into the air over the other ship, where they collide and explode into a blast of fire.

Actions:

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Using Fiery Burst on...uh, somewhere where I can hit 2+ guys.
Damage: (2d6+2)[13]
Ref DC 15 for half, IIRC

[Snowfire]

Melanie focuses her own shots away from Amari's fire, radiant Light blazing into being around her hands as she looses two more shards, aimed at those preparing to board the Gambit

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Evoking Radiant Shard twice, leaving me with 2m (both of which are invested into the Weightless costume augment)

Swift action readied to shift mote allocation.

Attack 1: (1d20+6)[22]
Damage: (2d6+3)[12] + (2d6)[7]

Attack 2: (1d20+6)[13]
Damage: (2d6+3)[10] + (2d6)[9]

All damage is nonlethal.

[Wordplay]

'Alright lass, stick close then!'

'Boarding party! Make ready!'

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Waiting until map has enemy units on to post actions.

[Techwarrior]

Erin glances around, his trusty shield on his arm, looking for the Captain of the ship.

"Y'all heard the Captain! Lets take the fight to these wretched scum!"

Erin waits until things are just starting to get into motion, then subtly shifts his draconic power to provide protection from the battle underway for the crew. He detaches a single bead from the chain around his wrist with a grin, and lobs it to the other ship.

Actions:

Spoiler

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Free Action: Delay to Initiative 0.
Move Action: Spot check (rolled OOC, result of 13)
Swift Action: Switch Auras, I'll take up Aura of Toughness (DR 1/Magic)
5-ft Step: Move to I-21
Standard Action: Use Magic Item (Necklace of Fireballs). Aiming for F19. 20 ft spread dealing (4d6)[15] Fire damage, Reflex for half DC 14.

[Wordplay]

Kieran moves to the nearest gang plank and draws both of his cutlasses.

'Arryl, watch me back, Melanie, help the others... and dinnae hold back'.

Kieran gestures at the pirates.

'Come and face me sky-rats!'

Spoiler

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Kieran moves to H27, and draws both cutlasses