Privateers of Lssthp II [IC]

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg wastes no time in beginning to try and push Vrael out of the tender. He holsters his shield and places his claws on her serpentine bodies and heaves.

Spoiler

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15 (or 20 with Advantage) Athletics to push/help push Vrael out of the tender
+1 extra if Bless is included

[TriciaOso]

The Captain grabs another coil, and with help from Nibum and Triceratool, they begin to drag the air elemental towards the door. But she fights back with shocking vigor, slamming them all into the walls. The space inside the tender is cramped and not meant for this kind of brawling; she throws both Ttharg and the Captain off entirely, and as she begins to regain her focus, she draws herself up at the end of the tender, ready to fight to the death.

"Eztli Vrael will be avenged!" she hisses. "He may have been a minor official to you, to the Kanikau, to everyone, but he was my blood and I knew him from the egg! I hate Tiamat as much as right-thinking any Apophan but there is a blood price to be paid! Go ahead and kill me, and prove you care about your lives than this supposed threat!"

Fork has sprung up from the pilot's seat and the Starshot Crossbow is in his hands... but he hesitates. He looks at the Captain, and at the rest of the crew, lingering especially on Servius. "I killed Eztli Vrael," he says finally. "Not the Captain. You held her responsible because you didn't know who in the crew did it, but it was me. I will pay the blood price."

"Fork, no!" says the Captain.

He holds up a hand. "I've been learning about your culture. I will pay the blood price... in the blood of your enemies. A great battle is coming; you've seen what kind of warriors we are. I'll leave the White Cliff and serve on one of your ships in the battle, and kill in the name of Eztli Vrael. In return, the Vrael drop their vendetta against the White Cliff and her crew, against Madame Bothros, against anyone who helped us. We'll be even. We'll be able to return to Malatra." He looks sideways at Servius. "Some of us might want to come back someday, anyway."

"It's the best offer you're going to get all day, Mistress."

"He's right," growls the Captain. "Because the #2 bid is dying ugly."

The Yuan-Ti druid hesitates... then drops her air elemental form, and inclines her head in agreement.

Fork looks at you all. "Take care of the egg. Put Trionyx in the ground. I'll be back." He looks at the Captain and pauses. "The new look suits you, Sir."

"Come back alive," says the Captain. "I've got debts to pay in the Feywilde now, and I'll need you, Mr. F'rrkkk."

He bows, first to her and to you all.

---

The Captain is silent and broody on the ride back to the White Cliff, but when she steps off and into the coils of her wife, she brightens. She looks around at the crew. "'I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I have deserved my friends,'" she quotes. "One week. We have one week left."

One week passes so quickly...

[zylodrizzt]

Well hatching... dont forget whete you came from... if it feels right tho guess ill see you around... dont die he says the last part quietly and sadly before parting ways. He silently asks negniter to watch over fork.

While drilling with the carpenters and his assistants the next day he is approached by cocytus asking him for his assistance locating and capturing a beast called a jaculi. You know cauda would probably be the one to ask. cocytus relayed what cauda told him. I see very well let me see what i can come up with. carpenters keep up the practice... I'll know if you dont minicliff will keep an eye on you. I'll be back. he leaves to work on this project.

The first thing to do is devise a device that can both restrain and keep the thing from biting cocytus so the basic idea would have been like a mancatcher but there is potential for damage to the creature so he divises a wire loop fed through a long cylinder. The loop portion has some softer bits on it for some comfort. He'd have to come up with a saddle once cocytus could break the thing.

So the day came cauda aided as... bait. She turned herself into some form of distressed bird that it preyed on and led it through the loop where cocytus lay in wait. It went well enough. Cauda calmed the thing and soon enough cocytus had made the beast his paladin mount bareback. It was time to get to work on the saddle and bridle.

He had to come up with a way that those mounted wouldn't be too far back that they would be tossed as the beast drug itself across the ground but not so close to the head that it would become cumbersome that the beast couldn't strike. There would be problem with bridle but nibum soon realized cocytus could communicate with it telepathically. So the basic design was two straps connected by 4 flexible wires where the saddle rested similar to how a trolley would. The saddle was stabilized by a gyroscope inside 2 omnidirectional wheels with flexible arms. It could travel where needed with the riders feet along about half the snake. The points it was connected to the wires had a sway joint to reduce the amount the sway of the snake would toss the rider about. Nibum took time to teach cocytus how the saddle worked and then proceeded to spar with him to get him used to the saddle.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg bids farewell to Fork, proud of him for taking responsibility for his actions and doing something about it. Inwardly, he worries about the coming confrontation with Pthax and his own involvement in such nefarious things.

Over the course of the week Ttharg continues to offer prayers to Bahamut and makes requests for guidance and knowledge as the days pass. He takes any confessions from the crew and prayers for/with them if they request it. He checks in with the officers individually; making sure they're feeling ready for the battle to come.

On the day before the battle, Ttharg makes a final. private prayer to Bahamut: "Tomorrow we be facin' me ol' captain. Ye gave me a second chance at this life, an' I be grateful for it. If tomorrow is the day ye send me to ye locker for good, then I accept this. I ask ye to look after this ship, this crew, her officers, an' the captain; whatever happens."

[J-H]

Servius spends the week working on the Tender and funneling spell energies through it. The extended range and other options are quite exhilarating to experiment with on the days when they take it on a test-flight out of the harbor and out of sight.

[TriciaOso]

With 15 more questions to ask Bahamut, you are able to hone in over time on relevant information.

If we stop the fleet, does Trionyx have any other way to reach Tiamat?

Yes.

There are five known paths down beneath Sunhome, one for each of the five chromatic gods. Each of them is manned by Malatran troops and siege defenses; not to mention supernatural defenses beyond the gate That's why Trionyx needs a fleet, to break through. You know there are other paths to the plane of Fire, Plane Shift and the like, and begin to push questioning along those lines.

You ascertain that a simple Plane Shift to the plane of Fire wouldn't be enough. There is a particular subplane Trionyx needs to access; there is a key to this plane shift and Trionyx does not have it; it lies outside the Hic Sunt.

With this information Siduri is able to sort through some books and find a clue. "It might be related to the human god, the Sun King. He claimed the ember Tiamat used to wipe out draconic life outside the Hic Sunt as his sword. It was once the heart of the Fire Plane, so it's possible it could be a key to the Pit that was left behind, where Tiamat is imprisoned."

"Could Trionyx get his hands on it?" asks the Captain.

"I don't see how. It's a relic of the human realms, his heirs still pass it down as proof of their right to rule. Solus is a long way from here--another six month journey at least past Sunhome."

"But if he had it, he could go straight to Tiamat?" asks the Captain.

Siduri shakes her head. "Trionyx would be in the Sun King's Court, facing his solars and other celestials. He'd have a hard fight, at least as hard as taking one of the doors."

The Captain frowns. "I don't like this, it's a wild card. But the fleet is too massive a commitment of resources to be a feint. Trionyx has to be with them." Another Commune confirms this is so.

The problem with Commune is, of course, that can't qualify the Yes or No answers with, "but it's a long shot!" Still, no one is happy about a wild card.

[TriciaOso]

As time runs out, the Malatran fleet assembles in the bay, coalescing around the White Cliff. Each of the families except for Cnidaria has sent a mix of capital ships and smaller frigates to support them. Only Majari has sent three ships, the others reserving some of their strength to defend Malatra if the fleet changes course from Sunhome to raid the city; or any other eventuality.

• The Vrael ships are large and expensive ships in good condition; Nibum is captaining one of the two men of war, and is able to give you a good report. The Vrael are paranoid, insular and hostile to the surrounding families; their ships are prepared at any moment for civil war. It doesn't make them comfortable neighbors but they're certainly prepared for this.
  
• The Clel ships are also both heavy, serious men-of-war, and their capital ship is equipped with an arcane cannon. The Clel must have taken that job for the Kanikau that you turned down and been rewarded with this.
  
• The Stheno ships are opalized like the White Cliff, brilliant and almost blinding during the brief daylight period; fast clippers, well-armored but built more to run than fight.
  
• The Kanikau's two ships are the smallest, but retrofitted with arcano-tech recovered from their mysterious mine up in the tundra.
  
• The Majari are the only faction have sent three ships; they seem lightly armed, but their sails and rigging are... unusual.

Spoiler: Arcana 10+

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The knots and pattern of their rigging are designed to create a summoning circle to conjure supernatural allies, and the sails have conjuration runs woven into their fabric.

Including the White Cliff, you have 5 capital ships and 7 frigates. And one souped-up illithid tender.

---

The strategy you've agreed upon is that the tender will go ahead; it can move twice as fast as a sailing vessel, and has the advantages of invisibility and flight. Then fall back to the fleet once you've done as much damage as you can do safely.

"Safely," emphasizes the Captain. "Remember to reserve enough spell energy to make your retreat." She shakes each of your hands. "And remember -- if Trionyx makes a break for Sunhome and some other route to Tiamat, forget us and go. You're the ones who can keep up with him, and the ones chosen by the gods to defeat him. I'm more sure of that than ever."

Spoiler: OOC

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Each of you have a bardic inspiration from the Captain that lasts longer than normal. For up to 24 hours, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

If a creature has a Bardic Inspiration die and casts a spell that restores hit points or deals damage, the creature can roll that die and choose a target affected by the spell. Add the number rolled as a bonus to the hit points regained or the damage dealt. The Bardic Inspiration die is then lost.

A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die can roll that die and add the number rolled to a weapon damage roll, or, when an attack roll is made against the creature, it can use its reaction to roll the die and add the number rolled to its AC against that attack, after seeing the roll but before knowing whether it hits or misses.

---

Spoiler: Servius

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You are approached by Bala Majari. She wants to thank you personally for your assistance in retrieving the devices, and extend an invitation to you to attend the University for post-graduate study. Your knowledge and exposure to illithid tech is invaluable to them. She also gives you a scroll of immolation, from the University library. You should have just enough time to scribe it into your spellbook before you reach the pirate fleet.

Spoiler: Ttharg

Show

You are approached by Seir Clel. You can see that in the weeks since your baptism, he has begun to process of ritual tattoos adult Malatrans mostly have, but the coils that embraced him shimmer platinum.

"I had a dream," the earnest young man says. "Bahamut told me to tell you, to bring the egg, even into the teeth of the battle. Its destiny lies with you." He looks hopeful, as if part of him wants to believe that the 'egg' in question is himself. You, however, know better... you have only a few last moments to secure the radiant solar dragon egg in a cargo compartment.

Spoiler: Nibum

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You have a last minute inspiration that drives you into the tender with a wrench and wild look in your eye, just before setting out. Ripping out the spelljammer hull, the seat that pilots the ship, you are able to connect it to Triceratool's saddle and link your mount to the illithid vessel. There is just space for you, in all your shortness, to cram into the pilot's space with your Steel Defender. The tender shudders like a living thing as you gain increased control and dexterity with the built-in weapons and equipment; seeing through its senses and feeling its pain.

---

And so you set out. The pirate fleet is approximately three hours away in your tender, judging by the moving black hole that blocks divination. The weather is strange; when you left the Malatrans, it was at your back, a good wind for your friends. Perhaps a gift from the Sealord. But as you sail towards the pirates, contrary winds begin to blow, creating strange eddies and slowly-twisting clouds. Tiamat has her own gifts, and as the two collide, the gods wrestle for mastery of the weather, and the outer edge of the fleet's progress is marked by an ever-advancing storm front.

You pass through the driving rain into an area of glassy calm. It reminds you of the Calm around Lssthp, the competing auras of the five great chromatic races combining to completely neutralize the atmosphere. If not for your arcane engines, you would be becalmed. Yet the ships, mere dots on the horizon, are growing.

[J-H]

Servius
Servius surveys the enemy ships, looking for the dragon or signs of Trionyx from the tender's position, a thousand feet or more above the ocean.

[TriciaOso]

Looking over the enemy ships, you see a motley crew of pirate ships from diverse ports of call and several distinct designs, but all large and well-equipped. Additionally, through the senses of the tender, you can see they are indeed blessed by Tiamat for this voyage. You easily pick out the Broken Wing, but it appears to no longer be Pthax's flagship, bringing up the rear.

Each of the five greatest ships has a draconic figurehead in one of the colors of the Five Gods.

The flagship is a great man-of-war, in the lead position, with a flaming red figure head. Its sails and rigging are burnt, sketchy ghosts of shadowy rope and canvas. The whole aft of the ship seems to be in flame, blasting it forward like a rocket. Hanging just astern is a ship with a black dragon's figurehead, a moldy ghost ship, crewed by dead sailor and driven by ghost winds.

The ship bearing the green dragon's figurehead is carried on a great tangle of seaweed and kelp, a great living beast of plant matter bearing a ship lashed to it with vine. The blue dragon's ship has a sail and rigging, of cloud and lightning, and seems to generate its own wind in the eerie calm. And the white dragon figurehead is on a ship encased in ice, drifting behind the others but moving with the deceptive speed and inevitability of an iceberg.

A sixth ship, with a figurehead of shining crystal, seems to float above the waves, driven by invisible forces.

The other four ships seem to be sailing normally, although each has a figurehead of its own. One of iron, the crew moving as if in a dream; one of copper, the fastest in the fleet; one of purple, on a ship and even crew overgrown with fungus; one of fang and horn, bristling with weapons.

You do not see the undead dragon, although you catch a glimpse of something moving through the high air with you; something just on the edge of your truesight that moves away and vanishes into the upper skies. But for a moment, at least, it was within 120 feet of you.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

"We must stop Trionyx. Without him, his plans cannot come to fruition. All other concerns are secondary. If we must give our lives to do, then so be it."

---

Ttharg thanks Seir for their vision and gently encourages him to find a place amongst his family's ships - if the enemy fleet closes to within boarding distance, Seir Clel would be best served defending his family's ships and crews, and perhaps will be the first to counterboard the enemy ships. He does as the Clel Barbarian foretells and brings the solar egg with him. He feels extremely awkward, bringing it with them into the very thick of battle, but he trusts in Bahamut.

"If ye want me to Shatter any ships or the dragon, ye will have to get me to within 60ft o' em." Ttharg calls out as they scan the battlefield.

[zylodrizzt]

The inspiration was from finding a sort of internal tentacle type thing that seemed to communicate with nibums mind. It gave him directions that allowed him to connect triceratool as well. A mindflayer would have had no trouble with controlling the tender this way not only because the tender was designed/bred this way but because the mindflayers had a mental capacity/psionics capable of such things. It was kinda difficult to pilot this way but because he had 4 minds to control this it eased the strain on nibum and besides he made the controls able to be directed through triceratool. How yall holding up? he asks his assistants out loud but also speaking to the other officers in the tender with him. Yes he could feel what the tender felt but it wasn't just 'feeling' it was as much just waves of information as math and math was like another language nibum spoke. With the help of his assistants handling other portions of the piloting reporting to nibum and as nibum made sense of it all the piloting became as near as natural as it could be with the hacking the tenders systems.

With the slight sight of the dragon nibum followed after intending to get everyone in range to engage.

[TriciaOso]

You are able to pursue the undead dragon, keeping it in view but not gaining on it as it moves backwards and north.

For the first time, you can see Trionyx in the flesh, the servant of Tiamat. He looks barely alive, the corpse of a tortle animated by divine rage and arcane force. In one hand he clutches the tome that started all this trouble. He raises a claw and casts a spell at the tender, dispelling your invisibility.

In response, you can see creatures rising from the five great chromatic ships below. They are shaped like wyverns, but have the amorphous flesh of elementals; animated breaths of fire, acid, cold, electricity and poison.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

As their foe comes into view, Ttharg hefts his Shield of Sky and Stars high and allows it to Bless the party. He also begins to prepare the tender for fast manoeuvres. "We need to take care not to burn out all our charges in this opening engagement!" He calls out.

Spoiler

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Main Action to use Shield of Sky and Stars to Bless everyone in the tender. D4 to attack rolls and saving throws.
Bonus Action to help the Tender to Dash

[TriciaOso]

As the tender moves forward, the dragon continues to flee, but you are closing... until Trionyx turns and hurls another dispel back at the tender.

Suddenly the levitation spell cuts out, and the ship is free-falling towards the sea and the rising tide of animated breath weapons. The black dragon ghost-ship is immediately beneath you.

Spoiler: Summary

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ACTIONS
The dragon uses two legendary actions to move forty feet. Trionyx uses three legendary actions to cast a spell. The tender loses its levitation and instantly drops 500 feet.

[J-H]

Trusting one of the others to adjust the controls, Servius uses the psionic linkages of the tender to amplify the range of his spell beyond what even a sorcerer could do... whispering "Trionyx."

Spoiler: Psychic Lance

Show

(7d6)[25] psychic damage, incapacitated until start of Servius' next turn. Int save DC 17 half/negate debuff.
Expending a 4th level slot.
Casting with the tender extends spell range to 1200'.
Trionyx save (1d20)[7]+??

[TriciaOso]

Through the sense of the tender, you can see that the spell strike him -- and see the book expend kind of magical resource to protect him, at some cost. More cracks spiderweb through his shell, doing perhaps more harm than if the spell had been allowed to do its full damage. It's clear this isn't something he can do freely, or without paying the price.

[zylodrizzt]

With the help of his assistants nibum reactivates the flight and calmly flies toward the dragon once more.6

[TriciaOso]

As you move out of range of truesight, you lose sight of Trionyx and the dragon again, hidden in Greater Invisibility. You have a much better view of the ships below, however, and the animated breath-wyverns rising to meet you. The ships maintain their course towards Sunhome; beneath you is the one carrying a draconic spirit of fang and horn.

You can see that many of the elemental wyverns coming up from the ships carry pirates, raiders who are sent to board enemy ships. Ttharg, with your high perception and keyed-up awareness of him, you spot Varth Pthax riding on one. The Pirate Captain -- now Admiral -- looks much as you remember him, but then in your memory he is always larger than life, strapping and terrifying. In place of the greataxe he once carried, you see a huge iron maul, and the senses of the tender show you it is heavy with enchantment magic. He himself is under multiple spells--enchantments crowded around his head, and a spell of haste hangs around him like a mantle.



Seated behind him on the wyvern is a female dragonborn with silvery scales that look slightly oily or wet; a descendant of a rare mercury dragon. You know little about her, but from her armor and the enchantments around her, she is a spellcaster.



This is made all but certain when she grips Pthax's shoulder and dimension doors them both onto the deck of the tender.

The door of the tender bursts open, and Varth Pthax strides in. He sneers as he looks at you, Ttharg, and hefts his maul. When you knew him, Ttharg, he had an aura of storms and the sea when he raged; now he carries a different aura, also native to his race of dragonborn, of exhaustion and weariness. Each of you feel it hit you like a hammer. Nibum resists, but Servius and Ttharg each feel their head swim with exhaustion.

Moving with blurred speed, he takes a large bag from his belt and hurls it to the ground. Coins and gems begin to spill out, slowly at first, but rapidly flooding the room with the stolen hoards of Cagway.

Then he raises his maul and strikes twice at Ttharg. One blow misses, but the other strikes a shattering blow -- and discharges a pulse of magic.

"On your feet, sailor," he growls. "Yer Captain's back."

The pulse of magic tries to cloud your will... but your soul is pledged to Bahamut. The spell does not take hold.

Spoiler: Summary

Show

The ships sail onward, 60 feet. The animated-breaths rise another 60 feet and move towards the ship. From the back of an animated breath, Hydrargyrum and Varth Pthax dimension-door onto the tender's deck.

Pthax enters, hasted. As a bonus action he rages, activating his Aura of Exhaustion. Servius and Ttharg fail, each taking a level of exhaustion. Pthax uses his action to attack Ttharg, missing with one attack and doing 16 damage with the other. He also uses five charges from his Maul of Throne's Command to cast Dominate Person on Ttharg, giving him disadvantage on the save and doing 5d8 additional damage (20). However, Ttharg saves with a 23 and a 27.

With his second action he throws down a bag of holding which begins to spill treasure into the interior of the tender.

DAMAGE
Ttharg - 36 dmg

INITIATIVE
Enemies
Ttharg
Servius
Nibum

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

It was just like old times - Captain Pthax boarding another vessel and immediately beginning dominating the battlespace, not just with his martial prowess but with his fearsome charisma. There were terrifying differences now, though, and much bigger consequences. Ttharg is lost in a moment back on the Blind Sun and is only brought back to reality as Pthax's maul cracks him across the face.

Ttharg spits blood onto the gold piling up around him and looks hard at his former captain. "The Gods tried to drown us, that night. Maybe they saw where we were headin' an' chose to wash us away. But Bahamut saw fit to give me a second chance, an' if it's time to for me to pay me debts to him; so be it. But before I take me rest in Bahamut's locker, I'll be sure to drag ye down with me!"

Ttharg circles Pthax and draws his Warhammer, trying to delicately balance on the mountains of coins, until he is at the doorway and can see the mage accompanying Pthax. "But before I deal with ye, I need to see off ye wench!" At this, Ttharg exhales suddenly in the direction of the mage. Little bolts of lightning arc from droplets of Ttharg's blood expelled from his mouth as he roars at her, forming a searing bolt that threatens to throw her over the edge of the tender.

As he takes in his next breath he mutters a prayer to Bahamut for healing: "Bahamut, let ye power change the fate o' me wounds, so that, in turn, I can change the fate o' the world."

Spoiler

Show

Bless is down.
Difficult Terrain Move Action 30ft to get to the doorway of the tender, remaining in melee contact with Pthax, draw Warhammer as I move.
Main Action to use my Breath Weapon against the Mage. DC 13 Dex Save for Half Damage: (1d20)[6]+mods for (3d6)[12] Lightning Damage. Assuming the Mage takes (any) damage, she is pushed 10ft away from me automatically.
Bonus Action to cast Healing Word at 4th Level on myself: (4d4+3)[12]

[J-H]

Servius Calventius Pamphilius Yuan-ti Evoker AC: 17, 18 if within 5 miles of White Cliff HP: 56/56 PPer: 11 PInv: 19 PIst: 11 Conditions: -- Concentrating: --

Servius sends another pulse of magic at Trionyx, attempting to disable him. "Up, back up!"

Spoiler

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Can I move the tender up with the dashing thing, or does that take my action?
Psychic Lance (7d6)[28] psychic damage, incapacitate until start of next turn. Int save half, negate incapacitation. DC 17
Trionyx save (1d20)[6]+??
Casting through tender, using one of its charges and I believe we are still above 10.

[zylodrizzt]

Your no captain. Your a lapdrake for trionyx nibum says. He continues the pursuit of trionyx. His saddle and him spin around to face the berserker. Nibum activates a winch and harpoon type projectile that launches from triceratools tail. As it fires minicliff launches at the berserkers face distracting him and he's yanked toward nibum. Minicliff returns to its slot before Nibum charges up synthasis with thunderous sound and drops one of his sound Grenades that fizzles out. Triceratool with the help of pteradactool fire the ballista at the mage mid fall.

[TriciaOso]

The ballista strikes true, impaling the mercury dragonborn sorcerer in the thigh. She curses, and hurls a spell as the tender even as it follows the fleet and the undead dragon westward. Dispel magic, boosted by metamagic, once again cuts out the levitation and the tender fall towards the ship immediately beneath them, which bears a fang dragon's figurehead.

Fang dragons have no breath weapon, and neither does this ship; it did not send up any elemental wyverns. It is made for martial feats, and down both sides of the ships the crew fire ten harpoons up at the tender blessed with the dragon's strength. Only one misses the mark, although two fall back with insufficient force to penetrate. Seven other harpoons penetrate the tender, tethering it to the fang dragon ship with ropes.

Spoiler: Harpoon Mechanics

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Each rope is a DC 10 Str save to break, triggered each time the tender tries to move. The ropes can also be attacked; they are objects with AC 10 and 5 HP.

Inside the free-falling tender, the spill of treasure from the bag of holding slowly stops, leaving you all ankle-high in gold and gems.

Pthax hears Servius speak Trionyx's name as the target of his spell, and takes a step towards him. "We all be someone's dog, little yapper," he sneers at Nibum. "But when Tiamat returns I will rule the seas in her name. So aye, I protect the prophet from those worms as would harm him."

He raises his maul and bashes down at Servius; Nibum interposes himself and his shield on the first one, but is driven back by the blow, and the next two smash into the wizard, nearly dropping him. "Rise, guardian of the hoard," Pthax commands. And the gold and gems begin to funnel together rising into the form of a living tidal wave of treasure. "Kill these intruders."

In response, it roars like a jackpot paying off.

Spoiler: Triceratool can understand it...

Show

What... 
My master... 
I don't understand... 
Intruders?!

Spoiler: Arcana Check 14, Nibum has advantage

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Hoard Golems are created by dragons so that their hoard can guard itself. It is quite unusual for one to serve the one who slayed its master; these constructs are normally undyingly loyal and must be dispelled to claim the hoard, even if the dragon is already dead. But Trionyx has stranger magics at his disposal.

Spoiler: Summary

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The ships sail onward, 60 feet. The animated-breaths rise another 60 feet and move towards the tender. Trionyx is incapacitated. Undirected, the undead dragon continues 200 feet west, off the map (80 move + 80 dash action + 40 from legendary actions). Hydrargyrum drops another 60 feet, still under the effect of feather fall.

The tender moves 120 feet west and up, ending at 680 feet. This puts the tender 240 feet from Hydrargyrum. Using Distant Spell, she casts Dispel Magic on the tender, canceling Levitation and causing it to drop 500 feet to 180.

The fang dragon ship fires 10 harpoons at disadvantage. 9 hit, but two don't roll well enough to beat the damage threshold and bounce off. The other 7 harpoons do 19 damage and lodge in the tender, tethering it to the fang dragon ship.

Pthax moves five feet to the right and attacks Servius three times, doing 53 damage. 9 damage is cancelled by Nibum's Interception. He uses his bonus action to command the Hoard Golem to activate; it takes one round to rise before it can attack.

DAMAGE
Ttharg - 24 dmg
Servius - 44 dmg

Tender - 19 dmg

Hydrargyrum - 13 dmg
Pthax - 2 dmg

INITIATIVE
Enemies
Ttharg
Servius
Nibum

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg grits his teeth and directs a blast of Bahamut's destructive wrath at the harpoons anchoring the tender to the enemy ship below.

He begins to move towards Servius, seeing him badly wounded, but isn't able to call on Bahamut to provide more aid in this moment. Instead, he pulls a level and pushes a button to try and force the tender to break out of the remaining harpoons.

"Ye fool, Pthax! Tiamat will devour the world, an' she'll start with ye!"

Spoiler

Show

Main Action cast Shatter (2nd Level) on the harpoons. They take (3d8)[13] Thunder damage.
Move Action in Difficult Terrain to move towards Servius.
Bonus Action to direct the tender to move/ascend.

[zylodrizzt]

Triceratool speaks to the golem think back. Your master was a true dragon. His hoard wasnt on a ship. That dragonborn killed your master and stole you from him. We have not touched your masters hoard. says as it gets the engines fired up again.

As it does so nibum continues his assault on pthax trying to pull his attention away from servius. Those seas wont be yours. They will be hers. Everything will be hers... everything left that is.

(25 vs pthax control on hoard golem. 9 damage [if booming blade]. He has disadvantage if he strikes at anyone but me and if he moves [assuming booming blade] he takes 2d8 thunder damage)

[J-H]

Servius Calventius Pamphilius Yuan-ti Evoker AC: 17, 18 if within 5 miles of White Cliff HP: 12/56 PPer: 11 PInv: 19 PIst: 11 Conditions: -- Concentrating: --

Servius is thrown backwards by the impacts, and would back up, but there's a wall in the way. Wordllessly, he tries frantically to disrupt the mind of his attack.

Spoiler

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Psychic Lance from a spell slot, (7d6)[26] psychic, incapacitate 1 round, INT DC 17
Pthax (1d20)[11]+??

[TriciaOso]

Pthax roars, sparks flying between his teeth just they did from Ttharg's. He absorbs the impact of the spell and channels it through his body, every muscle rigid as he forces the magic to obey his will. The magic flows down his arm and into his maul, replenishing the charges.

Spoiler: Will of Iron

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As a reaction, Pthax expends a rage to substitute his CON save for the INT save. If he succeeds, he can channel the spell into replacing charges in his maul, one for each spell level.

---

You, Trionyx and his dragon, the ships and the elemental wyverns all continue west. You continue to climb, chasing Trionyx; the wyverns rise, chasing you. You are outpacing the ships and wyverns, but Trionyx is outpacing you in turn.

Then Trionyx casts teleport.

---

As your course brings you over the ship with the copper dragon figurehead, a volley of longbow shots arise from the deck. Even at disadvantage, 8 of the 10 shots go home, guided by the power of the spirit possessing the warship. None of the 8 arrows do enough damage to penetrate the tender's hull, but the ship shudders and Triceratool makes an unhappy buzzing as the controls go sluggish. Copper dragons have the power of slowing their enemies.

Spoiler: Slowed Vehicle

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An affected target's speed is halved, it takes a −2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can't use reactions. It can't make more than one action during its turn. If a crewmembers attempts to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action through the tender, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the spell doesn't take effect until the creature's next turn, and the creature (and tender) must use its action on that turn to complete the spell. If it can't, the spell is wasted.

A creature affected by this spell makes another CON saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, the effect ends. The pilot can expend an action to reboot, forcing a success but losing movement for the round.

---

In the midst of its distress, Triceratool is hailed by the intelligence of the ship with the crystal dragon figurehead.

CRYSTAL SHIP: Unknown ship, identify yourself or be destroyed.

TRICERATOOL: This ship does not have a designation.

CRYSTAL SHIP: Pilot, identify yourself, then.

TRICERATOOL: I have a name but, uh, I don't think I should do that.

CRYSTAL SHIP: Identify yourself!

TRICERATOOL: I'm hanging up now...

---

Inside the tender, Pthax snarls at Servius, but first pivots and swings his mace at Nibum. The kobold activates his enhanced shield and stops the blow, but the second swing smashes through his defenses. Pthax unloads the magic from the mace and Nibum vanishes. With the interfering kobold gone, Pthax grins and one-handedly smashes the maul into Servius's face, too fast and hard for a shield spell to stop. Servius slumps to the ground.

Pthax turns to face Ttharg. "So, laddie, once again it's just you and me. Ye were always weak. It's a mystery to me how time and again ye've survived. Perhaps I did teach ye something."

"But I'm afraid we've come to the end of that voyage." He grins nastily. "Guardian of the hoard, kill the intruder!" he shouts.

But the hoard golem only swirls in place like a restless, jingling sea of gold.

I'm not sure I should.... 
Confused...
This isn't right.

Pthax roars in fury.

---

Spoiler: Nibum

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Nibum, you find yourself in a great palace of blinding solar light. The construction is unfamiliar to you, being human in culture. At least, the beings who move before you look human -- soft, pale or dark hides of scaleless flesh, strange hair growths on their heads. A king crowned in the light of the sun sits on a throne before you, with a woman dressed in beauty like the night beside him; she holds a silver mirror in her hands. She wears a veil that covers all but a crescent of her face.

The left of the throne is a tall, older man in heavy armor, wearing a belt with three stars hung on it. To the right is a magician or counselor in red robes, with a corona of flame around his hand.

The Celestial Court of the Sun King is crowded with courtiers and great war-like angels, and for the moment no one sees you. A messenger, clad in all the colors of a rainbow, darts into the room. "Great Sun King!" she calls out. "The ship from Solus carrying your mortal heir is under attack! They had almost made Sunhome when an undead dragon appeared!"

Consternation spreads though the room, and the older, armored man bows his head. "My Lord, it is as I feared. Tiamat is interfering with the coronation. We should never have allowed the sword to be brought to Sunhome at this time!" Looking at him, for a moment you see a momentary vision of a great white dragon, there and gone.

---

Spoiler: Summary

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Pthax uses his Iron Will reaction and succeeds, taking half-damage and absorbing the spell energy into his maul.

The ships sail onward, west 60 feet. The animated-breaths rise another 60 feet and move towards the tender. The undead dragon continues 200 feet west (80 move + 80 dash action + 40 from legendary actions). Hydrargyrum drops another 60 feet, still under the effect of feather fall. She casts Dimension Door, returning to the back of her mount.

The tender moves 120 feet west and up, ending at 300 feet.

The copper ship sends up a volley of 10 longbow arrows. 8 hit. None of the arrows beat the damage threshold. However, they trigger 8 CON saves for the tender; it fails two. As a result, the tender (not the people within) is slowed.

Pthax attacks Nibum twice; the first attack misses when Nibum shields, but the second hits. He unloads all four charges from the maul, doing 41 damage and casting banishment. Nibum fails the CHA save and is banished. He uses his third attack to hit Servius for 18 damage.

DAMAGE
Ttharg - 24 dmg
Servius - Unconscious
Nibum - 41 dmg

Tender - 19 dmg

Pthax - 15 dmg

INITIATIVE
Enemies
Ttharg
Servius
Nibum

[TriciaOso]

Spoiler: Servius

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Servius, unconscious, you see once again a vision of the city of Dis; a vast city of canals, filled not with water but flowing magma. The city sits in the palm of a hand of rock, five peaks rising around it; beyond these peaks is pure fire. The ground underneath heaves and rolls periodically. You've seen this landscape before, in your dreams. This is the city of Dis, built on the back of Apophis as he struggles to restrain Tiamat.

A marilith on a bridge nearby catches your eye; built like a nagini, but twice as tall, with an extra set of arms. It is Qippoz, the marilith you helped in the cove.

"Our time together may be brief, if your life is saved," she says. "But because you carry my mother's blade, I have this moment to speak with you. I can lend you no strength; only knowledge and understanding of what is underway."

"Apophis and my mother Maril bid me warn you... you have struck directly at Trionyx and he has chosen a more reckless plan in response. He will come to the place where Apophis restrains Tiamat by another route than he had planned, and it will cost him dearly. Yet he felt this was wiser than trying to face you with all his fleet."

"The fleet will try to meet him, but you have gathered strength against this, and deprived them of his power. Many ships have expended resources they should have spared for the Malatrans, defending him. If his fleet cannot seize one of the old gates in Sunhome, I do not believe Tiamat can escape at this time. But even so, Trionyx could bring her the Litany of Kin, and the power of the gods he has gathered and pledged to her. She will try again, and next time her strength will be greater."

" If you live, you have a choice... to ensure the fleet fails to seize Sunhome, or to pursue Trionyx wholly and trust to the Malatrans and your own ship to defeat the fleet. The first is certainty Tiamat will not escape today, but sows seeds for future battles and future champions. The other offers total victory... or total failure."

"The gods have their opinions. Apophis is a creature of cunning and patience. My mother and I prefer action... we would take the risk. But in the end, the gods act through their agents. Trionyx... Pthax... you and your crew. The decision is yours."

"If you live..."

Your first death saving throw is a success.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

"Fate brought us together again, aye...." Ttharg begins, carefully backing away from Pthax, still trying to keep his footing on the piles of animated gold around him.

"Bahamut, let me crewman awaken, it be not time for ye to take him to ye locker yet." He whispers, channelling healing towards Servius. The healing doesn't seem as potent as Ttharg is comfortable with, but the ladle on Ttharg's person tinks against his belt and the magic is ever so slightly reinforced.

"But we can always fight against our fate. We can always change it." He finishes to Pthax whilst stepping out onto the deck of the tender, his arms raised out to challenge Pthax. "If we're going to fight, let the fleet see it. Unless ye be afraid?" Ttharg taunts Pthax, whilst moving to the side of the tender's deck.

Spoiler

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Main Action Disengage
Bonus Action to cast Healing Word (1st Level) on Servius for 6 points of Healing (rolled on D&Dbeyond and using the ladle to reroll the healing)
Move Action (in difficult terrain) to move out of the tender, taunt Pthax, then move to the side of the deck

[TriciaOso]

Pthax laughs drily. "Aye, a public execution be good for morale. I saw what you did to yon wench, Krixkrux. But ye might find me made of stern stuff."

As he crosses the tender, he does not notice your whispered prayer, or hear Servius stir over the sound of his boots moving through the gold of the hoard golem. It is still unwilling to act, yet unable to overcome what Trionyx has done to its magic.

The tender falls silent as Triceratool does the only thing it can -- cut the engine to clear the slow spell, and hope that Nibum can resist the spell.

---

The tender moves not at all. The ships all continue west, bringing you back over the deck of the fang dragon ship. The wyverns rise, chasing you, and the front rank are in melee reach of the tender. Mounted on the lead wyvern, Hydryargyrum has somehow, improbably, made it back to the tender. She raises her hand and blasts the tender three times with venomous green beams of energy; the tender is immune to poison, but the toxic nature of the mercury dragonborn withers the flesh of the technical and corrodes the curling shell of the cabin.

---

"All right, then, my little lad," sneers Pthax. "Time to take your medicine." He brings down his maul in a crushing blow.

Spoiler: Summary

Show

ACTIONS
Triceratool cuts the engine to break the slow effect. The tender does not move this round, but is no longer slowed. Nibum succeeds on his CHA save to return (15 + 5 on the Captain's bardic).

The ships and wyverns all move sixty feet. The front wyvern is caught up to the tender, but used its action to move. Hydrargyrum is the mounted boarder. She hits the ship twice with 2 of her 3 Withering Blasts, doing 42 damage. The tender is now bloodied.

Pthax attacks Ttharg. His first strikes hits Ttharg's AC exactly (23) and does 21 damage.

DAMAGE
Ttharg - 45 dmg
Servius - 50 dmg
Nibum - 41 dmg

Tender - 61 dmg

Hydrargyrum - 13 dmg
Pthax - 24 dmg

INITIATIVE
Enemies
Ttharg
Servius
Nibum

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

There would be pain, Ttharg knew this: he was trying to be hit after all. The world turns black for a second as his head is thrown back by the force of the blow. In the brief darkness, he sees the same fractal spark of energy, of potential, of chaos, that he has seen in his visions. The spark grows in intensity, filling his mind with ephemeral electrical energy. A voice in his head, Bahamut perhaps, tells him: "Be the lightning. Strike true, strike fast, and strike hard." In the blink of an eye, Ttharg brings his head full force into Pthax's face; unleashing the electrical discord in his mind into the face of his enemy. Lightning erupts from the collision, sending Pthax sprawling backwards and over the edge of the tender. "Sometimes the tide retreats from the shore, Pthax, but that's only because a tidal wave is coming."

Spoiler

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Reaction from taking damage to use Wrath of the Storm on Pthax. Pthax fails his Dex save and takes 16 Lightning Damage (but reduced because of his heritage). He is pushed 10ft away from me.