Rescue Party

The hastily scrawled note wasn't even posted to the Adventurer's Guild boards, as is the custom and the law (enacted as a part of Keep Alexandria City Beautiful, an anti-litter encorcement). The Gaoler's Guild, a good number of whom belong to the city watch, are permitted this minor violation. Airstation Alexandria is abustle with the business of shipping and transportation, but the directions were very specific. Spire 24, mid-tier dock. Each tier of the spire has a permanent gangplank and docking apparatus for docking and unloading airships. By necessity, the largest airships are on the top tier and the small flitters are reserved for the lowest. Ascending the spire is a matter of walking the winding screw of a ramp that curves around the outside of the spire. At the midlevel there's a doorway just over ten feet tall and a room fifteen feet to the ceiling. Boxes are pressed against the wall no higher than the door and a tall human in a watch uniform talks to a gaoler in the grim black and gray of that particular guild. You paged Eligar with 'The setting emit just happend. Here it is. The hastily scrawled note wasn't even posted to the Adventurer's Guild boards, as is the custom and the law (enacted as a part of Keep Alexandria City Beautiful, an anti-litter encorcement). The Gaoler's Guild, a good number of whom belong to the city watch, are permitted this minor violation. Airstation Alexandria is abustle with the business of shipping and transportation, but the directions were very specific. Spire 24, mid-tier dock. Each tier of the spire has a permanent gangplank and docking apparatus for docking and unloading airships. By necessity, the largest airships are on the top tier and the small flitters are reserved for the lowest. Ascending the spire is a matter of walking the winding screw of a ramp that curves around the outside of the spire. At the midlevel there's a doorway just over ten feet tall and a room fifteen feet to the ceiling. Boxes are pressed against the wall no higher than the door and a tall human in a watch uniform talks to a gaoler in the grim black and gray of that particular guild.' Schneider is there in a flash. He moves quickly and easily up the stairs, his long stride making quick work of the steps. Even barechested, the wind and weather hold no sway over him, and he moves fearlessly to the destination mentioned in the note. He had been lazing about, but this looks like it will be entertaining, and now he's deeply intrigued. Stairs. Alot of them, given the height of the spire. Ulharilti discovers what could be considered a foe noted for the future; the jungle may have some tall trees and cliffs, but it is not known for stairs. When she reaches the platform, she notes those present and approaches. A missing airship is certainly an interesting problem. How did they lose something so large? Eligar has left his horse Kindroth at one of the stables as a horse on the deck of a ship is not a winning proposition no matter how well trained the horse is. He also left his lance with the horse, trusting that Kindroth would guard it. He has his sword and shield with him as he walks up the stairs towards the dock that holds the room that the Explorer's Guild told him to go to. Benthus reads the note he received and rereads it. There is something about the mission involved that he is apprehensive about. There is very little information as to the level of danger he is to face and he has no idea where the missing ship could be found. Most of all, why are they asking for a skilled combatant on this mission rather than a regular person. These thoughts trouble him, yet he could not refuse the mission for risk of neglecting people who might need saving. So, despite his fears, he goes to the airfield to do this task. "What? Ho there, adventurers," the watchman says. His uniform is pressed but showing signs of a hard morning of labor before lunch. Bars upon his sleeve and epaulets mark him as a lieutenant and commander of the watch. "Four of you, eh?" He seems to consider it. "I'm Lieutenant Baxter. This is Binder Nina." Next to him, the gaoler looks up and says nothing. Her pale features are drawn and there are deep circles beneath watery blue eyes. She runs her bony hands together; yellow nails a contrast with fishbelly white flesh. "Four will do, Baxter," she says in a surprisingly melodious voice out of character of her darkling appearance. "The giant, in particular, seems promising." "Right, then," Baxter says. He appears to be taking orders from the Binder. (Knowledge: Local, DC 10. This is not normal. Binders do not give orders to the Watch). "The airship Alida was returning from her run to the northeastern reaches of the Desolation but she's hours overdue. Given the nature of the run, it becomes imperative that we ascertain her fate quickly. The city watch will provide you with one of our small patrol crafts to trace along the Alida's route." Ulharilti Wiivai doesn't know precisely where the Desolation is in relation to the city, but an airship implies some distance. Neither does she know who should be giving orders to whom. "Do we need to travel its entire route? Do you know when they were last safe?" Some information would be helpful. Schneider smiles winningly at Nina, preening a bit as she praises him. His hair flutters in the winds this high up even without the constant pestering of spirits. "Promising, indeed! We will solve your problem, and then, we may perhaps have a quiet dinner together." He winks. As the problem is explained, he nods slowly, then guesses, "It carried a prisoner of some kind?" Why else would a jailer be involved? Why else would a few hour behind be a cause for worry? "We will recapture this prisoner!" he vows. He doesn't just jump to conclusions, he takes a flying leap, fully committed. Eligar nods politely to the Lieutenant Baxter and he moves to a spot to listen. He hmms, "And what was the ship carrying that makes it's retrieval of the utmost?" He asks as he can sense something is going on and he waits for the questions to be answered. Benthus approaches the group to which he is to team up with and was about to greet them when they started talking. It appears its all straight into business now. So he simply stands close by to indicate that he is the fourth man (or half-elf) and listens. "They only report in if there is trouble or they reach their destination. Unfortunately, we've received no communications at all since their departure from Sk-" Baxter replies, but a hiss from the Binder silences him and prevents him from finishing his sentence. "You may be required to trace the full route," he says slowly, eyeing the gaoler as if to say something. "But we do not believe so." "One of the passengers upon that ship is known to me," she explains. "And I have cast a divination upon him. I believe that he can be found only a few hours by flight." Schneider's guess makes her smile and she inclines her head enough to acknowledge the point. "The Alida carries many prisoners, giant. Your airship is but a scout, however." Baxter nods and resumes the outline. "The Warspite has been assigned to take the four of you northeast along the route the Alida followed. If you encounter the Alida, you are to board the ship, ascertain the condition of the crew and prisoners, and report back to the watchmen aboard the Warspite. She carries sufficient crew to man a skeleton watch and pilot the Alida back to port if necessary. Further questions?" Eligar frowns, "I can appreciate the need for secrecy, but we need all the information that we can so that we can be ready to go up against anything that might have attacked that ship. So why don't you tell us what was on that ship and why it's so important. We are going to find out what happened to it anyway. I'd rather not go in blind." Schneider laughs mirthfully and says, "I am ready. Let's find this ship full of prisoners!" To Eligar, he suggests, "It is probably a jailbreak attempt by the allies of one of the prisoners. Attacking in the city would be too hard. Taking the ship when it is away from a safe haven would be their best chance." That explains many things, and proves that the giant's insight is valid. "We will learn what happened to the ship and the prisoners," she agrees, "but if it was an attack by allies, they will have an instant army with the prisoners." That leads into a question for the gaoler. "How many?" Benthus shifts his gaze from one speaker to the next, listening carefully. Baxter's 'I told you so' look earns a sigh from Binder Nina. She fastidiously examines the pleats of her blouse and pretends not to hear. Baxter nods. "The Alida is a converted ship of the line. She's too armored by half and underpowered in her cannons, but that makes her an excellent prison ship. This time, the Alida was bound for Skyhold." A little tension drains from his face, but not from the ramrod posture of his body. Ulharilti's question makes the watchman wince. "There are fifty two cells and a large cargo hold for contraband or dangerous items which are also cached at Skyhold," Nina explains. "You are being hired only to find the ship, determine the condition of the crew and prisoners, and report back to the Warspite. The watch and guild will determine what actions need to be taken from there." A soft boom, a massive thump upon a wooden barrel, heralds the arrival of the Warspite. Moments later, clomping footsteps come from outside. "Commander," salutes the watchman upon entering. "Warspite reports as ordered." The watchmen spend a moment conversing quietly, leaving the adventurers to ask a final question of the gaoler or each other. The hour is upon them. Benthus simply says, "Rules of engagement?" Eligar nods as he listens to the explanation, "And what was the compliment when it left Skyhold? How many prisoners were being kept on the ship and was there any contraband or dangerous items being held in it's hold?" He asks and he looks over at the watchman as he enters, "This could prove the difference between victory and defeat." Schneider looks a little disappointed at the order to simply find the Alida and report. But he cheers himself by saying, "There will almost certainly be a fight as we get to the ship. I am ready to go!" Eligar's question holds him, though, and he pauses to hear the answer before heading for the Warspite. "Too many for four to counter," Ulharilti understands the stipulation to scout and report, "even if they were not full." Not that it would stop her from engaging if needed, but she is not completely foolish. She seems to have no further questions and moves towards the Warspite. Binder Nina squints just a little, narrowing her blue eyes upon Benthus. The water blue has turned to icy clarity. "There are no prizes of state aboard. If a prisoner is out of their cell and you cannot reasonably detain it, you may commit yourself to violence as you see fit. I can quite guarantee it will be self-defense. However, there should be no prisoners aboard. The ship is returning from Skyhold, not heading toward it." She shoos them toward the gangplank. Baxter and the other watchmen cease their discussion, salute one another, and part. The gangplank, like the spire, is not half so delicate as it would seem from the ground. The reinforced stone and iron platform must needs support the weight of any cargo as well as tether the large ships to the spire itself. A storm and lack of anchor could and still would tear the spires to pieces. The Warspite is moored to the end of the gangplank. She's a small, spritely craft with cabins for eight and a brace of cannon on each side that thrum with magical energies so potent that the slightly audible hum is audible to even the magically deaf. An airman greets them at the deck and ushers the adventurers aboard. Schneider laughs and nods at Ulharilti's surmise, and seems more surprised at the response. "No prisoners? Well," he says with a shrug, "Then we shall simply find out what we find out," and that said, he heads for the Warspite, giving the airman a casual salute and standing in the middle of the deck, where he can get the best view of getting underway. Eligar nods a little bit, "Thank you for the information." He follows the others out towards the Warsprite and he looks it over as he moves to find a spot on the deck. He takes out a length of rope and he will tie it around himself and then tie it tightly to a solid piece of the ship. He has heard how reliable these airships can be. Benthus dips his head for the goaler, acknowledging her answer. He waits until the lady has departed before turning his attention to the ship. He has been in one before and the experience was... unsettling. Hopefully his second time on the air would not be as embarassing as the first. He silently greets the airman stationed by the port and proceeds to settle himself on one of the seats, stowing his gears to the side for quick access. Ulharilti Wiivai has only travelled upon a sailing vessel to date, but how different can it be? It just floats through air rather than water. She moves to where she's directed and stows what needs to be secured, but otherwise keeps her eyes towards the deck rails. The view is one difference, and a new one. The watchman accompanying the adventurers aboard turns out to be the captain. He boards first, the others follow and are settled upon the deck. It's warm in the sunlight, even at this altitude, but the winds are brisk and the vessel isn't even underway. "I'm Lieutenant Garth, first mate of the Warspite. You briefly met Captain Mireau. Do not interfere with the airmen aboard the ship. If you have a question, take it to me. If and when we find the Alida, you will board her alone and report back when you've completed your mission." The burly, sunkissed blonde first mate looks at each of them in turn. "You have your run of the main deck, galley, common room, and the head. We will string hammocks in the hold if this lasts more than a few hours." The Warspite throws off her lines and the wood and ironclad hull of the airship begin to pull away from the tower. It is a significantly smaller airship than the cargo haulers and long range vessels that ply the airways in slow and stately majesty. The ship comes about and then the artifice of engine drives the ship onward. Within minutes, the Warspite is climbing toward a ghastly top speed nearly three times that of the large ships while airmen look over the sides and with telescopes, trying to make sign in the distance as well as below them. <OOC> Ishmael says, "You can wander about the ship or assist with the search over the sides, as you see fit. If you would like to assist with the search, please roll perception. If you're exploring the ship, feel free to just pose it." GAME: Eligar rolls perception: (9)+11: 20 GAME: Schneider rolls perception: (14)+6: 20 GAME: Benthus rolls perception: (19)+4: 23 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls perception: (14)+6: 20 Eligar stays by the sides of the ship and he looks around as best he can see given that he's wearing fullplate. He looks for the airship that they are suppose to find. He look towards his companions. "I am Sir Eligar, Knight of Peace by the way." Schneider seems pleased by the ship's turn of speed, and he'll keep watch for our target, because just sitting and waiting is boring, and he'd probably get yelled at for flirting with any of the women sailors given the mate's speech. Holding his hand over his eyes to shade it from the sun, he'll peer into the distance intently to see what may be seen. At Eligar's introduction, he smiles, and says, "I am Schneider! Spirit of Fire!" Benthus stands up once the airship has departed from its moors, and begins to make his way towards the head of the ship. Being his usual self, he begins to converse with the few crewmen on board, trying to gain a story or two about their experiences in the air. As he listens, he also scans the horizon for any peculiar shapes that could possibly be the Alida. But he trusts that the information provided by the goaler is accurate and the means to locate the ship would not be a problem. Ulharilti Wiivai moves to the sides after the ship has cleared the dock and much of the city. She looks more for the general sights than just for signs of the Adila, but it is dual purpose. When others introduce themselves, she dips her head to them. "I am Ulharilti Wiivai, warrior, hunter, and ...spirit-chosen scout of the Celaetril tribe." Her last title rolls off with some lack of familiarity. Benthus' racial perks allows him to hear the conversation of his three other comrades. He politely disengages himself with the crewmen he was conversing with and heads towards their position. "I am called Benthus. A sunblade." He tersely spoke. Schneider isn't reprimanded for harassing the female sailors. One slams her fist into his arm, knuckle extended, with the intent of leaving a painful bruise. The others were better at excusing themselves. Better behaved adventurers, such as Sir Eligar and Ulharilti Wilvai find their introductions returned by crewmen, though they quickly go back to work. Four hours into the flight, the Warspite streaks below the clouds with such rapidity that the turbid wake tears apart the clouds floating above. A dagger of pure blue follows them, slowly sealing up only miles behind them. The Redridge Mountains are below, a broken spine of red rocks shot through with black and dusted with white at their peaks. Warspite follows the line of them toward the bleak horizon of the Desolation in the distance. The crew train brass telescopes and binoculars at the horizon, but it's below them that all four of the adventurers see a black scar across three snowy peaks. When each of you traces the scar to its terminus, an airship of significantly different design is wedged over a crevasse. One peak of each top supports the fore and aft sections of the ship. It appears to have bounced upon two other mountains before coming to rest in its perilous spot. Eligar looks and he spots the ship where it crashed. "Hey it's over there." He points it out and he looks over towards the others to see if they can see it too. He tries to get the attention of the steerman and the captain of the ship. Ulharilti Wiivai also notices the fallen airship on the ground, but is not certain it is the one they seek. Still, it is important to point out. She waves one large arm and calls to those with telescopes. "Look down! There is a ship below us!" Benthus nods to Eligar's and Ulharilti's declaration. He peers to the crewmen to see if they have heard as well, letting them do their job of identifying the ship. Schneider is frogged in the arm, and despite the tingling sensation that's left going up and down that arm, he laughs as if it were pretty damned funny. He seems to hold no ill will, even as he rubs life back into his arm. "I like a woman with fire in her heart," he explains, though he leaves her alone after that, and keeps his eyes out. "Ah, there it is," he calls out, "It looks like she hit some some hard times. And also mountains." The cries of 'Hey, it's over there' and 'Look down' result in the crew doing just that. "Bring her about!" cries one airman, and the Warspite pulls a slow about face… but the circling motion doesn't stop. Turning about results in another turn as the ship loses altitude in the search for clarity. Down and down the Warspite goes, descending several hundred feet as it circles some vast invisible whirlpool of descent. Non-airmen might be alarmed by the descent toward the snowy peaks. "Hold!" cries the first mate. Garth strides onto the deck, still wearing his uniform but he's augmented it with a heavy cape lined with fur. At his word, the pilot halts their descent and the engines hold them in a hover that still leaves the ship to be pushed about by the katabatic winds of higher peaks. First Mate Garth looks over the side and then comes to the adventurers. "This is as low as we can go. The winds are bouncing us about as it is already. Are you ready to make your descent?" The ship is still hundreds of feet below othem! Eligar holds onto the railing as the ship starts to dip down towards the snowy peaks. He starts to look around to try to see what might have caused the ship to crash. Schneider looks down, grimaces. "Feather Fall won't work for this," he explains. "Falling slow, we'd just get pushed all over. So it's a good thing I don't know that one." He considers. "If we rappel from ropes, we'll at least be holding on, so you could move this ship to dangle us over the one below. And then we'd have a way back up, yes?" Rapid descents are another point unique to air ships. Water vessel only decend slowly, usually accompanied by everyone suddenly leaving the ship. Ulharilti cluthes the rail tightly as they spiral downward, and only releases when the First Mate approaches and speacks to them. "We will take a smaller ship? The man spoke of another ship. Who will pilot it?" Eligar looks to the first mate. "It's a long way down. Are we going to go down by ropes?" He asks as he doubts there is a smaller ship. He nods in agreement, "Indeed it is and I'd rather not try to time it." Benthus feels the sudden descent of the ship with which also gives his stomach the opposite reaction of tossing back up what he had eaten earlier. He grits his teeth as the familiar feeling of his previous flight has come to visit him again. He feels himself almost floating off the floor of the ship and instinctively grabs a hold of something to keep him in place. It takes a few seconds and a great deal of will power on his part before his body began to adapt to the vertical acceleration. And he was relieved when the captain of the ship gave the command to hold in place. He was still breathing hard when the ship finally came to a relatively stable stance, finding it difficult to listen to what the other people are saying. "No. No smaller ship," Garth says with a smile that says he's going to love giving this answer as much as Ulharilti is going to hate hearing it. "You'll be going over the side on descent lines. We can close to within a hundred yards and we'll lower you down in a basket." The airship crew is already dragging out what appears to be a hot air balloon's basket. It is wicker, reinforced with leather and steel cables. Surprisingly, the ten foot by ten foot basket seems large enough to take them all at once. It will be tight, but it seems to be able to do the job. Massive wooden spools with rope wound about their cores are wheeled out to the deck. Pairs of airmen flip each spool onto its side and pin it to a metal fixture with a four foot iron gear and rod, then capped and screwed down. "Here. You'll need these to signal for the basket," Garth explains. He holds out four aerial flares, one for each of them. "We can't leave it to dangle or it'll be smashed to flinders upon the mountain side." This is how you earn your pay. Benthus finally gets his auditory senses to function properly and hears of how the team is to be deployed below. He blinks and could not help himself from uttering, "Are you serious?" Eligar starts to untie himself and he puts the rope away. He moves over towards the basket and he takes one of the flares, "We will signal you when we can." He looks to Benthus, "It could be worse." He starts to get into the basket. Schneider has been enjoying things so far - the trip, the rapid descent, and the idea of rapelling down. But at the mention of a basket, he seems incredulous. "A basket? What is this, children's hour?" Though he will join the others in the basket, since they're not being given a free rope to shimmy down. Probably for the best, given he's wearing a loincloth. He takes a flare, sticks it into a large pouch on his belt, and climbs into the basket without a bit of fear. Ulharilti Wiivai does indeed look like she's very, very unhappy with the answer. Her sour look touches first the mate, then the basket, then back to the mate. On the other hand, it is probably less dangerous than umping over the side. "You'd better send the basket down when we signal." She takes the flare and approaches the basket. She'll get in, but is in no great rush. The less time she's dangling from a rope in a ...nest, the better. Benthus peers down below and then at the face of the grinning first mate. His expression darkens for a moment but he refrains from saying anything. Too many a times has he been in a situation where logic has been replaced by something insane to get a job done. He really thinks that Garth is making a very bad joke at their expense, but when he sees that his other companions are taking the flares and positioning themselves in the basket, he realizes that this is no joke. He widens his eyes incredulously and shuts them quickly. Putting his game face on, he snatches one of the flares and heads towards the basket. Getting in the basket is undoubtedly dangerous, though by far the least enviable job belongs to the sailor who punched Schneider hours before. She carries one of the ropes all the way to the fore of the ship and passes it under and then to another runner. She does the same again with a second rope. . Those are attached to spools on the other side, and all four lines are joined to the ship. "There's going to be a slight bump at the beginning, so hold on tight," First Mate Garth explains. "Two ropes from each side of the ship will keep you stable as you descend but the basket tilts a little until you're directly under the ship." They'll wait for everyone to get inside the basket, where there are hand straps, boot straps, and numerous places to tie off to. "We do this all the time," says one of the sailors. "Don't worry." It takes four sailors to push the basket to the edge and just over. The basket's bottom sags just a little, and then nothing else. The basket doesn't fall. They don't plummet over the side. Sailors rush away from the edge and man enormous winches. Each turn is slow and each turn is made perfectly in synchronization with the others due to a complicated assemblage of gears. The basket starts to descend, tipped by only about five degrees as it descends beneath the keel of the Warspite. And then it lowers them, yard upon yard through the cold air toward a crashed airship balanced on the tips of two different peaks. Eligar holds onto the edge of the basket as they are pushed out into the air. He turns his attention toward the ground and he narrows his eyes looking to see if there is anything moving down on the ground or on the ship. <OOC> Ishmael says, "If anyone would like to make a perception check as you descend, please roll it." GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls perception: (13)+6: 19 GAME: Schneider rolls perception: (13)+6: 19 GAME: Benthus rolls perception: (16)+4: 20 GAME: Eligar rolls perception: (9)+11: 20 Schneider's love is a curse, it seems. Perhaps things would be different if she hadn't spurned the sorcerer's affections. He holds onto one of the handholds, the other resting on the edge of the basket as he leans over, heedless of the rocking as he tries to get a view of our landing zone. "Definitely need to find a way to command air spirits," he muses as he observes our slow approach to our destination. Ulharilti Wiivai claims two handholds and three footholds, if available. Just to be secure. She can swim fairly well, but she cannot fly. Her discomfort is only visible, at least, as she keeps her mouth closed while they pitch, tip, and lower. She tries to focus her eyes on the ground that she is anxious to return to... just not /too/ quickly. You paged Eligar with 'You descend, swaying back and forth beneath the ship in a most worrisome way. Don’t they realize how dangerous this is? The air temperature is below freezing due to the icy wind and somebody has an elbow in your ribs. There appears to be no damage and nobody on the decks of the Alida. Nor are there lights coming from the portholes.' You paged Ulharilti Wiivai with 'You descend, swaying back and forth beneath the ship in a most worrisome way. Don’t they realize how dangerous this is? The air temperature is below freezing due to the icy wind and somebody has an elbow in your ribs. There appears to be no damage and nobody on the decks of the Alida. Nor are there lights coming from the portholes.' You paged Schneider with 'You descend, swaying back and forth beneath the ship in a most worrisome way. Don’t they realize how dangerous this is? The air temperature is below freezing due to the icy wind and somebody has an elbow in your ribs. There appears to be no damage and nobody on the decks of the Alida. Nor are there lights coming from the portholes.' You paged Benthus with 'You descend, swaying back and forth beneath the ship in a most worrisome way. Don’t they realize how dangerous this is? The air temperature is below freezing due to the icy wind and somebody has an elbow in your ribs. There appears to be no damage and nobody on the decks of the Alida. Nor are there lights coming from the portholes.' Warspite dangles the basket at one hundred and two yards as marked by the hatch marks upon the great spools of rope. It doesn’t quite come to rest aboard the deck of the wrecked ship, but it’s no more than a couple feet from the decking. They sway back and forth ten feet at a swing, but disembarking will most definitely put them aboard the main deck of the Alida. In the slanted, late afternoon rays of the sun, the icy wind has painted a faint wet sheen on the boards of the deck, indicating that it’s likely to be very slippery. From here, there seems to be nobody aboard the wrecked ship but shadows of the mountains threatening to bring premature night upon them all. Schneider will climb over the side of the basket and plant his feet on the deck. When he's got his footing, he'll try to hold the basket steady for the others to dismount. This is turning out to be pretty interesting, he's decided. The wind blows back his hair dramatically. Eligar looks up, "Hey try to keep it steady up there." He shouts and then looks back towards the ship. He shifts to try to get someone's elbow out of his ribs, "It doesn't look very good down there. Not many could survive down there in this kind of weather." Benthus takes a tight hold over one of the hand straps that is attached to the basket, as his other hand grabs hold on the hilt of his two-handed sword. He carefully peers over the edge of the basket and scans for any activity down below. A quick glance is made to those of his team mate, wondering if any of them will lose their nerve in this delicate procedure. As he spots that they are all focused on looking below, he stops worrying about himself and concentrates on the task at hand. As he scrutinizes the integrity of the ship, he realizes that there appears to be no damage to it. There is no lights coming out of the port holes either. But most distressing of all is that there are no person on the ship's deck. He relays all of his findings to the other members of his team, hoping that they have better luck in finding someone on board the downed ship. "Why did the ship crash? I don't see any damage... and no light." Ulharilti gratefully exits the basket when it touches down. A slippery deck is better than a swinging basket. It's also much less confining and the large sith now has room to move around. Schneider laughs, "Of course there's no one on deck. They'd freeze in these winds, if they didn't get blown overboard." Not that he's not on the lookout for someone ambushing us, but he doesn't seem particularly concerned. It will happen or it won't. "Maybe they landed to get out and stretch their legs?" he suggests ironically. "We're not going to find out in the basket." Benthus keeps looking down below as he makes a quick reply to Sith, "They should have brought and engineer along as I have no idea what could be wrong with the ship." The Alida--a pretty name for an ugly ship. The vessel lacks the graceful prow and smooth lines of a fast packet like the Warspite. She’s boxy, clad in great sheets of iron that angle slightly toward the keel, and gives the impression of a formerly flying barricade. Wedged into the stone, it seems that the reason the ship hasn’t collapsed into the yawning mist covered darkness below them is the over-engineered armor. The icy foredeck occupies half the length of the ship, with the aftercastle occupying the other half. The deck seems to be completely empty, devoid of fixture, weapon, or furniture. Ice is their companion and the sight of the ascending basket leaves only the gnawing urge to fire the flares and leave. The deck is wider than the after castle and it goes all the way around, providing a thin walkway for three of the four sides. It is upon these sides that they find two doors, one on each side and opposite from the other. Ulharilti Wiivai does not care for the cold, and the wind only makes it worse. The deck is empty, anyhow, and provides no information. She moves as briskly as the slippery surface allows and calls out the obvious door when it is found. Immediately after, she tries to open it. Answers, windbreak, and possible heat could lie within. Once the basket land Eligar waits for the others to get out before he does being slower in full plate. He takes a look around as he starts towards the ship and he tries to ignore the cold. He looks around, "Anyone see any claw marks and burns?" He looks around for any holes that might be in the ship. <OOC> Ishmael says, "You could check for signs with survival (tracking). Go ahead and roll it." GAME: Schneider rolls survival: (8)+4: 12 GAME: Eligar rolls survival: (18)+2: 20 GAME: Benthus rolls survival: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls survival: (2)+5: 7 You paged Schneider with 'You fail to find any tracks upon the deck, nor any sign that anyone but you were upon it since the ice came.' You paged Eligar with 'There are some faint scratches that are actually below the ice and have been passed over. It appears that something heavy may have passed along here. Following the scrapes leads you to a broken steel prong and scratches on a hand hold. If you had to guess, it was a broken grappling hook. There's a thin ledge below, and then a gaping maw. Nothing else.' You paged Benthus with 'It's cold and icy, you don't see how anything could have left a track that the ice wouldn't have covered.' Schneider moves slowly to keep his feet. Lucklily, his fur loincloth is heavy enough that the winds don't whip it up dangerously. When everyone's safely out of the basket, he'll let go so it can be hauled up. He takes a look around deck, but can't make out anything, so agrees with Ulharilti, "No sign of anyone. Seems reasonable if the wind blew away all signs, though. Or maybe they left to find better shelter?" He'll make his way towards Ulharilti's door. You paged Ulharilti Wiivai with 'The ice seems to be too hard to leave good track. You can't find anything.' Benthus is too cold to actually be concerned about any clues as to the ships present condition. All that he is interested in is to get inside the ship and out of the cold biting wind. "I hope we can burn something inside the ship as I don't feel my fingers anymore. Eligar pauses as he sees smething below the ice that has just recently formed over. He follows the scrap and he reaches to pull out a broken steel prong, "Over here. It looks like some sort of grappling hook. I bet that whatever happened this ship didn't go down by some accident." Benthus looks at the grappling hook and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is: "Pirates?" From afar, Ulharilti Wiivai nods. "Is the door able to open, if so, =what is inside? You paged Ulharilti Wiivai with 'The handle swings but it doesn't just pull open. Give me a strength check to see if you can break free whatever is holding it shut.' Schneider pauses as the grappling hook is found, and he nods at Benthus's guess. "It seems so!" he agrees. But he's not sure where that gets us. "But are they still here? Or did they take things and go? Did they leave a prize crew?" These questions have no answer right this instant, so with a gesure pointing to the side door, he calls out, "Spirits! Heed my command, open this door, and let us see what it leads us to!" GAME: Schneider casts Open-Close. GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls strength: (4)+3: 7 The spirits may not be listening. Ulharilti's tug and Schneider's call to the spirits do little more than swing the handle, which moves easily, but the door doesn't open. Eligar nods, "Could be." He looks towards the others waits for the others, "It might be locked." Ulharilti Wiivai's tug might have been more effective, had the ice not made her footing trecherous. In this case, the door moves her more than the other way around, as she slides, slips, and growls. Magic has no better result and she growls. "We could just break it down." Benthus draws his greatsword out of its sheath and holds it in his two hands, the thought of a possible hostile confrontation making him overtly cautious. At least the sudden surge of adrenaline can combat the painful cold he is feeling at the moment. If the door is locked, lets try the windows." Schneider hrmphs at the door not opening. "Locked, then," he assumes, nodding to Eligar, and he'll go right up to it, wind blowing though his hair and loincloth. He'll put his shoulder to it to see if that does any better. Eligar hmms, "Anyone here know anything about locks?" He asks as he doubts there is a window, this is a prison ship after all. "Anyone bring an axe?" There are indeed a few windows. Multiple panes of thick glass curve across the front of the aftercastle and show the bridge within. The view is distorted by frost, but the consoles are unmistakable. The only other windows are the portholes on the hatch, and they're just as covered in the thin layer of ice as the rest of the door. Glass is much more fragile than wood or armor. <OOC> Ishmael says, "The door is frosted over, much like a car door after freezing rain. A good tug (strength check) or some fire should loosen it up." <OOC> Benthus says, "Fire it up! *readies his hand for the heat*" Glass is much more fragile than wood or armor. "The window, if we can't open the door." Ulharilti move to the front of the bridge and unstraps her glaive from her back. She doesn't strike just yet, in case the others do manage to unstick the door. GAME: Schneider rolls strength: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Benthus rolls strength: (15)+3: 18 <OOC> Ishmael says, "18 is sufficient, the ice cracks around the door and drops free in a sheet when the door opens up." Schneider can't seem to get his footing on the icy deck, and his strentgh is useless without some way to use it. Feet sliding across the deck, he finally gives up and steps away from the door to let someone else have a try. Eligar takes out his sword and he holds his shield ready. He waits as the others try to open the door as he stands ready to be the first one in. Benthus thinks it over and says to the Sith, "Let us exhaust our options on the door first. The goaler may not be happy with us if he unnecessarily damage the ship." He thought his words over and then adds, "... Any further." He draws close to the door and thought of how people use to tap the lid of a stuck jar to open it. He thumps the butt of his greatsword against the door a few times and then twists the latch. No effect. Frustrated and cold, he finally submits to his baser instincts and kicks the door. Lo and behold, the door groans open. "Oops." GAME: Schneider casts False Life. GAME: Schneider rolls 1d10+4: (5)+4: 9 While the others worry about the door, Schneider decides to prepare for the fight ahead. Well, the one he thinks is ahead. "Spirits of blood!" he commands, "Hear my call, fill me with life and power!" His whole body seems to surge unnaturally for a moment, and then all seems normal. Ulharilti Wiivai does not care how the door was opened, only that it was. She stows her glaive once more and moves to hoin the others at the door. The door opens, carrying a rush of warm air with it. This isn't the gust of a hearth upon a cool night, but at least some heat was retained within the airship. However, it is completely dark inside. Not one light, perhaps magical and perhaps alchemical, offers illumination within the ship. What little can be seen is a narrow corridor just wide enough for single file travel. Where it intersects with a larger passage, all is lost to darkness. Ulharilti Wiivai will continue to push forward into the opening. Her eyes require no light for short distances, but her body requires warmth. Even the tight quarters are not enough to dissuade her. "If any are left, we must find them." Schneider isn't worried about the air temperature, but the darkness is worrisome. A lot of getting lost and getting ambushed will happen, he suspects, so he draws his greatsword and chants for the power of the elements once again, "Spirits of fire, let your light illuminate our way!" And so saying, a flame seems to glow around his greatsword blade. No heat, if anyone's close enough to sense such things, but it's as bright as torchlight. He'll let the fighty types go first, then follow up, letting his light flow into the corridor. GAME: Schneider casts Light. Eligar nods a little bit as he heads in, "Here let me go first. Anyone have some light?" He asks as he starts down the steps, as his vision will extend the light coming down the open door, but not too much. He nods, "Thanks." The heatless light cast upon the blade of the greatsword offers illuminations and strangely shifting shadows as Ulharilti moves in front of Schneider and her silhouette is imposed upon the far wall. The walls are made of metal, and the chill of outdoors seems to be conducted through the walls and floor... but it's still warm enough that there's no longer a need to shiver and a blush of warmth can return once more to the skin. The corridor continues ahead to what looks like a central passage way. To the right, there's another corridor with four doors along one wall. To the left, there are two doors--the first is ornate and the second is not. A little exploration will reveal this pattern is duplicated on the other side of the ship as well, but they'll have to go down the main corridor to explore the aft section of the Alida. Ulharilti Wiivai favors a systematic approach. "We should check each door." The simplest answer is to open them in the order they find them. Eventually, there will be no knob left unturned. Eligar took he lead, but she has no issue remaining near the front. Eligar nods a little bit as starts to check the doors, 'Sounds good to me. Let's see if we can figure out what happened." He will slowly make his way down the hallway checking each door. Schneider allows the others to lead while following closely behind. Since it's single file, he doesn't expect he'll be getting into hack at people, but he remains alert all the same. The warmth flushes his skin as well, though he hadn't lost as much color as most, his kin hardy against the extremes of cold. He offers a shrug to the order in which doors are opened. This is as good a plan as anything, and he will simply nod along and watch to see what happens. Benthus refrains from entering the passageway too quickly, fearful that if an attack be made with all of them bunched up together near the door, the mission would be over before it could really begin. As lead member continues further inside without signaling an alarm, he concentrates on taking slow and careful steps inside the ship's innards. The sudden halt of the cold wind provided by the cover was almost too pleasurable to hold. He sighs slowly as he shakes off some of the frost that has clung to his cloak and other exposed parts. He pumps his grip on his sword to increase circulation in that area, feeling the pin-prick sensation signaling the return of nerve function. He grimaces a little at the discomfort but pain was a good sign. Shifting his attention back to their mission, he keeps a look out behind him and ponders the wisdom of closing the door or leaving it open. <OOC> Ishmael says, "All right, you can search the bridge, the fancy door on the port (where you entered) or starbard, the plain door on the port or starboard, the row of doors, port or starbard, or the aft. Then we can talk about what you want to do to search them." <OOC> Ulharilti Wiivai says, "The ornate door to plain doors in order sounds good to me." <OOC> Schneider says, "I'm good whichever way we go." <OOC> Eligar says, "Sounds good to me too" <OOC> Ishmael says, "Ornate to plain it is. Are you taking any precautions or just sticking your heads in to look around? Nobody is a rogue so I expect the former." <OOC> Ulharilti Wiivai says, "The former." <OOC> Eligar says, "Not many precautions to be taken without a rouge" <OOC> Ishmael says, "Perception checks please, then I'll pose what are in the rooms" GAME: Schneider rolls perception: (2)+6: 8 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls perception: (10)+6: 16 GAME: Benthus rolls perception: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Eligar rolls perception: (17)+11: 28 Searching the first room they come across, the ornate door opens easily upon its hinges to reveal a relatively posh cabin. Surely this isn't how an ordinary airman travels. An actual bed with actual sheets is bolted to the floor. A pillow sits askew against the forward bulkhead, thrown there when the ship came to an abrupt stop no doubt. There is also a small desk built into the wall. Its chair is tipped over and ink has dried upon the surface courtesy of the spilled inkwell. Those with a keen eye will spot a leather bound ledger wedged against the wall. The second room holds little behind its plain door except for swabs, buckets, and other toiletries. A cleaning and linen closet. Eligar moves in and he starts to look around. He spots the ledger and he moves over to open it up and to start reading it. "Hopefully this will shed some light on what happened." Schneider holds his light up so everyone can see by it, but his first thought, on seeing the posh cabin, is, "Alexandria treats its prisoners very well!" And he heads on over to try out the bed. It's good to be king! Or something. Ulharilti Wiivai's glance into the rooms are fairly simple and focused: enemies, prisoners, and crewmen, in that order. Seeing none of the three in either room, her attention moves elsewhere. You paged Eligar with 'Unless you have profession: airman, the ledger is mostly a list of coordinates, supplies loaded and unloaded, and basic navigational info. There are the occasional entries in the captain's log, however. A few were promoted. Someone received a disciplinary hearing. The most relevant seems to be that they were asked to return a package to the Gaoler's Guild due to it being a worthless item, not contraband or a prisoner. Other than that, everything looks normal. There's nothing at all on the crash, so it must have happened suddenly.' Benthus ponders. A bed? In a prison ship? That doesn't sound right. Eligar flips through the ledger, "There isn't much here except that they were returning some sort of package, it is supposed to be worthless, but obviously it wasn't." He will take the ledger with them to return. He hmms, "This is probably the captain's quarters." Schneider gets bored reclining on the captain's bed after a while and sits up. "So, they were returning something, and someone came to steal it?" he asks. "Does it say what it was they were carrying? Or even how large it might have been?" That sounds like an important fact. Ulharilti stops short of opening another door and looks to Eligar. "Is it written where the package was kept? The ship had some important task, and the gaoler claimed that it carried no prisoners, so it must be something else." This could be the secret. Eligar shakes his head, "It's not, but it'd most likely be in the cargo hold. I would suggest that we go there next." He starts to move after the others holding onto his sword and shield. Benthus asks, "Does anyone see any signs of struggle? I mean a ship this big would have a reasonable amount of crew to operate. Considering that it is also a prison ship, the crew should be experienced enough to repel boarders." Schneider shrugs, nods about checking the cargo hold. "Sounds as likely as anything. Though I expect we'll find it missing." He gets up off the posh bed and heads off towards the way down. He shakes his head about signs of a struggle. "Maybe the crew sold out and ditched the ship here?" In the strange nautical tradition of the wet navy, the stairs that lead down to the middle deck are called ladders. The ladders flank the central passageway that connects the bridge with the aft sections of the unexplored upper deck. A quick peek into the rows of doors reveals crew cabins. Each of these have a chest, a small writing desk, and a fold down bunk that stays against the wall. The chests are bolted to the framework and made of iron, so without a key there's no reason to spend time upon them. Bridge, aft, or down become the options. The cargo hold is almost certainly down. Ulharilti Wiivai keeps her weapon stowed for now. The narrow confines make it less than useful, and it would probably be more in the way in hand than it is strapped to her back. "Where is the hold?" She knows nothing of airships, and this is only the second she has set foot on. Benthus ponders again, "Didn't the goaler divined the location of someone? And that someone would be in the ship? Where is that someone?" Eligar hmms, "Or perhaps they were taken prisoner by whoever boarded the ship via the grappling hook that we found." He nods, "Yes she did, but she didn't say where in the air ship, just that she found him." Schneider hrms at what Benthus points out, though he says, "She only said that the person was along the path of flight, not that they were in a specific place, yes? And of course that was when she did the divination, time has passed since then." He nods to Eligar, and says, "We'll check the hold, just in case, though. And so we can tell the folks up above we checked everything." <OOC> Ishmael says, "Who is leading the way?" <OOC> Benthus says, "Eligar?" <OOC> Eligar says, "Sure" Footsteps reverberate as the party of adventurers descend the ladder to the middle deck, leaving open doors and darkness in their wake. The middle deck is as large as the upper, and laid out in much the same way. The main corridor proceeds fore and aft. This corridor is the same large, wide corridor as before; perfect for wheeling cargo about. It seems that pathway leads to the prison, a pair of metal doors with a locking bar closed from the outside. Their side. To the starbard is a loading door and portable gangplank, probably how they loaded prisoner and cargo. That makes the aft the most likely place for the cargo hold to be. The ladders do descend one more level, but what could possibly be down there? Schneider follows along, heavy footfalls clumping on the deck as he illuminates the way with his flaming greatsword. Luckily, the flame is illusory and doesn't burn the place down around our ears. He peers at the prisoner area, but it's locked from this side, so should be safe enough to leave at our backs, though he suggests, "We should check that out before we go back to the ship." The locked door to the prison area is some reassurance. Ulharilti looks to the others, "Down?" If the hold isn't here, and is usually down, going down seems the logical choice. Eligar nods, "That sounds good." He moves towards the aft and he pauses to listen to see if there is anything behind the door before he starts to go to open the door. Benthus sticks to the back of the group to make sure their rear is covered. [RPThree] Ulharilti Wiivai says, "Which door are you opening?" [RPThree] Eligar says, "Aft" <OOC> Ishmael says, "The prison is fore, the cargo hold is aft, and down leads to the belowdecks." A pair of sturdy wooden doors should demark the spot where the wide corridor turns in to the much larger cargo hold. One of those two doors is ajar ever so slightly. The ship groans then, protesting its rough treatment with an unearthly cry of settling metal and scrape of metal against stone. It lasts all of a heartbeat, and after that, a heartbeat may be a much smaller length of time. Within the cargo hold are boxes and boxes pressed against the walls. Each is stenciled with a logo and small printed codes. What catches the eye, however, is a green chest chained to the deck in the middle of the room. The chains do not cross the top, but rather latch through eyelets on the side that prevent the box from shifting about during transport. A green chest. Chained to the middle of the floor. That is not conspicuous at all. Ulharilti is no expert air sailor, but it seems significant. "That looks like it is not worthless." She approaches the chest, studying it as she nears. She won't know if it is significant until she opens it. Benthus says, "I'd rather not open it If I were you." Schneider follows into the cargo hold, and holds his flaming sword up to provide light. "That," he points to the chained trunk, "looks like something of interest." He points out, "We weren't supposed to open it, just find it and let the people above know, right?" But now he's hugely curious. Eligar hmms as he looks around the room, "Well that doesn't make sense that they would just leave the chest here. I say we keep looking. We haven't found any bodies or any real sighs of a struggle. Something strange is going on here." "Unless they already took what was inside," Ulharilti offers. "Do we leave any here to guard it, or take it with us?" She isn't disagreeing, just doesn't like the idea of just leaving it. Benthus nods his head, sharing the same sentiment as Eligar.Now he is beginning to understand why he was recruited for the job. Schneider agrees with Eligar, "I'm not saying to stop looking. I just want a peek inside. It's got to be interesting, if there's this much secrecy around it, right?" He hrms, "You're right," he saus to Ulharilti, "it could be empty inside." He sighs at Benthus and Eligar, but nods, "Let's make sure the place is empty, report on it, and get paid. It's kind of boring, now. Where's the bandits and such?" Ulharilti Wiivai now paces and looks around the vicinity of the chest as she waits for an answer or others to decide. Maybe she can find some clue as to whether others did come here, or if there was a battle, or ... something, anything. It is very strange, indeed. Eligar looks to Schneider, "Don't open it, just leave it alone until we can figure out what happened. For all we know maybe there is some trap that killed everyone for opening the chest." He starts to look around. <OOC> Ulharilti Wiivai tries to look for signs of tracks, blood, monster spoor... something. <OOC> Ishmael says, "Survival checks to look for tracks or signs of battle in this area, or you can head back to one of the other areas you haven't been yet." GAME: Eligar rolls survival: (10)+2: 12 GAME: Schneider rolls survival: (15)+4: 19 GAME: Benthus rolls survival: (7)+2: 9 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls survival: (9)+5: 14 <OOC> Schneider says, "Actually, let me drop Detect Magic as well." GAME: Schneider casts Detect Magic. Schneider hrms at what Eligar says, and takes a step back. "Right," he agrees. He'll check around the area for tracks, or signs of habitation, or anyone alive. After seeing what may be seen with his woodcraft, he gives a flourish and calls out, "Spirits of magic. Speak to me, tell me what you see!" And then proceeds to interrogate the spirits, to see if there is anything supernatural going on. You paged Eligar with 'You find some blood against some of the cargo boxes on the wall. Also, the light in the room seems to be growing more and more dim.' You paged Schneider with 'You pick up a fair amount of magic within sixty feet. The majority seem to be artifice connected to the ship; dead or dimly functioning magical enchantments that allow the ship to fly. The longer you concentrate, the more you come to realize two things: the contents of the green chest are not magical, as there is no magical aura, and two, there seems to be an enchantment surrounding this entire room. Additionally, as you are looking around, you notice that there are faint piles of black sand at the corners of the green chest. It's pooled against the walls, like it was poured there after the box was put in place.' You paged Benthus with 'There are a LOT of other boxes here. Yep. Lots.' You paged Ulharilti Wiivai with 'You notice the lights seem to be getting more and more dim here. That is odd on its own... but even your darkvision isn't reaching as far as it should. It's like the darkness is closing around.' Eligar hmms as he starts to look around the room. He stops, "I've got some blood over here." He sees the cargo boxes and he goes to open one up. Ulharilti Wiivai finds nothing obvious, though the dim light does not help. She glances into the edge of the light, pauses, then looks again. Her steps then freeze. "The shadows are deeper than they should be... Schneider, did you see any magic?" She is immediately suspicious of the cause, but she is also somewhat biased. Benthus just grips his sword tighter, getting more tense. Schneider's concentration lingers on the chest for several long moments, that draw out as he tries to focus on that and ignore the surroundings. "Ship things," he says quietly to Ulharilti. "Nothing on the box," he says, "nothing in the box that's magical, it seems... but the whole room has an enchantment on it," he narrates as he goes, though after a minute, he wonders, "What's that?" as he points out faint piles of black sand at the corners of the green chest. "Some kind of cement, to hold the box in place?" And then he urges, "Don't touch anything, I think, it's ... it's all magical, the whole room, but I have no idea what or how." <DM> Shadow Demon uses Deeper Darkness to dispell Light upon Schneider's sword. You paged Schneider with 'You sense a brief flare of magic near you!' The light spell cast upon the sword is snuffed out! "I do not like this," Ulharilti understands that magic powers the ship, and their could be more for securing the prison. But here in the cargo hold? She moves forward, trying to tell if the deep shadows recede or... and then there is nothing but shadow when the light is extinguished. Benthus says, "Great! Now what?" GAME: Schneider casts Light. Eligar stops and he hunkers down into a very defensive stance. "Schneider did you light spell just go out?" Schneider laughs as the light goes out, but he has no fear. In fact, he doesn't understand a lot of complicated concepts. But if someone can put the light out, he'll simply make more light. Chanting sonorously, he calls, "Spirits of fire, fight back, and reclaim your honor!" But nothing happens. "No," he says to Eligar. "We're under attack." He chants again, and the doorhandle suddenly flickers with illusory torchlight. <OOC> Ishmael says, "And with those words, you most certainly are. Initiatives, please!" GAME: Schneider rolls initiative: Roll: 14 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 17 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls initiative: Roll: 5 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 7 GAME: You roll initiative for Shadows: Roll: 18 + Bonus: +8 = Total: 26 GAME: Benthus rolls initiative: (16)+initiative: 16 GAME: Eligar rolls initiative: Roll: 6 + Bonus: 1 = Total: 7 GAME: Benthus's initiative total changed to '16'. == Current Initiative Order - Turn 1 === ---------------------------------------- 26 Shadows ---------------------------------------- 17 Schneider ---------------------------------------- 16 Benthus ---------------------------------------- 7 Ulharilti ---------------------------------------- 7 Eligar ---------------------------------------- ======================================== <OOC> Ishmael says, "All right, will saves everyone!" GAME: Schneider rolls will: (6)+4: 10 GAME: Eligar rolls will: (13)+3: 16 GAME: Benthus rolls will: (7)+9: 16 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls will: (4)+3: 7 GAME: Ishmael rolls 7d6: (24): 24 <OOC> Ishmael says, "All right, reflex saves for half. You get a double dose of the saves." GAME: Schneider rolls reflex: (13)+4: 17 GAME: Benthus rolls reflex: (16)+7: 23 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls reflex: (2)+2: 4 GAME: Eligar rolls reflex: (6)+2: 8 GAME: Ishmael damaged Benthus for 12 points. 14 remaining. GAME: Ishmael damaged Ulharilti Wiivai for 24 points. 6 remaining. GAME: Ishmael damaged Schneider for 5 points. 35 remaining. GAME: Ishmael damaged Eligar for 24 points. 13 remaining. Crouching at the far end of the room, in the deepest part of the gloom and darkness, is a shadow demon. It grins malevolently, lit only by the orange of firelight that barely seems to spread in its presence. With a twist of its clawed hand, it tosses the fireball into the midst of the adventurers! GAME: Schneider rolls 1d20+10: (19)+10: 29 <OOC> Schneider guesses that's a threat, should roll to confirm? You paged Schneider with 'What kind of weapon and does it have enchants?' Schneider pages: +1 greatsword. <OOC> Ishmael says, "Please." GAME: Schneider rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14 <OOC> Ishmael says, "A hit, but not a critical hit." GAME: Schneider rolls 2d6+10: (5)+10: 15 Schneider gasps as the little critter appears, and then there's fire, fire all around us. With Schneider in the middle of it, laughing! He doesn't seem bothered by it much at all, and screaming an incoherent, raging defiance, he charges the little critter and swings wildly at it, his blade coming within a hair of a wicked cut. As it is, the wound it leaves seems less than it ought to, but Schneider is past caring now. <OOC> Benthus will invoke the wrath of Daeus upon this demon's head for smitysmite effect. bypass d/r. swift cast LoH. Charge! <OOC> Ishmael says, "Ok. Roll Lay on Hands." GAME: Benthus rolls 1d6: (3): 3 GAME: Ishmael damaged Benthus for -3 points. 17 remaining. <OOC> Benthus says, "oh power attack on the charge, too." You paged Benthus with 'What kind of weapon do you have and does it have any enchantments?' GAME: Benthus rolls 1d20+12: (2)+12: 14 Benthus dodges a ball of fire that detonates in the groups midst, singeing him slightly. He then identifies the threat and sneers in anger. He utters' heal' to himself recovering some health. Calling on the wrath of his god on the demon, he charges... and misses miserably. <OOC> Ulharilti Wiivai will close to within 10 ft, draw her glaive along the way, swift to activate Arcane Strike, Power Attack, and swing at it. <OOC> Ulharilti Wiivai inserts Rage in there, too. GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls melee+3: (3)+5+3: 11 Ulharilti Wiivai doesn't realize the ball of fire is there until it scorches her scales badly. Aside from burnt flesh, the other visibile effect is she becomes extremely annoyed. Roaring to let it know she is still alive, she moves towards it, pulling her weapon free on the way. The blade flashes momentarily with a touch of arcane power as she brings it down in a reckless overhead swing... that punishes the floor. <OOC> Eligar says, "I'll charge the demon." <OOC> Eligar says, "And I'll throw down a challenge down on it, am I flanking anyone?" <OOC> Ishmael says, "You're not flanking. The thing is sitting on boxes at the end of the room. There's no way for you to land on its side and still attack due to the nature of charge." <OOC> Ishmael says, "You can flank if someone takes a 5 foot step next turn." GAME: Eligar rolls 1d20+10: (18)+10: 28 GAME: Eligar rolls 1d8+7: (3)+7: 10 Eligar stands firm as he takes the full blast of the fireball. His magical armor is steaming as he sets himself to ready himself for a charge. "Come and face me demon!" He runs forward to get right in it's face. He slices at it, but the damage seems to heal right up. <OOC> Ishmael says, "The demon claws at Schneider. Schneider, what's your touch AC?" GAME: Ishmael rolls 1d20+11: (5)+11: 16 GAME: Ishmael rolls 1d20+11: (18)+11: 29 <OOC> Schneider says, "13." GAME: Ishmael rolls 2d6: (5): 5 GAME: Ishmael rolls 2d6: (7): 7 GAME: Ishmael damaged Schneider for 2 points. 33 remaining. <OOC> Ishmael says, "That's 12 minus your 10 temporary, but i'm going to hurt you for 10 when you come out of rage." The shadow demon snarls and hisses at the damage, slashing angrily at the giantborn and opening new cuts and scratches in his hide. <OOC> Ishmael says, "You can move around the side to flank. Imagine it as a T, where the top of the T are boxes across the back and the downstroke is a box it is sitting upon" GAME: Schneider rolls 1d20+12: (1)+12: 13 Schneider is, in fact, not as great a warrior as he aspires to be. He avoids the worst of the injury from the little demon's claws by magic, guile, and sheer bloody-mindedness, but the magic he'd casto on himself, when slashed by the demon, had erupted in a torrent of blood, and he slips on some of the boody deck and winds up planting his blade in a crate nowhere close to the damned thing. <OOC> Benthus flanks with somebody, Loh on me, and continue the power attack. +1 from Eligar for real? <OOC> Ishmael says, "It's real. Roll LoH." GAME: Benthus rolls 1d6: (2): 2 GAME: Ishmael damaged Benthus for -2 points. 19 remaining. GAME: Benthus rolls 1d20+13: (20)+13: 33 <OOC> Benthus says, "is it critable?" <OOC> Ishmael says, "Yep. Roll again to see if you crit." GAME: Benthus rolls 1d20+13: (9)+13: 22 <OOC> Ishmael says, "Critical hit." GAME: Benthus rolls 4d6+20: (17)+20: 37 Benthus blade is coated by with light and he raises his sword for an overhead swing. With all his anger for the evil monster mustered in one stroke, he delivers a punishing blow that would have obliterated a lesser creature. GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls melee+3-1: (17)+5+3+-1: 24 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls 1d10+11: (2)+11: 13 Ulharilti Wiivai is in pain, though she doesn't feel it so strongly at the moment. She demands some retribution and lifts her large weapon again. This time, it strike when it drops, but the demon's damnable hide causes the blade to skitter along more than bite in. Her fury isn't necessarily righteous, but it is still fury. <OOC> Eligar says, "Aiding Benthus" GAME: Eligar rolls 1d20+7: (15)+7: 22 <OOC> Eligar says, "He gets +3 to his next attack roll" Eligar has gone up before against monsters who are invulnerable to mundane weapons. He instead tries to distract the beast so that Benthus can have an easier time of hitting it. The chimpanzee sized demon shrieks its rage as a blistering telepathic wail of pure rage... and then its intangible form darts down into the boxes, out of sight. <OOC> Ishmael says, "No AoO. It has total cover even with the 5 foot step." <OOC> Ishmael says, "The lights are not back on. Light has a duration, as does darkness it seems." Eligar frowns as he sees the demon suddenly runaway. He continues to look around, "Schneider can you please bring the lights up." <OOC> Benthus says, "On his turn, Benthus will try to detect evil in the room." <OOC> Ishmael says, "Schneider, it's your turn. Benthus is going to concentrate a bit on his detect evil, but it's your initiative." Benthus draws his blade close to his chest with the crossguard close to the level of his eyes. "Grant me sight, my liege!" His eyes flare bright wihte, like incandescent lamps, as he scans the room for the demon. GAME: Schneider rolls perception: (14)+6: 20 You paged Schneider with 'You dig and dig, but you can't find anything. It's too dark. All the light is coming from the door on the other end of the room.' Schneider is incoherent in rage or he'd probably do something magical as the creature vanishes. As it is, he's half-blind with rage and he's intent on killing it, the dimness of the light from across the room not stopping him. He reaches up and hurls the first and highest box down, and then reaches for the next one. Muscles flex across his shoulders and back, and crash, that box is thrown down as well. "Come out, damn you!" he shouts. GAME: Eligar rolls perception: (19)+11: 30 You paged Eligar with 'You find no trace of the shadow demon, and though all the light comes from the far end of the room, you feel certain you'd have found the beast if it was here. It seems to have fled.' Eligar hmms as he starts to look around and he shakes his head, "It seems to have fled, the Sunblade has driven it off. It might have killed the crew I did find some blood over there." GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls perception: (9)+6: 15 You paged Ulharilti Wiivai with 'You can't find a trace of the shadow demon, but it's so dark... all the light comes from the illuminated door knobs on the far end of the room.' A giant-born after her own heart! Ulharilti also starts tossing boxes that Schneider has not yet reached. "Come out! Coward!" She does not abide cowardice, especially from annoying things that harm her then run. As the boxes are tossed about, some break and spill hay onto the floor. Others clank within their confines as metal or glass bumps together. The provisions don't provide much challenge to the enraged. <OOC> Benthus says, "Wait... I am a paladin. I'll scour every nook and cranny with my detect evidence. ability until I find it. The sould" You paged Benthus with 'Your detect evil eventually gives you a much better fix. The area is foul with a strong aura of evil, as is the case for evil outsiders... however, the locus of it isn't within range. This is just the stink of it dwelling here in the hold.' Benthus blinks and the flare in his eyes vanish. "It is no longer in this room. We must hunt it before it can fully recover." Schneider growls defiance in one last savage hurl of boxes, and then snaps out of his rage, panting exhaustedly as he tries to get his bearings back. "What's going on?!" he demands. "Did we drive it off? Did we injure it?" His injuries seem much worse when the fury isn't filling him. Not that he's more bloody, but he's less blind to the pain. He growls and spits blood, then renews his sorcerous defense. "Blood spirits, blood magic, serve me!" Much of the blood around him and on him seems to seep into his body, which ripples for a moment, and is still. GAME: Schneider casts False Life. GAME: Schneider rolls 1d10+4: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Ishmael damaged Schneider for 10 points. 23 remaining. GAME: Ishmael damaged Schneider for -6 points. 29 remaining. You paged Schneider with 'The 10 was from the claw attacks you basically shrugged off. When you dropped, the damage caught up to you. You're still pretty healthy!' Ulharilti Wiivai vents some of her ire with the tossing of provisions. Some of her energy vents with the end of her ire, leaving her winded, but she still has some saved for the creature. "We need to find it," she growls, "quickly. Before it can escape or ambush use again." Now that she's a bit more level-headed, the glowing door handles are of interest... even if just because they're connected to the doors and they need to leave the room. Eligar nods, "We could, but we are trying to find the crew. We have no evidence of what is left of them." He continues to look around, "I doubt they are in here." Schneider nods to the others, "We will kill it," he agrees, and a moment later, a box is aflame with magical light. No actual fire, but a flaming glow like torchlight, mixing with the magical light from the door. "Lighting everything," he says fiercely. "More fire!" GAME: Schneider casts Light. <OOC> Ishmael says, "Okay, guys. You have a mess of crates on the floor (one of which is quite brightly lit), a mysterious green chest, a missing crew, and a missing demon. There's still the prison to explore and below decks as well. What will you do next?" <OOC> Schneider whatever we do, I'm putting Light every 5 feet or so. Not going to let him put us in the dark again. Ulharilti Wiivai's first test is whether the glowing handles glow for any reason other than light, and whether the doors still work as normal. All of this is checked by opening the door. "Where do we look next? It could hide in the prison or below?" Whichever way they choose, she is eager to go find the creature. <OOC> Eligar says, "I'm gonna pop a CLW pot" GAME: Eligar used a . GAME: Eligar rolls 1d8+1: (7)+1: 8 GAME: Ishmael damaged Eligar for -8 points. 21 remaining. Eligar takes a drink of his cure light wound potion as he considers it, "If it went down then we should go down after it before it heals up too much." Benthus says, "Does anybody know how many times that creature can do its escape trick?" <OOC> Ishmael says, "Religion and Planes will work in this case" <OOC> Schneider says, "My planes isn't done right. It's a class skill, because I'm an elemental sorcerer, but my skill doesn't reflect that, so I'l roll at +3." GAME: Schneider rolls knowledge/the planes+3: (11)+1+3: 15 You paged Schneider with 'It occurs that a great many outsiders are composed of their natural elements. A fire elemental is actually fire. If this is a shadow demon, its intangibility is a permanent part of it. Short of having a +1 ship, it probably can go in and out whenever it wants. The exception is probably the hull, since it's magically warded. It may be trapped in here.' Schneider is panting, breathless, but finally summons up the energy to move from the spot. He clutches his sword and kicks a crate, then moves to the next one in light, and fwoom, more magical firelight. It's almost getting cheery in here. "It left down," he says. "So let's look down? Maybe it's gone? Maybe it's attacking the ship that brought us here even now? Doing to them what it must have done here?" He shrugs at Benthus's question, shakes his head. "If it is a thing of shadow, then it can do that as much as it pleases. But the hull remains magical, so it can't pass that. It might be trapped inside." He nods to Eligar, "Right, yes, let us find it. And we will see who does fire better." Ulharilti Wiivai nods. "Down," and then she exits the room. She has a direction, and has now been aimed. Just wait until she gets her claws on that thing. <OOC> Ishmael says, "Who goes down the stairs to the lower deck first?" <OOC> Eligar says, "I will" Benthus does his ritual for detecting evil and hurries towards the passage that leads down. The Alida groans again as the adventurers leave the charred and broken ruins of the cargo hold. Once more the mighty ironclad airship holds its piece with only a second of metal scraping against the dark stone of the mountain. When they return to the main corridor, there's sufficient light to see that the doors to the prison remain barred from the outside, just as they had been before. The ladders from the upper deck continue to the lower with only the landing between them for egress to the middle deck. Eligar leads the way into the bowels of the ship. There is no great feat of perception needed to smell the scent of gunpowder and old, burned chemicals--the entire lower deck is full of the noxious fumes. This time, there is no main corridor. There is only a passage that runs from port to starbard, each side with a rounded combing and an open hatch. Schneider follows down, placing a glowing fire everywhere he touches. It begins to look like the ship is on fire, though there is no heat with Schneider's magical light. Sniffing at the gunpowder smell, he observes, "This could get very bad. I think perhaps we've found what we needed to. But then again, I think if we told them this thing wasn't dead, they'd just tell us to come back and kill it. So, let's save a step and do it now." Eligar looks around as they get down into the bowels of the ship. He whews softly, "I'm glad that we don't have torches...it might set off something." He nods a little bit as he looks around. <OOC> Benthus will continue to detect evil until we find this fiend. "It should die," Ulharilti agrees, moving down to and along the corridor. She cannot detect it through divine means, so relies on her mundane senses. You paged Benthus with 'To port and to aft. That's where the strongest eminations of evil are coming from.' Benthus continues to scan the passageways with his divine vision as he challenges the fiend, "Come out you monster!" Eligar draws his sword again, "Where is it?" He looks around trying to pick it out even though he knows his blade will be ineffective against it. Benthus has detected the monster or some thing else evil and exhorts his companions to follow him. "This way!" He leads them to the back of the ship. Schneider says nothing as he walks along, but flickering magical light springs up in more and more places. No single darkness will now plunge us all into blindness. When Benthus urges them on after him, though, he'll keep up as he leads us. Ulharilti Wiivai is reinvigorated by Benthus' news and follows imediately behind him. "Where?" She looks ahead, hoping to spot the creature. The stink of evil and magical auras grow stronger upon the port side of the ship and toward the aft. Once in the corridor it turns out to be nothing more than a wide, straight corridor that ends in deep, abiding shadows and the shattered ruin of a massive artifice engine. It would have been one of these that helped to keep the ship aloft. Twisted shards of metal snarl around each other, barely visible as the shadows around the thing eat the flickering flames that Schneider can call up. <OOC> Ishmael says, "And once more with initiative!" GAME: You roll initiative for Shadow_Demon: Roll: 19 + Bonus: +8 = Total: 27 GAME: Benthus rolls initiative: Roll: 1 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 3 GAME: Schneider rolls initiative: Roll: 14 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 17 GAME: Eligar rolls initiative: Roll: 9 + Bonus: 1 = Total: 10 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls initiative: Roll: 18 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 20 == Current Initiative Order - Turn 1 === ---------------------------------------- 27 Shadow_Demon ---------------------------------------- 20 Ulharilti ---------------------------------------- 17 Schneider ---------------------------------------- 10 Eligar ---------------------------------------- 3 Benthus ---------------------------------------- ======================================== <OOC> Ishmael says, "The demon flies twenty feet forward and shrieks in rage at all of you. I'll need a will save from each of you." GAME: Schneider rolls will: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Benthus rolls will: (9)+9: 18 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls will+2: (11)+3+2: 16 GAME: Eligar rolls will: (19)+3: 22 From afar, Ulharilti Wiivai assumes it is a spell, Sp, or Su and added the +2 from Supertition. You paged Ulharilti Wiivai with 'Good call! It is definitely a spell.' GAME: Ishmael rolls 5d6: (17): 17 <OOC> Ishmael says, "And now, everyone roll fortitude to save for half damage." GAME: Benthus rolls fort: (5)+8: 13 GAME: Ulharilti Wiivai rolls fort+2: (9)+6+2: 17 GAME: Schneider rolls fortitude: (18)+5: 23 GAME: Eligar rolls fort: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Ishmael damaged Eligar for 3 points. 18 remaining. GAME: Ishmael damaged Ulharilti Wiivai for 6 points. 0 remaining. GAME: Ishmael damaged Benthus for 17 points. 2 remaining. GAME: Ishmael damaged Schneider for 17 points. 12 remaining. <OOC> Ishmael says, "BEnthus and Schneider are deafened due to the shout. Eligar realized the spell was some sort of trick (aka passed the will save) and took 1/5th of the damage and is not deafened. Ulharilti is knocked unconscious since it's a soft PRP. Healing will revive her." <OOC> Ishmael says, "SHe's supposed to take enough HP to actually kill her. It's a soft PRP with no death, thus she falls unconscious instead :)" The shadow demon launches forward, flying ten feet from the floor and shrieking like a banshee. The force of its howl is terrible, tearing at flesh as well as the eardrums. <OOC> Benthus says, "is it flying? Can we reach it with melee?" <OOC> Ishmael says, "You can reach it with your weapons. It's in the square above you, if you're thinking of it grid style. It's twenty feet away, so you can move and then attack." The ire Ulharilti had saved for the demon will need to wait. Just when she hopes to summon it, the terrible wail rips through her. Combined with her earlier wounds, it is too much for her body, if not determination. She collapses into a heap of blue scales, glaive clattering to the ground. <OOC> Ishmael says, "Where are you shooting burning hands from?" <OOC> Benthus says, "But... I don't want to die... yet. :)" <OOC> Schneider says, "From my hands?" <OOC> Ishmael says, "I suppose I'm asking if you're moving away from your companions at all." <OOC> Schneider says, "Or you mean which square? I suppose I'll get just within range of it. Actually, I'm deaf, I'll have spell failure, won't I?" <OOC> Ishmael says, "20% chance." <OOC> Schneider rolling, 01-20 is fail. GAME: Schneider rolls 1d100: (58): 58 GAME: Schneider rolls 4d4: (8): 8 GAME: Schneider casts Burning Hands. <OOC> Ishmael says, "Make a caster level check to see if you can penetrate the spell resistance." GAME: Schneider rolls 1d20+4: (10)+4: 14 Schneider grimaces as the thing moves so quickly, having decided that this is not a fire spirit despite its earlier use of fireball, decides to give it a taste of his own nature, shooting flames from his hands as he moves closer. To his surprise, the flames wash all around the thing, but do not seem to harm it at all. <OOC> Ishmael says, "Eligar says he's pouring a potion of Cure Light Wounds down Ulharilti's throat if he doesn't respond. Eligar, just pose it when you get back." GAME: Eligar used a . GAME: Eligar rolls 1d8+1: (2)+1: 3 GAME: Ishmael damaged Ulharilti Wiivai for -3 points. 3 remaining. <OOC> Benthus says, "Loh, and engage. if I can flank I will." GAME: Benthus rolls 1d6: (5): 5 GAME: Ishmael damaged Benthus for -5 points. 7 remaining. <OOC> Ishmael says, "No flanking with it flying above you like that." <OOC> Ishmael says, "But all your smite bonuses are still in effect." <OOC> Benthus nods. "PA with it. All or nothing now..." GAME: Benthus rolls 1d20+10: (13)+10: 23 GAME: Benthus rolls 2d6+10: (5)+10: 15 Benthus is bleeding badly from all his orifices, the sonic blast rapturing the soft inner linings of his eyes, nose, ears and mouth. He grits his teeth as he wills himself to heal once again, and with a vengeful cry for Daeus, he attacks the fiend. His sword strikes true and the monster falls to the ground, crumbling into ashes. With his last oucnce of will depleted, he slumps on forward, kept standing only by the aid of his sword. With the demon destroyed, the sources of artificial darkness begin to ebb and then disappear completely. Alarmingly, it appears that the Alida is ready to burn down to her keel, but the lights cast by Schneider cause no damage at all. With the illumination returned, the lower level becomes far easier to scout. In the starboard nacelle, the engine is likewise ruined and turned into a twisted hulk. This time, they come across a small brass clockwork about the size of an apple. Black smudges show on its casing, and its long, spidery legs are bent out of shape. <OOC> Ishmael says, "Go ahead and return to free RP, please roll knowledge arcana or artifice if you want to know more about the clockwork." GAME: Schneider rolls knowledge/arcana: (17)+4: 21 You paged Schneider with 'The clockwork is actually a clockwork spy, a little brass device that records sound onto a gemstone. The security device on it appears to be malfunctioning. Normally these things blow up when damaged. It looks like there's a way to trigger playback of the last recording.' Eligar blinks a littlebit as he finds the clockwork spider for lack of better word. "What's this?" He goes to poke it gently with his sword. "And where are the crew..." Schneider puts his sword away now that things seem to have been restored to order, or as much order as there can be in the hulk of a crashed airship. He looks over and it looks like Ulharilti is back up, if not doing so great. But he can't really help with that, so he goes around to check things out and make sure there's no more danger lurking. With a keen eye for detail, he reaches down to pick up the strange clockwork thing before Eligar can stab it. "This," he says, pausing for effect, "is a Clockwork Spy. Damaged, but intact, which is a bit of luck for us." He attempts to trigger the playback. "Maybe we can see what happened." Ulharilti Wiivai comes to just in time to see that... the demon is gone. Grunting and groaning, she asks, "Did it flee again?" Charging in headlong may be brave, but it also takes a toll on the body... as does getting blasted by magic. Benthus is tired, but manages to utter between ragged breaths, " ..No.. it is done..." "...t's tearing the ship apart," says a small, feminine voice. The speaker sounds old, but not frail. "Captain ordered the ship be scuttled and then... and then..." There's sobbing emmanating from the clockwork mechanism. It echoes off the engineering bulkhead on the ghost ship Alida. "...I heard him die. We can't even change course. I'm setting the scuttle charges around the engines. With luck, the ship will crash in the Desolation and be consumed before we can doom anyone else--else--else--else--" The clockwork mechanism continues to skip until turned off and rewound. Schneider looks chagrinned at the short snippet of recording. "Well. I guess we get roped back up and bring them this, and let them decide to do what they want with it?" He shrugs and resets it, but doesn't replay it. "So, what, this thing must have gotten aboard, and then ... killed everything, but couldn't get out? How'd it get on, then? Did they try and trap it? Or did something send it?" He looks blank for a moment. "What I really want is something to eat, though," he decides. "Let's get off this wreck before it falls, tell them about the cargo, and bring them this?" he suggests. Benthus lifts himself by pushing against his sword. He takes the time to use up all his remaining healing abilities on himself, and he feels a lot better than he was earlier. He ponders on what Schneider has said and says, "So where is the missing cargo?" GAME: Benthus rolls 1d6: (4): 4 GAME: Benthus rolls 1d6: (5): 5 <OOC> Benthus says, "All LoH spent." GAME: Ishmael damaged Benthus for -9 points. 16 remaining. Now that the thing is gone, so is much of Ulharilti's motivation. Her complaining wounds don't help, either. "We have the information they need," she says wearily, "let's return to the ship." Eligar watches the recording and he hmms, "Or someone sent it aboard, don't forget we round grappling hooks that we found up top. I think the green chest was the missing cargo. We can always check the prison Schneider ehs to Benthus, "Who says anything's missing? And the locate spell was a day or more ago, the guy might have been alive then. Or it might have found his body? As for the missing thing, it was probably that box we found upstairs. Who knows? It's their problem now." He oh's about the grappling hooks. "Anyway, they're not here now." Benthus ponders for a moment and offers a different scenario, "What if there were more of them? And that fiend was left behind to tie up loose ends? What if the crewmen were captured and kept alive? I don't see any corpses around. Evil will victor if we slacken in our resolves to be vigilant. We have to assume the worse unless proven otherwise. Because to think less would mean that good people will die a long and agonizing death." Benthus sighs and adds, "But you are right, our job here is done." Schneider ehs to Benthus, and gestures to the recorder. "Well, the captain's dead, and they were over the Desolation when bad things started happening." How close is that anyhow? He doesn't know, really. "They made it all the way here, then, with the engines out, though maybe the scuttling charges weren't set correctly and they only partially damaged it? So it didn't hit ground til it got here?" He's speculating wildly. The majority consent to return to the surface of the ship and signal for the return of the basket from the Warspite. The ship remains quiet other than the occasional groan of effort from the dying ship. Only one need go out on deck to fire the flare, and then hurry back inside to wait for the arrival of the basket. This allows them just a little more time to explore the ship. A quick peek into the bridge reveals slain watchmen and airmen. Their bodies are cold and stiff in dried puddles of brown blood. Still more are found aft in the mess. The party had missed both groups of the corpses and hurried down into the depths to encounter their foe. It appears the ship really was absent it's load of prisoners, because none can be found. The green chest can be brought with, if they are so inclined. The inside of that locked chest was filled two fingers high with the grainy black sand and not a whit else. The captain's log and the clockwork mechanism seem to tell the story, even if it's not plain. They've discharged their duty at the least: find the ship, check on the status of crew, prisoners, cargo, and report back to the Warspite.