Chapter Six: The Muster of Caltlikrath

Mordred's mote of flame darts through the air and lights on the approaching longboat's sail.

As soon as the sail catches fire, a cry goes up. The half-orc's eyes widen, he barks a single word, and pivots back to the ramp.

You all hear the sound of a chorus of longbows releasing in unison.

I'll give you all a split-second to begin taking an action in response to this.

Anybody else got an action to take, or is this all just happening too fast for your character to react?

I'm kinda wondering if we have a bunch of people on vacation/summer stuff that keeps them away?

I'll assume a dodge/hit the deck response from Mordred and Terra as well; everybody give me a DEX saving throw.

A rain of arrows hammers down on the deck of the ship. Some of you are not quick enough to avoid the onslaught.

Edit: Everybody but Leth takes some damage.

After the first volley falls, those in the party who raise their heads see a grim sight on the deck. At least four crew members lay dead or dying, and one, with an arrow sticking out of his neck, is struggling to throw off the pirates' boarding ramp.

Any party member may take an action at this time.

The second ship is within Fireball range; the third would be too far away. Terra is stepping away from the game indefinitely so we're going to retcon that she got dropped off at her original intended destination after adventuring with you guys on Vorch. More updates and resolution of above actions shortly!

Mordred shoots the half-orc in the back as he stumbles down the ramp; he tumbles into the sea. A split second later, the injured crewman succeeds in shoving the ramp off the side of the Swiftness of Camazotz, falling off the side of the ship along with it.

As these events are occurring, Domarc casts his spell and blasts the other approaching longship with a massive fireball that devours the sails in an instant and sends pirate archers cartwheeling over the edges of the boat, tongues of flame clinging to them. A cry goes up from the third and most distant ship. The archers on the boarding ship ready another volley of arrows, but a voice shouts, "Hold!"

Still aboard the Swiftness of Camazotz, the female half orc, bloodied from what must have been a glancing arrow shot to her shoulder, holds up a scrap of white cloth. She briefly glances back at the longboat as then archers slightly relax their drawn bows, then turns to face those of you on deck. A column of black smoke rises up from the longboat behind you, there are screams and groans audible over the roar of the flames and the crackle of burning wood. "You rule your water. Let us negotiate a parting." She shoots a glance to her left, at the crumpled body of Cornflower Ocean-Lover, pinned like a specimen to the deck by four arrows. "Who is your captain, now?"

Without a doubt, Cornflower is dead.

In addition to him, there are four dead crew members on deck, and one deckhand cowering by the mast who seems to be completely unharmed. Another leans against the starboard railing with an arrow in his chest but is still breathing. That leaves eight crewmen unaccounted for, but several of them jumped overboard per the pirates' instructions. Domarc does not see the first mate or the boatswain among the dead.