Estran Icehorn:
CHES 25th (The Claw of Sunsets)
18:35 pm
Estran Icehorn was still unconscious after the last beat that he had received and his strong constitution was allowing he to recover enough to attempt his escape. Estran Icehorn heard then discussing todays Parade and how most of the crew, including Jarlaxle Baenre, will vacate the ship that he was being held on. He just needed to wake.
Zarek see that the Drow Sailors were moving silently towards them and knew he was ‘Invisible’ and he had to come-up with a plan quickly or they were in trouble. Alley was visible and both the Rogue and Bard reacted slower than the Illusioned Drow.
The Drow Mate calls out a command in Undercommon, Undercommon was is a trade language spoken by the majority of intelligent races native to the Underdark, and both Drow Sailors rushed to engage with the teenaged girl, wearing no armour and carrying 2 Rapiers.
Alley stands her ground and draws both her Rapiers. As she looks down to the Stern of the Eyecatcher, she can see that one of the Drow Mates had opened the door to Jarlaxle Baenre’s cabin and walked inside.
Zarek: “They must think that Alley is a lone operator robbing from a rich merchant. They are smiling and think that Alley will be easy prey.” Zarek thinks to himself.
Zarek: “I need to do something fast to prevent any bloodshed, we could walk away from this.”
The 2 Drow Sailors engage with the Bard as she Parries their attacks while she keeps a close eye on Jarlaxle Baenre’s cabin.
Estran Icehorn come too as the sound of clashing blades wakes the stranger. The first thing he must do is escape his bonds, remove the gag and the infernal stinking sack over his head.
Estran Icehorn first attempt to escape is pitiful as his strength has still not returned. His lips are dry and cracking while his belly aches and rumbles, calling out for substance.
Then Zarek become visible and beings to perform his ruse on the 2 unsuspecting Drow Sailors.
Zarek (Disguised as Captain Tylan Ilueph): “Wait I have her now. I have captured her and now you can take me to Jarlaxle Baenre.”
Both Drow Sailors look confused at seeing Captain Tylan Ilueph on the Eyecatcher and unsure as to what was happening. Zarek continues to converse with then and appears to have imitated Captain Tylan Ilueph voice very well.
One of the Drow Sailors replies to Captain Tylan Ilueph in Undercommon and Zarek cannot understand him.
The second Drow Sailor calls out to the Drow Mate.
Estran Icehorn concentrates and his second attempt to escape is successful as he is able to slip his bonds, gag and sack. Estran Icehorn , listening to both sides of the conversation, is able to look about his surroundings and find his trusted blades, Law and Order, which he silently moves over to.
With his mission back on track, Estran Icehorn has to avoid the rope strung throughout the area like Webs, as move as silently as possible. Both he does with incredible suppleness and expertise. Estran Icehorn recovers his blades and wonders why the Human Sailors were speaking Undercommon, was Soluun Xibrindas able to find men that could or were they trained?
The stranger takes his hidden elixir and feels all the better for it.
Estran Icehorn : “Not my problem right now.” Estran Icehorn thinks to himself.
The Rogue then decided to send his Spider Familiar, Boris, that he has made to look just like Captain Tylan Ilueph one, off his shoulder and it crawled off along the ceiling. This seemed to further confuse the 2 Drow Sailors and they once again held up their Shortswords.
Zarek could sense the situation was going badly and he drew his Hand Cross-Bow, loaded with a ‘Magical Walloping Bolt’ to which he had previously added the Drow Poison too, and held it ready. The ‘Disguise Self’ Spell that he had cast upon himself masking his true action.
The Drow Mate exits Jarlaxle Baenre Cabin and he is accompanied by the Eyecatcher Nimblewright. Once again, the Drow Sailors speak in their strange language and speaks with the Drow Mate, while in turn, the Drow Mate then speaks to Zarek in the Undercommon tongue.
The Rogue is unable to Understand the Drow Mate but hears the name of Captain Tylan Ilueph being used and knows that the question is being directed at him.
The 2 Drow Sailors keep one eye on Zarek and Alley and one eye on Boris, the Rogues Spider ‘Familiar’.
Estran Icehorn keeps listening to the conversation and it is clear to him that the one called Captain Tylan Ilueph must not understand Undercommon as he is avoiding using it himself.
Estran Icehorn hears the Drow Mate asking why Captain Tylan Ilueph did he sneak onto the Eyecatcher without having contacted them prior to boarding and who was the human child.
Estran Silverhorn: “If nothing else I will not allow the innocent to be harmed, she will live unlike the rest of the crew if they stand in my way.” Estran reasons to himself.
Estran Icehorn feels himself too unprotected and looks about for anything that he could use and spots a beaten-up Breast Plate on one of the dummies. He dons the Breastplate and sneaks through the rope to the mast, behind all the new players in the Game.
The Drow Mate is not convinced by the actions of Captain Tylan Ilueph, though his appearance and voice give the impression that it was the Drow Captain, as there must be something Zarek may have missed. The Drow Mate then draws his weapons and shouts a command in Undercommon to the 2 Drow Sailors.
Everyone then reacts and the merry dance begins.
The Rogue does not wait for an invitation and fires his prepared Hand Cross-Bow ‘Magical Walloping Bolt’, covered in Drow Poison, straight at the Drow Mate.
Zarek: “He looks the toughest and should be dealt with first.” The Rogue reasons as he acts first and worries later.
The Bolt hits its target and does draw blood from the Drow Mate, however, the effect of the ‘Magical Walloping Bolt’ and the Drow Poison both failed to affect the Drow Mate and it only maddened him more.
The Rogue draws his Dagger in his left hand and has his Rapier in the other, Alley fight this time and does not parry, the Drow Sailors engage and the Drow Mate points his Hand Cross-Bow.
Alley has mixed fortunes, as does Zarek and the Drow Sailors but they suffer the most. The Drow Mate smiles and fires his Hand Cross-Bow at Zarek and sees that it is covered in a dark, black sticky substance. Drow Poison and the Rogue is affected by it immediately as all his bodily functions slow down.
The Drow Mate draws his Shortsword and advances on the Rogue.
Estran Silverhorn hears the Drow Mate calling out to spare the girl and kill the imposter and knows that this is his chance and he dashes to the side of the young girl. There he uses his Scimitars to lethal effect and the sailor falls a t his feet.
Estran Icehorn: “Fear not girl, these miscreants will not harm you if I have anything to do with it.”
Estran Icehorn then sees the face of the Bard and knows that she is more than her young innocent face, the blood dripping from her Rapier confirmed it to Estran Icehorn v.
Estran Icehorn attacks the Drow Sailor and Alley nods her thanks.
The fight continues as Zarek faces the Drow Mate, Estran Icehorn steps in front of Alley and fights with the last Drow Sailor and Alley uses the opportunity to cast a Spell, ‘Command’, at the Drow Mate.
Alley: “This brute looks the toughest and should be dealt with first.” The Bard reasons as she acts first and casts her spell.
Alley: “Prone.”
The Drow Mate is unable to resist the Bards Magic and he immediately fall down and lays flat on his face.
The Rogue has doubts as to who attack, the Drow Sailor ready to hit Alley and who had just cast a Spell, the Drow Mate who more than likely had Spells to cast as well as his superior Swordcraft or the Nimblewright.
Zarek: “Wait a minute, where has the Nimblewright gone to, it was right there?”
The Rogue elects to attack the Drow Mate and does some damage to him but he appears to be taking the beating very well and Zarek is thankful they matched the number of foes before them.
The last Drow Sailor continues the fight, and he also had taken a beating with Alley and Estran Icehorn .
The Drow Mate then casts a Spell, as suspected, and the whole place goes dark ‘Darkness’, an un-natural darkness which comes from Dark Magic. Everyone is disorientated as the Drow Mate retreat back towards the stern of the ship
Alley: “The Mate is fleeing; stand aside I am going after him.”
Estran Icehorn attempts to jump to the side and slams up against one of the walls, Zarek is last to act as he is unsure which direction to go in or if he should fire at shrouded Drow Mate.
Thinking better of it and remembering that he had been poisoned, he didn’t want to risk hitting any of the others and steps aside. The Bard can see that she has a space and dashes past everyone.
Zarek: “Of course, Alley can see in Darkness.”
Estran Icehorn : “I can hear that the girl runs fast in the dark, avoiding obstacles. See can see as well as I do in the daylight.”
Alley catches up with the Drow Mate who turns to face her hoping to finish her off quickly. Then Estran Icehorn appears out of the Darkness and can see that if he does nothing the Human Mate would run off and set off the alarm. Estran Icehorn attempts to jump over the Human Mate and does so spectacularly well that he catches him off guard.
Zarek then catches up and closes in too. The Rogue then notices that the door to Jarlaxle Baenre’s Cabin was closed.
Estran Icehorn does not old back and attacks the Human Mate before the Rogue then tells him to yield. This has not effect.
Estran Icehorn : “Do as the captain says or you’re a dead man.”
This however makes the Drow Mate drop his Shortsword and surrender.
Estran Icehorn begins to question the Drow Mate and ask where the Drow was. The Drow Mate did not know he was aboard and he was telling the truth.
The Drow Mate is in a very bad way and tends to his wounds to stop the bleeding.
Alley thanks the stranger, looks him over for any major wounds and offer him a drink as she can see that, despite all the fancy fighting, he was in a bad way.
Estran Icehorn: The name is Estran at your service.”
Zarek then ties up the Drow Mate but nerves make it that it was not the best knot he had ever tied.
The Bard tells the Drow Mate to cancel the ‘Darkness’ Spell while the Rogue goes over to Jarlaxle Baenre’s Cabin door and can see it had been closed but not locked.
Alley: “I cannot sense any Magic on the door.”
The Rogue turns and realises that the other Drow Sailor had gone and he must have disappeared quietly up the stairs.
Zarek: “The other sailor has gone we haven’t got much time.”
Estran Icehorn wants to look for his things but the weapons are the only things they can see and they have to go. So Estran Icehorn make the Drow Mate take off his boots and puts on the boots.
Zarek then opens the door, and while holding the Drow Mate in front of him, pushes him into the room. The Drow Mate staggers but manages to stay on his feet.
Drow Mate: “Nimblewright activate and destroy the enemy outside of this room.”
Alley, Zarek and Estran take a step back and get ready to engage with the Nimblewright. This is enough for the Drow Mate to rush over and close the door.
There is a short time of deliberation and Zarek even attempts to de-activate the Nimblewright using a Drow accented voice.
Zarek: “A change of orders, attack the one inside with you he is an intruder.”
The Rogue then steels himself and tries enters the room but finds that the Drow Mate was leaning against the door and he was unable to move him. Zarek moves and allows Alley and Estran to force their way inside the Cabin.
They put the Drow Mate under guard and as Estran keeps an eye on him, Alley keeps her ear to the door and listens out for the remaining Drow Crew that was bound to arrive soon.
Zarek finds nothing new that would help them but decides to take the Jade Chess Set that was in the Cabin and the Rogue suspects that it is worth thousands.
Zarek: “there is nothing more that we can do and I need to use the Chime.”
Zarek approaches the area of the floor with the Secret Trap Door that had been locked using a ‘Wizard Lock’ Spell and he struck his ‘Chimes of Opening’. As the Rogue strikes, all can hear the clear, ringing tone of the chime, which is audible out to 300’ feet.
Zarek: “We need to go now.”
As the Rogue turns to say the words the Nimblewright activates and heads for Zarek. There is a fight and they realise they need Magic Weapons.
Alley says to close the door as she hears noise from the Drow and Zarek and Estran exchange Magic Rapier and Thieves Tools. Zarek finishes off the Nimblewright, as it appears to shut down and no longer moves, and Zarek ponders if it was ever dead if it did not live in the first place.
Estran locks the door silently as he hears the sound of the Sailors descending the stairs at the stern of the Eyecatcher.
Zarek uses then has no choice but to use the ‘Chime of Opening’ and once struck it would be heard from 300’ feet away.
Zarek: “We need to be quick and I have a trick that may buy us some time.”
The Rogue strikes the ‘Chime of Opening’ and Alley quickly opens the hatch. Below the Secret Trapdoor, a metal ladder descends to the bottom of a 10’ foot-long, 3’ foot-diameter steel tube with a Circular Metal Hatch at the bottom. The Hatch is opened by the Bard by turning its valve wheel, which grants access to the Scarlet Marpenoth. This area is Magically pressurised to keep water from entering the ship if the hatch is opened while the submarine isn’t docked.
Alley: “I can senses Magic in this area.” Alley notes as she climbs down the ladder.
The group head down the ladder to the Scarlet Marpenoth, including the injured and tie-up Drow Mate.
Meanwhile, the Rogue puts his hand into his ‘Bag of Holding’ and draws forth his ‘Deck of Illusions’ and thinks that if he has the luck of Tymora, he would draw a card that would keep the Drow Crew busy whilst they escape.
Once Zarek had climbed down, he closes the Secret Trap Door behind himself and continues down into the Scarlet Marpenoth, having closed the hatch behind.
The Scarlet Marpenoth is in Darkness, which does not bother Zarek or Alley, but Estran cannot see a thing and grasps hold of both of his Scimitars.
Zarek, still in the guise of Captain Tylan Ilueph, looks out past the door he had just opened and looks down the corridor to the Prow of the Scarlet Marpenoth. The Rogue sees a Drow Soldier standing by an open doorway on the Port side of the submersible. The Drow Soldier looking like he had just been chastised by whoever was within the Cabin.
Zarek brazenly moved towards the Drow Soldier and attempted to bluff his way through again but this time the Rogue failed, as he was once again questioned in Undercommon which he did not understand and replied in Common.
The ruse doesn’t work and a second Drow Soldier comes from out of the Cabin and they both advance on the Rogue.
Suddenly and surprisingly, one of the 3 Bregan D’aerthe Warriors also comes out from the Cabin, having heard the exchange and he was able to discern that it was not the voice of the Captain Tylan Ilueph that he knew. Once at the door, the Bregan D’aerthe fires at the Rogue, using his Lantanese Pistol which has also been treated with some form of Poison.
Bregan D’aerthe: “This is not Captain Tylan Ilueph, it’s an intruder. Take him prisoner.”
Estran Icehorn: “I know that voice, it is Soluun Xibrindas and he is mine.”
Zarek retreats to the opposite side of the corridor from the others. The Rogue fails to spot the sign on the door as he passes which leads to the stern of the Scarlet Marpenoth.
In this short corridor the Rogue spots a hatch on the floor which must lead down to the lower deck.
Zarek takes his ‘Potion of Hill Giant Strength’ as he is expecting to have one last fight and he prays that the remaining crew of the Eyecatcher do not come to re-enforce the crew of the Scarlet Marpenoth.
Zarek: “I also must not forget that there are Gnomes aboard too and they more than likely won’t be friendly.”
The Rogue also adds their number to his mental list of crew members.