Gentlemen...

It was difficult to believe that barely some minutes had passed since the attack had come.
Even though we expected it, the attack still had caught us by surprise. We did not expect the pirates to be so bold as to attack under a storm, we did not expect the flame throwing machines and we certainly did not expect an assault so brutal.
In the first moments of the combat, all seemed lost. They approached very fast and assaulted the ship in two places at the same time. The goblin tried to stop the first wave coming on the bow, but he was unable to resist. I moved in to help him while Tyrion, Vistra and Adolfiel faced the attack on the stern.
They were too many, too strong and too organized. The flame throwing machines sent huge waves of flame on our deck and very soon the sails were burning, most of our sailors has fled under the deck and the pirates were on our ship's deck.
We fell under their blows as they worked together to isolate us and make us easy targets. Very soon Vistra, Tyrion and me were helpless and on the edge of dying. Although Adolfiel was shooting as fast as she could and hit many enemies, they kept coming. The goblin had retreated under the deck and was nowhere in sight. Only the captain of our ship stood still defiant, protecting the helm.
The pirates pushed on, thinking that this was going to be an easy combat. The thugs pushed on and moved in for the final blow. All seemed lost...
But the gods would not let us fail, our quest was too important. The slaves HAD to come back to the village.
So in that moment, slowly the wind changed direction.
The fire in the sails started blowing towards the stern and the smoke gave Adlofiel cover from the javelin throwers on the other ship. Tyrion and Vistra got breathing space and the cleric invoked on Berronar to help her protect the group. With her help, I was able to go back to the stern and get in formation with Tyrion and Vistra. Adolfiel kept shooting arrows in all directions.
The pirate thugs hesitated, they had lost the momentum that they had had at the beginning, but very soon with their captain coming along with them, they moved in for the kill.
The clash was monstrous. Arrows, swords, spells, manouevers, it took all we had just to stay alive and resist the wave.
Once and again Tyrion was hit, fell and got back up to stand firm his ground.
Once and again Adolfiel let herself exposed to attack as she kept on shooting arrows at the ranks of pirates.
Once and again Vistra gave healing to the wounded while blows were falling on her continously.
And we stopped the wave.
The thugs started falling, dying. The attack got weaker.
Suddenly, the pirate captain gave a shout and the remaining thugs moved back to the other side of the boat. They were getting back in formation, getting reinforcements before launching the final attack...

With a flourish, Tyrion struck the dying bugbear that had not retreated and as it died, it fell overboard.
As smoke filled my lungs and stang into my eyes, I paused to take a breath and looked around me.
I saw the deck covered with blood and bodies, the cries of pain of wounded pirates and sailors were coming from all around us.
From where I was, just behind the main mast, I could barely glimpse the bow of our ship. Szakeem and his thugs were retreating that way, trying to get space to fall in formation and launch a second attack. They were far from defeated, they still had many tricks ready for us and we had barely survived the last wave.
I looked to my left and saw the pirate ship on our starboard side. It loomed there still intact after all this combat, dark, menacing and huge compared to our own ship. More pirates were coming from its bowels to make a new attack.

It was beatiful.

I turned around, looked at my friends, smiled and said:

"Gentlemen, I'm going to take their ship"

And I ran.

Sessions 24-25: Szakeem's Assault

After a week of tedious sailing, a massive storm in Thunder Bay heralds the arrival of captain Szakeem Wormblade - the hobgoblin pirate responsible for the raid on Leavendale. The pirate onslaught fills the decks with fire and blood - but the Gods have their say and the tide slowly begins to turn...

Bahamut, be prepared for thy servant

(A wobbly shadow in the dark streets of Mashport, it is nearly dawn and everything is calm... actually, not quite as asleep citizen are awaken by a shouting voice)

My Lord! Yes, you flying over there, hear my words!

*hips*

I do not pray often, but when I do, prepare your tavern girls and show your gold!

*hips*

Tyrion is in town ... and he needs to be emptied.

*hehehe*

We left this cursed halfling town and are prepared to bait pirates on their hunting grounds. I am accompanied by youngsters that never put a foot on a deck and not a hand on a dick!

(shut up, we are sleeping)

You shut up, bitch!
Damn ground, why isn't it flat?
I am likely to die, surrounded by midgets and unfuckables in cold waters, but bear witness...

(silence! somebody calls the gards)

Yeah! call them so they can hear me!
Bear witness!: I will bring so many of them down that their blood will crush open the doors of Walhalla for me. The cries of despair from the sluts of the world will deafened the gods themselves...

*hips...hooo, my head*

Tonight, I fucked without restrains, I drunk without restrains, I have gambled without restrains... that is my life, and Lord Bahamut, give me the same in the afterlife!

*Beuuuuuha* (noise of something liquid splashing on a wall)

But... if you can wait a couple of decades, that is fine by me!

*burp*

Session 23: The Stowaway

Finally setting sail from Fort Eyrie aboard Veronika's Fortune, the group discover an unwelcome guest with a score to settle...