There's always dangers on the sea, and the dangers merchant vessels face are predictable. Ro's brow knits when he hears something heavy hit the water on the starboard side of the ship. Then he hears another distant boom--that's canon fire.
Moments later, the call comes from the deck: pirates.
Ro flips out of his hammock and grabs a small shield from under his pack. He flings it on his back, slips a dagger into his boot, and grabs the staff that's been resting against the wall since he settled in. He makes plenty of noise as he runs through the crew quarters, just in case anyone had missed the warning cry.
They hid in the rising sun, and now that it's higher in the sky, the approach is clear. Ro can already see they can't outrun the ship pursuing them: it's built for speed. The crew has given up trying to flee and they're preparing to fight. The merchant ship isn't heavily armed - that would take space and weight away from cargo. He glances up toward the quarter deck where an elven woman and a tiefling position themselves - spellcasters preparing to stay out of the way and fight from a distance. Others are mobilizing on the main deck, grabbing proper weapons or tools that will suffice.
Even with all the larger people running around, it doesn't take Ro long to spot Orym. He grabs the pendant around his neck and as soon as Orym is within range, he casts Bless on him, the sailing master, and one of the mates - they just happen to be the nearest to Orym and the easiest to target.
He looks up as the pirate ship pulls alongside them, trying to get close enough for their crew to board.
Without warning, eight strangers appear in the middle of the main deck and Ro curses. They teleported over - apparently they have a spellcaster of their own. Great.
Days of learning about sailing have taught Orym a lot, but more than anything he's learned how much he still doesn't know about sailing, and definitely won't have time to learn before the voyage is over. But when the warning call goes out and the whole crew scrambles as they prepare to be boarded, Orym knows that this, at least, is a situation where he can really be of use.
Sword and shield in hand, he spies Ro just before he feels something take effect on him--a positive something, like he's got a little help being the best version of himself, his capabilities honed and sharpened. He catches the other halfling's eye and nods. It's very brief, as his line of sight is immediately blocked by a group of pirates appearing between them in the middle of the deck, more quicky than anyone expected.
Maybe Ro will stop teasing him about wearing his armor all the time after this.
The suddenness of it gives the intruders a valuable few seconds to spread out and start swinging. Orym identifies the biggest threats as the half-elf caster, who a couple of the others remain clustered around, and a human hefting a heavy crossbow--the last thing they need is for her to start putting bolts in any of their casters, which she is already smartly attempting to do. Orym is the fastest to react of anyone on their crew, but that's always been one of his strengths. So he does what he does best and springs into action, vaulting up onto the guardrail and sprinting sure-footed along it. Between him and the crossbow-wielder is a human with a shortsword, and there's no getting to her without dealing with him first.
Leaping from the guardrail gets him some height, and his blade flashes twice on the downswing. Whatever Ro cast on him is putting him at the top of his game, because he easily finds his mark both times, landing on the deck behind the man now bleeding from his sword arm. He isn't actually trying to stay on this guy, but to get past him. So he keeps running, the wild swing the pirate takes in retaliation missing him by a mile.
Now he can see Ro again, much closer, and instinctively he keeps him in his periphery, always conscious of the people he needs to protect.
For a perilous few seconds, everyone is too close. He can't cast the thing he first thinks to - not unless he wants to let go of the blessing he's holding for the others, including Orym.
He's small, so getting out of the way isn't hard, and people don't always look down so no one is really looking for him. That won't last for long, but he'll do what he can until then. He sees Orym going for caster, cutting down someone on the way. He sees the woman with the crossbow and picks his target - she's a danger to their casters, and he can see her taking aim. Ro throws a hand out, staring hard at the woman with the crossbow and the pirate caster as he yells at them to freeze. The woman with the crossbow looks toward his voice and--then doesn't move at all. He can see her eyes widen as her muscles lock up, preventing her from firing anything. Ro looks at the caster and they manage to turn, lifting a hand to--do nothing. They freeze, too.
It's not a lot of time, but maybe it's enough for someone to get to them. If nothing else, it gives the people they were targeting a moment of relief.
Ro has to duck when something swings just over his head and he scrambles out of the way of a swinging boat hook wielded by a red dragonborn. He tries to scramble away, putting distance between him and the pirate.
Orym is good at noticing things, which is a valuable instinct in the middle of a chaotic fight like this. So he hears Ro shout freeze and sees both the caster and the woman with the crossbow suddenly lock up unnaturally. But he also sees the dragonborn take notice of who cast that spell, too, and quickly close in. He has to make a split-second decision: protect Ro, or use the opportunity he's created to take the crossbow out of the equation.
Others on their crew have started engaging now, and they're aware of the two momentarily frozen pirates. But only Orym has seen Ro barely avoiding being gored by a nasty-looking sharpened boat hook, and only he can do anything about it.
He veers away from the direction he was headed in, ducking beneath somebody's legs to cut the most direct path, and gets there in time to slice across the back of the dragonborn's calf and catch the next swing of that boat hook, taking the heavy impact on his shield in Ro's place and shouldering the scrambling cleric back.
"Stay behind me," he says quickly, putting himself between them, shield up. If Ro stays right where he is, Orym can protect him while he casts.
Ro yelps when suddenly a body flies between him and the next swing of the boat hook. He can hear the heavy thud against a shield, and Orym is right there, shouldering into him. He's about to argue with the order, but he realizes Orym has a better chance of catching trouble before he will if he's focused on casting.
He takes some comfort that he has a shield on his back, so getting to either of them from that side won't be as easy. Ro scans the deck and he can see one of the pirates heading for the quarter deck now that the pirate caster and some of the others are taking hits. He whispers something and makes a quick gesture and hits the half-orc heading for the quarter deck with a bright burst of light that seems to cling to him after the initial impact, lighting him up like a driftglobe. It clearly did damage, given the way the half-orc suddenly goes down, catching himself on his hands but looking really rough. Ro can see the first mate grab aim her own crossbow and fire from the stairs.
Across the deck, Ro sees one of the deck hands go down. He's not close enough--The dragonborn slams the boat hook into Orym's shield, trying to catch an edge. For a second, they seem locked up.
Ro needs to get to that crewmate, but he can't get around the dragonborn without leaving Orym's back exposed. So he reaches past Orym with his staff, catching the dragonborn's ankle with the curved end. He yanks hard, trying to get his balance off.
Ro is as impressive a caster as he is a sailor. Orym knows little about either of those things, but he can tell when someone knows what they're doing, and Ro has that confidence, with the skill to back it up.
But he can't pay too much attention to that with the threat right in front of him repeatedly slamming his shield. He's quick enough to adjust for each impact, and he does, but it isn't until the dragonborn stumbles with Ro's staff tugging at his ankle that Orym can break free and strike back. He lunges and cuts in an upward arc, slicing through cloth and scale to score a deep, precise gash across the inside of his thigh that will soon see him losing a lot of blood, and finally sends him toppling.
Orym sees the way they have to go, and he darts forward, intending to accompany Ro or at least clear a path for him to get there.
There are more people on deck now, a wave boarding from the other ship the more traditional way. Shit. But their crew isn't helpless, and it seems like several members of the initial boarding party have already fallen, though Orym can no longer locate the enemy caster at a glance. Did they use the same magic to leave again, or move to a different part of the ship?
There's no way to know and no time to wonder. Keeping his eyes up, he deflects the downward swing of a cutlass from his left with his shield and uses the opening to strike back, feeling his blade catch flesh against the side of the assailant's knee.
Orym clears the way, and Ro rushes past him. He takes a quick look around, as much as he can, in an attempt to take stock of what's happening. Gods, he hates this. They need to get away from that ship.
He casts a spell to spare the dying as he passes the downed crewmember and instead races to the side of the ship, trying to find a place where he can see the water. He looks up toward the quarter deck and manages to catch their druid's gaze. They both turn their eyes to the water and cast at the same time. Two whirlpools open on the other side of the pirate ship, each fifty feet or more in diameter: one toward the bow and one near the middle. The pirate ship lurches, and all of a sudden there is a lot more yelling on their deck. Ro grips the rail tightly, trying to maintain his concentration. It's a gamble - it takes both he and the druid out of the fight - but if the pirates can't get off their own ship, if they can separate the ships, they stand a chance.
Anything to make this end faster. He just hopes he's small enough that people won't notice him. If the druid has to break concentration, Ro will try to hold onto his.
There are about ten different things Orym could do, but as wood starts to groan and shouts go up from the other ship in response to Ro and their druid's casting, he quickly decides that this is where he can make the best use of his own skills. What Ro is doing is more important than anything else happening right now, and this is what Orym is trained for--standing between important people and anyone who tries to harm them.
As a few of the pirates nearest to them figure out what's happening, Orym pushes down his conflicted feelings and focuses on doing his job. He positions himself to cover Ro, parrying blows from two different attackers. His armor takes the brunt of a blow across his side, but the impact is hard enough that he knows it'll be a nasty bruise. He strikes out and cuts deep enough for them to stumble back, giving him space to square off with the second one.
Pain sears the left side of his body. A moment later, something thuds against his shield and clatters to the deck. The impact reverberates down his arm, and he cries out. It takes him a moment to realize that it's a crossbow bolt, and another is sunk deep into the muscle between his shoulder and collarbone, right above his armor. His focus on covering Ro left him wide open to an attack he didn't expect.
Orym grits back another cry as he refuses to drop his shield despite the agonizing bite of sharp steel lodged in the muscle holding it up. He still has a job to do.
Ro flinches, but a blow never comes. Instead, there's Orym, taking a hit meant for him. Sweat beads on his brow and he grips the rail tighter when he hears Orym cry out. He looks past the other halfling, seeing who is there. He can see the crossbow bolt and as badly as he wants to lash out at the person who hit Orym in the first place, Ro instead presses his free hand against the other halfling's back. He whispers a prayer and gives Orym as much healing as he can. He can't help the way he wants to, he can't lose his concentration on the whirlpool currently dragging the pirate ship away from theirs.
He looks past Orym again, trying to get sight of anyone who might come for them - for him. Ro doesn't take his hand away from Orym's back until he has to, and then it's to grip the rail with both hands to keep from losing his balance as their ship moves as if pushed. He wonders if that's the druid's doing. He doesn't let go of his whirlpool, though, as it's doing its work to drag the pirate ship into it. Whatever planks and ropes they used for boarding fall away; whatever pirates are left on the merchant ship are trapped with three options: keep fighting, surrender, or take their chances in the sea.
Ro knows that doesn't mean the fight is over. Just that the tide has hopefully turned.
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peril
Moments later, the call comes from the deck: pirates.
Ro flips out of his hammock and grabs a small shield from under his pack. He flings it on his back, slips a dagger into his boot, and grabs the staff that's been resting against the wall since he settled in. He makes plenty of noise as he runs through the crew quarters, just in case anyone had missed the warning cry.
They hid in the rising sun, and now that it's higher in the sky, the approach is clear. Ro can already see they can't outrun the ship pursuing them: it's built for speed. The crew has given up trying to flee and they're preparing to fight. The merchant ship isn't heavily armed - that would take space and weight away from cargo. He glances up toward the quarter deck where an elven woman and a tiefling position themselves - spellcasters preparing to stay out of the way and fight from a distance. Others are mobilizing on the main deck, grabbing proper weapons or tools that will suffice.
Even with all the larger people running around, it doesn't take Ro long to spot Orym. He grabs the pendant around his neck and as soon as Orym is within range, he casts Bless on him, the sailing master, and one of the mates - they just happen to be the nearest to Orym and the easiest to target.
He looks up as the pirate ship pulls alongside them, trying to get close enough for their crew to board.
Without warning, eight strangers appear in the middle of the main deck and Ro curses. They teleported over - apparently they have a spellcaster of their own. Great.
no subject
Sword and shield in hand, he spies Ro just before he feels something take effect on him--a positive something, like he's got a little help being the best version of himself, his capabilities honed and sharpened. He catches the other halfling's eye and nods. It's very brief, as his line of sight is immediately blocked by a group of pirates appearing between them in the middle of the deck, more quicky than anyone expected.
Maybe Ro will stop teasing him about wearing his armor all the time after this.
The suddenness of it gives the intruders a valuable few seconds to spread out and start swinging. Orym identifies the biggest threats as the half-elf caster, who a couple of the others remain clustered around, and a human hefting a heavy crossbow--the last thing they need is for her to start putting bolts in any of their casters, which she is already smartly attempting to do. Orym is the fastest to react of anyone on their crew, but that's always been one of his strengths. So he does what he does best and springs into action, vaulting up onto the guardrail and sprinting sure-footed along it. Between him and the crossbow-wielder is a human with a shortsword, and there's no getting to her without dealing with him first.
Leaping from the guardrail gets him some height, and his blade flashes twice on the downswing. Whatever Ro cast on him is putting him at the top of his game, because he easily finds his mark both times, landing on the deck behind the man now bleeding from his sword arm. He isn't actually trying to stay on this guy, but to get past him. So he keeps running, the wild swing the pirate takes in retaliation missing him by a mile.
Now he can see Ro again, much closer, and instinctively he keeps him in his periphery, always conscious of the people he needs to protect.
no subject
He's small, so getting out of the way isn't hard, and people don't always look down so no one is really looking for him. That won't last for long, but he'll do what he can until then. He sees Orym going for caster, cutting down someone on the way. He sees the woman with the crossbow and picks his target - she's a danger to their casters, and he can see her taking aim. Ro throws a hand out, staring hard at the woman with the crossbow and the pirate caster as he yells at them to freeze. The woman with the crossbow looks toward his voice and--then doesn't move at all. He can see her eyes widen as her muscles lock up, preventing her from firing anything. Ro looks at the caster and they manage to turn, lifting a hand to--do nothing. They freeze, too.
It's not a lot of time, but maybe it's enough for someone to get to them. If nothing else, it gives the people they were targeting a moment of relief.
Ro has to duck when something swings just over his head and he scrambles out of the way of a swinging boat hook wielded by a red dragonborn. He tries to scramble away, putting distance between him and the pirate.
no subject
Others on their crew have started engaging now, and they're aware of the two momentarily frozen pirates. But only Orym has seen Ro barely avoiding being gored by a nasty-looking sharpened boat hook, and only he can do anything about it.
He veers away from the direction he was headed in, ducking beneath somebody's legs to cut the most direct path, and gets there in time to slice across the back of the dragonborn's calf and catch the next swing of that boat hook, taking the heavy impact on his shield in Ro's place and shouldering the scrambling cleric back.
"Stay behind me," he says quickly, putting himself between them, shield up. If Ro stays right where he is, Orym can protect him while he casts.
no subject
He takes some comfort that he has a shield on his back, so getting to either of them from that side won't be as easy. Ro scans the deck and he can see one of the pirates heading for the quarter deck now that the pirate caster and some of the others are taking hits. He whispers something and makes a quick gesture and hits the half-orc heading for the quarter deck with a bright burst of light that seems to cling to him after the initial impact, lighting him up like a driftglobe. It clearly did damage, given the way the half-orc suddenly goes down, catching himself on his hands but looking really rough. Ro can see the first mate grab aim her own crossbow and fire from the stairs.
Across the deck, Ro sees one of the deck hands go down. He's not close enough--The dragonborn slams the boat hook into Orym's shield, trying to catch an edge. For a second, they seem locked up.
Ro needs to get to that crewmate, but he can't get around the dragonborn without leaving Orym's back exposed. So he reaches past Orym with his staff, catching the dragonborn's ankle with the curved end. He yanks hard, trying to get his balance off.
no subject
But he can't pay too much attention to that with the threat right in front of him repeatedly slamming his shield. He's quick enough to adjust for each impact, and he does, but it isn't until the dragonborn stumbles with Ro's staff tugging at his ankle that Orym can break free and strike back. He lunges and cuts in an upward arc, slicing through cloth and scale to score a deep, precise gash across the inside of his thigh that will soon see him losing a lot of blood, and finally sends him toppling.
Orym sees the way they have to go, and he darts forward, intending to accompany Ro or at least clear a path for him to get there.
There are more people on deck now, a wave boarding from the other ship the more traditional way. Shit. But their crew isn't helpless, and it seems like several members of the initial boarding party have already fallen, though Orym can no longer locate the enemy caster at a glance. Did they use the same magic to leave again, or move to a different part of the ship?
There's no way to know and no time to wonder. Keeping his eyes up, he deflects the downward swing of a cutlass from his left with his shield and uses the opening to strike back, feeling his blade catch flesh against the side of the assailant's knee.
no subject
He casts a spell to spare the dying as he passes the downed crewmember and instead races to the side of the ship, trying to find a place where he can see the water. He looks up toward the quarter deck and manages to catch their druid's gaze. They both turn their eyes to the water and cast at the same time. Two whirlpools open on the other side of the pirate ship, each fifty feet or more in diameter: one toward the bow and one near the middle. The pirate ship lurches, and all of a sudden there is a lot more yelling on their deck. Ro grips the rail tightly, trying to maintain his concentration. It's a gamble - it takes both he and the druid out of the fight - but if the pirates can't get off their own ship, if they can separate the ships, they stand a chance.
Anything to make this end faster. He just hopes he's small enough that people won't notice him. If the druid has to break concentration, Ro will try to hold onto his.
no subject
As a few of the pirates nearest to them figure out what's happening, Orym pushes down his conflicted feelings and focuses on doing his job. He positions himself to cover Ro, parrying blows from two different attackers. His armor takes the brunt of a blow across his side, but the impact is hard enough that he knows it'll be a nasty bruise. He strikes out and cuts deep enough for them to stumble back, giving him space to square off with the second one.
Pain sears the left side of his body. A moment later, something thuds against his shield and clatters to the deck. The impact reverberates down his arm, and he cries out. It takes him a moment to realize that it's a crossbow bolt, and another is sunk deep into the muscle between his shoulder and collarbone, right above his armor. His focus on covering Ro left him wide open to an attack he didn't expect.
Orym grits back another cry as he refuses to drop his shield despite the agonizing bite of sharp steel lodged in the muscle holding it up. He still has a job to do.
no subject
He looks past Orym again, trying to get sight of anyone who might come for them - for him. Ro doesn't take his hand away from Orym's back until he has to, and then it's to grip the rail with both hands to keep from losing his balance as their ship moves as if pushed. He wonders if that's the druid's doing. He doesn't let go of his whirlpool, though, as it's doing its work to drag the pirate ship into it. Whatever planks and ropes they used for boarding fall away; whatever pirates are left on the merchant ship are trapped with three options: keep fighting, surrender, or take their chances in the sea.
Ro knows that doesn't mean the fight is over. Just that the tide has hopefully turned.