Before the war Leslee Dunlan was the proud owner of four merchant ships complete with their crews and cargos. They lost one in the war and have since lost two more to pirate activities. Facing absolute ruin if their final ship should be lost, and convinced that the pirates must be targeting their ships in particular, Leslee did the only thing they could think of - They asked for help.

The plan was for the ship, the Dunlan's Grace, to exit Arx as usual, but this time, instead of carrying pottery and other trade goods, they would fill the belly with those soldier-types who wanted to help. As soon as a sail was spotted on horizon the word was given for you all to hide and wait.

And so you find yourself in the belly of the Dunlan's Grace, unable to really see what is going on up on the deck, waiting for the moment that chaos can be unleashed. Maybe hoping that the other ship passes by. Maybe hoping that the attack finally comes.

Jan mutters under her breath while she listens to activity above on the deck "I wholly forgot how miserable the hold of a ship was. I really hope they don't fucking dawdler. I feel like a turd waiting to prarie-dog."

Cillian is hiding in the belly of the boat, he is just to the side of the stairs in the shadows with his bow in his hand. His eyes look over to Jan, putting his fingers to his lips as he tries to listen to what's going on above their heads.

Desma wrinkles her nose, "Why the hell aren't we hidden on deck. By the time shit kicks off we'll be at a disadvantage with out bows." She huffs in annoyance, checking her straps.

The sounds from up above soon betray that the ship has not simply slipped on past. You can hear shouting as the crew rush around urgently and then the tell tale thunk of a ship being pulled alongside. At about the same time that the ship shudders under the haul of rope a handful of crewmen throw the door open. "Hurry!" they call. "They will start boarding soon!"

Jan nods to Desma "That is the smart way to play it but maybe they wanted pri-" She exhales and leaps to her feet "Thank skald's balls." and wastes no time getting up to where the fresh air is. Oh, and the pirates too!

Desma nocks an arrow, taking a deep breath before she follows Jan up with sure footing, half drawing her bow in readiness before full drawing and letting fly when she sees a target.

Cillian grips bow and moves quickly he was close to the stairs so grabs a corner and pulls himself around the corner and starts to climb up quickly. "Here we go." he starts to knock a bow as he moves.

The Captain, and owner, didn't want to risk the ship in a sparring match with a pirate vessel, assuming that the pirate ship would be armed in a way that a merchantman like this isn't. Instead they wanted to lure the crew into boarding and provide an unwelcome surprise in the form of three heavily armed and extremely talented warriors. Its yet to be seen if it will work.

As soon as you are up on deck you can see the merchant crew warily watching the pirates board, as if they are surrendering the ships cargo, but are worried for their survival. A situation not too far from the truth. The pirates seem brashly confident; not expecting trouble. They certainly didn't expect you.

As you break out onto the deck the pirate boarders swivel to look at you. One or two gawp in surprise.. And then chaos breaks out as the merchantmen's surrender turns into an ambush. Courage spreading through your allies the moment you step onto deck.

Jan checks command and intimidation at normal. Jan fails.

Cillian checks dexterity and archery at normal. Cillian is successful.

Jan lifts her chin and bellows in a voice that rolls across the deck of the boat and out onto the water "Boarders who don't surrender will be slain! Surrender your arms now and your blood won't paint this deck!" her sword slides out of it's sheathe and she is briefly distracted because it is so, SO fucking shiny. And pretty and new. she shakes her head to clear the glamor the blade's gleam cast on her.

Jan wields Turgid Defiance, an elegant alaricite sword.

Desma checks dexterity and archery at normal. Desma is successful.

Desma wields Raptor's Revenge, the exquisite wings of Magnotta diamondplate bow.

Cillian wields Stormpiercer, the Longbow of House Blackwood.

Jan's efforts to intimidate the pirates have the very real effect of making a good number of them immediately attack her. She quickly finds herself so outnumbered she is struggling to keep up. It would have been even worse if Cillian and Desma's arrows didn't stagger some of the pirates and the merchantmen's braver souls didn't plow into the fight. Alas Desma and Cillian are not free from retaliation either - On the pirate vessel archers start shooting onto the merchantman's deck and especially towards the two archers.

Jan checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Jan is successful.

Desma checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Desma is successful.

Cillian checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Botch! Cillian fails completely.

Jan checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Jan is successful.

Desma checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Desma fails.

Jan grins toothily "Let me introduce myself." She parries one blow, dodges another, and pivots to dispatch one pirate "The name's Kennex. You lot have made a GREVIOUS error!" she chirps cheerily, stepping forward and steering the soon to be corpse down to the deck to free her blade with it's own weight.

Cillian checks dexterity and archery at normal. Cillian is successful.

Desma wields Warspite, an alaricite xiphos.

Cillian should have ducked instead of weaving, he is hit with several arrows and a painful growl comes from the Northern Lord. He moves to find a spot to duck behind, and take aim at the archers on the other ship they are just as dangerous as those boarding.

As Desma switches from bow to xiphos and surges into the melee the balance of numbers shifts until the remaining pirates are more equally divided up between Jan and Desma. Just two each now. The archers on the Pirate vessel continue to fire down in support of their boarding crew, arrows plunging into any groups of merchantment and into the wood around Cillian. The boarders and the warriors in direct melee with them are saved from this barrage by the presence of the archers friends - for now at least.

Jan checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Jan is successful.

Desma decides to support Jan in the melee, putting her bow aside on a crate and drawing both of her xiphos, running into a position covering Jan's flank, both blades weaving as she ends up tying up an opponent in the combat rather than kill them.

Desma checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Desma fails.

Cillian checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Critical Success! Cillian is spectacularly successful.

Jan calls to Desma "I have it here but it sounds like our northern friend might could use a hand!" She slaps aside a blade with hers with a high-pitched clang of alaricite "Gods, this is a sexy sword!"

Cillian is in pain but he is okay, right? Yeah he is okay. He listens to the arrows hit the wood around him, the yells of the merchants who may have gotten hit. He has a moment why they reload right? He looks over to Jan and Desma watching, spotting the incoming attack and he makes a move. Taking his bow he reaches out with it and smacks the Pirate's hand with the end of it to try and stop him from hitting Desma, light and quick on his feet!

Jan checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Jan is successful.

Desma nods to Cillian in thanks as he intercepts the pirate who caught her offguard. "Thanks."

Desma checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Desma is successful.

Cillian checks dexterity and archery at hard. Cillian fails.

Desma checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Desma marginally fails.

With Desma, Cillian and Jan all fighting in concert, and the help from the merchantmans crew, you manage to take down another two of the pirate boarders. With only a couple left the crew on the pirate ship start hacking at the ropes tying their ship to the merchantmen. And whilst the pirates saw and hack, their archers shift the arrow rain to better protect them.

Jan checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Jan is successful.

Cillian checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Cillian is successful.

Jan wonders towards Desma "If I cover you, do you reckon you could do something about those archers, Desma?" She dispatches yet another pirate, this time shifting towards Desma and using her blade to deflect blows more than hoping around and dodging in anticipation of doing just that.

Desma stabs and slashes with the two blade, deflecting a strike against her by angling her head, taking it on the alaricite warhelm before she nods, "Of course." With that in mind, she moves to actually hope up on a crate to give herself higher ground, sheathing her xiphos and scooping up her bow again.

Cillian nods to Desma as he was able to stop the pirate, turning to goes to try and shoot the archers on the other ship but fails. He swallows and ducks back behind what he was using for cover, its not fun being a pin cushion.

Jan checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Jan is successful.

Desma wields Raptor's Revenge, the exquisite wings of Magnotta diamondplate bow.

Desma checks dexterity and archery at normal. Desma is successful.

Jan does her best to provide cover to Desma and Cillian, this will mean she doesn't chase down pirates to murder but any who come in close to Desma or cillian are menaced with the business end of her blade!

Cillian checks dexterity and archery at normal. Cillian is marginally successful.

Cillian checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Cillian marginally fails.

Jan checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Jan is successful.

Desma checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Desma is successful.

The pirate boarders who are stuck in melee with Jan seem to be rather worried now, as the balance of the battle on the Dunlan's Grace turn violently against them. The one fighting Desma stabs at her when she switches to the bow before seeming to turn their attention more to Jan and her scary sword. The other boarders here on the merchantman have either escaped back to the pirate vessel or been overwhelmed by the merchantmans crew.

Meanwhile, on the pirate ship, the sailors continue to cut lose the grapples. It wont be long now before that ship is free to escape.

Jan checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Jan is successful.

Cillian checks dexterity and archery at normal. Cillian is successful.

Desma checks dexterity and archery at normal. Desma is successful.

Jan is now to the point where she's having to mind where the bodies are to avoid tripping while she chases down the last two pirates on the ship. Unless they surrender she will waste no time in dispatching them, leaving the archers to the qualified archers.

With a final chop the last of the ropes holding the two ships together comes apart and the pirate ship lurches off to the side. With their friends on board all dead or captured (or about to be) the archers on the pirate ship open up a withering hail of arrows meant to keep you from putting up an effective defense. The Captain of the merchantman is forced away from the wheel so that he might hide under a shield.. And with no real effort being made to pursue the pirate ship it is obvious it will soon get away. Your archers can still hurt them, if they should choose to risk the return fire, but sadly there was never any real chance of capturing the pirate vessel with the resources you have at hand. It was a successful ambush though. Perhaps the pirates will leave the Dunlan's Grace alone now.

Jan checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Jan marginally fails.

Cillian checks dexterity and archery at normal. Cillian is successful.

Desma checks dexterity and archery at normal. Desma is successful.

Jan checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Jan fails.

Desma checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Desma is successful.

Cillian checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Cillian marginally fails.

Cillian is able to get a few more shots off before more arrows come in and he gets hit with a couple more, he moves to hide back behind is spot and slides down to sit on the deck leaning back on the wood as he starts to look to see how many arrows are in him.

Desma moves from spot to spot, launching arrows across the watered gap between the ships. She ducks under an incoming arrow, drawing and loosening her response which leave a pirate archer deep.

The arrows from the pirate vessel hiss down until the ship slinks out of range. More than a few of the crewmen were caught out by those arrows but only two people on the ship have anything approaching a fatal wound. One is just one of the many crewmen, someone you maybe said hello to over breakfast but otherwise didn't know. The other is the pirate that was fighting Jan. An arrow punching hard into the join of his neck and shoulder almost at the same time she stabs him. He's dead but its hard to say exactly why.

The deck is still organised chaos but the merchantman has been saved and a celebration will soon be had.

Jan is now to the point where she's having to mind her step to not trip over corpses-aaand she does. She grunts and stumbles forward, arms going wide to counter balance and then there's a sharp holler as she straitens up abruptly, an arrow having landed on the back of her thigh "Pustule ridden limp-dicked goat groper!" she cleans her sword carefully before sheathing it and limps off to see someone about the arrow sticking out of her.

Cillian is overheard praising Pasquale.