Meeting the smugglers

[Stik]

"That's the plan, Brevet-Lance-Constable Reller. Standard procedure with a prize vessel." Martin's tone is officious and precise, but in the back of his mind the wheels are spinning. If the sailors balk, the fighting will start all over again. Even if the sailors comply, bringing a vessel into port in the dark won't be a simple task. But at least there are two local sailors, who know the local waters, on hand to pilot the vessel.

Then there's Mr Hook. He's still a problem. Best to kill him and get it over with, but that might cause the others to rebel. "Oi! Hook! You ready to surrender yet, or do we go another round? I still have weapons I haven't used tonight," says Martin, brandishing his plush mallard.

[Breila]

[OOC:] Ahm, Stik... do you realise that Martin is about 30 feet away from the sailors who have surrendered? They are on the poop deck with Kim and Reller (and Geraldine is coming there, too), and Martin is still near the jolly boat, surrounding the hook-handed smuggler with Gunter, Searos and Vee? I have marked the new positons of everyone on the new drawing.

My suggestion is that you keep your speech until the moment when Frithoff/Hook is dealt with and Geraldine, the smugglers, Kim and Reller have come down to the main deck. [/OOC]


Secunded by the two sailors, Geraldine comes up to the poop deck and nods at Reller and Kim. "Good work" she tells them.
Then she dresses herself to full height (she's about 6 feet tall) and tells the smugglers: "So you have surrendered? Good. I am Lieutenant Geraldine Petterson, second-in-command of Saltmarsh's militia. You are under arrest. One by one, walk forward and put your weapons there next to the till. And I mean all you weapons. You will be searched, and if we find anything else, that means shackles and not just a cell. Understood?"

The smugglers do as they're told, placing their swords and daggers in a pile near the till. A bodily search reveals that they have no concealed weapons, and they are escorted to the main deck and told to line up at the port rail, watched over by the two sailors. Kim follow them down.

[Jenara]

Moving with the Gnolls Brax approaches the group surrounding the hook handed sailor. "Hold." She repeats, "Surrender, uou will be treated fairly, you have my word as a cleric of Pelor." Red eyes flashing in the lantern light she gives Drake a warning glance.

[Stik]

Still holding his plush duck in one hand, Martin draws his rapier with the other and stands at Brax's side, ready to strike should the need arise. "Well? We're waiting."

============================

[OOC] If Frithoff makes any move to attack, Martin will strike. He is looking for an excuse at this point, because he believes Frithoff too dangerous to leave alive. If this goes on much longer, he might even taunt the man into attacking, jus to get it over with. [/OOC]

[Breila]

"A cleric of Pelor? A dark elf a cleric of Pelor? Do you think me stupid enough to believe that?" Frithoff shouts as loud as he can and attacks Brax.

Rolls please for Brax, Martin, and Vee and Searos if they choose to attack as well.

(OOC: There is no more lantern light, the lantern smashed and the resulting fire was put out. But Frithoff could see Brax's skin and hair anyway.)

[Jenara]

1d10, 1d20+1, 1d6+1=[10], [11, 1], [4, 1]

Brax stands shocked for a moment, Pelor taught forgiveness... Yet this one was willing to keep fighting.

Mace at the ready she swings it at his head.

Init 10, hit AC 8 for 5 damage

[Stik]

Martin steps in and thrusts with his rapier as the sailor charges, then brings his plush duck around in a wide arc, so that the lead weight in its bottom strikes like a club.

1d10-1=1, 1d20+1=21, 1d6+2=8, 1d20-1=16, 1d3+1=2

[Breila]

Martin's attack brings the man down in a puddle of blood.

Geraldine arrives on the scene, giving the duty of watching the prisoners to Reller, Kim and the two sailors. She looks at the man, then at Brax. "You know healing without divine help, too, don't you? Tey to stabilise the man, I would rather see him on trial for this" she points to the dead lizardmen "and hanged, than killed in battle."

[Jenara]

"What I was trying to do." Brax responds, shaking a little. "I will heal him." Ripping a sleeve off the man she tries to stablise him.

[Kafen]

Reller stays with the prisoners, but he keeps about ten feet between himself and the former pirates.

[Stik]

Martin looks on, incredulous. All that work. The repartee. The careful taunting. The amazingly-placed final blow. The shot with the plush mallard sap to add insult to injury. And Geraldine wants him saved? He's going to have to do something about this.

"A word, Radiance?" he says, quietly and with great seriousness, leaning in toward Brax and taking care to step on the hook in the process, in case the man awakens.

"This one tried to kill you, you know. Tried to kill me, too. This is a baaaaad man. This is the type of man who, if he somehow manages to not go for a short drop and a quick stop, will definitely hold a grudge. Against you, for denying him a death in battle, which is bad enough, but against me, too, which from where I am standing is a calamity of tremendous proportions.
"Look, this is a pirate who just got himself mostly killed by a clown. If he survives, he isn't going to rest until he gets out from under that. And there's only one way he can do that, capisce?
"If this one avoids hanging, I shall have to kill him before he kills me. And that would be murder. And I'm no murderer. Now, I could stab him a few more times right now to make sure that he is beyond your help, but I don't want to do that, on account of it would be rude to you. Perhaps it would be better if we just leave sleeping dogs die, so to speak."

[Jenara]

"You would see him die here? For justice to escape him? I think not, if he is to die it will be by the hand of justice... Not ours." Giving the man a long glance she shakes her head. "He will not be moving in some to time, days... Week's even without help."

"There has been enough bloodshed, far too much.". She looks at the captain, "The Constable asked me to save this man. And that is what I have done." Helping the two Gnolls she adds. "I suggest you help with the round up."

With that she checks the hook handed pirate for other weapons.

[Stik]

"Makes no difference to me, Radiance, where he dies. Dead's dead. Unless he manages not to die. But then, hey, I've always wanted a nemesis of my own," Martin says as he steps away. Then he turns back and says: "Oh, let me know if you figure out a way to disarm him. Perhaps we can find a large cork on board, to put over the tip of his hook." He starts walking away again, then stops and says, "And by the way: You're welcome," before heading off to 'help with the roundup.'

"Good work, people, good work," he says to his compatriots as he passes each one. "You were all awesome, very professional, very competent. And now you're heroes once again. Too bad Junior and Frosty weren't here to see this." He stops at Geraldine, and says quietly: "We'll likely need these men to bring this ship into port. I can't do it without trained help. If you don't mind, I'd like to put them to the task - it's standard practice with a prize vessel, to have the captured crew bring it in. They should understand."

[OOC] At Breila's suggestion, I've moved Martin's speech to the crew here, since they wouldn't have heard him earlier. [/OOC]

Reaching the poop deck, he addresses the captured sailors: "You men can earn yourselves a great deal of good will by assisting us in bringing this vessel the very short distance from here to the pier. If any of you would prefer not to assist us, please say so, and we can secure you to the rail and bring the ship in ourselves.
"Of course, being unfamiliar with this vessel, I can't say we'll bring it in safely. And if it sinks with you lashed to the rail...well...what can I tell you? What do you say? Are you in or out?"

[Kafen]

Reller looks at the men with a sideways glance and nods his head. "With us, I hope. That's the better deal of course."

[Breila]

Of the four captured smugglers, three are wearing studded leather, and one chain mail. The one in chain mail nods at Reller, then looks at Martin with a slightly bored expression. "Calm down, man, no need to put on a show here. We're hired hands, with no particular loyalty to those three" he makes a slight gesture to the other three smugglers in chain mail. "We'll bring the ship to the pier, if there's someone among you who can tell us about the shallows and cliffs in the port entrance. Which I don't doubt, since you haven't lost a man - or woman" he says with a glance to Geraldine, Brax and Vee.