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You open your mouth to call out to the nearest sailor to alert them to the danger, when a bell rings loudly across the deck. Sailors frantically begin working the sails as the Captain barks out fresh commands. Steelbrow pacing up and down the deck to bellow loudly at anyone slacking off.
The Sea-Dragon veers quickly to the left and speeds up as more canvas is poured on. The wind for now blowing with them to give them the added speed.
Warriors stream onto the deck armed with bows and curved blades, their leather armor glistening in the sunlight, while Lorna and her fellow mages make their way to the foredeck of the ship to begin firing a barrage of fireballs and lightning bolts. But the distance is simply to great and they ease off their attack.
Gorrack joins you by the bow. "Pirates?"
You nod your head in assent as you watch the enemy ships come about as well and change course to give chase, their much larger ships somehow able to close the distance between them rapidly.
Fireballs blast across the bows of the pirate ships as the mages upon the opposing decks release volley after volley of magic that slams just short of the Sea-Dragon, throwing up water and creating a hissing steam. Their black flags displaying the white skull of a minotaur with balls of fire for eyes.
Grabbing hold of an wizened old sailor passing by, you ask, "Whose flag is that?"
"That be the flag of The Grey Death, black hearted pirates from deep north seas." The sailor replied, before spitting on the deck and quickly wheeling away.
Familiar with the name, you watch the sleek war galleys pick up even more speed, their black sails unfurling to reveal burning red eyes watching them. Born on a small island ravaged by a horrible disease called the Grey Death, they had begged the Minotaur Lords for aid, but were refused, the Lords fearing that they would spread the disease to their people.
With so many dead and dying, the people had chosen to flee their island and in time gradually became pirates as they were forced to live off the ocean, the islanders never forgetting the treatment at the hands of the minotaur Lords.
More fireballs crashed into the water beside them, this time much closer, it wouldn't be long now before the enemy were in range. You needed to do something, but what? You were no sailor or mage, this was their fight and yet you had to find someway to help, else they were all doomed. The enemy battlemages would blast them out of the water with sheer numbers.
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1. Do you activate the portable shield, and drop the barrels of pitch behind them?(Quest Items Required)
Grabbing hold of Gorrack by the shoulder you head back to your quarters arm yourselves. Gorrack carrying up the barrels of pitch, while you activate the portable shield. The gnomish device humming as it releases a spherical light that grows in size to envelop the entire ship with opaque bubble.
Fireballs blast hard against the ship, rocking it from side to side, but to your delight the shield holds. With the protection of the gnomish invention, you help haul out the barrels of pitch, where you are confronted by Steelbrow.
Quickly relaying your plan to the Captain to toss everything overboard not chained down to make it seem like they were trying to lighten their load and camouflage the barrels of pitch.
Steelbrow nods his head in agreement and sends a few sailors below deck to help with the work and soon the Sea-Dragon has piles of floating debris trailing after it. The enemy ships ignoring the barrels of pitch to focus on breaking through the shield, blast lightning, fire and ice shards to smash against the shield which holds.
Signalling Lorna and the archers, they release a volley towards the barrels that bump against the enemy hulls and watch with satisfaction as two ships turn into columns of fire. The flames spreading across their decks to eat at their masts, forcing a third ship to slow down.
With the added time given to them, the mages of the Sea-Dragon focus their attention on the leading flagship, a huge black beast with sails the color of midnight. Lorna and her fellow mages bombard the great ship, the enemy mages rebuffing most of the attacks and retaliating with drops of red rain that melt through their protective barrier.
The shield badly weakened stutters for a moment flickering on and off, before collapsing into nothing. Fireballs crash into the ship, setting the masts alight, burning through the sails. The redlings hurry to put out the flames, but it is too late. The enemy war galleys quickly close the gap from both sides, hooks fly through the air and the Sea-Dragon is caught from all sides. Archers fire their arrows and prepare to receive the enemy, who come at them with a roar.
Unshaven, scarred warriors leap aboard the ship and soon battle breaks out all across the decks. The thick black smoke fills the air, as you rush to join the frantic battle to drive the enemy back, but there are simply to many of them. With Lorna, Kadwin, Forlock and Crale unable to match the combined magic of the twelve battlemages, the fight quickly turns into a slaughter with one mage after the next being burnt alive.
Gorrack half blind with fear at the sight of Lorna struggling to protect herself against three battlemages, rushes to her side and knocks her overboard. The pair of them disappearing into the ocean.
Having slain half dozen of the savage bastards with no end in sight, you realise this battle is lost, and decide it is time to abandon ship. You strip off your gear and leap overboard to thrumming sound of battle.
Clinging onto a piece of driftwood, you watch the Sea-Dragon sink into the sea with a whoosh, feeling a twinge of disappointment.
Battle Results
- 150 Health Points
Three enemy ships destroyed
Loot
None
(Remove every single item from your inventory, except for your divine object, which you safely tucked away into a pouch. Chapter 4 will begin with no gold and no equipment. It will be you against the elements.)