Age of Ice and Blood: A Pathfinder System Heroic Fantasy Quest

Thirty Fourth Day of Olweje-eza (Olweje Ascending) 1348 A. L. (After Landfall)

She will be easier to convince, her circumstances allow for less intransigence, the thought rests uneasily in the mind but it rings true just the same. "Should things go ill with the ropes we have means of healing swift as a spell upon the tongue." So saying you look to Inge who gives a nod less grudging than you might have feared and to Zaia who takes the boar's shin flash from one of his voluminous bags silently.

Esha does not seem convinced, and though her gaze is steady you read in her voice true fear, imperfectly veiled. "Though I might use a staff to strike thugs on the road just as much as to find the path my true weapon are my words, my voice which a noose around my neck can damage as surely as someone were to break your wrist and leave you with no hope of holding sword or shield."

"I shall not tie the noose too smugly around thy fair neck my lady..." Antonio starts, but does not finish, for from the flash of anger in her words those had been just the wrong words to speak.

"I have need of your flattery and I assure you no part of me is yours, if I am to serve as bait it shall be with eyes open not as a worm wiggling blind upon the hook. Sooner would I trust the fire upon the smaller ship here and should it fail I shall take my chances in the open in full possession of all my arts and not gasping for breath like some helpless child."

Inge, herself a child in truth, reaches out and touches the older woman's hand. "I'll be there to heal you if it comes to it." She seems almost startled by her own words, or perhaps by the gesture, this is the first time she had touched Esha since discovering the sorceress' heritage.

"Why would you be?" Esha shifts uneasily and not from any ill seat upon the oar bench you would judge.

The answer given is not quite to the question that was asked. "Well if we are pretending to hang you to get rid of the curse I aught to be there right? At least the folk of Lirman would think that is the task of the Servants of Ikomi and... well our enemy isn't going to know we are not all Anwari is he so..."

Though you are loath to break the moment you clear your throat. "It would be best to speak French or other tongues not known in these waters so that we can actually plan the defense without breaking cover." You glance towards Esha, a question unspoken in your manner.

Finally she sighs and nods, rising without another word. The Marcella is close enough to have brought Antonio and so the plan can begin in earnest this very day, or at the very least the night that follows.


The rays of the setting sun are like arrows cast though a wound in veil of clouds, spilling a crimson light onto the neck of the ship, the shadows long and swaying strangely in the still air as Antonio's contraption of rope hangs precariously over the whole of the ship. "Thank Saint Nicolas who keeps the prayers of sailors and merchants close to his heart there is no wind else I would be worried the whole thing might collapse before time," the man himself mutters even as Esha is brought out from below decks, head bowed low and flanked by Tom and John.

They lead her towards the makeshift scaffold, even less sturdy than it seems as Inge holds forth about imagined evils and how the ship shall be rid of the curse of the dead sailors of the longship of whose death Esha is held responsible. As 'sermons' go... it is not the most violent you have heard, which speaks volumes of what manner of prelates seek the holy land in time of war. Most of those oh so honorable bishops would be soiling their vestments if they stood where now a girl child does, expecting to be near at hand when a monster strikes.

The rope is set about Esha's throat and she climbs the unsteady stool with quiet dignity unmarred by the looming threat of battle in turn. Indeed she looks almost relieved...

What happens next is too swift for the eye to follow, certainly too swift for the mind to grasp. There is the sound of claws being driven into wood then dark shape flickers in the corner of your eye, a swift moving, though he lunges even across the deck more as scuttling crab than man. You hear the rope hiss free and see the main sail begin to fall... too slow.

The thing darts aside and in the flash of an instant it is near Antonio, clawed hands grasping for him. To his credit the merchant dodges aside from the first blow nimbly, but unused to fighting a foe whose left hand is as dangerous as their right the second claw rakes hm across the chest, tearing apart his tunic and spilling hot blood over the deck

Antonio takes 8 damage

How do you fight the vampire?

[] Write in battle plan

OOC: It is official, your dice are made of drama, you rolled this for persuasion, literally one point shy and then Inge who has a diplomacy bonus of +1 made the 21 check with a nat 20. Also I had initially thought the whole plan had failed the perception vs bluff part of the fake hanging, especially since the vampire rolled a nat 20 on that, but then I realized no I had gotten Antonio's bluff wrong by two points, should have been a +8 not a +6 as here. Oh and to top it all off that first attack on Antonio... nat 1. Antono also resisted the paralyses even though his will save is not that great so he is not in danger of coup the grace next turn. Not yet edited.