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

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If this is a trend you might just get a bonus towards fighting pirates. How intent are you leaving a warning for future pirates if they want to rob you?
 
I refuse to believe pirates are willing to keep fighting if we kill more than a quarter of them and leave them a way out.
In fact, unless they really hate us, I'd be surprised if they even get to the quarter. Most actual battles between real soldiers break off at far less.
 
Shine said:
I refuse to believe pirates are willing to keep fighting if we kill more than a quarter of them and leave them a way out.
In fact, unless they really hate us, I'd be surprised if they even get to the quarter. Most actual battles between real soldiers break off at far less.
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I wish ya'll would stop making unrealistic assumptions about how this fight will go. There is no reason for them to attack us singly. They have to know from prior encounters, encounters which left survivors to tell the tale of how they were defeated, that we are likely too much for any one ship to take. There's a reason they gathered 4 ships to take a run at us.

They're not going to come at us one at a time. All one ship has to do is make contact and slow us down, either through interfering with our rowers and/or sails, or simply glomming onto us with boarding lines while they fight defensively. Slow us down a little bit, impede our forward momentum, and it will be much easier for another ship to catch up with us, then another and another after that.

There will never be a situation where it's the smart decision to go 4 on 1 against pirates. We might have to do it at some point, but this is not such a situation.
 
Goldfish said:
I wish ya'll would stop making unrealistic assumptions about how this fight will go. There is no reason for them to attack us singly. They have to know from prior encounters, encounters which left survivors to tell the tale of how they were defeated, that we are likely too much for any one ship to take. There's a reason they gathered 4 ships to take a run at us.

They're not going to come at us one at a time. All one ship has to do is make contact and slow us down, either through interfering with our rowers and/or sails, or simply glomming onto us with boarding lines while they fight defensively. Slow us down a little bit, impede our forward momentum, and it will be much easier for another ship to catch up with us, then another and another after that.

There will never be a situation where it's the smart decision to go 4 on 1 against pirates. We might have to do it at some point, but this is not such a situation.
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This reasoning is based on the assumption that we actually can't stagger them. If we can't, then it's obvious from the "we should be cautious" perspective that we should not get in the fight; and if can't estimate if we can stagger or if we can't, then from risk minimization perspective we should not get in the fight.

Except we actually can estimate if we can stagger them, general understanding of the situation and Antonio's knowledge should be enough for that.

Going 4 to 1 is never a smart decision, except when it's 1 to 1, then 1 to 1 and then they flee.

Like in the previous confrontation, as soon as pirates have seen that 2 out of 5 ships are done, they disengaged:
DragonParadox said:
There is little doubt as to how the battle will turn and not just in your mind it seems, the ships still able to draw back, three of the five who had sprung the trap, begin to row backwards.
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This time motivation is certainly not higher, it's just greed, so 1 or 2 fought off ships out of 4 would be enough.

Now if the DP will confirm that we can't count on staggering, then your argumentation would be exactly right and your plan will be correct one; but if we can count on staggering, then I would still go with my plan. I'll wait to see what DP says.
 
Goldfish said:
I wish ya'll would stop making unrealistic assumptions about how this fight will go. There is no reason for them to attack us singly. They have to know from prior encounters, encounters which left survivors to tell the tale of how they were defeated, that we are likely too much for any one ship to take. There's a reason they gathered 4 ships to take a run at us.

They're not going to come at us one at a time. All one ship has to do is make contact and slow us down, either through interfering with our rowers and/or sails, or simply glomming onto us with boarding lines while they fight defensively. Slow us down a little bit, impede our forward momentum, and it will be much easier for another ship to catch up with us, then another and another after that.

There will never be a situation where it's the smart decision to go 4 on 1 against pirates. We might have to do it at some point, but this is not such a situation.
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I don't mean we'll fight them one at a time, I mean by the time they get to us and climb aboard we'll have already dealt out significant punishment. Given our ability to throw around firebombs, anyone who sticks around long enough to climb aboard must be a real die hard, which is at odds with the motive for this attack (probably greed).

Like, if you're closing in and one of your friend's ships is hit with a pair of firebombs and stalls out because they're trying not to burn to the waterline, and you still have to climb aboard by rope while being fired upon and contested with spears and swords, nobody thinks 'yes, what a good idea'.
 
If you end up fighting it will obviously be with the tactics of trying to fight them as isolated as you can. At the same time they will do their best to fight you with as many points of contact as they can manage, because they will know about your high gunwale and probably have a good idea about how your magic works as well. In fact it seems likely that at least some of these people were on your side in the battle for Korman so they will know quite a lot about how you all fight.
 
Thanks for the info. Now I'm with Goldfish.
[X] Goldfish

Edit: @Goldfish, if it seems likely that some of the pirates were at Korman, maybe we can add to our intimidation words something related to that, if we did any impressive naval things there? I don't remember much as I missed it and then just skimmed parts of it.
 
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I did not make a third pirate-brother here, so I'm looking forward to see who's leading this pack.


[X] Send messages to the pursuing ships, perhaps some of them at least could be persuaded or threatened from open battle
-[X] "If you think yourself better and luckier than Okunrin and Isele Okomo of Surman, come and get your death and gift us your ships!"
-[X] If any of them are still pursuing, start preparing for battle, including conducting a more involved ritual to commune with Marcella to ask for more active help during battle, with Antonio, Esha and Swift Pebble. Roland would help if required. Use any bonuses that might help, like Guidance from Inge and Magian Wine from Zaia.
 
Vote closed, let's see how this goes.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Jul 4, 2022 at 9:56 AM, finished with 33 posts and 10 votes.
  • [X] This is why I don't like the Anwari
    -[X] Send messages to the pursuing ships, perhaps some of them at least could be persuaded or threatened from open battle.
    -[X] "If you think yourself better and luckier than Okunrin and Isele Okomo of Surman, come and get your death and gift us your ships!"
    -[X] If more than two ships continue pursuing us, we'll sail south and accept the lost time.
    -[X] If only one or two continue pursuing us, start preparing for battle, including conducting a more involved ritual to commune with Marcella to ask for more active help during battle, with Antonio, Esha and Swift Pebble. Roland would help if required. Use any bonuses that might help, like Guidance from Inge and Magian Wine from Zaia.
    [X] Send messages to the pursuing ships, perhaps some of them at least could be persuaded or threatened from open battle
    -[X] "If you think yourself better and luckier than Okunrin and Isele Okomo of Surman, come and get your death and gift us your ships!"
    -[X] If any of them are still pursuing, start preparing for battle, including conducting a more involved ritual to commune with Marcella to ask for more active help during battle, with Antonio, Esha and Swift Pebble. Roland would help if required. Use any bonuses that might help, like Guidance from Inge and Magian Wine from Zaia.
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Arc 15 Post 12: The Sharpness of the Stylus
  • Threadmarks
    • The Sharpness of the Stylus ​

    Eighteenth Day of Olweje-eza (Olweje Ascendant), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)

    Looking down the tablet, one of four that that Antonio had composed to hand to your pursuers, you less certain of its efficacy than you had been when he offered it:

    To the Carrion Crows dogging our path with the smell of rot on their breath and piss already staining their kilts
    Draw your blades if you think they shall be sharper than the axe of Okunrin Okomo of Surman and sing a death song across your prow if you think you are more skilled in the making of war than his brother Isele. Should any of you be instead folk of good judgement who have taken up in poor company over mead and song turn aside now and we shall make no mark of your ship, nor shall we send her to the Lady's Hall under the auspices of one who speaks for the sea. Mark well the messenger and mark well your memories of those who sent it.
    Sealed in Iron, Sealed in Blood

    The last two were some of the few word-symbols of the Anwari tongue, as opposed to the usual syllabics, iron being the bane of spirits and blood the bane of men. You cannot help but ask: "Are you sure this won't just make them pull harder on the oars?"

    "Sure?" Antonio shook his head looking to the horizon and the pursuers. "Hell no, they are crazy enough to choose us over a merchant ship plying the waters of the Blue Sea and some of them at least have to be crazy enough to stay at the fore, knowing they will be first to the fire and spells. But this is enough spit and blood to sound like bluster, like we are ready for a fight, while also suggesting what an honorable retreat would look like."

    As Inge is trying the first of the tablets to the leg of one of her gulls Antonio speaks up again, an enterprising look in his eye: "Could we paint those black, put a bit more fear into the sons of bitches."

    "No, you can't paint the gulls... Roland tell him he can't paint the gulls!"

    You tell him, though you ask Inge why she had not asked for the same when Zaia had suggested pairing the beasts with some of his fiery concoctions.

    "I trust Zaia to leave them be, don't trust him," she nods towards the captain. "Not to pain them black and say it was magic rain."

    "You wound me child, I would come up with a much better excuse," Anotnio quips.

    Alas the good cheer does not last, the still very much white winged gulls make it to every longboat and only one of them turns aside, the other three return with nothing and the fourth returns with a message not on clay, but on fine calfskin.

    With thanks to the Fellowship of Saint Nicholas
    For ridding me of those two craven to face a bird in battle, thus I shall not have to pay them a portion of the treasure. Rejoice for the tribute I ask of you shall not be shared with the unworthy. I ask that you deliver the horn which is Sacred to Olweje and the drums that beat with great haste as well as all the gold and half the silver you posses, all of the mead. Further we ask such gems or metals you brought from the Deep Realm and all things wrought of the bones scales and blood of the dragon you slew, for they are perilous to leave in the company of those without an understanding of magic and all the more so of dabblers in the Old Ways. Mistake me not, we shall have these things, the only question is if we shall have them by blood together with all your other treasures and your lives or if you give them up as tribute and keep all the rest upon your Wyrd-Cursed ship.

    The only mark at the end is a single jagged crescent inked in red which none of your companions can do more than guess at.

    "Turn helm south wards, with the wind at our back!" Antonio says setting the thing down, but you do not think your escape from the remaining three ships will be quite so easy. You know all too well the way a wizard can tip the balance and yet you know so little little of the depths and breadth of arcane powers.

    You will be missing sleep from more than the sound of the rain. If they are to act at all it has to be on the first night before their oarsmen lose the battle with the wind.

    What preparations do you make for the first night?

    [] Get someone else to take care of the changelings to the otter-kin can be on guard

    [] Distribute potions among the men at watch

    [] Write in

    OOC: The otter-kin are also good enough swimmers to pass between the ships and spy if you want to risk it they are game.
     
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    • @DragonParadox, there is an inconsistency.

    In the previous update there were 4 ships:
    DragonParadox said:
    Four longships
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    Now it's written as if there are five total:
    DragonParadox said:
    Looking down the tablet, one of fine that that Antonio had composed to hand to your pursuers
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    DragonParadox said:
    only one of them turns aside, the other three return with nothing and the fourth returns with a message not on clay
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    DragonParadox said:
    but you do not think your escape from the remaining four ships will be quite so easy.
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    If it's for one night, it should not be a problem to get the children together in one place and look after them with some of our men. And if we would fight, it should be easy for the men to tell them to stay put there until we'll fight the pirates off.

    And if we could, we should try recon, but carefully and with Ripper helping to get between us and the ships faster, if he would be amenable.

    Edit: no recon, going too fast.

    [X] Get someone else to take care of the changelings to the otter-kin can be on guard
    -[X] Two of our men-at-arms.
     
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    myrix said:
    If it's for one night, it should not be a problem to get the children together in one place and look after them with some of our men. And if we would fight, it should be easy for the men to tell them to stay put there until we'll fight the pirates off.

    And if we could, we should try recon, but carefully and with Ripper helping to get between us and the ships faster, if he would be amenable.

    [X] Get someone else to take care of the changelings to the otter-kin can be on guard
    -[X] Two of our men-at-arms.
    -[X] Ask Swift Pebble to recon the pursuing 3 ships, putting caution over eagerness, to get us to know what and who their forces are composed off.
    -[X] Ask Ripper through Inge to help Swift Pebble get to the ships and back faster and in general escort her, if he is amenable.
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    This is not really possible. We're not that close to the ships and neither Ripper nor the Otter-kin are faster swimmers than us or the pirates. They could get to the other ships without issues, but they wouldn't be able to keep up with them and they definitely wouldn't be able to turn around and catch back up with us.
     
    Goldfish said:
    This is not really possible. We're not that close to the ships and neither Ripper nor the Otter-kin are faster swimmers than us or the pirates. They could get to the other ships without issues, but they wouldn't be able to keep up with them and they definitely wouldn't be able to turn around and catch back up with us.
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    I am operating based on the word of QM here:
    DragonParadox said:
    OOC: The otter-kin are also good enough swimmers to pass between the ships and spy if you want to risk it they are game.
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    Did I misunderstand it?
     
    myrix said:
    I am operating based on the word of QM here:

    Did I misunderstand it?
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    You didn't miss anything, it's just not possible. The Otter-kin and Ripper simply aren't fast enough to actually accomplish this sort of feat. Not sure exactly what @DragonParadox intended here. I can only see it working if all of the ships were stationary for some reason, and that wouldn't make sense either.
     
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