Captain Baldbeard groans in disappointment to himself, and if it is potent enough to help, downs a healing potion. If it helps him recover quickly enough, he gets the pepper grinder from Argy/Grog'tial and uses it on his cudgel, and surveys the room with all his senses to see if anything else is coming. If not, he heads downstairs, ready as he can be for any attack from any quarter.

(I think the prison team has got it. We should probably start heading for the Ship and maybe check on the fluyt. If I'm not mistaken, one of Bellandra's kin is aboard that ship and may need rescuing. Let's just not forget to bust open those boxes and see what loot is inside.)

Grog'tial grumbles as he applies his Heal Wounds bandage to Baldbeard (only if it's still necessary), and then signals to Baldbeard and Count Karnstein to help him set beds against the remaining five windows, to prevent the possibility of being pinned between vampires coming from two directions later on. After that's done, he swiftly and silently heads down and finds a position with a good line of sight for an ambush, reloads his crossbow with two regular bolts, and settles in to wait for some more satisfying target shooting. If the fight goes badly and more than one vampire remains, he'll shoot his ribbon at a vampire, intending to have it fight another vampire.

Having observed the effect the garlic powder had on the Contessa, he intends to immediately throw his remaining garlic powder at any vampire turning to mist, and asks Argy to share her pepper grinder with Aylar and Devin as well, maybe sprinkling some powder on the ground at the top of the stairs or somesuch?

If there's time after the ambush, or if there are indications that it's going to take a longer wait before vampires will show up, Grog'tial will take the extra time to swiftly ransack the Captain's office, grabbing important looking papers and valuable trinkets, and using one half of his mirror to ferret out secrets.

Captain's Log Mission 5 - Turn 5:
Reinforcements were bound to be showing up soon. There was no time to waste. We got the figureheads and Mister Carver man secured to our griffon friend and they flew off back to the ship. Now it was time for us to make a decision. Should we help the prison team or check out that fluyt on our way back to the ship?

"Gents, I think we be done here." said BenKii, "I be hearing a lot o' flapping and screeching cummin' from that ole' building thar (C52). We best be runnin' back to our ship under the cover o' trees. Last one thar be buying the rum."

And with that, BenKii made his way along the treeline back to the Ship. Before leaving, he will make sure the team didn't need help opening or carrying any of the crates. He will also take the magical bracelets with him picking them up with his gloves to avoid any further 'tingling' sensation. Perhaps he will put it in his hat if they continue to cause further 'tingling'. Never know if something like that may come in handy later. Once he gets to the fluyt, he will observe how many hostiles be aboard and if there was a stealthy way to enter. He would also determine if his Guard Captain disguise would be sufficient to blend in with the crew of the fluyt.

Now the chains are broken and Kyp's main goals are done he decides it wouldn't be bad to check out the disturbance.

Kyp goes to the crate and walking bodies primed for any potential danger dual wilding his rapier and a cutlass.

Prison Team -
(roll dice) Captain Baldbeard has taken his potion and seems to be healing, if still a bit sore. The bandage will not be necessary.

(roll dice) Grog'tial, if Count Karnstein helps, the beds are swiftly put in place blocking the window slits. In the dusty ashes of the Contessa, you see a Bloodstone ring that writhes with dark shadows.

(Loot available: shadowy Bloodstone Ring)
-----

Carver Team -
(roll dice) Captain BenKii picks up the magical bracelets carefully with his gloves and places them in his hat. As you pick up your potato and shove it onto your musket, you disturb something else in the vampire dust. Looking closer you see a ring of black metal in the shape of a bat with spread wings and ruby eyes.

(Loot available: Bat Ring)
-----

Kyp, There are two shambling zombie pirates and another skeletal one, with the golden skull coins on chains around their necks walking on the bottom towards the Ship. The zombies wield cutlasses and daggers, while the skeleton wields a scimitar and holds a small round ball with a fuse (think old style explosive/grenade). The fuse looks currently unlit.

Durik went to the workshop to break open the boxes as the carved asked him.
Then he asked Bellandra what was the plan.
Should they wait for Zephyr again or go to the ship?

Durik breaks open the three crates. Inside each sits a carved Owl Gargoyle, waiting to be awakened. Beside one of the owls is a carving axe with runes on it. (Loot available - Runed Carving Axe.)

Gilius, you sense that each Owl has a sleeping stone heart within it. (Owls are the natural enemies of bats, which a Druid would know.)

Ooooooh. Loooot. I take the Bat Ring.

Kyp attempts shooting the round ball with the ghostly musket.

If Kyp misses he goes in duel wielding the swords and targets the golden skull of the skeleton, Kyp says to Mort and Pearl to target the other two zombies and try to get the golden skull amulet on them if the opportunity presents itself but otherwise to just rip the zombies apart so they are immobilized.

Count Karnstein sheathed the saber while breathing heavily and feeling like he'd sobered up in an instant. Sudden rage that moments ago took over him also has passed and now he looked at the black dress and ashes before him, feeling bits of melancholy, relief, anger, regret, horror and satisfaction, all battling each other inside his head and resulting in... mostly nothing at all. Maybe you shouldn't leave me back then. Or choose to begin with, I didn't ask for this. Anyway, it was no time nor place for deliberations and they still had a job to do, which Count was now painfully aware of. "Ehhh, that went well, I guess, all according to plan..." First he helped quickly barricade the windows with furniture and, as soon as it was done, left the room, teary-eyed, reddish on face and panting from overwhelming presence of dreaded garlic in the air. Outside took a few seconds leaning against the wall to collect himself and grab some air before announcing, to anybody or nobody around, that he is feeling perfectly well.

If there's still possibility and time to take advantageous position next to the door, he will join in preparing the ambush. Otherwise will wait in the next closest hiding place and run to help if ambush turns out not entirely successful. If there's a lot of garlic-throwing going on though, he will try to keep away from the highest concentration.

After that level is secured, (ctrl-c, ctrl-v) he will move downstairs very carefully and stay in the shadows or behind cover if possible, until spots a guard or other enemy. Then, if it happen to be alone guard, he will attempt sneak attack if possible; if there's more or it's something more threatening (e.g. beholder), he will have to consider his options.

Devin would check in with the cat. If the rats keep coming toward the stairs he instructs it to hide in the storage area and report the rats' and any enemy or unusual movements. He will relay information through signals to Aylar and any other Crew near.

- Unless another enemy attacks and he is needed, he will remain ready to ambush from shadows near the door to the downstairs. He will attack swiftly and silently as possible with dagger and rapier.
- If needed or after ambush, Devin's priorities remain as before: keeping to shadows, defending Crew members and attacking the enemy, scanning the area including the ceiling above them regularly for threats.
- If enemies are dispatched this turn, Devin will instruct the cat to once again scout below with the same instructions as previous turn. He will signal or whisper very quietly any information to Captain Aylar and other Crew nearby and take point going down while keeping his own senses alert for traps or other enemies, magical, undead or normal.
- If traps are found, Devin will signal that information and attempt to disarm them.
- If other enemies are found and reachable, Devin will strike swiftly and silently from shadows. If a guard he will attempt to knock out first to maintain the ruse, otherwise strike to kill.
- If other enemies are found and not reachable immediately, Devin will signal the others and prepare to strike or defend depending on the situation.

Is the iron barred door locked? Is there a key in sight that the cat can retrieve? Are there enough shadows for Devin to have a good chance of unlocking the door without being seen?
- If possible while staying unnoticed, Devin will try to assess the wooden door visually and test to see if the barred door is unlocked.
- If the cat can slip through the bars and get it without being seen, he will have the cat retrieve the key. If he can unlock the door quietly without being seen, Devin will do so and signal the others it is unlocked.
- If the cat can do so without being noticed, Devin will then send the cat to scout the stairs and next level down with the same instructions as before.
Keeping alert to possible reinforcements from below or the wooden door;
- If he judges it feasible and there are only the guards and prisoners, Devin will attempt to quietly Charm the guards. He will act quietly drunk as opposed to loudly drunk, as if he's come down to ask them to join the party upstairs, tricking them to unlock the iron barred door if he has not already done so.
- If he judges that not to be feasible, Devin will attempt to Sleep them all (prisoners to be awakened later) and have the cat retrieve the key, checking the guards for it if unseen, or use his lockpick set to unlock the door quietly. If the prisoners are too far to be slept or still awake, he will signal them to remain silent and send the cat to scout the next level down as before.
- Once immediate area is secure, Devin would once more check in with the cat and check the wooden door more carefully.

[Devin checks in with and instructs the cat. He remains ready to ambush, priorities listed as before. If team is to proceed below, Devin will take point, alert to any traps and enemies. Various conditionals depending on locked iron door and enemies.]

Grog'tial grabs the Bloodstone ring before joining the ambush downstairs (and/or looting the Captain's Office), pointedly hushing Count Karnstein if his announcements of well-being sound a bit too loud.

When the carver goes past Gilius with Bellandra, he tries to concentrate and feel for any unnatural energy or ailment (poison ? disease ?) within the carver. Should he have anything bad in him, Gilius would try to use his magical powers to heal / purify him. "Yer days o' captivity be o'er. Now, get some rest aboard the ship an' let us do our part, jolly man !"

Then Gilius checks the three wooden boxes and tries to open them unless he finds anything suspicious about them (traps ?).
Once opened, if Gilius finds some owl gargoyles inside, he will concentrate again to sense for any natural magical energy inside. If he does, he will try to commune with it, to bless it and bring it alive, a bit like he did with Rocky before.
Gilius will also grab the runed carving axe and examine it with interest.

After that, Gilius will exit the building with the others and check on the bats coming from the east. Zephyr should have left with the carver, so he will help Bellandra, Durik and BenKii to retreat back to the ship taking advantage of concealment from the vegetation (using the cudgel's powers again if necessary). There is still trouble in town so it should not be too hard to slip unnoticed. If the bats turn into more vampires and attack, he will call again for trees and bushes to entangle them and try to stab them with his 2 stakes.

However, when the path is cleared for the team and when there is no more vegetation to help conceal them, Gilius will turn around and run like hell toward the C69 tower to join with team 2 ASAP.

Bellandra thanked the others. "Fair companions, I thank ye for yer help here with the carver. If it pleases ye, I would well like to try to rescue me kin on that fluyt still. But tis be yer choice as well as mine."

Bellandra looked with interest at the carved gargoyles Durik had found. She asked to carry one, and tried to contact it, even though it seemed different from the shipkin she had thought to find.

She briefly made a last look around the house, either for remaining treasure, or for any clues left behind by those who had kept the carver captive. If any other supplies at the crates needed carrying she would take part.

She heard BenKii agree and warn about the incoming enemies. "Captain BenKii, careful with the bracelets, they meant nothing good for the carver, neither will they for us methinks, aside from information mayhap." she noted. Then she proceeded to the bushes and from there towards the fluyt. "If luck holds, BenKii, we may find rum aboard that fluyt as well, aye?" she grinned.

As they arrived closer toward the fluyt Bellandra kept her weapons ready. She planned to use her sense to assess the condition of her kin. If the kin seemed already awakened and aware, she would try to subtly contact it, but if it seemed to be in the aboleth's thrall she would not contact yet to maintain the element of surprise for the team.