"Yeee looking for a matey to help storm the castle? Because I can be good support with my water teleportation ability, I can get people back to safety if we be unlucky or something goes wrong."

Smiles nervously: "Teleporting...into...water. Nay, thanks, me be fine without that, but mateys be w'lcome"

Bhrigu had thought that staying on the ship he would be able to avoid the exertion of capturing the guard tower, and thus focus on and contemplate about how to prepare himself for the quite terrifying mission of boarding a ship full of vampirates and who knows what other abominations. However, all his plans were to come to naught as a din and a low grumble that originated in the ship's hold turned into a proper suckers as the ship's doctor, and subsequently the cook too, appeared on the deck, oozing green goo and exhibiting undead pallor and braindead demeanour.

" Shiver me timbers! Hey, ye carousing scallywag, that knife could have hurt someone, can't ye see?" while Bhrigu's exclamation was apt, his question was grossly inappropriate since ye cannot really expect much sense from a zombie cook who has thrown a sharp knife at you and is now climbing the mast with a sharper tachi in his hand apparently with the intention to attack Cap'n Rummyfangs. "Perhaps he be angry at how Captain Baldbeard's cudgel has relieved the zombified doctor of the weight of half of his brain" Bhrigu thought. It was normal to be this flared up when your fellow undeadd is being tied up with ropes by the crew and you are under the strict control of a dark and nefarious power. However, thankfully, this tricky situation was soon solved as the crew present on the ship worked together to take out the menaces. The dwarven sharpshooter was going to be a great support during their raid on the enemy ship, as he had already proved his skills by pinning the zombie doctor initially, thus opening a window for others to take care of the business at hand. After both the scoundrels were taken care of, Bhrigu washed his hands and his trusty sabre carefully with seawater and a little piece of soap the he had carried in his pocket from the inn he was staying in at the port.

"Cor blimy, what has happened to ye Rummyfangs? " asked he to his fellow crewmate as the felinoid Captains shiny appearance had taken a turn towards a dark and livid hue. "Is that thing contagious !" Bhrigu shuddered for a moment before realizing it was the result of the magical madness of the laundry rags of transformation. Cap'n Rummyfangs was surely to return to his normal self with the ships transformative and restorative powers and Admiral Polly's assistance, he was sure. What disturbed our bewildered bard more was the source of the contagion, as discovered by Captain Baldbeard and Larissa, being the growth of a strange colony of mushrooms inside the hold of the ship. " Me sure hope that the crazed cook did not put any of that stuff into our food, good thing we have got Argy to take care of the the culinary aspect of a long voyage."


By now the crew who had gone to take care of the tower had returned to the ship, and preparations were on for boarding the enemy ship and claim the loot for which they had come to this harbour. Bhrigu was content to see that Pugwash and Queen Origi hand shown interest in the Holy Water Inked Fliers. He, especially, found the idea to wrap the fliers around the crossbow bolts to be really ingenious. He held the couple of fliers he had with himself and began to wonder how he would be able to use them. The crew, under the instructions of the admiral, was deciding how to board the ship. He reached into pocket of his coat and felt that the magnifying glass he uses to read what just learning and eyes fails to was there with him. He felt his sabre's hilt cold to the touch but reassuring and the friendly squid tentacles of his Cat Bracer wriggled as they sensed the tension in the air.

"Me, naturally, be neither a good swimmer nor an acrobat, would rather prefer to board the ship via the boarding planks." Bhrigu said as the ship grew closer to the ghastly galley, and a strange chill seemed to descend on their psyche.

Hearing Kyp, Polly points with a wing to the wash tub near the longboat that members of the Crew had been using to clean up with, and nods.

Believing that the ship has been discovered, Pugwash's idea of pinning a flyer to the mast to entice the Vampirates off the Denuvo would no longer work. It was a risky course of action anyway - failure would cost us the element of surprise.

Armed with a crossbow with rapid reload ability, Pugwash feels he is best used for shooting bolts at the Vampirates until there are no vampirates that can be engaged without risk to his crewmates.

What remains is to determine when to start shooting, and who should be shot first. To answer this, Pugwash consults the crew.

Pugwash sees three options.
1. Shoot the officer first. This would hopefully interfere with the vampirate's ability to coordinate a response against the boarding action.
2. Shoot the dock watcher first to prevent the vampirate running for help.
3. Support the boarding operation by shooting whoever is most likely to interfere.

For the first shot, Pugwash would use his glass eye's special ability to guarantee a hit. The next two shots (at a different target) would use the bolts wrapped in holy water flyers to maximise damage in the event of missing the heart.

Pugwash is open to opinions as to which course of action to take. He is also keen to avoid a repeat of the zombie doctor incident. There is no point in opening the engagement with both crossbow wielding pirates attacking the same target.

Once there are no more vampirates to safely shoot, Pugwash would use his position to monitor the town and to alarm the crew should the town be roused against them.

Captain Baldbeard grumpily acknowledges "I be not the most agile, so I'da opt fer crossing over on a boarding plank, which means I would not be one of the first 'uns across. Also, while it'll ruin the surprise, it may bear thinking about using our confirmed shots with our stake-bolts on the most powerful opponent we would face, the officers first".

With that, he readies a plank to board as soon as he can, with his cudgel at hand and harmonica in his breast pocket to call some beastly friends in case all goes to hell.

Larissa suggests:
Another option is to play the polite role. As far as I know,
vampires dont feed from felinoids nor other vampires, therefore
Cap'n Barfdeck Rummyfangs & Count Klaus Karnstein could onboard the Denuvo
under some lame excuse of trading or even to ask for directions**!?
Then find a reason to go indoors with a couple of those bastards
and kill them silently opening a path for the rest of us...
I mean, the least our mates could achieve
is a reconnaissance operation to know better the number of enemies
awaiting there & their distribution without major risks

If me mates like this idea I even offer myself to be part of the masquerade**:
Me as a "half-vampire with skin injured by the sunlight needing a vampire doctor"
now that we know my idea of boarding the Denuvo through both top masts
post109 is not feasible

What do you say?
Oh, and let me know if you need more soap mateys!
Or some medical care. Ahoy!

** (Puns intended)

Count had no time to contemplate the sudden metamorphosis caused by Denuvo's proximity, as matters were getting dire quickly. There will be at least four vampirates on the deck soon.

"If we attack now it'll be almost certainly equal to full-blown battle. We can try parley with 'em as say DRM Alliance sympathizers, an' if we are lucky and 'em stupid enough, we could still eliminate whole group quietly. Perhaps Bellandra's sextant could help if they'd be together."

One last word of tutorial advice from the GM -
The best initiative roll in the world will not save you if you post no action. Talking about it to others is not action, it is talking or suggestion. The time for planning or suggestion was during the interim/planning phase.

Bellandra has posted intention, based on what is happening at the time, but it outlines actions intended to be taken.
Argy has posted suggestions to others, but no clear intent to do or follow up on that action this turn.
Bhrigu has posted intent to board via boarding planks, no further action posted.
Kyp has posted intent to support boarding party, no further action posted.
Pugwash has posted three possible actions and is consulting the crew, he implies he will shoot, but does not clearly state whether or not he acts this turn, instead implying he waits some sort of verification from someone else. A better way to post this would be to specify your target(s) unless someone engages it first, and your intent to hold fire if someone initiates a subterfuge/parley unless attacked. This would cover multiple possibilities while indicating priority.
Captain Baldbeard has posted intended action.
Larissa has posted suggestions.
Count Karnstein has posted opinion and suggestion.

As the posts instruct the GM currently; only Bellandra, Bhrigu and Captain Baldbeard will have actions, and only Bellandra and Captain Baldbeard have posted ready to defend themselves. You have been warned the vampirates are fast, and the tower team had experience of this - but as of now the Crew has pretty much given the vampirates the complete initiative to act in the first turn with almost no return action or opposition, and little defense.

Also a reminder, as you were warned each Turn more of your own energy will be drained and you will be weakened based on your constitution and dice rolls for resistance, and each turn the vampirates can grow stronger off of your life force.

Pugwash receives the admonishment with embarrassment.

Pugwash will support the boarding party and will act this turn.

Pugwash will shoot at the front officer's heart using the glass eye special ability and an ordinary crossbow bolt.

Rapidly reloading, Pugwish will then shoot at the dock watcher using two bolts wrapped in holy water inked flyers, aiming for the heart.

At this point, Pugwash expects the remaining vampirates to be moving or taking cover, limiting target visibility If there is a good shot, he will take it. Otherwise Pugwash will focus on the aft stairs to the lower deck, trying to shoot vampirate reinforcements as they come up onto the main deck.

Once the boarding party is aboard Pugwash will shift attention to the fwd stairs to the lower deck and similarly deter reinforcements.

Above all, if the boarding party is too close to a target, Pugwash will not shoot at it

What remains to be said is when Pugwash starts shooting. Pugwash believes that the intent of the Ship and crew is clear to the vampirates, so will start shooting before the Ship draws alongside.

Thank you, this is about as ideal an example of an action post as it gets. :D

Mighty The Mighty Matey

If there is more than one plank, Mighty will prepare it for boarding (to have more than one direct route to the ship). He will try to position it as close to the stern castle as possible. If there is only one plank he will help Captain Baldbeard with it.

The crab claw is shielding Mighty.

He also asked Cracker to make a silent fly over the castle to check if there are any enemy crew members on quarter deck (14 on plan). If noone is there, Mighty instructs Cracker to have a peek through the skylight (15) and report findings.

==============
+2 Mighty Cudgel of Crushing, a permanent +1 Strength, a parrot (Cracker), and a three-headed monkey
Crab claw - shield or strong pincer to grab and hold or crush, pouch with 1 silver coin and 4 pieces of eight, a set of 3,
book, Half-Orc sized Harbor Watch leather armor (wearing)

"Mighty will go with Argy through skylight. if it will be shuttered it could mean vampires are there. If the skylight is darkened garlic grenade will be dropped before jumping." Mighty will try open skylight quietly, or pry it open with Crab Claw.

Origi checks on Prince Albatross again. She then waits on deck for the boarding planks to be set up, but does not go over while the visible vampirates are there.