Bellandra was already hidden down on the quarterdeck near the mizzenmast as Argy, Bhrigu and Mighty arrived. She saw two options for herself.

In one strategy, as the skylight had been blown open, she could drop down through the skylight to retrieve the chest, with her cutlass and stakes at the ready in case the vampirates survived the grenade, or in case any non-vampire guards remained down below.

However, she noted to herself that there were now four crewmembers on the quarterdeck including herself, whereas on the main deck there was only Karnstein and Aylar versus two vampirates. A dangerous situation if the captain, likely a more powerful vampirate, were to see through Karnstein's ruse and survive Grog'tial's bolt and Origi's grenade.

Therefore, she thought that in her second strategy, she could spring from her hiding place while the two vampirates were distracted, landing behind them at the door of the stern castle and staking or slashing them from behind as she lands. She would time this so that she does not land amidst Origi's grenade explosion but just after it. If the captain were to prove particularly troublesome or elusive, or about to invoke some dark power, she would use her sextant to freeze both vampirates and dispatch them.

To choose her action, Bellandra decided to listen for a brief moment to see how the fight on the main deck was going. If it seemed to go well so that the captain was already dispatched, she would join the crew performing the skylight heist. However, if there was any indication the captain is going on the attack, she would join the fight following her second strategy.

Gilius was still in the cargo hold investigating for the zombie contamination. Time spent fast as he didn't notice anything.
"Now isn't the time to keep lookin' 'ere, the ship will soon board the Denuvo. Time to get back or I'll be late fer the party !"

Gilius then got back to the main deck, just to realize shocked that the boarding had already begun !

Unless he immediately noticed something anormal on the ship, he quickly rushes on the boarding plank to get to the Denuvo main deck and prepares a stake at hand and his cudgel in the other. If he has enough time left, he will join the fight with any vampire nearby, helping any friendly mate there, trying to hit them with the cudgel to destabilize them and trying to stab them with a stake only if a reasonable opportunity happens (enemy stunned / on the ground / turning his back / ...).

[Cap'n Barfdeck Rummyfangs - Boarding Crew / Aboard Ship Deck]

Whether confronted by a surprise attack from an army of imaginary leeches, or protecting himself from a cloud of vanquished Vampirates exploding to ashes, or dodging an unexpected slippery spill of soapy washwater on the deck floor, one had to admire Cap'n Rummyfangs's quick reflexes. Be the perceived danger real or not, at this particular moment, it served him well.

Moving to secure the boarding plank again as Larissa began to climb the rigging, he stopped dead in his tracks, Felinoid eyes fixated across the way to the longboats on the Denuvo's deck, not too far from where he spotted Bhrigu standing. Were those moving shadows he could see or an illusion?

"Blimey! Them shadows be dancin' a troublesome tune..." he muttered to himself. Illusion or not, he felt compelled to investigate, in case something dangerous was about to greet Bhrigu.

Cap'n Rummyfangs studied his options. If the planks were still too slippery wet, perhaps his best chance would be to use one of the two ropes to swiftly move across towards the general direction of longboats on the Denuvo's deck, but as close as possible to where Bhrigu stood. He'd make sure that the rope was securely in place and that the coast was clear prior to attempting this stealthy boarding of the Denuvo.

Once onboard the enemy ship, he'd keep a steady paw ready to reach for one of the stakes on his left side. His first objective was to head towards Bhrigu, moving quietly and without being seen. Cap'n Rummyfangs would also keep an attentive eye near where he thought he spotted some strange shadows, just in case he could get a better assessment of whether his eyes were playing tricks on him or not.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Cap'n Barfdeck Rummyfangs: Felinoid pirate / +1 agility, stealth / -1 constitution / permanent +1 hit (unless stunned or incapacitated) / Rapier +1 strike chance / 2 x rum concoctions for adrenaline rush / 2 x wooden stakes / 1 x holy water / 1 x rope / 1 x "harmless" disguise / weakness: loud noises (except roar of the sea & ship's cannons)

Alright! Then The Kamikaze** Operation!

Experiencing the null cursed special protections the ship was supposed to provide,
as her own skepticism predicted since the beginning,
The first thing Larissa does is to "lighten her own boat"
throwing rapturously the cursed harpoon somewhere to the enemy "field"...
-Bah!, Lets play the boring flat route!- She said while relaxing her muscles
to start sliding through the rigging to reach back fast to the deck floor
THEN (IF she is still alive) She draws a dagger on her left hand*+,
grabs a handful of garlic powder on her right hand
& runs towards the Denuvos captains quarters Whatnot-current-&/or-New-obstacle
she may find in the middle of that simple goal
(A reminder: She is wearing her antislip boots,
Yes, in regards to the slippery floor...)
Will one of those powerful energy drainer-mind lapper-supernatural senses vampires
attack her specifically?? Or will a sudden group of many??
She Do Not Care!!
All Larissa thinks is "Mejor morir de pie que vivir de rodillas!"*#
So you guessed it!: She is going to throw all the garlic powder she has
literally in their faces
AND/OR her trustable cold iron daggers to the enemys hearts WITH:
-Whatever remaining strenght those suckers havent drained yet
-The precision to aim & hit something called "luck" wants to roll to her
-The detail & sequence something called the "pen of history" wants to write
-And within the fast &/or slow rhythm, the capricious Time beats this time

She will not stop until bringing the damned small hidden chest with her...

Go for it girl!!

(Kill Bill Vol1 Battle Without Honor Or Humanity suddenly plays in the background)
youtu.be/gw5vAd5icAg?si=aW-UlpjmPzBsHK2W&t=18

Editor notes:
** Acts with total recklessness, risking her own life
*+ She is lefthanded
*# Translation: Better to die standing than to live on your knees

Glowering at the gods who had turned him into a character from the funny papers for every combat encounter he had participated in so far, Captain Baldbeard CAREFULLY got up, CAREFULLY replaced the plank that he had initially chosen because he didn't wish to do the apparently (but perhaps not?) more dangerous rope-swing, and CAREFULLY crossed, cudgel in hand, all the while keeping an eye out for (apparently explosive) enemies, friends and obstacles that he would need to avoid or navigate.

His intention was to board the Denuvo, keep an eye and nose out for any vampirates, and make his way to the captain's quarters to search it.

"oh nice way to sneak on Durik"

Using the rope I climb into the boat stealthfully.

If there are any barrels or crates on deck I use them to remain hidden.

If someone on deck is incapacitated near me when I am on deck I use my ability to teleport them to the ship deck for safety.

If there happen to be any enemies that are really close that I can sneak attack on I sneak attack them

Else I stay aware of my surroundings for incoming attacks

Note that (unless you have different information from the GM) you can only use the teleport ability once per mission.

I am aware, but if I can use it to save someone who might die if I don't save them I will use it for that this mission.

Mighty The Mighty Matey

Mighty may have a problem with climbing up using rope, as he only has one hand free (2nd is replace with claw).
He asks Monkey go down with Argy and distract enemies during her descend. For now he will secure Argy's way out through skylight and pull her and chest out if it will be needed. if Argy will need help, Mighty will jump down (hopefully on one of the enemies) and assist her. They will then get out using doors.

"Fireworks never happened. I leave the cannons" Foggy grunted. He took his cutlass 'n trident, 'n run t' participate on the battle upstairs on the dock. "I wants some bounty", he said, ready to crush or behead vampirates.

As Pugwash's crosbow bolts and Aylar's stake turned two vampirates from undead to dead the deck of the ship filled with sparks of a pale fire and ashes that reeked of death. Bhrigu saw Aylar jumping backwards in agony as some of the ash landed on his skin and produced a burn of a singular nature. "Arrrgh, We need to be stayin' clear of that vampirate ash stuff ; these scurvy dogs seem to be harmful enough in their dead state !" whispered Bhrigu to his mates.

When Bhrigu saw the Captain of the dark ship come out of his stern castle and taunt Captain Karnstein, he thought the main fight is going to take place on the deck probably. Since his main proficiency was not in physical combat, but deciphering and sensing stuff others might miss, Bhrigu decided to join the "Skylight Heist" party, partly because he felt his skills might serve better there, and partly because he liked the name.

However, his senses started to grow wary as he started sensing the presence of some shadowy figures around him on the deck, slowly drifting and moving around as if wisps floating in the marshy swamps. He also saw Cap'n Rummyfangs approaching him with a look in his eyes that ascertained that he also saw those shadowy figures. Bhrigu thought of an ingenious method to discern whether these shadows were real manifestations of the dark energies that possibly existed on the ship, or creations of hallucinatory effects of the vampirates. He took out the pen he had previously filled with holy water and shook it making a few remnant drops scatter in the general direction of the shadows. If this leads to any indication of the shadows being real threat, he would group up with Cap'n Rummyfangs and other possible teammates and try to fight them if possible. If they appear to be mere illusions, he would take part in the skylight Heist. If he takes part in the skylight heist Bhrigu would count on his trusty sabre to be useful in the closed off spaces of the interior of the ship, and keep one stake handy in case he faces any vampirate.

Mission 1, Denuvo Turn 3 (All Crew)
*CurrentTurn will end 10 PM UTC, 5 October* ANY POSTS made after that time will have to apply to next turn.

(roll dice) Queen Origi used her good wrist and aimed the Anti-Vamp Garlic Grenade carefully, tossing it straight at the Denuvo's captain then moved quickly to sneak across the plank, concentrating hard. (roll dice) She felt the invisibility coming over her as she crossed the plank nearest the Denuvo captain's quarters, intending to use the commotion and confusion to infiltrate the captain's quarters. (roll dice) She was just about to step sneakily off the plank when in a blur of movement the Denuvo Captain was suddenly there. While the amulet protected her from the energy drain, it did not hide her from the captain's senses, for vampirates detect life force, and invisibility mattered not to him who also was connected to those amulets once aboard his ship.

As Queen Origi threw the grenade, Larissa rapturously threw the Cursed Harpoon Gun over to the Denuvo (roll dice) where it landed on the deck at Karnstein's feet. (roll dice) Then she slid down the rope and charged over the boarding plank, her antislip boots holding her steady as she drew a dagger in her left hand and the garlic powder in her right. (roll dice) Larissa crashed into Origi from behind, unable to see thru the invisibility in her rush to get to her goal. (roll dice) Queen Origi was knocked forward, rolling off the plank just beneath and to one side of the vampirate captain as Larissa threw the garlic powder into his face, her dagger seeking his heart. The vampirate captain recoiled, blinking and scowling, then shook it off and swiftly reached forward to grab Larissa by the throat, smiling as he increased the drain on her life force.

Grog'tial nodded contentedly at his first shot hitting home so satisfyingly, and at the officers being taken care of, but now the captain of the Denuvo had appeared on deck. Grog'tial was lining up his next shot for the captain's heart when Larissa threw him off his aim by throwing her Harpoon Gun across to the Denuvo's deck, then slid back down a line with wild abandon. Grog'tial lined up his shot again and fired. (roll dice) He blinked, the captain wasn't there. The captain had just moved in an unnatural way. The shot missed, but clattered off the door to the stern castle. It was enough to attract the attention of the second deck watcher however.

(roll dice) The second deck watcher standing on the main deck below and forward of the wheel, was focused on Grog'tial and raising a crossbow when the garlic grenade lobbed by Queen Origi went off into empty air where the captain had once stood, but it was close enough. (roll dice) The vampirate shrieked as the garlic burned his eyes and skin, for the breeze had swept it into his face. Bellandra had crept up to remain hidden in darkness between the mizzen mast (#13) and the wheel (#12), where Argy's flickering torch had barely caught her as a moving shadow. (roll dice) Now Bellandra seized her chance and leapt to the attack, her first blow with her cutlass striking his hand with the crossbow, sending his shot wild. Her joints rotated with speed and a second strike sliced his neck, but did not strike quite deep enough to sever his head.

Cap'n Barfdeck Rummyfangs felt compelled to investigate the shadows near the longboats. He could swear his Felinoid eyes had detected movement there. However the plank nearest himself and the longboats had gotten splashed with soapy water, and Captain Baldbeard was now CAREFULLY stepping onto that plank. Durik and Kyp looked ready to cross the grappled rope nearby, so Cap'n Rummyfangs turned to the quarterdeck boarding plank that Bhrigu had used to follow Mighty and Argy, just in time to see Larissa cross it and leap into the face of the vampirate captain. Moving with Felinoid agility and speed, Cap'n Rummyfangs used Bellandra's rope to cross and leapt to the top of the Denuvo's stairs to its quarter deck, placing himself above the fight and between the vampirate captain and Bhrigu, Mighty and Argy.

Count Karnstein had been ready to move, but saw Grog'tial from his peripheral vision beginning to line up a shot on the vampirate captain, so waited. "Evenin' Cap..." he didn't finish the sentence as Larissa's Cursed Harpoon Gun landed on the deck at his feet, briefly interrupting Grog'tial's shot. Keeping his saber ready, Count Karnstein had eyed the flamboyance of the vampirate captain and settled on a suitable taunt to distract him as Grog'tial fired, but the vampirate captain had already moved to the end of the boarding plank, where Larissa met him with dagger and garlic powder. But garlic powder was not fresh garlic, it lacked the oils which gave the garlic its power, as the Count well knew and why he had specified the fresh garlic to be used in the grenades. (roll dice) As the garlic grenade exploded onto onto the deck where the captain had once stood, the choice was clear. (roll dice) Count Karnstein moved with his own incredible speed straight to where the vampirate captain held Larissa by the throat as she grasped her second dagger and stabbed it into the captain's throat. (roll dice) "Impressive clown outfit, rightly suitin' jest o' undead like ye. Say, couldn't find one fer men, though?" the Count taunted as his saber sliced the vampirate captain's head from his body.

(roll dice) The vampirate captain exploded into ash, covering Larissa and Karnstein completely. (roll dice) Where it touched Larissa's skin, it blackened horribly, the necrotic substance taking advantage of the lowered defenses of her own skin condition to ravage her wildly, spreading quickly. Her face was decimated, the lips and eyelids dissolving, the flesh of her hands practically eaten to the bone, and her hair turned to pure white, then fell out as the necrotic disease took her. Count Karnstein gently lay Larissa's body to the deck, shrugging off the ash that moments ago was the captain. Larissa had gotten her wish, she no longer need worry about her skin condition. She had sacrificed herself for the Crew, distracting the captain just long enough. Without their captain the Denuvo's crew should be weakened, the Count knew, but still deadly.

(roll dice) Queen Origi had used the distractions to scramble to the door to the stern castle. She had barely avoided most of the ash, but some still streaked the back of her hair with white while it settled on the back of her clothing. (roll dice) She ignored Bellandra's fight with the last vampirate on deck to quietly open the door to sneak inside. (roll dice) Origi was blasted back onto the main deck by a cone of cold to the foot of the main mast (#11). She was shivering, stunned and slowed, but alive.

(roll dice) Durik crossed the rope while Captain Baldbeard negotiated the plank, and took position by the back of the main mast stairs, hefting a cannonball he had picked up on his way there, ready to counter any reinforcements from the stairs. He was also keeping an eye on the back stairs near Aylar when a cold breeze blew over him.

Pugwash noted with satisfaction that his primary targets had been dispatched. Now that Durik had taken position by the main mast stairs, he shifted his attention to the dock ready to shoot at any fleeing vampirates that may rouse the city against the Crew.

(roll dice) Glowering, Captain Baldbeard CAREFULLY crossed the plank, cudgel in hand, while keeping an eye out for enemies, friends and obstacles. (roll dice) He had reached near the longboats (#9) when shadows began to rise from around them and Captain Baldbeard felt the frost of their bite. Another rose towards Durik as Kyp crossed the rope stealthily, arriving on deck to swiftly hide between the cannons there.

Argy had tied a rope around the mizzen mast (#13) and prepared to descend into the Captain's Quarters from the skylight (#15). Mighty held the torch and secured the rope, asking Monkey to go with Argy. Once down, Argy could see from the candles on the desk, by the bed and on the table. The Captain's Quarters (#5) had a blue chest by the table, some scrolls on the table and some kind of potion flask. There were books and a small chest in a bookcase, but Polly had specified the chest they came for would be hidden. There was also another chest somewhat hidden behind some sacks and a support beam, and papers on the desk proper. (See #5 on Denuvo plan for cabin layout, etc.) Argy could hear the fighting outside, but the captain's double doors were closed for the moment, although she could hear someone in the hallway outside.

Bhrigu was still clearing his head, but he figured the shadow he had seen moving was probably Bellandra, hiding in the darkness between the mizzen mast and the wheel. Still, he shook his pen with the holy water ink over the deck as he stood near Mighty on the quarter deck near the skylight (#15) where Argy and Monkey descended the rope into the Captain's Quarters. He glanced again at Cap'n Rummyfangs and suddenly realized there were shadows moving, but near the longboats and Captain Baldbeard and Durik!

(continued below ...)

Durik put down the cannonball and said to Baldbeard, pointing at the stern castle:
"Me can't smash shadows, we go back!"

But while retreating, he had a sudden idea and grabbed one of the wooden rods used to operate the cannons.

At a safe distance, he wrapped a bandage around the staff's top, lighted a match and dropped it on the empty floorboard, then passed the rod over it. Tadaa, a torch!
(a simple match wasn't going to cause a ship fire btw)

He then tested the torch by waving it towards the shadows, to see if it had any effect.
(fingers crossed)

"Ouch!". Origi lobs her final grenade at the two vampirates crawling over the hull. She makes her way to the remains of Larissa, paying her respects, then pocketing all her inventory and putting the boots on if they fit. She gulps down a healing potion, then heads to the skylight instead of the door. "Let's try this again." Once Argy has reached the bottom, Origi will descend the rope carefully and search the room for the key and the red chest and the hidden chest if they haven't already been found. If they're still missing, she uses See Hidden. If they're found, she uses See Hidden on the chests.