One — Sea Legs

The galley sways on the dark waters as the rowers snore. The sail is reefed, the oars are shipped, and the ship is anchored within bowshot of the deserted shore, where sunset showed a band of gravel between the shallow water and the tangled grasses of the Malakuti plain.

This morning the rowers were battling the currents at the outflow of the broad river Mala. Here there are only gentle waves.

You are sitting at ease cross-legged on the mid deck, just below the captain's perch. You are talking about your lives, as people do.

"So the Sergeant says to me, Testraa, he says, I can't read your report. An' I says to him, hah, I says, they is a children's school down the street, Sarge, maybe they's can help!" The big bearded man laughs and looks around for similar mirth.

…

@gtg620q,@Ysolde,@WanderOne

As you sit under the stars and swap tall tales of your doings, you each hear:
• muffled splashing, as if oars are being rowed nearby;
• soft thumps, as if cloth-wrapped oars are being shipped in a boat;
• the distinct "thunks" of multiple grappling hooks catching the gunwale of your ship.

You can try to pry the grappling hooks off the boat — a task that will require your hands to overcome the weight of the pirates climbing the lines. But by the time you get to the hooks, the pirates may already be over the rail!

Or you can stand poised to strike as the pirates get onto the deck.

Each pick an option please.

The pirate yelps and jumps back off the rail into the water. Meanwhile, two more come tumbling over the rail with long curved knives in their teeth.

Three more pirates are gripping the rail as you each have a moment to consider: what to do about the two on deck? You have advantage against the one who screwed up his tumble and is sprawled on his back. The other has somersaulted to a position kind of behind you and who deals with her will roll at disadvantage.

Two pirates are ended!

The next three come over the rail but they don't try the fancy tumbling moves. "The ship is ours!" proclaims the one wearing a leather unitard, as he waves a dangerous cutlass at you. They charge. Two go for Ardonna; the one with the cutlass toward Sherk.

The heavy cutlass blade hisses through the air where Sherk's shoulder was a moment earlier; she easily slips aside. Her own blade whirls just above the pirate's head. He's out of position, now, and she knows his Luck has run. Her next attack could end him.

The pair of pirates cower, dropping their long knives to clatter and ring on the plank deck. The night breeze wafts to Ardonna an odor of warm urine. The spell was quite effective.

Stricken by fear, the pirates don't dare to move either toward or away from Ardonna.