The wooden cog groans against the rising swell. Mist clings to the salt-slicked deck like a shroud.
Haldan
Ben, look! They found us. The Black Guild doesn't let prey slip away that easily.
Haldan
I knew that ship was lurking near the harbor. We should have sailed with the tide change, not waited for the fog to thicken.
Ben
Are you certain that is them, Haldan? It could be a simple merchant vessel lost in this soup.
Haldan
No merchant cuts the waves with that much speed. They mean to board us before we hit open water. We need to lighten the load or we will be caught within the hour.
Ben
The map is safe against my ribs. If the Guild wants a fight on these choppy waters, they shall find that a dwarf is not so easily cornered.
+ Scene Quest Added
Escape the Black Guild boarding party
“Is my ship equipped with any weapon?”
YES (Even, rolled 23)
Ben kicks aside a heavy coil of hempen rope near the starboard gunwale, revealing a concealed iron-bound ballista bolted firmly to the deck. The weapon is primed and ready, its heavy wooden stock scarred by years of exposure to the brine.
Ben
This old beast has been hidden under the rigging all along; if the Guild wants to play, I have the means to punch a hole through their hull.
“Wait until the Black Guild ship sails near my ship, and shoot the ballista to the guild ship.”
SUCCESS (Great Ranged Combat, rolled +1)
As a jagged silhouette emerges from the gray veil of the fog, Ben steadies the heavy iron crank. The Black Guild ship cuts the water, its black sails billowing with predatory intent. Ben holds his breath, waiting until he can see the dark wood of their hull across the churning gap. With a steady pull, he trips the release. The ballista kicks like a mule, sending a thick iron-headed bolt screaming through the mist. It strikes true, slamming into the Guild ship’s waterline with a sickening crunch of splintering timber. The enemy vessel groans, its bow beginning to dip immediately as the sea rushes in to claim the debt.
Ben
Look at that! You’ve crippled them in one stroke, Ben!
Ben
That should keep the hounds busy while we make our getaway, but they won't give up their prize so easily.
Quest Complete
Escape the Black Guild boarding party