Two Ships and a Storm - Session 1 - Journal

General Summary

Sleepless Nights

 
Our story begun aboard the Tsubaki, a relatively small merchant vessel that -- for a modest sum -- could transport individuals of any race across the Storm Channel, unto the port of Damu. Problems with an uneasy tide made docking problematic and rough seas the following day made the first two nights aboard quite exhausting. Because of this, our travelers woke up at the later hours of the day, close to sunset. First rose Yusuf, who followed his nose into a small, open air cabin where a small dinner was being prepared. Pregnant clouds loomed overhead. The sailors that were setting the table confirmed that the food being served was to be given to the 'guests' in the ship, which primarily referred to our travelers. At the corner of this cabin, smoking a pipe and muttering words to a floating book that wrote as he went, was a Halfling Gentleman, seemingly minding his own business. Yusuf paid him no mind and tried to be polite and wait for the others to arrive to eat his meal. Hansuke woke next, following the sounds of the table setting in the distance. He entered and spoke with Yusuf and some of the other sailors. Next, Sunny awoke, arriving at the dining table. He was kind to the sailors, who had been on edge due to lack of sleep. He helped them set what remained of the table and organized the food in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Finally, Kota was awoken by the Tsubaki's Captain, who urged him to come enjoy the dinner that was prepared for them.   The Halfling Gentleman appeared to know the captain, who's name was revealed to be Nodachi. It was apparently a nickname given to him due to military prowess during the recent Twilight Siege. Hansuke asked to know how the situation was in Yama and the captain seemed to think there were deep tensions. Negotiations had fallen into a standstill and the Elves were waiting to see what would happen. Some other pleasantries were shared, as Kota offered some Feathered Ale to Nodachi who found it strong but savory.  

An Enemy Approaches

  Suddenly, a hail of arrows fell through the open windows. Some of our travelers were hurt but not gravely. The captain rushed out to see the status of his ship and the travelers followed suit. Many of the Tsubaki's crew had been injured or killed. In the distance, a great rowing Warship barreled towards the Tsubaki. The Captain ran towards the wheel of the ship, as his helmsman had perished, urging our travelers to lay low and go inside for safety. But our travelers were hesitant to leave the Captain to his own devices and convinced him to allow them to help.   Nodachi commented that there were a few things that could help the ship in moving again:
  • Small repairs against broken areas
  • The loading of the ballistas
  • Identifying Wind direction
  • Hoisting the Mainsail
  • Tending to the crew
  • Though some mishaps delayed the process, the Tsubaki was able to move again, her crew just able enough to have it function. Kota notably refused to do any more 'preparations' near the end, as he was itching for a fight.    

    War at Sea

      Eventually, smaller rowing warships crashed against the Tsubaki and a fight began amidst the storms.
      Click here to see encounter details
    Show spoiler
    ^^ This is just a draft, but the encounter layout was almost identical to what was originally planned.
     
    The encounter featured a myriad of environmental conditions, such as heavy downpour (CON saves or attacker would have disadvantage on ranged attacks), crashing waves (The first bout pushed everyone in the ship forward. After that, it damaged both the Tsubaki and any other enemy ship nearby) and changing distances between ships (the rough seas made the chase between the vessels uneven).   The preparations that had been made prior to the ships engaging helped determine the intensity of the danger.   Players could shoot from Ballistas installed on the Tsubaki or be shot at, though choosing small, single targets made the user roll with disadvantage. The Ballistas could also be targeted against the hull of the ships. The complexity of the technology also meant that anyone using the ballista would add their Intelligence modifier, rather than their dexterity one, on the shooting attempt.   Once the ships came close enough, the players had to face a combination of common Morning Clan Mercenaries, Morning Clan Ronin, and Morning Clan Archers. Though the players fought well and strategically, the Tsubaki ultimately suffered too much damage, which caused the captain to give up on trying to escape and brace against being boarded. The amount of Morning Clan soldiers, however, made resistance almost impossible and the group surrendered.
     
    The battle was fierce and restless. The smaller attack ship was besieged by our travelers, who caused chaos at its deck. Its Nervous Captain, however, stood defiant against the odds; even after being attacked and intimidated. But he finally caved while at death's door, hurling himself into the darkened waters, his fate unknown.   The small attack ship sunk into the sea as its commanding vessel came close to engage the Tsubaki. Upon a wooden tower a mysterious figure mysterious figure led the assault from aboard the Warship. The two groups engaged until the Tsubaki's hull gave against the crashing waters of the ocean. It was at that time that Nodachi abandoned the helm, and fought alongside his guests, showing his mastery over ki. However, the Tsubaki was overwhelmingly boarded and its crew -- our travelers included -- were forced to surrender.    

    Leading Lady

      From the warship came Oda Miyamoto who introduced herself as a Patron of the The Morning Clan; an organization bent on removing the Shogunate as the leading power in Yama.   As she approached the deck of the Tsubaki she told her apparent servant, Hitori, that the captives were to remain unharmed. At that moment, one of the more zealous mercenaries struck Sunny in the chest. Miyamoto seemed to notice this, for she asked which one of her men had struck the prisoners. Another of the soldiers outed the culprit and the Lady Patron ordered his pay be docked by 50%.   Miyamoto presented herself as apologetic, excusing herself for having embroiled our travelers in an issue that wasn't theirs. She promised they would not be held prisoners by the Morning Clan. She then went towards Nodachi, whom she recognized from the Twilight Siege, though he did not remember her. Miyamoto then gave the captain a chance to swear loyalty to her creed, which he denied. Miyamoto then raised her blade and encouraged the captain to accept defeat in the traditional Elvish way. But Nodachi froze, and did not 'kneel' as is required.
     
    "Let all who stand here today bear witness; that those loyal to the Shogun do not keep their word." Ptrn. Oda Miyamoto
     
    Miyamoto left Nodachi behind and escorted our travelers into her cabin. Before they went inside, they caught one last glimpse of the captain, who's blade was being thrown into the sea by gloating Morning Clan mercenaries.   Oda Miyamoto was quite welcoming to our travelers, offering them tea and conversation while they waited to touch ground. Our travelers got to know more about the Morning Clan's ends and desires and agreed with the Lady Patron that though they were not allied to the Clan, they did not oppose it either.    

    A Port on Fire

      As they disembarked from the vessel, our travelers saw that the port -- and most of the town -- of Damu was in flames. Miyamoto's Ship, in fact, had no choice but to dry dock on shore. After walking through the city streets, the sounds of battle found our travelers. From the fires ran a group of frightened Morning Clan soldiers assailed by an armed old man who eviscerated them as he went.
     
    "My name is Nobu Oniwa! I was there when the The First Shogunate fell! And I am here to make sure it never rises again!" Nobu Oniwa, at the Clash of Damu
     
    Miyamoto prepared herself to do battle against this new found enemy when all of the sudden a fog overtook the landscape; the roaring fires turned into a sickly green. A masked man rose from the mist, pointing at the warring forces. He uttered one sentence:   "The Dead...Revoke...The Throne..." as a phantom appeared nearby. It let out a gruesome cry.

    Character(s) interacted with

    Nodachi
    Halfling Gentleman
    The Nervous Captain
    Oda Miyamoto
    Hitori
    Nobu Oniwa
    Report Date
    21 Jun 2019
    Primary Location

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