November 13, 2021

Hook

Dead Man's Waters - Operation Crab Rangoon, Session 10

Plot Synopsis

Hex and Medrir just reeled in the deadliest shell they could catch - Deadshell! Up close is no meal - it's a morphed, undead crustacean with heavy pincers... and it's armed to the shell! Its weight alone can tip the Flaming Folley sideways. One of its cannons is locked onto the gnome’s head, and just as he moves to dodge, his newly found pet pelican, Arkimeedies, flips out and attempts to flee in the other direction, unintentionally pushing its master away and receiving a cannonball to the beak… quickly ending it. The party calls up their squadron of crewmates in hopes of tenderizing the crab. They could make use of the oniger to remove the hard shell - or maybe plug up those inedible cannons, fueled by who-knows what. Though as Hex and Zebulon dart over to man the cannons, the crab releases its grip on the Flaming Folley and plummets into the sea! The ship violently rocks backwards, and many of the crew slip and fall onto the wet front deck.
At this time, Dorp wakes up from his nap and breaks some glasses. As he does this, Ark listens in on the action while drinking some fine tea and dressed in some morning robes. He still wants to help, so he lends Dorp a glowing rod. Back up deck, Medrir notes that The Plan is coming straight up to them... it might collide. But where is the crab!? Hex has an idea! He commands his two sparkling dolphins to track down the monster. It's too foggy and the water is too black, so they also need light! And out comes Dorp, with this light! He doesn't trust the dolphins at all with it when Hex asks to throw it to them... so what should Dorp do…
Throw the stick in the water? Force it down one of the dolphin’s gullet? Jump in himself? Wait for the Plan to arrive? Listen to Hex’s suggestion? Rock Galactic?
What else works? Punching the thing.
Once the crab re-emerges, choking a dolphin with its left pincer, Dorp leaps off to engage it, fist drawn, and the crab counters by just shooting him. Dorp attempts to reflect the cannon ball with his bare hands... but is unable to re-adjust himself in mid-air, so the cannonball is instead kicked on deck.
And it detonates... catching everyone else in its huge blast.
Miraculously... everyone does not die from that (mostly thanks to the wetness), but only four on the top deck (all adventurers) are conscious. Medrir rushes to make use of his remaining berry-flavored potions. Zebulon wills herself to not die just long enough to be rescued. Dorp loses the grudge match against the crab and is dragged underwater. One of the dolphins he so hated attempts to rescue him, but the crab's grip is too tight. Its body is not, however, with one of Phel's continuously discarded daggers striking it in the center, and one of Wynn's shots piercing through its shell. With that... it falls into the sea and Dorp is freed. The Plan arrives just as the battle ends. What will they do with all their hard-earned explosives, their ambassador baffles?
An eerie voice that suddenly surrounds them has an answer.
Within 5 minutes, the group notes large shockwaves coming from the ocean center... and before their eyes... the crab re-emerges, bigger than ever! It's as large as a mountain! And its eyes focus on the two ships, firing a barrage of fiery ammunition down on them. Both ships are separated from each other, the boat being tossed to the east and not exploding. The Flaming Folley catches fire! Wynn finds that his gun is not doing the trick! So, Hex devises a plan to use a leftover musket to fire the lightning that keeps coming out of the map.
Luckily, the party has a backup plan. Zebulon transports her and Medrir onto The Plan, to the confusion of the riding orcs, and the nomad sets up a seal that cloaks the ship in a transparent magic. Hex and Bustog make use of their new lightning musket to draw the crab’s attention, as Phel goes over to rescue Dorp with their dingy. A stray round destroys his ride - and almost him! And finally does the crab notice something trailing in the water towards it. Everyone but the captain abandons ship as The Plan collides with the crab, creating an explosion that can be seen for miles! A whirlpool is created with the pillar of explosiveness, revealing a marooned ship at the bottom of the sea...

Noteworthy Postgame Events