Sunday May 17th, 1925 Santa Lucia Island
Brass XP7 Dashwood XP7 Serafim XP6 Lloyd XP7 LVL1
By around 2am, you near the island. The tug disguised as a fishing boat is surprisingly quiet, although the smell of the powerful coal powered steam engine is pungent. As the coastline looms up ahead, a cool wind makes you shiver. Clouds loom overhead, but the sky is still mostly visible and you can see a about 30-50 meters once you hit land, Connor estimates. When the engine is cut, all you hear is the lapping of the waves and the wind whipping around the boat. You make sure that everyone is clear on the light signals. Antonio and his crew expertly prepare a boat tow line and pat you all on the back and give you a thumbs up before you disembark.
Dr. Lloyd spots tiny prick of flickering light near the boat site, possibly a camp fire.
Alexios takes charge of the rowboat and manages to get everyone into it safely.
[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4015577/]Alexios boat handling roll (1d100+40=47)[/url] However, the boat ride is rough and you feel like you made too much noise and a lot of seawater came into the boat. You arrive on the shore, wet and apprehensive, but no one seems to be reacting.
(GM note: feel free to check out the island's topography on Google Earth, you see that there is a mountain range in the middle of the island, which is only about 13 km long and 3.5 km wide at its widest. Very dry, desert like almost, white beaches, some low scrubs)
Your group pulls the rowboat in and up on the shore and then carefully moves up the dunes. You all definitely see a small camp fire now. It appears to be up on the dunes and not down at the beach where the boat supposedly sits.
Moving carefully and quietly; here are some related rolls and results
Dr. Lloyd [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4015589/]Tracking roll (1d100+60=139)[/url] manages to find tracks of three seperate individuals, one barefooted, have walked these dunes in the last day or so, meandering around and doubling back at times. They appear to lead back to the campfire area.
Connor [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4015593/]Small Unit tactics roll to approach fire (1d100+60=134)[/url] does an excellent job in positioning the group for its approach and helps everyone stay fairly quiet, even though only he has the subterfuge skill, although two have the jack of all trades perk. As predicted, the sound of the surf breaking on the rocks is hypnotic and loud and covers most casual walking sounds after 20 meters or so.
About 100 meters out from the campfire, you find a good stopping point and concealment behind dune bushes and a couple of rock formations. You can't see the boat from here, as it is below your line of sight down on the beach, but at the campfire you defintely see one man standing near it and what could possibly be another man asleep on the ground.
Connor sneaks down to the edge of the dunes to peek down at the beach
[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4015599/]Sneaking to look at boat (1d100+40=89)[/url] He does make a little noise, but he is over 100 meters from the targets, sounds of surf in the background and there is no apparent reaction from the man at the campfire.
Connor tries to spot what's on around the little yacht, which is indeed pulled up on the beach.
[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4015604/]Perception roll to see what's going on around boat (1d100+20=55)[/url] There is no apparent activity around the yacht, but it does look like there is a mound of something covered with a tarp perhaps laid out on the beach up away from the breaking surf line.
Connor returns to the party. Decision time.
(I'm not assuming that you all are taking your shots now, as you haven't laid eyes on the boat
Waiting patiently for Conny to get back fro the beach, Harry will do everything he can to not move and stay down.
ReplyDeleteOnce his fellow Englishman is back and reports his view of the yacht and its environs. Harry will prepare himself to move and will suggest is a whisper...
"We are still missing a third man here... While Conny here snuck down to the beach, there was plenty of time for that missing fellow to come back from the loo... I think that he is either concealed at the beach or elsewhere. Let's move on these gents here by the fire, shall we?"
With that, he will quietly listen to what short debate might arise from those more experienced with such matters and will follow the consensus.
Dr. Lloyd's Intentions:
He will follow the group decision (to either sneak forward to just begin firing or to go forward to offer challenge to avoid gun fire... should that end up being the plan). He will offer any cultural insights he can to the discussion regarding whether or not these guys might actually surrender (+80 in Social Sciences). But, other than that, he is just an extra gun on target (+20 with Guns).
"Good thinking Harry - but let's give them another ten minutes, shall we? Nothing to be lost by waiting a bit longer, and it will give us a chance to get a bit closer. Do you see anywhere likely to be a better position, closer in?", in a whisper.
ReplyDeleteWhatever Harry's answer, Connington will slink off to try to find a way to get the others closer, within 50 metres, with a low detection risk. If he finds a route he will come back to lead the others into position.
If there is any discussion or mention of surrender or taking the pirates prisoner, Connington is very much against the idea. "The penalty for piracy is death by hanging, and these lot know that. We can't spare the men to guard prisoners, and anyway if we were to take them in, they would squeal every juicy detail of ourselves and Andres' family. It would come back to bite us later. They knew what they were about and it's better to make a quick end of it."
"All four of us, on the standing chap, at once. Then the sleepy Pete, unless our missing lad sticks his head up. Ready?"
Connington's intentions: ask Harry if he can think of any optimal approach routes to get closer to the pirates. Try to find a quiet way to get the ambush party within 50 metres, or at least somewhere with a good field of fire on the pirates' campsite. Open fire with the others on the standing guard, taking a round to sight first.
Alexios stays quiet, and moves to where he is needed. (Just gunning men down like this does not sit well with me, heat of battle is okay, but cold blooded killing? These English seem to relish in slaughter)
ReplyDelete"We bluff them into surrendering?" Alexios speaks softly, and looks at the others.
Intentions: he would rather subdue the men, killing being a last resort.