Tales from Tabletop

Session 10.3: Battle for the Hollow

Chapter III: The Dockyard

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From the crow's nest of the Admare, Selene watched the still waters below. Renik sat nearby, filling his pipe with tobacco as they waited.

The docks had been quiet all morning.

Selene, alongside most of the forces, stood upon the makeshift barricade, made by cannibalizing large portions of the shipyard and docked ships in order to build a large enough wall between the sea and land. The Admare, as the greatest ship in port, was used as the centerpiece.

It was not easy, and Renik had initially disagreed with Dockmaster Evander's suggestion. Eventually, they compromised, the ship was relatively untouched outside the necessary sacrifices to connect it to the greater wall.

Selene shifted awkwardly in her place. Nothing so far had happened by the docks.

It's been three hours, surely something should have happened by now...right?

Not that Selene wanted it to start, but the waiting was beginning to wear on her.

Plus, we spent the last two days working on this. If Lendrig doesn't attack here, all this work was for nothing!

Renik eyed her as she fidgeted, puffing on his pipe. After a moment's deliberation, he took it out as if he were about to say something.

He stopped mid-breath. His eyes fixed on the horizon, trying to decipher something through the haze. The shift and the intensity of his gaze were enough to unnerve her even more.

Selene began to ask what was going on, but was cut off as Renik whispered, "Shh!"

"Something's changed, horngirl. Keep focused," he whispered, eyes still fixed on the horizon.

Focusing, Selene tried to sense whatever it was Renik had in his sights.

The change was not obvious at first. A slight shift in the breeze, or perhaps it was a change in the waters.

Or perhaps it was the crash of metal as the gates surrounding the docks were ripped apart.

A moment later, the very same torn metal flew through the dull, grey mists toward them. It only narrowly missed the mast and crow's nest.

The time for waiting was over.

Selene pulled the rope nearby, dropping the sail as the sign that an attack was imminent.

Of course, anyone who had eyes just saw the fence fly through the air and crash into some building, so I guess this is kinda unnecessary. Still, I'd probably never hear the end of it if I didn't pull it.

People below were already lighting the fires and preparing for battle. Outside the crew, militia members made up of dockworkers lined up their ranks in defense, standing ready to face whatever came. Many ran to the ballistas along the wall, armed and ready to fire at a moment's notice. Renik dropped his pipe and began the climb down towards the action. Selene remained atop, transfixed by the waters below as the algae's glow beneath them were lost as something large approached the barricade.

Incense burned through her once more as the bonfire began to burn below.

In spite of the distance between herself and the water, Selene drew her daggers, and stood ready for anything.

As Renik was about halfway down the mast, figures leapt from the water onto the deck.

It was the Merrow. At least a dozen.