Rhyll's knee catches one-eared Guldas in his manly parts. The grizzled sailor from the Firewing chokes and grunts in pain and rage and doubles over, rolling to the floor, clutching at himself.
The tavern patrons around him clear a space, and shouts go up. "Did'ya see that?"
Guldas' five shipmates roar and charge the Reckoning's hands: Kell, Benning, Ferlan, Deeshon, Soti, and Drarn.
Migalen, for his part, tries to look unobtrusive.
Dacien, from the gallery above, comes swinging into the melee with a shout, gripping the rope that holds the chandelier in place. He sails down onto the fracas like an avenging angel, admittedly a small angel, and impacts the group of Firewing crewmen like a cannonball. He slams into tall, skinny crewman, and you can hear the man's ribs snap even from here. The skinny pirate staggers backwards, dropping his mug of ale, spraying the crowd with it, and falling backwards over the table behind him.
Dacien rolls to his feet alongside the man, with a smile, "Sorry, boys, I split the pins, one o' you will have to get the spare!"
A shout goes up in the crowd as the two crews set to brawling. Some take their drinks and clear well back, and some press forward to watch.
Rhyll leans down and grabs Guildas by the back of the shirt and the seat of the pants. He lifts him up bodily, intending to charge at the crew of the Firewing and toss their comrade at them. Guldas' writhing in agony makes him tough to hold, however. Rhyll calls out, "Would one of you lads take this trash..."
Kugg, broad and squat for an Urag, spits his rage and lumbers forward, set on putting his immense strangler's hands around Rhyll's throat. He gets his green fingers around Rhyll's neck just as Rhyll turns back to charge and toss off his laughing comment about taking out the trash. "...outsiiiide??--kkk!" The young man's eyes go wide as the Urag tightens his grip, but he holds onto Guldas as a weapon.
Dacien leaps up to the tabletop, and shatters a clay spittoon over the Urag's hairless skull, but the greenskin doesn't even seem to notice. Shards of spittoon spray everywhere. "Gonna snap yer little neck, Rhyll!" the Urag hisses.
Kell gives a warcry of his people--"Aiaiaiailai!!" and draws his sword, then races forward to rescue Rhyll.
Benning raises his hands and urges back some of the bar patrons who crowd too closely to the fight. "Please, my brothers..." he warns.
Deeshon slips his sap from his pocket and launches himself at one of the enemy sailors. His foe, with a long nose, mustache and red jacket, whirls to face the oncoming lookout. Deeshon's sap catches the man in the temple and he topples.
Ferlan, Drarn and Soti leap into the fray, attacking another foe, a fat, filthy pirate with black whiskers. The fat fellow topples under the rain of blows that land on his jaw, stomach and ribs. He falls beside the other crewman that Dacien downed. Drarn puts a swift booted toe into the unconscious man's stomach.
Guldas tries to wriggle free of Rhyll's grip, as Kugg presses in on the young Captain.
A swarthy pirate, a Yandar by the look of him, wields a chair and swings at Dacien, now nimbly balanced on the tabletop. At the last moment, Dacien leaps aside, the chair shattering into pieces.
Deeshon whirls and ducks under the table, evading a flying fist from another pirate.
The third pirate, a young brawny thug with his long dark hair in a queue, swings on Ferlan from behind as Ferlan knocks out his opponent. Ferlan's head snaps back. He spits out a bloody tooth, then snarls at the brawny thug and swings wildly.
Rhyll drops Guldas to the floor head first, then tries to ram his thumbs into Kugg's eyes. But his arms are just too short to reach the Urag's yellow eyes.
Kugg leers with laughter as he presses his attack, his hands seeming strong enough to bend steel.
Dacien lunges for the Yandar, fists flailing, and connects with a glancing blow to his head.The Yandar takes it in the right cheek, falling back with a shout.
Guldas staggers to his feet, seizing a bottle that lies on the floor close at hand. He is breathing heavily, looks dizzy and red-eyed, and whirls, seeking a skull to bash in. He spots Kell charging the fight, and swings the bottle wildly at the Polar warrior's head. The bottle shatters on Kell's metal collar, sparing him the worst of the damage but spraying him with wine. Guldas waves the jagged end at him.
Soti, Drarn and Ferlan go after the brawny one. Another hail of blows and the brawny thug lands unceremoniously on his rear, falling backwards into the crowd. Drarn adds a nasty heel kick to the thug's head as he lies there.
The Yandar tries to bash the dodging Dacien with the chair leg, but Dacien skips aside from the attack.
Benning stoops over one of your victims, checking to see if the man still breathes.
The other pirate, a boy really, no older than 16 summers by the look of him, looks towards the door as if weighing his chance of escape. Then he ducks under the table where Deeshon hides. Deeshon is heard to chuckle. There is a thump and the boy spills forth, lying on the floor, stone cold out.
Rhyll gurgles something to his crew, but sounds don't come out. He swings his feet into the green giant's belly, then kicks with all his might to break the Urag's grip on his neck. His boots thump into Kugg's midsection.
Kugg doesn't flinch. He grins, showing his fangs and shakes Rhyll like a toy. With a laugh, he hurls Rhyll across the room, and the young Captain slides across the slick floor, made worse by spilled fluids from the fight.
Dacien ducks a swinging chair leg and throws another punch at the Yandar. His fist impacts the Yandar's nose and the man slumps forward over the table, face first in Ferlan's meal of salmagundi, splattering stew all over.
Ferlan yells, "Hey! I wasn't finished with that!"
Guldas tries jamming the end of his broken bottle into Kell's eye. Kell bats the bottle aside with the flat of his curved sword and the two opponents circle for an opening.
Drarn and Soti consider the wisdom of a frontal assault on Kugg, then decide to tack into the wind and to wait for orders from the Captain.
Migalen has slipped out the backdoor to carry out his errand for Rhyll.
Kugg stomps forward, seizes Rhyll again, by the lapels of his jacket, and bellows, "Kugg will crush you... like...a.. bug!" He seems to be quite proud of his witticism, which is quite an accomplishment for an Urag.
Rhyll attempts to kick the Urag in the stomach again. As he does he manages to grind out, "kkkk--A li-tt-le help herrrre pleasssse." Rhyll's kick lands solidly in Kugg's belly. But it's like kicking a mountain.
Kugg balls up his fist and tries to stove in the side of Rhyll's head. The mighty blow knocks Rhyll to the slick floor. He shakes his head to clear it.
Benning leans over Rhyll and says quietly, "I think you are winding him, Captain."
Rhyll glares up at Benning.
The street door to the tavern opens and four figures slip inside, the room going somewhat quiet as they enter. They are led by a burly man with a black beard and thick, heavy-lidded eyes, who seems to mock everything he regards.
Deeshon crawls out from under his table, then points urgently at the newcomers. "Dace!"
Kell lunges with his blade, but misses. Guldas tries to stand up a little straighter, but he is teetering.
Rhyll looks over to the door and creeks, "Friendly crew you have here, Draco."
Dacien spots Draco and the others coming in the door and lunges for Kugg. His blow catches the unaware Kugg in his ribs, and the Urag actually gives a roar of pain as he stumbles forward. He whirls trying to spot the scampering Tobon.
Dacien grins as he lands a savage punch in Kugg's kidney and yells, "Welcome to the party, ya buncha pansies!"
Draco actually laughs as Dacien lands a good one on Kugg, shaking his head as if with affection. A deep voice rich with self-regard drawls, "Well, isn't this grand! Our old friends, mingling with our own crew. It gives me such a warm feeling. Don't kill them, Kugg, you will disappoint Tyree, and we can't have that." Captain Draco leans on his walking stick. Behind him are three of his officers, deadly fighters all, including the Tol Nedran sorcerer Masryn.
Benning helps Rhyll to his feet.
Kugg is using all of his self-control not to go after the Tobon. He looks to Guldas.
Guldas, terrified of Draco, explains, "They started it, Cap'n." They were ordered not to get into trouble. Now this, this is trouble.
Rhyll brushes off his clothes, then turns to the Captain of the Firewing and says, "Just a friendly disagreement. How about you call off Kugg, and I'll have my men stand down before anyone else gets hurt."
Dacien dances away from the big Urag, shuffling his feet back and forth quickly as he bobs and weaves, "C'mon, ya big lump, let's dance!"
Draco warns the Urag not to mess with Dacien. "Don't play with your food, Kugg." He asks Rhyll, "Does your Captain know you're down in the docklands, starting brawls, my boy?"
Kugg manages retain his composure, rubbing his sore ribs, but treats Dacien to one of his Urag scowls. As he dances, Dacien moves so that Deeshon is at the big Urag's back, "You let that greasy Maze-rat tell you what to do, greenie? I didn't see the leash on ye."
Rhyll says, "Dace, settle down."
Dacien looks at Rhyll with a pout and stops moving, making sure he's out of Kugg's reach, "Aww, c'mon, Captain, I was just gonna knock his ass out once."
Rhyll scowls at Draco and says, "I'm afraid Tyree met with a bad end. Not that you'd shed a tear for 'im."
Draco blinks. "An end? Surely you're joking..."
Rhyll spits out "Do I look like I'm joking, Draco?"
Draco says, "By the Warrior's holy trousers... Whatever happened? You simply must tell me."
Rhyll says, "No, I think I've given your crew enough to be happy about today." He then turns to his crew and says, "Gather up, you lot we're shipping out. Dace, settle up with Hannaford."
Hannaford is in the taproom now, limping swiftly, spiked shillelagh in one hand, having been warned about the brawl underway. "What in the name of--?" he bellows, menacing with the shillelagh. "All right!" he snaps at the pirates, yourselves included. "Who's gonna pay for the broken furniture?" He looks quite ready to take on the lot of you, by his own self.
Kugg lifts two of the unconscious pirates over his shoulders, and the rest of Draco's men help the others as best they can.
Draco says, "You do have my condolences, boy. Or is it Captain Rhyll, now?"
Rhyll says, "That would be Captain now, Captain Draco."
Draco grins, broadly. He raises a finger to the brim of his hat. "I salute you, Captain Rhyll. And as I said, my condolences. I will make sure Tyree is remembered. We were old comrades, you know."
Rhyll says, "So I've heard."
Captain Draco says, "Confidentially, we'd best be off, too. My lads may have attracted more attention than I would have liked. But we shall meet again on the high seas, won't we?"
Kugg mutters, "I coulda ripped his little head off." The crew of the Firewing back away from you, then slip out the door, Draco last, with a final mocking smile.
Rhyll glares back and says, "I'm sure we will."
Hannaford watches the Firewing's crew depart, glowering at them, and says, "Those pieces of offal give you any trouble, Dace?"
Dacien smirks and shakes his head, "No trouble at all, Hann. How much do we owe ye for the furniture?"
Hannaford shakes his head. "You don't owe me nothin', Dace. But seems like wherever you pirates go, there's always trouble."
Dacien laughs loudly, "It does seem to find us, don't it?"
Hannaford smirks. "Even if you ain't lookin' for it, Dace." He stoops to begin clearing the shattered table, glasses and chairs, two of his boys helping with the chore.
Rhyll calls, "We're for the ship. Hann, I'll set aside a barrel of some fine brandy I came about for your trouble."
Hannaford stands. "Think nothin' of it, Captain. A friend o'Dacien's is a friend o'mine."
Rhyll nods to the innkeeper.
Dacien nods to Hannaford, "Sorry for the mess, mate. See ya soon."
Hannaford says, "You'd best be on your way, though, friends. Those boys you tangled with are a whole pile of bad."
Rhyll says, "We've run into them a time or two. Next time it won't be so pretty."
Hannaford warns, "Watch your back. And come back and see us anytime."
Rhyll says, "That we will Hann, and next time I promise to keep my lads and myself in line."
Dacien winks at Hannaford, "Yeah, I'll try to lay them out a little straighter next time!"