Wardens of Wildemount ((IC))

[desperado1089]

As if in slow motion, Jon watched Diva'ss get swatted into the water as if she were a ragdoll. Knowing she had mere moments until she was lost forever, he sprinted off the deck of the ship, sheathing his sword as he did so and discarding his shield as he dove into the churning water below. It was by the grace of the nameless Sea Gods of old that he was able to reach her in time, and it was a strange stroke of luck he was able to drag her to a small, sandy spit of dry ground underneath one of the docks. He used twenty-five points of his Lay on Hands pool to heal what he thought he might be able to spare, and as she opened her eyes, he smirked and said, "Sleeping on the job, Diva'ss?"

 

[haremfaery]

Finn rolled off the barmaid. He grinned at her. "Well, lass, I'd say you made the earth move for me, but I fear 'tis just the storm outside.

He got out of bed and used the chamberpot behind a screen in the corner. Then he went to look out the window at the storm. "Nine Feckin' Hells!"

There was a Tempest shooting lightning from its mouth. He could just make out some of the people fighting it from his high window. He watched someone get tossed overboard by the creature.

He moved swiftly to his pile of clothing and pulled them on as fast as he was able. He sat on the bed and pulled on his boots. He leaned over and gave the barmaid a quick kiss. "Wish me luck, lass. I cannot stand by with such a battle going on."

He tossed on his cloak and dashed out of the room, down the stairs and into the street. "Feck." He made his way through the wind and rain to the ship. He began singing as he ran. Nothing magical, he was afraid no one could hear him anyway, but a song to bolster the spirits if they only happened to be his.

At least he knew of Elder Tempests. Knew thunder and lightning would not damage the monster. He sang out a spell to cast a bold of radiant damage . The creature glowed where the spell hit. The next person to attack would have an easier time of it.

He took a moment to take in the chaos on the ship. So many different beings on board. That was one of the reason he liked port towns. So many people, so many stories. He was sure this story would be an epic one.

It looked like many would require healing, but the beastie needed killing first. Or at least it needed to be made to retreat. He rubbed the ring on his thumb. It had saved his life more than once.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Jaena Pharstreider

"That's more like it," She smiled and began to move up the stairs and to the bow of the silverpike as the other growling mephit things were getting a little too close for comfort for her. She did all her best fighting at a safe distance with her bow and arrows doing all the talking for her.

With a thundering roar the giant snake-thing in the sky lashed out with another blinding beam of lightning striking the creepy skeleton thing guarding Diva'ss and obliterating it effortlessly. Then Jaena watched in horror as the beast's tail lashed out blazingly fast between the two masts of the Silverpike and batting poor Diva'ss squarely in the back and launching her flying and tumbling through the air and off the ship she landed into the rough wind battered waters of the harbor beyond.

"Diva'ss, no," She cried out in shock. Then at the corner of her eye Jaena saw Jon dash across the deck of the ship and leap over the rail after her. "Jon."

"Troll shit, now what do I do?" She wished she could help, but one of the last mephit creatures was drifting up the steps a little too close so focusing she murmured a few words and made a gesture with her fingers and cast a spell she'd learned from researching the Madori fabled abilities in the dusty tomes of the Cobalt Soul's archives...a spell she suspected at least in some way was the ancestor of the modern equivalent practiced in the Cerberus Assembly in Rexxentrum.

Just as the mephit was felled by halfling rogue she reappeared beside Priscilla in a puff of smoke and tried another shot to the one spinning around to growl at her. predictably it flew wide and she missed it.

"Hey nice work, shortstuff," She said over to Priscilla, "We may have lost both Diva'ss and Jon. Any ideas on what we do about that snake-thing in the clouds?"

When Priscilla gave her answer she nodded, "I don't have a clue either...other than sending it back to its home plane somehow. It's not from Exandria. There's a portal up there somewhere...but how in the nine hells do we convince it run back home I don't know."

She gestured to the newcomer, "Do you think he'll have an idea on how we can do that?"

Despite the poor conditions that have been fouling her aim this whole fight she knocked another arrow.

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulrich shrugs "if you can hold it off a day, lass, I can pray tomorrow for the spell to banish it. Otherwise, ye better ask yer god to intervene. Also we might send for a cleric of another faith who happens to have access to a scroll of banishment. Other than that, we have to deal it a heavy enough blow to drive it off. I must say I find the prospect unlikely. There might be harbor defenses. A trebuchet or Ballistae might be our best bet. If there's a harbor castle we could try a withdraw that direction in the hopes of drawing it with us and into the range of the fort. If there isnt well, you all might end up burning in hell while i feast in the glory of the halls of Kord, having died in glorious battle" he grins and looks up, then tries a sacred flame spell only for the beast to easily dodge the pillar "or not so glorious battle"

 

[justspitballing]

Jon healed Diva'ss and with a sudden jolt she came to. She pushed herself up on her elbows and gave Jon a soft kiss on the cheek, fallowed by one on the mouth. It was in reflex though, it then dawned on her all that had just happened. She grabbed at her chest and felt for wounds. She was mostly fixed up, but felt dizzy.

The air serpent spun around wildly in the sky. Diva'ss could see someone else had blasted it with a second guiding bolt, but it did little against the thing. The beast shot out yet another lightning bolt. It flew into the town, causing a simple, quaint, home to explode. It would later be learned that everyone in the home, 4 people, were all dead now. Killed instantly.

Diva'ss had been a fool. She could have saved that Goliath and he would have likely been a help against this beast. Instead she had literally let him die all to cast a guiding bolt spell on the beast that hardly harmed it and that someone else ended up casting anyways.

She stood up furious. It wasn't wise what she did next, but she did what she did. She grabbed Jon and kissed him deeply. Her tongue went deep into his mouth and then she pulled back.

"That will likely be my last kiss, it doesn't need to be yours. Run from me, now!" Diva'ss said.

Eldritch Blast! Two blasts of pure power flew out of her hands and went straight for the air serpent in the sky and... missed the thing fully. By odd luck they both slammed into one of the dust mephits and it exploded in a ball of brown air. The last mephit saw its comrade die and quickly flew away for safety. The Tempest beast quickly moved its mouth and bit the tiny creature, smashing it into dust in the sky.

At least the mephits were all dead, but Diva'ss couldn't even act like a distraction and die properly. The Tempest completely ignored her. She was worthless.

 

[desperado1089]

Jon couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Your last kiss? Not if I have anything to say about it! Now get up there and fight! We all have our strengths, play to them and we will prevail as one! FOR POSEIDON! FOR ERATHIS! ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH, MY DEAR!" He grabbed Diva'ss by the wrist and they ran up a set of steps set into the seawall. Jon spied a fortification through the gloom, with something atop it that was indistinguishable in the driving rain. He pointed. "There! Maybe that will send that monstrosity back to where it belongs! To the Silverpike, and make haste!" Hoping she would follow, Jon sprinted back to the ship and shouted about the fort he had spotted for all who would, or could, hear.

 

[Shadowlace]

Priscilla watched as the events unfolded. Diva'ss went down and the knightly Jon went after her. Granted they seemed to rally as an impressive man who seemed to scream 'KORD' came onto the scene. What wasn't impressive was the serpentine elemental being wreaking havoc on the city.

Wind buffeted and rain pelted the tiny halfling lass as she studied the ship, the crew, and then the being. As she did she reached down to recover the dagger she had thrown earlier and wiped it clean on a loose piece of material before she was greeted by the lady from earlier, Jaena.

When the half-elven beauty asked her what her idea was the brown-eyed Priscilla looked up and smiled."Only a couple of working theories. I'll get back to you on whether or not it's feasible." She says as she looks about.

"HEY, ARM THE WEAPONS AND FIRE OR CAST OFF" Priscilla yelled out into the storm. She hoped the crew would become more proactive, either head to sea and away from the Tempest or arm your weapons and fire on it. Either way, they were just sitting ducks while they remained.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Jaena Pharstreider

"Hey nice work, shortstuff," She said over to Priscilla, "We may have lost both Diva'ss and Jon. Any ideas on what we do about that snake-thing in the clouds?"

She looked up at Jaena as she was wiping clean the dagger she'd felled the Mephit with. She gave her a cute grin saying. "Only a couple of working theories. I'll get back to you on whether or not it's feasible."

When Priscilla gave her answer she nodded, "I don't have a clue either...other than sending it back to its home plane somehow. It's not from Exandria. There's a portal up there somewhere...but how in the nine hells do we convince it to run back home I don't know."

The newcomer who'd apparently overheard them spoke up then, "if you can hold it off a day, lass, I can pray tomorrow for the spell to banish it." He gave a shrug. "Otherwise, ye better ask yer god to intervene. Also we might send for a cleric of another faith who happens to have access to a scroll of banishment. Other than that, we have to deal it a heavy enough blow to drive it off. I must say I find the prospect unlikely."

"I doubt we can hold that thing off that long. It took out Diva'ss with just a flick of its tail," She said looking up at the slithering and writhing serpentine creature above them. She turned her gaze back to the newcomer and gave him a smile, "Name's Jaena, by the way. Thanks for joining this party."

"There might be harbor defenses. A trebuchet or Ballistae might be our best bet. If there's a harbor castle we could try a withdraw that direction in the hopes of drawing it with us and into the range of the fort." He suggested thoughtfully, "If there isnt well, you all might end up burning in hell while i feast in the glory of the halls of Kord, having died in glorious battle"

He pointed and pillar of brilliant light flared in the space the serpent thing was flying through but it easily slithered its way around to avoid it. "Or not so glorious battle."

Jaena frowned at that. She didn't want to die...not yet...she was so close to recovering the lost secrets of the ancient Madori Horizon Walkers. She just needed more time decoding the secret codes within the pages of Marquel Lepenne's memoir. She just needed to uncover the location and the fate of their lost city of Shara Balamb. She snarled at the creature and drawing her arrow trying to get a good enough lead on its writhing movements in the skies above Nicodranus while trying her best to adjust for the ferocity of the winds in this storm. "Sorry for the Stormlord then. He'll just have to have his feast without me. I have better things to do than die today."

Priscilla then cupped her hands around her mouth and called out to the crew who was still recovering from its thunderous and mind-shaking roar earlier. "HEY, ARM THE WEAPONS AND FIRE OR CAST OFF"

Just then the door to the captain's cabin swung open and the half-orc Captain Saldea stormed out rubbin a temple and shaking her head like she was recovering from a strong blow to the head. She stopped and noted the three of them standing there protecting her ship and crew and gave them a nod of respect before bellowing orders to her crew members. "Get up and fight you miserable luggards. Man the ballista. Dresdell blast that snake up there. Orellin head to the bow so we can pin it in a crossfire."

She drew a longer version of the contraption she wore from her cabin and brought it up to her shoulder with the business end pointing up at the creature calling out. "Halland, get up and make yourself useful. Lazy brat, shoulda never fished you out of the ocean as a boy."

At that from the stairs Jaena and the others had used to come up onto the Silverpike's deck flew out and floated ten feet above it and body wreathed in sparking arcs of lightning. He glared at the serpent thing bellowing in a thundering voice beating his chest, "You want it back so badly. Then come and take it from me if you can!"

In response to his roar the storm serpent whipped its head around to make a hateful roar right back at the floating boy above them. It opened its mouth and another burst of lightning lashed out at him but Halland nimbly spun in the air to avoid being struck by it. Then he placed his hands together and shoved them wide apart with a heave of grunting effort like he was shoving open two heavy iron doors. And Jaena marveled as the wind split flowing around the ship and leaving a protected bubble of still calm air within. "Now Captain!"

Jaena saw Saldea fire the long barreled contraption and it struck the creature straight in the eye. It roared out in outraged pain head flailing wildly. The halfling Orrellin fired and hit as well though not in as a vulnerable place. The couple of pirates manning the ballista fired but missed wide. The Tabaxi Halland had called Eyes began swearing and loading another bolt to fire. Saldea dropped the large weapon and drew the smaller one and surged into action firing shot after shot each shot hitting with a burst of fire each time staggering the creature.

Jaena looked at Priscilla and the newcomer, "Come on, fuck this thing up."

Like the ancient Madori she drew on the reverberations of the very fabric of this prime material plane and embuing it into the arrowhead as she let loose and struck the beast in throat. She drew another arrow and quickly shot a second arrow that struck home in its midsection.

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulrich arches an eyebrow "want WHAT back?" he grips his pike in one hand and intones a spell "mäktig kord, himmelens gud, hör min bön. tänd denna fiende så att andra kan dra nytta av din vägledning." then hurls his hand forward. another guiding bolt arcs towards the beast, this time striking it and lighting it up to make it easier for those who follow to hit the beast "want... what back?" he mutters again, then looks around. the best help he can give is to heal others at this point, the wind and the nature of the beast being proof against most of his magic, as they are wind, water and lightning based "are there any who require aid?"

 

[desperado1089]

Jon ran up to the Captain just then. "Oi! There's a fort of some sort further along the harbor. I couldn't make out what kind of weapon's on top of it, but three points of fire are better than two, yeah? Can you spare anyone?"

 

[justspitballing]

A man was calling out to the fortification, a small building made to guard against simple sea raids from pirates that had gotten to full of themselves. The building was manned by seven people, five humans, two of which were women, the rest men, one dwarf and one Satyr. The dwarf had seen countless battles and had killed many a pirate, and he now rested dead on the floor. His wrists were cut, the sight of the sky serpent and the destruction it brought was to much for his mind to handle.

The Satyr was tending to his dead body as Jon ran up to the Silverpike. As Jon did reach the ship though and ask the captain for help the Satyr started to slip out of his state of shock. Jon's words of encouragement took a bit to sink in, but they were strong and true. Diva'ss may have been stuck in the claws of self pity, but Jon's words were enough to be heard by him at least.

"Load the ballistae! Let's save this town like we are paid to!" the Satyr called out.

As a well oiled machine the men and women armed the two ballistae inside of the fort and aimed them.

"Fire!" the Satyr called out.

The orders were carried out and the two ballistae were shot off. Two massive hunks of wood flew through the sky and by amazing luck they did hit their target, cutting into the air serpent near the tip of its tail.

Diva'ss was still frustrated about everything but as she fallowed behind Jon and reached the Silverpike she did see the ballistae go off and she saw the spears hit their target. Diva'ss had to admit Jon was a brave and dedicated soul. He was maybe wrong in her having the strengths needed for the battle at hand, but his want to help was memorizing all the same.

Diva'ss tried one more time to shoot Eldritch Blast. Now standing on the ship she was in a much better spot to try and hit the beast. Two blasts of pure power shot out of her hands and this time she too got lucky. Both hit their mark, smacking against the mid section of the air beast.

The creature started to look all about in a panicked sense. It wasn't that anyone was doing great harm to it, it was that small bits of harm were coming from so many different directions. It was getting confused about who to strike and was starting to fly about and scream out in bits of rage and maybe, maybe even fear.

But it was not going to be outdone, not just yet. It let out a scream and shot out a lightning bolt at the fortification that had shot it with the ballistae. A streak of light went through the sky and hit the Satyr and he died in an instant. The men and women, seeing this death, fled the building, their courage destroyed.

Diva'ss looked at this, unable to see the soul that had just died, but sure all the same that one did.

"In Erathis name that will be the last soul you take, you shell die!" Diva'ss called out.

 

[haremfaery]

Finn saw the ballista destroyed as he moved onto the ship. Pity, that had been a brilliant idea. And more souls lost to the Tempest.

"Manannán, kinsman, protector of those who sail upon the sea, Guide me!" Finn's voice rang out. He pointed his finger and used his ring to cast fireball at the Elder Tempest. This situation was exactly why he had asked the pretty sorcerer he spent a few days in bed with to cast the spell into his ring. You never knew when you might need a fireball.

He watched the Tempest writhe and bellow. It moved off a bit. Perhaps enough damage had finally been done to make it retreat. Wouldn't that be a blessing.

He heard a cleric call out asking if anyone needed healing. The thrice-damned Tempest had caused a lot of harm and damage.

He looked around him to see where he could be most useful.

 

[desperado1089]

The Silverpike's crew was all still scrambling. It clearly wouldn't take much more for the Tempest to retreat. If nobody else would do something, Jon would. He darted along the deck of the ship, knocking aside those who were too scared, too stunned, or otherwise unable to spring into action and reached the Silverpike's own, still unmanned bow-mounted ballista. As befitting pirates, they kept it loaded and ready to fire. Jon took full advantage of this, single-handedly moving it into a firing position, and, asking Neptune to guide his aim, he fired. The over-large bolt sailed straight through the air and struck the beast square in its eye.

It had finally had enough.

With much screaming and raging, the terror slithered back into its portal in the sky, the gateway closing behind him with an almighty wooshing sound. The storm abated and everyone blinked in confusion, as if they didn't believe it was actually over.

Jon, meanwhile, had slumped against the gunwale, winded and exhausted but otherwise okay.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Jaena Pharstreider

Jaena looked at Priscilla and the newcomer, "Come on, fuck this thing up."

Like the ancient Madori she drew on the reverberations of the very fabric of this prime material plane and embuing it into the arrowhead as she let loose and struck the beast in throat. She drew another arrow and quickly shot a second arrow that struck home in its midsection.

The newcomer raised a hand and shot another golden bolt of divine energy at the beast.

Another boarded the ship from the docks looking to help. He sang out in a singsong voice and pointed a finger at the storm serpent suddenly a ball of fire arced from the ring on it through air striking the monster right in its toothy maw. It reared back from the fiery explosion roaring out its outraged agony.

Seeing that the gnome pirate that had laughed at Jaena when she came on board of the Silverpike pointed a cutlass at a cask of gunpowder muttering an incantation and pointing the cutlass in his other hand. The cask suddenly vaulted into the air at the monster. "Captain!"

Finished reloading Saldea raised her rifle and spun pointing it at the flying barrel and fired The cask exploded right next to the creature making it roar out. She then leveled her pistol at it and fired another barrage. The ship's ballista fired again and this time struck the serpent in the tail.

The newcomer beside her called out, "are there any who require aid?"

Jaena drew another arrow and muttered another of the incantations to a spell she'd decoded within Lepenne's memoir. The arrow flew straight striking the beast in the midpoint of its writhing body. Vines grew out from the shaft twining around it and restraining to make it an even more open target. It worked for a moment before the serpent roared and shuddered snapping the vines from her arrow holding it.

Before it was free entirely the ballista operated by some of the local Zhellezo fired striking it in the tail twice. Jaena saw Diva'ss and Jon come running back up the gangplank to join them on the deck of the ship as the pirates hurriedly scurried about to reload the ballista again as well as take pot shots at it of their own. Jaena saw Diva'ss strike it twice with what looked like some sort of arcane eldritch blasts enraging the beast further.

It bellowed out its rage and shot out a bolt of lightning at the ballista manned by zhellezo guards. It hit them straight on knocking them all away from the smoldering shattered device. They got up groggily save the small satyr that had been leading them.

Jaena shook her head loading another arrow and firing again at it, "Gods damn you straight to the abyss for that, you monster!"

Diva'ss seemed to have much the same sentiment calling out, "In Erathis name that will be the last soul you take, you shell die!"

As if answering their cries for justice Jon who had ran for the unmanned ballista of the silverpike fired the bolt there and hitting the beast in the same eye Saldea had shot earlier. It bellowed in frustrated agony and turned streaking through the stormclouds and through the portal back to the elemental plane of air where it belonged.

Jaena could sense the portal closing behind it, and she smiled proudly to the others and the crew of pirates. "I can't believe we drove that monstrosity off like that, but we did. You guys were awesome."

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulrich watches the devastation as the ballistae bolts and spells find their mark. as none have spoken up regarding their need for healing, he merely looks around to survey the carnage. The beast appears to have wrought consdierable destruction, or at least created substantial disarray. he grips his pike in both hands and leans on it, like an old man with a staff. shifting his stance he adjusts to the slight pitch of the boat as it bobs on the still turbulent water of the bay. "aye. That was a good battle. Kord looks down on us in favor! the stormlord sent his servant to test us, and we showed our valor" All events were of course, viewed through the lens of his faith.

Ulrich scratches at his big black beard "at any rate. well met. I am Ulrich priest of kord and... occasional sailor" he surveys the ship for a moment "i was looking for a berth." he gestures at a few of the dead "and it seems you likely have an opening. If you've space for a crewman who can heal and who can fight, I'm your man. otherwise" he looks over at the newcomer elf and then at Jaena "i'll be drinking myself into a stupor at the nearest tavern, if you want to join me before shipping out." with that, he kneels and starts giving the last rights to the nearest dead man.

 

[justspitballing]

The Storm Serpent sped away back into a cut in the very night sky and then seemed to blink out of being. She knew she should have been thankful but Diva'ss knew this just meant it could come about somewhere else and kill a dozen people or so. Yes, they had all saved the day, she lowered her head.

The bear of a man that had joined in on the fight was tending to the dead, Jon was resting in a state of exhaustion, and most others were still trying to register everything that had happened.

Diva'ss stood there and glanced at her hand, her soft green skin looking back at her. She felt suddenly a bit exposed and covered her skin once more in a disguise self spell. She made herself again look like a blond and fair maiden, but the gesture at this point really did mean nothing. She just needed to do it now that she could, it was just such a part of her.

She then walked up to Ulrich and talked to him bluntly.

"I am Diva'ss More, daughter of the Church of Erathis, and I should be tending to that man," she said.

Ulrich stood by the dead Goliath, the man Diva'ss had let die. She looked down at the dead body with anger, anger at herself and frustration with how things had gone.

She got on her knees and went about praying for his soul to be taken in by Erathis, putting silver coins on his closed eyes and a dab of fine sent by his neck. She put her back to Ulrich.

"Drinking this late will likely cost you. The sun will be up in but a few hours and I must myself at least still ride upon these seas. It will be a hard journey as this first sign has shown. I would suggest you rest, I know I will be," Diva'ss said to Ulrich.

She honestly tried not to sound so bitter, but she was furious at herself. She finished her praying and got up. She wandered over to Jon, decided not to wake him. He was the real hero of the fight and he should get his rest. She then went back to her room and went to sleep, well, she pretended to sleep. One could not sleep with the way she felt.

 

[haremfaery]

Finn flashed a grin at the women and others around him. "Sorry I was so late to the party. I suppose I should see the captain about a berth. Seems the winds of fate want me aboard." He made a courtier's bow, "I'm Finn." He flashed that winning smile again.

Once Finn is done speaking to the women, he'll seek out the captain to be a sailor on the voyage or a passenger. He has some sailing experience, quick and agile on the masts, but not as strong as some. However, he could entertain and keep morale high.

 

[desperado1089]

Jon hoisted himself to his feet, gave a curt introduction to the closest newcomer, and bade them excuse him as he retreated below deck to see if he could provide Diva'ss some comfort. He knocked on her door, calling out, "It's me," in a sort of stage whisper in case she was asleep.

 

[Shadowlace]

Priscilla watched as everyone fired off ballistas, arrows, bullets, and spell while she just watched. She wasn't much for long-range as she retrieved her daggers and looked about to see if she would need help in other ways. As she kept her eyes out the actions of others began to make the Living Storm flee.

As the wind and hail subsided she tugged at her braids and began to quickly unbraid her hair as she walked about."Nice to meet you two. I thank you for your assistance. Names Priscilla Springheel, a Finder, Tinker, Identifier, and general Mistress of Skills! A pleasure to meet you tall gentlemen"

The halfling palmed a few of her tools she hid in her hair her once tight braids became lose flowing locks."I did nothing Jaena, All I have are my wits and my daggers! I wouldn't get my blade anywhere as close as your arrows! Also, do you know if we get some water to wash off this sea grime? I swear I feel saltwater in all the wrong cracks and crevices!"

"Looks like I am gonna sleep naked tonight," She says with a defeated sigh as she then laughed."Don't try anything fellas, unless you bring truly top-shelf liquor or food!"

 

[Veroe]

IC: Jaena Pharstreider

The storm had raged through the night and the next morning the Silverpike left the harbor of Nicodranus and by midday the coastline of the Menagerie Coast faded behind them as they sailed south by southwest into the brilliant sapphire blue waters of the Lucidian Ocean. Seagulls crossed overhead in the clear skies above the good ship, but thinning to next to nothing as they got further and further away from the shore and into the great deep blue ocean proper.

Now the sun was lowering toward the horizon as the day progressed into evening. Captain Saldea and the other members of the Silverpike's crew had greeted and cheered them all as one of their own for their defense of their ship from that snake thing in the storm yesterday. Now they were busy doing the business of sailing a ship, hauling and lowering sails up onto masts, drilling the ballistas, and swabbing the poop deck or whatever else sailors did during the day to make them constantly hustle and bustle about to avoid their Captain's withering ire.

That left their passengers with little to do during the voyage but entertain themselves. So now as the sun was lowering to touch the distant horizon Jaena had sat down by a few water barrels on the vessel's prow where she could enjoy ocean air and also be out of everyone's way. She had Marquel Lepenne's memoir and her own notebook on her lap. Her little jar of ink sitting at her side and her pen in hand as she worked on cracking the next coded secret hidden within the memoir's pages. All of what she had learned of the powers of the ancient Madori Horizon Walkers and the spells they used she had uncovered hidden within this book and she'd only managed to decode a third of it so far. The only problem was each secret used a progressively harder and harder code for her to crack. She almost had this next one figured out...she just needed to find the key buried within the text.

"Maybe the J that started the second paragraph of page 87..." She murmured to herself though some of the others surely heard her. She scowled scribbling out what she'd spent the last hour writing in her notebook. "No, of course it isn't that simple anymore. Maybe it's counting letters again or symbology perhaps?"

To one side of her Priscilla was playing dice with Ulrich and Finn. She was fairly certain both of them had figured Priscilla was cheating, since she was doing the majority of the winning at the game, but they seemed to both be humoring the irrepressible halfling rogue, just enjoying the growing sense of comaraderie between them.

It seemed the battle last night had done something miraculous. It had stitched a handful of strangers into something coming dangerously close to a fellowship. Jaena didn't know how she felt about that. She'd always worked alone outside of Aaliyah that was, and well...that hadn't turned out well at all for her.

She glance to the bow where Diva'ss and Jon leaned over soaking in the vast beauty of the ocean before them. She sighed looking at them remembering the look on Captain Saldea's face when she noticed the symbol on Jon's chest. She only shook her head commenting, "You have giant steel ones hanging between your legs sailing to Darktow wearing that on your shirt, boy. Don't worry about me. I get a chuckle from it...some of the others there...well, let's just say you better watch your back as soon as you step off this ship there. Hate to see such a pretty face get uglified on you."

She closed the memoir and her notebook in frustration. She hated mysteries they nagged at her to uncover them, besides she was getting nowhere decoding the latest code in Lepenne's memoir as well as it kept her mind off the people in cages down below. She put away her books and the ink and pen and called over to the paladin.

"Alright Jon," Jaena said, "Tell me what that symbol means, and why in the hells would it endanger your life when we reach Darktow?"

 

[desperado1089]

Jon sighed, and stood up straight to look Jaena in the eyes. "The symbol is of my old Order, whose leader became so obsessed with the so-called freedom of the open seas, that she became a pirate and renounced the Sea Gods. Her base of operations is Darktow Island." He picked at the flaxen material of his tabard. "I wear it to remind myself of how I still remain true to the ideals that my ex so easily renounced."

He looked around at the various people aboard the ship, all of them with their own story, their own troubles, perhaps even their own unique way in that they aren't truly free after all. "She came for them, you know. The pirates that marooned me. She killed them all...and then soon after she became one of them." Jon flagged down a passing crewman. "Hey, friend, when you get a chance, perhaps you could ask if I could see the Captain? I've a good decade-and-a-half before the mast, and I'm sick of sitting around being useless."

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulrich looks down at the dice as they roll another seven "i'm out" he straightens and perches on a barrel. "if ye wanna keep losing money to the little one, that's your business" He fishes some jerky out of a pouch and puts it in his mouth, tearing it off with white even teeth. he chews, looking over the placid ocean "this wont last. never does" he mutters, he looks over at Finn and Priscilla "so. where the fuck are we going, and why?" he takes another bite of his jerky and chews slowly, looking down. He knows that Finn is new like him so hopefully the woman has some notion as to what's going on "not that it matters much. I figure there's potential for more battle with you and gold to boot. though not if we keep playing at dice."

he turns a bit to face into the breeze, inhaling the clean scent of the salt air rather than the stink of unwashed humanity on the boat "and who's the leader of this rag tag little bunch eh? who's sending us where and all that."

 

[Shadowlace]

"Aww Come on Big Guy, You know a good game when you see it trust me you'll win it all back Unless you prefer to play for something else like say, Clothing," Priscilla said to the large framed man that was Ulrich. When he didn't return she pouted and looked to Finn.

"Well, a game of dice with two isn't much fun. Maybe we should drink and talk? Or you know wonder why everyone is keen on going to an island of pirates and whatnot. Honestly, I just wanted to not get pinched by this merchant and his dangerous friend so I popped in, and well one strange Ancient Sea Storm Monster God later I am here with you guys, winning at dice and drinking" Priscilla says then adds." As for money and fighting, I will leave the money to you and you should leave your coin to me cause as the dice have shown money doesn't seem to want to stay with you"

She giggled as she flipped up onto her feet and reached up to grab a piece of jerky and eat it. "Good Jerky Ulrich thanks for sharing. Hey Finn what about you Mister Dream Boat? Why are you on the ship? You trying to flee the ire of I assume jealous and angry Lovers' partners and family?"Priscilla wondered and then winced remembering the time she had to stab a guy in defense of her mother who had just suffered the beating of an angry Dwarven man for sleeping with his wife.

 

[justspitballing]

Diva’ss looked out at the sea before her, you would never know land existed with how it stretched out around them, overwhelming in its pure size. Darktow would be quite some distance still from where they all were and Diva’ss was feeling less and less sure of what this journey was asking of her.

Jon stood close to her. She had let him into her room last night, he had seemed to want to check on her, maybe comfort her, and she appreciated it all, but she had mostly just rested in her bed while he lightly cuddled her.

Well she was lost in thought Jon did strike up a conversation with Jaena.

"The symbol is of my old Order, whose leader became so obsessed with the so-called freedom of the open seas, that she became a pirate and renounced the Sea Gods. Her base of operations is Darktow Island." He picked at the flaxen material of his tabard. "I wear it to remind myself of how I still remain true to the ideals that my ex so easily renounced." He said.

That did explain some things about Jon. A rotten ex can really change how you treat others. His need to save others was likely related to her short comings. Maybe he blamed himself a bit for what she had become which was why he was so quick to try to comfort Diva’ss. Trying to right a past wrong with her. Diva’ss sighed.

When you are full of self doubt you can never tell if you are making light of yourself or if what you are thinking in is truth. No, Jon was not just nice to her out of some need brought about by some random ex. She should have more respect for him then that. He was a good comrade and he was trying to do right, whatever right he could do.

In fact, all the people on this ship seem to be people of impressive caliber. Maybe Erathis really was trying to tell Diva’ss something by letting them see through her disguise self spell.

Diva’ss looked down at her hand, the green of her skin currently hidden with the spell. She looked currently human to all that did not know better, but this morning before she left her room with Jon by her side she did ponder not casting the spell.

Jon went to try and find work on the ship, but Diva’ss was more then happy to stay stuck in her mind. She did feel it would be a good idea to ask Jaena if she had any idea what had made the portal into the plane of air. Whatever had caused the issue would likely strike again.

 

[siobhancan99]

Ulrich regards the avaricious halfing coolly when she takes his jerky "i know its good. that's why i bought it." he considers taking out another piece but doesn't want to encourage more thievery. Plus he's just eating to avoid boredom. He draws a flask of aqvavit from his bag and unstoppers it taking a long draw, then restoppers it and secrets it away. "That's twice now, little one, you've mentioned getting naked" He shifts his bulky frame on the barrel "and while i'm not opposed to such, despite our differences, ye understand my cock's probably as big as your arm, right?" While that might be a slight exaggeration, he's easily twice her height and 5 times her weight "I'm not so sure you could really get the full use of it. if ye catch my meaning"