"It sounds like most of the action is happening abovedecks, and I don't want to be caught by surprise if something climbs from below and ambushes us while we're dealing with whatever's up there. Let's clear belowdecks first before we move on." The massive woman pauses. "And I'm Tonya." She shuffles from foot to foot, and asks, "Would you perhaps mind if you helped me tighten my armor properly? Plate mail is designed for knights with squires in mind, not lone, doomed souls on a ship to an earthly Hell."
"Heh, no problem." Yelenn says sheathing her sword for a moment and moving to help Tonya adjust her armor.
After a few minutes of adjusting straps and shuffling plates at Tonya's direction, the armor is finally fitted properly. Yelenn could occasionally catch glimpses of scarred ashen grey skin etched with crimson lines, but they quickly disappeared beneath the metal. After her armor had been properly fitted, Tonya rolls her shoulders, enjoying the feeling of not having sharp metal dig into her collarbone. "Thanks," she says, then looks to the stairs leading downwards. "You ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be I suppose. Into whatever hell awaits us." Yelenn says taking a deep breath. Despite the lurking horror of their situation, or probably because of it, it at least felt better to have another capable warrior with her.
"Just a second." she says, holding up a hand. Whispering an arcane phrase, she snaps her fingers, four glowing balls of light winking into existence to hover around them, slowly bobbing up and down, the foremost leading the way down the stairs
Conjuring forth little bits of hope into the darkness Yelenn has her cantrip lead the way deeper into the ship, a short distance down the stairs that mimic the ones the lead up and they find themselves in a small entranceway, alcoves on the wall containing dirty bowls and the food trolley laying on the floor, pushing open a door slightly. There seems to be a glass window in the door that causes a glare from the Magi's optical magic.
The scent of the broth makes Tonya's mouth water, but thankfully she is saved the ensuing rather awkward explanation by the rank odor of fish spoiling the effect. "Hold up. You smell that? Reeks like one of those monsters," she asks, stopping.
"Yeah I do...looks like we have company." Yelenn replies adjusting the grip on her sword.
Tonya nods, then says, "On three I'll open the door. You ready?" Assuming that Yelenn agrees, Tonya raises up her hand with three fingers outstretched, slowly curling them down, then once her hand is a fist once more she unsheathes her blade and kicks open the door.
Once the trolley is moved and the door kicked the two women find themselves looking into the kitchen of the ship. There's various cabinets to the side and a prep table running along the center. On the other side there is a large metal pot where the pleasant smell seems to be coming rom. On the floor is the source of the foul smell, another of the monsters splayed out unceremoniously. At the opposite end of the room is another door.
Tonya ferally growls as the sweet scent reaches her.
"Now's probably a good time to explain why I'm here," she says through grit teeth. "Short story is, I killed a necromancer and a spirit of gluttony hitched a ride with me. So let's make absolutely sure that the thing's really dead before I lose all control and go after that stew. Fill you in about rest later." It's a visible effort on Tonya's part to not just leap after the food.
The cursed warrior stiffly walks over to the dormant creature and quickly slices at its prone form with her massive blade.
Unfortunately, just as she's about to strike the abomination, Tonya's resolve quavers for a moment. She stands still for a few seconds, frozen above the corpse. Then she drops her blade altogether, ripping her helmet off and revealing a scarred face with ashen grey skin, and small horns protruding from her brow before diving for the pot. "Dammit!" she roars as her mind clouds with the primal hunger that the spirit brought, before losing herself completely and slurping the stew with perturbing speed.
"Okay." Yelenn replies. They all had their demons, obviously some more literally than others. At least a compulsion towards gluttony diddn't get people you cared about killed.
Eyes widening as Tonya succumbs the demon within, Yelenn watches for a moment, before moving to secure the area by ensuring the monster was dead.
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The stew is still warm and as tasteful as the one brought forth this morning.
As Yelenn approaches the creature does not stir, nor does it react when she plunges her sword through its neck, the corpse remaining a corpse.
Aside from the stew there appears to be three differently sized cleavers in good condition for food prep, if the cabinets are checked you'll find an assortment of spices, vegetables, and even fruits and loafs of bread.
Tonya manages to wrench herself away from the pot only when the stew had been completely drained, which happens surprisingly quickly. "Well, that was embarrassing," she grunts, pulling on her helmet once again and grabbing her sword. She seems rather wroth, thought it seems more directed at herself than anyone else. "I suppose I owe you a more thorough explanation now, after that disaster."
She sighs and leans against the wall. "I don't normally go blurting my life story to strangers, but I have a point I'm getting to. Heh. A few of my friends and I used to be an adventuring party. At least for a little while. Our first 'quest' was putting together a lot of tiny little puzzle pieces to track down a necromancer who'd been making a lot of corpses in the region. When we found him, well," she sighs. "I'd rather forget that day, to be honest. All of it. Suffice to say, it wasn't exactly pretty. The fight with the man himself was easy. After all, he couldn't even move with all of that excess flesh weighing him down. I was the one who gutted him. When I opened my eyes..." Tonya takes a deep breath, memories flashing through her mind.
"When I opened my eyes I found all of my friends except one ripped to bloody pieces, and my own hands stained with their blood. Valla was trembling in a corner. That poor girl... can't really blame her for bringing me here. I managed to get her to run while I was still lucid, then after a few hours I stumbled out of the cave network towards... well, not really anywhere. As far away from civilization as I could so I could off myself safely."
Warmth fills her voice as she describes the next part. "That was when Zasazi found me. She quite calmly explained that cutting my own throat while I was possessed was a terrible idea, since it'd give the spirit complete control. Zasazi took me back to her cottage, healed me, and carved these," Tonya removes a gauntlet, revealing a hand covered in complex patterns carved into her skin in a deep crimson, "so that in case I ever got out of range of her wards, what happened in the caves couldn't happen again, even if there are... side effects. I spent two years there with her. Happy years. Then Valla finally found us, with an inquisition in tow."
"I surrendered. Of course I did, I didn't have any choice. Zasazi, though? She fought for me. Died for me. And, well, now I'm here." Tonya sighs again, and buckles her gauntlet back on. "I can't really stop the progression of the curse. Thankfully, at least for now, it's nothing more than embarrassing and annoying since the spirit can't gain complete control. But it's venting all of its power towards corrupting my body, if it can't touch my mind. I saw what it did to the necromancer, and that was to a mage with years of practice steeling his will against spiritual intrusions like these. I'm fairly certain it's plan is to make me more and more incapable on my own, so I'll have to draw on more of its power to keep myself alive on Bastarche the longer I stay there, which of course gives it more influence. When it gets to the point where I have to use it to keep my own heart beating, that's when it'll get complete control and do gods know what. But that," Tonya reaches down into her boot and pulls out a small knife. Runes inscribed on it are barely visible in the light. "is what this is for. Zasazi made this as a backup plan, in case things get too bad. I barely understood any of her explanation, but the gist is that if I get killed with this, the spirit is bound into the knife rather than whoever offs me. In case I'm about to die while fighting these things and there's nothing you can do about it, I need you to cut my throat or stab me straight in the heart. The reason why I told you anything is because you seem like the kind of person who'd hesitate to help me commit suicide unless you got the full context. When you reach Bastarche, find the most backwoods, out of the way place that you can and bury this thing deep. Understand?"
Yelenn listens to Tonya's tale, quite qualified to understand the self loathing, that comes with a curse. "I can understand that.....and if it comes to that.....I'll help you." she replies solemnly.
" In my case.." she trails off hearing something.
"Sounds like something disgusting on the other side of that door....and see the blood trail? That can't be good."
Tonya grips her blade and nods. "Let's go. I'll lead, The armor soaks up most hits," she says, placing her hand on the door and waiting for Yelenn's word to open it.
"Ready." Yelenn replies raising her blade.
Opening the door reveals a store room full of crates. Right before you both is two of the creatures haunched and feasting on someone or something. You notice whatever's being eaten by the one on the left is promptly falling out through a hole in it's chest as it and the other one stand to face you as you interrupt their meal. The one on the right manages to let out a gurgled hiss as they both raise their claws.
Tonya steps inside, her sword already swinging in a wide arc towards the injured creature.
Tonya's blade about about bowls the creature over as she takes out most of its stomach, both putrefied and very fresh flesh being splattered about as whats left of its guts begin to dangle out.
Fluidly moving in alongside Tonya, Yelenn's eyes flash with violet light, a shimmer reflected along her blade as she strikes the other monster.
Yelenn's strike carves a chunk out of the pale beast's face, a living creature would be debilitated by such an attack. The dead murky eyes of her opponent don't even seem to register the attack as it and the other monster reach for the women.
Gnashing her with one claw but failing to contact with its other.
It's ally has much less luck with its heavily armored opponent, its claws flailing around the metal impotently as they try to find flesh to dig into.
As the combat in the confined storage room of the ship continues a loud and low wailing sound is heard out among the waves, strong enough to be heard over the storm and below deck and seemingly shaking the ship itself. A warning horn from land?
Tonya barely pauses as the horn sounds, and smashes her blade into her foe.
Hacking into her foe after its vain attempt to rend her its half-hollow body follows the rest of its innards as it collapses into the floor, leaving just one creature.
While not overly damaging, the strike to her sword arm creates a momentary numbness that completely ruins her next attack, her blade missing wildly.
Going into a swinging frenzy after it's flesh has been coated in warm blood both it's wide swings are easily dodged by the Magus.
Or maybe it was that loud wailing sound again covering the waves and inside of the ship. In the brief respite inbetween their opponent's attack but before they can react the entire ship violently lurches around, the wood creaking in agony as it almost snaps in half rather than be redirected.
The graceless creature is promptly thrown down by the sudden impact.
Losing her footing as the ship lurches, Yelenn goes crashing down to the floor.
Rolling to her side she thrusts her blade at the creature.
Tonya keeps her feet rooted to the ground as she moves to plunge her blade through its stomach.
Tonya offers a gauntleted hand to Yelenn as the ship continues to rock. "You good?" she asks.
Knocked to the floor doesn't deter the student who quickly rolls to her feet to stab at the creature, pinning it and allowing the Fighter to cleave, more like smash the downed like an overripe melon.
And then there was only the sound of the rain.
The unfortunate victim of the feeding beast, going by the shortness of the unmangled sleeves, appears to have been one of the guards who brought food to the passengers, even dead they are still tightly holding a cleaver, their last chance at defense. Checking over the crates reveals ice chests containing fish as well as salted meats. Curiously sitting upon one of the crates is heavy ornate box, within are three vials of a vibrant red liquid.
"Yeah I'm okay." Yelenn says taking the offered hand up. Noticing the ornate box she opens it, studying the vials within.
"Huh...these will be useful....healing potions." she says aloud. Looking around she mutters an arcane word, her eyes glowing silver as she scans the area, zeroing in on a ring worn by one of the guards.
Focusing on the ring with her arcane sight Yelenn sees the faint healing attuned magics of the conjuration school at play in it's working, but it quite able to identify whatever effects and abilities the item might posses.
Tonya absentmindedly snacks on the salted meat while Yelenn works her magic, then scowls and stops. Unfortunately most of it had already disappeared at that point. [b]"Those should be useful. Let's get moving, scout the rest of this level before heading abovedecks."[/b{
Nodding, Yelenn closes the box with the vials, and slips the ring off the dead man's finger, slipping it in her pocket to study later. "Okay, let's go."
As the women decide to make their way above deck they notice that the water has made it's way down here as well.
Back on the level with their rooms the water swashes around their determined steps as they continue on, the fresh water washing away the blood and gore of the fallen monstrosities and their victims as the rain becomes too much for the drains.
Ascending one final set of stairs they throw open the door to the outside and are immediately assaulted by an endless torrent of rain in the darkness. A peal of thunder illuminates for a brief second more of the pale fish men, seemingly concentrated around the door across the deck from them, huddled almost on top of each other in a swarm with arms outstretched they weakly claw and paw at the door, some occasionally managing to get an arm though the broken window.
With everything going on they don't seem to have noticed you.
Tonya presses her back against the wooden wall. "You take two of those potions, I'll take one. We'll move to flank, try to take them by surprise. You have any tricks that can help here?"
"Yeah. If I can get within 15 ft of them I can hit them with a wave of fire before we engage." Yelenn suggests, taking two of the potions and handing Tonya the other one. "I'll move in and when you see flames, charge in."
Yelenn moves swiftly and silently towardd the amassed enemies.
The creatures remain unaware of Yelenn.
Moving in position to hit as many of them as possible , Yelenn unleashes her spell, extending a hand in a searing blast of flame.
Yelenn's flames engulf the monsters, with only one being slightly spared from the singeing due to all the others accidentally serving as a shield as they crowded the door. Now they all turn their attention to the student.
Tonya takes advantage of their distraction to rush forward, swinging her blade at the one nearest to Yelenn.
Tonya smashes the charred corpse to the ground, but all that does is allow the now alert pale creatures to shamble forward towards the women.
One steps on the remains of the broken at Yelenn, slashing her with it's claw.
Two more step towards the armored lady and try in vain to claw and rip her flesh, but their blows are stunted by her armor.
The last one begins pulling its arm out of the window and attempting to move forward by shoving through it's allies to get to the fresh meat, but doesn't accomplish much.
"Hey they're leaving!" an elderly yet distinguished feminine voice out from within the cabin.
"I told you that was fire I saw!" a young voice adds.
Piercing through the unseen voices and even the downpour and thunder the low wail is heard again, completely muffling every other lesser sound for a few brief moments.
Reeling from the attack Yelenn focuses oll of her knowledge and skill, working to combine combat and spellcraft in a dance of death, her free hand coming up to blast a ray at the enemy to disrupt the dark energies that control it, moments before her blade slashes across it's midsection.
Calling upon her arcane might and knowledge of the benevolent necromantic arts Yelenn blasts her foe with positive energy, disrupting not only its essence but it's physical flesh as its charred flesh dissolves shortly before she flashes her blade into the weakened area.
The positive energy still eating away at the rotten flesh the creature's ill will is unable to support anymore as it's dissolving body collapses to the deck.
Tonya steps forward, attempting to skewer another monster with her blade. "Stay inside!" she roars over the storm.
Tonya smashes another of the beasts, creating a rather gory pile as what's left of her foe's bodies pool together. The one still standing manages to snag a claw into the Fighter's flesh while she was in the middle of her backswing, but failed to grab ahold of her with its second claw.
The remaining undead sea beast, having freed its arm, unceremoniously clambers over what's left of the others to get to Yelenn.
Tonya staggered backwards as the beast pierces her with its claw, then steps forward to hack another chunk of flesh out of the monster.
Tonya continues to find her blade easily felling the recently charred corpses, as her blow sends the loathsome beast into the wall of the cabin. Slumping down, it moves no more.