Corliss stares glassy-eyed at the elf as he finally speaks. If the name LeFevre meant anything to him before his accident with the falling boom, the heavy wood has jarred it from his memory. When the elf again faints, the priest rolls his eyes and sighs. "Pleased to meet ye, Famished. Or Jacint LeFevre. Or whatever yer name be."
"Now I'm a healer, an' not one to ignore a man--or elf--down on 'is luck, but...most o' me current spells be for battlin' the damned plague on this bark. Ain't much I can do against a pissed-off bloody whale than give the crew Bessie' blessin' an' do me own share o' stabbin' with me blade."
Quietly, he adds, "Maybe Kaul's got the right o' it."
"Fecking wonderful. It just never ends, does it? I suppose we have to go a-harpooning, hey?" The Taldan calls out, "Cap'n Drake! Ever hear tell of this beast?"
Jim moves to the hatch to query the captain while Kaul and Corliss consider sacrificing the unconscious elf. Captain Drake doesn't have a chance to reply as the blood red behemoth ruxhes upon the ship!
Behemoth-
Drake barely has time to yell "HOLD FAST!" and the Crimson Cachalot rams midships. The heavy darkwood hull holds, but the force begins a lurching tilt that shudders through the ship and the masts point from sky to beach as the Black Dragon rolls!
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Kaul rides the whale's brutal shunt, then with a belligerent scowl attempts to grab their recent piece of elven flotsam with his claw;
"Feck this! Ye're goin' back to the whaley!"
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Corliss somehow manages to keep his footing when the whale crashes into the ship. He casts bless on the crew to give them Besmara's favor in the coming fight (all within 50 feet). Recalling an old yarn about some holy man who got swallowed by a whale, the priest stays away from the rail.
"What do ye want, O great red whale?" he hollers to the attacking beastie.
Jim goes arse over teakettle as the great red whale rams the ship, landing with an ungraceful thud.
The ship keels on its port side tossing anyone standing against the interior hull. Most catch themselves and manage to land on their feet, but Jim's headache disorients him and he lands painfully on his shoulder. Kaul clamps his claw on the elf as he falls and drags him after. Corliss offers a prayer as the water gurgles against the side of the ship which lies beneath his feet.
Corliss considers his options and decides on an unorthodox strategy. He moves within 30 feet of the behemoth (if necessary) and calls on the power of Besmara to buffet the beast with a localized storm of wind and rain.
for
Corliss tries to pull himself up to the hatch, but slides back down. With his second attempt, he pulls himself up and looks out at the strange view. A wall of water covers half the sky and a verdant shore directly above separates it from the open sky to starboard. He sees no whale since it must be under the ship's keel. The wall of water begins moving across the port side railing and the ship begins to sink.
Jim heads for the side and leaps overboard, determined to take the fight to the great crimson beast.
Kaul will attempt to heft the elf overboard towards the whale if possible;
"Sorry longears - yer goin back to the drink!"
All is chaos on and around the Black Dragon. Several sailors were thrown off the ship and seem divided whether to swim to shore or back to the capsized ship. Captain Drake orders the crew remaining aboard to man the life boats and help the sick get to safety. Jim dives in and swims around the bow to see if he can spot the whale. Dibbets clambers up to the starboard hull which now serves as the topside. Kaul throws the elf into the sea only to see the poor figure splash frantically as he suddenly awakes back in the water.
Fortunately, the ship doesn't sink entirely, but comes to rest on the rocky bottom about two fathoms down. Jim spots the great red whale swimming back and forth parallel to the shore about a bowshot away.
Frowning that the elven sacrifice has not sated the great red whale, Kaul decides to also make his way to where the topside now is;
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Corliss knows he's a better swimmer than climber, but...there's at least one more marauding whale in the ocean than atop the listing vessel, and the Besmaran just can't shake the feeling that he'd be delicious.
Neither Kaul nor Corliss feel like swimming with a homicidal whale so they head up to the dry side of the ship. Kaul claws his way up easily, but Corliss slips on the scrubbed deck and is soon paddling anyway as the ship settles on the shallow sea floor.
Feeling a bit put out, Jim calls out to the red whale in Aquan, "HOY! You fecking b@stard, why'd you do that?"
Dibbs slips and slides t'wards the brine, closing his eyes as he lets the change o'ertake him. Once wet behind his gilly-ears, he skates astride in search of the red bastard...
Jim and the Dibba-ray follow the keel of the ship around to the open seas side of the capsized ship. The Big Red Whale rises to look them over at Jim's shout, but the bends and dives raising a great blood-colored fluke to the setting sun before disappearing below the waves.
Captain Drake continues shouting orders to the crew dangling from lines, hanging in the air like Dingus, or treading water like Corliss, "All hands! Clear everyone below decks! Help the sick and injured get on the lifeboat! Make your way to shore!"
Sense Motive:
The tufty bits at the fore of the Manta-bbets twitch inquisitively... before the figure skirts to follow the whale as best he can... before speed or darkness of depth puts paid to his chase.
Corliss does what he can to follow the captain's orders, but Besmara seems to be rather stingy in favoring either her priest or the ship and crew he now serves.
Jim renders what assistance he can, setting things right.
After stranding the Black Dragon, the Crimson Cetacean doesn't return to torment the ship or crew again. With dolphin-like speed and grace, Jim quickly swims through the ship guiding those trapped below to air. Corliss renders what assistance he can. Those who are able swim to shore and those who are not are loaded on to the jolly and carried over.
It is only after heads are counted and the situation assessed that the Captain notices that Whitecoat has disappeared. The mysterious elf has made it ashore and promptly passed out again. Dibbets returns and calls the officers over to relate his tale. Night settles on the newly marooned sailors.
Kaul makes his way onto the shore, clocking that the Whote Rat has done a runner and the long ears has survived.
Neither outcome seems to improve his belligerent mood.
"Can whales get the brain rage? Maybees Whitecoat infected it with sumthin'?"
Dibbs chews his cud before spitting a wad of phlegm to the side and responding to Kaul "Doubt it matey... t'aint nei way tha fecker wouldae had a chance tae converse... mebbe he knows o' tha island like, but doubt theys in togethers. We needs be wary ashore though... there's some reason fer tha whale tae strand us buggers."
Stretching out and sighing "Knew we shouldae gutted tha feckin rat whens we had a chance eh?"
Corliss does what he can to care for the sailors strewn about the beach, the sick he's been treating AND the accursed elf. When Dibbets makes his comment about gutting Whitecoat when he had the chance, the Besmaran makes an apology for accepting his surrender when it was offered.
"Weren't me place, though I admit I wasn't honestly expectin' you folks to accept it; mostly, I thought I was lowerin' the l'il freak's guard a bit so the rest o' ye could administer 'justice' to the rat. I'll try an' keep me yap closed in the future, mates."
"I can make water at will," the priest tells the others. "Might be we ought build some shelters sooner rather than later, eh?"
Dibbets waves off Corliss' apology with a shrug "Past now eh? - best we looks forrad"
His brow furrows slightly before he hollers to the Captain "Oi Cap'n - aught ye'd like off tha ship afore dark... I ken get out an intae it wi'out much struggle."
To Kaul he adds "Could ye take a sniff round matey? - see iffin we's alone wi' tha plants n' trees or whether we've got comp'ny?"
The sun sinks quickly and the gloaming fades to black. Captain Drake smooths his thin mustache. "Some light for starters. It will be a moonless night. Keep eyes on the jungle and sea. Hopefully a big cat will find our rat and fill its belly."
"Stay near, but as Corliss says, let's try and build a lean-to and something to keep the sick up off the sand. A small fire might be necessary. I don't which to draw any attention, but it will be goodfor spirits and maybe keep some of the bugs and beasts away."
"Dibbets, if you could drag back a stretch of canvas and all the axes you can carry, that would likely serve us until the morning."
Kaul nods at Dibbs' suggestion and flashes a manic grin;
"Hur... Right ye are. I'll jus' steer clear o' monkeys and such... Hur-hur-hur..."
He leans in whispering to his ax;
"Letsgo Lopps. Might find us another one-armed islander?!"
The scarred thug lopes off into the jungle, looking for signs of trouble and life;
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Dibbs gives a curt nod to Cap'n Drake afore waddling back into the spray... looking much more the nimble like once his stunted form gives way to the wider winged version of himself. He streaks back towards the stricken vessel...
Kaul encounters nothing bigger than a crab and a displaced nesting bird as he quickly cuts a big bundle of poles to create a shelter. With the canvass from the ship, everyone including Kaul is surprised at the sturdy stockade he quickly erects.
Shaking off the spray after he returns to his diminuitive and bedraggled form, Dibbs sticks a finger in one ear to liberate the last of the salt as he adds "I'll take first an last watch eh? - dinnae needs tha sleep like and I still dinnae trust it here." turning to Kaul "Ye best get some shuteye an' back up at midnite... use yer eyes as best we can eh?"
Corliss uses a couple of his healing channels to heal any lingering injuries from the shipwreck and then goes back to tending to those still battling Whitecoat's illness.
Corliss works feverishly to make his patients as comfortable as possible before finally collapsing himself. Dibbets waves his remaining mates off for a little shuteye while the indefatigable halfling volunteers for a little additional watch.
Dibbets keen eyes pick out much more than human sight can see in the dark night, but less than Kaul could see. Nonetheless, it is his ears that are more useful. At one point he hears a distant shriek, like a woman or a feral cat. Probably a cat, he hopes. There is murmuring from the restless sick mates as well. Several seem to grow more fevered and strangely he hears a word from first one and then another, 'Hawana...Hawana..."
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Brows thoroughly furrowed Dibbs checks on his fusillade of cantankerous sidearms as he grinds teeth. Lips not parting to offer voice he manoeuvres his battered body next to first his scarred and nuggetty bosom-buddie... delivering a not so gentle poking with his crutch into Kaul's armpit to see him drawn wakeful. A finger is placed to lip to imply preferred quiescence before Dibbs laboriously moves over to wake Jimmer and Corliss in turn. Still gunshy and wary of things that wiggle and slither.... he leaves waking Dingus to one of the others.
Dibbets wakes his longtime mates as a precaution.
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Corliss awakens with a start, staring at Dibbets like the halfling's something out of a small nightmare. Then he hears the strange chanting and hops up immediately.
"What new devilry be this?" he asks aloud as he moves to check on the delirious crewmen.
Bolstered by the emergence of taller men, Dibbs approaches the nearest hawana-ite and gives it a speculative hard poke with the business end of his musket.
Corliss and Dibbets survey the makeshift hospital. There are three mates in particular that are sweating and feverish. Most of the score of sick crew appear to be sleeping well enough, but the feverish trio intermittently moan that word. It isn't anything Corliss has heard before.
Dibbets pokes one of the men hard just as that terrible shriek is heard again from just outside the shelter. It really doesn't sound like a cat this time. It is followed by a human shout of pain and surprise. At the same moment the brainboiled sailor that Dibbets poked, opens his bloodshot eyes and cursing loudly grabs for the offending halfling!
Keelhaul Kaul-
Madman Jim-
Corliss-
foe-
"At ease, sailor!" Corliss barks at the curdle-brained crewman assaulting Dibbets while clutching his holy symbol. The priest conjures a highly-localized storm cloud that symbolizes Besmara's displeasure in an attempt to buffet the man back into unconsciousness.
"Maybe Kaul and Jimmer can deal with our unruly neighbor in a more permanent manner, eh?"
for
At Dibbs' persistent prods Kaul's beady eyes slide into view from the recess of his scarred frown.
Scowling and grumbling he rises, clearly thinking its his time for the watch. When it becomes clear the grubby oracle is rousing his mates, the thug mugs a grin as the familiar scent of trouble wafts forth;
"Hur... What we got now?"
When his attention is brought to the chorus of uniform mumblings from the stricken crew, Kaul pauses;
"What the feck is Hah-Wana?"
No sooner has the query been mumbled than one of the brain boilers grabs at Dibbs!
The thug growls in anger and moves to intercept, drawing Lopper as he goes;
"Feck that. You ain't earned the right to be grabbin' that wee basterd!"
Aiming for the offending arm, Kaul swings Lopper with a bloodthirsty leer;
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Frowning as the quasi-zombified sailor makes a grab for the business end of his boomstick, Dibbs is momentarily struck by a question of whether to deal with the bugger with finality or frugality... putting voice to word whilst pondering internal "Kaul, see what's outside eh? - best ye wi' yer eyes." hoping that the remainder of them might put paid to the foe within.
Deciding on witholding the sweet embrace of death for at least a short span Dibbs calls on the grace of the Skylord to clothe him in shielding winds.
Jim draws his blade and leaps outside, the corposant glow about his sword lighting his way.
All is chaos in the tent as the brawl wakes everyone inside. A tiny squall pours down rain to cool the boiled brain of the sick sailor attacking Dibbets. The crusty halfling steps back summoning a warding wind for protection while he suggest his better armed companions see to the ruckus outside. Jim takes the recommendation and pushes through a flap, lifting his sword to illuminate the dark with the light from the crackling electrical charge that travels up and down the blade.
One of the watch looks to have a bloody bite wound on his arm.The downswing of his ax is halted as a feral creature tears another chunk of flesh from the sailor's arm. Two other creatures leap at the other watch. The mate cuts one with her cutlass, but is overwhelmed by the pair that each bite her. She falls down immediately.
While everyone sits up trying to figure out what is happening, the three mad mates rush the most obvious opponents. Dibbets receives a shiner for his mercy as the violent sailor lunges through the wind and lands a punch. . Corliss ducks as another sweating and swearing sailor swings at him and Kaul easily sidesteps the last rush.
As the ruckus kicks off Kaul's murderous hand is stayed momentarily by Dibbs' interjection and insistence to check outside.
The brute grits his grill and ventures forth.
What he see's makes him smile;
"Hur. Look Lopps... Cold meats fer the choppin'!"
Kaul winds up a hack and rumbles toward the trio of nakkid deaders;
From outside, the crew hear Kaul chuckle evilly, mutter to his axe and run howling into the night!
Corliss steps away from his attacker, again brings a storm burst into effect (this time targeting his own attacker), and finally draws his rapier.
"Each o' ye gets one buffetin' headsmack from me afore things turn lethal, got it? Then it be in Besmara's hands whether ye lives or dies!"
for
Dibbs takes his licking, but is far from done kicking. Concentrating solely on avoiding another belt upside the head he queries Corliss "Any ideas fer puttin this one back tae sleep that ain't goan need us tae paint this place red?".
"Not really," Corliss admits. "Me storm bursts knock 'em 'round a bit without doin' any lastin' damage, but I'm limited in how many times I can pull off that trick. Iff'n we can drop these loonies--usin' whatever tactics it takes--I might be able to pull 'em back from Pharasma's locker before they passes."