Sunny gives her all against the attacks. A frenetic bundle of energy, twirling fists and feet, ricocheting about the deck trying to help defend crew and vessel alike.
As the dawn's light burns through the enshrouding night's fog and the group's enemys fade with the dispersing night leaves the tanned Elf swaying with exhaustion.
Suny helps other's who have alos taken a battering under the night's assault closer to those gathering to partake in the healing power being offered.
With a feindly, grateful shaking of hands Sunny gives her thanks for Annie's effrot though SUnny continues along gatering up some rope and torn swath of canvas with which to make a simple 'nest' in some darker corner of the ship's deck. Thereby to garner some well deserved rest after the night's encounter.
Come early afternoon Bryson is ready to go. "It is time. We need to make it to the center before nightfall."
Just before noon, you have rested just enough to recover HP, Fatigue and spells. Everyone is able to get a full meal as well.
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Barrett Bonden stood up before Ghirrak.
"I know ye gotta go Cap'n, but me an the rest of the crew stand ready ta go with ya as well!" He said, patting his cutlass.
Professor Urol Forol stepped forward.
"Oh yes, I'll help too if you want me." He said, fiddling with one of Bindleplotz's old alchemical boom rods.
"I'm almost positive I can operate this device to great effect..."
"And you have MY SWORD AS WELL!" Declaimed Avner Meravachi as he shoved his way between the others.
"Me too." Annie said, glancing briefly at Bryson.
Come the mid-day Sunny emerges from her nest. Absently brushing and shaking herself, down she takes a small amount of time to clean herself up with the use of damp cloths.
Moving on she partakes of a quick meal of rations to replenish some of the energy she'd brun through on the previous evening.
With Mr Bryson and others beginning to gather she too skips closer with her usual bright smile.
"Is we gon'a go an' get tha' Ikys a'fore they come tryin' ta' be gettin' us agin?" She asks.
As Captain Ironfist considered who would go, Bryson recalled what he saw of the Sargasso he saw when he flew up high.
Sargasso Overview Bryson Only
How long will it take for us to get to the center?
"Much appreciated, though we also need to make sure there are a few capable that stay on board in the event we don't return before nightfall." Ghirrak says as they prepare to head out.
"The eight of us should be enough to take this on, let's head out while we have as much daylight as possible."
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Amella Venkali (first mate) stepped forward and snagged Booker and Skald before they could step forward.
"That's OK Captain, I'll ride 'em 'till ye get back." She said.
Turning to the rest of the crew and passengers, she smiled and cracked a bullwhip.
"THE REST 'O YE GET BACK TO WORK!" She bawled out, getting the rest back to fixing the decks, the rigging, and the breastwork defenses against another plant people attack.
Clambering down the gangplank to the floor of the Sargasso, Ghirrak led the party due east.
The walking was as weird as you remember, your feet sinking down as you put weight on it as if it were a giant waterbed.
The direct sun mixing with the humidity resulting in many taking their shirts off as they went.
Sunny wombels along with every one else. Being careful with her ballance as they traverse the slipery, undulating terrain.
I just wanted to make sure we can get there before nightfall.
Who are the eight that are coming?
1 Sunny
2 Bryson
3 Ghirrak
4 Brett
5 Professor Urol
6 Avner
7 Annie
8 Burian
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The Savage Kraken is cutting the waves. The sun is shining and birds float lazily in the sky. Bryson is enjoying the wonderful day at the bow of the ship surrounded by his friends, Ghirrak and Lavinia, Urol, Avner, Burian, and others. His love Annie is next to him her arms around him. The crew is singing a bouncy ditty as they go about their duties. All is good with the world.
Suddenly there is a thunderous boom and the clouds darken the sky. A fog roils in. As it comes, his friends fade back and start to wail and scream in pain and fear. His beloved Annie is veritably yanked away from him. He yells after her as he reaches for her and tries to find her in the tumultuous storm.
Then shapes come out of the fog and start to assault him. Their claws rack his body while their roars and screams assault his will. They are unrelenting. He feels himself weaken and is ready to give up when he catches a glimpse of Ghirrak fighting to get to Lavinia. He thinks of Annie and redoubles his effort. For a moment he sees Urol fighting against the encroaching horrors. His small form using his weak magics and Bindleplotz's concoctions in his desperate bid to stay alive. Bryson is inspired by the sight.
To fight the implacable hordes he changes his shape and allows his animal form's instincts take over. He finally begins to make headway. He comes upon some of the crew, Parrotless Booker, No-Eyes Bellamy, Tavey Nesk. They recoil from him the same as they do from the evils in the fog. He fights on. Some of Passengers, Father Feres, Tin and Shari Nysmore, and Skald flee from him and are torn apart by the monsters.
He fights on. He is starting to like the carnage. The screams are a sweet song to his ears. The taste of blood and bile excite him. Until he finally makes his way to Annie. She falls back from him. Bryson wonders what's wrong. He realizes that Annie is afraid of HIM. She runs away. He calls after her, but it comes out as a fearsome roar.
Bryson fights on. He claws and bites and casts spells at the shadowy creatures. The fog begins to lift and he sees that he has been fighting the crew and passengers. Killing them. Those that still live look at him in fear. Annie is revulsed by him. Their reaction fills him with anger and hate. How could they? I will kill them. The thought brings Bryson to a full stop. He forces himself to calm down. As he does so, the storm begins to abate. The fog rolls away. His friends look change from fear to worry. Worry about him. He hates them for it. He wants to.... No. He must maintain control.
Soon the sky brightens, not as much as before, but there is no storm. He finds many of the wounds he has taken don't heal. They will be with him forever more. His view of the world has changed. It is darker, more harsh than before. The power that he taps into is more bitter and acerbic. Its touch primordial and discordant.
Bryson then starts to hear a call... "Outsiders. Feed us. Join us." Tendrils of vines reach for him. He sees the plant creatures coming for him.
Bryson awakens in the belly of the Savage Kraken ready to lash out at anything and everything, but he brings himself under control. He remembers that ire needs to be focused on whatever is at the center of the sargasso. He will kill it and take the sargasso as his corrupted domain. Or he could leave the others to suffer their fate. His connection to the Power and unhealing wounds would allow him to survive, but he can't allow himself to do so. If he did that, if he left, he would lose himself to the horrors in his dreams or are they nightmares?
====================================================================
"It is time to go. Keep up or get left." Bryson climbs over the side onto the spongy ground and starts walking.
Bryson keeps his shirt on.
Considering the difference it would make to their rate of progress, Ghirrak approaches the Professor. "Should it take us longer than expected, those might be more useful defending the ship against attack, and I'd trust them in your hands more than anyone else's Professor."
Grinning as Amelka takes charge of the remaining crew, Ghirrak gives his first mate a nod as they head off toward the center of the Sargasso.
"But-but... I have Alchemist's fire!" Shouted Professor Forol as he is borne back up the gangplank by several stout crewmen. "You neeed meeee!" His voice called out, receding into the distance.
The green fronds smelled faintly of decay as they sagged under your feet. Setting out across the perfectly flat terrain, the silence continued to bother you. The lack of seabirds cries as they flew about this island in the middle of the open ocean is the most obvious thing wrong; but not the only one.
As you continue on in the direction Bryson pointed out, you occasionally pass mounds of the sargasso fronds marking the long dead presence of an unfortunate ship. One or two are more recent, their masts and rigging still mostly intact, but still sagging under the weight of the foul mucus and grasping vines.
Hours pass in the hot and humid silence, and the sun descends towards the horizon.
You come to a strange region where the Sargasso weeds thrust up above the mat of greenery in a fetid mockery of a forest. Solid central stalks support spreading kelp like branches and leaves.
Despite quivering occasionally, they do not truly obstruct your passage. Quite the opposite; they seem... welcoming somehow.
Eventually, the fronds part and you stand in the middle of the flat Sargasso again.
In the middle of this area is another ship. This one is larger than any of the others, and older as well. Despite the great age and drooping with the slime and grasping vines, it still stands intact in hull and masts.
If it weren't so quiet, you would not have been able to realize the whispering in your mind, drawing you forward in expectation.
"Hmm...the Thunderer. It's an old style Chelaxian Galleon, a pactical fortress." Ghirrak says quietly, his bass voice breaking the unnerving silence.
"It is the home of evil. The center of the corruption." Bryson drives the group forward.
Sunny nods, "Aye. Is a boat." At Ghirrak's comment she blinks. "Is at whut i' says? Rilly? Like 'Stormy', then?" She seems puzzled though not for long as Bryson remiunds every one of why they're here.
She peers at the large mound of greenery looking for a way up or in.
Burian nods.. He begins to cast protective magic upon himself and the group before following Bryson's lead.
Despite the intimidating bulk of the ship, it had sunk deeply into the Sargasso. It's gunwales were only five feet off the surface of the fronds.
While the feeling of enticing unease grows greater, you feel nonetheless more secure with a solid deck under your feet.
Searching around, you see that the usual access ways into a ship are blocked by thick vines and debris.
Auto make the Perception check.
Bryson goes to the back and starts slashing at the vines with his claws.
Sunny looks around, interested as always in anything new.
She nods as Master Bryson begins removing fronds from around the door towards the rear of the ship.
She, herself, looks for any loose wood or rope (Or anything of interest, really)that mght be amongst the debrise upon deck.
Sunny, poking about, stumbles when she puts her foot through some branches.
Pulling it out, a human ribcage comes out along with it.
Clearing it away, she reveals a human skeleton all wound about with vines.
Skipping back and shaking her leg Sunny sighs as things clatter and thump about. "I dun put me foot in'it right that time..."
She kneels and begins sorting and shifting stuff for every one to better see.
"Look-it all tha' stuffs." She looks at a length of chain and a ring.
"I wonder if any a this be magic shine...?"
"Now ain't the time t'be worried about yer wealth." Bryson takes the time to snap at Sunny.
Sunny looks up from where she's kneeling on the deck amongst the things she's found.
I in't worreid about me health a-tall. I is feelin' right dandy." (^_^) She chirps back.
"I is jus' wonderin' if'n any of this stuff is magic, is all..." She picks up a coupl of chains, rings and ear pieces some what randomly. Happy for others to take what they might want. She hops up and skips over to where the door is being revealed.
"Anything we find here should be a clue to what we're dealing with." Ghirrak replies to Bryson. "Stow it, and we'll look at it later."
He moves forward ready for anything.
Bryson-Tiger ripped and chewed at the vines encrusting the hatchway, until with a crash he fell through, landing on the remains of the hatches.
He growled and took some time to spit and try to wipe the foul tasting vegetation from his mouth.
Others crowded forward they stared down the revealed passageway as it led into the dark interior. Every surface was covered in waving green fronds...
Are those doors on either side of Bryson? If so, he'll look into each room without concern for any potential traps.
Some perception rolls
BTW right now, he is in his normal form, medium sized.
Sunny skips closer and peers around the doorway into the darkness.
Ghirrak moves through the opening, his darkvision peering into the gloom.
Seeing the hatchways to either side of the passageway, Bryson has little trouble smashing his way through the rotted wood of the starboard one, revealing a dank and partially collapsed cabin.
It takes both Bryson and Ghirrak's strength to break down the portside hatchway, revealing a dense and impassable mass of vines and sargasso vegetation.
Staring down the passageway up to the shadowed area, Sunny sees no traps.
Ghirrak sees no enemies with his darkvision.
With no enemies apparent, Bryson goes to the next set of doors.
Sunny begins to look trough all the nooks and crannies in the space she's found herslef in.
"Ooooo! Look-it all'a stuffs" She whispers to herself.
Again, Bryson smashes open the starboard hatchway to reveal an empty cabin.
Bryson and Ghirrak were able to force the portside hatchway to reveal another mass of dense and impenetrable vegetation.
The others follow cautiously down the passageway.
Sunny quetly, softly, wanders into the 'Closet' as something catches her large blue eyes.
Bryson keeps on stalking through the ship looking for the evil.