Jolis yells up from the makeshift hole in the Captain's quarters.
While the three of you work above deck, something draws your attention over to the side of the ship. For Vitranna, it is the sudden shift in the wind and swell of the sea. Richard is surprised to find that his seasickness has completely passed as the ship seems to glide along easily and steadily - backwards. Lera has a fox biting at her sleeve and yipping nervously towards the sea. When you look over the side of the ship, the cause becomes readily apparent. The yawning maw of a whirlpool opens behind you, drawing the ship closer.
From Miya's vantage, and thanks to her single-minded focus, she only sees the captain moving to look over the ship's railing, raising a spyglass to his eye.
Guessing the ship only has moments before it goes under, Vitranna casts her message spell to as many people she can contact as she removes her spear from its locked position and moves towards the scowling Captain!
"Whirlpool full astern! We are going in! Get inside and batten down the hatches Captain?"
"You've got to be F%@king kidding" From storm to broken mast to hole to fire to whirlpool, Richard is starting to believe that he's on God's tough love program. It was ironic how much the whirlpool reminded him of the event horizon of a singularity. What could cause this?, he thought.
"It'll be hard to batten down the hatches with two gaping holes in the deck. With no sails, and no power we can't run from it. We could point the boat to go with the swirling current and orbit, but without thrust we'll only be staving off the inevitable. Someone please tell me there is a hot air balloon on board"
"What the f$!$ is a hot air balloon!? Start making sense for once!" Valeriya shouts as she makes her way below deck. She has no idea what to do and wants to at least be dry for a short while.
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"If we live, I might build one for you" He says following her
"Oh for fu<k's sake!" Jolis runs from his point outside the Captain's quarters to the deck, where pandemonium reigns. "Come on, Gozreh!! Knock it off!!"
The absolomian runs up to the captain asking, "What do we do? What needs to happen?!"
Turning the Taldan with a touch of his shoulder, her voice a scathing retort in itself to Jolis, Vitranna points her spear at the horrific storm above.
"The Voice of Thunder challenges us and you speak to him as a child? He is a god...do you not see around you his work? His power? Did I not say the his spirits are in the storm? You will only anger him further with such blasphemies! Now do something more constructive than whine like a sick kitten!"
With that said, she sets her spear again and looks to the captain for guidance. Vitranna knows she is clearly out of her element and a bit scared, but tries to hide it. She refuses to show weakness to the storm or the ocean.
The captain stands frozen for several seconds, expression grim. His knuckles turn white as his grip tightens around the spyglass. For a moment, he seems lost. But through willpower, faith, or perhaps just sheer stubborness he forces himself to move. "Everybody, get below deck and hold on fer dear life. Drink all you can and pray to every god you know. That includes you, young lass - let this be my trial by the spirits. I'll do everythin I can to steer us clear o' this."
The captain moves to the wheel and tries to get them moving away from the whirlpool, but with just half a mast, there isn't much he can do. Most of the crew refuse to abandon their positions - they follow Richard's example, improvising whatever they can out of the leftover rope and sails. It's not a poor attempt, but it only seems to delay the inevitable.
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Valeriya sits on the floor of her room on a makeshift pillow formed from her cloak. Viska sits in front of her, their eyes meeting. Were a stranger to walk into the room, they would notice their eyes glowing. Viska's glowed a bright yellow to match the color of his eyes. Similarly, Lera's glowed blue in her right eye and green in her left eye.
In a low whisper, Lera intoned "Spirit of Deception, deceiver, trickster, I call you by these names. Let your servants outsmart this storm. Allow this ship to vanish. Let no power, mortal or god, hold power over us. Spirt of Deception..."
Over and over, she prayed with a steady rhythm.
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White faced at the captain's proclamation, Vitranna grabs the cursing Taldan. Speaking to the captain with another quick message spell as she moves back into the ship's quarters, she ignores the Taldan's protests.
"May you see Gozreh's face in the end, and be judged more than fit Captain! Remember: The spirits of the sky and ocean do not forget...and neither do I!"
Tears in her eyes she goes below and waits until everybody is down under before closing and attempting to seal the doors as best she can.
"Help me seal the passage fools!"
Wait! we can't leave the captain out there. It's magic out there. My best guess is it's a portal. There is nothing he can do out there to change anything. It's suicide. We should bring him in, not lock him out. Knock his ass out if we have to. There is no reason he needs to die out there! Who'll help me? Richard's face is a mixture of concern and desperation.
Understanding the captain's final resolve, Jolis nodded.
"If you get to Cayden Cailean's Domain, tell 'em Jolis sent ya. They'll have a cool, frothy beer waiting for you". Jolis gives the captain a quick salute, and rushs everyone, including the Good Doctor, down below deck.
At Groves protests, Jolis barks, "In this life, you rarely get a chance to meet your end on your own terms. The captain and his crew choose their fate. We should honor the bravery of their choice."
Observing the irritating shaonti woman attempt to seal the door as best she can, Jolis steps in to assist.
Muttering to himself, Jolis grumbles, "A sinking ship! A Sinking SHIP! What a lousy way to begin a legend!"
Jolis quickly secures all his flaps on his backpack and bandolier. Pulling out his holy symbol of Cayden Cailean, Jolis gives it a quick kiss and whispers, "Dad. Drink one for luck for me."
Heartless says Richard in resignation Heartless
Vitranna struggles to close and seal the portal!
Grabbing a piece of debris, she wedges it into the crack of the door to help wedge it shut and prays to Gozreh that it will be enough. She then quickly turns on the hysterical man leaning heavily on her Totem Spear.
"Portal? Its a f^<king WHIRLPOOL! I'm no mariner, but I know for sure if we have ANY chance of surviving this situation, it is with him at the helm and us out of his hair! Stopping him will only GUARANTEE all our deaths! Give that brave man the honor of dying in the manner that he chooses and hope some day someone else gives you the same damnable choice!"
Pushing past Richard with a wild-eyed look, Vitranna then heads for a solid looking perch wedging her spear again and holding on for dear life.
I'd agree with you, if you were right. Thinks Richard. He shakes his head at the crazed woman. But he knew she had the right idea about securing herself. He tries to find the most structurally secure area.
Time slowed, what had stated as a plan to end the Captains life had come to it's end. But very much not on the way she had expected.
When the cry when out about a whirlpool she had been a more than a little shocked. How ever her training kicked in. Her mind raced, she new she had to move if the ship was going under she needed to get away. But time, and how? No means and no time. So except the fact this ship was going under water. Next for how long?
She looked on as the others started to move below deck, she needed to get inside as well,
She became invisible, not for long but for time needed. Then she bolted out from her safe space and went in just as the Captain was telling the others about staying above deck. Good, that would end her contract, now she just needed to stay alive. Heading below decks she sort a small space, Some where she could wedge into and keep herself from being hit by objects. Soon they would be underwater and as a ninja she had a few tricks to try and keep alive as long as podible. She opened her bag of holding and filled it with as much air as it would take. Then reacted into her putch for her air crystals. This was the best she could do as she got ready.
Grelda gives the captain the most intimidating glare she can muster. "If you kill us all, my ghost is going to haunt yours for the rest of eternity!" She growls and moves to follow Richard, trusting the strange man to know the safest spot on the ship.
The captain lasts raucously as he gives Grelda and the others one final salute before they disappear below deck and seal up the doors. A little less than one third of the crew are below with you, moving as quickly as they can to ensure everything is sealed or tied down as securely as possible, before moving to assist any passengers who need it. They direct anyone who will listen into the windowless rooms, closer to the center of the ship. Richard and Grelda hunker down with them. The minutes that follow pass in near silence, only the sounds of the rain and harsh thunder to be heard.
The calm extends, perhaps longer than any were expecting. The fear that was palpable mere moments ago gives way to whispers that perhaps the captain succeeded. But the whispers do not last long.
The ship jerks suddenly, violently turning on its side, sending everyone sliding into walls. It keeps going, falling and spinning impossibly, giving everyone within the sensation of floating in a moving room.
Water rushes in to every room, tearing away at the walls as if they were sand in a monsoon. But as you brace yourselves for the rush of cold water, it never comes. You fall into pitch blackness and feel hot air catching you as you descend. You feel none of what was around you just a moment ago. Your consciousness begins to fade, like slipping into an easy sleep.
---------
The first thing you become aware of is the sand beneath you, hot and dry. The sun is bright in the sky above you, and you hear sea birds around you. You are on a beach, the calm, blue sea behind you stretching as far as the eye can see. Opposite, a looming jungle, extending from one end of the beach to the other.
The Sister's Grace - or rather, half of it - is embedded in the sand. You see your fellow passengers and a few of the crewman are beginning to wake up around you, but none of those who stayed above deck.
Looking around at his new surroundings, Jolis Cailean begins to take stock in his health and well being. Not noticing any broken bones,, and virtually nothing he owned was lost in the maelstrom, Jolis said to himself, "All things considered..that wasn't too bad".
Standing up, Jolis pulls out his holy symbol, cleans it off, and says to it, "Thanks, Dad!"
Lera groans as she comes to. Viska's weight on her chest assurs her that wasn't dead. She puts her hand to the ground expecting to push off the hard wooden ground. Instead she feels only sand.
"Sand? Am I on a beach? What am I doing on a beach!?" Her head clears as she stands up and sees the wreckage of the Sister's Grace. "By the gods, I can't believe it. How did we survive?"
Her rain-sodden cloak discarded at her feet, the young witch looks for other survivors of the crash. Her also soaked woolen dress does not aid her in the harsh environment. Sea in front and jungle in the back. The Ulfen were not made for these things. Soon, I'll be down to my slip!
Viska was still asleep in her hands. His shallow breathing thankfully meant that he had not died either. Lera mused that he was also not meant for such dry heat.
The pair pressed onward as they always did. "Richard, Miya, Jolis, Grelda, Stormwoman!"
Grelda groans as she hears somebody calling her name. She spits out a mouthful of sand and slowly pushes herself up to her knees. Squinting in the bright sunlight, she peers around at her fellow survivors.
"We were lucky," she grunts before intoning a brief refrain, casting a cantrip to clean herself up.
Awakening to the unfamiliar feeling of sand in her clothes and her right hand hurting abominably, Vitranna looks bleary-eyed to see she still grasps her Totem Spear in a death-like grip. Her hand's knuckles were white and pale...and locked somehow.
Prying her fingers from the haft one by one hurt more than she expected, and she thinks the wood may show discoloration where her fingers were attached for quite a while. Ignoring further pain, she examines the antique for strain or damage carefully.
About this time she hear's the witch calling out...
"By the grace of Gozreh...here! I still live...somehow. What has happened? And stop shouting. You may draw out hungry beasts from the jungle!"
"I guess I'm a little emotional AFTER BEING FLUNG THROUGH A GODSDAMN WHIRLPOOL!" Lera kicked some sand to emphasize her point. "First the four-day storm, then a bloody whirlpool, and now we're stranded on some godsforsaken beach and we don't even know where! Might as well have some great big thing come and eat us. It would fit!"
Richard draws himself from the sand and stands. He looks around, and starts asking if people were hurt. He was happier than he expected to see Valeriya and Grelda were alive. He smiled involuntary. He also realized that he was right about the whirlpool being a portal, but to where. He wasn't even sure they were on the same planet, given the anomalous aspect of magic.
The captain was gone. The survivors needed water, food and shelter in that order. Luckily no one was injured, which meant they had the manpower to get things accomplished quickly...with the right management. Unfortunately, the scientist was not a charismatic leader. He would be at best an advisor. He would lay out his recommendations to the group of people that he was quickly becoming friends with...the people of action.
Looking up at the sun and then at the gathering group. If we're still on the same planet, then we have about six hours of daylight left. We need to do an inventory check, of the people and the ship. We need to know how much fresh water, food and supplies we have. We need to set up a camp. And we need to create a roster of survivors and their skills. Once the stars come out, we can try and get a fix of where we are.
Feeling good after her tantrum and grateful to hear something rational right now, Lera calms down.
"I have a bit of magic but nothing that can really help beyond the same message spell I used during the storm. My magic targets humanoids more than animals but I can still help on a hunt if necessary." Lera starts wringing out her skirt. "Also if anyone has any lighter clothes, they would be appreciated."
Checking her pack, she is surprised to see her herbs still in the waterproof pouch. "Ah I have some of my herbs left. Mom and Dad may disapprove but given the circumstances I'll be handing them out for free as needed. I've got remedies for minor aches and pains, dry skin, cough, and heartburn."
The mercenary capitalist has a heart after all. Says Richard smiling at her.
I pretty much know things. All sorts of things really, but in this situation what we really need is someone with survival skills.
When the witch asks for lighter clothes, Grelda rummages in her pack. She tosses a few articles of clothing at Valeriya's feet that amount to little more than a wrap for her breasts and a leather loincloth.
Even in her armor, the steamy heat doesn't bother Grelda much. She's survived in harsher conditions than this.
Valeriya picks up the wrap and inspects it, her head cocked to the side in confusion. "I appreciate it, Grelda but I think I'd be better off in my slip. Or if someone else has a chemise, I'll take the loincloth."
"Suit yourself," Grelda shrugs.
Jolis walks over to the others he spoke with on the boat.
"We could see if we can use the ship hull as a temporary shelter. Maybe make some makeshift shovels to help dig it out fully."
Valeriya picks up the wrap and inspects it, her head cocked to the side in confusion. "I appreciate it, Grelda but I think I'd be better off in my slip. Or if someone else has a chemise, I'll take the loincloth."
"Go on, Valeriya", says Jolis, as he crosses his arms, tugging on his sleeves of many garments, changing from standard adventuring garb, to his mithral shirt shinning in the sun and a pair or beach shorts. "Change your clothes. We'll wait", Jolis grinned roguishly.
She came too on sand, flashing awake in an instant, her eyes opened seeking danger. Above was wood, lots of it and broken. She was in shadows, as her eyes focused, she could see part of the ship above her, she was under it. Jagged beams and what seems to be a deck at an odd angle came down close to her face. She was free to move how ever and so did so. Sliding out from under the wooden mass that had been the ship. Standing next a moment and look at what seemed to be half the ships hull, slammed into the sand at an odd angel. She did a 360 turn, taking in her surroundings. She could see others moving, they where not as close as her to what was left of there ship. She dusted off the sand, and stamped her feet. She was not dead, which was good and by the fact she had not seen the captain her contract was complete. So she was free once more to do as she liked.
All she needed to do now was work out where in the name of her ancestors she and they where.
She spotted Jolis and called over.
"HAY! NICE SHINNY PANTS, BIG GUY!"
Saying it with a giggle, and then looking back at the hull, climbed into it to see what she could find of use.
She throws what ever she finds out of the hall and onto the sand for the others to look at. A steady stream of bits and bobs come out off the hull, some useful some not. As the sound comes of her ruminating around inside.
Jolis waves over to the hyperactive girl.
"On second thought, changing your clothes in front of me can wait, Valeriya", said Jolis, holding out a palm to stop her. "Let's see what the ship has we can work with."
The absolomian jogs over to the ship hull to examine the supplies.
The strange man was at least making sense now, so Vitranna nods in agreement.
"My clan comes from a harsher environment than this. I can help with hunting, basic tacking, and such. Reading the weather and interpreting Gozreh's voice is my specialty. My magic is mostly defensive in nature however, but I still have my Totem Spear, thank the Voice in Thunder. What I wouldn't give for a good horse right now...Is this an island or a peninsula?"
"I could use a good horse, too. I'm starving," Grelda says in a deadpan voice. It's difficult to tell if she's joking or not.
A couple of sailors will join Jolis and Miya searching what's left of the ship, and help you get
In the hold below, most of the items that were stored there are missing. There are a few crates and barrels still left though, and many of them are still in tact. However, there is currently nothing shielding the storage from the elements, and a few birds have already started pecking around.
As you all begin to get your bearings on the beach, several figures begin to emerge from the jungle. Several men and women of various races walk towards the beach, carrying sacks and baskets, laughing to each other. There are orcs, elves, humans, halflings and others, dressed for the heat of the jungle, and moving with the ease of a steady routine. Most are unarmed, but a few are wearing simple leather armor and carrying spears. When they finally notice your group on the beach, they stop short.
One of the human men in armor hands off his spear and steps forward, looking around at each of you in turn. He speaks loudly and confidently, addressing your group. "I don't know what you think you're doing here, but I told Gerad last time that we have first claim on this beach. Just because nothing good washes up on your side of the island doesn't mean you get to come over here and poach from us. If he wants to renegotiate the deal, he can make the trip over here himself."
Lera took a deep breath before slipping back into her merchant persona.
"Hello friends! We seem to be having a bit of trouble with our ship. You help us with some food and supplies and I'm sure we can find something worth trading."" To emphasize her point, Lera pulls out a few copper pieces with some basic prestidigitation.
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Jumping down from the hull, Jolis walks toward the armored human.
"We don't know any 'Gerad'. We don't know anybody. We arrived on this island on that ship earlier today."
Standing before the armored human, Jolis causally rests his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Seeing how first impressions are important, let's start by introducing ourselves. My name is Jolis Cailean, and behind me are who's left of the ship The Sister's Grace."
Shooow off the birds and packs away anything edible. Looks around for flint and steel or a means to light things, Detecting magic as she goes.
Jolis's statement gives the man pause. A murmur spreads through the rest of the group as others step forward to get a closer look. "You're saying you're survivors, then? You made it through the storm? It's been near a decade since that happened, and I've never heard of a group your size before."
"They don't exactly look like anyone I know. And I know most of the people on the island" a halfling woman chimes in.
Totem Spear casually in hand, Vitranna steps aside to make herself more visible to the newcomers.
"The storm brought us here: That is true enough. Obviously you know more about what is going here than we do. Care to fill us in? I am Stormspeaker Vitranna of the of the Tamir-Quah Shoanti."
Even while trying to be polite, Vitranna seems to rub people the wrong way!
Behind them there is clanking and rummaging sounds as this and that come out port holes and gaps in the ship. Then a blond head pops out a port home looking on at the new comments. Then it's gone again and the sound resumes
Richard seemed deep in thought. The danger from the strangers seemed minimal at best. They may even turn out to be allies. He would leave the meet and greet to the others. He instead turns his mind to the storm and whirlpool. He tries to recollect any entity or cabal capable of such a magical production.
He sets himself down on a driftwood log and pulls his formula book to prepare an extract. The extract would aid in his recollections.
Near the back of the group, a young Shoanti girl of perhaps 13 suddenly perks up and pushes forward, smiling brightly. Her accent lacks anything Shoanti, however. "You're from my mother's clan!" she chirps. "Perhaps she will know you."
The girl's enthusiasm seems to relax most of the others, though a couple still view you with skepticism. The leader of the group isn't quite as harsh when he speaks again.
"My name is Kal and I'm afraid I can't tell you much. I rode through that same storm about twenty years ago, and through sheer dumb luck, I survived. A few of the others came through the same way, but most of them were born here.
A ship washes up ever few months, and we get by scavenging what we can. But we're not thieves - we don't take from survivors. Not that there have been any for a while. Once every few years, someone gets it in their mind that they're gonna sail away and get off the island. When they do....well, one way or another, their boat ends up right back here.
He turns halfway and points back towards the jungle. There's a town about three days that way. Old man who lives there claims he knows all the secrets of this island, but he hasn't figured out the secret to leaving it yet, so it doesn't do me any good. I gotta warn you though. The further you get from the beach, the more nasty s&&+ you find waiting for you. My people don't travel more than a mile from the coast unless we have to.
Once Richard learns of the broken food crate, and it's soon to be acquired expiration, He has an idea. He gets close to Lera and whispers in her ear. Since the food in the broken crate will spoil soon anyway, You should offer a feast to them and ourselves in order to establish a bond of friendship. A Thanksgiving, if you'd like
Jolis shakes Kal's hand, then goes on to greet those friendly enough to approach.
Whew! That could have ended badly!