That damned gnome gets more useless every damned second! Mal fumes as he continues killing their pesky attackers.
Little Sister, in dog form, does the same, lashing out with tooth and claw at the little aggressors.
Feeling much better after hearing Alis' sea shanty which has quieteed her stomach down, Lureene sees Gelik start to wander off, and calls out to him, ”I would not wander too far, we don’t know what else is out there.”
Thinking to herself I need my component pouch, she moves as quickly as she is able over the wet sand to the pile of equipment, and starts rummaging for her pouch.
Mal swiftly finishes off the three baby sea scorpions surrounding him. He turns his focus towards Talvyra, wonder and the intense growling and flurry of motion coming from her. For a moment, he wonder if perhaps she has spent too long in a canine form. Father than a clean kill, there isn't even a recognizable creature left anymore. Bits of legs, pincers, and shell are everywhere. Ten fee away, a stinger is sticking up out of the sand, and she's feasting upon the meat in its tail!
Sasha slowly backs away from the big, black dog not wanting it to mistake her as a rival for the kill, or as desert for that matter. She then quickly begins to retrieve her belongings and get dressed, not overly shy about the lack of privacy.
Looking around, you don't see any more of the scurrying creatures, just their their tracks leading back to water at the south end of the north-facing inlet where you find yourselves. However everyone but the old priest, who is slow getting back to his feet due to his shackles, can clearly a sobering sight to your north...
Listing to port, partially submerged, and with her hull a gaping ruin, the White Pearl leans against a jagged cliff about a quarter mile up the western side of the inlet. She is impaled upon and resting amidst several large, sharp boulders.
As soon as she's got her belt cinched in place and her boots pulled on, Sasha begins heading towards it. Pulling her hair up as she goes, she mutters bitterly, "I'm going to look for my friend..."
Survival
Site: Reaver's Shiv, (B-Wreck of the White Pearl)
Lureene gives a weary sigh at the combat comes to a close, and quickly equips herself with her pouches, gear, and weapons. On noticing the wreckage of the White Pearl, she gasps in rememberance of the vivid drean of the night before. What happened to her, and where are the Captain and crew? Are they all dead?
When Sasha heads off towards the wreckage and overhears her comment, she feels tears springing to her eyes. Blinking them out of her eyes, she utters a quick magical phrase, and scans the sandy beach, quickly picking up the aura radiating from her hairpin. She retrieves it from the sand, and holds it in her hand. She rushes off after her, and calls out to her friend in a choked voice, "You won't find her over there, Sasha...please, Sash...don't leave..."
Lureene has little trouble tracking down the shiny hair pin filched by the over-grown, poisonous lobster. Alis gives a melancholy sigh as the winged beauty chases after the dejected woman. She frowns a bit as she finds little in the way of her equipment present save her weapon belt, bathrobe, and a pair of slippers with good soles.
I hope my chest isn't ruined...
Priyya equips herself quickly, watching with vague disbelief as people roam off in all different directions on this potentially hostile shoreline.
After taking stock of what equipment she has, Priyya turns to Jask. "Well, let's see if we can find a way to unshackle you." She looks around, hoping to find keys, but planning to figure out an alternative method to free the cleric.
2xDAM (CdG):
Looking over to where 'Sarah' is trying to help Jask, she says, "My backpack must still be on the ship inside my chest. If we can retrieve it, I'll pick the locks on those shackles. In the meantime, see if you can saw them off using one of those adamantine daggers we purchased."
"Dammit, we don't need people wandering off like this."
""
As if sensing what its new friend is about to say, the little monkey unclips Alis' hair pin.
"–discuss. Oh hell..."
Instantly, Alis' figure and beauty are restored and Gelik's eyes very nearly pop out of his head. The monkey laughs and claps its hand with gleed before clipping the trinket to its ear. In a flash, it is transformed into a wrinkly baby girl with silvery hair. Giggling and cooing, it claps pudgy hands together in excitement before it stumbles over to Alis and raises its arms to be picked-up.
The sound of Sarah chopping thru Jask's chains snaps Gelik out of his reverie. "Another succu– nooo..."
He quickly comes running over, turning Alis around with his hands as if looking for something. After a few moments and a raise eyebrow and an "ahem" from Alis, he explains, "No tail, no scales, horns, wings, or claws... You're actually real aren't you? Well, succubi are real too but you're really real as in a real-life beauty and not not one from the planes! Well, unless you're an angel perhaps, that would certainly be consistent with the other characteristics you've exhibited..."
Sighing deeply, Alis rolls her eyes and declares, seemingly at the clouds, "Very well then, I suppose there is little point in keeping up our disguises at this point. Give me that you silly imp!"
Keeping an eye on Sasha and making certain she keeps close to Priyya, and Mal, she says, "Alissariel Kirmoon, Princess of Silverwake. Lureene, whom you have known as Ellie, is my retainer. Malandraenas, or Andre, is my bodyguard. The woman you see now as Sarah, is my friend Priyya — for whatever reason, the gods have brought her and I together on the same journey though I am not her mistress."
From where she is admiring how neatly she sheared through the split manacles, Priyya raises her dagger briefly to acknowledge her true identity (mostly for Jask and Aerys). "I dunno, Your Highness. I might leave this disguise on for awhile, I'm rocking this crotchety old lady look. I think these good folks might appreciate a bit of continuity before we all reclaim our youth, devastating good looks, and (with the exception of Mal) our over-sized racks."
Lureene catches up to Sasha, and looking behind her she notes with some consternation Alis has removed her disguise. I am not sure that was a good idea, but it is too late now.
She stands a few feet away from Sasha, and adds quietly, ”Everything the Princess has told you is the truth. As you can see, since the Princess has been under the threat of assassins, she felt disguises were a prudent precaution.”
She watches Sasha closely for any signs of violence against her, or anyone else…although a small chuckle at Priyya’s comment does escape her lips.
Priyya sheathes her dagger decisively and looks around, getting the lay of the rugged landscape. Nodding at her own silent assessment, she removes the eye cusps and hands the Eyes of the Eagle to Mal. "I think you'll be needing these more than me until we are back in civilization."
"Over-s–" Alis folds her arms across her robe and gives a little shake of her head.
So much for first impressions...
"Not too worried. Don't forget I'm half elven. When was the last time you saw a top-heavy lass who had any elven blood in her veins much less half?"
"Princess?" At Priyya's remark and the realization of who is standing before her, Aerys looks at Alis' chest, then her own, and back again before lowering her eyes and turning a deep red. She gives an awkward bow and says, "You're– I– I don't know what to say your... highness that's the right title, right?"
Sense Motive
Alis smiles gently and says, "Yes, I am a bit short and... boyant for a half-elf I suppose. My mother was the Countess of Caen Carrinac and she was rather amply blessed. Please though, there's no need for titles out here. My friends call me Alis, so please use that instead."
After a moment, she continues, pointing to the furrows in the sand that Mal is looking over, "I'm not sure where he is either, 'Rys, but someone hauled us ashore. Why don't we all make our way to the ship and see if your beau is there."
'Sarah' shepherds Aerys and Jask in the general direction of the ship following Alis' suggestion, moving like a much younger woman. "Don't worry yourself over the title; Alis is a non-princessy sort of princess... except when she isn't."
"You won't find her over there, Sasha...please, Sash...don't leave..."
The redhead seems tense, almost frightened as Lureene approaches. She stands still as a deer caught in a bright light, uncharacteristically quiet.
”Everything the Princess has told you is the truth. As you can see, since the Princess has been under the threat of assassins, she felt disguises were a prudent precaution.”
"So you're suddenly telling the truth now? It's as simple as that, huh?"
She casts a baleful glance at the buxom beauties noting that they could almost be sisters. "So what is it then? What do you want El– *sigh* whoever you are."
Sasha backs away a bit as the others draw closer. "It was you guys, right? You're the ones Chivane was after. So was this all some ruse then? To use me to get close to the Order of the Wasp? I already told you I don't want anything to do with them. Just leave me out of whatever plan you have, would you?"
Sense Motive Checks:
Aerys shakes her head at the whole thing, clearly befuddled. "I can't believe I've been hangin' out with a bunch of nobles all this time, much less gettin' cared for by one... I'm so embarrassed, I don't even know what to say..."
You walk in silence for a bit longer before she upon the wreck and curses under her breath. "Dægon's scales– You have to believe me this shouldn't ever have happened. Things got crazy after everyone went to bed. The whole crew started gettin' sick. Al' and I realized the Pearl was off course but when we tried to correct it– sh1t, I don't know. It's all so murky, like it didn't really happen..."
As you get close to where Sasha and Lureene are, your group pauses and the tall half-elf steps closer. "Sash, you OK? I don't exactly get why everyone was all disguised like, but Sarah didn't have to help me but she did. They're good people, no one's gonna hurt you..."
"So you're suddenly telling the truth now? It's as simple as that, huh?"
She casts a baleful glance at the buxom beauties noting that they could almost be sisters. "So what is it then? What do you want El– *sigh* whoever you are."
Sasha backs away a bit as the others draw closer. "It was you guys, right? You're the ones Chivane was after. So was this all some ruse then? To use me to get close to the Order of the Wasp? I already told you I don't want anything to do with them. Just leave me out of whatever plan you have, would you?"
Lureene, when she hears Chivane’s name again cannot help but remember when her blade plunged into her back on that day long ago at Dunwar castle. She looks at Sasha, a look of pleading in her eyes. ”Look, Sash, this was a matter of defending ourselves against Chivane, and to be honest, I am glad she is dead....She very nearly killed me there, killed all of us.
She pauses again, blinking tears from her eyes. ”I do have an issue with the Coil, but NOT with you!” She sighs, ”Sash, like you I have been trying to escape my Mother’s legacy for all of my life. I do not think I will ever be able to escape her completely, but I am still going to try.” She steps closer to Sasha, continuing softly, ”I don’t hold what Chivane did to us against you Sash. If I did, then it would be like tying my own legacy to my Mother. That is wrong. Can you forgive me for betraying your trust in me?”
Aerys shakes her head at the whole thing, clearly befuddled. "I can't believe I've been hangin' out with a bunch of nobles all this time, much less gettin' cared for by one... I'm so embarrassed, I don't even know what to say..."
'Sarah' snorts her laughter. "Nobles? I come from a family of minor merchants. Alis has the pedigree; the rest of us carry callouses and scars, not lordly titles. As for caring for you... well that was a bit out of my normal scope of duties."
"Well ya gotta do what you gotta do, right?" She furrows her brow a bit as she appraises the eclectic group. "You guys must have been either really lucky or had a lot of help. Your Mom and hubby and that Sarah aren't exactly slouches but I'm pretty sure Sorsha could have taken you let alone Chivane."
Her eyes grow wide as she looks at Lureene, "Don't tell me you took out Lucia! Were you holding out on me when we were sparring?! Does that mean you're bound to t1ts over there like Lucia was to Chivane?"
"HEY!" Alis scowls at Sasha's last remark before grumbling something unpleasant in an alien tongue.
"Ooh..." Aerys seems a bit relieved when Priyya informs her of her family's station. "Well, I'm glad you decided to play the part of a meddling old woman instead of..."
She looks up and c0cks her head to one side. "What do you do anyway — travel around and knock skulls? Kinda curious what you really look like now..."
'Sarah' thinks about the implication of Sasha's 'bound' comment and winces, Ouch. That one is gonna sting Lureene. Scarcely believing the words coming from her mouth, Sarah says seriously, "Sasha. There are NO demons or devils here, nor ANY demonic contracts among us. Those types of creatures find our company unpleasant... as Lucia found out first-hand."
"Well ya gotta do what you gotta do, right?" She furrows her brow a bit as she appraises the eclectic group. "You guys must have been either really lucky or had a lot of help. Your Mom and hubby and that Sarah aren't exactly slouches but I'm pretty sure Sorsha could have taken you let alone Chivane."
Her eyes grow wide as she looks at Lureene, "Don't tell me you took out Lucia! Were you holding out on me when we were sparring?! Does that mean you're bound to t1ts over there like Lucia was to Chivane?"
Lureene’s mouth drops open as the implication of what she said sinks in. Am I really tied to ‘Lis that way? ”We did have help to overcome Chivane, and Lucia….and we paid a heavy price for it too…
She smiles girlishly at Sasha, and gives her a playful wink, ”Well, you could say I am bound to ‘Lis, but the bonds are one of friendship, and love.” In a more serious tone, she adds, "I consider 'Lis the sister I never had."
"Well, I'm glad you decided to play the part of a meddling old woman instead of..."
Priyya's outrage is clearly good-humored, "HEY! 'Meddling'? That's a fine 'how do you do'! Honestly, you youngsters and your disrespect for we elders... appalling."
She looks up and c0cks her head to one side. "What do you do anyway — travel around and knock skulls? Kinda curious what you really look like now..."
Priyya stops for a second, looking at the young woman curiously before continuing on... "The blackguards in the bar named me correctly. I'm Surya-ka-Vahaak - a 'Lightbringer', a warrior-priestess dedicated to Alita. I wage unrelenting war on all that is evil, that is my purpose."
Her hand strays to the clip in her hair, "As for my appearance, well, I'm nothing special to look at. You've probably had enough surprises today... and I really don't want to give Gelik more fodder for jokes. I'm just getting used to being called a cougar." Her hand leaves the clip and falls on the pommel of her scimitar, tapping it restlessly as her eyes scan the wrecked ship. "Alis, did you catch what Aerys was saying about the strange illness that overtook the crew just before the shipwreck?"
When Priyya mentions the strange sickness, Lureene recalls the strange dream she had the night before. Was she really a young woman? And married to a cold military man? What did that mean? And who was the man she had invited to her bed? She glances at Alis, and recalls her divination abilities and how it had triggered a vision back in Valehaven.
She motions to Alis, and says quietly, ”‘Lis, can I talk to you in private for a moment?”
Mal sits in his feline form for nearly a minute, watching the shoreline, the trees, and the beach for additional threats. Guess all this action has made me jumpy… he thinks as he relinquishes his grip on the feral power within himself. The strange sensation of shifting and stretching flows through his body, and as it finishes, he realizes he's shifted back into the short form of 'Andre'. With a growl, he snatches the disguising device from his body, and his perspective shifts once again…
Good to finally get to see the world from my perspective again.
A heavy brush from Talvyra reminds him to do the same for her. "You, too, huh? Well, I can't blame you, Little Sister." As the collar comes off, Talvyra stretches out, feeling her graceful feline body as her own once more.
Mal, unaware of how his appearance-shift might affect anyone else, grins at Talvyra, "You can thank me by helping me figure out who brought us to this beach. Look for tracks or scents, Little Sister."
As he reclaims and replaces his gear, Mal keeps his eyes on the beach, every sense tuned into discovering any clue that might arm them for the days ahead. You are struck at the contrast found in Mal… reclaiming his own appearance, identity, and familiar surroundings brings back on the aspect of the focused hunter that had been missing in 'Andre' at sea.
He looks up long enough to accept the eye-pieces from Priyya, "I don't understand how you can stay in that ridiculous disguise, Darkmane." The eye-pieces bring her appearance into sharp clarity, and he recoils in mock surprise, "Geez, you'd think you'd at least want to get rid of those wrinkles."
”We did have help to overcome Chivane, and Lucia….and we paid a heavy price for it too…
Sasha gives a small sigh, the admission seemingly being a relief of some sort to her.
”Well, you could say I am bound to ‘Lis, but the bonds are one of friendship, and love. I consider 'Lis the sister I never had."
"Sasha. There are NO demons or devils here, nor ANY demonic contracts among us. Those types of creatures find our company unpleasant... as Lucia found out first-hand."
While Lureene's comment would normally be met with perhaps a laugh and smile, the winged woman's jovial, somewhat smart-ass reply of saying is is bound after a fashion keeps Sasha on guard. Noting that Lureene is obviously not helping the somewhat dim huntress' understanding of the situation, Priyya does her best to clear it up using her usual straightforwardness.
"Sooo," Sasha tries to put everything together, "you're not really a demon then and you're just friends or something? But didn't Asamariel–"
""
"Er– that too. Didn't she say that you were her retainer, so that's kind of like a contract right?"
Mal speaks without looking up from where he's pressing two fingers lightly into the sand not far from the water-line. "I'm actually contracted through a military special forces group. So while I pull a supplementary pay check from the Princess here, she's not my CO."
He recoils in mock surprise, "Geez, you'd think you'd at least want to get rid of those wrinkles."
Priyya laughs, "Little do you know - these wrinkles are a cleverly concealed cartographic map of this Godsforsaken island. I plan ahead." She gives him a grin, an odd look from the dour marm face she wears. "But I think the real reason you want me to shed this look is because you think I'm pretty. I'm just another potential conquest for the Don Juan of the Demonshade."
Mal barks out a laugh, "I can count the number of heart-breaks I've caused on my one long... well... nope, don't even have the one heartbreak."
"Er– that too. Didn't she say that you were her retainer, so that's kind of like a contract right?"
"Wh–" Alis rubs her temple, confounded by how dense Sasha is, "Yes, but that's not the same as an infernal pact. You have worked and gotten paid for it before, right? Same. Exact. Thing."
Ignoring the surprised looks on everyone's faces that Andre has suddenly gotten even bigger and scarier, she continues, "Lureene's mother was an actual demon, but her father was a mortal man just like any of the rest of us. She's a tiefling. In fact, if you had the ability to detect spiritual auras, you would find that she doesn't detect as a demon or devil. So no, El is not a succubus even if she looks like one. She just happens to have a statuesque figure, a pair of golden dragon wings, and a... ah– delicate touch."
Aerys looks wide-eyed as Mal, particularly when the giant man begins sniffing at the ground. She leans over to Sara and quietly whispers something to her.
Perception Checks
Mal looks up from the sand, an uncharacteristic half-smile just showing his sharp canines, "It was Alton."
He looks over at he group, only now realizing he's interrupting a conversation, and he locks eyes with Aerys. "It looks like your man was the one to save us all. His scent is on the beach… though it's a couple of hours old… at the least."
He looks around, his eyes searching for the boat that the First Mate must have used to ferry them all to shore, "I don't see the boat he must have used to shuttle us, though. You think we'll have better luck if we make for the Pearl?"
Mal simply grins in response to Aerys's whispered question.
Ignoring the surprised looks on everyone's faces that Andre has suddenly gotten even bigger and scarier, she continues, "Lureene's mother was an actual demon, but her father was a mortal man just like any of the rest of us. She's a tiefling. In fact, if you had the ability to detect spiritual auras, you would find that she doesn't detect as a demon or devil. So no, El is not a succubus even if she looks like one. She just happens to have a statuesque figure, a pair of golden dragon wings, and a... ah– delicate touch."
Lureene smiles wickedly at Alis, "Thank you for that compliment, I think..."
Mal looks up from the sand, an uncharacteristic half-smile just showing his sharp canines, "It was Alton."
He looks over at he group, only now realizing he's interrupting a conversation, and he locks eyes with Aerys. "It looks like your man was the one to save us all. His scent is on the beach… though it's a couple of hours old… at the least."
"Yes, we need to find him, I hope he isn't..." glancing at Aerys, she changes her choice of words, "...sick."
Aerys' spoiler
Mal laughs at Darkmane's response to Aerys, "Oh, come now, Darkmane... you can barely see the hair-lip."
His mirth subsides quickly, "So, seriously, what's the plan? I'm curious to get a look at the Pearl again, unless someone has something else they think is more important." He pauses in thought, "There may also be some salvageable food aboard.. if it hasn't already been scavenged or poisoned."
"We need to check the Pearl out before it gets dark. I need to reclaim my spellbooks, if that is OK with you? Plus, I wonder what happened to the Captain, and Ieana."
Mal laughs at Darkmane's response to Aerys, "Oh, come now, Darkmane... you can barely see the hair-lip."
Priyya keeps the conversation light trying to prevent the others from worrying too much about what they could find on the ship. Grief may come soon enough, no sense hastening it. "You silver-tongued devil! No wonder so many women have sacrificed their virginities to you." She purrs at him, "If you keep talking about my barely discernible hair-lip and cleft-palate, I may become conquest #237 for you."
"It was Alton."
"It looks like your man was the one to save us all. His scent is on the beach… though it's a couple of hours old… at the least."
While Priyya's strange antics and answers had caused more than a hint of concern to show on Aerys' pretty face, she gives a smile of relief at Mal's pronouncement. "There's no way he could have fit all of us in the launch in one trip. He must have been at this for a while. Gods, how long were we out? It's at least an hour past dawn already!"
Between Mal and Priyya's banter and the emotions still playing at Sasha and Aerys' hearts, Alis finds herself chewing her lip out of distraction while she tries to stay focused. "Sasha, if you are worried that we were after you for some reason, don't be. Our disguises were simply so that we could slip out of Malatesta and make our way to Dafar in peace, not to go looking for more trouble."
She steps up to the skittish redhead and says with a disarming grin, "Trust me, if El didn't throw you overboard for trying to imply that she was fat when you joked about her being pregnant, and those two didn't run you up a flagpole when we figure out who your relations were, then you've got nothing to worry about. Mind you, I [i]was[/i The fact of the matter is, I was headed to Dafar to assume control as the new governor. If anything, knowing that you don't want to be an assassin, I was thinking about offering you a job as spy or at least seeing to it that the Ruby Coil doesn't bother you anymore."