Honeylyn grunts, forcing her mouth shut as hard as she can to avoid actually shouting as she lands flat on her ass in the boat.
Hearing Svetozar speaking up above, she continues to keep her mouth shut as she listens to see where he's going with this, and if this was about to go sideways.
Trail freezes, waiting to see if Svetozar is successful in convincing them before he decides to leap into action
When the guards on watch start to move, they are dead, they just don't know it yet. Annelise reaches, without even thinking about it, for two of the razor-sharp blades she has lining the inside of her coat. She's about to step forward and spill blood-
Wait. Stop
Svetozar's voice, calling up from the boat below, intrudes enough on her thoughts to be able to snap out of it. As far as she knows, these guards have done nothing wrong. Other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that doesn't get them a death sentence.
At least not in the sort of world Annelise has recently decided she would like to live in.
Taking a deep breath and slooowly letting it out, she lets the blades fall back into their sheath, gesturing at Trail and Milton to step with her away from the light of the guard's lantern. With Svetozar's distraction, perhaps they can keep this from going wrong.
The guards freeze when they hear Svetozar's voice, but they immediately relax. The drawn cutlass is lowered, held at the man's side casually, and the other man lowers the lantern. They walk towards Svetozar.
"What crime you investigating?" Lantern says.
"And why you investigating in the middle of the night?" Cutlass asks.
"Yeah, you could come back in the morning, just as well," Lantern says. "Then you could talk to someone who ain't someone who's just doing their job, right?"
Unfortunately, walking towards the boat means they are walking towards the boarding party as well. Right now, you have the advantage of being in the dark while they are in the bright circle of light thrown by their lantern, but that will change in moments.
There isn't much in the way of cover on deck, a few coils of rope, a small crate or two, a small rowboat and the mast itself.
Svetozar Lanezra feels a bit of panic as his obvious lie failed -- but worse, out of the corner of his eye he sees that the lantern light is actually getting closer to revealing his allies. He may have inadvertently made it worse -- but with the illusory fog and the inherent darkness of night, he wasn't perceptive enough to note where his allies were. He mistakenly thought they were further along.
Taking the oars himself, Svetozar Lanezra pulls away from the direction of his allies, to the port side of the Blue Nixie, while his friends are somewhere starboard -- it probably won't work as he's not exactly experienced with rowing accurately, but it's something.
He calls again as he simultaneously rows to the opposite direction, "Sometimes investigations require immediate attention, even when I have to lose sleep -- but I'll show you: Reports are that there is a Profane Mark of Mephistopheles on the port side of this ship and that is manifesting from Devilish contents in the cargo -- perhaps a Gate to Hell where any Bearded or Bone Devil may come out of. It's supposedly right over here," Svetozar grunts as he tries to row the ship away from his friends, and points port.
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Oh s%@&, they're actually COMPETENT! Honeylyn thinks to herself as the watchmen display uncommon common sense in the face of such absurdity. She picks up what Svetozar is putting down and acts fast, wiggles her fingers behind her back and mumbles under her breath. On the other side of the boat, a crackling, popping sound can be heard on the port side and sulfur can be smelled.
Milton quickly figures out what Honeyln is doing and decides the best bet is to help out. He then decides a portal is the best thing to help so he creates a disk of force over by the sounds and smells colored orange.
Seeing the guards heading in his direction, Trail decides to take advantage of the fact that, especially in the night, he can likely pass for a cat.
He streaks over to the mast and just about runs up it, using his claws to climb very quickly. disappearing from sight up in the rigging.
Moonless Night+
Moves like a cat+
Cat Claws+
One thing Annelise is known for is keeping a clear head, no matter what is going on around her. As the guards are distracted by Svetozar's deception and whtever the hells it is that Honeylyn is doing, she calmly withdraws from the light of the guard lantern and keeps to the shadows, nimbly creeping low behind the crates and using the rowboat as cover.
Nimble Half elf (+) Uncanny Serentiy (+) Moonles night (+) Is that a portal to the hells? (+)
The guards look skeptical at Svetozar's words. Especially when he fails to keep the oars in the water and at the hardest point in his pull, all resistance vanishes and he topples backwards off the bench.
Profane Marks? Devilsh cargo? It all smells highly suspicious. Until...
"Wait," mutters cutlass. "You know whose boat this is?"
"I thought it was ours," lantern replies.
"No, I mean whose it really is?" cutlass says. "The Vanderborens. The ones whose other ship burned to the waterline with all hands...."
Just then, there is a popping sound. A stench of rotten eggs wafts over the ship.
"Bloody hells," lantern says. Then, with a bit more fear in his voice. "Oh, bloody hells, there's already one on board!"
The lantern light catches Milton as he casts his spell.
Lantern draws his sword with a look of superstitious terror in his eyes.
Annelise and Trails successfully escape notice, though the guards are now standing near enough to the base of teh mast that Trails can't come down outside of the light.
Bloody wizards. Annelise rolls her eyes so hard the others can practically hear it, as she realises it will probably take the guards no more than about 5 seconds to realise Milton is not actually a devil but a man who can't multitask casting and stepping out of the way.
Which is 2 seconds more than she needs.
Gracefully moving behind them, she uses the dark to mask her approach before nimbly launching herself at them, wrapping an elbow round both their throats and banging their heads together to knock them out. It's a brutal, thuggish move and she can briefly feel the weight of the holy symbol she has tied round her belt ("Don't wear anything round your neck unless you want to be choked with it" is another lesson she gives to the girls she teaches).
She gives a quick, annoyed glance down at it. What?! I'm a work in progress.
TAGS Moonless night (+) Nimble (+) Gang enforcer (+) Dirty fighter (+) Lantern (-)
The two guards have expressions of absolute dread when something grabs their necks. They draw breath to scream, but then their skulls crash against each other, and they go limp, their faces slack, as they slump to the ground at Annelise's feet.
The danger has passed for the moment. The harbor is quiet.
There is a hatch with a ladder just at the base of the mast. There is a raised forecastle at the bow, and a quarterdeck at the stern where the two guards had been. Short ladders lead up to the raised decks, and a single, low door leads under the quarterdeck and two under the forecastle. Between the two doors at the forecastle, another hatch leads below, with a narrow stair.
Annelise lets the guards fall - alive, they'll have sore heads when they wake up - and throws a coil of rope down to Svetozar and Honeylyn to climb up. "Let's hurry."
Milton looks around for some lantern oil that was used in the lanterns while Annelise helps the others onto the boat. He turns his head back and says "Don't forget to tie the little boat off. We don't want our way out floating away. A ha!" He picks up a container of oil and moves it over to where the 'portal' appeared. He pours out a tiny amount and spreads it around and then replaces the oil. He turns to the group "Ok we need to light that before we leave. It should leave a small burnt spot on the deck where the 'portal' was. We sticking together or splitting into two groups to cover more ground?"
Svetozar Lanezra gratefully accepts Annelise's help onto The Blue Nixie from the little boat below and joins the others on the large Vanderboren ship.
He first confirms the guards are actually unconscious rather than faking -- then he looks to his allies.
Nodding to Milton for his wise thinking, he looks to the others as well. "Well, we're here to find the missing Vanthus Vanderboren or, because I doubt he's just here, hiding below, hopefully a clue as to where he's been and where he was going.
"Also, I'm a quite curious as to what these guards said -- how they became terrified from a little superstition. If you'all don't mind, I don't want to bind their hands while we search The Blue Nixie -- I assume we could be here for a couple hours really looking. When they awaken, I'd like to try some diplomacy and see if they can answer some questions.
"By the way, Milton and Honeylyn" he smiles wide in great appreciation, "That was great. You two saved my blunder of a lie to perfection!"
Svetozar Lanezra stays with the two knocked out guards while other search. He announces that if anyone finds anything they're not familiar with: writing, heraldry, arcane or cosmological runes or portents -- he is a devoted scholar and can try to identify.
He does not take away the guards' weapons.
"Help me up!" Honeylyn calls from the boat, tying any rope thrown down to her to the boat before climbing up it to the deck.
At the idea of not at least tying the unconcious guards up, she scoffs.
"You really want them raising an alarm after they come to and learn we tricked them? They aren't going to be more understanding because we just say 'we're sorry!'"
She does smirk at the compliment a bit.
"You're welcome, but next time let ME do the lying."
Annelise looks at the gnome. "I know my business. By the time they wake up, we'll be gone, provided we get moving. Shall we?"
She starts the search of the ship.
"You're sensible. I like that," Honeylyn replies. "Let's get looking, quietly. There may be more crew below deck. I recommend we check the captain's cabin first. It's where we'd most likely find Vanthus. And anything of non-monetary value to him would be kept there...including possibly his sister."
"I probably won't be of a lot of use searching the sheep, so I think I should stay on deck and make sure nobody sneaks up on us"
Milton smiles and says "You can do that or you can help us search the SHIP. I am guessing the captain's quarters are in the back so I'll take that door. Is everyone coming or is someone searching the front? Let's go." He glances behind him to see who is following him and approaches the door in the rear.
Annelise shrugs and follows the others. "Let's keep together in case there is anyone else." Ships are almost as foreign to her as they clearly are to Trail - she can handle a boat, but this is really another world from what she's used to.
She looks around. "Should it be creaking like that?"
The door under the quarterdeck opens into a small wardroom, where a small table and four chairs take up nearly all the space. There is also a small sideboard with two drawers (linens, silverware) and a cabinet (glasses and plates).
Another door leads further aft, and still another opens to port.
Svetozar Lanezra doesn't want to leave the unconscious guards unattended, but neither does he want to go against Annelise's words. After a moment of uncertainty, he tries to ride the fence-- he moves roughly half way between the group searching the back of the Blue Nixie so he's easily in ear-shot and a quick run, but also keeps the two guards clearly in his line of sight, watching them. 'Well, if I have to move them a few feet to make sure I can see when they begin to awaken, I will.' And while watching them, he listens to his allies describe their findings.
"Yep, it's a ship, they creak," Honeylyn comments matter-of-factly as she tiptoes into the wardroom. She creeps up to the aft-door, puts her ear up to it and listens carefully.
Honeylyn hears the sound of someone gently snoring from the other side of the door.
Honeylyn turns back to the others and raises a finger to her lips. Then she quietly tests the door to see if it's locked.
Annelise nods to shwo she has understood, and rolls her shoulders one way and then the other before leaning onto her toes ready to move fowrward quickly if needed.
The door is locked.
Honeylyn deftly slips her picks into the lock, and after a moment, there is a soft click as the lock is thrown.
Annelise adopts a ready-for-action stance.
Once the lock is open, Honeylyn tries to open the door as quietly as possible to see what...and who...is inside.
The door swings open into a luxuriously appointed cabin. A man with a heavy gold earring sleeps on the ornately built bed. He has a shaved head and a thuggish face, tattoos and a nasty scar on his arm - long healed.
Annelise, you instantly recognize Soller Vark.
Honeylyn wrinkles her nose at the sight of the man.
"Well, it's not Verik," she comments quietly.
Annelise's green eyes harden to a glare as she sees the man. "Soller Vark. Not someone to cross. But nor am I."
People can change, as she is aware. But usually they don't. Vark's reputation is at least as bad as her own, if not worse. She takes one of her sharp blades out from a sheath under her coat, and touches it deftly to the man's throat before she shakes him awake.
"Wakey wake. Be sensible." She doesn't add "I'm not here to kill you." The fact he's still breathing makes that point for her.
TAGS Fights Dirty (+) Razor sharp blades (+)
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Trail watches as Annelise wakes up the other man. Attacking a helpless foe and making sure he can't fight back? He approves. Fighting is far too important to not take seriously.
Milton's eyes go wide as Annelise's knife is at the man's throat. He wasn't expecting to wake an enemy up.
Honeylyn's eyebrow rises as Annelise recognizes the sleeping man, and when she sees what the other woman has in mind, a mischievous smile forms. She quietly saunters up to Annelise and Vark and as the man comes to, raises a finger to her lips so when he sees her, and more importantly Annelise's knife, he'll take the hint not to shout for help.
Like anyone who has survived in the underworld, Soller Vark doesn't take long to understand the situation he's in. A moment of shock, and then he relaxes. He smiles coldly, his eyes leaping from face to face. When they fall on Annelise, he gives a slight shake of his head.
"Heard you'd seen the light, gone clean and new," he says, sounding surprisingly calm. "But I guess you're still a thug. Who's your new gang?"
Everything about him seems like he's in control of the situation, like he's perfectly at ease with the knife against his throat. Everything but his eyes, which are searching faces frantically for some sign of advantage, some hope for escape. The simple fact that he's not already dead, in the circumstances, is the main thing he's clinging to but that's not much.
FWIW, I tried to write him in a way where it could work with either applying the tag or not.
From several yards away Svetozar Lanezra doesn't have any real line of sight to the goings on. It sounds calm, and the two he's guarding don't seem to be awakening, so he maintains his vigilance.
"Heard you'd seen the light, gone clean and new," he says, sounding surprisingly calm. "But I guess you're still a thug. Who's your new gang?"
Annelise holds up one finger from the hand that isn't holding the knife, and wags it slightly like he's a child. "Nope. The one with the knife asks the questions, remember? Your words from last time." She doesn't elaborate. Nobody else needs to know.
Her green eyes refocus. "Good news, I'm not here for you. Didn't know you were here. Vanthus and Lavinia. Word is they were here, now they're missing. You carve them up and tip them overboard, or are they around? Don't insult me by lying. My friends here can do magic, they'll turn you inside out if you give them an excuse."
TAGS Steely Gaze (+) Keen sensse (+) Old Enemies (-)
Soller glares at Annelise, making no secret of his hatred. He gives a bitter laugh when she reminds him of the time the shoe was on the other foot. A slight shake of the head that might mean "I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance."
"Vanthus, big lad with a beard?" he says. "Needs to pay his harbor fees, doesn't he? Dunno where he's holed up now. My job is making sure it's not here."
"If Lavinia is the sister, she came by looking for him. Pretty thing. Would've let her stay aboard a few nights, but she wasn't interested."
"But since we're such old friends, I'll tell you what I told her," he adds. "When we ran Vanthus here, he had a lady friend with him. Someone else who saw the light and started playing straight. Brissa Santos."
Honeylyn wrinkles her nose a bit at the mention of Santos. She'd seen one or two of her paintings at various galas. She could admire the willingness to tackle risky subject matter and stay true to one's artistic vision, but she seriously wondered what that artistic vision even WAS in Brissa's case. And in any case, it wasn't one that appealed to her or her parents' tastes.
Annelise nods, disguising her disappointment that things don't look like they're going to go smooth. They never do. "OK. We're going now. Stay here til we're gone, if you come through that door I will have to put you down."
She's grimly aware that she's likely going to regret letting him live. But she plays by different rules nowadays - mostly.
Once she and the others are clear of him, she brightens up a bit. "Brissa, eh? I quite like her work. There's a bit more to it than the typical meadows and waterlilies and haystacks most artists seem to like so much." Annelise is Sasserine through and through: she's never seen a lily or haystack in real life.
"So. What now?"
Honeylyn shrugs.
"Neither Vanderboren's here, so unless we wanna snoop and try to find a journal something, I imagine we make our exit before sunrise and try to get some shuteye ourselves before following up with Santos."
In the captain's quarters, there is a small chest containing a hundred platinum coins. On a small writing table is a logbook that appears normal, but whose entries stop 7 years ago.
A half dozen further ruffians sleep in the crew's quarters below. If they are not given the chance to arm themselves and make a stand, and are not facing death at the hands of their captors, they do not put up a fight.
As soon as anyone enters the hold, there is a tremendous noise, clashing metal, a dozen different types of screeching, screaming, howling and roaring. In the hold are a number of cages. Each cage holds a different animal, a sabertoothed cat, a scorpion the size of a small horse, a two legged lizard with a long, whiplike tail, an enormous, four-armed gorilla, a bull whose hooves send sparks of electricity with every step, and a massive black wolf with eyes of blue flame. The animals are severely agitated, and growing more so by the moment.
At the sound of crashing below, Svetozar Lanezra checks to see whether the two he's guarding are awakening, and if they're still unconscious Svetozar hurries to belowdecks.
"Oh, wow," looking to the others, learning about the other guards and Annelise's old acquaintance, Svetozar suggests leaving the menagerie in their cages, and leaving post haste to get some more information on exactly what's going on here.
Honeylyn's eyes widen at the sight of the money, but she leaves it. They were investigating, not plundering. But that meant that the logbook was evidence, so she pockets that.
Upon the discovery of the animals, she gapes but tries not to make a sound.
"Bound for Champion's District, maybe?" she suggests to the others. "For the next 'Dragon Challenge' the Horns put on?"
Trail looks at the animals and his heart rebels at the thought of leaving them.
But first, he needs to try and calm them down by appealing to their spiritual nature.
Tags Animist Shaman, Communicate with Spirits, Spirits Respect me, Get favors from spirits
The spirits of these animals are very angry, very confused. Does that trigger my "Must remain in harmony with the spirits" negative?
This is definitely in tune with my Quest to Defend the Natural World. Not sure how that applies
Assuming that succeeds in calming them down, he turns to his companions
"I need to free these and get them to the jungle where they can live. Can we please row them out of town?"
Trails approaches the animals, and the screeching and howling stops. They are quieter, calmER.
There is no mistaking them for at peace, though. They pace and bare their teeth, they are still definitely on edge.
With the noise died down, though, it is easier to look around and see what else is in the hold. In particular, the barrel of butchers scraps, the sacks of grass and grain.
”These poor things haven’t been fed in awhile”
With that he starts to feed the animals with the food from the hold.
He contemplates an idea, wondering if it would even be possible.
Perhaps he could contact the spirits of the air and the nearby harbour water and get them to help push the ship. It wouldn’t be quick and it wouldn’t be very controlled but perhaps it would be sufficient to get the ship to a place where the animals would at least have a chance at survival.
Annelise pinches her eyes like she has a headache. "Not one of these monsters would fit in the rowboat. This is not our problem. Time to go."
She idly wonders whether there's time to go back and lift that 100 platinum, more money than she's seen in her entire life, but the rest of the group don't seem to be thieves and she's trying her best to fit in with them.
Milton shakes his head and says "Feed them quickly and let's get out of here. We have no way of getting them ashore safely and they are going to cause trouble if they get into town."