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After quite a few iterations I've completed Rata's tactics section. Man, the modifiers for this character make my head spin. It doesn't help that HeroLab is giving me a +1 untyped attack bonus that I can't for the life of me find the source for. My best guess is the fencer trait which gives me a +1 attack to AoOs. Nonetheless, the modifiers should all be accurate to the best of my knowledge.
I have an insane few days coming to finish out the week, but I will try my hardest to keep things flowing with tonight's dialogue. I realize Rata is a major player in this scene and I want to give it the attention it deserves.
"Ah, yes. Sometimes it is best to forget." He looks down and shuffles his feet for a moment, "Yes, thank you. I believe I will join you." He looks to Jacinth, nodding along with her approval and wry suggestion, "I'm glad I have your approval, Captain. The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned."
Rata finally finishes his work for the night and drops down to the deck, taking a moment to breathe in the night air and gaze up at the starry skies. Tonight should be... interesting. He eagerly heads below, and returns Nef's wave once he enters the Steward's Cabin, and can't help but chuckle at her joyous greeting. "Nef, I think you're not the only one that needs this. Pass me a mug!" he pulls up a stool and gladly accepts his full mug of rum. He tosses is back without much reaction, he was quite used to the strong rums sailors preferred and settled himself in for a relaxing night of (hopefully) good-natured revelry. Rata gives Oren a questioning look as he refills his mug, "Ah, why so interested all of a sudden? There's not much to tell really. I grew up on my father's vessel, hoping one day to captain a ship of my own. Unfortunately, things didn't play out exactly as I had hoped..." he sobers up at that last bit. "But you all are well aware of what drives me. I hope to find out more when we get back to port." He takes a sip from his newly full mug, nursing the dark liquor this go round. "I didn't spend much time in Bloodcove as my father kept us pretty busy on the Concord. My mother... She was not well. So my father was primarily responsible for looking after my sister and I. We didn't get into much trouble, we were good kids." He turns the question back to Oren, "What about yourself? How did you come to meet Aikane?" He reaches for a crust of bread, chewing slowly as he listened to Oren's yarn.
As Reknar and Nef's conversation turns to the matter of Horus and his guiding principles, Rata silently excuses himself from the dialogue. It is no secret that Rata cares little for gods. Plus, he had work to do. During their first shift Rata kept to himself, although he kept an eye on their new help. As Kal raised his voice in deep song as he worked, Rata couldn't help but feel the man's words assuage his soul, melting away his anxiety over their hardships at sea. He dropped down from the lines, padding over to the man he spoke to him in his native dialect, "Your song was... comforting to me in some way. What do the words mean? They stirred something inside of me that I can't quite put to words..." He trailed off, quite uncomfortable at the fact that he was speaking about such personal matters with a man he only just recently met.
After their short shift had ended, Rata likewise made his way down below decks to get some sleep. He stopped for a moment just outside of Jacinth's door, silently listening to her rhythmic breathing. He placed a hand upon her door, feeling the grain of the wood beneath his rough palm. Rest easy... My captain. He turned to his own room, gently closing the door behind him before collapsing into bed himself. Rata's dreams are quite strange during his short rest, and certainly troubling to the Mwangi native… Floating in the misty air just out of reach, Rata looks on in horror as he watches Usha chained to the center of a pond lilly stranded at sea, rough waves crashing down upon her, a terrible wound at her temple staining the side of her face crimson. Rata pleads to his beloved sister, "Usha, hold on just a little longer. I'll be there as soon as I can, just hold on!" But as hard as he tried, he never got closer, whatever was holding him in place had him held fast. He looked down at her again, and noticed that in place of her chestnut hair and rounded ears, she had long golden hair and pointed ears. Her deep tan had been replaced by alabaster skin. But it was still her face - still his biological twin. He could tell she was getting weary from the blood loss, and the waves slamming into her were taking their toll. "Usha, don’t close your eyes! Look at me!" She raised her eyes to him and they were green instead of brown, and despite the waves, he could tell that those were tears mingled with the blood staining her face. He growled at the futility of it all and strained his arms against whatever invisible bonds held him, and at last, they broke free. His jubilation was short-lived, however, as he looked down in horror to see the huge cast iron weights chained to his ankles. He screamed as he plunged straight past the huge white blossom holding his sister prisoner, slicing through the bone-chilling waters, his bellow cut short as the seas filled his lungs and silenced his protests…
Rata woke with a gasp, drenched in sweat, his rapid fire heartbeat filling his ears. He heard voices outside of his cabin and shot out of bed and threw the door open. Sheet white and slick with sweat, he stared at the three figures in confusion, and a long moment passed before he remember who they were and where he was. ”Oren, Nef, Jacinth… I, uh… Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Is something wrong?”
Rata doesn't really care about treasure, but he does care about being able to trust his companions, and I believe Aikane is worthy of that trust for the time being. Rata passes on all loot gathered so far, but will gladly take his share of the gold, with thanks.
As the newcomer emerges onto the deck, Rata wastes no time in drawing two daggers and readying them for a throw, should he prove to be hostile. As the man replies to Nef's greeting, he relaxes a bit. "Well, at least we share a similar outlook on slavers." he says, a slight mirth to his voice. He still holds his knives, but clearly he doesn't plan on using them unless something goes horribly awry. He maintains his position just outside of Jacinth's long shadow.
Looking to Nef, he gives his nod of assent. "Aye, he speaks the truth from what I can gather." Looking back to the battered man, he gestures to his bruised face, "Had a rough go of things of late?"
Hmm, a tall warrior and a weasel, you say?
I heavily modified my discussion with Jacinth, so if you've already read it, give it another go. I think this version is much better.
Rata nods to her reasoning, "Yes, I am sure many challenges await at Dolentla. Things could be very different after our time there comes to an end." He pauses as looks out over the waters for a moment and with a long sigh, he returns his gaze to Jacinth. "After the attack on my father's ship, I thought I would never set foot on another ship, and yet here I am. Sometimes, we don't always end up quite where we'd expect." he gives her a warm look. "Your friends, I hope - for your sake and theirs - that they have the means to fight. That they are still struggling to survive and that we find them alive." He lifts his hands from the rails and straightens, wiping the grit from a long day's work from his calloused hands. "Nobles are an eccentric lot, but they're not all bad." He squints his face, mimicking a searching look, "Then again, they were friends of yours..." He gives Jacinth a wry smile. "We will speak tonight. Until then." He gives an almost imperceptible bow and then turns to see to other matters.
A sarcastic retort about how he wasn't some errand boy died on his lips as Rata realized that Nef deserved better than that, given her current emotional state. "Ah, yeah, of course Nef. I'll see to it." He walks over to the rail, pulling a dagger from his bandolier as he does so, and slices off a tiny splinter of wood before sticking the knife between his teeth and making his way across the rope bridge to the deck of the Rita...
I'm glad you feel that way Zem, and I'm sorry it didn't work out with your original concept. I look forward to what you come up with next. There are so many possibilities with this extremely rich and diverse setting: warpriest, hunter, inquisitor, oracle, summoner... Personally, I can't wait to sling a few more daggers with Rata. That first battle was just a tease! I am also very interested to see where this Jacinth business goes... He he.
A slight smile touches Rata's lips as Jacinth uncharacteristically stammers over her words. As she looks away he is emboldened by her reaction and raises a tentative hand, placing it gently upon her slender shoulder, "I'm glad you agree. I think our group would gladly accept you if you choose to remain with us once our contract has been fulfilled." He pauses for a moment, an inner monologue seeming to take place. Coming to some unseen conclusion, he continues, "Your... Harships at Dolentla. I would speak with you about them sometime. I feel- I feel like we would both benefit greatly from sharing in each other's burdens. Maybe sometime tonight? After we return to the Rita?" The smile on his lips remains as his brown eyes sparkle in the sunlight - a spot of foam in a cup of dark espresso...
As Jacinth excuses herself, Rata quickly speaks up, Ah, of course, I'll come with-" but she is already knifing through the celebratory Tulita before he can finish his offer. He wastes no time in trotting after her, although his wider girth makes it a touch more difficult for him to maneuver through the merriment. He catches the tail end of her comment, "Nef, what is wrong. Has something happened?" before quickly turning his gaze to the embracing couple. He notices Nef wiping her face with her sleeve and looks to the resoulte man. "Nef, are you alright?" he says over Jacinth's shoulder, concern clearly evident in his tone. His eyes widen at the news and he can't help hide his surprise. "Zem, friend, are you sure about this? There is honor in helping your people, for sure, but there is just as much honor in helping your friends."
So... What's going on? Is Zem leaving or is this just a side adventure? That was a pretty big bombshell, haha.
I concur to hiring four natives as well as mandatory nicknames. One of them must be called 'Butterfly'.
Rata's thoughts focused on far-away cares and distant memories, he doesn't notice that the scuffle behind him is fast approaching. It isn't until Ke' tosses Hazeltree over the rails and into the azure depths that he is brought out of his reverie, screaming back to the present. Rata remains frozen in shock for a long moment, his mouth hanging agape, before he finally begins to unravel. "Heh. Eh, heh heh heh. HA. HahahaHAHAHAAAAA!" He doubles over, slapping his knee and clutching at his flexing abdomen, the veins in his neck popping as the rush of laughter completely overtakes his body. Wiping at his streaming eyes, he slaps Ke'ahilani on the back. "Ah, that was just what this group needed. Now if that's not the best way I've ever seen of settling an arguement! Ke' you're a good man! Ha HAH!" Rata is in very rare form as he makes his way over to the other natives, grabbing up Oren en route, beckoning him to join them in their celebration of freedom. In his reverie, he does notice the defeated look on Nef's face as she holds Zem close and he flashes her a concerned look - a look of understanding and apology. I am sorry dear friend, but I fear you must cope with the brutal truth that most freedoms aren't bought with words - they are sticky to the touch and smell and taste of iron for their price in blood is quite high.
Rata quickly tucks away the documents and returns to the top deck. He silently awaits for a break in the conversation before getting Jacinth's attention. Whispering, "I found some documents that may interest you. They were locked away and marked with Hazeltree's seal. I believe they are shipping records. Exactly where these Tulitians were being taken is probably detailed within. Something of great interest to the right people... Or a matter for us to look into, perhaps? After our business at Dolentla has concluded, of course." He gives her a knowing look.
Rata crosses his arms over his chest, grunting with an air of finality, "Let's just get him back to his men so that we can get back to the Rita. We've got an ancient elven lab to find and some hostile creatures to deal with." The matter settled in his mind, he heads up to the main deck, scanning the remaining Tulitians on board before turning his gaze to the open waters in silent contemplation.
Yeah, I'm not seeing the exact reason as to why this issue has come up. Isn't arguing and disagreeing all part of the show? I say we drop it and continue on. It's been getting really good since we've been at sea and I'd like to keep the roll we're on going.
Remind me why you're not the leader again? It seems to have been working splendidly up to this point. I don't want this campaign to lose steam solely due to semantics. You're a great leader, and obviously you enjoy it, so lead. Aikane not always bowing to your authority just adds a little spice to the mix, does it not? Nothing wrong with that.
My vote would be for Ke' to lead. I think that would be very interesting.
Rata stands firmly behind Nef, shoulder to shoulder with Zemwaar, watching the wordsmith present an ultimatum to the outmatched and outwitted captain. His passionate nature gets the better of him, and his efforts to hold his tongue fail him. Tactlessly, he says with cold certainty, "Make your choice quickly, Captain, for unlike my companions, my patience has run short and you should be thanking whatever gods you make your peace with that we are letting you off of this ship with your entrails entact." His fingers twitch, yearning for Hazeltree to make one false move so that he may draw his blades and make quick work of the despicable man. "Maybe in the future you will think twice about enslaving those who happen to be less fortunate than yourself?" His eyes glint like arrowheads.
Rata stands firm, ready to react as the words of his companions beg the Tulitians to stay. He silently wills them to remain on the ship.
Rata turns sheet white as Nef clings to him before spilling her guts out over the deck. He quickly jumps back as Ke' reveals the maggot-infested rat. He draws his daggers and looks around wild-eyed as if preparing to defend himself from some unseen foe.
Rata stood vigilant, guarding the hatch leading belowdecks from slaver and native alike as he directed Ke' to the Captain below. He gives a nasty glare to anyone demanding entry who doesn't belong.
Nef, you are too much. Haha. Thanks for being my one person welcome committee.
Rata seemed about to say something, but kept his silence as Jacinth's quick mind formulated the plan of feigning disease had befallen Captain Hazeltree. He followed the others to the main deck, and stands ready, anticipating the arrival of their companions and the next development in this sticky situation. I am willing to fight, and die, to see these natives freed. No man, no matter their cause or creed, should be subjected to enslavement...
Rata eyes the Captain as well as Ko'oku'wa suspiciously while standing with rigidity at Jacinth's side, ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger.
Rata gives the man a hard glare, believing his words, but suspecting there is more to the predicament than he has let on. He interjects for the first time, eager to expedite the matter, "Well, let's be on with it, then. After we speak with your Captain we can bring over our healer if we deem it necessary." His words are cold and direct, hoping a little force will get the man's boots moving. They were slavers, after all.
Rata eyes the man with suspicion, his thoughts mirroring Jacinth's voiced concerns.
Rata follows close behind Zemwaar, making no move to hide the fact that he has a veritable cutlery set strapped to his chest. He eagerly scans the crew with depressingly desperate eyes, hopeful at the chance of seeing his father, yet conscious of the fact that he most likely will not be aboard the Iron Bastion.
Rata gives Jacinth a silent nod, and tension eases from his shoulders. You get the impression that a part of him desperately wanted to be among those chosen to parley. A swirl of emotions rage in his mirror-like eyes, but a slight smile graces his lips as the Captain casts him a knowing look. "Thank you, Captain. Hopefully fair weather favors us again this day. And if they try anything, they will quickly find that a dagger has sprouted from their chest. A few, actually." His smile adopts a wickedness that may or may not be unsettling to the observer. She trusts me to some extent, it seems. But do I trust her? He checks that his daggers are readily available in their sheaths and hurriedly sets to manning the tops, quick to carry out Jacinth's orders to close the distance between the Rita and the mysterious slaver ship.
"If the slaves have taken over, that is surely something worth looking into. I realize I am only one man, but I won’t tolerate slavery if I can help it. Raids by slavers were commonplace along the Slithering Coast and southern edge of the Shackles. Maybe we could provide the slaves with aid and assist them in their flight? Potential allies, perhaps?" And for all I know my father could be one.
I've never pursued romance in a tabletop game before, so this should be interesting and, if nothing else, a learning experience for me. Haha. But there is no guarantee it will even get that far, we'll see how the dialogues between the two of us play out.
Rata wakes early - his sleep marred with nightmares of a bloodied Usha demanding to know why he didn't come to her rescue - and the lack of sleep combined with his meager attempt at meaningful conversation with Jacinth had him in a sour mood. He worked the tops with Nef in silence for the first half of the day, his eye constantly lingering on the covered part of this vessel where Jacinth manned the helm.
Rata goes through the motions of working the lines to ensure the sails stay full when the black speck on the horizon catches his eye. He lets out a soft groan, turning to Nef, "Do you see what I'm seeing? That is a ship, and it is fast approaching. We'd better get down to the deck and warn the others." Rata quickly descends to the deck below and dashes over to the helm, "We've got company. A ship approaches," he points out the dark shape to Jacinth, which is getting larger by the moment. He looks her in the eye, his pace quickens slightly as the possibility of battle has his adrenaline pumping, "What are your orders, Captain?"
Rata currently rests soundly belowdecks. But prior to him bedding down he was plagued with thoughts. No, not those of Usha or the whereabouts of his father, but thoughts of a certain woman. An elvish woman to be exact...
Gazing up at the stars, the calm night a welcome reprieve from the chaotic weather typical of the Razor, Rata's ponders, Jacinth. The way she dealt with Filthy Jack so swiftly, just like Usha would've done - Like I would've done. I know she has never been to Bloodcove or the Mwangi, but she acts like one of us. And noble to boot. He shakes his head at that last thought, Foolish she may have been for leading such an unprepared crew to seek whatever ancient alchemist's chamber she had her sights set on, but can I really fault her for being so passionate about something? When was the last time I was that driven for something, aside from my own quest for revenge? Wiping a hand across his face he is surprised to see the wetness of tears glistening on his fingers, She holds her head high while doing what she can to make amends for her mistakes, and I can barely bring myself to board a ship. Am I really that weak? How can she be so strong? Maybe... Maybe there is common ground there. Is there a chance that we could build something meaningful on the foundation of our past disgraces? I... I'm not quite sure. But, maybe... Rata jumps down to the main deck just as Nef and Jacinth are finishing up their discussion of pending weather patterns. Luckily, as Nef excuses herself belowdecks, Jacinth lingers a moment longer. Now's my chance, but what to say? Struggling for words, he blurts out the first thing that comes to him, "A-a lovely night. Don't stay up too late. You need your rest as much as the rest of us..." Caught up in the awkward moment of silence that followed, and quite tongue-tied, he hurriedly excused himself as well, and disappeared belowdecks with a small, but helpless grin.
No need for that Nef, if we're following the schedule you posted in the discussion earlier, then I will simply follow that. Thanks as always for your efforts in clarifying things. You are the winds that fill the sails of this campaign. Too cheesy? Haha. And about Jacinth, funny you should mention that... Stay tuned.
Alright, to straighten things once and for all: Was Rata permanently switched to team 1 due to his sun sickness or is he back with team 2? I'm sorry I'm having so much trouble with the schedule, it's just been tough catching up after the weekends. Also, were still splitting up our active shifts into two four hour chunks, with downtime in between? I'm not usually this much of a dumb-dumb, I swear. Also, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you Nef, that Rata plans on staying on the Rita while you go make peace with Whale.
Rata drops down from the ropes and helps batten down any loose items before stretching his tired limbs and making his way down to bed, "Be cautious, we've got quite a storm coming. Be sure your life line is secure." He says to whomever is rising for the next shift.
Rata laughs at Oren's abrupt manner, and nods along with him, although he still gives the man-shark a hard glare, "In the Mwangi, stowaways are dealt with swiftly and without mercy. Make him walk the plank, he'll be out of our hands and most likely survive the encounter, since you are so worried about saving him - this "man". As far as I'm concerned he is a man no longer. No man that I am aware of can shapechange into a shark and thirsts for blood." Gesturing to his daggers, "If it were up to me, I'd slit his throat and be done with it. After we question him, of course. I am curious as to how he came to be upon our ship."
If we're going to agonize over every little detail of this trip, it's going to be a long voyage, indeed...
Rata found it quite strange that everyone was attempting to heal the fellow while his dagger was still lodged in the man's chest. Bending down, he grasped the hilt and quickly pulled it free, causing a sickening slihnk sound. He quickly found a rag in the hold and proceeded to clean the blade before sliding it back into it's usual place across his chest. He had to smirk at Jacinth's comment, "Yes... Ships and fire. Not the best combination." He smiles at Ke', tapping his head with a finger indicating think before you act. Looking down at the man, half-kidding and half-serious, "So, he walks the plank, then? But maybe he should answer a few questions first." He turns a cold-eyed gaze on the man.
Rata draws another two daggers, gripping one in his mouth as he makes his way down the ladder. At the bottom, he approaches the corpse slowly, both daggers in hand, "What was he? Does anyone recognize him?" He makes no move to retrieve his embedded dagger.
Rata's jaw goes slack as he sees the wereshark tear into the eagle's wing, "Look out, Wedjat!"
Rata pulls one of the many daggers from the bandolier across his chest and flings it at the beast's open maw.
Rata easily dropped the last five feet to the main deck, taking a moment to stretch his limbs and back. With a sigh of contentment, the long day's work having done well to keep his mind off of darker thoughts, he was about to head belowdecks when Aikane taps him on the waist. "Huh-?" he replies, but quickly silences his inquiry as he notices Aikane flashing the signal for silence. His brow furrowed in curiosity, Rata gives a silent nod after Aikane indicates the hatch leading down to the hold. He crouches down low and begins crawling over to the hatch, but, unfortunately, as he does so one of his joints gives a loud crack, and a startled exclamation escapes his lips. Giving Aikane an apologetic look, he approaches the hatch, listening intently for whatever sound that might've stoked the menehune's cause for concern.
Feeling refreshed after a good 8 hours of sleep, Rata rises and once again returns to manning the sails and lines of the tops. He breathes in deep, the salty air clearing his lungs and his mind alike. The wind rips through his hair, causing the beads and shells woven within to tinkle and flash. He gives Oren and Aikane a wave, signalling that everything seems to be running smoothly for the moment. He turns his gaze to the east, anticipating a glorious sunrise on this brand new day. The blazing red globe illustrating his thoughts... The color of blood. Usha, if you can hear me, I will find them. It won't be today, and it probably won't be tomorrow, but I will find the men that took your life. Their blood will be spilled. ---
You be you, Nef. Don't apologize for doing too much, I simply felt obligated to explain my situation. Thanks for the clarification. I'll edit the map with Rata's current location. And, yes, I am feeling much better, despite the fact that my school got eliminated last night. So thank you for that. :)
I'm kinda lost in the sheer volume of posts from this past weekend so someone nudge Rata when he's supposed to wake up for his shift and I'll pick up from that point, haha. These weekend posts never cease to amaze me! Meanwhile I'll take a gander at adding in the Navigation skill to Rata's repertoire and as soon as someone can tell me where Rata currently is (with him failing that Fort save, I honestly have no idea) I'll gladly edit that here map thingy. Edit: Welp, apparently I don't have any skills in survival or kn. geo. so I guess Rata's navigation is staying at nil unless I can pull from other skills.
Since Rata practically grew up manning a merchant vessel, I think it seems a bit odd that he doesn't meet the requirements for the helm. What were the required skills again? Is it survival? He only has a +1 in that, but he has +6 in prof. sailor. If you would allow me, sir Kraken, I would change his skill points to reflect these abilities since it only makes sense, given his background.
Kinda ironic that Rata feels exactly like I do at the moment, hah.
Hey guys I've been bedridden for the past 36 hours with a stomach thing so feel free to bot Rata as needed as I'm not sure when I'll be posting again.
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