Ujarak continues to back slowly watching the dragon.
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If his end is this dragon, Ujarak intends to see it coming. He backs slowly toward the crack. He doesn't push, just reaches an arm behind him, keeps contact with whoever's behind him, and steps back slowly to maintain his distance as they advance.
Ujarak replies in Allam:
Ujarak observes flatly, "He betrayed no one. I threatened him and took the club."
Ujarak stoically sits on the tunnel floor.
Ujarak is momentarily impressed by the strength of the hut. He shrugs and drops his club.
"Why surrender if death or slavery waits for us anyway?!" Ujarak shouts back. He holds his club cocked to strike and picks out a chipped tooth as a target, but doesn't swing yet.
Ujarak recoils at the sight of the dragon. He frantically resumes his attack on Blythe's foe. ..
Ujarak grunts in Allam and jerks his head toward Cyriphrain:
"Thanks. Give him one too. " The civilized Islander-sailor grabs the club and turns to meet the foe.
Taking a two handed grip on the club he tries to brain the one opposite Blythe.... ..
Ujarak speaks to the villager: "If you're not going to fight, at least give me that club. You can always say that I took it from you," Ujarak reiterates.
"The warriors are not from the village either. The villagers are too scared to fight."
Ujarak turns back to the villager and unleashes another stream of Allam. Allam Islander: "These foreigners are mighty warriors. They might kill the dragon. If you are scared gather your women and hide. But give me your club. At least I will kill some warriors for you. "
"They aren't my friends. I've already asked about weapons. I will ask about the cave." Ujarak turns to the villager again and asks in Allam about what's going on in the cave and where the dragon and priest are currently.
"Are we? I've only seen the inside of the hut. But there must be some way off. If not a boat then kayaks? The sea is life in the north, there must be something."
Grulorg turns to the stranger, "Run, where to?" "Anywhere but here? The farther away the better."
Ujarak looks at the orc talking about fighting the dragon, and the gnome actually walking toward the cave to 'see the dragon for himself.' "Are you all unhinged? You've cowed the villagers for now, but when the dragon comes back they'll turn on us. So unless you want to fight the dragon and the priest and the village, we need to run now." The sailor turns back to the villager, and begins talking again. "Так вы хотите их, вы хотите, чтобы мы, чтобы бороться с драконом для вас? ПриНесите нам свое оружие. Я получу команду, чтобы помочь. " Allam Islander: "So you want them, you want us, to fight the dragon for you? Bring us your weapons. I will get the crew to help."
"Дракон? Действительно? Я надеюсь, что они верят вам. " Allam Islander:
"A dragon? Truly? I hope that they believe you. " After a brief exchange, the sailor shakes his head and relays, "He says that the dragon and the priest killed the village headman and took over. They forced the villagers to do this. Oh and I am Ujarak."
An Allam islander crawls out of a hut and slowly straightens up to stand beside Cyriphrain and Blythe. His sailor's clothes are tattered from drowning on the reef and crusted blood mats his black hair and mars the right side of his round face. (And, despite the blood, if you paid much attention to the crew during the voyage you might well recognize him.) "Maybe I can help, your honors. I was a boy in the Allam Islands. I can still speak a little." After waiting a beat for permission, the sailor marches toward the villager and begins to speak in the local language. Allam Islander: "What do you want, brother? And why should these southerners help you? You held them and my crew prisoner."
Note to self: Do not talk to the guards!
Sailor fits Ujarak well and requires no changes to his background. Supposing we'll be in spoilers, I'll just wait for Aubrey to cue the hut action then.
One sea-sailing second class fighter-bard reporting for duty.
Aubrey, Cyriphrain: Ujarak tries to twist the warrior's arm back, restricint his movements.
Aubrey, Cyriphrain : : "She's coming in. The other guard is coming in!"
Aubrey, Cyriphrain : "I thought Cedric was going to be my only help, " Ujarak growls as he tries to twist around behind the warrior and bend the warrior's arm with him.
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: Determined that taking the weapon out of the fight is his only chance, Ujarak tries to close and grapple the warrior again.
Aubrey, Cyriphrain: Should have seen this coming. Ujarak moves forward, trying to step inside the savage's striking range.
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: ::
Aubrey:
Ujarak again approaches the door, but doesn't open it He presses himself against the wall beside the door frame and speaks again in Allam. "Sister, you are fierce and beautiful. A mother bear would be no less noble. Twelve years I've lived among the caribou does of the south. Let a doomed man gaze on you."
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: : "Sacrifice?" "If it was slavery, they'd have put the healthy among us to work already," Ujarak deadpans. [quote = "Brother-Captain Cyriphrain "]"Gather round, all, "Cyriphrain says, kneeling near the worst injured. From under his damp tunic, he draws his holy symbol and bows his head.
"Thank you, Brother, although Perfection has been more help in the past. Maybe the old gods are stronger in the north? Or maybe our own spirits are weak."
" I will try talking to them again. With luck, they are saving us for a holy day, and not a feast this afternoon." Ujarak steps to the door, but doesn't open it. He flattens himself against the wall beside the door frame.
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: Ujarak closes the door and retreats into the hut for a conference with Cyiriphrain, Cedric, and Ward. He gives them a synopsis of the negotiations, finishing with, "You'd think they'd be more careful with the property of their goddess." "I will hazard a guess that we're all due for sacrifice. The only question is whether they'll take the weak, the healthy, or all of us together first."
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: Ujarak closes the door and retreats into the hut for a conference with Cyiriphrain, Cedric, and Ward. He gives them a synopsis of the negotiations, finishing with, "You'd think they'd be more careful with the property of their goddess." "I will hazard a guess that we're all due for sacrifice. The only question is whether they'll take the weak, the healthy, or all of us together first."
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: Ujarak is quick to back up, before replying meekly in Allam, "All I want to do is talk, sister. To find out to whom we owe our lives, and what our fate will be."
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: It may be obvious from the sailor's short tale, but Ujarak recaps it anyway. "So we're prisoners then. Mr. Ward wins his point about nefarious purpose. I suppose I should try talking to them." He moves to the doorway, and speaks before even trying to open the door. "Ах минь, би чамайг зовоож байна уу, би ярихаар гарч ирэх үү?" Common translation "I am sorry to trouble you, brother. May I come out to talk?
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: Ujarak raises his voice to a hoarse shout. "Has anyone tried to go outside yet?"
Aubrey, Cyiriphrain: Ujarak gestures toward Cedric before responding to Cyiriphrain, "I'm afraid it's just the three of us now. I didn't see Daenan, Rish, or Walker. There's plenty of wounded, but whoever took us has kept us alive. Ward is the ranking officer. No sign of the captain, or first mate."
Aubrey and Cyriphrain:
Ujarak looks at the mate. "They pulled us out of the water. That's enough for me right now. Has anyone tried to go outside?"
Aubrey and Cyriphrain: "I've been better. Thank you, young sir. Took a rough tumble on the reef after I pitched down the deck. How'd you fair?" Ujarak experimentally moves his arms and legs, and pats himself gently. Then he pulls his walrus tooth from under his shirt and conjures up a bit of light upon it. With an apologetic look at Cyriphrain, he says "Clients first. Let's have a look at you then, Cedric." After a cursory examination of Cedric, Ujarak turns his attention to Cyriphrain. "How about you, my friend? What ails you?" He moves toward the second mate, "How are you Mr. Ward?" Only once these three have been examined does he take a longer look at himself.
Aubrey: [ooc] Figured out a fate worse than, have you?
Aubrey the Demented/Malevolent: ...
The pack, quiver, and swordbelt slide down Ujarak's arm's, interfering with his attempts to pull to the surface and dragging him down unto the reef. A breaker crashes on the shoals, driving him down and breaking his grip on his bow. He steadies himself on the rocks then pushes toward the surface, bursting into air in time for a quick breath before for another breaker plunges him onto the rock again.
Ujarak clears the doorway onto the deck. He takes his own advice, lurching toward the upward side of the boat. He's not quite there when the mast snaps...
... and a snapped stay flies at his face. His hands fly to protect his face. Burdened by the gear looped over his shoulders, they are too slow, and the stay flays a nasty stripe from cheek to brow. Without a handhold, he begins to slide down the deck. He lunges for the rail, fingers brushing a belaying pin that would have saved him. Then he's sliding toward the water. The sea is cold and clean in his mouth. He shivers as water fills his boots, and soaks through his clothing. He thrashes in the water trying to scramble back to the deck.
Aubrey: I'll let you tell me just how bad it is before deciding to drop almost everything.
Ujarak shouts as he ducks into his own cabin. He checks his belongins, the pack on the bed, Why'd I put the mail in there? the spears, Too unweildy. cutlass, It might get ugly on deck. and the bow. Damned if I'm leaving that behind. He slings the pack over one shoulder; the sword belt for the cutlass, over the other. Then he grabs his bow and the quiver of arrows. Plunging back into the companionway he yells,
Ujarak grabs for the ratlines to keep from first spilling overboard, then being thrown across deck by the recoil. Almost instinctively he looks to the poop deck, listening for commands. Then he remembers his charge and hurries below deck to check Cedric and then gather his things. "Rish! Is Cedric all right?"
As the storm lessens, Ujarak returns to his cabin to try to catch up on sleep. But finding no comfort in his bunk, he straightens his cabin. He responds to Jakson's announcement with compliments on the ship's integrity. Then he gladly ascends the ladders to the deck. If laid in a balance, it may not outweigh the prior travail, but the sea after a storm is one of Ujarak's favorite moments at sea. The deck has a comfortable motion as he walks about, steering clear of the active crew members. The breeze is as fresh as dawn. The horizon obscured sun still lights the peaks of the thunderheads trailing away to the northeast. Laying his hand on his chest he murmurs, "This is good. Thank you, Anori Aput."
Ujarak braces himself across the companionway, glad that his last meal is staying down. A span of years before the mast were no guarantee against sea sickness. He smiles and nods approval at the young artist. "Aye, and you'll have a story to trade with your friends at comfortable dinners at home. Mark Ward's words after this blow. He might toss this off as nothing special, or he might frame it in a way very helpful for those future dinners."
"There's a big storm coming. Best to go below decks." "Sir, if I can help in any way, please ask." If Jakson doesn't take him up on it, Ujarak follows the others below. Although he thinks it highly unlikely that it will be needed. He packs some essential items and mail in his backpack, then lays it on his bunk on top of his unstrung bow. That done, he steps into the companionway and moves down to Cedric's cabin. "Be easy, master Cedric. The storm may be uncomfortable, but is unlikely to be a real danger. The ship is well-founded; the captain, officers, and crew all know their business."
Ujarak spends most of his days on deck, watching the horizon, watching the crew, sparring if anyone will have a match. He takes his turns cheerfully with Cedric. Like Rish, the Allam islander enjoys watching the young man work, and Ujarak tries to draw him into conversation and encourage him to be more social... "You've social status which can get you an invitation to table at any of the great houses in the empire, but at sea the captain rules like a suzerain. It's as much an honor to be invited to the captain's meal as if your father invited us to eat with him."
Evenings when they don't dine with the captain, Ujarak spends on the foc'sle with the men before the mast, and he encourages the others to come forward too. There, he's a little more free with his stories than in the captain's presence.
Aside from a brief sojourn below to unpack his belongings and grab his cloak against the breeze, Ujarak spends the day on deck, clearly enjoying the weather and setting. At dinner Ujarak puts on his social face. He tries hard not to seem intimidated by Captain Budd, after all she's no more fearsome than Captain Berrycloth was, and Ujarak is grown now, not a mere boy. Besides, one should never seem glum when invited to the Captain's table, unless the Captain desires otherwise. Unwilling for his side to make a poor showing, Ujarak trades one sea story for every ten of Ward's. That seems about the right ratio given their disparity of experience. His best tale is from his days as a cabin boy when the ship's cook convinced a seaman to culture cheese -- in the stomach of a live goat. The victim traded his rum ration to the cook in return for a portion of milk which he then fed back to the goat. Although the goat never produced cheese, everyone won. The cook had an extra tot of rum each day. Sober, the seaman was promoted. The goat was extraordinarily healthy and fat, which pleased the crew when the goat was had for dinner.
Ujarak follows Jakson and the others below decks, maneuvering his spears and longbow handily in the cramped quarters. Before Jakson takes his leave, Ujarak asks him for a quiet word at his convenience. In his cabin he quickly sheds his heavy pack, weapons, and mail. Proper unpacking can wait until later. He returns to deck armed only with a dagger. On his return, he keeps an eye out for the others, to keep them out of the path of the crew. "The captain has few ship rules, but one of them is keep out of the crew's way, and I suggest staying well away from the weather -- upwind -- rail of the poop deck. That's customarily the captain's or watch officer's domain." During the ceremony his hand drifts to his chest to clasp the carved ivory tooth beneath his shirt. He breathes out as the libation is poured and quietly whispers, "good fortune to us all" as the Captain commends Ward. When Cyriphrain approaches him, Ujarak nods in agreement. "Good idea. I doubt there will be trouble aboard, but we should establish the pattern now. Someone will always be with him." Otherwise Ujarak finds a quiet patch on the weather rail of the main deck where he can shift fore and aft to avoid the crew while watching them and the passing scenery. When the ship clears the breakwater, his hand again strays to his chest. If anyone joins him along the rail to talk: "I miss this sometimes. It's interesting to watch as a passenger. " If you're interested he'll point out evolutions of the crew, describe the names and function of the rigging, etc.
Carried Gear:
Additional Gear, not currently carried. Longspear, reversible cloak, backpack,cold-weather gear, spear, waterskin 242 gp remain. I would have liked a sextant, but they're 500 gp. U is going to have to beg lessons and borrow equipment.
"Good afternoon, Captain Budd. I am Ujarak Berrycloth. It was very nice of you to meet with me.... "
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