Carn: Islands of Despair.

[drackcove]

Original Thread
OOC Thread

The Storm came quick and furiously. The Silverlady rocked and forth, most of the passangers, were huddled together wrapped in blankets given to them by the captain. Frombelow deck you can hear crew men rushing from place to place.

What you know so far: Including the six of you there are about 8 passangers, and maybe 12 in crew. the ship is only about 150 ft long, 40ft from side to side and only two and a half decks.

[Raz_Fox]

Iarsa is leaning against a wall, shifting her feet continually to stay upright in the rocking boat. It's not really worthy of the moniker "ship". She's staring at nothing in particular, until she starts to speak.

"I wonder if the ship is going to collapse in on itself. That would be scary I guess. Even though I like swimming like in the lakes back home. Those lakes were really really cold and had water the color of my hair - which is getting all wet now thanks to those cracks in the hull. I wonder if those cracks will stretch all over the hull and then they'll crack open and then the ship would collapse on itself and I'd get to swim. I wonder how many people here can swim? Probably not a lot especially the big minotaur and the beast-changer. And the mage's robes would get all soggy and drag him down too. We don't want anybody to get dragged down to the ocean floor by their armor even though the ocean floor is very interesting especially all the multi-colored fish down there and the occasional shark like the one that nearly ate me the last time I dived down to look for pearls."

[Jalor]

Azerkth was not happy. Not that this was exactly news, but he was especially dour today. He was soaked to the skin from the rain, his hair was matted completely over his eyes, and he hadn't slept for more than an hour since the Silverlady left port. He had a lead to go on, the best in years, and it was keeping him up nights. And now the elf's chatter was disrupting his thoughts.

"Please do stop speaking. I *highly* doubt this vessel will collapse in on itself..."

He pulls a wand from his belt and taps the cracked boards with it. The boards begin to mend, stopping the leakage. (OOC: Repair Objects rote. Forgot to write it on my sheet.)

"...especially not now".

He pushes his hair from his eyes and resumes whatever he'd been focusing on.

[drackcove]

From The small cramped passenger room you are in, you hear a barrel of supplies in the nextdoor cargo room rolling around. The other two passenger, a woman with her young son, seem to grimace and hold each other tight.
"This place isn't very safe" the young boy whispers to her.

Roll perception checks.

[Mando Knight]

Here we go!
...blast, it's got no bonus!

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[roll]1d20[roll]

[Mando Knight]

Argh, forgot to put the / on the second [roll] bracket... and I can't edit it in...

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(1d20)[14]

Edit: forgot to close the spoiler...

[RTGoodman]

Tel

Sitting in mostly silence except for idle chit-chat with the others, the minotaur Tel spends most of his time thinking about the past. Last time I was on a boat like this, there was a storm TEN TIMES this bad, and we didn't complain...

Hearing the sounds from next door, he lifts his bestial head to listen more intently.

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I'm used to doing OOC stuff and dice rolls in spoilers, so I'll just stick with it if that's fine.

Perception: (1d20+3)[15]

[Raz_Fox]

Iarsa glares at Azerkth.

"How rude! I can't believe you'd tell me what to do especially as I wasn't talking to you at all but was just thinking out loud about the storm! Who knows with a boat this flimsy how long it'll hold up to a storm although we're very lucky that we have someone who can repair the ship's hull which we might need if the hull below breaks completely from stress. I don't really care how moody you're feeling today that's still no excuse to be rude to others you know!

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OOC: I have a pretty good perception check. (d20+8)[24] Let's see if the hull is going to break!

[Jokes]

Haymar

Despite his tanned complexion, Haymar is looking very green. He'd found an empty barrel and had spent most of his time disgorging the contents of his stomach into it.

"I hate boats..."

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(1d20+3)[15]

[Jalor]

Azerkth rolls his eyes. I *so* don't need this right now... he thought. He rubs his sunken eyes and returns Iarsa's glare.

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(1d20+6)[7]

[Ron2112]

Thanald

Thanald listens to the exchange with a slight grin on his face. I believe I shall like this lot, he thinks. Aloud, he says, "Peace friends, this weather shall pass. We should however, attend to the passengers. They appear to be made of slightly less hearty stock than the rest of you....."

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Perception - (1d20+1)[18]

[Mando Knight]

The calm, bewitching Eladrin meditating on her blade suddenly looks up, feels the tense air between the adventurers, and responds, "Indeed. I believe that remaining calm here would be wisest--the storm will subside in time, but worrying about it won't help..."

(Perception check is up above...)

[RTGoodman]

Tel

Grunting, Tel looks back to his arguing companions. Nodding towards Thanald, he speaks up, "I agree with the mage - the fastest way to kill off a company is to make 'em start fighting between themselves. We're all here and this storm ain't over yet, so we might as well not start bickerin'. My name is Telganithas de-Orilg, but you can call me Tel."

He stands despite the rocking of the ship, stretching out but steadying himself with his glaive.

Reaching over to Haymar, he awkwardly puts his hand on the man's shoulder. "Ah, you'll get used to it sooner or later, lad. Gods know I was even worse the first time went overseas."

[Jalor]

Azerkth stood. "It's good to meet you, Tel. My name is Azerkth." Antisocial though he may be, he was glad to have a conversation with someone besides Iarsa.

[Raz_Fox]

"Oh but I wasn't worried I was just wondering if the ship would collapse out loud but you're actually right that we shouldn't be worrying at all about the ship because this storm will probably pass us by this evening and who knows this ship might actually still be alright by the time it's over!"

Iarsa walks over to Tel as well, grinning and extending her hand as she does so.

"It's realy nice to meet you, Telganithas! I'm Iarsa and I've never met a minotaur before and I'd never heard about how big you guys are though you probably get it from the bull part of your ancestry even though I've seen some pretty big humans and some pretty small bulls most bulls are still bigger than humans. It's really interesting how Melora decided that humans were supposed to be one size and that would be the best size for them and how bulls had a size best for them and I guess she decided that the best size for minotaurs was really really big like you are!

Oh and cheer up Haymar! The sea is natural in the way it moves up and down and side to side just like the soil is natural in the way it doesn't move at all anymore except in earthquakes like the one on Isbrak and that was a really big earthquake that destroyed a lot of houses and killed five people after their houses collapsed on top of them even though they were pretty flimsy houses in the first place and they would have collapsed anyway if the earthquake hadn't destroyed them first. Anyway, be glad! The sea is meant to move like this sometimes calm and peaceful and sometimes really wild and constantly moving like right now! Try to enjoy nature's gift instead of being all miserable about it!"

She gives Haymar a honest, sincere grin as she finishes her long dialogue.

[drackcove]

In the cargo room you hear an extremely loud crash and a thud. Suddenly a large breeze forces the door open and you see a body of one of the crew bleeding profusely on the ground with water pouring over him as it seems he fell through the boat.

DC 10 or higher: You see a few crew members standing over the hole looking down. You think he fell from the crows nest...
DC 15 or higher: The blood is not pouring from his broken and mangeled back...its seems to be coming from his throat.

[Raz_Fox]

Iarsa's scimitar seems to leap into her hand as she spins about, instinctively going into a combat position. When nothing immediately comes out of the door, she silently moves over to the door and readies an action to attack anything unnatural that may come out.

Her footsteps make no sound, and it is hard to even make out her outline in the dark shadows near the door.

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Sneaky roll! (d20+9)[29]

[drackcove]

The child yells out a yelp as he sees you pull out your swords and grasps his mother tighter.

[Mando Knight]

Erolien notices the fallen sailor, and his bleeding-ness... and jumps up in surprise. "Oh, gods! He's... dead!" She looks from the sailor's corpse to the rest of the passengers, and turns to Tel, Iarsa, and Haymar. "You look like a capable bunch... I'm Elienne, by the way... perhaps we should check to see if the rest of the crew is alright?"

Not waiting for a reply, she makes her way to the door.

[Ron2112]

Thanald

"While this is no time for introductions, I am Thanald, and I also offer my assistance." He gestures at the wound in the sailors throat, saying, "and this was no accident. Foul play is afoot, so be on guard." The wizard readies his staff and follows the others to the doorway, hanging to the side opposite Iarsa, but in view of the cargo room, so as to see what transpires.

[RTGoodman]

Tel

As everyone tenses surrounds the doorway, Tel hefts his glaive and begins examining the situation. As follows Elienne into the room, he tries to smile at the mother and child in the least threatening way possible, and then looks down to assess the man's situation. "Indeed. I don't think this was just a case of him 'falling down' on the job."

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You didn't say if he was dead or not (though I assume he is), but I just thought I'd check anyway and see what else I could figure out.

Heal: (1d20+1)[17]

Craning his head up, he calls out to the men above, "You, seamen - did you see what happened here?"

[drackcove]

Tel as you examine the body, you notice the throat was cut. But not cleanly more like an animal claw...though that would be inconsistent with fact there is only one cut.

The rain continues to pour over through the hole. one of the crew calls out his voice hardly audible over the wind "He just fe..."

Lightning rips across the sky and thunder cuts off his last couple of words.

The door leading up the stairs opens up and a Tiefling in a large overcoat and large hat(yes his horn poke through). This is the captain. "What the hell happened here. There is no time for this. YOU MEN GET BACK TO WORK! EVEN IF THERE IS DANGER OUT THERE IF YOU DON'T KEEP THIS BOAT AFLOAT WERE ALL DEAD!" he walks over to the body and examines it "what in the nine hells..."

[Raz_Fox]

Iarsa stays in the dark shadows, but looks up. The sky would be the natural place for any attack that's not aquatic-based, after all. She whispers, "Get back he probably was attacked from above by the looks of that cut. Big talons or a sharp beak could be a vampire but I don't think they cut like that I think it's a bird or something like it."

[RTGoodman]

Tel

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The Tiefling is the captain, right? If not, replace "captain" in the following with the appropriate position.

Address the Tiefling, Tel begins, "Well, captain, it would appear that... something attacked your man here and threw him down from the crow's nest. We just heard the racket and thought we'd take a look."

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An animal, huh?

Nature (?): (1d20+3)[4]
EDIT: Nevermind on that... I swear, the board roller hates me.

"Perhaps we could help above-deck..."

[Jokes]

Haymar

Stepping slowly toward the body, Haymar does his best to stay on his feet. He looks over at the body, trying to determine the claw that cut the mans throat.

"Maybe... maybe whatever did this is still up there?" He cranes his neck up and squints at the crows nest.

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You guys always seem to post when I'm asleep...
nature - (1d20+8)[9] edit: or the dice roller really hates nature checks...
perception - (1d20+3)[13]

[Ron2112]

Thanald

"Perhaps....although this weather is not making discerning the culprit any easier," Thanald says, also looking up.

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Perception - (1d20+1)[3]
Nature - (1d20+1)[21]

[Jalor]

Fairly slow to react, Azerkth draws his wand and crossbow. He strides over to the fallen crew member and examines him.

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(1d20)[18] for Heal to examine. If he's not dead, I use a Restorative Formula ability on him. If he is dead and the upper deck is less than 25 feet up (assuming he can see out) he uses Telekenetic Leap to jump out.

[drackcove]

Thanald- you take a look at the cut...you know several animals capabale of doing this, but most are land dwelling creatures in desert climates, snakes with bladed tails, giant scorpians ect... but this cut seems diffrent. Not a creature from this world anyway.

The captain nods "Yes, Nanneen bull*, I saw the fall myself. well the end of it, its hard to see 10 feet infront of your face in that weather."

Azerkath your examination quickly reveals he probably died from the impact of falling, but if he had survived that he probably would have bled to death. even your potions and elixers wouldn't have saved him. You jump to the top of the ship.The sky is dark until lit by distant, or not so distant, lightning. Crew are rushing place to place, keeping everything steady. The boats sails have been taken down at this point. Their is a fell voice on the wind...But what worries you more is that the runes on your skin are glowing softly.

(ooc: * this refers to the minotaur homeland, Nan. This is much like refering to someone from france as "me french friend". Not terribly offensive he just doesnt know you name and doesn't seem to be very interested in knowing it.)

[Ron2112]

Thanald tells his new companions, "This wound was not made by either a person nor by any animal that I know. I suggest we get above deck in the event it returns." To the Captain he asks, "Quickly -- what is the quickest way to get above?"

[Jalor]

Azerkth, until now, had looked calm and collected. When he noticed his runes glowing, however, he snapped alert. All traces of fatigue and moodiness gone, he actually looked scared. Scanning the area for an escape route, he comes to the creeping realization that he is trapped. A tiny, rickety boat in a storm was one of the absolute worst places he could have been.

He calms and steels himself for the worst.

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I am of course assuming you refer to the runes of his infernal pact.