Ruins of Azlant, Part I: A Bountiful Venture [PF] (IC)

[Stelio Kontos]

The OOC thread is here.


Three weeks ago, you set sail from the Andoran capital of Almas aboard the Peregrine, a hired vessel tasked with bringing you and 50 of your fellow colonists to your new home: the island of Ancorato, a jewel of tropical paradise in the Arcadian Ocean, in former Azlant. The colony of Talmandor’s Bounty was founded just a few months ago, and you and your fellow passengers have committed for your own reasons to join the approximately 100 other colonists already present in expanding the base of operations. It is the eventual hope of the Bountiful Venture Company that a number of natural resources may be sourced from the site; colonists are entitled to a modest percentage of profits once the venture's initial expenses have been recouped, though this may take up to a few years.

The journey aboard the Peregrine has been uneventful; the ship’s fare has been nourishing if rather bland, the accommodations adequate if sparsely furnished. The weather has been pleasantly warm, the winds favorable, and the company has been universally enthusiastic about the prospects of starting a new life at this exotic location.

You’ve all been required to pitch in with tasks suitable to your abilities, though the ship’s hired crew and the dozen or so Andoren soldiers assigned to protect the colony have ably taken care of most of the required sailing duties, and you've had ample free time to get to know your fellow passengers or attend to any personal needs.

At dinner, the ship's captain Jacob Markosi makes an exciting announcement: "Tomorrow, late morning if the winds hold, you will arrive at Talmandor’s Bounty! Please be prepared to pack your belongings immediately after breakfast, and make ready for departure on the main deck. From there, your governor-designate, Miss Ramona Avandth, shall be in charge of your organization." The captain informs you that the ship is far too large to land at the colony’s modest dock; supplies and passengers will be loaded onto the two ship’s boats and used as a ferry service, along with a similar craft left in the colony's service by the initial colonization ship. Everyone will be expected to assist with the loading and unloading of the supplies -- foodstuffs, livestock (including a small herd of goats and one lion), a few craftsman’s tools, and other items bound for the colony -- so that the Peregrine can make a prompt departure before nightfall.

Spoiler: OOC

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I'll be updating an expanded list of NPCs for you in the OOC thread, should you wish to make any inquiries or interactions, but it likely won't be fully completed until this evening.

Spoiler: Player List

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Player	Character	Race	Class	Alignment	Campaign Trait
The Mad Hatter	Rackham "Rick" Brutal	Human	Gunslinger // Bard	Neutral Evil	Ex-Pathfinder Recruit
jamieth	Rovena	Human	Occultist (Silksworn) // Wizard	Neutral Good	Following in Footsteps
Desril	Shana	Human (Azlanti without stats)	Elementalist Shifter // Spirit Guide Oracle	Chaotic Neutral	Pathfinder Initiate
Darvin	Tirsen Dray	Tiefling	Unchained Rogue (Eldritch Scoundrel) // Psychic	Chaotic Good	Skillful
pi4t	Liyinva Lofall	Half-Elf	Druid (World Walker) // Unchained Monk (Master of Many Styles)	Neutral Good	Expert Explorer (or Set Mind)
Lt Gravemind	Edo Oshiah	Human	Samurai (Sword Saint) // Investigator (Empiricist)	Neutral Good	Eagle Knight Recruit

[Darvin]

Tirsen swallows the morsel of food in her mouth. Getting out of hard labor is doubtlessly her first priority in Talmandor's Bounty, and setting a precedent from the very beginning is important in that regard. The looming reality of her life for the next few years has been getting heavier over the last few days, but that doesn't mean that a girl in man's clothing can't make the best of it.

"I believe... yes, there is good fortune for our landing tomorrow," Tirsen smiles, then purposely changes her face, "but something else... I see..." she carefully casts a Burst of Insight spell. Rovena is the only one in the room she expects to recognize the spell, and even then it might easily be interpreted as a legitimate effort to augment her divining, "captain, I believe there's a matter in the colony that merit's the governor-designate's attention to upon our arrival - immediately,"

The backlash of the spell comes crashing down upon her, and Tirsen falls silent momentarily.

Spoiler: OOC

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Bluff check; Burst of Insight gives me +8 charisma for the check; rolled in Discord for a result of 16

[Stelio Kontos]

Captain Markosi looks uncertainly to the lady seated to his left. She, in turn, looks at you, a bit confused. "It's nothing you can tell me right now?" she queries.

[Darvin]

"Forgive me; I have never seen the colony with my own eyes, so I have no context with which to interpret my revelations. If you are doubtful, I can go ahead alone to investigate the matter," Tirsen shakes her head as she recovers from the immediate stupor of her spell, "and I mean no offense, milady, only that it is the captain who must manage the logistics of our arrival tomorrow,"

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm seated that close to the governor? Oh well, roll with it.

Also, that was technically true. Tirsen doesn't have the context with which to ground her lies yet.

[jamieth]

The news about soon arrival drive Rovena excited like a little girl again; she almost automatically makes note of the fact that Tirsen uses a spell to boost his mental aquity before addressing the captain, but pays it no real attention. Of course one able to use magic to perform better would do so. Rovena herself wasn't quite as nimble and supple without the little supportive charm she renewed daily.

Besides, ther's so much to do. Repack all her books. Put the dress out to let it hang through the night. Rehearse some spells that would aid tomorrow with the unloading... oh, there's defintely so much to be done!

[Desril]

Shana looks up from the salted pork that she'd filled her plate with, having discovered recently that her new taste buds simply adored salty things, as Tirsen makes her prediction, and though she raises a skeptical eyebrow, she isn't able to discern any trace of actual falsehood from the grimspawn. Still, that doesn't mean she can't use the situation to her advantage anyway. "Well, prophetic magics like that, in my experience, tend to be vague and mostly useless for actually figuring out what's going to happen. Still, perhaps I should go with you, Lady Avandth, in case I can help?"

Her old body was used to manual labor, but there wasn't a callous on this one, and she rather preferred to keep it that way while she could. It was just a matter of knowing the right people and being able to help the right ways.

[Stelio Kontos]

"All right" Ramona replies to Tirsen, clearly a bit uncertain about how to handle the request. "I can't have you taking a boat alone, though. We've got a schedule to keep. Tell you what, be sure and have your things with you at breakfast and assemble at the ship's boats immediately afterwards. I need to deliver the updated colonial charter and relieve Mr. Arkley; you're welcome to accompany me on the first boat in and we'll figure it out. Does that sound acceptable?"

"Same for you as well, I suppose" she remarks to Shana. "And please, it's just Ramona, or if you must Miss Avandth. Lords and ladies went out a long time ago."

[Darvin]

"Thank you, Ramona. I do believe I can manage that task for you," Tirsen turns to Shana with an understanding look, "I am quite aware of the limitations of prophetic visions. Do not think of them as answers in and of themselves, but as guides that will lead you towards answers. I have spent many years honing my ability to interpret, and am confident that my abilities will speak for themselves,"

[pi4t]

Liyinva sits watching all this, silently observing. She's not exactly knowledgable about the kinds of magic that Tirsen uses - it's a long way from the druidcraft she's used to - but she has the feeling she so often gets about Tirsen, that something wasn't quite right about how he did it. It felt a little overly dramatic. And why would he wait until the meal to do his magic? Then again, she reassures herself, maybe he was just waiting until he heard that we were near to land.

Her thoughts turn to the landing tomorrow. It will be good to get off this boat and onto solid land again. And Midnight could certainly do with the exercise. She's still rather annoyed about the way the Company treated him; his enclosure is nowhere near big enough for a growing lion cub. And that letter had a very nasty threat in it; she almost reconsidered the whole thing when she saw that. Anyway, she looks forward to getting that particular collection of worries over with. And seeing living plants again at last...She hopes it won't rain while they're still unloading; she may be used to living in the wild but a heavy rainstorm you can't shelter from is still not very pleasant. Difficult to say, based on the weather over the last few days. Of course, there will be buildings there, though, if it gets really bad.

Returning from her speculation to consider the present again, she realises the conversation has continued without her. As usual. Liyinva looks around to see who's beside her, and what they're talking about.

[Lt Gravemind]

Those who dealt in the telling of the future had always triggered Edo's sense of caution. He had never actually met one who gave a meaningful 'prediction' in his own land, and the most convincing one he'd received hadn't exactly panned out like everyone had expected it to. Otherwise he'd still be home, not that it was home any longer. All that being said though, Edo couldn't get a read on whether the prophet believed their own ramblings and made sure to mentally note that he had everything on his person accounted for. If something went down, he'd be prepared.

Well, as well prepared as anyone stuffing their face with food as fast as possible. While Edo might have been eating better in his homeland, enough travel had kept the foodstuffs relatively new to him wherever he had gone and the sea trip was no exception. Eating the same food for as long as the trip could get boring, but fortunately he had alchohol, alchemical regants, and spices he brought along to work with for food. It helped that chopsticks were still applicable.

As the conversation went, he made sure to finish his bite and swallow properly before speaking up.

"It never hurt to have a swordarm backing a fated landing. Might be good to have a second, Miss Avandth," Edo suggested, making sure to lay on the extra gravel to his voice.

[Stelio Kontos]

Ramona looks around at the colonists, a somewhat exasperate smile on her face. "Look, I know you're all anxious to get to the island and get settled in, but we can't fit everyone on the first boat, all right? We'll be sending between eighty and ninety trips between the ship and the island between passengers and supplies, and it's going to be an all day affair. I'm sure we'll manage to get everyone on dry land at some point."

[Stelio Kontos]

The morning dawns with the greeting of a clear blue sky and waters as calm as could be. The ocean's surface appears almost like a sheet of light blue glass.

The communal breakfast -- a special bounty of pancakes and heaping mounds of sausage -- is excellent, and the mood at the table is quite jovial; everyone is thrilled to finally be making landfall, and talk of unloading the ship and getting settled in is the order of the day. Only a couple of passengers are not present at the breakfast.

As breakfast comes to a close, you hear a joyful cry from above deck -- a single voice at first, the message repeated from sailor to sailor is unmistakable. "Land ho!" Even those not quite finished with their meal can't resist the urge to abandon the table, and a rushed but orderly ascension of the stairs to the top deck is made by one and all.

Sure enough, the island of Ancorato is in sight, perhaps twenty minutes away. It's impossible to make out details at this distance, but the sandy beaches and floral hillsides present an inviting view. Most everyone makes their way to the front of the ship, anxious for a proper view. After a few minutes of taking in the sights, Ramona Avandth leads Tirsen, Shana, and Edo to the aft deck, where the two ship's boats are assembled.

Spoiler: Tirsen, Shana, Edo

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Ramona beings speaking, in a authoritative but friendly manner. "Thank you all for being so prompt. You wanted on the first boat, so here we are. You have your things, yes? Load them up. The boats seat eight rather comfortably, my thoughts are that we'll take us four to start along with supplies, we'll get some assistance in unloading onto the beach, couple of you can be on rowing duty for a while. Back and forth like that...

The well-laid plans are interrupted by First Mate Naerath, who gently places her hand on Ramona's shoulder to interrupt her. "Excuse me, Miss Avandth? Captain's asked to speak to you on the bridge. Said it was urgent."

"All right, let's go. You all load your things, I'll be back in a minute."

Everyone sees Ramona and the first mate ascend the staircase to the captain's bridge, towering above the height of the main deck by some twenty feet, speaking to him for a minute and looking through the spyglass. After a minute or so of conversation, the first mate returns alone to the aft deck...

Spoiler: Tirsen, Shana, Edo

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"Ramona says she'd like you to join them up on the bridge, immediately. Leave your things here, we'll take care of loading them on."

... and then the first mate finds each of Rick, Rovena, and Liyinva...

Spoiler: Rick, Rovena, Liyinva

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"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. Miss Avandth said she'd like to speak to you privately for a moment up in the captain's bridge. Won't take long."

As the group assembles in the captain's bridge -- a tight squeeze with the six of you, Captain Markosi, and Ramona -- Ramona inquires to Naerath still looking through the spyglass at the colony, "And Miss Sandstrider?" "Still below deck I believe. Bit of seasickness still."

The captain says to Naerath "Thank you, that will be all. Shut the door please on your way out."

As soon as the door closes, Ramona speaks bluntly. "It appears your premonitions were quite on point, Mr. Dray. We've got a problem", offering the spyglass to any who would like to look through it. “Something is wrong. Nobody’s in sight. There’s no smoke from cook fires or the smithy. Some of the buildings look burned out. I need someone to check it out, quietly, and I think you seven -- well, six ,without Miss Sandstrider -- are probably best suited for it. Sailors can't keep their mouth shut, so you keep yours shut. Word of this gets outside of this room, people are going to start to panic.

"We'll take the Peregrine up north -- tell everyone we're going to take a bit of a sightseeing tour of the island before we disembark. There's an alternate site we'd identified here" (at this, Ramona gestures at the map of the island, laid out on a small table next to the steering wheel) "which was the second choice for a colony. It's also the site we agreed as an extraction point for anybody, should there be trouble at the main site. There may be people there waiting to be rescued. We'll kind of hover up around that area. It's an approximately eight or nine mile walk, but you stick close to the beaches and you won't have any trouble spotting us and we won't have any trouble spotting you. Once you've had a chance to give everything a once-over, make your way there. I'm not going to lie to you, I don't honestly know what you'll be getting into, but someone has to do it. Does this sound like something you can handle?"

"Miss Lofall, do you believe you'll be able to adequately control your pet on one of the ship's boats? If so, you can take him along. If not, we'll have Father Eamon feed it on schedule, but honestly most of the sailors would be quite happy to have it off the ship as soon as possible."

[pi4t]

As the captain speaks, Liyinva takes the spyglass from her and peers through it. "Odd...it looks almost as if the colonists decided to move somewhere else and abandon the settlement. Except...why would they have burnt the buildings? Come to that, why would they have moved in the first place?" Liyinva shivers. "Either there was some sort of fire-related accident and everyone decided to rebuild the colony somewhere else - maybe the second location - or something worse happened. Captain, were there any other creatures on the island? Big animals, some sort of people, or something? Or anything else odd about it? Apart from Azlant ruins, I mean. Oh, and yes, Midnight will be fine with a short trip on the boat with me around. And it'll be good for him to get some proper exercise ...I will get his training harness, though, just in case," Liyinva adds, seeing the doubtful looks appearing on some of the faces around her. She looks closely at the map to memorise their route, though in truth Liyinva has been looking at maps of the island regularly during the voyage as a proxy for living on the actual island, and has memorised most of it by now.

[jamieth]

"Well, there's obviously a rather rich and varied wildlife", Rovena half-answers the question that wasn't addressed to her in the first place, "as befitting such a location - nothing particularly dangerous that would be beyond the setterls' abilities to handle comes to mind, though... and no previous exploration showed any signs of civilization... surviving civilization, I mean, obviously. But I believe it's pointless to try guessing from the insufficient information we have... unless master Dray would make a contribution?" she looks at the self-proclaimed diviner.

"You can count on me in regards to the planned survey, of course." Rovena touches her black wide-brimmed pointed hat with the fingers of the white glove decorated with arcane patterns with a reassuring nod.

[Hattish Thing]

Rackam:

Several minutes through the bountiful breakfast, Rackam shows himself once again. Although the man usually appears collected and quite well-dressed, it's clear that the mysterious stranger was up quite late the previous night, and must have been drinking far more than usual. Now highly hungover, the one-legged buccaneer stumbles into the mess hall, his gold-plated leg stomping against the wooden floorboards, the ominous noise echoing throughout the room. Still clutching his forehead, Rackam waves lazily towards the others at the breakfast table before producing a fork from a sleeve and eagerly impaling a particularly fat sausage with the sharp implement. Rackam takes a bite, wiping his nose and glancing towards the others around the table with a raised eyebrow.

"Mm... Morning."

After looking around the table shiftily, Rackam reaches forward, stealthily swiping several particularly juicy sausages and an entire pancake, before quickly stuffing the stolen goods into one of his many deep pockets. The buccaneer masks the action with a short cough, before grinning towards the others around the table and tipping his broad cap.

Rackam slinks off soon after, back into the darkness from whence he came.

--

The Ex-Pathfinder makes his way up to the deck as soon as the excited cry of "Land Ho!" is uttered. As he begins to languorously conduct his morning stretches atop the deck, Rackam is approached by the first mate, and subsequently instructed to meet with the Captain.

He follows with a smile upon his weathered face.

--

Rackam listens intently to the Captain's explanation, a curious expression on his face, one that just barely manages to hide his excitement.

[Darvin]

Tirsen had to fight back the sly childish grin of having dumb luck excuse her from an elaborate show. A mental reminder that this was a bad thing did the trick. A stern, unflinching face.

Tirsen turns to Rovena, "I've been interpreting these premonitions for years now. When you have the opportunity to clarify them with your own eyes, you take it. Ramona has the right idea, we should go to shore quietly and investigate. Also, I think I'll conserve my magic for self-defense"

Tirsen eyes up the group that the captain and governor has assembled. It's unlikely that Tirsen would have chosen much differently if given the chance. A strong sword arm, a gun, multiple spellcasters of various disciplines... Tirsen idly touched the rapier at her side, a weapon she'd been able to talk her way out of using for the longest time. She suddenly wished she'd spent the money for a nicer one when she had the chance, but it was much too late for that consideration now.

[Lt Gravemind]

Despite the initial implication that he wouldn't be amongst the first ashore, Edo was fine. He had been at sea long enough, and finding the perfect spot to nap on the island could wait a bit. So it was a great thrill to actually get called up and ready to hop onto the first boats to and make landfall. His hopes of a smooth landing were rather dashed however on hearing the news, and a pit formed in his stomach. Burned out buildings and a lack of signs of life pointed more toward a grim fate than what his colleagues suggested, and for a brief moment he could hear the sounds of screaming and the smell of acrid smoke before his mind returned to him.

"You can count on me." Edo added to the sounds of confirmation coming from the rest of the assembled individuals. He pulled out his blade slightly to check the edge before sliding it back into it's sheath, and glanced over the rest of the party. At least they all had the selflessness - or at least backbone - to be confident in the volunteering. Hopefully they had the skill to match.

[Desril]

Shana was more than a little surprised that Tirsen's prediction seemed to be accurate but didn't hesitate to nod her head, "I can handle it just fine. And we'll see if we can find any clues about what happened, but somehow I doubt it'll be as simple as all the survivors packed up and are waiting at site B."

Ominous as the thought was, the damage to the town didn't seem extensive enough at a glance to justify vacating it, which meant that either magic was involved...or a more intelligent foe than a big beast and that probably kidnapped and either sacrificed or enslaved the colonists. Still, if this was going to be her new home, she had to figure out what happened and save as many people as she could find.

[Stelio Kontos]

Ramona looks at the group, clearly pleased with your willingness to help. "Excellent. Gather what you need, if you haven't already, and meet at the ship's boats in ten minutes. Miss Lofall, we'll have a couple of men on hand to assist with your pet if necessary. And remember, not a word to anyone about this, please."

Spoiler: OOC

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Feel free to fill in anything you might need/want to do in a reasonable amount of time, we'll retcon it in as required.

As you assemble at the boats a short time later, you find that the top one has been unstacked and is ready to be lowered into the sea with a crew of four ready to man the ropes to drop you down; it's a bit under a mile row in to the beach. The belongings that Tirsen, Shana, and Edo had brought earlier have been stowed handily beneath the benches that line the inside of the boat. With six of you, plus the lion, plus your things, it's a fairly tight squeeze, but everything fits -- barely. Ramona is returning from the fore deck, with about half the passengers watching her walk away from them, and the other half looking out onto the island. "That could have gone worse" she remarked as she approached. "Everyone ready to go? Mr. Brutal, I'm given to understand you have substantial nautical experience?. Simple rowboat, two oars will need to be manned. Best of luck. Stay safe."

She steps out of the way, ready for you to hop aboard.

[Darvin]

Tirsen casually slung the backpack containing the last of her worldly possessions over her shoulders. It wasn't very heavy, and was unlikely to leave her person for some time now. Tirsen glanced at the others, then quickly hopped into the boat to take a spot at the front, "let's not dally!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Rolled for initiative in Discord to act first: 20

[pi4t]

Liyinva approaches the boat with Midnight, who is clearly uncomfortable with the idea of getting on an even smaller boat. Liyinva whispers something to him, and pulls on his lead a bit, and after a hairy moment when the boat begins to tip he settles down at the front next to Tirsen. Liyinva settles down behind him, tucks her backpack at her feet and the lead under one arm, and picks up an oar. She looks back at the others, waiting for those remaining on the deck to get in.

Spoiler: OOC

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Still sure you want to sit there, Tirsen?

I'm going to bring only 3 days of food for Midnight with me; any more would probably be excessive and would weigh me down. The rest has been left on the ship with instructions to the relevant crew.

[jamieth]

Rovena packed even lighter, leaving the whole of her baggage on the ship; the idea of an eight-mile-walk while carrying a whole bag of books didn't sound very appealing. So, she only took a spellbook, for the purpose of emergency consultations - and, of course, her wand, but then Rovena didn't leave the wand behind even in the bath.

Seeing the boat, the young arcanist, with childlike enthusiasm completely betreaying her projected air of maturity and gravitas, hopped over the guardrail into the boat, taking place at the left board behind the rower.

[Desril]

Shana had packed light to begin with, having only taken the essentials with her when she boarded the boat in the first place, so unlike some of the others, there wasn't any concern about what to pack, although as she boarded the smaller row boat she began to wonder if maybe she should've brought some non-perishable food with her, rather than trusting those more versed in resource management. Still, she left behind one of her better dresses, the very one she'd awoken in this body wearing in fact, and hopped on with little more than her scythe, armor, and, though it was hidden in a pocket, her wayfinder, just in case they got lost. The more perceptive might notice that she seemed to hesitate briefly before getting on, however, almost like she was nervous about being on the small vessel yet she never seemed to suffer from seasickness on the boat or otherwise showed a fear of water during the course of the longer journey.

"Tirsen is right, we can't delay," she says, sitting down and, unlike Liyinva, waits for someone else to take up the remaining oar while she fearlessly reaches down to pet Midnight.

[Lt Gravemind]

Never being one to travel too heavily, Edo's revelant items were already stashed aboard the boat and all he simply had to do was hop on. Well, after making sure to take a minute ready at least one of his extracts. Perhaps whatever had caused the situation before them had moved on, but it was certainly something none of them could count on.

Edo assumed a position at the other oar, making sure to take one last swig from his flask before they got moving. Afterward he nodded at Liyinva and flashed a quick smile. Despite the situation, he always felt that maintaining a positive external appearance was one of the best ways for maintaining inner balance.

Spoiler: OOC

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Edo has used a minute to prepare a Shield extract, one of his two extracts for the day. He's leaving the other extract unprepared for the moment.

[Hattish Thing]

Rackam stumbles forward, wincing and glaring towards the harsh sun before lowering his cap over his face. Once the rowboat comes into view, the ex-pathfinder frowns, tapping impatiently at the exceedingly well-crafted crutch at his side.

He takes a deep swig from the flask at his belt before stepping forward confidently, tipping his hat towards Ramona. "That I do, M'am. We've little to fear from a sea this calm, trust me."

The ex-pathfinder smiles, gold teeth flashing in the sunlight.

--

Rackam boards the rowboat with ease, resting upon the back end of the boat and resting the crutch in his lap. As he gazes over towards the island ahead, Rackam removes a small golden pipe from his sleeve, before lighting it quickly.

He glances towards Rovena before nodding his head curtly, offering the pipe with a crooked grin.

"Care for a smoke? It's good for the nerves, ye know. Who knows what sort of things we'll find ahead of us..."

The man chuckles strangely.

[jamieth]

"And when we do", Rovena replies with a cold stare bordering on disdain, assuming her arcanist persona again, "Last thing I'll need is for something to cloud my mind. That is to say, no thanks."

[pi4t]

Liyinva nods back to Edo and attempts a tense smile back, but this only reveals her true anxiety about the situation on the shore to those watching her. She clutches at her oar, ready to begin rowing once the boat is lowered into the water. Midnight, meanwhile, seems to be enjoying the fuss.

Rackam's suggestion gets him only a look of disgust.

[Stelio Kontos]

As the last of you get settled into the rowboat, the crew begins to lower you down into the sea. It's some thirty feet from the top deck until you hit the ocean's surface; the crew manages to get you down in one piece, though not without the occasional minor bobble that sets you a bit off-kilter. Midnight does his best to burrow into the floor of your boat, clearly uncomfortable with the proceedings.

Finally, you reach the surface with a gentle splash, and release the ropes that held you securely to the Peregrine. The ocean extends beneath you -- how far, it's impossible to say, as the sea bubbles and churns with its inevitable muck. Down is not an option; neither, any more, is up. Your fate, it seems, is firmly in your hands -- or rather, in the hands of Liyinva and Edo.

Fortunately, the sea is quite calm this day, and with their great strength it's little trouble to get the boat up to a moderate walking pace. The half mile row into shore will take a bit of time, but the ocean's calm and the fair weather tell you you have nothing but time to worry about.

A bit more than a hundred yards from shore, the ocean floor rises gently; you're not quite sure, but you almost think you can make out the ocean's bottom not too terribly far below your feet. The gentle lapping of the waves and the roiling of the seaweed and other ocean flora make quite a peaceful sight, and the colony's modest dock looms invitingly. Another minute's easy row in and you'll be on dry land at last!

Spoiler: Liyinva Only

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A rather less comforting sight is the blue-skinned creature, lurking in the muck about twenty feet ahead in the water, just off the path of your ship. A single vaguely bat-like ear pokes just centimeters above the water's surface. It certainly seems to have noticed your boat, and looks primed to attack when you pass by in just a couple of seconds. You're not at all sure WHAT it is, though.

[pi4t]

Liyinva suddenly tenses, and jams her oar into the water. Her voice, however, remains surprisingly calm as she announces "Attacker on the left" and nods at something just outside the boat. As the boat begins to turn to the right, Liyinva lets go of the oar with her left hand, grabs hold of the lead between finger and thumb, and drops into a combat ready pose, her fingers poised like the fangs of a snake as she glances around the area outside the boat, scanning for more enemies.

Spoiler: OOC

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Alerting everyone that we're about to be attacked, and spending my action making a more active perception check to see if there are more enemies like the one we saw. Also steering the boat.

Edit: A moment later, Liyinva calls out again in a rather more alarmed tone. "There's another one under the boat!"

[Stelio Kontos]

Liyinva's motion sets the boat rocking a bit as it jerked off course to the right against the friction of the oar planted in the water; it occurs to you all that it's a good thing you were sitting down, or the unsteady motion might have sent you plummeting into the murky water to the unknown depths below.

Her cry to attention brings you out of whatever quiet thoughts you may have had; though most of you haven't yet seen whatever danger lurks on the waves or on the shore.

Spoiler: It's combat time!

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Rolled in Discord.

Tirsen 23
Rovena 21
Bad Things 19
Edo 12
Shana 7
Rick 5
Livinya 4 (and for ease of operation, I'm just having Midnight go when you go, at least for now)

So, here's how we'll run things for ease of operation. Tirsen and Rovena can go, in any order of convenience, then it's time for me to dish out your suffering and pain, then the other four in any order as you're able.

For those that haven't seen anything yet, an active Perception check is a move action, should you choose to make it.