S. O. S.

[JettWilderbeast]

Wellon
Seeing that the Little Girl might be willing to come Wellon says; Yes, I thinks mommy needing us helping. Come with me. Wellon stands and offers the Little Girl a big furry hand.

[Lonna]

Mara

Mara looked at Paul carefully, then nodded. Normally she wouldn't let someone in his condition wander around, but the current situation was hardly normal. "When we're done we'll head for the nearest staircase. Come fetch me if you find someone injured," she told him. "Otherwise we'll meet you there."

As soon as he headed off, Mara led the way down the hall to the passenger dining area. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for the potential carnage and nodded to Christie before entering the room and beginning the search for survivors.

[ZeroNumerous]

Meurin

"It's your choice, so lead the way." Meurin follows the Elder to the ballroom after rewrapping herself in her wings. She would see how far these two were willing to go to save themselves.

[highapostle]

Ceutic

Ceutic cleared his throat in what he hoped was a slightly impatient and authoritative manner. "Sir, listen to me. The boat is sinking, and I think you'll agree with me that something like that happening is bad for your health," the priest announced, leaning forward to grasp the tailor's shoulder. "If you follow me, we can get out of here now."

[Maryring]

Mara

The waiter gives a quick nod of agreement before he speeds of down the hallway. Mara and Christie then look at each other, before they move over to the arched door. As they get nearer, they hear the rush of gurgling water, and they hasten their pace. Christie opens the glass door and they gaze over the edge to see that water is gushing into the room from several broken windows. The floor is covered in foaming white water, with rapid currents dragging on dead bodies and floating chairs. However, Mara can't help but feel some sort of relief, as even in this chaos, there is a survivor. Clinging to the walls in one corner of the room is a woman of a powerful build. She is frantically struggling against the currents that try to drag her under and out of the ship, and probably won't be able to survive for long. Mara quickly assesses the situation of the room, and figures that in less than five minutes, the room will be flooded and the rest of the deck will follow shortly after. The woman struggling against the currents finally notices Mara and Christie looking up at her, and in her struggle, she waves to get their attention. "Please. *cough* *splurt* Help me."

---

Wellon

The little girl smiles and stands up. She stands on her toes and stretches her arm out, but still can't quite reach up to Wellon. The large Minotaur is forced to bend down before she can reach him, and when she does, he can't help but notice how incredibly small her hand feels in his. The young girl smiles up at him, and together, the two of them make their way towards the nearest staircase. As they reach it, they are surprised by an elderly man who suddenly comes jumping down from the floor above. When he sees you, his face brightens up in a half-smile. "Oh thank goodness, I've found other survivors. You wouldn't happen to have seen my wife, have you? Her name is Adela Howell, she's around my age, with gray hair and of medium size, wearing a blue and white dress." The old man speaks too quickly for Wellon's taste, but despite that he is certain that the woman this man speaks about is not one he has seen, neither dead or alive.

---

Meurin

Meurin follows after the older woman through the hallways. On their way they pass several departed, and Meurin notices that the Scholar keeps wringing her hands with more and more worry for each dead they pass. When they finally arrive at the ballroom, they find that most of the passages into it has been blocked by debris. It takes a few minutes of clearing before they manage to finally open one of the doors into the ballroom. One by one they climb through the doorway and into the ballroom of death. The Elder barely manages to suppress a gag at the sight of dancers crushed to death by the instruments which only an hour ago provided them with delight. As they glance through the room, it becomes apparent that reaching the doors will be difficult, as they are several feet above the ground, and thus unreachable for the nonflyers.

---

Ceutic

"Heh. Out? How?" The tailor doesn't even turn to face Ceutic. "The ship is upside down. There is no way out. Down, there's only water. Up, there's only iron and gears. No my friend, we are doomed to death." The tailor giggles manically as he fingers a beautiful white dress next to him."Quite ironic. I finished this dress today, I spoke with the bride less than an hour ago, and now I'm sure both she and her husband to be is on their way to the other side. And we'll be joining them shortly."

[ZeroNumerous]

Meurin

"It seems that fate conspires to test your resolve." The dragon-woman doesn't speak to anyone in particular, but she addresses anyone who's willing to listen all the same. She knew little of the dancers, but she knew enough of mortality to not let their deaths weigh her down. Neither of her companions were quite that strong, apparently, and she would need to steel their resolve. "You'll need to pile objects together to reach that door. Those instruments would help, or a table or two. I suggest doing it quickly."

Without further ado, Meurin searches through the area for anything sturdy enough to support the weight of an average human. If she finds anything, she'll begin pushing it toward the door.

Spoiler

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Search - (1d20+5)[13]

[Lonna]

Mara

Mara was already shedding her satchel and shoes and passing them to Christie when the struggling woman noticed them. "Try not to let the satchel get wet," she instructed, "and be ready to help us out of the water."

Pausing, Mara took a few precious seconds to judge the strength and direction of the currents in the room, drawing on knowledge learned as a child to see the best path to the woman. Then, taking a deep breath, she dove in. {{Swim - (1d20+4)[18] I don't know what the DC is but for now I'll assume this roll will beat it.}}

It took seconds for Mara to cross the hall, using the currents to her advantage and breaking free of them just before they became too strong. Treading water, she reached out to the larger woman, shouting reassurances as she wrapped an arm around the other woman's chest so that they would both float on their backs, faces free of the water.

The swim back was more difficult than the swim out had been, with only one arm free to swim and fighting the currents. However, Mara had noted the weakest currents and swam in those to increase her speed, though it meant taking a slightly more round-about route to the doors where Christie waited. Finally reaching the doorway, Mara gripped it with her free hand, turning so that Christie could help her half-drowned passenger first. Then pulling herself out once the woman was safe.

"We should go, and quickly," said Mara, gasping from exertion and shivering slightly now that she was out of the water. "Paul will meet us at the staircase; we can help eachother up to the next floor and make introductions once we have a little more space between us and the water."

[highapostle]

Ceutic

Ceutic was a bit taken aback by the elf's response. Has he gone mad with fear? Just in case the tailor had taken leave of his senses, the priest took a small step back and took out his ceremonial mace as a precaution against an attack. Trying to remember back to his seminary days, the only thing that he could recall for dealing with people "on the edge", so to speak, was to keep them talking until a more experienced cleric could come and banish any unnatural spirits from their mind. With the latter strategy relying on easy access to a more experienced cleric, Ceutic decided to try engaging in the former.

Summoning the voice he usually saved for particularly inspiring sermons, or just to wake up worshippers who had become so overcome with the spirit that they lapsed into sleep, Ceutic launched into what he hoped was an inspiring, impassioned speech. "By the grace of Pelor we shall see our way out! I have seen other survivors, including the captain, and together we can make our way to safety. You, you my friend, can help us all, including that couple! By the way, do you know where they were heading last?"

Spoiler

Show

Sense motive, to determine why the elf is being so fatalistic:
(1d20+5)[8]
Diplomacy to convince the elf to come along:
(1d20+2)[7]

[JettWilderbeast]

Wellon
Wellon, now pleased to be looking after the little girl and keeping her from harm, was shocked to have now found someone else; I've seen no lady. Not like that. Wellon's abrupt conversation style may seem rude but it's not, it's just Wellon. Really he is now concerned for this lady too. Come with us. We look for Little Girl's Mother and your Wife. Also I look for Engineer Chief; Patrick. He friend and know what to do!

[Maryring]

Mara

"No wait!" Christie shouts out to Mara as she dives into the raging waters. The doctor doesn't care to stop listen though, and dives into the chilly water. As she enters the cold grave, she silently thanks herself for bothering to learn how to swim, as these currents can drown even skilled swimmers in a matter of seconds. The next few seconds are a blur, but somehow Mara manages to swim back to the doorway, where Christie stands ready. She reaches out a hand and pulls both Mara and the other survivor back into the hallway. Mara's head keeps on swimming for a few more moments, before she regains focus. The woman she just rescued is already up on her feet, gazing down into the carnage she just left and uttering words that must be the names of lost family and friends. Mara's urgent words snap her back to reality however, and she falls in line after Mara who leads them towards the stairs. There, they meet up with Paul, along with an elderly woman. The two of them are moving around debris from the stairs to create a boost neccessary to get further up.

---

Wellon

"Oh, I would appreciate that." The man walks towards the stairs and glances down. "Adela must still be in our cabin. I just hope she is okay." He turns to Wellon. "I have to find her, but I'll be grateful if you'll come with me." With those words, he goes down on all four and grabs hold of the edge of the "floor" and uses it as handholds to soften the fall as he jumps down to the floor below.

---

Meurin

The three ladies push around on the broken instruments and tables. They use the piano as a base, and then build up on it with tables, followed by chairs and instruments, until they have created a makeshift tower that can be used to climb up. The Elder is the first to try climbing up. She has almost reached the top when the ship tilts more heavily in the waves and she loses her balance. She is just about to fall when a scaly man appears in the doorway to reach out and drag the Elder in. He appears quite similar to Meurin, but he is far more muscular, and the gold on his scales has a much deeper tint, making him appear almost as if he is made of burning gold. "Careful. That'd have been a nasty fall." He says as he pulls the Elder into safety, before he turns back to the others. He spreads his wings and leaps down to stand before the Scholar, his wings preventing him from taking damage. "Good evening my ladies. Do you need a ride up?"

---

Ceutic

The elf gives an insane giggle. "The couple? No idea. Probably somewhere on this deck though. They were probably discussing their wedding plans in their cabin when the ship tilted over. Oh the irony." It is obvious that Ceutic lacks the confidence to get through to the man, at least without more available proof of hope at hand.

[JettWilderbeast]

Wellon
Wellon looks down at the little girl... How about it? Mommy might be that way and Lady of that Man Be that way.... I carry you if you like? If the little girl allows Wellon will put her round his neck like a piggy back and have her hold on to his horns.

[Lonna]

Mara

Without a word, Mara set to work helping create a mound of debris they were able to use to reach the next level. As soon as it was finished, she sent Paul up, then the elderly woman, then Christie, and finally the woman she had pulled from the dining hall. Mara herself came last of all.

Once they were all safely, if temorarily, out of reach of the rising water, Mara initiated a brief round of introductions, doing her best to memorize names and occupations. Retrieving her satchel from Christie, she pulled out two tablecloths and used one to towel herself damp - if not dry - while passing the second to the other soaked woman. As she dried herself she spoke to the others.

"As I see it we have two options from here. We can keep moving up, or we can stay here for a bit and look for more survivors. We should have a bit longer to search this floor before we're in danger from the water. You can each make your own decision, but I'm staying here for as long as there's a chance that I can find and help more survivors." With a pang Mara thought of Gretha, but she resolutely pushed the emotion aside. She would want me to help whoever I could. I'm sure she's doing the same right now, she thought, trying hard to convince herself that this was so.

[Maryring]

Wellon

The little girl squeals in delight as Wellon lifts her up and places her on his shoulders. She gets a firm grip on his horns as the large minotaur jump down after the elderly man. The man is pretty quick for his age, and he keeps on running down, until they're running through the hallway of the ninth deck.

---

Mara

The elderly woman introduces herself as Adela Howell and the other newcomer calls herself Emirie Talnara. Adela used to be a seamstress, but is a passenger on this ship. The same is Emirie, who also has employment as an architect. She has just posed her question, when she hears the heavy steps of others approaching. The group turns to watch three shapes appear around the corner.

---

Mara and Wellon

First an elderly man, then a minotaur with a young girl riding on his shoulders. When the man sees Adela, he shouts out loudly in delight. "Oh Adela. I'm so glad to see you survived."

"Jeffrey." The woman replies with a smile, and the two run to each other and embraces each other, happy to be reunited.

[ZeroNumerous]

Spoiler

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Ooops! Totally forgot to make a post.

Meurin

The dragon-woman frowns, then sniffs loudly as a sign of distrust. "I assume you're willing to help them, but I have no need of your assistance. Scholar, are you going with this man?" Whether she has an answer or not--Meurin unfolds her wings and flies up to the next floor, then ushers the older woman to the side. She takes the time to note the conditions of their surroundings, whether or not the area is damaged structurally or unkempt.

Spoiler

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Spot - (1d20+5)[21]

[highapostle]

Ceutic

He's mad, I can't convince him otherwise ..." Ceutic thought in growing desperation. In a compromise, he decided that he would quickly search for the couple, and then if time remained he'll come back for the elf and get him to come up with them to safety, one way or another. Without a word, he turned and ran back to the corridor, looking for the couple.

[Maryring]

Meurin

The Dragon and Sage looks after Meurin as she flies up, then, without waiting for the Sage to answer, he grabs her and flies her up after Meurin. Meanwhile, the draconic woman has taken in the view of her surroundings. The structural damage isn't as great up here, closer to the surface. Now things will become a bit more tricky though, as they are now closer to the bowels of the ship. Meurin hasn't been below the fifth deck in her time on the ship, and has no idea what to expect further. As she ponders the next course of action, the Sage speaks up. "I need to see if my family is alive. Our cabin is on this floor, so I'll go and check on them now."

---

Ceutic

The cleric finds himself speeding through the corridors again, looking for more survivors, and failing to find anything but dead. The entire situation is despairing, when he finally reaches the end of the ship and becomes aware of a soft sobbing. It comes from a nearby cabin, and with little regard to the courtesy of it, he opens the door and runs in. Inside, the bride is sitting on the floor, bawling her eyes out over the lifeless form her soon-to-be husband. At first glance, the young man seems to have passed on, but Ceutic can notice that his chest lifts and sinks, a sign that he's alive, but heavily wounded. Crimson roses are all across the dress of the young woman, made by the gushing blood of his open cuts.

[highapostle]

Ceutic

Without a word, the priest rushed to the young man's side, a fervent prayer to Pelor (genuine this time) on his lips as he willed healing power into the prostrate form in front of him.

Spoiler

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Cure Light Wounds: (1d8+4)[8]

[ZeroNumerous]

Meurin

The golden woman frowned at the prospect of what they would find if the entire group went to investigate the area. She turned and spoke to the Scholar, then the Elder and the newcomer all in turn. "Very well, I will accompany you to your room. Miss, I need you to investigate the way upward, it may or may not be blocked as the last floor was. And.. you. I need you to investigate the other rooms in the event of survivors. If you find any survivors, and only survivors, then lead them to the stairs upward. Nowhere else, understand?" Meurin put undue stress on the last part of her message, as she needed to keep people from panicking. Her patron dragon was unlimited in her patience, but Meurin's patience would prove very finite when stacked against crying and moaning.

[Lonna]

Mara

Mara smiled and followed Adela at a slightly slower pace. Small moments like this were what allowed people to survive disasters without simply giving up. She recognized Wellon, and spared an instant to wonder why he was so far from the engine room, but quickly set the question aside.

"Are any of you hurt?" she asked instead. {{On the off chance she gets an affirmative answer, here's a heal roll: Heal - (1d20+11)[31] In the more likely event of a negative answer, she goes straight to the below actions.}}

Once she was satisfied that no one here needed her aid, she addressed the group. "We don't have much time. I'm going to look for more survivors on this level. You are all welcome to help if you desire, or you can continue moving upwards, away from the water. My colleague, Gretha, was on duty in the doctor's office on deck 6. If she still lives-" Mara swallowed hard and took a deep breath, holding back the flood of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her as she acknowledged that her only close friend might be dead. "If she still lives, Gretha can help you with any injured you find along the way. I'll go up myself as soon as I can."

Without waiting for a response, Mara glanced around the group, nodded, and headed down the hall to search for more survivors.

[Maryring]

Mara and Wellon

All the newcomers shake their head. They seem to all be in good health. After some speaking, it is decided that Wellon will take the girl and Paul with him. Christie and Jeffrey doesn't want to leave though, with the chance of survivors still being around. Adela also agrees to join with Mara, to stay with her husband.

Mara

After splitting up, the group continues to search through the deck until they meet up with the Captain. He greets them with the message that he is done searching this part of the ship and has found no more survivors.

Wellon

"Where will we go now big guy?" The girl asks Wellon as he climbs back up on the eight floor. "Will we go to the nice lady that the other nice lady said about? Or will we look for mom elsewhere? What do you think?"

Meurin

The Scholar leads Meurin through the wreckage, passing several dead though they do not bother the Scholar, who instead seems more intent on seeing how her family fared. Finally, the door to the cabin is reached. Without stopping a moment to hesitate, the Scholar leaps up to push open the door into the room. A slow shudder pass through her as she gazes into the room, as small tears well up in her eyes. "Mother..." she steps into the room silently. "Father..." Her eyes are focused on an older couple lying on the floor, an aura of peace lingering over their lifeless bodies. "No... I am too late..." She sobs softly as she steps forward a bit, suddenly noticing another body lying between them. She quickly steps forward and shakes the body with her hands, to reveal the still living body of a young boy. "Bro... hey bro. Wake up little bro!" She says, shaking him vigorously, though not getting much response. "Come on. You're breathing. I know you can make it. Wake up!"

Ceutic
The bride only looks in shock as the skin of her lover quickly regains colour. Wounds close and bones mend as his breathing becomes more stable. He opens his eyes and blinks, then suddenly looks around. "Where... what happened? Why do we all look like this? And do either of you have something for my headache?" He says, holding a hand to his head.

[Lonna]

Mara Herbswife

Mara's heart sinks. "No survivors on this entire deck?" she asks incredulously.

[Maryring]

Spoiler

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I'll be away for a week or more at least, sorry for the short notice.

[Maryring]

So... it's dead?

[ZeroNumerous]

Looks like it.. Sorry Maryring.

[Maryring]

Oh well. New game then. Any ideas or suggestions for what you guys want? I could create a game in the same world and make references to this game and the players here even if that sounds interesting.