For the next week, Scholar assembles a boat on the dock out of flotsam and nothing, given a berth (happily) by his new 'patron' family. A shipbuilding journeyman is assigned to him as an 'assistant', largely to figure out how Scholar is working x10 times as fast. Of course, that's a lie, he's working x1000 times as fast.

This lets him put together the boat in record time, and spend a bit more time reinforcing the vessel, working out the kinks. Through the miracles of knowledge, and now with access to other vessels, Scholar is able to put together a straight up upgraded version of the medium sized fishing boats used by the city.

It is far less remarkable than the arc assembled by scholar in terms of appearance, however, anyone with any experience with nautical manners would mark it as a bright republic rep

In size, they are similar to a knarr.. but a modern one, built with truly impressive durable rigging from silk spun from plywood (don't ask). Again, no planking (why bother when you could just form the hull into a single thing?), and the rigging was rather more extensive than most fishing boats, with a number of small improvements to make them more managable with a smaller crew.

It was as if the boat was constructed by the bright republic.

When it it finished, in record time, a representative from the family (you recognize him as Orfeo from the gate) shows up. "So, how is the boat coming along. It looks good. Is it sea worthy?"

The journeyman looks horrified and increasingly pale as the week went on. He'd spent the past week mostly standing in slack jawed amazement, looking increasingly despondent as the work neared completion. "This man makes my entire craft meaningless. The work is superlative."

Increase smirked deviously at the journeyman's comments.

"I wouldn't say meaningless, simply mundane. No matter the skill that you obtain with through traditional spheres of knowledge and experience you will never reach these heights. I, however, can uplift you and any other shipwrights of those who I align with."

He casually plucked a palm sized stone from the beach and with a pass of his hand polished the item to a mirror sheen.

"Although I believe I will leave those negotiations until this task is complete."

He deposited the stone into the shipwrights hand.

"Keep that. It'll be useful to you one day."

Orfeo made a mental note to buy this man's exclusivity or at least a non-compete contract.

"And he did the work alone. Outstanding! We'll be happy to provide fishing gear and provisions.

We have more than a few sets I do not think will be picked up."

In a few days, all sorts of supplies are made available. Argent arranges a crew that can best be described as "Eclectic", mostly people with issues with other crews, willing to work cheap.

"I wouldn't trust a one of them to shave me, but I don't think stabbing you in your sleep is a likely possibility. And they do know rigging. I made sure their bosun is decent, he's an ex skipper who lost his ship and is saving up for a replacement."

That just left any other Gods who wanted to join.

  The diffuse crowd that Gaja had been accumulating over their stay preceded her to the dock, but remained behind there.  Anyone who'd been willing to volunteer for this trip already had.  She'd come by a fishing spear somewhere and had a coil of rope over one shoulder, but otherwise didn't seem to have packed for the trip.

  "Increase!" she called as she neared the boat.  "I am coming!  Did Argent tell you?"  She took the first mooring line aboard instead of walking the extra five paces to the gangplank.

When Increase heard his name called his looked, his gaze lingering a bit before speaking.

"Ah Gaja. Welcome. Argent did mention to me that you were coming along."

He composed himself and turned to face Gaja squarely.

"Your assistance is much appreciated. This task should be more likely to succeed with your assistance."

  "Always so stiff.  Tsk."  She laughed as she said it, though.  "I appreciate the chance to get away from this city.  Everyone is so crowded, it feels hard to breathe here."

  "So how can you be sure this boat will be one attacked?" she asked.  She was eyeing the rigging; she looked mostly lost with it.

Increase gave a slight smile which he quickly stiffled before turning to the boat, gesturing in a wide sweep.

"The ship is made in similar fashion to the others that have been attacked. We will also be carrying a crew of fisherman who will be actively fishing during the expedition. That's something that the other vessels sent to investigate failed to replicate."

He exhaled slowly but audibly.

"Beyond that we cannot be totally sure. I might transmute some of the water into blood, see if I can stir some great beast but I'd rather not do something so...overt. Especially if it attracts creatures that were not a part of the problem to begin with."

Claire quietly walked up to the pier, before taking a short leap across the water to the deck. Unlike Gaja, she bore no visible weapons - but then, Claire herself was weapon enough.

"Good morning, Gaja, Increase," said the automaton tonelessly. Still getting used to this "being human" thing, clearly.

The crew arrived shortly after, in dribs and drabs. They weren't a unified crew, but the port master took charge, and soon after, a loud man with a scarred face in his 40's. Some of the scars looked fairly fresh. They were an odd, dispirate bunch.
After the gear began to be readied and divied out, the coated man approached the dock and the boat.

"Any of you the captain of this fine vessel?"

His voice was surprisingly pleasant, despite the fact he was the image of the grizzled, crusty naval man. His coat was of good quality, but it had obviously been stitched up recently here and there, and some of those scars on his face looked deep.

He was pretty sure it wasn't the howler or... whatever the pretty young thing in the absurdly short skirt was, but he didn't want to presume. He'd been told this was a strange one, and to take it in stride.

  Gaja inclines her head toward Increase.

  "Mister Scholar.  He built the boat."

"Very good, ma'am. And a fine Job to you, Captain. I'm Carna M'add, former skipper of a fishing vessel till a particularly bad run of luck. At your service."

He bowed to them all, a little stiffly, doffing his slick leather hat.

"If the Captain agrees, I'm to be your bosun and, I've been told, effectively a first mate aboard this ship for your experiments, and that I'm to treat you all as keel plate owners and agents of the house, and extend to you every courtesy.

Essentially, it'll be my job to turn your orders into action.

I'm afraid the crew's.. a little dodgy, but they aren't green, thank goodness. With your permission, I'll get rid of the worst of the idiots and start preparing for the voyage."

He motioned to Gaja and Claire.

"I'm afraid there's no proper cabins aboard this class.. if it's anything like the style of boat I'm used to. I'll whip the piss out of any of the crew who give you trouble.

I'd recommend some slickers, pants and hats for the voyage if you don't want to catch your death."

  Gaja laughs and kicks her feet up, leaning back over a railing.

  "Leave one idiot, and it'll take care of itself.  Claire can make him piss himself just fine.  We're not here as decorations."

Claire nodded to the man and gave him a slight smile. One of the first to treat her as a human, really. "Welcome aboard. I'm Claire, navigator and lookout. I don't suffer from cold and wet like humans do, but thank you for your concern for my health."

She grinned at Gaja's words and gave her a thumbs-up gesture. "And yes, the three of us are all trained fighters. And I've had to deal with handsy fans before in the Republic." Even if her memories of doing so were a bit hazy.

Increase strode forever when Gaja introduced him as the captain of Fishing Vessel.

"Well meet Carna. As my associate has said I am the captain of this vessel. You may refer to me as Captain Scholar."

He then listened to the man speak on his own skills and nodded amicably at his suggestions even as his associates lodged their counter proposals.

"Yes I believe taking you on as my bosun will be most advantageous, welcome aboard. As for removing the idiots from among our ranks I must agree. Better to have a more efficient operation than waste needless time making examples of people. Please see to their removal as you deem fit."

Increase was a wanderer and intellectual and both of those had taught him to heed the council of those more experienced than himself. It had kept him alive. Beyond that it benefited Carna to impress his employer and humans often worked to the their own advantage whenever possible.

"Once that matter has been resolved gather the crew. I want to set sail within before noon."

Carna took in their words carefully before replying.

"As you will Captain, ma'am's" he hid a light grin, though it was unmistakable for those as observant as the three gathered.

"Very well then. I'll make we are ready to go then."

And, though it was a near thing, they departed just before noon. Carna gave a status report on the vessel's supplies and crew situation. He only ended up removing a few people as idiots - some who already had been blacklisted for gross inexcusable crimes.

The weather, despite being a bit rainy, is cool but not windy enough to interfere with ship functions. There are a few minor disciplinary matters, but Carna is quick to take action to them.

By the end of the first evening, the boat is well clear of the cove, and the endless blue sea stretches before them, waves lightly tossing the boat. It's a different experience than the arc, which was so large that it practically nullified the motion of the waves beneath them. With this tiny vessel, you feel every pitch of the waves, and there's virtually no where one can go on the ship where one isn't surrounded by the crew.

"It'll be at least another day before we can start fishing - the crew has to acclimate to the ship and we've got gear to set up, but honestly, the areas right by the shore aren't set up for our type of fishing, anyway.

Don't expect miracles from this crew, Captain. They aren't used to working with each other, and that takes some time to work through. Still, we'll try and get as many fish as we can."

The food is packed from the city, and is of decent quality. It's the last meal that's not made of preserved foods or fresh fish the party is likely to enjoy for a while. Other crews might have a concertina or other instruments playing in the evening, but this time the crew just mutters a bit and brags about their experience fishing. At least, you think they are talking about fishing. The stories are rather thick with double entendres.

Despite Carna's warnings, none of the crew are stupid enough to try anything with the crew.

The next day, the boat is far enough out that the fishing begins, though it's somewhat of a disaster, as the crew are new, and so is the gear, and a significant amount of time is spent setting things up and basic communication failures slow things down immeasurably

Without skill in the arts of mechanics, it's difficult to know where the crew is screwing up (Captain Scholar, of course, figures it out instantly), but some of the mistakes leave Carna nearly apoleptic in rage or in the time honoured traditional position of placing his face in his hands.

Very little fishing is done on day two.

"Sorry, Captain. I know there's no excuse for shoddy performance, but I'd say this is honestly as good as you could expect with new gear, a new crew and a new boat.
By the end of this voyage, this crew will be halfway to decent, but it takes time to put people into a rythym and work out the kinks in new gear.

We're ready to start tomorrow, properly."

Increase allowed his bosun to handle the duties assigned to him. When there were no issues with the crew on the first day he silently congratulated himself for making the wise choice of listening to the bosun. He hadn't wanted anything to derail his efforts and the more flawless this venture went the greater his renown would be.

He doubted it would ultimately be effortless or even without bloodshed but the less the better. All the same they were not nearly as fruitful in their fishing attempts and Increase accepted the bosun's explanation.

"I understand Carna. You have worked diligently within your position but you cannot make happen what cannot. They will learn and improve with time and we shall reap that benefit. Dedicate yourself to the task and results shall follow."

Placing a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder he adjourned to his quarters. On a normal ship these might be non-existent but he was the craftsman of this vessel and would never not have a private area for himself. Inside he would hold council with his allies.

"I believe it is time that we talk strategy. Carna will likely have the crew ready to begin fishing in earnest within the next two days. I believe we will experience whatever has taken hold of the previous ships in that time. I have no leads as to what being or force has been capturing the vessels but it is likely not mundane in nature."

  "Not on their own, they're not," said Gaja.  She'd spent a fair portion of the day swimming on a dragline, and most of the rest watching the crew work.  She watched them relax, now, with the same sort of expression.  "You've got three different groups who don't like each other's way of doing things, and they're fighting each other on the big tasks.  if rhythm's all you need, consider it done.  Give me the work pace tomorrow, and I'll keep them on it.  But I think you should be talking to Claire about morale."

  She followed behind Increase then, with only a moment's pause  "And if you have any gloryhounds and showoffs, let us know, would you?  Thanks."

---

  "So are we trying to actually get fish or not?" Gaja asked.  "I mean, obviously it's just bait.  But is it bait worth doing well, or too little to matter if we succeed?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:06, Mon 12 Nov 2018.

Increase considered the question for a moment.

"Obtaining the fish is secondary to uncovering what is attacking ships but I suppose anything worth doing is worth doing well. You have my permission to act in accordance with your better judgement should it involve the crew, organization or otherwise. However know that the crew has already laid claim to a portion of the haul to sell or keep for themselves in addition to their pay."

"Bosun, do you think that it would help if I spent my non-navigating time working with you and the crew? I understand that naval tradition doesn't have officers personally work, but I think I can sand the rough edges off their attitudes if I set a strong example."

"Ma'am, I don't know what you are capable of, though I was told to treat you as an owner, and that you may be able to perform some impressive feats, so you may do as you will.

The netting is a little complicated and needs a bit of training to use... normally."

Claire was pretty confident she'd already figured it out. The physics and mechanical configuration were not complicated for someone of her staggering intellect.

Claire nodded and went to help teach the crewmen to set the nets appropriately. The teaching itself wasn't the point, though; "what to do" could be taught by anyone. It was a little complex by mortal standards, sure, but the physical and intellectual difficulty wasn't the problem. The problem was the crewmen's attitude, and that Claire felt an urge to fix.

It may have seemed like just Claire's example and leadership, but a can-do attitude and a certain sense of ease settled over the hearts of the crew. Even the more recalcitrant crew felt the change in the air. When Claire showed them how to set the nets and directed them in doing it themselves, it seemed easy in retrospect. And hey, what's a little hard work?

Heart of the Lion used to help drive people over the "it's hard" cliff. Beyond that, being bound to the Passion Word, Claire instinctively understands how to set an example through leadership and Charisma.

The nets and the fish aren't important. What's important is getting the crew off their asses and working together.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:20, Wed 14 Nov 2018.

You'd think that the crew would be a little irked by some ridiculously young woman telling them how to do their jobs, but no one complained once it was clear that she knew what she was doing. Ironing out kinks in a net was childs play compared to the calculations Claire did with weather and weapons trajectory, after all.

Though it did make a somewhat absurd vision of the Bright Republic Idol, complete in outfit, teaching a bunch of grizzled heavy coated fishermen.

Pretty soon, they get over working with a new crew and gear, and are competently hauling up fish in the huge net while others fish with poles over the side. The scarred bosun smiles "Well done Ma'am. They weren't kidding about you three. Ship's working like clockwork."

It's a fairly regular day, but the ship takes in a good haul. The nets are carefully selected for content. A few are removed for immediate cooking, and a fish stew is served along with biscuits and a ration of fortified wine. The night goes by fairly uneventfully.

Increase occupies his time by keeping diligent record of the day and the haul of the fish. Not one to shy away from such matters he inspected the fish, categorizing what fish were present in the region and their relative abundance given the ratio of they were obtained in relation to the total quantity of fish he approximated were present.

All in all it was busy work and a part of the facade to appear as the intellectual captain. In reality he was most perturbed by the absence of anything of note throughout the day. Still as night fell he gathered his companions once more.

"We should give the night our due diligence. I'll have a few men assigned to a rotation of night watches but I believe it prudent that at least one of us remain awake in turn with the guards. Nothing in my investigations said that they would appear during the day."

  "At least one," Gaja agreed.  The sound of her fiddle had guided the hauling all day, even when no fiddle was clear.  She'd been up the mast, anyway, said it was something about feeling the motion better.  She hadn't been much calmer on the ark, though.  She looked cramped.

  "But why not all the men?  Even the polite ones... They would stay up to dance with me.  They just need an excuse."  She reached toward a low table and rolled out a tattoo on the drum that appeared there.  The sound was hard and hollow.  "And then no one is caught asleep.  Or at least you would, Increase—I've seen the way you look at me.  Your thoughts aren't hard to guess."

Increase was about to interject but when his own emotions were called into play his mask of reserved neutrality broke and he stammered silently for a moment. Realizing what was happening he forced himself back into a neutral stance and expression before coughing to clear his mind.

"I will not deny that my gaze has been found to linger. For that I apologize. I have just never seen a woman....quite like yourself. My restfulness aside however I do not wish for the men to be caught fatigued from a hard day's labor. Rest would be preferred to overt vigilance; especially if we are not to come upon the threat tonight."

  All the fussing just makes Gaja grin triumphantly.  She places both hands on the drum, and her fingertips sound like a heavy rain.  It's suspenseful, with no apparent outlet.

  "Why, Captain Scholar.  You think I'm so irresponsible as that?  I've learned a bit about what we've become, you know.  They give us power when they perform our rituals, and we can give it back.  Stay up with me and see for yourself if you're worried about fatigue."  It is suddenly clear that neither Increase nor Claire had ever seen her hungry before; she definitely looks it now, though.  She glances over her shoulder at the door to the main deck.

"Or, I suppose I could just watch the night alone."

Claire nodded to the Bosun's compliment, then turned to Gaja. "I intend to stand the night watch as well," she said simply. Then again, the other ship owners knew that she was a machine, so there was no particular virtue in that. "We can let the men sleep. As for whatever it is, I ask you - do we want the men to fight?" She looked back at the bosun. "I mean no disrespect to you or the men, but this part's our job, and I don't want the sailors hurt by it."

The Bosun raised a finger to his lips.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He lied, badly.

"Though if the boat were attacked, we'd defend outselves the best we can. We got a few real fighters on the screw, and almost all of us can hold our own in a scrap. We have enough bill hooks to go around, and those will go through a man as readily as a steelhead."

Assuming what they encountered was something they could actually fight and be killed by a metal spear.

"Myself, I'm not much of one, though apparently I'm not so easily killed."

He motioned to his scarred face and jacket.

"Of course, we shouldn't talk too much about potential attack from 'pirates', either. Might give the crew the wrong idea of why we are out here, right sirs and ma'ams?"

Despite precautions, the first night goes relatively uneventfully.

The second day is filled with fishing. Everyone is in a rythym, and the oceans are teaming with fish (probably due to the issues other boats have been having). By the end of the day, the boat is nearly loaded. The crew treat Claire as a valued member of the crew.. "and damned easier on the eyes than the bosun" which gets a few laughs.

The Bosun approaches Scholar.

"Almost done. We should be full before noon on the morrow. I don't know if you want to stay longer for your experiment, Captain. I think we might convince them to stay another day or two anyway, morale is very good, and they know they are going to be well paid considering the haul."

The crew realizes they'll be finished well ahead of schedule, and spirits are good. One drags out a primitive version of a concertina, and another pulls a flute.

As the crew planned to start playing music, Claire visibly brightened up.

"We should have a day or two for music at sea," she suggested to the crew. "We've got plenty of fish, and I can provide accompaniment and any instruments necessary - they were built into me in the Republic. We can provide sea music, a few songs about girls..." and then she grinned, "how about some hymns?" she joked. "...Well, I'll sing a couple of those at some point. Even if they're healthy music, the melody is absolutely beautiful." She looked over at Gaja. "Would you care to join us?"

  "Sea music!"  Gaja stopped tuning her fiddle to spend a moment giggling.  "Claire, you have the most wonderful innocence.  Not the most, but the best kind.  It's so fortunate you're made of metal and not flesh.  Although..."  She gave the strings one sharp strike with the bow and seemed pleased with the unearthly shriek they made.  Then she gestured for Claire to follow and dashed up onto the prow, clutching the instrument overhead.

  "Gentlemen!" she called out, then winked theatrically.  Fishing was hardly a gentle occupation.  "You have bested our hopes, and I think your own.  I try to stay out of your way as you do it—I am a desert creature, and must be ill luck on a line.  But now I see you come into my house!"  She pointed her bow toward the fellow with the flute, then drew it through the first two bars of a rondo almost as old as Vissio's independence.  Then she waved again for Claire to come up.

  "Can you also best me?  I think not!  But come test yourselves.  The winner gets... A kiss!"  She let the immediate reaction die down a moment before continuing.  "From Captain Scholar, I think?  Surely that must be a prize!"
This message was last edited by the player at 07:07, Thu 15 Nov 2018.

The man with the flute is young and inexperienced - a few more voyages and he'll no doubt have time to get good, and he's clearing playing his heart out, but he needs more time. He's quite enthusiastic though and he's playing his heart out.  On the other hand, the quiet man with the concertina, an older sort who'd remained out of sight and mostly unobserved is a damned virtuoso, and quickly joins in a fair bit of improvisation.

What is interesting is that he's not trying to outplay Gaja, he's more focused in on improving the overall performance than dueling on her. He alters the melody a bit to make the flutists minor errors seem like a countermelody or playful improvisation. Between Gaja and the Concertia player, you cover nicely for the flutist's faults - not that the audience is particularly picky.

The singers are not well practiced enough to really gel together, but the better of them are quickly discovered and they end up singing for most of the songs. They are not musicians, but they are fairly good. Jigs are danced, and a variety of songs are sung. The men tone their song choices down a bit from raunchy to bawdy for their guests (or perhaps because of the watchful eye of their Bosun, who can say?).

[OOC] Who wins and any enthusing aftermath is up to you all, of course.

Claire joined in the rondo with abandon, her synthesizer providing the drum beat and occasionally slipping in synthesizer beats that would complement any of the instruments in use; she avoided obvious Republican electric-instrument sounds because they'd gel badly with the natural instruments. Like the concertinist, she was a master musician, and also like him, she played to complement the other musicians, striving for the best performance possible.

She mostly danced alone, showing off the performing style of the Bright Republic idol singer (though with a far more demonstrative dance - and better singing voice - than most prepackaged teenagers could pull off). It wasn't until the end, when she adroitly turned a song into a waltz, that she stepped forward and, if Gaja allowed, took her hand. While the deck was too small for proper ballroom dancing, Claire held Gaja's hand and led her in a spiral up through the air, a pathway of stars shining and fading below their feet, before bringing her back down to the deck. As the music ended, one hand was locked with Gaja's, one hand on her shoulder and a smile on her face, making the two of them look for all the world like a single, living work of art. She adroitly disengaged her hands as the music died down and took a bow to Gaja, and then the crew.

Increase leaves matters of entertainment and music to his companions. Instead he maintains a casual indifference and aloofness. While they sing and dance he inspects the ship meticulously, takes note on the hold, composition of their haul, and the expected profits his crew would be making.

Increase would not benefit directly from the excursion however as his dealings with the Lorenzi's and agreement with the crew ensured none of these fish were his own. Not that he needed the funds.

All the same he was frustrated that nothing had happened. What was it that he was missing? They had fished in the same region as the other vessels and they were the appropriate type of craft. There was something else at work and he had to figure out what. Staring out into the night with an intense expression Increase listened to the music that wafted through the air.

Gaja and Claire's dance prompts cheers from the crew, and there is merriment for the rest of the night, even if the Captain looks pensive. Though he hasn't stopped the attacks, this will at least be a profitable venture, particularly given the current high price of fish at the moment.

The night watch reports an uneventful evening, once the merriment had died down. The ship begins it's final fishing expedition to fill the remainder of its hold. The bosun approaches the captain.

"Crew's working good, Captain. Though the fish just aren't biting as much. Still doing pretty well."

He goes through the ship's hold, removing a few barrels chilled by elemental magic. They made hauling fish far more feasible.

"We won't be needing the excess bait, and we might as well dump the less valuable stuff we set aside."

The fishing continues...

The men continue to pull fish out of the water, at a slow but steady rate. The lesser fish have been dumped, as was some additional unneeded bait in case the trip went a few extra days. That certainly didn't look like it was going to happen given the rate things were going.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:07, Fri 16 Nov 2018.

"The stars were a nice touch," Gaja offered lazily during a lull in activity the next day. She had barely stopped moving for as long as Claire and Increase had known her, but the tedium of the expedition had reduced her to useless sprawling around the boat. She'd tried her hand at a freeline, but true to her prediction, no one had caught anything until she stepped away from the tackle.

  Reminds me of the story of Haka and the Bears. Only with less arche—" She shifted abruptly and almost fell into the ocean for no clear reason. "Did you feel that?! Something is rocking the boat." A light breeze stirred the water - barely.

  "Something other than the waves and the crew, thank you Giorgio," she replies with an exaggerated sigh. "Something that keeps its own time." But even searching for it, there's nothing. Even Claire's gyroscopes disagree with the Howler.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:27, Fri 16 Nov 2018.

"I thought it might have been a decent addition," said Claire. Then she turned abruptly toward the water. "Not rocking. Something's stilling the boat." She glanced down at the waves, but saw nothing.

"Somehow, I don't think this is a sargasso."

The next few seconds are confusing as the boat rises, slightly, and the water goes looks slightly darker around the boat.


The crew look surprised. One sees what's coming and screams, but it is already too late: the boat is surrounded by rising walls on all sides and lifts off it's keel, raise by water. Though there is no time to observe, the walls are pinkish, smell of amonina and rot, and are ridges with white and yellow. The walls rise above the boat in an instant, and CLOSE,and the world goes dark and the boat FALLS,

The place is dark and there is screaming, and the walls close in overhead. The boat is impossibly falling, and the crew are now weightless and tumbling. The air is filled with choking disgusting vile air. The walls close in and something catches on the master, boat, shoving it further down with pressure, and squeezing. The mast snaps under incredible pressure, and the boat continues to fall. Something closes overhead.

It is almost completely dark other than a slight light coming off Claire, the tiny oil lights suddenly extinguished, and the ship is falling, with freefall pushing eveyone present upwards. Your lungs are filled with choking, unbreathable air that scours your lungs.

As she floated in the air, Claire quickly assessed the odds of crew survival. Without her, they were at approximately 3,720 to one. With her...At least for the moment, she could save them, even if she personally wasn't endangered by any of this. The crisis unlocked a new flexibility in her powers.

Claire's glow grew a bit brighter as she spoke: "I've got this." As her mystic aura covered the ship and everyone in or on it, snatches of organ music could be heard by everyone's ears, and they felt their lungs expel the rank, dead air...and not inhale again. There would be a short period of terror as men thought themselves dead, no doubt, but it was simply their bodies acclimating to not needing oxygen. And when the ship finally hit whatever it was going to hit, they would feel the full impact, but no pain, and no injury. Just a smack against the ground and a transition to zero velocity.

Miracle! For the scene, Claire covers the ship and everyone currently on it (or hovering above the deck in free fall) with her Sky Word immunities. Said immunities include: Need not breathe, falling damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:48, Sat 17 Nov 2018.

Increase was calm as the pinkish walls rose from the ocean, encapsulating them before the water beneath them fell away. In fact he was smiling silently to himself inside of the bedlam. He holds on to the ships railing as they begin to tumble, the mast catching and breaking causing them to momentarily cease falling before resuming their plummet.

So it wasn't illusory. That was good to know. As Claire spoke, Increase was relieved to find that he wouldn't die of asphyxiation. With that came a moment to think. They had most likely just been eaten by something of considerable size. The pink walls its mouth and the ridges of white and yellow whatever passed for the beast's teeth. That meant they were likely falling into the beings stomach.

How unpleasant.

Commit Effort for Day to Miracle Disclose the Flaw on what I assume to being the creature that just ate us. Know its current weaknesses and most vulnerable elements
at that time, including any hidden means by which it might be killed or destroyed. Creatures reveal their hit dice and Effort totals.

Everyone falls. The fall is fairly short as things go, but it still might have injured people aboard if not for Claire's intervention (to say nothing of lung damage). The mortals eyes water with the sheer acidic stench of the place - they'd be dying if not for her intervention as well.

However, two people fall on the outside of the boat, and their fate is far less pleasant as they splash around the ship. There is a truly tormented scream from the darkness away from the boat as they splash into the digestive acid.  The hull of the battered boat also begins sizzling.


Light is another concern. Claire's luminescent body gives off a light glow that keeps the ship from being plunged into absolute darkness, but beyond the ship, there is not enough light to see by. One of the men begins screaming. The bosun quiets him with a cuff. Others begin to pray.

"Get to a lamp and light it. Night conditions! Throw a rope if you see a man, but keep one to the rail for yourself."
However, the lamps will not light.  The ship is a mass of terrified faces in the dark. There are odd.. biological sounds coming from around the ship, a mix of odd chittering and what can only be described as horrible 'schplekking' sound.

  "I've never been eaten before," Gaja remarked calmly, as the giant throat rose up around them.  "This might be too big to tame."  And then all was darkness and terror.

  She stayed with the boat on the way down.  At least as long as there was light to see by, she crouched at the edge of the hold, two-pronged spear at the ready.  But shortly before they landed, there was a flash of movement at the edge of Claire's dim glow.  The splashes came almost too fast to count: the boat, the mast, the missing crew; and then too many, too regular, too fast to be debris, like sprinting through puddles.  By the time the burns set in and the screaming began, Gaja was already hooking the first man's oilskin and ducking into a sharp turn.  The return footsteps were slower, inevitably.

  "HELP LIFT!" she shouted as she neared the starboard rail.  She wasn't that strong.

---

Let's have a Dance miracle to emulate Light as Air.  Unfortunately, it doesn't say anything about protection from hazardous surfaces you cross.  She'll probably be injured for this, and I can't imagine there's time for a second rescue, if the first one even survives.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:15, Sat 17 Nov 2018.

"You heard the woman! Go!" The crew began lifting him into the deck with the pole. Mercifully, by the time he was on the deck, he had lost consciousness, as was the fact the man's face could not be easily seen as he was placed on the deck.

"I got one!" Said another crewman as he fished around with a hook. As they began to pull him up. A few more helped. Haul him in. "WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS?!?" The man was covered in a large writhing pile of white flesh that wrapped around it, and began crawling up the bill hook.

Others were already making their way up the side of the ship, clinging with hooklike structures to the outside of the vessel. They seem utterly unaffected by the acid.

[OOC - Medium sized mob, AC 5. You all get a round to act before the mob does, as it has to climb the side of the boat, which is not terribly high, but provides ]

"ARM YOURSELVES!"

Increase bellowed as the digestive creatures rose from the massive creatures stomach acid. He even brandished a hook himself, although he doubted his efforts would be of any great boon. All the same he attempted to exude confidence and resolve and took up a loose fighting stance with the men who had enough presence of mind to not simply fall into a panic.

"We'll fight together!"

He watched as the creatures began to advance over the railings and struck out at them. First with a surge of his divine power, a near invisible wave of power that caused the boat to twist and lash out before settling back into its normal position. Fray Die, 2 HD damage

Then he moved forward, hook in hand, and swung to attack the creatures. His strike was wild and found no purchase in the creatures. All the same he called out to his companions.

"We need to free ourselves from the beast's gullet. Attack the walls, its it only weakness."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:28, Mon 19 Nov 2018.

  Even as a blurry shadow, Gaja's turn away from the gunwale was clear enough confirmation.  She sprang away from where she'd been clinging to pull the fallen sailor back in and landed square on what, gods help us, was probably a giant hookworm.  The momentum sent it rolling, and she made her way across the surface of the bile half-leaping, half-skating on the parasites.  Not that she could see where she was going, but far enough in one direction...

  She reached one of the walls of the beast's stomach shortly and kept going up the side of it.  "Claire!" she shouted, only stopping once she was above the immediate splash line.  She sunk the pitted shaft of her spear into the slick lining at her feet, and it was like opening the door to a burning house—a blast of hot air came howling out around the wood.  It might have been less than a splinter to the giant beast, but the flesh began to tighten and split as it dried out.  "Aim for my voice!"

 "Release us," she whispered privately before darting away from the spot.  She left behind the exact shrieking sound she'd wrung out of her fiddle before last night's revel.  Voice, indeed.

---

Let's focus some fire.  Light as Air is still in operation, and that's a Desert miracle to emulate Sirocco Sword.  I hard miss with a nat 1, but at least I get 1HD out of it.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:31, Sun 18 Nov 2018.

Claire didn't hesitate as Increase shouted instructions, and lifted her arm. An orb of violet light shot out from her palm at the wall of the creature's gullet, and then she turned to fire another one at one of the digestive beasts.

23:54, Today: Claire Durand rolled 2 using 1d8.  Fray at the creatures.
23:54, Today: Claire Durand rolled 5 using 1d10+4.  Damage if I hit.
23:54, Today: Claire Durand rolled 16 using 1d20+5.  Firing at the wall.

1 damage if I hit the wall, and 1 damage fray to the mob.

The attacks on the creature don't seem to have any meaningful effect. If there's anything that occurs because of the attack, you can't see that far given the darkness.

[OOC - Attacks that do 1 damage are utterly ineffective against the protective mucus. You might want to concentrate on defending your crew from the worms that are eating you before you blast your way out.]

The crew quickly grab weapons and lay into the creatures with hook bills, hatchets.. anything handy. The crew may be salty and experienced to the ways of the deep, but they are utterly disorientated, terrified and still recovering, flailing at the unfamiliar foes in the dark.

[OOC- Bad rolls in general. The crew are slightly upgraded peasants due to a few quality individuals in their number.]

More over, their weapons are poorly suited to fighting the worms - most of the fishing weapons are piercing, spear like weapons, and the worms bodies writhe out of the way quickly as they slither up the hull. Once they hit the top, they throw themselves at the crew and attach themselves with a small piercing organ. The air is filled with hissing as the worms drip acid everywhere as they leap, and then the screams begin.

Though they fight without hesitation, leaping at the crew instantly and without fear, they are somewhat stymied by the hull, but the last second leap, sometimes 15 feet as they thrash, catch everyone by utter surprise. The deck is awash in blood in a few seconds. The worms are merciless and swift beyond measure, and within seconds, a good portion of hte crew are horrifically injured, choked by worms around their neck, impaled in the chest, bleeding their guts out onto the floor, and a few are dragged overboard into the acid. The deck is awash with screams, and a few men even simply stop fighting, broken, standing in mute horror as a quarter of the crew are killed in seconds, strangled or peirced by an acid tipped claw.

"KEEP FIGHTING! THEY CAN GET US OUT OF THIS!" Screamed the bosun, swinging his machete, though even he has the shrill sound of desperation in his voice. Of course, even the 'officers' are effected by the attacking worms. The crew continue to fight, if for no other reason then that there is no escape. Most are ineffective however, their weapons poorly suited to this fight. A few though, no doubt the "scrappers" have formed a defensive core.

Gaja, who was near the deck edge pulling men out, is particularly badly assaulted by several worms. Many more worms attack Claire, perhaps attracted to the light she was giving off, but their attacks of strangulation and piercing are not effective against her armoured skin.

[OOC = The Worm's are -2 to attack on the first round, and they can't use blood like water because they are coming over the gunwhale.. not that it mattered, because their dice rolls were <b>COMPLETELY FREAKING INSANE.</b> You are welcome to invoke defensive gifts/miracles to change the results if possible]

19:02, Today: GM rolled 23 using 1d20+4.  Worm Attack Claire.
19:05, Today: GM rolled 10 using 1d8+2.  Damage Claire
0 damage to Claire(she's immune)

19:02, Today: GM rolled 24 using 1d20+4.  Worm attack Scholar.
19:06, Today: GM rolled 3 using 1d8+2.  Damage Scholar.
1 Damage to Scholar

19:01, Today: GM rolled 23 using 1d20+4.  Worm attack Gaja.
19:06, Today: GM rolled 9 using 1d8+2.  Damage Gaja.
2 Damage to Gaja

19:01, Today: GM rolled 19 using 1d20+4.  Worm attack crew.
19:05, Today: GM rolled 8 using 1d8+2.  Damage Crew (Straight).
8 damage to crew. This is enough to force a morale test, but they pass. Another hit like that and the crew will be wiped out to a man, and it will be a very lonely trip back to the mainland, assuming you get out of this.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:23, Thu 22 Nov 2018.

  "Shit," Gaja hisses, pausing to tear away the parasites clinging to her legs.  The spear is a complete loss, but her anger doesn't really need a vehicle, just a target.  And there in the middle of the only existing light are a lot of targets.  Some of them even notice when she scalds them.

  "Shit," she hisses again, and starts to cross back toward the boat.  It was darker in here than it should be.  Felt unnatural.

---

1 HD from fray, another 1 HD from the regular attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:42, Thu 22 Nov 2018.

In reply to Gaja (msg # 48):

[OOC- They are using blood like water this round, so you can't miss the worms]

Claire realized that the leviathan that had eaten them was currently not the threat, what with the worms climbing over into the ship. So instead, she turned her pink blasters on the worm army, while granting a measure of her courage to the men fighting alongside her. If they died, then they would at least die without fear.

Heart of the Lion extended to all allies as an Instant.
06:03, Today: Claire Durand rolled 8 using 1d8.  Fray.
06:03, Today: Claire Durand rolled 5 using 1d10+4.  Firing on Blood like Water-ing maggots - damage.

3 damage, like a proper war machine.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:05, Thu 22 Nov 2018.

Increase focused on killing his foes rather than thinking too much on the carnage that now surrounded him. The worms were surprisingly adept at killing his men and even he suffered a glancing blow.

Blood began to leak steadily from a wound on his side were the acid coated teeth of one of the worms found purchase. All the same he pressed his attack, another rush of divine power causing the floor boards to twist and snap, piercing and slaying one of the worms. Fray 1 HD damage

He then pushed forward once more with his hook, having adapted his hold on the weapon to be more suited for striking the pliant foes. He came up in long sweeping strikes, trained on the midsections of their bodies. Two more fell to him. 2 HD damage with Hook

The men start emboldened, start hacking at the worms. This time, the worms are right on top of them, and the men are down to stabbing massively with knives and fish hooks. The squeeze box musician simply grabs them and slams them into the deck with a heavily gloved hand and slam them into the deck.

It is a hard, desperate struggled, but the men of this vessel are just the sort of "scrappers" that excel in that sort of fight, and soon the deck is awash of acidic wormgore, and the remaining worms bled gore across the deck (it was a whiteish green colour). It would have stank, but the air was already unbarably rank with fish guts and acid.

"Where's Carsti?" Screamed the Bosun. "Dead sir." The bosun mouthed an expletive, unusual for the normally rather polite captain. "Right. Of course we lost our ship's patchman. Injured, inside, now. Torches. Figure out someone who can treat them."

The injured were dragged to the ship's small crew/officer's quarters. A few of the crew look to Scholar and the others. If they weren't busy running around trying to stay alive, they'd clearly be awed by the way the others had fought. The fact that the only lighting in this place was from a light blue glow coming of Claire didn't aid that impression.

[OOC - Between the injuries done by the PC's and the straight damage done by the crew, and the overwhelm damage they were about to do, that's going to be enough to kill the worms.

Of course, now you gotta deal with the whole "swallowed whole" thing. If you just want to say you keep shooting, we'll do that, and I'll just roll it out myself to figure out how long it takes to save time]
This message was added to by the GM at 13:48, Mon 26 Nov 2018.

  With the immediate threat cleared, Gaja returns to her original plan for escape.  But this time, with less pressure, she has time to put more thought into it.  This time she heads as high up the walls as she can fit, to the muscular ring closing the monster's stomach off.  From where she stands, the ship floats upside-down on the acidic ceiling.  Gaja tries not to think too much about that.

  Instead, she begins scouring away the protective mucous with flying sand and desiccating heat.  The steps and gestures to direct the spirits are difficult on the slippery, spongy surface, but she proves sure-footed enough to manage them.  Even upside-down.  She'd heard stories about the underworld, where everything is topsy-turvy.  This felt like that had sounded.  She wasn't a fan.

---

Yeah, I mean, I'd get creative with miracles, but I'm already committed for 2/day and need to be more careful.  I've given you a fact-backed Wis check if it matters.  If you wanted Int, raise the DC to 11.  If that's not relevant, we can just ignore it, but she should have some idea where the animal's going to be most sensitive and prone to induced vomiting, I figure.  Otherwise, we can just blast our way out.

Claire, meanwhile, returned her attention and several balls of pink light to the weaknesses Increase had pointed out in the creature's walls. She figured that disemboweling the leviathan would be a good way of killing it, and thus making sure that it never harmed any more fishermen.

With Gaja scouring away the protective mucus with gusts of burning wind and coarse sand and Claire laying into the beasts sides with her eldritch powers, Increase turned his attention to his bosun.

"I'll see to the injured. Make sure that we are prepared for a sudden departure."

With that Increase then moved below deck and set about ensuring that the injured did not die. He had simple supplies and an abundance of knowledge. He would see if it served him well.

<Orange>Using Ten Thousand Tools and Omniscient Scholar to assist with this. Succeeded on an Int Check if needed.</Orange.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:37, Mon 26 Nov 2018.

"Lock everything! Strip the mast and dump secondaries. We'll set up the jury rig once were out of here! Two men below decks to pumps and secure the timber against this crap. And someone get some damned sawdust and then swab the the deck!"

The crew began locking away all manner of gear and particualrly any potable water, since they had a feeling a good portion of their stores might be spoiled just by being here. A lot of fish were dumped overboard as well in the service of making the boat lighter. What was left of the primary mast was quickly hauled overboard, and under the decks, two crew immediately grabbed all the spare okum - this vessle was an oddity. Normally, the planks never quite held completely watertight. Ships used a mixture of rope torn apart and tar to seal between the cracks, and then relied on the ship planking getting wet to make the ship water tight.

This vessel though, had no planking, as the thing had been constructed as a whole thing, like a modern hull would be out of steel or fiberglass. This had made it far less suseptable to acid eating away at the ropes and tar that would seal the decks.. however, the ship was still exposed to acid, and the bilge pumps were now being rapidly tested, and carpenters were awaiting the inevitable first breech. Countless fishing equipment, mostly already ruined by the drop, was quickly stored or thrown overboard as well.

Under the decks, Scholar treated the men. The one who had fallen into the acid had died - he'd been killed by the worms in the enusing melee. A few more had been killed instantly. The injuries were mostly from an odd hook like organ at the end of the worms that was driven into their flesh. A few of the men also had acid burns, though only the ones with burns on their face were treated, so they'd be able to breathe. One poor fellow lost an eye.

Meanwhile, Claire and Gaja continued to fire into the dark...

The first few shots do nothing, but by concentrating their shots on one area quickly begin to have an effect.. not that it's visible. However, the "smell" of the place quickly changes, and gets even worse, as the mucus membrane around the area is penetrated and the pulse blasts and cutting sand begin to have an effect, and a burbling sound begins to occur around them, and the acidic goo begins to bubble.

"LOCK DOWN! GET BELOW DECKS!" Cries the bosun, realizing what's coming, and he quickly rushes to his cabin. Most of the crew make their way inside at their captain's urging.

[OOC - It took 5 rounds roughly to inflict enough damage... who's staying up on the deck? Anyone doing anything else to prepare?]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:22, Wed 28 Nov 2018.

Claire grabbed hold of the mast and prepared herself in case she needed to fly on short notice.

  Gaja stayed just a moment longer, crouching to soak a sleeve in the blood welling up. Then she leapt, and her ordinary relationship with gravity resumed.

  "It's comiiiiinnnngggg!" she yelled all the way down, until she crashed into the deck with a soft patter, like a cat coming down from a stool. Her left arm looked like she just assisted with birthing an auroch, and her grin was a little mad. "New friends, dead sailors, spoiled fish—we are free again. Please keep your legs and arms inside the boat; I can only protect so much." As the reasonable retreated to shelter, Gaja ran up to stand on the wheel. She kicked it spinning just as things started to move.

---

I can't believe I'm doing this, but a third miracle for Fire Dance. GM, are there separate situational hazards to choose between? I figure Being Disgorged sounds like a valid target.

Increase looked to his bosun and nodded. He would have to keep the man on in his retainer; he was quite useful.

"Brace yourselves!"

---

Using my last Effort for an Artifice Miracle. Going to protect the ship from harm. Hopefully that'll at least keep it intact. Can't say much for its occupants.

Coming up is much more rapid and violent than coming down.

The internal musculature of the behemoth flexes, and suddenly the ship is propelled upwards at an insane rate, acid rising up to the deck and spraying all around.

Even under the deck, the motion slams everyone to the ground, though miraculously, no one is harmed, moving on their own with graceful movements to positions where they will not be harmed. Not that you can tell with sight: without Claire, the interior of the ship is pitch black.

On the deck, only Claire and Gaja remain. Claire finds her dance routines taking over, and she makes odd graceful movements across the deck as the ship rises.

The darkness is blessed, as the ship once again squeezes through the esophigal tube, covered in acid that drops everywhere on the deck except where Claire and Gaja happens to dance. There is a horrific organic pulsing as the vessel runs into some sort of organic membrane, then the acid and gas from behind propel the ship through it, preposterously not tearing the vessel in half.

Suddenly the ship is in the water, madly spinning from the imparted force and the drag of the water. Only magic keeps the two on deck from floating off the deck, and the humans below from smashing around the hull like cheap crockery. The interior hull fills with water, but it will still be minutes before that's a concern, and pressure is working against it.

Claire and Gaja, light still glowing off Claire, are treated to an underwater view of the beast that swallowed them, a vast black and gold fish. Later if she checked her databanks or with Scholar, she might identify it as a ridiculously oversized Siclid or Oscarfish.

The thing gazed at them as they floated upwards, quickly moving off as bouancy forced them out of the water. Inside the cabin, the already knee deep water began poring out. Outside, the ship floated and bobbed. Sunlight robbed Gaja of her sight momentarily as her eyes adjusted to the glare, and the unbearable smell of rotting fish guts and acid were replaced by salt spray and.. well, it was still pretty fishy actually- you are on a fishing vessel.

But you are on the surface and you are alive, at least.

[OOC - Yeah, this would have killed a lot of people and the ship would have been seriously damaged without miricle use here. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:01, Wed 28 Nov 2018.

Increase did not take the time to enjoy his survival and instead began bellowing orders.

"I need a status report! Did we lose anyone else?! What's the status of the ship?"

As he spoke he walked, bracing himself with an outstretched hand along the wall of the ship.

"I need this ship moving immediately. We do not want a repeat attempt."

The surviving men made their way onto the deck, blinking against the sun, amazed to be alive and in one piece.

The men were earily silent as they saw Gaja and Claire on the deck. There was no way either should be alive after that. A few made signs. "A damn miricle" one said as he started his duties.

The bosun took his first real breath in a while and relayed orders. "Captain, we lost the mast going down. Riggers! Craft! Get the jury rig out on the double!" He ordered. "Captain, it'll take us a half hour at least to set it up with the spare canvas."

  Gaja spent a few seconds wringing water and probably viscera out of her hair.  It still clung to her shoulders unpleasantly.  She caught up with Increase and the bosun still visibly annoyed about it.

  "You might have to dump the fish, too," she said.  "I know the pay is important, but it's the only reason to eat a boat.  You bring tons of food together in one place that moves slow."  She paused to wipe the ongoing drip out of her eyes.

Increase looked to the canvas and grimaced.

"No, I will see to it. Have the men empty the holds as Gaja has said. If anyone gives you trouble then tell them that they can go with the fish overboard and try their luck with the sea beast."

Increase then set about displaying his zenith ability. He worked with the speed of 1000 men as knowledge poured into his mind.

Once the men have the mast in Scholar's capable hands, it assembles rapidly, Scholar setting it up rapdily. The men begin dumping the fish en mass behind the boat and bailing the large empty holds for fish that had been established. No one argued with losing a payday: being eaten alive tended to put one's priority in order, and might rather put one off eating fish for a bit.

Despite scholar's speed, it still takes a bit to get the mast out of storage, and it's just being put into place when one of the crew screams "Starboard bow!"

A huge shape breaches the water, and the fish breaches the water, beginning to head towards the boat.

"Look at the size of that thing." One man said as he helped hoist the jury-rig into place. It would still be at least a minute, even with Scholar's inhumanly accurate rapid movements, to set up the place.

It was a minute that they didn't quite have.

The bosun screams "Ready harpoons spears and push poles!" but he can't manage much confidence as he says it, and looks at Gaja and Claire.

  "Claire.  Can you freeze it like the boats?"  Gaja looked anxious, which was actually a first on this trip.  "When it opens its mouth!"

  She stepped out onto the ocean off starboard, light as a waterbug.  Someone offered her a harpoon, but gusts were already whipping the surface of the water at her feet.  She squared her shoulders and walked forward as though there was any "going through" and "getting to" at that scale difference, but it was inescapably a show for the men's sake.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:22, Fri 30 Nov 2018.

Claire nodded. "Right. Increase, keep us at a distance," she called out, and then froze the water around the beast in a hemispherical iceberg.

Edited per a PM.

21:03, Today: Claire Durand rolled 5 using 1d10.  Boreal Spike smite damage.

One point of damage. Plus it's an ice fish now.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:04, Fri 30 Nov 2018.

Increase nodded and then spoke aloud.

"You heard the woman! Let's get this ship moving!"

Increase dedicated himself to assisting his men in getting the ship moving once more, wishing to put as much distance between them and the massive fish as possible.

The first time Claire used her power, it was scary and terrifying. Unlike the first time, the sudden burst of cold hadn't ended a dozen or so lives, instantly. However, this time, it created a vast block of ice, nearly half a kilometer long and a fifth of a kilometer deep, in the middle of the ocean, a sudden ice berg large enough that you could walk on it if you wanted.

And encased in that ice was the huge gold and black fish.

It was not totally encased. Nor was it dead, by any means. Actually, in terms of actual damage, it was totally unaffected by the ice, simply due to the sheer scale of the thing. A whale would be completely encased in the thing, instantly surrounded. However, this fish was HUGE. It had swallowed a fishing vessel large enough for a dozen or so men, whole, without great difficulty. The ice surrounded it, but it wasn't exactly a popsicle, and while slowed, it was already trying to struggle against it's icy bonds.

The only question was, how long would it take for the fish to escape it's icy prison.

Scholar did not intend to find out. Working with preternatural quickness, the mast practically assembled itself. The other topmen tried not to marvel at the ridiculous feat - which was fairly easy, given that the entire day had been a veritable cavalcade of impossible deeds. Within a minute, the topmen give their thumbs up.

The bosun wasted no time. "Turn leeward! Sails to full! And dump all the fish we got! Crack the barrels before you dump them!" Anything to get distance between you and the fish.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:37, Sun 02 Dec 2018.

[I'm assuming no one is doing anything else at the moment]

The ship seems to move agonizingly slowly at first, as the jury rig isn't quite as good as the origonal mainsail. Of course, it was designed and constructed by Scholar, and soon the ship began picking up speed.. and once it did, it moved quite impressively, and soon the ice berg began to fade away, as did a floating pile of fish from the ship's hull. It was interesting to note that it did not immediately attract scavengers - presumedly the leviathan had chased most competing prey off.

The captain had decided that the best route was anywhere but here, so the ship had quite some distance by the time the ice cracked around the leviathan with a deafening roar of crackling ice as the whole thing came apart, crackling and shreading under tons of fish flesh. The thing kicked it's tail and thrashed, sending smaller icebergs scattering across the waves before it swam straight down seeking warmer, breathable water. It did not immediately resurface.

"Set hourglass, on my mark" "Ready sir!" "Mark!" An hourglass began counting out the time. "Take knots!" Another crewman tossed a rope out the back to figure out their speed.

The crew kept their eyes peeled, looking for any sign of discoloration in the water where the thing might be coming after them, but after nearly half the sand had run from the glass they did not spy the oversized fish. While none of the crew cheered as to tempt fate (sailors being a notably superstitious lot), they did start to breathe slightly easier than before. The fish was either gone, or being cagey. The later seemed unlikely. Of course, so did gargantuan fish.

"Keep alert men!" Called the bosun Not that there was much they could do if the thing attacked from below again. He checked the speed ropes, his compass, and the wind carefully.

"Captain, it's been half an hour. If we've hit the winds I think we have, we could tack for shore. By night fall we should be near land. It's not ideal, but there's no way that damned thing should be able to get anywhere NEAR shore.

  "Closest shoreline's... that way."  Gaja pointed somewhere east by north-east, the other hand fussing with her hair.  The sunlight and wind were beginning to dry her out at last, and it had bunched into an explosion of tight ringlets.  "But it's not your city, just not on the ocean.  I lost track of the city in the fish."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:31, Sun 02 Dec 2018.

"We'll still be in the same rough area. Once we get to the shore we can just follow it to the harbor.

Might run into shore raiders or something, but I'll raiders over... whatever that was."

"The question is, how do we kill it? The region won't be safe for fishermen unless we can bring that creature down."

The bosun gave a an apologetic shrug. "I know I'm a fisherman, ma'am, but I've never heard of a creature that size.

Whales, sharks or a serpent, you'd use harpoons, maybe a ramming prow, but that thing makes a whale look like bait. I doubt a galleon with a full ramming prow would do well against it."

  "I know who might know," Gaja interjected.  She was squinting at the horizon in the direction she'd indicated.  The wind kept whipping her hair into her face, but she wasn't paying attention to that.  "When we get back, I'll go ask the right questions.  Claire should probably not come with me."

  She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath before turning back to the others.  Claire got an apologetic smile.  "Certain taboos.  It's nothing personal."

Claire nodded to Gaja. "Of course." she said respectfully.

It's actually near morning by the time that the look out spies that the water has become shallow - far too shallow for the leviathan you faced.

Slowly, the crew begin to relax.

The remaining 11 crewmen plus the officers return to port uneventfully. It takes another 3 days (hugging the shore is not nearly as efficient as the course you took out) but you arrive back in port at the dock.

During that time, the crew spies the damage done to the craft, and it's nasty. Cracks run through the main spar, and the exterior is thinned where the hull touched the acid. The crew run the bilge pumps continuously: this wasn't unusual for a fishing vessel, but Scholar had designed this vessel not to need to run them normally.

The customs agent takes a look at the hull and give a low whistle, and the crew comes into port.

No bonus for the crew except those who died, but they are quite happy to have their lives, at least.

Sorry for the delay. Was at a wedding

Increase nodded agreement to Gaja.

"Have our course adjusted to the new heading and be quick about it."

When mention of fighting the leviathan fish came up Increase grimaced but ultimately relented.

"One day the leviathan will suffer for attempting to swallow my ship but not today. We were lucky to make it away with our lives."

Increase remained vigilant during the rest of their journey, keeping a watchful eye for the return of his adversary. Even the shallows were not a comforting sight and he only relaxed when they were safely docked back at the city.

As he crew unloaded he watched passively until his bosun attempted to disembark. He looked to the man with a softened expression.

"You're efforts were well appreciated. I would have you maintain in my retainer, your skills could prove quite useful and I will reward you according to your efforts."

Regardless of the man's decision he would allow him to return to the city proper before turning to address his zenith comrades.

"I cannot thank you enough for your assistance with that beast. Without you we would have surely died. As compensation I will fulfill a single request for each of you at a time you deem most fit."

  "Those men..." Gaja began, but trailed off as she watched them variously bless the dry land, greet family, or make haste to the nearest place they could get a drink and a meal on the story of the trip.

  She'd been quiet and conserved for most of the trip back, in sharp contrast to her casual and breezy behavior outbound.  She'd pulled her weight as well as could be expected without experience, and nobody could get into the rigging to fix snags or loose knots like she could.  Otherwise, she barely spoke.  During the day, there wasn't really that much difference between her and the rest of the crew but looks.  It was the same kind of brooding she'd done before leaving the island on the ark.

  At night, her footsteps over the deck had been more reliable than the rocking of the boat.  She hadn't slept at all; a faint melody blew in on the wind as the sun went down and never let up until dawn, and the howler had followed it bow to stern all night.  There had been raiders once, near the second midnight.  They'd gotten into range of a cheap spyglass and just turned around, rowing for shore as though for their lives.

  "Those men," she started again, on the dock, "didn't know what they were risking.  The dead don't know why they died."  Her voice was flat—not accusatory, but with no kindness to soften the inherent blow of the words.  She stepped off the damaged vessel without making eye contact with its captain and kept walking toward their colony-ship. "You don't owe me.  You owe them."

---

I think I'm checking out of this thread.  Gaja's going to tend to her great big pet for a while, then grab Sarnai and head out of town into the coastal wastes, looking for more-established tribes.

Claire looked at Increase. "We should get ready to establish the colony soon," she said.

She looked at Increase. "Tomorrow I'll arrange a concert and see if I can gather some laborers from the shanty town. That, and our share of the payment from the actual mission, should be enough to get our colony started once we set off."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:30, Sun 02 Dec 2018.

(OOC - NP. IF there's any member of the crew you want to make important, have a chat with or recruit, let me know. You've all certainly made a big enough impression!)

Once they get off the boat, the men are almost immediately asked about what happened, given the condition of the boat. These stories will spread through the city over the next few days.

"I'm not sure what you are hiring me for. Your abilities are... remarkable.

If you want me to help you with your next expedition, I'd be open to that. I'll need to know a little more, next time, given what happened on this one. But hopefully not one quite as fatal. I'm no coward, but I've no desire to go through anything like that again."

The bosun and the crew thank all of you. Gaja receives a rare smile from the near expressionless man who played the squeezebox so well, who was utterly silent throughout the trip.

Increase gave no response to Gaja's assertion that he owed the men of his crew anything and instead turned his attention to Claire.

"It'll be done. I will have Argent spread word to those who will listen and see if we can marshal support."

As for their portion of the reward for the actual mission he supposed that would depend on the nature of how the Lorenzi family depended on rewarding him for his efforts. Turning to his bosun he nodded in agreement with his words.

"Of course. I will be in contact with you soon. In the meantime I have to see to a few matters."

With that he dismissed himself and went to meet with his employers.