Beyond the Western Edge (Group A, IC)

[Zaydos]

The captain, Laughing Sea's Foam, walks the deck as the ship heads to its first destination, an island known as Qir Ji. The island has little of value for trade, but its position on the route makes it a necessary stop for refreshing and refilling supplies of food and fresh water. If on the deck you can see the captain's head turn to give a sailor a critique on a knot, as water laps at the edge of the boat. The island itself is visible in the distance, a single tall mountain rising to dominate it, a long ridge that would seem to divide the island in half.

If on deck make a [Perception + Awareness] roll Difficulty 2
(Success)
The shape of a man can be seen floating in the water upon what looks like a small tree. His lack of movement implies that the man is unconscious at least if not dead.

For those of you beneath the decks you can hear the gentle lapping of water on the sides of the boat. Most of the crew is busy at this hour of the day, only the night watch is sleeping off their duties to be ready for the oncoming night.

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin strides about the deck, stretching his long, muscular legs. After obtaining his armor, his coffers had been pretty much drained, so the chance to come along on this expedition was promising to Marin. For his part, Marin brought along a couple of crates' worth of island fruit and jerky, but could contribute little more than that and the strength of his body.

His eyes scan the ocean like a predatory seabird, when suddenly he spots the figure in the water. The large man signals to some of the crewmen at his find, and then dives overboard with no further hesitation.

Powerful muscles bring him to the waterlogged person; he gives a mighty shout as he hauls man and tree both up on deck. Climbing back up afterward is the easy part.

"Someone help this man!" he calls out in accented Seatongue.

[Zaydos]

Laughing Sea Foam issues orders to slow as the ship waits for Marin to climb back aboard. It's not much time before the man has been pulled onto the deck. He seems to be still breathing, but unconscious. A deep puncture wound sits in his stomach; the fact that the wound has closed and didn't attract sharks is an act of almost supreme luck on his part.

[Enzeru]

Cathak Miku had been sitting just below deck on the stairwell in an atempt to stay out of the sun. She didn't like to venture far from the open air for fear of either missing something big or the ship sinking with her in it. Despite never fully trusting sea vessels, as of late she found herself aboard many.

Her part in this expedition was to cut down those who might stand in their way. Miku had come along in order to pay her way to the next port, much to the suprise of those in the know about her blood line. She herself had told the captain but no one else was in the know unless they had over heard them or he had said something. It was also possible people had guessed it.

It was the shout of a man, one of her fellow passengers, that brought her onto deck. The sight of the water logged stranger on deck made her currious. She moved forward, unsure what to do about the situation.

"What happened here? Is there a medic on ship?"

Miku stood straight, an arm resting on the hilt of her sword. This habbit was one of someone used to using a blade. When strange things happened, swordsmen and women often kept their blade nearby.

[Rhyvurg]

Eyes-That-See was no doctor, but he has some small knowledge of healing. He quickly kneels down to examine the man.

Channeling Compassion, +2 die
[roll0]

[Zaydos]

@Eyes that Sees:
An investigation of the wound shows that it was probably sealed by some sort of magic. The man himself seems heavily injured but not it was probably the blood lost that pushed him to unconsciousness. In addition some of the injuries he has suffered are the results of a fall, a bruise on his side shows where he hit something about the same breadth as the tree that supported him, and he seems to have impacted the water from a fall of at least ten or more feet.

[garter_snake]

Covered in the destiny of Sars Cortisin, Karst Umanane sat atop the crows nest, enjoying the sea breeze while keeping an eye out for other ships on the horizon, and scouting out the shape of the island.

Right... Karst thought to himself. A fairly uneventful journey so far; the captain deserves credit. I wonder which specific god he claims dependence from. Might want to find that out later, it could prove useful. Well, let's see what the terrain looks like. Sars leaned over the edge of the crows nest and narrowed his eyes. Looks like a fairly small island. A central mountain usually means it's volcanic, may want to swing by and have a chat with the local volcano god. I don't think anyone else from the Bureau has been by this place in the past century or so, so the locals may be due a visit. Hopefully not too long; it'd be a shame to miss out on those nice beaches and clear, blue wa - is that a body?

Sars started climbing down from the crows nest as Marin brought the man in, heading towards the knot of people who had formed around the two men.

"I'm trained." Sars responded to Miku's question, and knelt alongside Eyes to examine the man.

Right, looks like a puncture wound, with the two primary concerns normally being shock and blood loss. The wound looks closed, luckily, so the latter isn't an issue, but being soaked in water won't be helping his blood flow any. We need to stabilize his body temperature then check for damage to internal organs from that wound.

Sars carefully eased the man backwards onto the deck, so that he was lying down. He addressed the onlookers: "We need to treat him for shock. Bring up dry towels, bandages, and alcohol. Oh, and boil some water too." Sars then turned back towards the man and said "Can you hear me? Stay with us, please respond if you can." while feeling around the puncture wound to gauge the internal damage.


diagnosis: wits+medicine, iirc.

[roll0]

stunt dice(1-3, left to right)
[roll1]

[garter_snake]

again, since I failed at rolling.

[roll0]

[roll1]

[Recaiden]

Karlin Tinia had been perched on the prow of the ship, looking out at the island ahead of them. Although the novelty of sea travel had yet to wear thin, she was looking forward to the solid ground, and more importantly, the heights, on Qir Ji. Everything out here is so flat.

Then she hears the splash, and looks back to see what is going on. He's dragging something back to the ship, a body? Thy find themselves watching the man with worried interest, not interrupting Sars. Knowing a bit of first aid doesn't compare to actual medical training.

"Right away!" When the medic speaks up, Tinia runs to get bandages and medicines, and tries to help Sars bandage the wound. "He...doesn't look too badly off."


With limited teamwork, that's one whole die of help to garter_snake's [roll0] :smallsmile:

[Rhyvurg]

"This man was healed by magic before he hit the water. It looks like he impacted the tree he was clinging to. If I had to hazard a guess, he hit the tree and knocked it into the water, from about ten feet above the surface."

[Zaydos]

@Karst:
An investigation of the wound shows that it was probably sealed by some sort of magic. The man himself seems heavily injured but it was probably not the blood loss that pushed him to unconsciousness. In addition some of the injuries he has suffered are the results of a fall, a bruise on his side shows where he hit something about the same breadth as the tree that supported him, and he seems to have impacted the water from a fall of at least ten or more feet.

(Yeah it's the same as Eyes-that-See got except with 2 grammar issues fixed; I was rushed previously)

[TheCountAlucard]

The dark-skinned man does what he can to help out, glad that the man will live. He gives a brief, idle glance to the wood to which the man had clung, before returning his gaze to the man.

In the dying light, Marin's wet skin glitters faintly with curling silver tattoos. He has yet to address his tattoos, or field any questions concerning them, except perhaps to Laughing Sea's Foam. When he sees Miku's sword drawn, he gives a faint nod in her direction.

"I think you can relax - this poor fellow is in no state to attack us."

His own weapon is safely stowed in his quarters; his hands are weapon enough for simple brigands.

[garter_snake]

Sars completed his examination. "It's as Mr. Eyes said. It looks like the wound has closed, and nothing vital looks damaged, so the best we can do for the man is disinfect the entry point and provide bed rest." Sars applies alcohol to the wound and then bandages it.


Bandage: wits+medicine
[roll0]


Finishing, Sars stands up. "Could we have some strong backs to bring him to bed? The body's natural healing will do more for him than anything I can do at this point."


Still, Karst thinks to himself while the others react, I agree with Eye's analysis that this wound was magically healed, but I think his narrative is wrong. Getting a puncture wound, getting healed of the puncture wound, then crashing into a tree? The events in those order don't have a logical flow.

No. My guess is, something happened like this. There was a fight, either on a ship or a part of the island overlooking the sea, and the man was knocked into the water. From his bruises, which match the shape of the tree, I suspect it was the former; I fight on a cliff overlooking the sea, where the man recieved the stab wound and then was hit into that tree with enough force to dislodge it and send them both into the sea. I suspect he sealed his wounds shut while floating, then passed out.

Well, that's not anything a mortal would do, so for that plot to hold muster, that man must be Exalted or something similar. Fortunately, there's a simple way to check that.

Karst concentrated, listening to the hum of essence produced by the strings of fate, attempting to discern what note the injured man's string played.


Using the charm Tell-Tale Symphony. cost: 5m personal.

Using the function to tell a person's essence trait, int+occult, difficulty 2
[roll1]

Tell-Tale Symphony
(p. 169)
Keywords: Combo-Basic Duration: One hour
Replace the text of this Charm with the following:
Patterns of Essence become music to the Sidereal’s ears, un�tangling the mysterious threads of fate with the revelation of their song. Charms, sorcery, and other magic give off a strangemusic that is nevertheless fitting to their aspect and nature. Spirits ring with the soft tintinnabulation of bells, while arti�facts hum in low tones. Other than its purely auditory nature, this Charm functions as All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight (Exalted, p. 222).

[garter_snake]

bandage roll, only right.
[roll0]

[Zaydos]

The captain waves two men over to carry the man to a bed below the decks.

@Karst:
The sounds of celestial music play in your ears, the bells of a blessing of one of the gods, or elementals or even demons, resonating from him. It would seem he was blessed with superhuman healing capabilities by some god, the blessing is almost a month old now and will probably only last a few more days.

His essence sounds loud for a mortal, like that of an enlightened being (Essence 2).

[Enzeru]

Miku nodded to the dark skinned man. "You're right" The redhead sighed at her own over cautiousness. "Just cautious is all. We have no idea what happened to him or who he is."

She removed her hand from her sword hilt and watched as the 'healers' worked on the stranger. Tilting her head to the side and then to the other as a curious animal would. She hated having to wait like this. Even though she knew nothing of the stranger, she still wanted to know if he was going to make it.

"So he is gonna survive? Is he even alive?"

Peering over the shoulders of those tending to the wounded man. Miku wanted to know what was going on and no one seemed to be giving any updates.

She grinned when someone said to carry the man to a bed. Finally something for someone of her talents. Miku pointed to Marin and smirked.

"Mr shiny muscles give me a hand with the patient. We can put him in my bed for now."

The redhead jutted her thumb in the direction of the sleeping quarters as she finished speaking.

Before she could act, the captain had ordered his men to carry the stranger. With a sigh, she crossed her arms and prepared to follow them. The very least she could do was guard the man until he was conscious enough to talk.

"The first exciting thing to happen since we boarded this ship and I'm completely useless." The dragonblood mumbled her words as she pouted over her own slowness to act. She made a note to later talk to the guy who took the dive to rescue the man she was guarding. He was unusual and she had not met anyone like him before.

[TheCountAlucard]

This whole business with the stranger was unsettling; still, it seemed the others had it well in hand. Marin idly considers carving something from the wood, but thinks better of it, rolling it overboard to land in the sea with a sploosh.

Using a spare bit of canvas to dry himself, Marin flashes another grin at Miku before she passes belowdecks. Once she's out of sight, he relaxes and allows himself a moment to think on her.

That hair, those eyes… and her bracers, too. I think she's a child of the Dragons, like my Sifu! I don't think she's from around here, either. Maybe I'll talk to her later; she must be very lonely…

Spotting the Captain, Marin's train of thought derails with a jarring crash. "Captain!" he calls, approaching closer. Lowering his voice, he asks for a word with Laughing Sea's Foam.

"Would you like me to scope out the island, before we go ashore?"

[Zaydos]

"Qir Ji should be safe, but if we're fishing men injured men out of the sea, it might be best to make certain what is happening on the island; it's been most of a year since I was last here and much can happen in this region. Can you keep yourself from being spo... noticed?" Laughing Sea's Foam answers.

The man is taken to the lower deck and a bunk can be cleared for him, though it will probably be a matter of hours before he awakens.

[TheCountAlucard]

"Being seen is a possibility," Marin admits, "so I guess it's safer not to risk it."

He thinks about it some more. The old man said I could turn into other animals, too, but I'd have to hunt them down first… I don't think we've got that kind of time, though; it'd probably be best just to accompany the others onto the island and just keep an eye out for trouble.

He sniffs a little at the air, and then resumes speaking. "Still, if we're going to be spending a little while here, I'd like to go ashore with the others, please."

[Rhyvurg]

"Sorry to interrupt, but we really should have a look. This man was subjected to considerable violence, the right thing to do would be to investigate why, and by whom."

[Zaydos]

"If it is that dangerous, though, it would be best to proceed with caution. Eyes, does it look like the man may be conscious soon?" Laughing Sea's Foam asks, looking out towards the island.

[Rhyvurg]

"I'm not much of a doctor, I couldn't say when he'll wake up."

[Zaydos]

"We can slow a day to keep out of danger," the captain muses, "It'll cost a bit, but it might be worth it to ask what happened to this man first. Sars, Marin, Eyes, Karlin, what do you think?"

[Recaiden]

Tinia shakes her head. "If there is danger on Qir Ji, we will still have to confront it when we stop for supplies. We should ask him when he awakes, but go on for now."

[TheCountAlucard]

"I'm happy to play it safe," Marin says, "but we don't even know that he will wake up, be it in an hour or a day. If we go and he does wake, you can have one of the men run and tell us; if we stay and he doesn't, we've just let the trail go cold on us."

[garter_snake]

Sars followed the group carrying the injured man, and stood a bit aside while the others were talking.

Right... so backwater scuffles aren't really any of my concern. And this guy's probably going to be fine anyway; open seawater usually doesn't carry many diseases or parasites, and his wound is closed, so blood loss isn't a factor. He's got that healing magic on him anyway.

However, this might be an interesting opportunity to see how the Lunar and Dynast negotiate their environment. And I am a bit bored anyway, may as well do some investigating.


Sars coughed. "Pardon, but... what trail? We know nothing of this man, not his name nor his circumstances. I suppose one could walk into town and question random passerby if they knew of any attempted murders, but I suspect the only response to doing that would either be a sternly worded request to leave town or a dagger in a back alley, depending on what type of town you were asking in." Sars glanced at Laughing Sea's Foam. "Out of curiosity, Captain, which type of town was this one last you were here?"

[Zaydos]

"A small fishing town. A bunch of fishermen,a dragonblood ruler."

[Recaiden]

"The trail of what happened to him! We found him, so we need to be sure he's safe there. That doesn't sound like a place to knife us for asking about him, though. Couldn't be too bad."

[Rhyvurg]

"Something injured this man, and the people there were either to callous or to preoccupied to notice he'd fallen into the sea. That alone warrants investigation."

[TheCountAlucard]

"I'm just saying that this man can tell us nothing in this state; it gives us reason to be cautious, but this is still a necessary stop."

The dark-skinned Marin cricks his neck. "Now, speaking of caution, I think I'll bring my spear with me; I'll be right back."

Heading belowdecks, Marin reaches his quarters. Inside the sparsely-appointed room, Marin finds his dire lance and his breastplate. Once armored, he finds a moment to peek in on Miku and their recently-rescued "guest."

"So," he says to Miku, "do you want to go ashore as well?"

[Enzeru]

Miku stood in the doorway of the room assigned to the stranger. She drummed her fingers on her crossed arms as she leaned against the door frame. Anyone could see she was already bored of waiting.

"Geeze, wake up already."

Her mumbled words were accompanied by the rolling of her eyes.

She heard a voice speak and turned around to see the dark skinned man who pulled the newcomer from the water. She couldn't help but smirk when he asked if she was going ashore.

"Well, it's better than waiting on this guy to wake up. I'm getting bored."

She tapped a passing sea man on the shoulder.

"Make sure someone comes to get me when the stranger wakes up. I wanna talk to him. Thanks!"

Without waiting for the confused man to reply she started making her way for the deck.

"Hey shiny guy, what kind of place is this supposed to be?"

[TheCountAlucard]

"Fishing town," he says to Miku as he walks. "Their leader's one of the Chosen, according to the Captain. Admittedly, I don't know much about the Chosen of the Dragons… just that their most common relics are made of jade." He makes a point of glancing at the black jade that adorns Miku's forearms.

He gestures to his own elegant bracers. "Me, I prefer moonsilver… that's not going to be a problem, is it?"

[Enzeru]

Miku raised her eyebrow at the mention of a dragon blood being the leader of a fishing village. Normally one of status would leave one of lesser birth in charge of something as small as a fishing village and they would remain in their own holdings. Either she would be dealing with one of lower birth. It's also likely they will not be happy about being stuck so far away from the family's main holdings. It would be difficult to decide whether or not to openly reveal herself as being a Cathak.

The redhead winced a bit when the dark skinned man mentioned her jade bracers. He asked her if his preference for moonsilver would be a problem. She sighed and shook her head.

"To my family's dissatisfaction, I have friends from all walks of life. Most of them made on the journey that I have been on, which was their idea. As long as someone is willing to watch my back, I am willing to watch their's."

She held out her right hand and smirked.

"Cathak Miku. I don't believe I caught your name."

[TheCountAlucard]

"Marin," he replies as they appear on deck.

[Recaiden]

Tinia wonders what the other passenger is saying.

"What was the island like? Is there just the one fishing village?"

[Zaydos]

"There's a single ridge that divides the mountain, with some wild fruit trees on it, but to my knowledge there isn't any other settlements on the island," the captain says. "Well if we're going to continue we ought to all get ready to go," he continues before giving an order to the crew to continue on the way to Qir Ji.

[Enzeru]

As Miku listened to the captain talk, her mind was on two things; talking to the local leader and getting some of that wild fruit. It felt like forever since she had some good juicy fruit. While on a ship, you were usually lucky to get anything that wasn't dried or salted. She had been on ships far too much lately. She sighed when she felt he had talked enough, thankfully he had finished what he was saying.

"Well, waiting around here is boring. Let's get going, already."

[Recaiden]

"We are going. Look!" This one then heads below-decks to gather her weapons and supplies, and say a prayer for the sun before they arrive.

[Zaydos]

It takes forty minutes for the ship to arrive within easy sight of the shore. The island itself lacks a dock for a ship of this size, necessitating taking a smaller shore going ship. "Miku, Marin, Eyes, Sars, Karlin, you five come with me, we'll go ashore. The rest of you stay on the ship."

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin nods, adjusting his armor one last time. His spear has a leather bag fitted over its tassel and leaf-shaped head, the drawstrings pulled tight but not tied. He climbs into the boat, and then lays the spear across his lap, smiling broadly.

At his waist is a bundle of fine shells, a leather cord running through each and knotted elegantly; it is a pittance, but it should be good for a few cheap purchases.

"You know," he says, looking at the isle, "this looks like the kind of place breadfruit would grow well in. My home tribe once grew breadfruit; I kinda miss the taste."

[Recaiden]

"It's Tinia, sir. Karlin is the house name." She makes her sure she is ready to depart: her jacket is fastened, the collar covering up her amulet, the loops around her wings buckled properly, a few small chakrams at one side, a money pouch at the other, yeah, everything looks in order.
Tinia hops off the edge and floats down to the boat, settling in at the back, looking around at the smaller craft. Will they need to row it in?
Peering at the mountain ridge, though even she of course can't pick out individual fruits at this distance, she chimes in, "Maybe some will be growing up on the ridge. Myself, I want to see what all the town has besides fish."

[Rhyvurg]

Eyes settles into the boat, his stick across his knees, long sleeves hiding his bracers.

[Enzeru]

Miku straightened her bracers, she never tried to hide them but never made a point to draw attention to them. However, if things went well, showing them might be her ticket to an audience with the local leadership.

The redhead tilted her head and blinked slowly, trying to determine what kind of fruit Marin could be talking about it.

"Breadfruit, eh? What does it look like? Does it taste like bread? If I see any when I go on my own fruit hunting run I'll grab some. That's, of course, after I try to meet with the village overseer and perhaps some of the locals. I'd like to get a bit of information."

The dragonblood, having been given the best of everything when she was young, had no idea of how to pick wild fruit let alone tell when it was ripe. However, she wanted fresh fruit and getting it herself was the only way.

Carefully, Miku lowered herself into the boat. "Woah, easy there." She settled in and let out a relieved sighed. Disembarking like this made her nervous. Recently, Miku had discovered she preferred proper ports where one could sail right up to the dock rather than having to row in.

[TheCountAlucard]

"Actually," Marin admits with a wistful smile, "breadfruit tastes pretty bland. It's like a…"

He pauses, unable to think of the foreign vegetable, and then says, "Potato! That's it! Like a potato, but you're right; it has a bread taste to it as well… I guess what I miss more is home…"

He lets himself recall the numerous breadfruit trees that grew on his home island; the largest of them could bear over six hundred pounds of fruit in a single season, so his tribe never wanted for food.

He then helps the next person into the boat, shifting in his position a little to allow for more room to be had.

[Zaydos]

The little boat only takes a few minutes to reach the shore of the island. There are about fifteen villagers, and at least twice that many children, waiting at the shore.

"Usually I get a larger reception," the captain mutters as he sees the crowd.

[TheCountAlucard]

"What do you mean?" Marin asks, puzzled. He squints his eyes and tries to make out the details as soon as the group is visible.

[Zaydos]

"Usually more of the people of the village would be here. Last time I was here, there were at least thirty people not counting children who came to greet us," the captain states.

The people do not seem armed with anything other than fishing spears, at least not from this distance. They are mostly men, probably fishermen, and children excited to see what the ship is bringing this time.

[Enzeru]

The young dragonblood pursed her lips as she listened to the conversation. Could something bad have happened to these people?

"Could something have happened? Pirates or a natural disaster?"

Miku scanned the shoreline with her violet eyes, both out of curiosity and to look for danger. She tried to make out the looks on the faces of the people as well.

(roll per+aware (2 + 1))
[roll0]

[Rhyvurg]

"Well, let's find out." Eyes walks towards the villagers, waving. "Hello!"

[Recaiden]

"Perhaps there's just been more ships coming by recently, and you've lost some novelty."

Tinia hops out of the boat, fluttering over the surf after Eyes. "Hello. How fare the people of Qir Ji?"

[garter_snake]

Sars carefully adjusts his position to rebalance the boat as Eyes and Tinia exit.

The simple explanation for the small reception is that the men are all out fishing. Karst thinks to himself. However... if that were the case, the ones greeting us would be women, which doesn't appear to be the case. A pirate attack or something similar reduced their population, perhaps. Well, there's no point fishing for answers. May as well wait 'till I have enough background to ask the right questions.


"Captain." Sars turned to Laughing Sea's Foam. "Are there any unusual local customs we should be aware of?"

[Zaydos]

Laughing Sea's Foam shakes his head, as Eyes wades towards shore and Tinia flies after. The people eye the winged human with apprehension, but the children respond to Eyes with a series of exclamations of excitement, and the answer of the adults is almost lost in the sound. A few answers can be made out, mostly coming down to, "I wonder what he's brought this time."

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin ties off his spear to the satchel on his back and disembarks from the boat, giving the tribal folk a friendly welcome with open arms. His very eyes smile as he approaches.

[Zaydos]

The tribal folk continue talking excitedly about the prospect of trade. The children especially are excited merely to see what wonders have been brought from Wavecrest this time.

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin fingers his bracers as he watches the amazed children, wondering if he should wow them with a display, but thinks better of it. Instead he approaches one of the adults, aiming to speak to one of some rank.

"Excuse me," he says in as low a voice as he can manage, "but are you familiar with this man?" He proceeds to describe the fellow that had washed up on their boat, eyes on the face of the islander, gauging the reaction therein.

[Zaydos]

The villagers look to each other as if to see if none of them are able, or perhaps willing, to answer. Finally one man says, "Should we be?"

@Marin:
They're definitely hiding something. The children in particular show it on their faces.

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin lets his eyes shift from person to person as he assesses their reactions to his query. Either they don't trust us, or someone's making them stay quiet about all this… probably the latter, by the look of these kids.

"What I mean to say is, we found him adrift, badly hurt."

He takes his leather cord with the precious shells and offers it out to any who might look more inclined to talk. "Let me ask again… what can you tell us about this man?"

[Recaiden]

Tinia lands near the children, looking about them.
"Probably. Do any of you know what happened to him?"

[Enzeru]

Miku slowly stood in the boat and frowned at the waves lapping at the shore. No matter what she was surely going to get wet. Yet another reason to wish for a proper port.

Slowly she stepped out into the shallowest part of the water and quickly backed away from an incoming wave. A couple of kids giggled at her and rushed off to examine some of the other members of their little group,leaving the red haired dragonblood grateful for her tall black boots.

She walked over to Marin, hoping she could help get some info on the stranger. She rested her cheek on a fist and thought a second.

"Any information might be helpful. Perhaps a family name or a next of kin? I'd ask him myself but he's kinda sleeping it off, whatever it was he went through."

The sooner this mystery was settled the sooner she could speak to their leader and get back to her own task.

"Perhaps I should offer my own name and purpose. I'm Miku. I'm looking for any fair folk that may of come through here. One of them took something precious to me and I want to get it back."

If anything else she might get some information about her own personal quest if she couldn't assist her traveling companions or the stranger.

[Rhyvurg]

Eyes is paying more attention to appearances that words. He checks to see if these people are dressed similarly to the adrift man, or if any of them look enough like him to be possible relations.

[garter_snake]

Sars gazed absentmindedly at the gathering of people on the shore as the boat drifted in.

"Captain, about how many people live on this island?"

[Zaydos]

"Maybe sixty, not counting children," the captain answers back in a whisper.

"We haven't seen any fair folk recently, thank the gods," one of the villagers says, but another pipes up with a contradiction. "Well a month ago there was that strange ship, the one that seemed more fish than boat. It was the full moon, probably a fair folk ship."

[Rhyvurg]

"Oh? I think we should like to hear more about this strange ship. If it was the Fair Folk, it would be good if we knew to avoid them should we happen upon their vessel, yes?"

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin tries (and probably fails) to avoid letting his obvious distaste for the current subject show up on his face.

"I get the feeling that a ship that sails on the full moon and seems more fish than boat won't be that hard to recognize," he says tersely. "Besides, the full moon for this month has come and gone. It'll be almost three weeks before the tide changes enough to bring the Wyld in."

He looks to the villagers again. "Why won't you talk about this man?"

[garter_snake]

Sars half-listens to the discussions of his fellows. Well, then. Karst thinks to himself. I myself don't really have anything vital to do here, but the rest of my shipmates seem fairly interested in this mystery, so I might as well help write this story.

Sars pulls out a notebook from his traveling gear and flips to a blank page. Putting pen to paper, he begins to write, angling the book such that he is the only one who can read it.


((writing))
---------------------------------

Mystery Story: Murder on Qir Ji To ordinary. Besides, he hasn't died. I'll think of something more fitting later.

Detectives/readers: Eyes-that-See, Toroa Marin, Karlin Tinia, Cathak Miku.

Assistant Detectives: Sars Cortisin.

Supporting Characters:

Victim: Nameless Drifter

Suspects: none

--------------------------------


Sars taps his pen on the notebook. Hrm. Hopefully this island is insular enough that the occupants don't just spill the beans after a few forceful questions; that would cut this rather short. Characterization first, then.


"Mr. Eyes." Sars said, glancing up him. "From what you said back on the boat, you seemed unusually invested in finding that man's assailant. May I ask why?"

[Rhyvurg]

Eyes gives him a slightly confused look. "He was hurt, and the fact he was adrift like that means he was either left for dead, or there was no one willing or able to retrieve him. And the fact he has a magically healed wound, showing something supernatural was recently involved in his life. These two things together could mean a great many potentially horrible events and circumstances. Thus, the only logical conclusions are that violence had recently come into his life, a spirit, demon or Exalted was involved, and the people around him could or would not help him. There could have been, indeed could still be, additional victims. How could I do anything but investigate what happened to him? The only alternative would be to ignore the potential suffering of others, and to me that is intolerable. To put it simply, people could be in danger, and my ability to intervene obligates me. There is simply no other choice."

[Recaiden]

That sure sounded like a compassionate speech about their duty to help people.
So Eyes probably has that front covered.

"What about this ship? Was it a long thin fish, like a barracuda, or was it more of a grouper shape? It sounds like the fair folk, it does. Did it just sail by in the distance, or what?"

[Zaydos]

"The ship moved by in the distance. It was only visible under the light of the moon for a few moments, but it looked more like grouper than a barracuda. It seemed half-fish, half-boat, masts could be seen rising from its back, but it also seemed to have a mouth and fins. Thankfully it was not headed here." One of the villagers answers.

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin closes his eyes to think a moment.

They're not going to talk about this man. No replies after we asked four times, I suppose we'll have to find answers elsewhere…

"So," Marin says to the tribal folk, belting his money at his side again, "I guess you'll be helping our Captain with his supplies, yes? What of the rest of us?"

[Zaydos]

The villagers look to each other for a few moments. "We assumed you were here to help him with his cargo, or are you simply guards?"

[TheCountAlucard]

"Guards? Yes. At least, I am."

Not a bad way to describe why I'm here, anyway, he thinks to himself. After all, Laughing Sea's Foam hadn't hired him for his dancing or fishing skills; it was Marin's demon-punishing skills that got him this job.

[Recaiden]

"Did you know where it was headed? 'Away' is a good enough direction."

"Some of us are both! But we could get to the trading faster with more hands to help."
Tinia isn't actually sure that she's here for either of those reasons. They might be paying passengers; she wasn't too concerned with the details.

[garter_snake]

Sars smiled. "That's a rare reply, Mr. Eyes." Turning the page, Sars jotted down a couple of lines, muttered angrily under his breath, and tore the page out, starting anew on a fresh page. Nodding, Karst closed his journal and put it away.

Sars put his hands on the side of the boat and and heaved out of the, starting to walk towards the town. "Well! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to enjoy what shore time we have before we shove off again." Grabbing the arm of one of the more younger tribesmen, Karst pulled him away from the group on his way to the town, saying. "Here, come show a traveler how to drink... whatever it is you drink around here."

As they left the earshot of the group, Sars started chattering to the man. "Ah, what a pleasant day, isn't it? That's one of the nice things about living in the West:, these clear, bright days. Days like these are just made to be enjoyed with friends, don't you agree? Oh, that's right, we haven't been introduced. I'm Sars Cortisin." Sars reaches out and pumps the tribesman's hand in greeting, leaving a small but full coin purse in it((resources 1)). "Would you like to be friends?"







dex+larcenry roll to pass him the coin pouch w/o anyone seeing, incase anyone's watching.

[roll0]

[Enzeru]

Miku pursed her lips and clinched her fist. No matter how quick she traveled the jerk she was following always seemed to be a million leagues ahead of her. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed a little and forced a smile.

"Thank you, that information tells me quite a lot."

The inquiry as to whether or not they were there to help with cargo nearly made the dragonblood laugh. Miku wouldn't get near the cargo if she could help it for fear of breaking something. There had been incidents on other ships where her sword stuck in the mast and took a bit of work to pry free. She hated to see what would happen to provisions or pottery or anything else of value to these people if she pulled her blade even in practice.

"I'm here to make sure no one causes us trouble and for my own personal reasons. Also, it's not a good idea to let me near anything breakable."

The redhead rubbed her head awkwardly and laughed.

[Rhyvurg]

"Perhaps you would care to accompany me then Miku? I am going to see if I can discover what part of the shoreline that tree came from, if indeed it was this island."

[Zaydos]

"Well then feel free to explore the island, though I'd advice you return to the town before night fall," one of the men, taking the lead, says.

[TheCountAlucard]

"Why nightfall?" Marin inquires.

[Recaiden]

"What's the matter with nightfall? I don't think we'd get too badly lost." Tinia chimes in, asking them to suggest to the real threat of the night as an alternative and correction.

[Zaydos]

"It's dangerous to travel about at night, there are dangerous creatures that sometimes attack."

[Rhyvurg]

"I appreciate your concern Captain, but some of us generate sunlight."

[TheCountAlucard]

"Dangerous creatures?" Marin inquires. "What sort of beasts is this island home to?"

I wonder, he thinks to himself, if any of them would be suitable…

[Zaydos]

"Generate sunlight?" The townsfolk asks, "Would you be a sorcerer?"

The other townsfolk seem a little shocked by this statement as well, and are muttering amongst themselves, various words can be made out, mainly "sorcerer" and "magic" but also "demons".

Another townsfolk turns towards Marin, "Demons, with bodies like men. They come and kill with brutish strength. They don't seem to feel pain, or fear, only rage."

[Rhyvurg]

Eye's eyes light up. "Oho! So the Immaculates have gotten to this remote place as well. Please tell me you good people have not been deluded by their insanity."

[Zaydos]

"Imaculates?" One man asks.

[TheCountAlucard]

"Demons, I can handle," Marin admits, gesturing to the spear on his back. "Still, best not to chance it. As for my friends and I, none of us are demons. I am one of the Chosen."

He bows his head and lets the Essence pervade his body, first igniting his brow with a soft, cool light, which slowly spreads down his body along his tattoos. His hearthstone bracers gleam anew as the moonlight plays off of them, the aquatic animals depicted therein seeming to come to life.

[Rhyvurg]

He smiles. "Forget I asked, just some troublemakers on the mainland."

[Recaiden]

Tinia turns to look at Marin as he lights up. One of the Chosen, and with that silver light, this must be one of Luna's exalted. That explains the spear and the strange marks. She lowers her head respectfully, to be in the presence of one of the Incarnae's chosen p-wait. She decides to continue the surprised appearance. Is that really a good idea, to reveal ourselves? For no real reason?

[Zaydos]

The villagers stare at Marin in a combination of awe and fear, backing up, as mutters about the supernatural increase. "Chosen of what?" Seems to be a recurring question running through the crowd.

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin gestures to the silver disc on his brow. "I am blessed by the moon," he replies, "who has given me strength."

…Strength, yes, but not wisdom; I've terrified these people. What can I do to help them?

[Recaiden]

Tinia adds a line of explanation for the people. "Chosen of Luna, bringer of good tides and safety from the Wyld! Have you not heard of the celestial chosen here?"
And then turns to Marin, bowing slightly, wings folded in politely."It is an honor to be in your presence, steward."

[Enzeru]

Miku smirked at the invitation to go to the shore line.

"So ya think you might need some muscle there. Well, whatever got that guy might still be there so that's probably a good idea. However, I was really looking forward to grabbing some fresh fruit."

The redhead quickly turned to face Marin. "You're goin that way, right buddy?" She grinned at the lunar. "Will you get me some of that fruit? Maybe some of that whatcha-call-it fruit you were talking about, it sounded good."

There was talk of it getting dangerous after dark and Miku laughed. "I'm not scared of a little dark. The fire in my heart burns a thousand times brighter than any torch."

When people they began to speak of magic, Miku rolled her eyes and sighed as she returned her attention to the group.

"I don't care what's out there, if it comes after me I'll beat the crap out of it and we'll keep moving forward. I'm no demon or undead or any of that nastiness. I hate those things as much as you do."

After Marin exposed himself, the dragonblood sighed and tossed her hands up, her black jade bracers obvious on her arms. Might as well come clean and hope no one had a vendetta on her family.

"I'm a dragonblood from house Cathak. I like fire, swords, and long walks on the beach. As for brutish strength and rage, I reserve that for those fair faced bastards I'm hunting which I would very much like to get back to as soon as possible seeing as how they have such a head start on me."

She paused a moment before smiling to a group of towns people. "I like you guys, really, but if someone is hurting innocent people I'd like to get out there and take it down before it strikes again. My guess is that it wouldn't be too happy that there are outsiders nosing around in its territory. I mean, the way I see it, it's already disrupted things anyway so we might as well take care of it."

All of the fuss over Marin being a lunar made the dragonblood snicker. She tried to speak softly where only he and maybe a couple others could hear. "Looks like you're pretty popular."

[Rhyvurg]

Miku smirked at the invitation to go to the shore line.

"So ya think you might need some muscle there. Well, whatever got that guy might still be there so that's probably a good idea. However, I was really looking forward to grabbing some fresh fruit."


"Well, I think it best to not go alone. Whatever tried to kill that man might find me a tempting target were I alone."

[Zaydos]

With the revelation of a Dynast in their midst the villagers' talk becomes even more disturbed. They do not know what a chosen of the moon is, but they know what trouble Dynasts can bring.

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin shrugs his shoulders, still thinking how to deal with this situation.

"The 'demons' that attack your people… when did they start appearing?"

[Recaiden]

"You maybe can point us in the right direction for finding them? I think the Cathak has the right idea."

Tinia notes the disturbed chatter the Dynast causes. Kind of hurtful, really. "You don't get visitors often, do you?"

[Zaydos]

"Three years ago," one man answers Marin.

"Not often, few sail this far West, and the Realm's attention doesn't often turn this way," another answer Tinia.

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin nods. "And your Dragon-Blooded leader, what of him?"

[Zaydos]

"About a year and a half," the villager answers.

[Recaiden]

"Then you've lived with them far too long. I say we head inland and do something about it."

[Rhyvurg]

"I would still like to see if I can discover where that man was attacked."

[TheCountAlucard]

"Has your leader not helped you in your plight?"

[Zaydos]

The villagers still seem unwilling to talk about the injured man, latching instead onto the idea of their own plight.

"He has. When they wander too close to the town, he takes his jade spear and drives them away again."

[Enzeru]

"So we got a leader who chases off the baddies with a jade spear yet someone from his island was killed. Either something is going on around here he doesn't know about or he's involved."

Miku tapped her upper lip with her forefinger, acted like she was going to speak again but returned to tapping. She stopped and smirked.

"Ya know, maybe it would be better if I went to talk to the dragonblood. Does anyone know his family name? It would be easier for me to talk with him if I knew. After all, if he isn't behind whatever got that guy then maybe he can help us track it down."

She looked from the people to Eyes and then back to the people.

"Well, looks like I got a choice to make. Maybe I should flip a coin or something."

Miku laughed and little and sighed.

"I guess it's not a good time to joke around. Right then. So my friends, what do you think? Should I track down the beast or get chatty with the man?"

[Rhyvurg]

"Do what you think is best, if there is another Dragonblood here he might be more likely to talk to you."

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin nods in agreement.

[Zaydos]

Exploration: Moving out into the countryside you can see the villagers watching you with a tinge of concern. The land is fertile, though not overly so, covered in farms and cultivated lands near the village and as you move further out becoming forest. Night is close and the sounds of animals cease as you approach.

Miku: Recognizably born of the blood of the dragons you are quickly taken to the village's headman. His house, the largest and finest, though only slightly so, is surrounded by a meticulously tended "garden." It lacks flowering plants, but instead has well cared for shrubs, topiary, and aesthetically arranged stones. A woman, around 32 years old greets you at the door, taking you inside the building. Like the exterior the interior is well built and kept, with stark furnishing and what there is are scrolls of a martial nature, describing the techniques of some mystical martial art. The woman leads you to a large study, complete with bookcase, in which a fit man, looking about 23 years old sits upon a cushion with three young women beside him. His red hair, and faint almost salmon colored scales mark him as probably a dragonblood like yourself. Looking up he looks at the woman who brought you here and says, "Who is this? Why have you brought me a visitor without first informing me?"

@Karst: Getting a villager alone proves a difficult task, they seem wary of you strangers especially after your previous questions (give me a Cha or Man + Presence or Socialize).

[Rhyvurg]

Eyes continues his stroll along the coastline, hoping to get lucky and discover where that tree came from before it gets dark.

[Zaydos]

There is a small cape a little ways from the village where the man could have fallen some distance to strike the water.

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin now keeps his spear out as he ventures into the wilder parts of the island. His motion is like that of a cat; he effortlessly moves with stealth, even with company.

[Enzeru]

After taking note of the garden and the exterior of the home on her way in, Miku followed the woman she assumed was a servant of the village leader. The redhead smiled as she caught quick glimpses of the martial arts décor, certainly this leader would be a man with skill if he read and followed the teachings on them. Following her escort into what was obviously a study, Miku almost winced, knowing she would be interrupting the man and thus making him annoyed. There was no way around it, this had to be done.

The fire aspect girl was surprised that the man before her was young, he couldn't be much older than she was if at all. She was expecting some old geezer that was gruff around the edges. Instead, she found this younger man that was clearly of dragon blood descent just as she was. When he spoke to his servant, her fear that she was interrupting his daily routine was found justified.

“Cathak Miku.” She bowed only slightly to show honor for someone of equal status, a hand coming up in front of her chest and hooking back like a claw as she did so, the black jade bracers shining in the light filtering in through a window. “I apologize for just dropping in on you like this. My presence here is a long story, but the short version is that on my way through my ship made for port and found something troubling. I thought it might have been caused by the fair folk I am hunting to restore honor to someone slain in battle. I was hoping we might discuss this troubling thing I found.”

It was annoying to her to be so formal but it was up to her, she was the only hope for everyone finding out what happened. This was also a good chance for her to gain an ally against the fairfolk. Though she knew not his family name or allegiances and he seemed to be lacking in resources that would aid in a fight, a single dragon blood added to a legion would boost the strength of an army. All she had to do is make nice and hope for the best.

[Recaiden]

Tinia walks along behind Eyes, keeping watch on the forest as they pass through.

When the cape comes into view, with its overhanging rise, a likely place for a fall, she points it out, though everyone else can see it just as well. "There!"

[garter_snake]

Sars falls into step with one of the younger male villagers as the group disperses. he speaks, as if talking to himself. "Ahh, my shipmates are quite the diligent bunch, aren't they? Myself, I'd like to enjoy shore leave a bit." Turning to the villager, as if just noticing him, Sars says "Oh! Sorry for my poor manners. I'm Sars, a crewmember of no real note; it's a pleasure. Say, I don't suppose you would be able to show a traveler where to get a drink and a dice through around here, would you, Mr...?"


Cha+pres. I'll spend a wp for an auto sux too.
[roll0]] + 1autosux


Willpower ••••••••••
9/10

Essence: ••
14/14 personal
24(9)/33 peripheral

[Rhyvurg]

"Indeed, perhaps." Eyes smiles at her and goes to investigate the area. An uprooted or broken tree stump should stand out easily.

[roll0] Int+Investigation, inspect the area

[Zaydos]

@Marin: Moving deeper onto the island you do not immediately see any tell-tale signs of a large predator as you make your way into the interior of the island, the great mountain ridge ahead of you. A group of flightless birds, about knee high cross the area not yet having noticed you.

@the cape: Searching the area you can quickly find the probably source of the limb. On one side of the cape's cliffs there is a tree growing horizontally from the stone and a keen eye can tell that a limb is missing from it.

@Sars: It does not take much convincing to get the man to tell you the name of the local brewer. "As for the dicing," the man says, "that'll come after we've seen your ship's wares."

@Miku: The dragonblood looks surprised, "Cathak? Where have I heard... One of the Realm's houses. A dynast out here, now that's a sight far rarer than a fair folk. Can't say I've seen one of them in," he pauses as if in thought, "The last thirteen months I think it's been, and even then it was no noble of their race." He reaches towards something half hidden by his desk, standing up a jade dire lance, "It did not last long."

[Rhyvurg]

"So, here, possibly. No obvious signs of a fight. He could have been fleeing a predator or was just on an unlucky misadventure and the branch broke by accident. We should see what kind of Dragonblood rules here, it's possible they provide healing and the man's injury was nothing remarkable. We should also see if anyone lives near here, just in case."

[Enzeru]

Miku tilted her head and smiled. It had been a while since she had been among one of her fellows. This one did not seem as stuffy as the rest so she decided to drop the formality. She nodded at his weapon, taking in the detail of the tip of the lance.

“And that is the best way to deal with those degenerates. You didn’t happen to pull a red jade sword from his belongings, did you? My betrothed fell in battle and the scum managed to drag off his sword. I’ve been chasing one in particular for a couple years now. My journey actually led me to this sea. However, stopping at this island was purely by chance. The people I was sailing with pulled something troubling out of the water. I feared it was the result of an attack from fair folk so we made port.”

Miku paused a moment to let her final statement sink in before asking her next question.

“There isn’t anything on this island capable of putting a hole in a man and tossing him in the ocean, is there? Not that I‘m worried for myself, I would like to see those I travel with intact long enough for us to reach our destination. The people in town wouldn't even talk about the guy and tried to act like they didn't know him.”

[Zaydos]

@Miku: The man seems ready to answer your first question, but then you pose your second and he grimaces. "Only my spear that I know of. A man challenged me to a duel," he pauses, "The fair folk aren't the only things my spear makes quick work of. As for the other, it was a commoner, some noble's lackey sent to spy or trying to flee its master. It had nothing of value, though travelers from the West have mentioned increased fair folk attacks so maybe if you continue that way you may find what you are looking for. I wish you luck."

@Tinia and Eyes: The ground has been tread often recently, and you can find traces of where dirt has been scraped away, though why you can't be certain.

[Rhyvurg]

"Well Tinia, I think it's time we looked for some witnesses."

[TheCountAlucard]

Marin shrugs. These birds aren't likely to be the killers I'm looking for. He continues deeper in where he can, taking care not to disturb them.

[Enzeru]

Miku nodded in reply. "I see why they wouldn't talk about him now. Challenging those blessed by dragon kind often proves fatal for those of lesser birth."

This made her skeptical. She wondered why anyone would anyone challenge this man in the prime of his life while he has such a great weapon unless they were really desperate.

"Thank you for the information on the fair folk. As soon as my companions are done with their business here, we will be on our way."

For a moment she paused and then continued.

"Might I ask what brings a man of your caliber to rule such an island. Surely someone with such strength could have been an upstanding military official."

[Recaiden]

Tinia nods. "Someone is covering this up. Literally." She waves at the scraped-away dirt.

"Back to the town, Eyes?" I don't think it was actually a question. She's already hopped off the ledge for a burst of speed and is circling back to the way they came up here.

[Rhyvurg]

"That's probably best. If there is something dangerous here it's hiding well, either from the people, or with their help."

[Zaydos]

It is now dusk.

@Marin: You continue deeper into the woods. You've yet to see any obvious signs of a large predator, but that doesn't necessarily prove they are not there. The crescent moon is visible on the horizon, half hidden by the peaks.

@The cape: You can quickly make it back to town, the villagers seem to have already made for their houses in fright of the descending night.

@Miku: The fireblood shrugs, "The Realm didn't find me till well after I was full grown, and by then I had my own way. It's life, and it's a good one, nothing too strenuous and I get to put my skills to the use they were intended."

[TheCountAlucard]

Observing the silver sliver in the sky, Marin slowly crouches, bowing his head. Though still somewhat fearful of her, Marin smiles and thanks the Silver Lady once more for her blessing. Once his brief prayer is done, and he is sure he goes unwatched, Marin changes and takes flight, beating his feathered wings to gain a birds-eye perspective.

[Recaiden]

"And we're likely not to find anyone awake who knows about it. Do you care to go out looking for monsters?"
Tinia is waiting for eyes near the edge of town, perched in a tree, chattering along even if Eyes can't understand her.
"I'm a bit tired. But if there's ought we need to do out there..."

She indicates the action with a bit of pantomime and overdramatic gestures. Go, search, hunt, sleep with negation, and heads a little ways out from the town to indicate.

[Rhyvurg]

Eyes leans on his staff, looking at the village. "Hold a moment. Look at these people. They're not gathering for a drink at the end of the day, couples are not enjoying the night air, they seem afraid of the dark. Maybe whatever is here is nocturnal, or only has power at night. Perhaps it is strangers they are afraid of...or afraid for. I find I am very curious what the local dragon-blooded lord has to say about this. He at least should not be ruled by fear. Or, I hope he's not. No, no monster hunts tonight. Knowledge is our ally, and we are woefully ignorant. We should see if the local lordling knows anything about healing, I would like to know more about that man's injuries."

[Recaiden]

That sounds like a 'no'.

But some bits are recognizable. "Miku. Already went to see the lord."

Tinia thinks for a minute, shakes her head, and points to a nearby house. Knock-knock. First in the air, and then at the door if Eyes does not object.