Draslei Explores IC

[PersonMan]

The time is finally here. The Telcontra sways slightly beneath your feet, a taste of the time at sea to come. She's supposedly the largest ship ever built, made to store enough supplies to make the journey. Supposedly it will be roughly three weeks before you arrive at where there is expected to be land. How the merchants and nobles who planned this expedition have come to that conclusion isn't clear, but anyone you've spoken to about it seems to believe it is an accurate prediction. The Telcontra is by far the largest and newest vessel involved, but there are two more ships that will accompany it. The Telmir and Telcus, manned by skeleton crews to preserve food and water, carry their own loads of supplies. Enough food and water to keep the crew of all three ships, 44 in total including yourself, alive is stowed in the belowdecks of the three ships. Almost three thousand meals worth of food and drink, you've heard. Some say that half of the cost came from that alone, with the ship's construction making up most of the rest. The meal you've recently had, a hearty midday feast meant to raise the crew's spirits, is going to be the last meal you will eat on Draslei's soil until at least a month and a half have passed - likely longer, given some of the plans of those going with you.

The afternoon winds have been picking up, and shortly after you finished eating the ships were boarded. Now you stand on the deck, surrounded by the twenty-two men and women whose duty is to bring the fleet to its destination, with the captain's loud voice seeming to reach over the noise to bellow commands, the woman herself striding across the deck towards the bow, having no trouble in twisting to narrowly pass by members of the crew working to tie down the last few items to arrive or carrying things belowdecks, the chain reinforcing her leather armor shining in the sun. Before long she's reached the front of the ship and is joined by her first mate, another woman whose white hair reveals her as being from Yilsig. With a final command, the ship is released from the docks, eagerly pressing forwards, driven by the strong wind filling her sails. The land begins to shrink behind you and the frantic activity ceases, the crew calming as the Telmir and Telcus leave their own docks, joining you in the waves further from shore. Despite the warmth of the sun, the strong wind blows a slight chill into you, a reminder that the summer will end soon.

The open sea soon stretches out in all directions, the land completely disappeared after just over an hour. Nothing but the Telcontra and her escorts, surrounded by endless water. Eventually, those who remain on deck find a break in the monotony of the sea's expanse - an island, barely worth the name, sticks up from the water around it, home to nothing but rock and some small plants. As you pass by it, you find that a few smaller outcroppings of stone occasionally peek up from the waves, leading in two straight lines almost forty feet into the water before disappearing. You're told it's the so-called 'Island of Osrick', supposedly named after a dragon of the old Empire that flew there to eat rebellious lords. It passes from view only half an hour later, its lonely rocks becoming invisible in the waves. It's evening before you see land again, as the Telcontra passes the old Empire's easternmost dominion: another small island, this one jutting perhaps thirty feet straight up from the water and topped with the unrecognizable remnants of some stone construction. This, the captain announces to those within range of her booming voice, is the last piece of charted land you will see on the voyage. Everything further is unknown.

The rest of the day passes without event. An evening meal, much smaller than the one you had this afternoon, is had belowdecks, made by a middle-aged man with a full beard who responds with apparent pride when some of the crew joke about the lack of taste in the food. Their observation is accurate, despite their tone, but the food fills you nonetheless, as the ship's cook looks across the crew with sharp eyes and makes the occasional comment on an especially fast, or slow, eater. The day ends with a small luxury; your place has resulted in you having a private cabin, rather than sleeping in one of the two communal rooms as most of the crew needs to.

For two days nothing of note happens. The endless waters stretch out in every direction, and the progress you make with the ever-present wind blowing at your back is invisible in its featureless expanse. On the third full day of your voyage, you pass land again - a blasted outcropping of stone, devoid of even a few small grasses, rising perhaps six feet from the waves and no larger than a small house. Pitch black, it stays in view for an hour before disappearing again, remaining only in memory and in the chatter of the bored crew as they discuss what may have turned it so dark.


--*--

The dawn breaks on your ship for the sixth time since you left port. The morning passes. The midday has just gone by, and your belly is still at work on the latest plate of nigh tasteless but filling food. You have become certain that the cook, Harren Ulm (http://i.imgur.com/XCpL5w3.png), has mastered the art of making dishes that fill the belly even without looking like they have much food in them by somehow sucking out all of the taste they might have. The sun is high, its light filtering down through the clouds that have covered the sky since this morning. On the deck, some of the crew are moving about, doing one task or another, half the time finding something to do that doesn't really need doing.

Adalind finds herself in the rigging, feeling the full strength of the powerful wind that has continued for a week. Climbing up the ropes is another woman, who is often up in what seems to be a fairly makeshift crow's nest at the top of the main mast. As she often is, the woman wears clothing more suited to a social gathering than doing work - which she seems to have avoided just as well as the Sworterii warrior has. Aline Frias (http://i.imgur.com/1tvr919.png) is the woman's name, and she holds the role of the ship's lookout, using her supposedly nigh-magical gaze to scan the horizon for land or storms. At present, her goal doesn't seem to be her post, however, as she climbs directly towards Adalind, a smile growing on her face. "Mind if I join you for a bit?" She asks as she closes the distance, voice smooth and warm. Adalind notices that the woman seems to be completely ignoring the wind, but doesn't seem quite used to the climbing, despite having done so for a week already - the signs of slight tiring are there, visible as what would be growing gaps in an opponent's defenses.


--

Sabrina has just finished one of the few pieces of actual work to do on the deck - a crate of cloaks, half emptied and recently passed from the Telmir back to the Telcontra, needed to be tied down properly so that it wouldn't cause trouble before it could be brought belowdecks during the evening when the cargo hatch opened. As she's taking a moment to rest, a tall man she recognizes as one of the crewmembers most often working at the bow approaches her. "Afternoon," he begins. "Navigator's asked for ya," he says, gesturing behind him to the forecastle, where the woman in question is barely visible behind one of the masts. Halina Abrantes (http://i.imgur.com/UkRkmZr.png), the sullen elven navigator whose insistence on wearing her oddly-cut leather armor has sprouted at least one rumor that she's fleeing assassins, is at the wheel as she almost always is.


--

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ship, Halvurste is walking across the deck, having taken the cloudy weather as an opportunity to get some fresh air without the sun's scorching ruining the rest of her day, and as she passes a man she recognizes as one of the worse card players he gives a sudden lurch backwards, barely making contact with the woman as he pulls on a rope tied tightly around an unused chest. Before she's even sure if he noticed, the man turns and seems a moment away from cracking some joke, before he recognizes her. "You!" He shouts, expression instantly changing. "To think you'd crawl up to the deck! What's wrong, run out of ways to rob honest folk of their hard-earned pay?" His voice rises further, and he's a moment from breaking into a full tirade, already drawing the attention of a dozen men and women who are all too eager to watch the confrontation. Amongst them, Halvurste spots Kornelia Erdos (http://i.imgur.com/IUFcOqt.jpg), the sister and bodyguard of the woman representing the various nobles' interests on the expedition, Iren Erdos (http://i.imgur.com/YJEhyxm.jpg).

[Hazuki]

Halva draws in a deep breath as she steps onto the deck, her cloak wrapped tightly around her and her eyes shimmering with curiosity. She hasn't had much time to explore the deck, although she knows another pair of prestigious guests have often made their way up here. The weather is perfect for her - cloudy, cool, and just windy enough to add an extra something to her stylish cloak. She's certain there'd be a distinct scent of sweat, the heaving bodies of the sailors could attest to that, were it not for the salty sea frothing at their passage, and something like petrichor smeared across the hull. Her eyes pass over the short-haired Erdos, but before she can start a ponderous train of thought, the talentless card-player tags her arm.

She listens patiently to the fist few words of his rant, licking her blue-stained lips until enough of a crowd has gathered. When he seems to be reaching the crescendo of his mad rant, she puts a finger to her lips and says "Shhhh." The man's voice is cut off abruptly, and nothing further comes out. She offers him a slight smile and inclines her head. "Have a lovely day." She turns on her heel and strides up to a higher spot on the deck, chuckling internally.

To reduce the sound of his talking to nothing. 3 PP marked off.

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind is bored. Climbing up in the rigging is only slightly more interesting than hearing other people speculate about that bloody black rock. And because she's so bored, she's resorting to some basic, childish things to do. It's better than nothing.
She's right in the middle of carving "Harren Ulm's food looks like it's already been eaten." into the mast when she notices Aline Frias climbing up towards her. Nonchalantly she puts her knife away and acts as if she wasn't doing anything.
Weirdly enough, the woman seemed to want to talk to her.
"Sure you can join me, as long as you're not here to make a pass at me. None of us have had a bath for at least 6 days, you know."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina raises an eyebrow at the sailor playing errand boy before giving him a nod, taking a moment to test the lashings on the crate before jogging towards the forecastle. Two bored looking sailors were slowly moving a crate of something-or-other down to the main deck, so Sabrina opted to scramble up the forecastle wall instead. This was showing off a bit, she knew, but she hated waiting and she didn't feel like trying to squeeze past the two men. With vaulted the railing with a small flourish before strolling casually over to the navigator, a light smirk playing across her lips before she smoothed them down into something more neutral. "You wanted to see me?"

[PersonMan]

Aline is unable to repress a chuckle at Adalind's comment. "There goes my plan for this afternoon," she says with an exaggerated sigh. "There are ways of keeping clean at sea, you know. If you're friendly enough, people will tell you," she adds after a moment. "But enough about cleanliness - I'm guessing you haven't found much to do up here?"

--

Sabrina's acrobatics catch the captain's attention - she realizes she had been standing, hidden behind a mast and the men, on the forecastle, but the woman doesn't comment, merely raising an eyebrow and following the men down onto the deck, occasionally gesturing and telling them to move differently. As Sabrina approaches the navigator, she gives her a glance and nod, but lets her have the first word. "Yes. You're the only one of our 'special explorers' to be actually useful so far, so I wanted to give you a few basic pointers on this," she pauses and briefly smacks the wheel in her hands before returning her grip to it. "Assuming you don't mind. It's always best to have two or three people who can use this, in case something happens."

--


"Nothing to say, eh? I'm not surprised, I doubt you could-" the man begins, until Halva speaks, at which point he stops, his face grows redder and he clenches his fists, but says nothing as she turns away. Several of the other crewmembers start to laugh, and some of them return to their former tasks. As she heads through the crowd, Halva sees Kornelia coming closer, seemingly trying to make her way towards her.

[Hazuki]

Upon noticing that Kornelia is maneuvering towards her, Halva's thoughts pause. She's likely going to get yelled at, which is no fun at all, just like most of the officials that are running this expedition. Steeling herself for the inevitable condemnation, she skulks through the crowd to a slightly less crowded portion of the deck, and leans against the edge. She acts like she hasn't noticed the bodyguard's approach, but when she does appear, she performs the shoulder-salute and greets her in Bral.

"Good day, Blade Erdos." She smiles.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina bounces on her heels for a moment, a wide grin spreading across her face. "I'd love to. I've had some experience as a helmsman, but not on anything this large." She leans in to peer at the wheel, giving it a thorough look for the first time. "And even then, most of those ships just had a tiller. I've never had the opportunity to use a proper ship's wheel." She turns back to the navigator, still grinning widely. "Where do you want me to start?"

[PersonMan]

Halina seems immune to Sabrina's joy, stepping slightly back from the wheel and gesturing for her to come closer. "I'll show you - come here and put your hands on it. Many of the basics are the same, but you have to turn more for the same effect," she explains, setting her hands onto Sabrina's if she places them on the wheel, her firm grip moving both the former pirate's hands and the wheel in simple movements, slowly giving her a feeling of what kind of motions are needed to keep the ship on course.

"Where is you experience from?" Halina asks after a minute or so, eyes still on the waves.

--

Kornelia follows Halva, going through the dispersing crowd significantly more slowly than the tribal woman. Eventually she makes her way through it, and approaches her, normally somber expression changing into a slight smile as she is addressed. "Good day, Lady Halvurste," she replies, returning the shoulder-salute. "I...I didn't realize you speak Bral," she says after a moment, seeming surprised but happy.

[Hazuki]

"I spent some time with a Bralese scholar, a couple of years ago." Halva explains. "A skinny, spry man with a long beard starting to turn grey. He said he'd come to Norvek to help civilize some of the barbarians," She doesn't restrain her eye-roll. "But, he was sweet all the same, and took a liking to me. He taught me Bral, and moved on to find another tribe to teach - name was Balaz Bonbon, maybe you've heard of him?"

[PersonMan]

Kornelia listens, nodding as Halva speaks. "I see," she says, still quiet. "I don't think I've heard the name. I'm not very...familiar with noble families. My sister would probably recognize the name, she knows almost every house in Braln," she adds. "Ah...that's right. I came to bring a message, from her. She wants to talk to you, wouldn't tell me why."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina pauses, flushing slightly, before answering the question. "I grew up on the Darie coast. Our village... mostly fished, but I've had some experience on the larger merchant vessels. And how to get a feel for a new ship quickly." She grips the wheel a little more tightly and gives it an experimental turn, feeling how the ship reacts to the movements. "Never been too from the coast except for a few trips around Ovis to the friendlier northern ports, so we could sell off our, uh, fish," Sabrina says, searching for a way to change the subject. "How about you? Where did you learn to sail?"

[Hazuki]

"Very well." Halva replies, as she starts to move towards the other Erdos sister's room. "If she sent you, it must be important." She comments earnestly.

[PersonMan]

Halina raises an eyebrow and glances down at Sabrina. "A large merchant vessel that sold fish? That is an unusual thing," she comments, not seeming very convinced. "I learned to sail when Terei held the Bay of Quisten more firmly. My family was northern nobility, but relied on sailing like merchants to keep our coffers full. I left them as soon as I could, went south for a pilgrimage and sailed pilgrim ships for five years before I came here," she explains, voice even.

--

"I - thank you," Kornelia replies, her cheeks reddening at the compliment. She stands still for a moment before turning and following Halva, stepping quickly to get to your side. "It, well, she didn't say what it was about," she says, still seeming quite affected by the tribeswoman's earlier words. She doesn't say anything more as you go down belowdecks, but seems to occasionally consider something.

[Hazuki]

Halva walks quite comfortably through the ship with Kornelia at her side - the woman's reddening cheeks are quite endearing. They probably have something to do with how much her sister insults and generally demeans her, which makes the tribal's gut twist in restrained anger. There's a line between just establishing superiority, and actually bullying somebody.

As they're soon to come up to the door, she looks back at the woman beside her and smiles easily. "Anything else, before we go in?" She asks.

[RPZip]

Sabrina shrugs and then grins mischievously. "Sailing with the merchant ships was more of the main business, truth be told. No one was ever happy with our fish, but we were persuasive all the same." This is Sabrina's idea of subtle. She's not sure that the navigator gets it. "Business dried up after Ovis stopped sending so many ships across the Vestl Bay, though, so our whole village was out of work. I came here when I heard about the expedition - the chance to see a new land, something that hasn't been explored before was too tempting to pass up. What about you, why did you leave the pilgrimage?"

e: added name of the bay

[PersonMan]

"I see. That kind of fishing village," Halina responds, nodding slightly. "I can see why you would be drawn here. I came because of a higher calling, something telling me to go with this ship," she explains, growing slightly distant as she speaks, absentmindedly stroking her fingers across Sabrina's, turning the ship from a slight shift seemingly automatically.

--

"Ah, ehm, well," Kornelia seems unsure of what to say for a moment, before she speaks again. "It's, um, best if you ignore what Lady Erdos says to me," she begins, pausing before continuing somewhat frantically. "N-not that she tells lies, or anything like that! It's just, well...it may seem harsh to someone who doesn't...well, who wasn't...there," she finishes, looking to Halva hopefully.

[Hazuki]

"Hmm." Halva puts a finger to her lips and looks Kornelia up and down. "If she doesn't say anything that needs to be corrected, I won't say anything back. Is that a fair compromise?" She asks, knowing that Kornelia won't appreciate the idea. She's glad that she didn't get yelled at, and she doesn't want to upset Kornelia any more than she already is, but the idea of promising not to do something is antithetical to her ideals.

[PersonMan]

"I...well, that should be alright, I think," Kornelia says after a moment, offering a weak smile and knocking on the door to the room she shares with her half-sister. A brief exchange follows, and you soon stand inside, with Iren sitting on the large chair, Kornelia at her side.

"I hope she didn't waste too much of your time, she was simply meant to deliver a message," Iren says, offering you a warm smile and leaning slightly forwards. "How are you doing today? I'm afraid I can't offer you a place to sit, or refreshment."

[Hazuki]

"I'm doing well, thank you." Halva replies kindly, as she steps inside just ahead of Kornelia and looks around the room. She's been in it before, a couple of times, to examine the various items littered across her desk, and the cot that she suspects Kornelia is forced to reside in. She also doesn't bother to speak Bral, at least to Iren. When she mentions not having a seat, she smirks. "You've got a lap, haven't you?" She jests.

[PersonMan]

Iren stares for a moment, and Kornelia pales, before the former laughs, briefly, the sound clearly forced. "Tribal humor is quite interesting. But, pleasantries aside, I have something to ask of you. Once we arrive it is my duty to see to it that the interests of those who helped fund the expedition are protected - would you be willing to aid me in this endeavor? The captain refuses to give a definitive answer, and her 'first mate' seems to be mute."

[Hazuki]

Halva laughs with Iren. "I'd like to know what this involves, before agreeing to it, Sydyt Erdos. I've already made a deal with the people who've funded this expedition, which is why I'm here, and if they want anything beyond that..." She responds with a little sadness in her voice, as she moves closer to the front of the desk and stands tall before it. "However, if you tell me what you're after, I'll consider it." She offers.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina gives Halina a curious look as her fingers brush over Sabrina's, nudging the ship back on course. "A religious calling?" she says. "We always had Blessed Illa, but it was always - just another part of daily life, I guess. Something to yell when you hit your head on a bulkhead. I'm not sure anyone ever prayed to Blessed Illa for guidance, except when we got caught in that one storm. What's it like for you?"

[PersonMan]

"It is far more than that," Halina begins. "It gives meaning and purpose. It fills the insanity of the world with reason, eases the suffering and brightens the joy. It provides the foundation for proper living, and the source of true happiness. It is a way of life, the true way, a path that grows wider as more walk it," she explains, returning to reality even as her voice is filled with something resembling emotion for the first time since you've met her. "I am sorry that you have not known it. It is truly a sadness to live a life without its wonder."

--

"There are several, but the most important are establishing territories," Iren replies after a few moments of silence. "There are some among those who have worked together for this that fear being expelled from their lands, and have given me the secret task of acquiring new ones for them, far from the reach of their enemies. The other issues - exploring the value of the new lands' resources, seeing if their people are ready for whichever True Faith is meant to be given to them - are of less concern than this. If you are of aid, I can assure you that you will be rewarded. Whether gold, some of your own land or something else, any reasonable request should be fulfillable."

[Steckie]

Adalind

Now this is just plain weird, people usually don't come up to her for some small talk. She's after something, that much is clear.
"No i haven't found much to do up here. And you can tell me all about what you think i should be doing with my time right after you've told me how to keep clean. If you have a lot to tell me you can talk while we're getting my clothes clean as well. As long as i feel a bit cleaner you can talk all you want. I'm not promising i'll do anything you're going to ask though, depends on what it is."

[Hazuki]

"Those seem like fair goals." Halva agrees. "But they're goals, not tasks, and if I'm expected to help, I need to know exactly what's expected of me. If they want land, do they want me to kill people to get it? By making sure the locals are ready for the True Faith," She internally snorts at this. Religion is all well and good, but she's never needed anything beside the world itself to get by. "Do they mean cowing them into submission? And so on..." She scratches the back of her head nervously - this is potentially important, but it's far too vague to agree to, but she doesn't want to upset Kornelia.

"But those are questions you can't answer, because we're not there yet." She sighs and looks down at the floor. "Once we get there, and get a more solid idea of exactly what we're dealing with, then we can negotiate terms, and whether I'll agree to help. I'll say right now, though - I'm not going to go about conquering people. I'll try to get peaceful results - sharing lands, letting Faiths live together, and so on. I've seen in Sworteria, faiths can live beside each other as long as nobody'd trying to cut each other's heads off just because they worship different ideals."

[PersonMan]

Aline raises an eyebrow at Adalind's response. "You seem a bit touchy. The secret is to use saltwater - you can bathe in it like normal water, or use a cloth to clean yourself if you don't like that idea. Clothes are the same," she explains. "As for what I think you should be doing, well, I'd start by being better conversation," the woman adds with a grin. "I'm literally in the same boat you're in - I'm looking for someone with nothing else to do who's worth bringing up to the nest to talk to. You act like you're thinking I'm going to ask you to help me overthrow the captain and turn the ship south!"

--

Kornelia says nothing, and Iren sighs. "I understand. You're at least better than the captain, then," she says, smiling. "While you're here, is there anything you'd like to ask? Mention? Already know what you'll be asking for, if all goes well?"

[Hazuki]

"I'm afraid I don't." Halva admits, glad that the woman isn't openly showing any hostility. Their relationship should be open enough for negotiations in the future, and she hasn't committed any faux pas big enough to alienate Kornelia. "I get most of my joy from expressing myself...exploring the world beyond sight....you know, tribal things." She smiles. "And I'm curious about something - why have you chosen me for this proposal? It's quite flattering, the attention of a noblewoman."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina smiles, giving the ship's wheel another experimental turn, feeling the way the rudder transmitted vibrations up to the device. "I may have lived without the wonder of a religion, but I have seen some wonderful things. Seeing more wonders is the whole point of this expedition, isn't it? To explore a wondrous new land?" Her mouth quirks up into a grin as she thinks about what lays ahead of them. "I know I'm looking forward to seeing it, a whole new world to explore." Her grin folds back down into a frown. "Speaking of which, how far away are we? I haven't heard a whole lot in the way of details for the trip duration, only the destination."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Right right, sorry. It's not often people come up here to talk to me. Especially not if it's just to talk. I had expected the Nobles or the Merchants or anybody else to try and get me into their camp by now. Most of the people were already part of one of those groups before they got on this boat, but us 'special explorers' that have been contracted to go along have so far been a neutral group. A bit of a wildcard.
I really had expected one of them to want the archer on their side, but so far none of them have acted.
It's probably because i'm touchy, right?" She says with a small smile.

Adalind starts climbing up to the nest. "Come on, Aline. I'll get clean later today, we can go to your nest to talk."

[PersonMan]

"You've got a head for politics. I'm not sure about the merchant and noble camp thing, neither has come to me either," Aline says after Adalind's explanation, but shrugs and follows her up once she starts moving. The two quickly reach the crow's nest, where the small space grows cramped quickly with two people in it. "What brought you here? You don't seem to love the sea, so I'm guessing it's whatever's on the other side?" She asks after a moment, looking up from the horizon to Adalind.

--

"We should be there in about two weeks," Halina replies, seeming ready to change the subject. "It's a long journey - we're going to be at sea longer than any vessel is on any route in Draslei in about three days," she adds. "If we have this wind the entire time, we may arrive a day early. Still, we'd need another thirteen or so."

--

"I see," Iren begins, and Halva gets the feeling that there's more than the normal staged understanding in her voice. "As for why you were chosen, it's for your talents. The captain mentioned you and I spoke with the recruiter before we left - he was of the same opinion she seems to be."

[Hazuki]

"My talents...?" Halva tilts her head curiously at the woman. "I didn't know there was much need for footrubs in the field of imperialism." She remarks with feigned ignorance, but a very real desire to know exactly what Iren expects of her.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"I don't dislike the sea and i very much like the coast. But this long, boring trip over nothing but water is just too much. I've made sea voyages before, but mostly on galleys and always within sight of the coast. Out here the only interesting thing is that bloody black rock we've seen, and that wasn't really all that interesting."
Adalind shifts her weight a bit, she was starting to get a cramp sitting in this awkward position in the crow's nest. This place really wasn't built for two people.
"I came here because back home it was even worse. My mother lost the noble title of our family and i joined the Church of Matara because there was no other place to go. The Church sent me to Telkerin to protect some newly converted folks there. And let me tell you that was probably even more boring than this sea voyage. They didn't do anything interesting, mostly just walking around and trying to convert other people. I had to follow them around constantly and listen to their whining about the weather and who slept with who and whose old whining aunt died.
When i heard about this journey i jumped at the opportunity to do something a bit more interesting. Actually i left before official permission to leave came back, so i might even get in trouble once i get back.

I hope that on the other side we can make some sort of fortune, i would like to get back the noble title my mother lost someday. That would mean that i wont have to listen to boring people talk about how amazing the Church is.
Let's first see if there is in fact something on the other side and we're not just sailing into boringness and certain doom.

And you? Why are you here?"

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina cocked her head to the side, considering Halina out of the corner of her eye. "How do you know that? How long this trip will take, I mean. Is there a map that we're following, something with directions?"

[PersonMan]

"Maybe," Halina replies, shrugging. "The captain tells me the course every few days, and I follow it. If something happens to her, Kamile has what's needed to continue the expedition," she explains. "There's a lot of secrecy."

--

Aline raises an eyebrow and nods as Adalind speaks. "I see. So you're out for adventure, then. Ever think of just staying? If it's not too bad, we could start some sort of settlement or fort and have the rest go back - you could be gone for years, and I doubt they'd care enough to punish you," she says.

As Adalind asks her about her own history, she smiles and leans back against the mast. "Well, it's not as exciting as a fallen noble. I grew up poor, and didn't like it. So I've called in all my favors, spent everything I could scrape together, and am hoping to make a fortune on exotic goods," she explains. "As you can imagine, I'm at odds with the lovely miss Csele belowdecks."

--

Iren's eyebrows briefly rise as Halva mentions foot massaging. "Well, if that's in your skillset I'm especially glad you made it aboard. But I was more referring to your other strengths - it's said that you have some command of tribal sorcery. Whether the stories are true or not, you seem to be competent at sneaking around and know quite a bit about a variety of subjects. These are both abilities I can find use for."

[Hazuki]

Halva nods at Iren's understanding of her abilities, but doesn't say anything. She doesn't want anything else from this woman - she hasn't got anything to confront her with, she can't betray Kornelia's trust, and she doesn't want to give too much away. So many things burst to the surface - asking who sleeps in the cot, why she insults her sister, why she can't be bothered to go talk to people herself, but she forces them back down her throat. Calm. Like a still lake.

"Ask about Csele." A little voice in Halva's head urges her, one that she's dubbed Hertig. Any desire to be subversive, stealthy, or otherwisee crafty, belongs to that little part of her - and the fact of Cook's little suppositions suddenly rise to the surface.

"I don't know if you go down there often, but - the cook keeps looking at me strangely. I'm...kind of used to that, but he does it more than most people do. Should I be worried about him?"

[PersonMan]

"The cook? I don't know anything about him, apart from his time as a soldier in the past," Iren replies. "Supposedly he was quite good, but decided to retire a year ago, to make food instead."

[Hazuki]

"And what about the merchant," Halva pauses for a moment to consider. "Csele? She hardly seems to come out of her room, much like yourself, but she doesn't have a friend to gracefully assist her." She nods to Kornelia. "So it's difficult to tell whether there's something wrong. Has she seen the resident healer?"

As in, with manners, in a sophisticated way.

[PersonMan]

Iren shrugs. "She told me she would be busy with her business - weighing this, calculating the value of that. I don't see why that couldn't be done beforehand, but it would be impolite to press the issue and I will likely need to work together with her in the future," she says. Meanwhile, Kornelia smiles.

[Hazuki]

Halva nods. "And the first mate? I don't know if you've heard of this or not, but she apparently has a reputation for dark magic. I've never encountered such myself, but...well, adding 'dark' onto anything doesn't make it sound any more pleasant, does it?"

[PersonMan]

"She's from Yilsig. Even if she's only a half-breed, she still has blood tainted by centuries of demon worship in her veins," Iren replies. "I don't trust her, myself. I think the captain is keeping her reined in somehow, and whether she practices dark magic or now, she is certainly disturbing," she says. "I assume it's worse on deck, where you see her more often."

[Hazuki]

"I'm afraid I don't spend much time on deck, Sydyt Erdos." Halva informs her sadly. "It's too often sunny, and it hurts my delicate complexion. I prefer to spend time with the crew below decks, playing cards and so on. Perhaps you'd like a game?" She suggests.

[PersonMan]

Iren smiles, and nods as Halva mentions staying belowdecks. "I know what you mean. As for cards, I must refuse - it wouldn't be proper for one of my station to play such games," she explains. "If it would amuse you, Kornelia could attempt it, though I doubt she would do well, given what she's said about you over the past few days."

[Hazuki]

Halva ignores Iren's comment about Kornelia. "Why's Kornelia allowed to play and you're not?" She asks, a curious glint in her eyes.

[PersonMan]

Kornelia almost winces as Halva asks her question, but Iren doesn't seem to notice. "Because she's a bastard, and not a noble," she says.

[Hazuki]

"Well, I like her. Can we play cards elsewhere, or...?" Halva asks.

[PersonMan]

Iren shrugs. "You asked, I answered. Whether a bastard is liked or not doesn't change what they are," she says. "If you'd like to go somewhere else, you can, just don't be too long."

[Hazuki]

"Just like being a bastard doesn't change the fact that she's loyal, respectful, and skilled. Right?" Halva smiles like a perfectly innocent tribal girl trying to get a grasp on the situation.

[RPZip]

"Interesting." This is something of a surprise, Sabrina realizes. If you got lost back home, all you had to do was sail inwards until you found the continent; by and large, ships were rarely out of sight of the shore, and when they weren't they were never too far afield. A lost ship was an easily solved problem, but now... "Honestly, I'm not sure I really pieced that together until just now. We'd better hope that nothing happens to both of them at once, huh?" She grins. "And that they know what they're doing. Did you know either of them from before?"

[PersonMan]

"We will arrive at our destination," Halina assures Sabrina, speaking as if confirming that the sea was wet. "I was part of the captain's crew, and Kamile has been with her for quite some time. We've sailed together a few times, but nothing as lengthy as this of course," she explains.

--

"She certainly tries," Iren replies. "Whether she succeeds depends on your view of things. You may be more...forgiving than I am, given your lower standing."

[Hazuki]

"We're not all that different, I think." Halva smiles at her. "I mean, I see lots of women on the streets wearing dresses just like yours."

[PersonMan]

"This? Yes, unfortunately I was only able to bring the simplest of gowns - the trials of exploration," Iren says with a sigh. "It's not much compared to what I would normally wear, but it must do."

[Hazuki]

"Let me know if you'd like anything different. I'm quite good with clothing." Halva looks to Kornelia, then back at Iren. "Do you mind if we take our leave now?"

[RPZip]

Sabrina files that tidbit away for future perusal, keeping her grip on the wheel. "Oh, I'm not sure I'd realized the captain was part of the pilgrimages as well. Does she share your faith as well?"

[PersonMan]

"No, she's a heretic," Halina replies calmly. "She ferried pilgrims for coin, not because of faith. It's unfortunate, but such people are often necessary."

--

"I see. I will keep that in mind, thank you for the offer," Iren replies with a smile. "Feel free to go. I hope you don't tire of her too quickly, she isn't very good company," she says, and gives Kornelia a little wave. She steps forwards and seems to be waiting for Halva to take the lead.

[RPZip]

"Ah. Sorry." Sabrina says before lapsing into a slightly uncomfortable silence, letting the hustle and bustle of the boat fill her ears.

[Hazuki]

Halva nods at Iren's words. "You go first." She smiles to Kornelia, gesturing for her to walk ahead. She covers the last few steps, then waves to Iren. She walks through the door and shoots one last glance at Iren, the knife-shaped tattoos on her left arm wriggling beneath her clothes, and imagines them slicing through the woman's corset. Then, she close the door behind her and smiles at Kornelia. "Shall we go to the mess?"

Minor Metamorphosis for Small (1PP), then using Disrupt Pattern targeted on Iren's corset strings.

Ranged Touch Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[PersonMan]

"Don't be. You have done nothing wrong," Halina replies, voice growing slightly softer. "Do you see? There, on the horizon," she extends an arm, pointing to a slightly darker point at the edge of heaven and sea. "There may be a storm coming."

--

Kornelia steps out of the door, not going more than a few feet before turning towards Halva. She seems to notice her glance back into the room, and there's a slight change in her eyes, but she says nothing. "That's fine," she says, voice barely above a whisper.

[Hazuki]

Halva leads Kornelia some ways down the hall, then turns to smile at her once they're well out of earshot. "How are you feeling?"

[PersonMan]

"I'm fine," Kornelia replies, offering a slight smile.

[RPZip]

Sabrina leans forward, squinting at the horizon. She half-turns instinctively, her sailor's experience telling her to search for land or a safe port to head towards, before remembering that there's nothing for days in any direction. "Ah," she says. "Damn. Want me to go get a better look from the crow's nest? I've got good eyes."

Perception check to get a better look: [roll0], can delay the results for this until after the next post if that makes more sense.

[Hazuki]

Halva fixes the brunette with a disbelieving look.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"I have thought about staying, but it really depends on what we find there. And if there are opportunities to take something for myself, the nobles and the Merchants probably want to put their greedy fingers on whatever we find.
Still, it would be interesting to try something like that. Difficult, absolutely, but interesting.

Why are you at odds with miss Csele?"

[PersonMan]

"We should be getting word from there soon. We do have a lookout, after all," Halina says, glancing up at the crow's nest, where two figures are recognizable.

They do seem to be darker clouds, but you're not sure if it's a storm or just rainfall.

--

"They won't be able to hold everything," Alina replies. "And even if they do, they'll need people to keep it running. Defend it, if need be. If they had, say, the follower of a war goddess with fighting experience..."

"As for my issues with Csele, well, she wants to bring piles of gold back to the merchants who put money into this. I want to bring back money for myself, in the same way. We're in direct competition."

--

"W-what?" Kornelia asks, shrinking under Halva's gaze. "I - it's nothing. Really."

[Hazuki]

"I - hrrm." Halva stops herself at the beginning of her statement, bringing a thumb up to her lip and gnawing lightly on the nail. She doesn't want to overpower the girl, which is exactly what she's doing - just make sure that she doesn't have the noose of Iren around her neck all the time. She can't be forceful, or too friendly, to Kornelia. "I just like it when my friends tell me what's on their minds. I can't help if nobody tells me anything."

[PersonMan]

"I...I'm your friend?" Kornelia asks incredulously. "Are you...sure? I can't do much for you."

[Hazuki]

"I - I don't like seeing people get pushed around. You don't deserve to be treated like she treats you - nobody does - and you seem nice. So, you're not my friend now, but I want to be your friend." Halva explains quietly. And it's pretty much the truth - she isn't going to lay down her life for Kornelia at this point, but she isn't going to let her get pushed around either, and she likes making friends wherever she goes.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina shrugs, giving the people in the crow's nest a dubious look before shaking her head and clearing it. "Old habits, I guess. I'm used to running around, doing every job. Delegation has never exactly been my strong suit."

[PersonMan]

"Smaller ships can afford that. But we have too many - if everyone ran everywhere, we'd sink," Halina says, and Sabrina thinks that there may be a seed of humor hidden somewhere in her voice.

--

"I...I'm sorry. I thought you were...like others, who I'd met before," Kornelia says after a few moments of silence. "If you can forgive me for doubting you, I'd love to get to know you better," she says, offering Halva a smile.

[Hazuki]

"I understand. Some people don't deserve the gifts they've got." Halva replies, nodding and starting to move towards the mess again. "Once we get there, why don't I show you one of my tricks? If you've got something that you'd like to know a little more of the history of, well, I can help you with that. I just need to hold something in my hands, and it's like I can read the metal, the wood, whatever it's made out of, like a scroll - the story of a treasure, revealed letter by letter..." She speaks passionately, clearly quite enthused by discussing her abilities.

[RPZip]

Sabrina grins, humming softly to herself as she kept the ship on course towards the storm. She did have a sense of humor, buried deep down under those layers of repression and religion. "I can see how it'd wear holes in the ship's planking. That must be why everyone else likes to move so slowly."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Yes, i absolutely understand wanting to bring back piles of money for yourself. But if that's what you want to achieve you're looking at a few problems.
First of all, you need to make sure you can take that money back with you, meaning you'll have to load it on board of this ship and hope one of the other passengers doesn't take it from you. Both the nobles and the Merchants are fully capable of 'taxing' you for your continued passage on this ship.
Second, if you make it back with your money you may suffer from reprisals from the merchant you're in competition with.
And third, you don't know what the captain or her first mate are planning, so far they seem to be neutral between the others, but who knows what they'll do.

The way i see it you have a few things to consider to make it back with your money intact. You'll need to have the captain backing you or at the very least not opposing you. You need to avoid both the Merchants and the nobles and you need to keep yourself alive.
You've got a good point when you mentioned starting a fort or a settlement in the place we will hopefully discover, knowledge of the location of a safe settlement is something you could use to hold on to your life and money. People will pay you good money for the location of a safe haven across the sea, that could be your ticket to riches.
Another option is to get your hands on a ship and a crew loyal to you, fill the ship with things that'll make your rich and sail to somewhere other than Telkerin. That would mean mutinee though, and that's a whole other story.

Let's hope you're recoursefull enough to get out with your money.
I might even take a shot at the settlement thing you mentioned. The more i think about it, the better it looks."

[PersonMan]

"That, or they're worried about tiring themselves out before we get there. We may need to do a lot of walking once we arrive," Halina comments.

--

"Orrr I can just hide it and not tell anyone," Alina replies, smiling slyly. "You'd be surprised how much silver, gold and jewelry you can fit under a blouse."

Adalind spots a dark spot on the horizon - she isn't sure if it's a stormcloud or simply rain, but it's certainly visibly different from the clouds around it.

--

"Oh, well, there is something I'm curious about - someone I knew in the past gave me something a few years ago, which you could look at, if it's not a bother," Kornelia says, seeming to warm back up again fairly quickly as she follows Halva.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Definitely still a bit of humor in there. She'd just have to make sure she kept prying at it later. "That just makes it more important to practice now while we have the chance, don't you think? Or are you planning to stay with the ship once we make land, relaxing in some comfortable hammock while we march around the unexplored country?" she asks teasingly.

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind takes a good look at Aline with one eyebrow raised. "Not under that blouse. And i doubt you can shove much under that skirt as well. Besides, you'd need to wear your clothes for the whole journey back

Say, what's that dark spot over there?"
Adalind shifts her weight a bit to turn in the direction of the dark spot and tries to get a better look.

Perception: [roll0]

[Hazuki]

"Easily done." Halva assures the girl, and leads her to the brig. Once there, she waits for the girl to hand over the item, and holds it between her two palms. As she examines it, her eyes become just a little darker, like they're reflecting a clear night sky.

With ten minutes (Max duration for the Gloves), Halva should be able to identify all the details about the last two owners.

She's also going to manifest Animal Affinity (Intelligence), so she can take 10 for a 20 on any Knowledge checks related to the item/what she see through Object Reading.

[PersonMan]

"I have more than clothes to hide things in," Aline replies, but before she says more she turns to where Adalind turns. "That does look...dark. Let's spread the word, it's probably rain," she says, before beginning to climb out of the crow's nest. "It'll be important for plotting out course, I think."

Rain clouds - the kind that bring a massive downpour. It looks like it will be only about two hours or so before the ship reaches them.

--

"No, I'll be going ashore. And I can walk just fine - hours at the wheel do keep my legs strong," Halina replies, shrugging.

--

Kornelia fishes a small trinket from her clothing, a simple piece of silver jewelry with a diamond in its center. In Halva's hands it willingly parts with its secrets, and her mind fills with knowledge of its past owners.

Last owner: Elven female, 48, LN, gained by purchase, lost by giving it to Kornelia.

Previous owner: No. There are some vague imprints that seem to imply that it was briefly handled, but nothing solid - Halva guesses that it was bought and sold fairly quickly.

The center was likely mined in Yilsig.

[Hazuki]

"This tells me that its last owner was an elven woman, only forty eight years of age..." Halva informs her in a soothing voice, idly tracing her thumb over the front of the trinket. "Disciplined, with a steady rudder in the waters of morality. She gave it to you, willingly, and purchased it recently after it was first made - the silverwork looks like that used by silversmiths from Yilsig, assimilated natives, and the gem in the center seems to support that." She smiles at the girl, and hands her the trinket back.

[PersonMan]

Kornelia smiles. "That's right - all of it. How do you do that?" She asks, clearly impressed.

[Hazuki]

"I've spent a lot of time becoming familiar with myself." Halva admits. "And once you've accepted who you are, the rest of the world starts to accept you - and then shares its secrets. Some things are more difficult than others, and there are a lot of places that don't want to show their true colors, but it all becomes so much easier when you can believe in yourself, what you can do, and how you can influence the world around every one of us."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina grins at that. "That they do. Looks like the lookouts are coming down - I'd guess they've spotted the rain."

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind swiftly follows Aline. "That's not just rain, that's a massive dowpour. I'd say roughly two hours away from us. You go warn the captain, i'll go talk to the navigator."
She lands on deck with a soft sound and heads straight for the woman at the helm. She gives a quick nod to Sabrina. "Abrantes, dark clouds coming in. Probably a big downpour, roughly two hours away. If you need anything done, just say so."

[PersonMan]

Kornelia and Halva continue their conversation for some time, the former expressing interest in the possibilities apparently opened by self-realization. Meanwhile above them, Alina and Adalind spread the message of coming rain. The captain and navigator stand side by side, judging the oncoming rain and discard their plans to avoid it once it becomes clear that the rains cover a massive area - going around it would cost days, Halina says. So everything that needs to be kept dry is brought inside, and the ship sails further east.

--

The rain comes quickly, hitting the ship like a wall of water. It's quite warm, but that comfort is only temporary, as the downpour continues for hours. The crew sleeps with the sound of the rain's pounding in their ears, and wakes to it again. Hours have become days, the doors to belowdecks are only opened once every few hours, and most of the ship's buckets are seized to use to keep the water from pouring down when they are opened. Eventually the constant rain lightens, the sky becomes more than a blanket of rain-spewing blackness. It's another day and a half before the work to dry everything is over, and during this time the change is noticed. It's warmer than it was before, as if the season had been turned back to mid-summer. The captain and navigator check the stars for hours that night, but conclude that the ship is on course. Due east, slightly north, even. Yet the temperature had risen anyways. Some of the crew discuss the matter, and a few concoct theories that the ocean is hot, cooling near land - and that they will eventually find seas of boiling water, if they sail far enough from land. The captain bans further discussion on the issue.

Things return to normal. The Telconta slows and takes on further supplies from the Telmir. Sabrina is given more time at the wheel with Halina, who stays fairly closed over the course of the following days, only occasionally showing the bit of humor the woman had discovered before. Alina approaches and speaks to Adalind almost daily, seeming to enjoy her company while in the crow's nest. Halva's spying continues undetected, and she manages to convince Kornelia to spend more time out of the room that she and her sister stay in. Said sister complains about one of her few corsets having come apart - she pins the blame on 'those overcharging frauds in Terei', adding that 'you can't trust heathen laces, apparently that's too much for them'.

On the nineteenth day, the storm hits. There's almost no warning, nothing but a few darkening clouds before it begins. The wind drives rain in from all directions - from behind, in front, even below. For hours the crew fights to keep the ship on course and over water, the storm tearing at the expeditionary fleet even after the sun sets. Lightning flashes in the heavens and strikes the ocean in the distance. The brief bursts of light show the Telmir's final moments: it crests a massive wave, then suddenly pitches forwards. Bodies fly over the side, splashing into the water moments before the ship follows, forecastle exploding into a thousand splinters and the waterlogged skeleton of the vessel briefly bobbing up out of the ocean before disappearing as another wave pulls it under. The same wave hits the Telconta and Telcus, a wall of salt water nearly ripping a dozen people to their deaths. One of the masts is rent asunder by a flash of lightning, the thunderclap renders everyone on deck deaf and the shock stuns a few unlucky men, who fall into the waves as she ship is tossed about by the wind and waves.

Dawn comes, but brings no relief. Everyone is on deck now, apart from those checking for leaks and patching those they find below. Each hour that passes, someone new is missing. The light stays low, clouds block the rising sun until after noon. The cook disappeared at some point - where he is is unknown. His last work, a half-finished meal of heavily salted meat and a thin soup, is distributed as the storm begins to abide. The sun is high in the sky, but clouds block most of its light. Still, the damage is visible. Splinters of wood, a blackened, split mast, half a dozen injured, and a force of exhausted survivors. Injuries abound, the first mate treats them with surprising care and skill, but no words. The captain calls for those who are left, and the still-sailing Telcus limps in for a coordinated effort to continue.

Of the 29 originally on the Telcontra, only 13 remain. The eight man skeleton crew of the Telcus has been reduced to four. A day is spent barely moving, Halina and Sabrina determine that the ships are, somehow, still on course and keep them moving in a straight line while the rest of the crew dumps crates of food and water soiled by salt water. Midday of the twenty-first day of voyage. Land should be in sight within a day or two at most, and there is enough food to feed the reduced crew for one. The Telcus, crewed by two men, follows the Telcontra, tied with a dozen ropes to the back of the larger vessel. The heat has stayed, but not grown. After a light meal, the Telcontra's surviving crew make good time, the repaired sails pulling the ship forwards swiftly, even as the split mast requires constant maintenance. Pieces of the Telcus are cannibalized to build a 'cage' of wood keeping it together. The pieced-together rigging remains empty for most of the day, and Alina is alone in the crow's nest, as the splintered wood threatens to break apart under more weight. Coming down takes almost an hour as she undoes a series of ropes tied around her to ensure that, if the wood does give way, she doesn't fall to her death on the deck.

The captain begins to weaken. She reveals an injury in her side, the first mate studies the hastily-dressed cut. The captain is confined to a cot - one brought up from below, so she can still stay on deck. She refuses food, drinks little, but her voice stays strong and her plans organized. Those who don't know them yet quickly grow acquainted with the first mate's gesture-commands. The captain's voice becomes rarer, more quiet.


--*--

The sun is shining again, for the first time in what feels like weeks. Clothes and blankets from now-dead crewmembers are passed around, used to keep cool and make shade. The captain announces that land is, at most, six hours of sailing away. The wind has turned poor, the ship is moving slowly. There is little water, and the only food left is a forgotten loaf of stale bread found in an overturned cooking pot. A shout comes from the crow's nest. Eyes go to the horizon. The impossible - sails, in the distance. Strange, triangular cuts; the shape kills the brief speculation that the voyage had somehow gotten turned around and gone back to Draslei. The captain orders preparations, for the best and worst case. Locked crates are brought up from the bottom of the hold, lifted from below the emptied last barrels of water. One is opened, one left chained closed. Swords and axes are passed around, to defend the ship if these sails bring danger. They come closer, swiftly but excruciatingly slowly. Anything that requires going belowdecks is dealt with quickly, so that attention can be returned to the growing sails.

Slowly the details emerge. A single vessel, with three triangular sails, one small and two larger behind it. It sits low in the water, lower than the heavily lightened Telcontra. The sides are colored, bright blue matching an odd symbol on the sails. As it comes closer, figures can be seen running across the deck. The symbol becomes clearer - a golden chain, crossed into an X, with what seems to be a hill in front of them. Something is thrown overboard from the vessel, followed by a sheet of some sort, falling too quickly for simple fabric. A moment later, another, smaller object, follows and the entire collection catches fire atop the water, burning as the figures on the ship gather at its front, what seem to be spears or poles rising from the crowd.

The surge of strength that seems to have taken the captain is gone - she lies motionless, asleep, on her cot, and the first mate gives Sabrina a small scroll to read and pass around. On it is a simple message, written in massive letters by a shaking hand.


UPON ARRIVAL IN NEW LAND
OR WHEN OTHER EVENT OCCURS
FIRST MATE IS TO GIVE COMMAND
TO EXPLORERS. CREW TO FOLLOW
EXPLORERS' ORDERS.

BRIGIDA SILVEIRA


The first mate returns to the captain's cot, a small selection of weapons lying around it. The crew cluster around that side of the ship. Cvele refuses a weapon, but emerges soon after from belowdecks with an ornately decorated rapier in her hand. Iren stands behind Kornelia, two daggers shoved through the belt of her new clothes - since the storm, she has been forced to abandon her dresses for the clothing of lost sailors. Whether that, the lack of food or the work has contributed more to her increasingly sour mood isn't clear, but she seems willing to pick up a blade, taking a shortsword as well. Aline is in the railings, armed with a dagger and slowly untying herself, occasionally pulling herself up for another look from her high vantage point. Cook's mace is in the hands of one of the larger crewmen, who stays near Halina, who has armed herself with a sword from belowdecks and seems free of the nervous tension gripping much of the crew.

The ship approaches, slowing after its odd display. The crowd at its front seems to be moving, and more shapes like spears join those already present. You can faintly hear a sound coming from them, but they're still too far away to truly hear.

[Hazuki]

After the storm hit, Halva spent most of her time above deck - even in the light of her most hated foe, the sun - to help the remaining crew keep their ship running. She does her best to keep them enthused about the days to come, something her magic helps slightly with, and strengthens her muscles to help with the rigging, as well as repairing many of the smaller parts of the ship. Her spying unfortunately has to stop, for the most part, but she makes sure to pay respects to the disappeared crew as well as the cook - her tribal ways might not be common among the members of the crew, but she hopes at least some peace can be gained from her rites.

The most depressing thing about the event is not that she suffers from it personally - the mission still seems to be on course, and she enjoys the work - but watching the despair in the faces of those around her. They worry about food, while she goes without, and about whether they might see home again. She's certain that the hearts of some are troubled by being survivors of the storm, while she's content in the knowledge that it can only help them survive in the future. And the fact that Csele, a woman already fraught with troubles, will only be more disturbed by the disaster that has struck their voyage across the seas.

When she ships in the distance appear, Halva moves to the head of the ship and narrows her eyes at the ensuing scene. They're not going to share a common language, unless what many people said about the draconic empire is true. They're going to assume hostility from an unknown force. And, they're in no position to put up a good fight, even with her and the rest of the explorer in charge. Before they get close enough for violence, she has to find out more. Her heart thumps eagerly in her chest, and Hertig urges her to do it for the sheer thrill.

"Everyone!" Halva calls out to the crew, as she stands atop the front of the ship. As she does so, her cloak wraps more tightly around her, seeming almost sleek as it contorts around her form. "I'm going to investigate that ship - if I don't get back, or give you some signal, you'll know when to start attacking. Until then, try not to instigate anything. Understood?" She requests, standing tall enough that her aura becomes imperceptibly that much more commanding.

Chameleon, 1PP
Animal Affinity (Charisma), 3PP
Minor Metamorphosis (20ft Swim Speed), 1PP.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina blew out a long, slow breath as she read the note, catching Halina's eye as she passes the scroll to Adalind before she could quite manage to peer over her shoulder. It'd been a hard few weeks after that second, much harsher storm had hit, and apparently the explorers were in charge now. Wonderful. "We're in no position to outrun them. Make sure everyone has a weapon - something long, preferably - and get ready to repel boarders if we have to, but we should try to bargain firs - wait, what is she doing?" Sabrina starts, turning to face the tribal girl by the bow. "What does she mean, 'investigate'?"

[Steckie]

Adalind

They're in charge now, Adalind realises as she reads the short note. They still need to listen to the first mate's orders, but she hasn't said a word yet. Besides, if the first mate's gestures command something Adalind thinks is wrong, she can just pretend she doesn't understand.
"What's that Sabrina?" Adalind asks, turning to see what Sabrina is looking at. Halva is going to jump overboard. Great....
"Don't jump, you idiot! You don't know these waters and the creatures that live here. And you don't know what the people on that ship want or what they can do. Swimming up to them may look like an aggressive action and maybe they're friendly.
Besides, there's no way you're fast enough to swim back in time to help us if a fight breaks out. And if you do we'd have to spend valuable time helping you get back on the ship.

Besides, what could you possibly hope to 'investigate' by swimming around a ship? It's not like they're going to have a bloody plaque full of readable information on their combat abilities hanging on the bow of the ship. The best you could hope to discover is that their ship is made of wood.
So don't be an idiot and just stay here."
Adalind keeps an eye on her with an angry look on her face while she strings her bow, making sure the bowstring hasn't been damaged by seawater. Her quiver hangs on her back so she can easily reach the arrows. She takes all her other stuff as well so she has it on her in case they needed to get away fast.

[Hazuki]

"I see what you're saying, and I understand your concerns." Halva replies to Adalind, as she remains balanced on the edge of the ship. "But, you don't know what I can do, and I'm confident that this is something I'm capable of. Learning whether they share a language, what their intentions are, and so on, is going to be a lot easier when they're not within stabbing range." She pauses, and adjusts the top of her tightly-wrapped cloak. "Besides, we're in charge now. We shouldn't argue in front of the children." She nods to the rest of crew and grins.

Then, she falls backwards and slips into the water with nary a splash. Within seconds, she's not even visible, as she makes her way towards the mysterious ship.

Basically, full movement until I get close enough to Stealth up to the ship in one 35ft movement. Once there, Halva will try to use Perception to listen in - if that fails, she'll use Gloves of Recon to be able to see through most of the ship and listen that way.

Taking 10 on Stealth and Perception, if I can, for 38 and 22.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Oh, bloody hell stupid idiotic stubborn woman!" Adalind shouts as soon as Halva disappears underwater. She gives a swift kick against a nearby bucket. Then she lets out a seep sigh and starts giving orders, at least that's something she knows.
"Alright, let's prepare. Kornelia, make sure everybody has a weapon suited to their talents. If people can't use their weapon properly, give them another.
Kamile, unlock that second chest. I want to see if there's anything else in there we could use. Or is it just more of the same weapons?
Halina, what ship is best suited for a quick escape if needed, the Telcus or the Telcontra?
You there, the one holding cook's mace. Drop a rope over the side of the ship for Halva to climb back up. Guard the rope and if somebody or something else comes crawling up, cut it.
Aline, get down here. That mast isn't a safe place to be on top in case of a fight.

Now everybody start moving! Sabrina, a word." She says and walks closer to Sabrina. Quietly she starts talking. "I doubt we can win an outright fight against a fully equiped and undamaged ship, especially with half the crew dead or missing. And i don't know if things are going to get violent or not, i'd prefer to handle things peacefully.
If things turn violent maybe we could prepare the most damaged ship to ram them and make our escape in the other ship? Is that something that could work? Or do you have any other ideas?

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina started as Halva went over the edge, leaning over the bow to try and get a look at her before shaking her head. She ignored Adalind's flurry of instructions for the moment, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, but on some level it was comforting not to have to come up with the flurry of orders herself. She just hoped they were the right ones.

Sabrina listened to Adalind's comments for a moment and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I don't think so. I'll go take a look but our biggest problem is time." She glanced at the ship, rapidly approaching, and shook her head. "We should get everyone up front who isn't needed for something else, show them we're ready to fight back if we have to. A little show of force never hurt anyone. Are you going to be the one to try and negotiate?"

While we're getting ready for this, Sabrina is going to go ahead and use Ki Power: Barkskin. +3 to AC for the next 60 minutes and I drop down to 7 Ki points. And, for posterity, would that be possible? Rolling Profession: Sailor to see what our options would be, vis a vis emergency ramming procedures. [roll0]

[PersonMan]

As Halva rushes through the water, the crew moves to comply with Adalind's orders, and the result is disappointing: only the man with the mace has been properly trained, the others have been taught only the basics of self-defense. Kamile silently works at the chains on the second chest, the heavy metal falling free and striking the deck with a heavy thud. Opening it, she pauses for a moment before reaching in, pulling out not a sword or axe but a bar of gold. The chest is filled with gold, silver and jewelry. A rope is dropped over the side, the mace-wielding man standing next to it and peering into the water before turning back towards the other ship, his grip on the mace tightening.

"Neither are suited for any kind of quick anything. The Telcus may be able to get more distance more quickly, but getting to it would take at least twenty minutes, and that's if we managed to turn you and the others into competent sailors who we could catapult to the other ship to get us aligned," Halina replies grimly, shrugging. "I don't know what their ship is, but it closed quickly. It can go at least as fast as we could with a working sail."

"I'm trying! Unless you want me to cut up all our ropes, I can't go much faster," Alina calls down, slipping free of one rope and working on the second of the three tied around her.

Ramming with and abandoning the Telcontra could work, if you lower the sails and try to pick up speed immediately - of course, without the strong winds pushing your forwards, it's likely that you won't get the movement needed. Anything but full speed would be unlikely to do more than minor damage to their ship. Getting onto the Telcus would be very difficult after that kind of maneuver, as the ships would need to match speed and be next to each other for the crew to get onto the other vessel.

The ship closes with the other one, and the crowd becomes more distinct. Ten people are on the deck, eight of them with spears, one sitting in the back and one a young woman. All of them have strangely dark skin, although the woman's isn't as dark as the rest. As the ships come closer, you see her sprint forwards, the crowd quickly parting for her as she rushes along the deck at inhuman speed, hurling herself into the air from the front of the ship. "Rayuwa harshen wuta, ya dauke ni!" She shouts, and flies through the air in a long arc. After a moment you realize that she's going to make it - the forty or so feet of water still between the two ships passes beneath her, and she hits the deck in a roll, moving another ten feet before jumping to her feet.

A strange weapon is sheathed at her hip, but she is otherwise unarmed. It looks like it might be a sword, but it follows a curve rather than extending in a straight line. Looking around at you all, she grins, breathing heavily for a moment. "Na ga ka rasa ka harshen wuta. Za mu iya taimaka maka, idan kana bukatar shi - a can ba zai wani zinariya filafili ga wani kwana biyu ko haka, don haka idan kana low a kan abinci ko bukatar gyare-gyare, shi zai iya zama da wahala ba tare da taimako," she says, her words spoken with a strange mixture of harsh sounds and soft, flowing syllables you've never heard before.

--

The water is surprisingly warm. It's as if Halva dived into a shallow puddle in the middle of a hot summer day, and not the ocean. Before too long, she approaches the vessel and comes to its side, hearing the voices on deck.

"Bã su da wani wuta, su ne suka teku barayi?" One voice asks, seeming worried.

"Dubi su jirgi, yana da, a guda. Wata kila da suka rasa shi duka?" Another replies, tone suggesting a suggestion.

"Ba na so ka yi hadarin da shi. Ya kamata mu kawai ka bar su su mutu." A third says.

"Ba! Za mu iya ba kawai sai su ji yunwa. Da suka ji mutu kafin zinariya filafili ma ganin su." A final voice says, this one female and filled with confidence.

A moment later, the sound of feet slamming onto wood comes down from the ship and Halva sees the woman sprinting up to the bow, moving far faster than anyone she's seen run before. Reaching the edge of the ship, she shouts "Rayuwa harshen wuta, ya dauke ni!", her words spoken with a strange mixture of harsh sounds and soft, flowing syllables you've never heard before. She flies from the edge of the ship, managing to cross the distance and land on the Telcontra, where Halva spots a rope hanging down from the side - she could easily swim back and climb up, if she wanted.

[Hazuki]

Halva decides to hunt for some fish.

Perception: [roll0]

If I need Low-Light Vision or something, let me know and I'll use a charge of her Scout's Headband.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina grins back at the mysterious woman who managed the jump, keeping one hand loosely on her staff but raising the other, hand up and palm out, in what she hopes is a nonthreatening display. "Weapons at your side and give her a smile unless you want to find out what else she can do," Sabrina mutters through her smile. "I don't suppose any of you have a message back for her? Something nice and formal?"

[PersonMan]

The woman raises an eyebrow as Sabrina mutters. "Ana ku ... ne cewa kamata ya zama - jira, Ina ganin da na gani," she says, before clearing her throat. "This? Draclani?" She asks, looking around the deck, to see how those standing on it respond. "You...are?"

--

A few moments after the woman launches herself off of the ship, Halva hears another barrage of foreign exchanges, followed by the old man making a few brief commands. Then, unexpectedly, he continues to speak. But instead of the odd sounds of the eastern tongue, she hears something odd, but familiar. It takes a moment, but she realizes it is some sort of old Dracolini.

"Is this the coming?" He asks, quietly but audibly. "Paler than the wuta mata, on a grand ship from the west. I hope my daughter doesn't scare them too much. To have people of the west here would be worth more than all of my texts. Rai harshen wuta, my coins shall rain upon your coffers if this is what it seems," he says, before saying something, in the same quiet tone, in the other language and chuckling to himself.

[Hazuki]

"Well, isn't that a swift kick in the never-you-minds?" Hertig comments idly, and Halva can't help but nod her head. What's the use in trying to scout if everyone they meet in these cold-forsaking lands is going to leap straight at them with nary a second's thought? And, even worse, it'll make that dreadful Adalind woman's attitude turn even more sour - as though being in her aura wasn't about as pleasant as eating out of a pig sty already. Whatever envoy they've loosed at the Telconta will have to contend with the arrogant Iren, and the various uncharismatic individuals that dwell within its walls. Unless Iren's breasts suddenly gain the ability to hypnotize, those negotiations are going to go poorly.

Bracing herself against the waves, Halva dips deeper into the water at the front of the mysterious ship, then suddenly darts out of it. She sprints up the hull of the ship as though it were flat ground, and appears standing elegantly at its head - facing those inside. For a moment, she's worried about the language barrier between them, but that obstacle is a distant dream - because Hertig is a key that lets her access so many parts of the world, and language is no barrier.

"Hello. Hello! Hellooooo!" Halva's voice appears in the heads of the dark-skinned crew, being understood as easily as their own tongue, as she smiles broadly at them. "I'm Halva. Anyway...why don't we sit down and have a nice little chat about this crossing of the paths?"

Can speak telepathically with anyone that has a language. Fancy that.

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind focuses for a moment, letting the tone and syntax of the few sentances she heard flow through her and into her mind. It takes only a few seconds but already her understanding of the strange language is improving, sadly only temporary.
She does however respond in her native language, just to see how much of it this woman can speak.
"That is the language we speak, yes. I don't know if we are 'Draclani'. What is Draclani?
My name is Adalind, what is your name?"

Casting Tongues on Adalind.

[PersonMan]

"I am Ruwa Soyayya," the woman proudly replies, smiling. Her accent becomes more obvious as she speaks more. "Draclani...your people. From across the sea," she says. "No flame. Because Draclani. Father will be...very happy," she adds.


--

The men on board move back as one as her feet slam on the wood of their ship and she appears suddenly, some so startled that they drop their spears. One blinks, then falls backwards into one of his comrades. Halva's mind is brushed by a buzz of confused thought, not directed enough to properly reach her, but sent out in all directions, until a single, powerful voice appears.

"Greetings! We saw that your ship had no flame, but it is clear now why that is the case. If you can, please tell my daughter that she is to behave herself politely and refrain from becoming violent while there. I do not know what spirits of the fire you have been blessed by, but I hope that this is within the bounds of this ability you have," the voice speaks slowly, as if testing the new channel of communication. "If my studies have given me enough insight into your lands, I may be able to speak with you normally. It would be far easier for my men to understand if I tell them you are a foreign woman blessed by the spirits of the living flame, than if you speak this way with me. I hope this is not an impolite request."

[RPZip]

Leaving this here but removing the post.

Sabrina

Sabrina turns and gives Adalind a flat stare as she switches into the woman's native language. I guess they were more prepared for this than I thought. She coughs and nudges Adalind. "Translate for the rest of us as well?"

[Hazuki]

"Certainly." Halva replies in Dracolini, mildly surprised by the fact that he's actually able to speak it, but pleased to discover that there are scholars this far out from Draslei. She's half-expected them to be the sort that don't appreciate lore, or spirituality, like some of the more violent tribes from Norvek. "Sorry if this seems rude, but - spirits of the living flame? I am quite skilled at communing with spirits, but I've yet to give them any titles." She asks, her curiosity overruling her desire to avoid getting stabbed.

As they get within range of the leaping woman, Hertig speaks into her mind. "Your father would like to request that you remain polite and refrain from violence. We'd appreciate it, as well. Thank you!"

[Steckie]

Sabrina

Sabrina turns and gives Adalind a flat stare as she switches into the woman's native language. I guess they were more prepared for this than I thought. She coughs and nudges Adalind. "Translate for the rest of us as well?"

Still speaking in Draclani or whatever our language is called, i've casted tongues to listen in on what they have to say while pretending i don't understand.
If Adalind starts speaking in another language i'll try to make it clear. Maybe put it in a spoiler? Or another color?

Adalind

"No Flame? Sorry, i don't know what that means. And yes we are from across the sea.
Does your father speak our language and can we speak to him?"

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina leans on her staff, giving the woman a thorough looking over while Adalind talks to her. The fact that she can speak Dracolini is - surprising, to say the least. In her head, she'd somehow pictured a long pantomime session as they slowly learned to speak each other's languages. Although what it meant that they could speak the same language was another matter.

Rolling Perception ([roll0]) and Knowledge: History ([roll1]) to see what I can about the woman's clothing/appearance, see if anything sticks out.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa stops for a moment and looks around, blinking a few times before smiling. "Hankula na cewa mutum, gano wasu ruhu harshen wuta kiyaye ni da m yarinya, she says to herself, before turning back to the others. "It is...a thing. We do, to...show peace," she says. "Yes. He teaches me," she chuckles. "Or. Tries. I never wanted much, to learn it. Never...needed. Until now," she adds. "If I bring...is depending on you. What you want. Conquest? War? Plunder? Empire? No," she finishes, crossing her arms.

She says 'Typical of that man, finding some spirit flame to keep me the polite girl.'

The woman's clothing seems finely-made, both made for strength and appearance - more than the simple clothes the average man or woman of Draslei's farming class could afford.

Apart from that, and the strangeness of her bent weapon, which even flares out, the blade at times becoming large enough that it could be used to carry small objects on.

--

"Thank you," the old man replies, and turns to the still-stunned men standing around the deck. "Ita daga yamma, wani almajiri mai rai harshen wuta ta ruhohi. Yi wa mata a matsayin girmama bako," he says to them. "Not rude. Power like this, speaking without lips or voices in the air - it cannot be done without the blessings of the spirits. The spirits serve the rai harshen wuta. I believe it would mean living flame in this language, but it is as much as name as it is a description," he explains.

[Hazuki]

"Interesting! Very interesting." Halva makes sure the men have a firm grip on their spears before hopping down from the edge of the ship. "This must seem quite strange to you, a group of strangers from myth appearing to your ship." She beams at him.

[PersonMan]

"It is quite strange. Very lucky, I think, for us all," he says. "I had dreamed that this would happen, but never thought they would come true. I am one of very few who is still interested in the old myths, and even fewer think they speak of a real place. They say it is something the Marru made, to keep us in fear. An ancient lie. Ha! Now they see it was true," he continues, smiling. "If I might ask, what is your name? I am Tsohon Soyayya."

[Hazuki]

"My name is Halvurste, or Half-Prince in my native tongue." Halva answers him. "A pleasure to meet you. As it so happens, I'm quite fond of gathering information, and I've learned a great deal about Draslei - the name of our collective lands - that I'd love to share with you. But, considering the situation..." She glances back at their ships, and back to Tsohon. "Well. As you can probably tell, our ships are in bad shape. A storm hit us a while ago, we lost most of our crews, and our Captain is laden with sickness. Do you think you could help us along our way to land?"

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina raises her hand, palm out and empty. This one she knows. "No war. No empire. We come to explore - to discover, to see what there is. New places, new people to trade with." She remembers the sudden, violent storm. She waves her hand at some of the damage to the ship. "Although the journey to get here was not easy."

And she may or may not be being naive about the intentions of the rest of the crew...

[PersonMan]

Ruwa looks at Sabrina for a moment, seeming skeptical at first before nodding. "I see. We are going north, to Wuta Yan. You can come, see rai harshen wuta," she says. "They have people, to fix your ship. If you have silver, they will help you."

After another moment she turns, and looks towards the approaching other ship. "We are close, soon. Then go."

--

"Halva Halvurste. Interesting names," Tsohon replies, nodding slowly. "Ah, you require aid. Of course I can help! It would be wonderful to be able to bring you all with me. I would recommend Wuta Yan, as the priestesses there should be able to help you. And it would be a great shame for any traveler to miss the sight of the Pool of Burning Water," he says, the idea clearly pleasing him.

[Hazuki]

"Thank you, Tsohon." Halva claps her hands together gleefully. "It looks like we'll be within talking range soon, so that's good. Perhaps you'd like to tell me about this pool of burning water? Or is that selfish? I don't think I've told you anything about Draslei, yet, hmm." She bites her bottom lip. "Ah, the Mantadivas!" She says, then begins to inform him about the natural landmark that is the Mantadivas. She avoids mentioning regions, governments, or religious ties, to avoid confusing him with terms he's unfamiliar with.

[PersonMan]

"The pool? It is near the center of the southern Grand Temple. It is a pool of water that was made around a blessed place, protected by spirits. Any unworthy who reach into it are burned by invisible fire," Tsohon replies briefly, although he smiles as she mentions speaking to him of Draslei. "Yes, please do!"

As her explanation of the Mantadivas continues, he nods, and eventually speaks again as she comes to a stopping point. "I see, I see. Do the dragons still rule in Draslei? The old texts speak of them and their grand magics."

As the two speak, the ships grow closer and slow down - the first mate, silently following the situation, has some of the crew drop their weapons and tie the sails, slowing the ship as the crew of the other vessel uses a strange mechanism to shift their sails, pulling them from the wind and slowing themselves down as well. On the Telcontra, Ruwa, the first mate and several crewmen work together with the now-disarmed men of the other ship, managing to coordinate well enough to connect the two. Tsohon adjusts his position somewhat, standing and calling out to his daughter, who turns to those on the Telcontra.

"You can come," she says, waiting for them to follow before using the makeshift gangway set up between the two ships to cross onto her vessel. "Hello," she says as she approaches Halva and Tsohon, nodding to each of them. "You got the best one," she says to him after a moment.

[Hazuki]

"The dragons...left. A long time ago. Nobody knows where, but..." Halva admits, glancing down at her shoes. "There is one nation that claims to bear their legacy, though." She informs him, not wanting to crush any of the hope in the curious old man's heart. She finds the fact that he's so enthusiastic about Draslei quite endearing. When Tsohon's daughter approaches, she smiles and nods in reply, but doesn't comment on her statement to him. She keeps an eye out for Sabrina and Adalind, waving them over.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina catches Halina's eye, nodding towards the ship and indicating that she should keep an eye on things here, before following Ruwa across the gangplank. She steps up next to Halva, giving her wet clothes a look, before shaking her head and smiling at the old man, trying her best impression of a proper court bow. It's... serviceable. At best. "Ah, you must be Ruwa Soyayya's father. I am Sabrina della Vela, and," she says, turning back, "Adalind should be joining us in a moment. You are in charge here?"

[Steckie]

Adalind

The sailors seem to make things work so Adalind jumps over to the other ship where Halva is motioning her to come over.
She's a bit relieved Sabrina answered when Ruwa asked about their intentions. It would probably have been a bit weird to try and explain to her that she follows the godess of war, plunder, richess and rules of combat but that this is not the intent of her mission here nor the reason she came along.
Obviously she could have tried to lie to them, but maybe Ruwa would have noticed that. So all in all, a very good thing Sabrina answered.

She quickly walks behind Sabrina to meet with Ruwa's father. She gives him a quick nod. "Adalind. Nice to meet you."

[Hazuki]

Halva gives Adalind a big, wet hug and smiles up at her. "I forgive you for yelling at me."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Well great, now i'm all wet on the outside and warm and fuzzy on the inside...." She says while subtly trying to end the hug.

[Hazuki]

Halva gives the other woman one last, squidgy squeeze before releasing the hug and turning back to the father and daughter, waiting for their response to Sbarina.

[PersonMan]

Tsohon's expression changes - not to one of disappointment, but of awe, almost. "The dragons are gone? Then everything has changed. There is so much more learn," he says, smiling. "It is a shame I am so old already, otherwise I would endeavor to sail there immediately!" He adds, and chuckles.

As Sabrina and Adalind approach, he nods to each of them as they arrive, giving a brief laugh as Sabrina bows. He's about to say something, but Adalind's arrival and Halva's hugging interrupt him. The man and his daughter watch the brief scene, and as it ends Ruwa turns to him and speaks quickly. "Gaya mata cewa idan ta aikata wancan mini zan jefa ta a kashe wannan jirgi," she says, indicating Halva with her head. "Ruwa! Abin da ya ba da irin abu kuka kasance tãyar da su ce. Ka yi tunani game da abin da mahaifiyarka ce, idan ka kasance barazana baƙi kamar cewa," the man replies sternly, then sighs and turns to Halva.

"My daughter would like to ask you to refrain from embracing her," he says. "I am in charge of this vessel, yes. Bought with my gold, the men paid with my salt," he continues proudly, turning to face everyone. "As I was saying to your friend before, I would be happy to help you all along, and would recommend coming northeast with us, to Wuta Yan. There are docks there to repair your ship, and the grand temples are something it would be a shame for you to miss. And I believe the priestesses can help you with our language," he explains.

Ruwa: Tell her that if she does that to me I'll throw her off of this ship.

Tsohon: Ruwa! That is not the sort of thing you were raised to say. Think of what your mother would say, if you were threatening guests like that.

[Hazuki]

"No problem." Halva shrugs her shoulders as Tsohon informs her of his daughter's aversion to hugs. "I think it sounds like a fantastic idea, personally." She comments, as he informs her partners in exploration of the city where they can get everything they need. "Tsohon has already told me about some of the splendors of these lands - there's a lake near the Grand Temple that burns the hands of the unworthy with invisible fire. She says, barely able to restrain her excitement.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Before we agree to that, do we have to pay you anything for escorting us to Wuta Yan? And how expensive are the docks there? We don't have unlimited funds.
Oh, and on board of our ship there is a representative of a group of Merchants and a representative of a group of Nobles. They would most likely both be very eager to meet with you and discuss opportunities for trade agreements. It is however necessary that one of the three of us is present during these negotiations. Ever since our captain's illness we've been put in charge and we need to make sure that no agreements are made that can't be honored because of our problematic situation. I'm sure you understand." Adalind would also like to keep an eye on both Csele and Iren

[PersonMan]

"I won't ask for anything - your presence and knowledge will be more than enough," Tsohon replies with a wave of his hand. "I have enough coin to my name to ferry the first inhabitants of a mythical land without asking for payment," he says. "As for trade, I'm not the best one to ask about that. I rarely come this far west, it was only the goldsail warning about storms that brought me here. Some of the merchants of Nqoba may be better suited, as they have the westernmost island. Maybe even some from the Al-the empire."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Westernmost Island? Would you by any chance have a map of the lands here? Something like that alone would bring in enough coin to make the whole journey worthwhile."

[Hazuki]

While Halva listens to Adalind attempt to bargain with Tsohon, as well as his rebuttal, her clothes shift beneath her cloak until it seems like she's entirely dry. As soon as Adalind mentions bringing a map being worth a lot of coin, she smiles and shakes her head. She looks over to Ruwa, and shifts a little closer, so as not to interrupt the negotiations taking place just a few feet away.

"That was an impressive leap you made. How did you do it?" She asks the girl, eyes shimmering with curiosity.

...to get a new set of clothes!

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina gives Adalind a lightning-fast grin as she complains about the hug, listening to the conversation between the natives and other two explorers. "That is a most kind and generous offer. Thank you, Tsohon, we are most grateful for your assistance. May I suggest a narratore - er, that is, a trading of stories? It's something that travelers in my homeland do when encountering a new group of people, and we are as eager to hear about your lands as you are about ours." She smiles. "And it's an excellent way to get to know new people."

[PersonMan]

"A map? We have one, yes," Tsohon replies, nodding. "I think an exchange of stories would be wonderful," he replies. "Especially in such a place - I have always enjoyed the western waters for how cool they are, no matter the time of year."

As Halva approaches Ruwa, the woman gives her a slight smile, which grows as she mentions the jump. "How? Great strength, good...leg-push," she begins, her clear enjoyment impaired somewhat as she runs into the first word troubles. "Learned for many years. Practiced. Now very skilled. No fire spirits, only work," she explains.

[Hazuki]

"Impressive!" Halva can hardly think of anybody she knows who could achieve such great feats. Even her abilities are augmented through her understanding of the world - but would that count as fire spirits? Is pure strength simply Ruwa's belief, and that's what allows her to achieve such feats? "Are you any good at climbing things?"

[PersonMan]

Ruwa raises an eyebrow at the question. "Climb? No. I don't need to climb. Just jump," she says with a slight grin.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina listens to the side conversation with half an ear, nodding along with Tsohon's suggestions, although one thing he says sticks out at her; when she'd taken a quick bath shortly before they sighted the other ship, the water had been shockingly warm. "You consider these cool waters?"

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Very well, let's exchange stories: my home nation is called Sworteria. It's a nation that consists of many semi-independant kingdoms and warrior clans that are unified under a High Queen. Internal conflicts are regulated through the Definita Martis, a short and strictly regulated war designed to solve the conflict with minimal losses for the nation as a whole.
Our High Queen is chosen by a vote and she must be able to defeat the other candidates in several challenges as well.
Sworteria itself is located on the northern coasts and inland flatlands. Riding over the plains can give you marvelous sights to see, although you wouldn't want to get caught in one of the winter storms there. And the sea bordering our nation is indeed quite a bit colder than this one appears to be.

Would you allow one of us to copy your map?"

[Hazuki]

"What else do you do in your leisure time?" Halva asks, as she adjusts her cloak and fingers the device strapped on the inside of her right sleeve. It's not something she plans to use, now or ever, but her hands need to be doing something. "Me and our crew have mostly been playing with cards. ...when we haven't been trying to make sure our ships don't keel over, at least."

[PersonMan]

"Yes, the waters quickly grow cool after one leaves the waters around the islands," Tsohon explains, nodding. "Sworteria...interesting. Is it the nation that embraces the old Empire? Or do they seek their own path?" He asks.

"As for myself, well - one moment, I'll have the map fetched," Tsohon turns to one of the nearby men and gestures for him to come closer. "Ku, ansu rubuce-rubucen da map muna da na arewacin ƙasar sauran da Wuta Yan," he says, before turning back to you. "The map will be here in a moment. A brief description of the island lands, I can give you. To the north is Wuta Yan, a large land ruled by the priestesses of rai harshen wuta, the living flame. They are almost as fair-skinned as your party. To the south are Nqoba, Ngome and several other islands ruled by merchant clans. I am one example - I lead my vessel across the route between Wuta Yan and Jeshin, on the mainland," the man continues.

He says "You, grab the map we have of the northern isles and Wuta Yan".

--

"There is little," Ruwa replies, shrugging. "Work at sea, study texts. Do books, of coin in and out. Prepare for commanding ship," she says. "No cards. Do not play, cards or dice."

--

After a brief wait, the man returns from the inside of the ship, handing a rolled-up scroll to Tsohon, who opens it and spreads it across the wood of the deck, pointing to one spot in the lower left. "This is roughly where we are, or at least it will be at the end of the day," he says.

http://i.imgur.com/Lnl7llH.png
Red X is the spot he points to.

[Hazuki]

Halva ponders the strange girl's words for a few moments, tucking her hair behind her ear. Will she ever be able to find somebody to play cards, or was the Captain's ban going to affect her forever? She suppresses a chuckle at the thought. "You're one of three leaders now, aren't you? You can reverse your ban." Hertig suggests. But, before she can get too lost in fantasies of abusing her power, she reaches into the satchel at her side and retrieves the puzzle book she brought with her.

"Do you have any of these?" She asks, as she hands the diagram-filled tome over to Ruwa.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina traces a finger along the map, following the path northeast to the marked city. "How long of a journey is this?" she asks, trying to get a feel for the map's scale and to compare it to the size of Draslei. As she does, she takes a moment to think of a story to pass on; something simple, but something that'd help them find common ground.

"I come from a land called Darie, to the south of Swoteria. It is one of the major places to trade where we are from. Many of the richest roads are through Darie, but not much sea travel. I loved the sea and would often travel on large boats," she says, blandly skipping over some key details. "One of the ships I was crewing was a large merchant bound for the northern ports, and we were stuck in one of the fierce winter storms Adalind mentioned. I was on the mast when it was struck by lightning, which was an experience I would not recommend to anyone."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Sworteria seeks it's own path." Adalind says absent minded while she studies the map.
"Interesting map, why are some islands a lighter color than the others? And what is that other city on the map called?"

[PersonMan]

"The colors show, roughly, how many people live on the island and how well it can support them," Tsohon explains. "The darker have more people, and better lands for them to live on. The lighter often rely on resources, such as salt or timber, and trade. The city is Itace, where the sacred Pool of Burning Water is kept," he says, listening curiously as Sabrina explains her homeland. "I've faced a great many storms myself, but have never been struck by lightning before - I can imagine it's not pleasant!"

--

Ruwa looks at the box curiously. "Never seen," she says. "If...not, ah, game of...chance? Then I will try," she says, offering a smile as she looks for the right words.

[Hazuki]

"It isn't." Halva assures her, and starts to wonder whether she should adjust her vocabulary to make herself easier to understand. At least, for the two who don't speak Dracolini fluently. "They're just tricks, to improve your mind, over time. I haven't done any of the puzzles in that one, yet - but I've gone through a few before."

[PersonMan]

Ruwa nods. "Should be good. If you want, we could play...hrm..." she frowns and turns to her father. "Abin da zai Na kira gabashin wasan a cikin harshen?" She asks, and he considers it for a moment. "Kira shi 'da kewaye wasan', shi ne mai fairly m sunan."

With a nod, Ruwa turns back to Halva. "The encircling game. Good for thinking, like puzzles, and not haramta," she says.


She says "What would I call the eastern game in their language?"

He replies: "Call it 'the encircling game', it is a fairly accurate name."

[Hazuki]

"And what's that?" Halva asks.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Fascinating, i don't believe we have population maps back in Sworteria.
How do you count the population of these islands? Is there a census? And who arranges the counting, do all these islands fall under the same government? How many people live on these islands, roughly i mean, because those eastern islands look almost depopulated judging by the color.
Hmm, and it's strange that this westernmost Island is a light color surrounded by darker colored islands and the Island right next to is seems to be the most densely populated."

Adalind does her best to remember anything she migth have heard about these 'fire spirits' these people keep talking about.
Knowledge religion on the fire spirits: [roll0]

[PersonMan]

"It is a game of strategy," Ruwa replies. "No luck, only thought. Use stones to take other stones, when you encircle them," she explains.

--

You know of fire spirits featuring in some tribal lore, but you doubt that it's connected to what he is describing.

"Census? A great counting, you mean? No, the colors are based on the words of merchants and travelers," Tsohon replies, shaking his head. "Only the lands of the south do such things. The Empire especially - the last Emperor had four great countings during his reign," he explains, then raises an eyebrow as Adalind continues. "Easternmost..." he says, almost to himself, looking at the top of the map. "Do you mean these, to the south?" He asks after a moment, pointing to the larger, lighter islands. "They are reliant on trade for food, but still have many people."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina listens with half an ear to Adalind's conversation, drifting over to Halva and Ruwa. "I didn't know you have a puzzle book, Halva," she says with a small grin. "Or were you too busy with the cards to bring it out while we were traveling?"

Did Tsohon answer the question about how long of a journey it is to where we're going?

[Hazuki]

Halva spares a glance back at the ship where most of the crew remains, as Ruwa explains the concept of the game. It ends all too soon, but Halva smiles nonetheless. "I'd be pleased to play with you. Do you have a space now?" At Sabrina's question, she looks to her. "I like to bring it out shortly before my skills are needed. Helps keep my mind keen. And we haven't been raiding any castles for me to show it off!

[PersonMan]

Ruwa nods. "Below," she says, gesturing down, just before Sabrina arrives.

2-3 days.

[Hazuki]

"Lead the way." Halva makes a small gesture to such meaning, and follows Ruwa should she start moving that way.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina frowns at Halva's back, turning to try and catch Adalind's eye while she continues talking to Tsohon. She indicates with a head gesture that she's going to follow Halva, then uses a hand gesture to indicate that she's going to try and keep her out of trouble. It's a very expressive gesture.

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind nods to Sabrina as she follows Halva.
"If you don't mind, i think i'm going to need to give the crew some orders before our ship deteriorates even further. I'll be back soon, unless you would like to leave soon?"

Adalind jumps back to their own ship and quickly heads to the first mate.
"Lock that chest full of gold up and guard the key, bring it back down quietly, i don't think they want to rob us but let's not tempt them.
Halina, they've got a map of these islands on their ship. Go over there to plot a course with their navigator and while you're there ask if you can make a copy. If you can't, memorise it and draw it from memory once you get back on the Telcontra. We're going to follow them to a city so we can get our ships repaired.
Iren and Csele, i think they're traders so if you want you could go talk to them. However he didn't seem very interested and suggested we try our luck in the city we're going to follow them to. Do you want to talk to him or not? If so, then go now before we start sailing again.
Aline, are you down from the mast yet? Where are you?"

[PersonMan]

Ruwa nods, and leads the way down into the ship, going into a small hallway that she easily through, despite the low light, going to the end and swiftly unlocking a door. "There is some...disorder. I did not expect a guest," she says briefly before opening it and gesturing for Halva to enter first. The room is fairly small, perhaps slightly shorter than your cabin on the Telcontra, with a wardrobe worked into one wall, two portholes that let light in on the one opposite the entrance, a simple bed (covered by a mess of sheets, a pair of beautifully decorated blankets and several small pillows, from which the occasional article of clothing pokes out) and, to the right of the door, a desk.

Before coming in, Ruwa stops, looking to the side. "Yes?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at Sabrina.

--

"Well, we can't stay here at sea forever," Tsohon says. "Ideally, we will leave as soon as your crew is ready."

On the ship, the first mate quickly moves to do as Adalind says, relocking the crate and having two men bring it downstairs. Halina nods and goes to the other ship, approaching Tsohon and speaking to him. "Negotiations can wait until we have had proper preparations," Iren says, stepping forwards. "I've agreed with Cvele to wait until we have both had a chance to gain a basic understanding of the region."


"I'm here," Aline says, giving a mock wave as she approaches. "I did manage to get down, yes."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina flushes slightly under Ruwa's inquisitive gaze, but gestures her head towards Halva. "It's part of our customs not to leave anyone unescorted and out of sight with someone new until at least, uh, three night have passed." she extemporizes, somewhat lamely. "I had hoped to see one of your games as well, if you do not mind me watching."

[Hazuki]

Halva looks over Ruwa's room with a critical eye, and, as expected, doesn't come across much that's particularly incriminating. Some mess can be expected, especially from what she's seen from the Telcontra, and at least it isn't as bad as Csele's room. The fact that she apparently keeps clothes tucked between her pillows is somewhat strange, however. When Sabrina reveals herself, Halva turns on her heel and offers a kind smile to Sabrina.

"Where should we sit?" She looks to Ruwa.

[PersonMan]

"Mm-hmm," Ruwa replies, shrugging after a moment. "Cushions," she replies to Halva, opening her wardrobe and grabbing three fairly large pillows from it, tossing them onto the floor. "Traditional to play encirclement game like this," she adds. "Only two play, but you can see," she finishes, gesturing to the final pillow without sitting herself, seeming to wait for Sabrina to enter the room. "This is it," Ruwa says, closing the door, approaching the desk and pulling out a large wooden box. With a few quick motions she opens it, and folds the top out to reveal a large, checkerboard patterned surface, to the sides of which are bags of black and white stones, worn into smooth, flattened ovular shapes.

[Hazuki]

Halva approaches one of the pillows and flops onto it, having some difficulty putting her legs somewhere comfortable before settling on being cross-legged. She watches Ruwa pull out the board, as well as the bags of pebbles, and tilts her head.

"How did you manage to get such smooth, regular shapes?" She asks, nodding to the bags of stones.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa shrugs. "Don't know. It's made far in the east," she says. "Past the...ehm...Starlight Sea, I think it would be in this language."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Ah, there you are." Adalind says and she grabs Aline's arm to pull her to spot on deck where they can talk in private.
"Remember our earlier talk about the Merchants, the Nobles and the neutral crew and how they would most likely draw the power to themselves? Well, it seems like the situation has changed and that there is now a third faction consisting of me, Halva and Sabrina and the three of us have the advantage. Well at least as long as the captain remains unable to command.
Anyway, what i'm trying to say is that i'm going to need somebody i can trust. I can't be everywhere all the time and the three of us are going to be busy enough making contacts here and trying to get the ship repaired. I need an eye on the crew, on the First Mate, on the captain and especially on Csele and Iren.
In return i'm going to try and help you get your gold and jewelry. I'm not making any promises, it will still mostly depend on your own skills, but you'll have my support. And i will make sure nobody takes it from you on the way back to Draslei. I can't offer you more than that at the moment.
Will you be my right-hand woman? Can i trust you?"
Adalind focuses on Aline, trying to notice the smallest changes in muscle movement and facial expression that might suggest she's lying to her.

Activating discern lies for Aline's answer.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina sits on the third pillow off to the side, giving Ruwa a thankful smile as she sinks into a cross-legged position on top of the cushion. "What are the rules?"

[Hazuki]

"I've often heard the night sky called the Starlight Sea." Halva states dreamily, as she reminisces on her many nights spent beneath it.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa smiles at Halva's response to her words. "I hear it earns its name. Lights are in the water, far below, like stars," she says. "I wish to go there, after my hajji," the woman adds, just before Sabrina speaks.

"The rules? You place stones on points," Ruwa begins, picking up some of the stones to show what she means. "In turns, you place one. Black starts. If your stones are encircled," she places a cluster of black stones, then a ring of white ones around them to demonstrate, "they are taken prisoner. You do this until you end," she finishes.

--

Aline grins as Adalind drags her off, and she laughs briefly. "Oooh, insistent , aren't we? It's been a while since I've been pulled away like this," She says with a wink, before Adalind begins her explanation. "So I get to 'keep an eye' on these pretty ladies and in exchange get your help? That sounds like a fine offer," she says, nodding. "I'll do it. Just don't expect me to go too far. If I think the first mate is doing some dark magic curse, I won't poke my nose into her business, alright?"

She seems entirely sincere.

[Hazuki]

"And what is a Hajji?" Halva asks curiously, as she takes a bag of the stones for her use in the game. She doesn't need to sharpen her mind yet, not while they're playing their first version of it, and warfare of the mouth is just as valuable as that of the mind. Such is the case in all games of strategy; just not cards, because she has a far easier way of cheating at it.

[roll0]

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Alright, you get to leave the First Mate alone, i'll keep an eye on her myself." Adalind stops and thinks for a moment.
"First thing i would like you to poke your nose into is that damned cook. He disappeared halfway through preparing a meal for us, at first i thought he had been thrown overboard but that doesn't make sense. He was cooking a meal, how could he have been blown overboard? And now i see some crewman walking around with his mace. This is just weird.
So i'd like you to go talk to that guy with the cook's mace, see where he got it. And then i'd like you to search the whole ship to see if he's hiding somewhere. I don't trust a cook that can't make a decent flavored meal.

And since i promised you help, is there anything you need at the moment?"

[PersonMan]

Ruwa leans in to begin the game, placing one stone onto the grid. "A journey. Every follow of rai harshen wuta must make it, if they can, once in their life. We go to the holiest place, to spend days in prayer and sacrifice," she explains, quickly focusing on the game. As it begins, Halva and Ruwa seem roughly evenly matched, though for the time being few pieces are being encircled.

[roll0]

--

"Well..." Aline seems to consider something for a few moments, a grin spreading on her face. She looks Adalind in the eyes for a few moment before giggling briefly. "No, not right now. As for the cook, I'm pretty sure he was up here. I remember him coming out, swearing about how he needed to get back down to finish to food," she says, shrugging. "But if you say so, I can get on it," she adds. Unless Adalind has more to say, she gives a brief mock curtsy and leaves, looking around before heading towards one of the crew.

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind can't help but smile. "Dammit woman, is THAT all you think about." She says and suddenly she realises she's still holding on to Aline's arm from when she dragged her along. She quickly let's go and takes a step back.
"Ahem. Well....eeuh carry on i suppose." She mutters as Aline does her curtsy "Oh stand up straight you silly woman, you're not even wearing a dress suitable for a curtsy." She says, again not being able to hold back a smile.

[Hazuki]

"What sorts of sacrifices does it involve?" Halva asks, curiously. She's had to make sacrifices on occasion, but never for anything that's truly religious. Experimenting with spirits, offering well-wishes or totems to better form a bond with them, or see them more clearly so that she might replicate their purposes in tattoos, or piercings. Of course, there's also the more violent sacrifices of other tribes, but she made a point of not staying long enough to get involved.

[PersonMan]

"We sacrifice animals. The blood is drained, and meat cut from bones. Then the priestesses bring it to the hungry," Ruwa explains, her eyes still on the board. "And we pray on the stone field for an entire day."

--

"Ooh, not so stern-faced as I'd though, hmm?" Aline says with a smile of her own. "And I'll have you know that this dress is quite suitable. Or, at least, it was," she adds, looking down and frowning. "That's going to be my request for now, I think. Find me a nice local dress would you?" She asks with a final smile before heading off.

[Hazuki]

"But you don't have any animals with you, do you?" Halva asks, raising an eyebrow at the woman. She didn't spot any animals in her initial sweep of the building. Sacrificing animals is all well and good, though - and often necessary, especially considering some of the creatures that live in the plains. The fact that the meat goes to the hungry is mildly disturbing, if the hungry know they can expect the rest of society to feed and take care of them.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa laughs, collecting herself after a few moments before coming to the edge of another fit, staying there for a bit longer before wiping at her eyes and sighing. "I...I'm sorry. You can't know. It is...you don't go to the the hajji with goods, to trade. It is haramta. You do not do it for money, it is for...for spirit. To clean it. And you wear clothing, only for it. Not this," she tugs at the fabric of her current wear.

[Hazuki]

"So you're not on your Hajii now. My mistake." Halva smiles, as she moves a piece. "What prompts going on one's Hajii?" From what she can gather, the Hajii is a one time thing, which conflicts with a few facts in her head. A coming of age ritual is common in many cultures she's encountered, but it usually coincides with the youths blossoming into adults, and all the complications that brings. Any other, similar rites of passage are usually entirely cultural, except for some, particularly fertility-focused, cultures having one for when a woman becomes unable to give birth.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"I'll see what i can do about that dress."
Once Aline is gone, Adalind walks over to the captain to see how she's feeling.

[PersonMan]

Not sure if it's just the working, but pieces aren't moved, only placed.

"Being able to go," Ruwa says, placing one of her own. "When you have enough to go, you do it. Always during the month of tsarki," she explains. "Entire journey must be made at once. No going, resting a week, or staying for selling," she adds.

--

Adalind finds the captain, with the first mate still by her side, on the small bed she was on before. She seems stronger, but still not recovered. She's resting, her eyes closed, as Adalind approaches, but raises an eyebrow as if to show that she's not asleep, but listening.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Ah good, you're awake. You've put us in charge, so i'm going to need to know some things if we need to keep this expedition going.
First of all, the gold: how much is it roughly worth and what is it for?
Second, there's the matter of things that have remained hidden. I'm assuming here that you trust your first mate, so i'm just going to ask it: do you have any secret orders or information you haven't shared with us yet. For example, how did you plot the course of the ships? And what are your orders on what to do once you find land?
Third, who's in charge on the Telcus and can he or she be trusted or do we need to fear a mutiny?
Fourth, what do you know about the cook?
And lastly, do you think you're going to recover soon?"

[Hazuki]

She moved of it from her bag to the board.

"Does everyone do it?" Halva asks, her mind drifting to whatever Adalind is doing above deck.

[PersonMan]

"Everyone of the faith who can, should," Ruwa replies. "If they all do or not, I cannot say."

As the game continues, Halva finds herself able to keep pace fairly well, even getting ahead for a while, before Ruwa manages to take the lead, securing more and more of the board for herself. Eventually the result becomes clear, with the woman's black stones covering almost all of the grid.

--

"The gold is to purchase supplies, trade and make deals with any friendly natives," the captain says slowly. "Half of it is for the expedition's general use, the remainder belongs half to the merchants, half the nobles. Apart from the gold, there is a letter for the event of my death," she explains. "I was given a table, of speeds, distances, headings, to get here. My orders for landfall are to make myself useful for the expedition. Being the explorers, you three would be the primary authority now...There was meant to be time to prepare, but I was injured before I could call you all to the secret gathering and explain," she continues, pausing often to catch her breath. The first mate watches her intently, giving her some water and occasionally slowing her.

"The Telcus was stripped of command. Two normal sailors made it, you don't need to worry about mutiny," she continues. "The cook...he was a mercenary, in the past, and only recently became a cook. I don't know why he was chosen. As for me..." the captain smiles slightly, putting a hand over the first mate's for a moment. "I'm in good hands. She says it should be only a day or two before I can walk again, and I will be fine within a week."

[Hazuki]

As the game starts coming to a close, and Ruwa pushes her advantage, Halva starts to shift a little more in her seat. Adjusting her bag between turns, spending a little more time placing pebbles than she should, and biting her nails between turns. When Ruwa finally places the winning pebble, the pale woman scowls in the shadow of her hood.

"That...hrrm...well. Well played, and all that." She says, getting to her feet. "I should check on the others." She says, and starts to walk out with haste/

[PersonMan]

Ruwa smiles as the game ends, but raises an eyebrow as Halva speaks. "Yes. You are good, for the first game. I did not last so long," she says, and gives a nod as Halva mentions checking on the others, saying nothing as she steps back out into the dark hall of the ship.

Thinking of wrapping things up for this scene soon - anyone have anything they want to do, do it now, 'cuz I'll timeskip to your arrival in port if everyone's cool with it.

[Steckie]

Adalind

The intense care, the holding of hands and the extreme loyalty suddenly all make sense to Adalind. She feels dumb for not noticing earlier.
"I see. Well, things should get a bit easier now. We're going to follow this ship to a harbor where we should be able to get repairs done.
I've asked Halina to talk to the captain of the other ship to plot a course, so unless there's another storm we should have a relatively calm journey. I think Sabrina can help her, Halina has been teaching her i think.
So all in all, things are looking up. Which means that the First Mate here should be a bit less busy with the daily affairs of the ship and should have a bit more time to do other things. Maybe Kamile here should use that free time to take very good care of you captain. Look after your health even more closely.
Maybe you should both retreat to the captain's quarters for a couple of days, a bit of privacy while you enjoy some well earned leave of your duties.
It would give us the chance to establish some better control over the crew and it would give you both some time alone."

[PersonMan]

Something lights up in the captain's eyes as Adalind speaks, and she smiles weakly, chuckling briefly as she finishes. "Indeed. That sounds like a good plan," she says.


--*--

Within an hour, there is another brief cooperation of the two crews to detach the two ships, gestures and tone fashioning something of an impromptu code in which the words of the shouting was worked into. The men aboard the Telcus are informed of the new situation, and seem relieved - as does the rest of the crew, as words spreads that there would not only be landfall, but an arrival in a port. Unsurprisingly, the evening's talking revolves mostly around food, as the men discuss how they will use the coming opportunity to have proper meals again. The crew's spirits are high, and their behavior different; instead of being something between a guest and comrade, each of the explorers has now gained esteem. The captain gives a brief set of instructions, officially playing the explorers in command, before she and the first mate retreat belowdecks.

Halina gives Sabrina a great deal of practice at the bow of the ship, stepping in occasionally and asking of the people in the ship ahead. Halva is approached by a man who invites her to return to their games, although he hastily adds that she would be playing in the games without money on the table, explaining that only a handful of the crew were willing to risk it, with the opportunity of eating in port on the horizon. The following midday, his expression becomes literal - at the edge of heaven and sea, a small shape slowly emerges. With it comes a slight warming; not much, but enough to notice, the air growing somewhat warmer as you get closer. A few hours later, the ship in front of you slows until it's fairly close, and the crew parts for a familiar spectacle, as Ruwa again launches herself from the vessel onto yours. Briefly she explains that the ship needs to meet with theirs again, to take on what she calls 'the flame'. She gives detailed instructions, that the Telcontra needs to follow at a certain distance, explaining that "when the gold sails come, throw it into the water, and burn it, to show peace".

The maneuver goes well, the two crews working together more easily, especially with Ruwa and her father to shout a few translations to speed things along. A few hours later, as the city becomes visible, several large ships approach from its harbor. They are massive, easily one and half times as large as the Telcontra, and bear shining ramming heads as well as sails that seem to be made of golden fabric. Shortly after they come into view, your guides do they same thing they did when meeting you - a barrel, cloth and torch fly overboard, leaving a flame atop the waves. After the crew of the Telcontra performs the same maneuver, the massive ships turn, leading the way into the harbor which you find to be bustling with ships. At least a few dozen are present, most of them the same triangular-sailed kind as your guides', but some bear squared sails. The docks extend along the waterfront, easily having enough space for a hundred vesels. Your guides move towards one of the less busy sections of the docks, slowing as they approach.

There's a bit of complex maneuvering needed - the Telcontra is brought, through various means, to the dock and tied down by a dozen local workers, who disperse shortly thereafter, driven by a leader to move instead of staring. Ruwa, Tsohon and a few of their crew arrive shortly thereafter, accompanied by a fair-skinned woman with bright red hair, who seems to be speaking with Ruwa. They approach the ship as the gangway is placed and made secure, Ruwa gesturing up to the ship as she speaks, seeming rather energetic. The redhead seems to be more grounded, but she seems to laugh at least once as they grow nearer. On deck, the captain emerges, walking slowly with the help of the first mate, looking around with clear curiosity.

Down below, Ruwa waves to you, saying something to the woman at her side at the same time.

Redhead's (http://i.imgur.com/FDmWfUR.jpg) appearance. Note: She's the only one around who seems to be wearing any kind of armor (or even quasi-'armor' like she has).

Also, added NPC info to OOC OP.

[Hazuki]

Over the next few days of the trip, Halva spends most of her time at the bow of the ship, eagerly awaiting the moment when they'll pass into view of the city that Tsohon promised. The man herself, she enjoys finding time to chat with, although she tries not to tell him everything straight from the beginning - she has to keep something to tease him with. While she hasn't been avoiding Ruwa, she hasn't been seeking her out either, and she mostly tries to talk with her fellow explorers, or Kornelia.

As port finally comes into view, the hooded woman is grinning all the way. She only takes a break from giddily staring up to visit Iren, point at the city, and say "Aren't you glad we didn't make a deal to conquer them with our one and a half ships?" Then, she returns to her spot as a practical figurehead and enjoys the docking process. She's surprised to watch it go so smoothly, and without much surprise from the dark-skinned residents of the other boats, and her eyes triple in size at the sight of another fair-skinned woman.

"What sorcery is this?! Hertig demands, and Halva quite agrees. They were supposed to be the only pale ones around. Once they're fully docked, she hops over the edge of the ship and lands gracefully on her feet, in the spot just beside the redhead and Ruwa. She smiles at both of them, and speaks in Dracolini. "Hello. Is this one of those spirits of the flame I've heard about?"" She nods at the redhead.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Halina had none-too-subtlety kicked Sabrina off the ship's wheel when they were heading into port, something Sabrina was thankful for. Sailing on the ocean was one thing, maneuvering into a completely unknown port was another. It wouldn't be an especially good first impression to have their ship crash into the dock rather than the smooth approach that Halina had managed, making it look almost effortless.

Sabrina was on the foredeck when Ruwa and the new woman approached, watching them with interest as Halva headed down to talk with them. With a grin she ran towards the ship's railing, using it to roll herself into an upside down position before she let the momentum launch herself forward off the ship and into a one-and-a-half roll, landing on her feet near them. Next up, trying to jump the ships like Ruwa did.

It's remotely possible that Sabrina was feeling a little competitive about that.

After surreptitiously brushing herself off, Sabrina heads towards the small group on the docks. She slides in next to Halva in time to hear the tail end of her question and grinned a little wider. "Making friends, Halva?"

[Hazuki]

Halva blinks at Sabrina's sudden arrival, and returns the grin. "No need to be jealous, dear. I was just introducing myself to the nice lady."

[PersonMan]

Ruwa smiles as Halva arrives. "A priestess," she says with a brief shake of her head. "Friend of the family. She will guide to the temple, and the Pool of Burning Water," she explains. The redhead's intense gaze bores into Halva, going across her briefly before focusing on her face and eyes as she nods slowly in response to Tsohon's quiet translation. "Kyaun is her name. She can also, maybe, help with the speaking," Ruwa adds, just before Sabrina arrives.

[Hazuki]

Halva doesn't think much of the Prietess' piercing gaze, and especially not the idea of being examined. She nods at Ruwa's explanation and decides to have a little fun with the Prietess.

"Nice to meet you, Kyaum." She speaks into the prietess' mind.

[PersonMan]

Kyaum's eyes widen, but after a moment she smiles, relaxing again. SO THIS IS WHAT THEY TOLD ME OF. I HEARD THAT YOU ARE A SPIRIT TALKER OF THE FAR WEST. THAT SEEMS TO BE TRUE. UNLIKE THEM I DO NOT SEEK SUPERSTITIOUS EXPLANATIONS, she steps forwards, the intense communication halting briefly. Something like an echo of her words remains, a sharp contrast to the pressure behind each thought she sends to Halva's mind. I HEAR YOU SEEK THE FLAME'S BLESSING, BUT THERE ARE MANY. WHICH INTERESTS YOU, SOFT GIRL?

As Kyaum steps forwards, Ruwa raises an eyebrow, and briefly glances to Sabrina, her gaze questioning before returning to the redhead.

[Hazuki]

"I don't know, yet." Halva responds honestly, through the thin tether of spirit that connects their minds. "But I want to learn, as soon as I understand what there is to choose." She could continue to tease the intense priestess, especially considering the sheer loudness of her thoughts, but it's probably best not to antagonize her too much. Not yet, anyway.

[PersonMan]

YOU WILL SEE. THERE ARE MANY, Kyaum replies, before turning to Ruwa and speaking to her. There's a brief exchange in their language, and Tsohon quickly translates. "Kyaum is saying that you can come to see...the blessings of the flame, and rai harshen wuta's grace, soon," he says, and pauses as the redhead turns and speaks to him. "But she would like...for you all to introduce yourselves, in your own words."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina gives Ruwa a worried look as the priestess advances, apparently intently staring into Halva's eyes without saying anything. She surreptitiously gets ready for trouble, but none seems to come as she backs off and speaks to Tsohon. She'd spent some time working on this speech in her head on the way here, since it'd seemed important. "I am Sabrina di figlio Altaluna della Vela. I come from the western seas of our land, which lie even further to the west of yours. I have come to discover new lands, and new people; to discover new things not known in my home, so that my people can come to understand yours," she says, then breaks out of the formal speech pattern into a quick smile. "And because I couldn't bear to stay at home any longer."

This is technically Sabrina's full name, although she doesn't use the matronymic much; it translates to "Sabrina, daughter of Altaluna, of the Sails".

Sense Motive on the Priestess as she talks to try and get a read on her, especially after she was creepy/flirty with Halva. [roll0]

[Hazuki]

"I'm Halvurste, or Half-Prince in my native tongue." Halva greets, after Sabrina has introduced herself. "I came to learn about the spirits and rituals of these lands, and now that I've found so many people here, I plan on learning everything I can about them."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Adalind. I come from the northeastern coast of Sworteria and i came here mostly because i was doing boring, unimportant work and wanted something better. Sea journeys weren't much of an improvement, but things have gotten a lot more interesting since we met Ruwa here.
Do you do handshakes here or a kiss on the cheeck or something different? What's the common thing to do here when meeting somebody?"

[PersonMan]

Kyaum seems to listen intently to everything said, and Ruwa occasionally murmurs a translation to her, resulting in a few slight nods from the priestess.

"Neither, here" Tsohon says after Adalind speaks. "The priestesses of Wuta Yan do not greet others with that sort of gesture," he explains. The priestess says something else, and he nods before turning back towards the group. "She will be bringing us through the city, to the temple, for the ritual. If things go well, it will help you greatly - you won't need someone like me," he says. "I've spoken to some dock workers about the ship - they say that it can be pulled into a drydock some time this evening. For the time being, I have sent for some food to be brought aboard."

As Tsohon finishes, Kyaum gestures to follow her and turns, going back towards the city. Ruwa grins and steps back, walking between Sabrina and Halva. "Will be good," she says as the group walks towards the edge of the docks. Already, the size of the port is becoming clearer, a massive white building towering over everything else in the back, with tall, thin white towers sticking up from the mosaic of buildings at regular intervals, large fires atop them visible even from here, outside the city's large walls, which sit just behind the end of the smaller, more ramshackle buildings along the edge of the water. Around the edge of the docks are several larger buildings, all in the same fashion, clearly sturdier than those around them, with banners adorning their walls - the same gold fabric as the ships that met you while you approached.

[Hazuki]

"How do the flames stay lit?" Halva asks her escorts, admiring the white buildings while she memorizes the path they're taking. She doesn't want to get lost, if she has to split from the group for whatever reason. "Keeping even one fire of that size lit for all year takes a great deal of fuel."

[PersonMan]

"A system. Under whole city, large place. Always fire," Ruwa says quickly, as Tsohon seems about to speak, clearly excited. "Rai harshen wuta blessed it, fifty years now it burns. No fuel," she continues, eyes shining.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Big city you have here, impressive architecture. And what i'm looking at is a large place where that golden fabric symbol is all around and it has something to do with those fires that are a sign of peace.
Is this nation a theocracy?"

[Hazuki]

"Are people allowed to visit it?" Halva asks, eyes drifting to one of the flame-topped buildings. It sounds incredibly unlikely, even with spirits involved, that there could be flames that burn eternally.

[PersonMan]

"The priestesses rule, yes," Ruwa replies to Adalind. "You can see, maybe. Dancer likes you, you can. Not, then can't," she says, and shrugs as the walls pass around you, the group going through one of the large gates with a wave from Kyaum.

[Hazuki]

"Dancer?" Halva asks, and can't help but smile at Kyaum's waving being enough to get the gates to open. For most people, getting past them without a Priestess would probably be difficult.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Hmm, well i don't dance. I CAN dance, and very well if i might add because i was thaught when i still was a kid, i just don't dance anymore.
So your dancer probably wont like me."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

"Don't worry, Adalind. We can dance if we want to. If you're not comfortable with it, we can leave our friends behind." Sabrina has been taking a look around, making sure to remember the path back to the ship. This is the friendliest reception she's ever gotten at a new port, but it always paid to keep an eye on a way out if needed.

Couldn't resist.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa shrugs. "She likes touching. So fighting also good," she says. "Dancer is priestess, strong priestess, strong rituals," the woman adds as a response to Halva. "Walks in fire. She is Zafi Kasa, but do not say the name."

As Ruwa speaks, the group passes through a large, busy street filled with merchants, dozens of carts and the occasional thick cluster of people. There seem to be hundreds, squeezing past one another to go on their way - the press of people parts for Kyaum, but closes swiftly behind her, forcing anyone too far behind to press forwards quickly or be lost in the mass of bodies.

[Hazuki]

"I hope I can impress her, then. I'm not gifted with Adalind's dancing skills, or prone to brawls." Halva comments, as she sticks close behind the woman.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina, who is prone to brawls, just smiles. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Maybe you can challenge her to a game of cards?"

[Hazuki]

"Maybe. Or we could play 'guess what color my underwear is'." Halva replies. "The trick is to not wear any."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina misses half a step at that and then catches herself, chuckling. "Clever, but then you have to prove it." She pauses for a moment, considering, before giving Halva a mischievous grin. "Nevermind, I can see exactly why that'd be your favorite game."

[Hazuki]

Halva blinks and tilts her head curiously at the taller woman. "You can?" She asks, smiling, although she doesn't actually know what Sabrina's talking about. It's best to act like she does, in case it's something that'll make her look stupid.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Black, now shut up about underwear or i'm throwing my dirty ones in your soup." Adalind says with an annoyed look on her face. She turns away from Halva to ask Ruwa something. First she elbows a man whose squeezing past her is causing her to fall behind. Picking up the pace a bit she's able to quickly catch up to Ruwa.
"Can we visit these Merchants? I mean, are we allowed to buy things from them or is that something reserved for the flame-people or whatever the name is."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina tilts her head curiously at Halva, and mentally downgrades her expectations. Not everyone practically grew up on a pirate ship. With strip poker. "Er. Yes. Because then you'd be naked," she says. Sabrina blinks a bit at Adalind and then gives Halva a shrug, a smile quirking at her lips. "Some people just don't want to play, I guess."

[Hazuki]

"Ahh, I see!" Halva walks a few more steps alongside Halva, her brow furrowing ever so slightly as she does, then she looks up at her from beneath her hood. "No, I don't, actually. Why would I want to be naked...?" She sounds genuinely confused.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa listens to the exchange between Sabrina and Halva with curiosity, one eyebrow climbing ever further up until Adalind draws her attention away from the discussion of underwear and tricks.

"These? Yes. But not with...gold. Silver good, gold in south," she replies. "Much for buying, yes? Have you seen larger markets?" She asks.

[PersonMan]

The walk up through the city takes another twenty minutes or so, the packed nature of the streets lessening as the group goes further inland, quiet replacing the former constant sound of voices mixing together. The buildings change as well, homes becoming larger complexes, the white stone coming to dominate everything - white stones are the path, the structures seemingly carved from massive, single blocks of the material, the ever-present towers made from large blocks of the shining rock. Occasionally you see individuals, shrouded in white cloth from head to toe, walking along the paths, but they seem to ignore the group just as all of the natives ignore them, the two barely acknowledging each other enough to move out of the way. Eventually, the massive temple is reached. The entrance, a series of gate-like openings carved into the stone, lies at the end of the large garden the group came through.

A light breeze comes from inside - warm and dry, it brings a smile to Ruwa's face. Two more of the thin towers rise from just behind the entrance, flames flickering atop them and spilling through the window-like holes cut into their sides. Without a word, Kyaun stops and turns, making a wide gesture with one arm, in response to which Ruwa and the others lower themselves, bowing once before rising again, the crew turning to leave silently. As they go, Kyaun looks over those who remain and nods once, expression stern, before turning to enter the massive temple. Inside are dozens of pillars reaching up to the colorful ceiling, vibrant swirls of color going along each one and spreading at the top of the room, where depictions of flames and water are seen in the dim light. The darker room is followed by another, this one far brighter, in which all of the others stop and remove their shoes. Ruwa turns to the group and gestures for them to do the same before continuing.

It takes another several minutes of walking, going through large halls and eventually down a massive staircase, lit by numerous large windows and filled by a constant strong breeze, bringing great heat from below. The further down the group goes, the warmer the air becomes, until eventually the stairs end, leading to a chamber lit only by the massive flames that surge with constant energy, filling the air with their dry heat. The chamber seems to be split into three sections: the first, in which you have just arrived, with reflective black stone covering the floor (through which the heat of the flames passes into the feet of the new arrivals) and two fires surrounded by low walls of similar material. Perhaps fifteen feet further, a few stairs lead to a larger area, one in which a dozen smaller marble circles surround further fires, all burning without any visible fuel, apart from that seems to be some kind of grate beneath them. Further pillars support this area, but they are unadorned, with a pathway indicated by lighter stone circling a large area that seems to have been cut into the floor. Like some kind of arena, it can be walked around easily, the sand-covered ground perhaps ten feet below the lip of the pit. More flames emerge from the floor here, flooding up through what seem like vents cut into the rock.

The room is filled not only with heat, but with a constant flow of air - it seems to rush in from another entrance, off to the left, but it brings little relief from the constant heat. No one else seems to be present for a moment, before Kyaun says a single, sharp word that is answered by a melodic, drawn-out response, followed by the emergence of another figure from the pit. At first, she - the voice is clearly female - is only visible as a silhouette, but she steps into the light of the flames before long. Her lights glimmer with the fires burning in the room, and she looks over the group briefly, turning to Kyaun, who gives her what seems to be a brief explanation before nodding, speaking to Ruwa and gesturing with her head to the group. Her voice is warm and seems both full of energy and calm at the same time, and Ruwa smiles as she turns to translate.

"She says, for blessing, each an offering. One can fight, in sand, for blessing, but only one," Ruwa says. "Something...not like others, special, not silver."

Thousand words about the new girl (http://i.imgur.com/h0iSvWG.png).

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina opened her mouth, then closed her mouth. Opened her mouth, blushed, and then closed her mouth. She coughed, and then said "Nevermind! Hey, so how about those buildings..."

----

This temple was impressing Sabrina, although she took care not to crick her neck from craning it around too much. The old village church hadn't been anything like this, and neither had any of the city temples she'd stepped in from time to time. She listens intently as Ruwa translates, looking from her to the new priestess - Dancer? - and then back to Ruwa. "I don't want to cause offense, but I don't know your customs. Who are we supposed to fight? What are the rules?"

[Hazuki]

Halva admires the temple as soon as she steps inside it. There are many buildings in Draslei that could match its grandeur, but she's never really had a chance to explore many of them - either they were unwilling to accept a tribal, or there just wasn't anything drawing her towards them. She could hardly cover the whole continent in her short travels, after all. But this, this is special, and she's among the first people from Draslei to experience it. The sense of awe building in her heat is dimmed only by the mischievous glee that comes, at the thought of running up the pillars and flipping between them at will. Certainly not allowed, but definitely fun.

When the woman she assumes is Dancer approaches, and Ruwa translates, she knows straight away that she's not going to join in with the fighting. She doesn't have much to offer at all, really, and it's already been mentioned that coin is worthless. Then, she remembers something that Tsohon mentioned - walking on coals is something the Priestesses do, which has got to hurt.

"I can offer a footrub?" Halva suggests, shoulders half-shrugged in uncertainty.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa and Tsohon translate the first responses, and Zafi's eyes flash, a smile coming to her face as she replies, a flurry of strange sounds that are pleasing despite their strangeness.

"The rules are as follows: a nonlethal duel, in the sand pit, unarmed, until surrender or fall," Tsohon says to Sabrina as Ruwa seems to mull over the words she needs to use for a moment.

"She says 'western footrub will be new thing, good offering'," she says, smiling. "But after fight."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina nods at the translation, turning to face Adalind and Halva. She looks at Halva's sheepish look and unbuckles her sailing knife from her belt, handing it to the girl. She looks at Adalind, remembers putting her on the floor in a matter of seconds on the long journey, and hands her the long, flexible ship's pole she preferred to use to fight. She grins at the two of them. "I'm up here, unless either of you want to volunteer?" she says, lip twitching slightly. "It's been a while since I had a good fight."

Using Ki Power - Barkskin, which gives me +3 AC for the next 60 minutes. Down to 7 Ki.

[Hazuki]

"You go ahead. I'll practice my card tricks." Halva replies, as she draws her pack of cards from her belt and looks to Tsohon. "Do you happen to know what these blessings entail?" She asks, as she tosses a card over her shoulder, which then slips out of the sleeve on her opposite arm and back onto the top of her deck.

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind is sweating. A lot. This temple is much too hot for her. She's used to a climate with a cool seabreeze, not this annoying heat. The sweat is already dripping down her face, her armpits are getting increasingly moist and there's sweat running down her back and into her pants. She would love to whipe some of the sweat away, but it would give a terrible first impression to start scratching at her back and butt in the middle of the holy place of these people. She'll just have to endure the sweating.
"You have firsthand experience with my unarmed fighting skills, they're not very great. So you go ahead and fight. It's too hot to fight anyway." Adalind replies.
"I have no idea what i could possibly offer. I could.... write a description of some of the monsters living in Draslei? Or of the native plant and animal life of Sworteria, my home nation?
Or, i know a trick that creates some water. I could dump that water over my own head, it's a nice trick and it can be funny." And it will hopefully cool me down a bit.

[PersonMan]

"Some give favor," Ruwa mentions as Adalind considers what to offer, splitting her attention between Halva's card tricks and the Sworterii woman. "Service, like...footrub," she adds, unable to keep from smiling. "Gift of water only in thing, not pour."

Tsohon is a bit slow to reply, captivated by the motion of Halva's playing cards for a moment before he snaps back to her and speaks. "There are many. I have asked that Kyaum petition for you to receive the ruwa dutse harshen wuta, or liquid stone flame. It is the most common blessing, and gives command of Yare, which is what is spoken by the peoples of the islands. If you seek to go further south, you can even use it there," he chuckles. "Everyone needs to speak to merchants, after all."

Zafi smiles as Sabrina steps forwards, gesturing for her to follow and making her way back to the pit, hopping down into it effortlessly.

[Hazuki]

"Is it possible to receive more than one blessing?" Halva asks, as she reaches behind Adalind's ear, retrieves a card, and shuffles it into the deck. She draws her hands far apart, the cards shooting between each palm before finally resting in her raised one, where it reveals that the card behind Adalind's ear is on the bottom.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina follows the priestess, feeling the weight of attention on her as she makes her way into the sand pit. She cracks her knuckles distractedly before hopping down into the pit a bit away from Zafi, giving her a respectful nod.

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind immediatly tries to slap the hand reaching behind her ear away. Halva again, obviously. Too bad she missed, but one of these days she'll succeed. "Hey, don't touch the ear! You don't see me fondling you, do you?" She says with another angry look at Halva. Then she tucks her sweaty hair behind her ear and turns to the priestess.
"So, do you want water or a wildlife description? Or a service, i can do lots of things and i'm open to suggestions."

[Hazuki]

Halva snickers at Adalind's reaction.

[PersonMan]

Kyaum follows Sabrina silently, standing near the edge of the pit and watching with crossed arms. Zafi responds with a wide smile. "Zan kurma ku da kulawa, mai dadi daya," she says softly, eyes full of welcoming warmth as she extends her hands. For a moment she stands still closing her eyes briefly. Sabrina notices that her skin is shining in the light of the flames, as if she's been sweating despite wearing little more than a few loose wrappings of cloth around her chest and waist. There's only a moment to make this observation, however, before the priestess opens her eyes again and claps, once, moving forwards almost casually for a moment before suddenly sprinting towards Sabrina, melodic voice rising to almost shout. "Bar ni a cikin kona shafa!"

With a sudden shift to the side, Zafi surprises Sabrina, catching her off-guard with a quick strike to her arm - one that sends searing heat into her body. It's as if the priestess' fingers sent liquid metal into her veins, and in moments Sabrina feels the heat fill her lungs. With a spin to the side, Zafi feints with an elbow blow but hits the former pirate's leg with a brief kick, sending another, lesser jolt of heat through her. The air in Sabrina's lungs turns to fire for a moment, but the heat fades as quickly as it came. Zafi's eyes are on her as she shifts back, the reflection of the fires dancing in them as she smiles widely, clearly enjoying herself greatly.

Max damage, oww. Sabrina takes a whopping 42 nonlethal damage.

--

"Water good," Ruwa says. "Find thing, like...cup, or bowl. Do trick, give Dancer."

"More than one? Normally, no, but it would depend on the priestess," Tsohon replies, raising an eyebrow at both the trick and again at Adalind's reaction. "Also, I, ah, don't think water would be appropriate," he says, briefly speaking to Ruwa, who shrugs. "What my daughter felt was unnecessary to tell you is that giving water to a priestess is a way to, ehm...it implies..." the man pauses, frowning, seeming unsure of how to continue. "It's...hard to describe exactly. We call it Aurjemici'i. It would imply...strong feelings, of several kinds," he says.

Ruwa frowns, disappointed with her father's words. "Good feelings. Friendly," she says, in response to which he frowns and speaks to her in their language again, prompting a grin and barely-restrained laugh from her - Adalind's name appears in her laughing reply.

[Hazuki]

Halva slips her deck of cards back into her belt and instead retrieves some of her large chalk stocks, then steps up to Ruwa. "Do you mind if I draw on you?" She asks, smiling at the woman.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina's body feels like it's on fire, and not in a good way. She reels backwards from the laughing priestesses assault, flailing for a moment before turning her foot in the loose sand and catching her balance. She grimaces, feeling the heat fade, before opening her mouth into a wide smile. She launches herself forward, foot extended to catch the priestess in the stomach before turning and delivering a sweeping kick to her knee, following it up with two quick jabs to her side.

At least, that's the plan. But Zafi steps neatly backwards out of the way of the kick, pivoting to one side and smiling as Sabrina's assault goes wide, is parried with a quick step, or punches into the air where she was just a moment before. Sabrina winces, taking a step backwards away from Zafi and feeling the pain of the rapid assault sinking in. Nobody had ever danced away from her like that.

Maybe that's why they called her Dancer.

Life is sadness and not hitting. Flurry of missing is detailed in the OOC thread; Sabrina here used a Flying Kick to get into position and Flurry, and then a 5' Step away from Zafi which should ideally let her use Counter Step to get away from her next attack. Maybe.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa seems somewhat confused, but shrugs. "Only normal things, but yes," she says, winking.

--

Zafi's smile turns into a grin as she goes on the attack again, lips moving silently as she advances, ducking under Sabrina's arms and sending a fist into her stomach - the woman backpedals, managing an impressive step to avoid the strike, but the priestess follows with a long step of her own. The force of the blow feels like fire rushing across Sabrina's skin, the knuckles pressing into her clothing sending pulses of heat into her through the material. The pain only lasts a moment, before she finds herself losing balance, the flickering light fading as she feels arms beneath her back.

Another 10 nonlethal.

--

Halva and Adalind see Kyaum kneel at the edge of the pit, rising after a few moments with Sabrina in her arms, holding her as Zafi hauls herself up from the lip, gently taking the unconscious woman into her hold, carrying her off into the hallway leading off from the chamber. Kyaum approaches the group as she does so, speaking to Tsohon, who nods. "Ah, yes. Kyaum is asking for your offerings. Your friend is being taken care of," he says.

***

Sabrina wakes lying on something soft - she realizes after a moment that it's a bed, a large pillow under her head. The room comes into focus, smaller, lit only by a few candles that smell like flowers. Zefi sits beside her, smiling, spreading some sort of oil over the large, bright red burned bruise on her arm. Wherever her oil-covered fingers so, a soothing feeling follows, seeping into Sabrina's flesh and easing the pulsing pain.

"Zaman lafiya, mai dadi yarinya. Ka yi yaƙi da kyau," she says softly, voice full of warmth and just as smooth as it was before.

Sabrina is at 48 nonlethal now.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Well obviously i don't want to imply that i'd like to shag her behind one of these pillars. Maybe this is indeed something you could have mentioned Ruwa. I know it might have been funny to see a representative of one religion unknowingly declare her love to a representative of another religion, but it's really isn't. I seem to vaguely remember one religious war starting that way.
You shouldn't try to impress Halva like that...."
Adalind sighs. She doesn't have anything to give, they didn't seem very impressed by her offer for a description of the nature of Sworteria or the monsters of Draslei. The only thing she might have to give to these people is her signet ring.
The last thing she still has from the now disbanded house of Fraina, a ring with the mark of the authority she once lost. At least the thing doesn't have any use anymore. And if things go well for her she could just create a symbol for herself. It's probably better to just be rid of the bloody thing.
"I can give this signet ring, it's not very valuable but it is the last thing i've got from my bitch of a mother. Would that be sufficient?"

[Hazuki]

Halva sets to work on Ruwa's face, drawing it in the visage of a cat. She draws three whiskers on each of her cheeks, a little line connecting her septum and top lip, some black on her nose itself, and markings around her eyes. She doesn't pay much attention to what's going on around her.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa sticks out her tongue at Adalind. "Silly. No war for this," she says, before falling silent to let Halva pull the chalk over her face. Her father takes a moment to cough into his hand and say nothing. "What am I?" She asks after some time of silent thought, raising an eyebrow.

"A signet ring would be a sufficient offering, yes," Tsohon replies, but pauses for a moment. "However..." he turns to Kyaum and speaks to her, receiving a brief shrug and a curt response - whatever she said, he seems pleased, folding his hands and doing three small half-bows before he turns back to Adalind. "If you could tell me of your homeland in more detail later, I could make an offering on your behalf," he offers. "Although it sounds like you didn't have a very good relationship with your mother. If you would rather get rid of the ring, she would accept it."

[Hazuki]

"You are a strong, confident woman." Halva replies to Ruwa, smiling as she tucks the chalk into her belt.

[PersonMan]

"How...how draw 'strong, confident woman'?" Ruwa asks, raising an eyebrow.

[Hazuki]

"Oh." Halva blinks, then smiles at Ruwa. "I drew your face like a cat's. You know." She thinks. "Mrow." She imitates.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"I......I honestly don't know if i want to be rid of the ring.
On one hand it's the last thing to remind me of the past. On the other hand, my mother was a huge bitch that ruined my future."
She places the ring on her palm and looks at it. The wolf on top of it has been damaged so hard it kinda looks like a chicken now, the ring must be more than 40 years old by now. It was once eaten by a dog and she had to search through the poop to recover it.
"Screw it, let her have the bloody thing!
Tsohon, you can buy me a new ring and i'll tell you more about my homeland. A ring with an animal native to these lands etched into it, something to remember me that i'm not going to let that bitch's shadow hang over me anymore. "

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina blinks muzzily up as she comes to, trying to make sense of what happened. Her eyes focus blearily on Zafi as she works the soothing oil into her bruised skin. Sabrina tries to sit up but stops and lays back when Zafi stops her, sinking into the comfortable bed with a soft moan as the priestess soothes the pain.

"You beat the hell out of me," Sabrina says in slightly slurred Vestli. Her eyes flutter as an especially sensitive spot is touched, and then soothed. "That feels nice, though. You're nice. Sorry I wasn't... much of a fight..." She blinks, and when she opens her eyes Zafi is on her other side, working on a different bruise. Sabrina's mind runs through recent events and she blushes, before switching back to Dracolini. "Thank you."

Is that '48 nonlethal' i.e. effectively 0 HP/staggered until I heal it at 6 hp/hour? Which I think works for this unless we're ready for another combat. :smalltongue:

[PersonMan]

Ruwa smiles, and nods. "Cat brings good luck," she says. "In Draslei, too?" She asks after a moment, tracing over some of the chalk on her face with one finger.

Tsohon stays silent as Adalind speaks, and nods. "That sounds fine," he says, saying something to Kyaum, who steps forwards and holds her hand out, palm up, for Adalind to place the ring into.

---

Zafi's smile grows as Sabrina blushes, and she laughs briefly. "A kwantar da hankula, m yarinya. Harshenka zai sani," she says, spreading more of the soothing oil across Sabrina's bruises. The burned skin seems to recover most quickly, the bruises themselves are less affected, and Zafi's deft application seems to have a loosening effect of its own, relaxing the ex-pirate's muscles as they go across her injuries. Before long, she feels noticeably better, and Zafi helps pull her into a seated position, supported by the pillow. She signals for her to wait, and walks across the room to open a small, colorfully-decorated box, removing three small stones. As they come into the light, the mix of dark red and black inside each becomes visible, waves of red seeming trapped inside of the spherical gems. Clutching the gems in one hand, Zafi returns to Sabrina's side, bending down to help her up.

Has 8 less nonlethal damage. Woo!

Also, some of her clothing will have been opened up to spread the anti-ow-oil on her injuries, but Zafi will pretty much ignore it - just a detail I thought I'd mention, since I couldn't find a good way to work it into the IC description.

[Steckie]

Adalind

Adalind drops the ring in her hand without a word.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina took Zafi's hand as she was helped to her feet, stretching and feeling how the now-relaxed muscles snapped back into shape. She looked down at her loosened clothing and suppressed a blush, remembering her conversation earlier with Halva, and moved the clothes back into their proper shape. Sabrina gave a small, respectful bow to the priestess, smiling as she did so. "You'll have to show me how you learned to do that sometime. Thank you again."

[PersonMan]

"Mafi kyau abu ne da za mu ci gaba da magana ko da yake ba za mu iya fahimtar juna da kõme," Zafi replies, bringing her hand to her forehead briefly and gesturing for Sabrina to follow as she leaves the room.

Zafi and Sabrina emerge from the side hall, Kyaum approaching the other priestess and pressing the ring into her free hand before going into the hall they had just left. Zafi sits down on the lip of one of the fires, placing the three spherical gemstones into the flames and waiting, watching it calmly, letting the flames occasionally lick her skin without seeming to be bothered. Kyaum reappears from the hall after a minute, carrying a tray with a pitcher and three brass bowls, which she sets down near Zafi, who waits a bit longer before plucking the gems from the flames. The red in them seems much stronger, as if some of the fire had been swallowed up by the stone. As she does so, Kyaum takes the pitcher and pours water into each of bowls as Zafi places a gem into them. Small clouds of steam rise from each, but the gems seem to cool quickly, and Zafi's melodic voice rings out again, a chant that seems to fill the entire room and come from every pillar, every fire. Her eyes all but glow, the fires seem to rise ever so slightly, and both Ruwa and Tsohon seem utterly transfixed. Zafi's arms sweep over the gems and the room's heat seems to pulse, almost like a heartbeat, four times, before she falls silent, the flames receding again as she looks over to the group, gesturing for them to come forwards.

Tsohon quickly explains that the water has been blessed by the spirits serving the living flame, and that drinking it will impart the blessing of language. Kyaum and Zafi step to the sides of the tray, handing the bowls to the group as they approach. The water is warm, and oddly enough the spherical gems don't shift as the bowl is moved. The warmth of the liquid spreads through the group quickly, and for a moment a sound almost like a roaring fire seems to rush through the room, followed by a pulse of dry heat that goes through the group's lungs and into their teeth.

"You are blessed," Kyaum says, making a small gesture before reaching for the bowls. The odd sounds of her language are as foreign was they were before, but the meaning within them seems to shine through anyways. "Speak."

I may not be able to post until the end of my day today; if you think it'd be best to timeskip the post-ritual conversation, I'll try to get something up this evening/Monday morning.

[Hazuki]

Halva feels strange, as she accepts the vessel of blessed fluid and drinks it down. It's been a while since she's drunk anything at all, but she manages not to spell it all over herself nevertheless. Even compared to her old meals, the warm water is strange, but not as strange as the burst of heat that follows. Heat is something she can handle quite well, or at least compared to the sweat-shined Adalind, but she's never had it come from inside her before.

When Kyaum gives her statement, Halva looks up and clears her throat. "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Oh great, warm water. Just what i need right now...." Adalind thinks to herself as she's drinking from the bowl. She hasn't stopped sweating yet and the warm water is only making things worse.
It's probably best that she doesn't mention the fact that in her nation she's something of a cross between a priestess, a warrior, a hunter and an investigator and that they just gave water to her. Might make for an awkward situation....
Halva has already spoken one of her nonsense sentences. "Well great, for your first sentence in a foreign language you chose to say THAT. Not something that can be written down and remembered and studied by scholars, but a silly sentence without meaning.
And you made me say something like this as my first sentence. What a great impression we'll make on future generations..."

[Hazuki]

"I'll have you know that it's a phrase containing every letter in the Dracolini alphabet." Halva beams at the grumpy Adalind. "It's poignant, because of language and stuff."

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina crosses her eyes and feels vaguely better about making a fool of herself in front of the priestess earlier. After Zafi's attentions and the blessed water, she's actually feeling pretty good. Sabrina turns to the priestesses and gives a polite half-bow, nudging Adalind with her foot as she does so. "We thank you for the blessing of your language" she says, tasting the unfamiliar sounds as they pass through her lips.

[PersonMan]

After a brief discussion, the group climbs back up the stairs, the air growing progressively cooler as they make their way back into the main temple. A breeze blows across them as they exit it, this time going back towards the bustling area of the city where innumerable merchant stands are set up along the streets. The group is suddenly far more aware of the nature of the noise, thousands of voices half-intelligible in the general din. Prices are shouted across the market, most of them in Silver Sparks, some in Nqoba Shells or even Yellow Stripes. Every ten stands or so is a heavily-guarded booth where a man sits, offering to exchange one for another for a 'price so low I'm almost giving you money!' while the occasional buyer approaches.

Almost everything imaginable - and some things the group has never seen before - seems to be here. Carvings of wood or odd pure-white material that seems lighter than stone, dozens of spices that send waves of almost overwhelming scents out for a dozen feet from any stand they sit in, large gemstones, clothing of a dozen styles and even a few made of a strange material that catches the light and feels smoother than anything the group has even touched before. Tsohon describes it as 'the work of the water weavers of the eastern islands', explaining that they are said to have master weavers who can sit beneath a waterfall and weave the falling liquid into patterns than shine before they strike the ground and disappear forever. There are also quite a few animals, everything from strange, large-horned goats to tiny, light-furred ratlike creatures, bright green animals with long bodies that seem to be a single tail with a head on one end, grey-feathered birds that squawks at passerby, kept in variously-sized cages of wood. Several merchants sell skulls, many topped by massive horns, and several have what look like the incisors of beasts large enough to swallow people whole, stretching five feet or longer. One of the merchants is something the party has never seen before - selling wares just like any other, a creature with thick, light-colored fur that has a head halfway between a wolf's and a person's, proclaiming low prices with a harsh, almost guttural tone.

Once the group passes through the press of merchants and buyers, they are back at the docks, where Tsohon eventually goes to meet with Cvele and Iren. With one of the group staying with them, occasionally providing help with translation due to their stronger command of Dracolini, a few matters are discussed, mostly the issue of trade with the eastern families and how it could tie into Draslei's different system of merchants and the fledgling idea of groups of merchants pooling their wealth to fund expensive but lucrative expeditions. By evening they have come to a few conclusions, mostly agreeing that trade is fundamentally possible, but not finding any concrete agreements.

Shortly thereafter, the group returns to the Telcontra and celebrates the arrival of the expedition in the new land, filling a local tavern and finding a dozen new flavors of drink. Before long, many of the locals join the festivities, exchanging stories neither side can understand but still results in uproarious laughter. At the end of the night one of the tavern's owners offers the group a discounted price for rooms, offering them a trio of small quarters in the upper part of the building. The night passes easily, the solid ground a great change from the constant motion of the last weeks.

Morning brings strange, distance sounds - voices carried over the rooftops and through the windows, coming from the great towers topped by flame. Whether they are greeted by a clear or a complaining head, the group finds their hosts up shortly after the voices end. They happily explain to any who ask that those were the sounds of the morning prayer, called out by priestesses so that the whole city would perform the rites at the same time. They also offer what seems like miracle to those pained by last night's excesses, a strange, cloudy drink that soothes their pain and sharpens their senses for several hours. It's around this time that Adalind discovers that words have been scrawled onto her forehead, partially smeared away but seeming to be in another language - neither her nor Sabrina recognize it.

After a breakfast of a thick meat stew that contains a sharp, powerful edge that outdoes anything the group has eaten before in strength, and remains in their mouth for some time after, feeling like a heat that refuses to leave, they have some time to relax or prepare for the coming day before Tsohon and Ruwa arrive, both wearing simple garments of white cloth. Ruwa's weapon is still with her, the odd curved blade tied into its sheath with red colored rope.

"Good morning!" Tsohon greets the group, grinning. "I hope you enjoyed your first night in Wuta Yan. How was it?

[Hazuki]

"Good morning! I wish I had a chance to browse the market some more." Halva answers the older gentleman's question, as she stalks up to beside Ruwa and smiles at the now less-catlike woman. "That red cord on your string - what's it there for?" She asks, feinting her hand as though she's going to poke at the hilt of the weapon.

[PersonMan]

"The markets, yes. One could spend a lifetime there and find something new every day," Tsohon replies, nodding.

"It's a bond, to keep the weapon sheathed. I don't like to go without it, but going to a holy place with a weapon is forbidden," Ruwa replies, offering Halva a slight smile. "Though if there's trouble, I can easily deal with it even with my blade in its sheath. No need for you to worry."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Does that mean we need to get one of those red ropes as well?" Adalind asks, just to be sure.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

Sabrina woke up groggy and still a little sore from the beating she'd gotten the previous day. Her head hurt. Her arms hurt. Her ass hurt. She muttered dark things under her breath until she got a sip of that cloudy liquid, and then her day brightened up considerably. For one thing, her head didn't hurt. Most things didn't hurt, really.

For another thing, there was a drink that helped with hangovers. An apparently inexpensive drink. A miracle drink.

Sabrina hadn't come to this mission solely for money, by any means, but she made some quiet inquiries with the kitchen staff to find out more about what the drink was called. And where to get more of it. A hold full of the stuff, carefully sold, might pay for the expedition on all on its own... With an effort, Sabrina suppressed visions of returning to her village as a wealthy trader and went back to her meal in time to catch the strange writing on Adalind's forehead.

------

"Our first night was lovely, thank you," Sabrina says, giving Adalind a bit of side-eye. She knew that most nobles weren't terribly courteous, and Halva was more like a force of nature, but still. "The hospitality of the people here has been very generous." She considers Ruwa's statement for a moment. "What is this holy place we're going to visit, if the temple we went to yesterday wasn't holy?"

[PersonMan]

The woman in the kitchen explains to Sabrina that the drink is a mixture of qahwah, a dark beverage made from the seeds of plants grown on a few islands to the south, and 'milk of the dawnflower', which is apparently brought from the east. She adds that the mixture is uncommon in most places, but Wuta Yan has more of it because of the amount of trade from the east and south that go through it.

--

Ruwa shrugs. "If you wish, you can. It is not needed, as you are nonbelievers," she explains. As Sabrina speaks, she makes a bit of a face. "Ah...it's not that the temple isn't holy, it's just not a blessed place. I'm sorry, it's just common to refer to them as holy places," she says.

[RPZip]

Sabrina

"Ah," Sabrina says, clearly not understanding the distinction. "Well, I'll be interested to see this blessed place."

[Hazuki]

Hertig silently rebels against the fact that they're not going to get to explore the market any more, or even purchase anything, and resolves to help Halva find her own fun through the day. While she's interested in learning more about the culture, she can't learn anything while being dragged around with only a few minutes to actually learn. She needs to immerse herself in it.

"Has anyone seen Kornelia?"

[Steckie]

Adalind

"I haven't had a chance to buy anything yet, can we visit the market again after we go to this blessed place? Not that i'm not curious about the blessed place, i just need to purchase something that i've to promised somebody.
And if the red cord isn't needed for a nonbeliever i'm just going to skip on that. I prefer not to go anywhere unprepared and i don't want to rely on somebody else to defend me."

[PersonMan]

"We could go before, potentially," Tsohon says after a moment of thought. "Kyaum knows that we may be arriving later, and I believe Ruwa mentioned having some business she needed to finish here outside the walls," he continues, turning to the woman, who nods, seeming somewhat distracted.

"Yes. Erm, Adalind, what's on your face? Is it supposed to mean something?" Ruwa asks, motioning towards the redhead with her chin. "Is it religious?"

You remember seeing Kornelia at the edge of the celebration briefly, but she disappeared to join her sister before long, not doing much other than look around and watch Halva for a bit before leaving. She's likely still in the establishment across the street, where her and some of the other important crewmembers are staying.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Ah right, that. I assume some annoying prankster wrote some very obscene words on my face while i was sleeping. Neither me nor Sabrina have any idea what it means. So what i'm going to do is leave the bloody thing on my face for the rest of the day, blessed place or not. I'm not ashamed, but the person that did this to me probably wont do it again if i react this way.
Unless there's some sort of prophecy written on my face warning me of certain doom?

Halva, i think Kornelia is across the street. There's some crewmembers staying there. Please don't go too far away."

[Hazuki]

"I didn't know you cared." Halva simpers at Adalind.

[PersonMan]

Ruwa raises an eyebrow. "I see. I don't think I'd be comfortable carrying around some strange message on my head, myself. Are you sure it won't curse you, or anything like that?" She asks.

As Halva speaks, she looks over and seems to think of something, straightening slightly. "Halva, I was wondering if you could come with me for something," she says. "There's something I need to do that I need some help with. It shouldn't be an issue, just a little thing."

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Well alright, if it bothers you i'll wipe it away." Adalind says, glad to have an excuse to remove the bloody thing. She had been acting like she didn't care, but it did bother her a bit. She starts rubbing her sleeve over her forehead.
"Tell me when it's gone."

[Hazuki]

"I'd offer to help, but you keep trying to hit me when I touch you." Halva remarks, smiling as she watches Adalind repeatedly rub her own forehead. Then Ruwa speaks to her and she turns on the spot, her cloak rustling slightly in the wind. "Yes, I can help with whatever you need! As long as it's not fighting. Or competing in the grumpiest person on the expedition award." She glances at Adalind, still beaming.

[PersonMan]

"It's nothing like that," Ruwa says, glancing over to Adalind and nodding after a few moments. "It's gone now," she says, raising an eyebrow at the chalk smears on the woman's sleeve.

[Hazuki]

"Then lead on." Halva nods.

[Steckie]

Adalind

"Is this something me and Sabrina are invited to as well? If not i'm going to visit the market again and i'll meet you back here in a couple of hours." Adalind says. She notices Ruwa staring at the smear on her sleeve, but doesn't care. She can get it washed later, she's not a noble anymore after all and now she can walk around in dirty clothes if she pleases. It's oddly liberating.