Demons of the Sea [Glorious Bastards]

[xarvh]

The evening is clear and cold.


The breezes from the North slowly push the Scourge through the calm Sea.


Eagle's Launch is several days behind now.


It feels so long since the departure, the Ceremony... Yet, the journey has barely started.


The Western Ocean lies ahead in its full splendor, a boundless desert of water, old and magnificent.


Its fluidity makes hard to imagine that this sea was here, just the way you see it, since the very first days of Creation.


For those who love the majesty of the Sea, it's a breathtaking view.


For the other, unfortunate souls, the crammed quarters of the ship seem like a trap for humans, and the long hours of inactivity are a challenge to fill.

 

[Persell]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Nyusul is slammed against one of the cabin's walls.


He had seen the sea before, but he'd never been surrounded by it.


Frightened, with small, wise steps, he reaches the door, and enters in.


Damn it! Too much tossing around.


Then, he remembers a particular training done with his Sifu: he had to grip hard on lame surfaces, in order to learn the Mantis Clinch.


Suddenly he jumps on a shelf and grips and tightens his wrists.


This way, even if the boat will overturn, I will be steady! But i need to get better...


With another jump, he tries to put his hand in a little hole in the ceiling.


He misses and falls down, hitting the floor with his back.


Ouch. Ok, now i know what to do for the rest of the journey

Spoiler

If it's ok, i'm spending 12 PX to learn joint-locking technique

 

[Aurellian]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Chu rests in his cabin, calm and peacful, relaxing and learning how the boat moves. It was interestingly different to being on land, and perhaps too much time away from nice solid earth would eventually get to him...but for now, it was calming.


He meditates, remembering the events of last night, trying to make more sense of what has happened and determine a course of action that will keep him safe. Thinking things through while the ocean rocks him back and forth.

 

[Amethyst1]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Leiji stood upon the deck of the Scourge, arms folded, a satisfied smile on her tight lips. Westward bound, she felt like she was once more (pardon the pun) in her own element. The pomp and circumstance of Realm ceremonies and bureaucracy, land battles and social intrigues were not in her interest, even if she had been trained to deal with them. It was out here, on the open sea, where she belonged as a Child of Daana'd, and as a member of House Peleps, it was her calling – no, her obligation – to be in command of a vessel in the Imperial Navy. For too long now, she had been fixated on returning to the waters, to once again feel the familiar power and purpose that came with her duty – all while gnawing on the cold bitterness that had stirred within her when she had been grounded, punished by her House for interfering with its more… secret operations. Gradually that bitterness was fading away, carried off by the salt-tinged wind blowing through her onyx hair, knocking strands loose and set flapping in the air. Never again would she be denied this feeling, she thought. Never again would she allow this to be taken away from her. This was where she needed to be, what she needed to do…


"Captain." Kuga Otero clicked his heels together behind her, the sharp knocking sound grabbing her attention. She turned and saw her aide-de-camp waiting patiently along with the ship's navigation officer. "I believe it's time to discuss our course."


"Ah, yes," Leiji said. "Come, let us go to my cabin."


Inside Leiji's cabin, the navigation officer unfurled a scroll map upon which, in impressive detail, the Western isles were outlined. On the far right was the western coast of the Blessed Isle, with Eagle's Launch a considerable dot, denoting its status as the main harbor of the Realm's capital. The features on the map were so thorough largely due to First Age technologies that had masterfully charted all those areas where the Terrestrial Exalted (and the Anathema before them) had traversed. Of course, the map itself was basic parchment, partly because it was easy to carry around as needed, but also because the more advanced equipment used in the previous age was a mystery to most Dynasts. This frustrating reality was evidenced everywhere – including the Realm's ships. There were precious few First Age warships these days; markedly inferior, Terrestrial-made vessels were increasingly common.


"This is my suggested route, Captain," the navigation officer said, taking several wooden blocks painted red from a pouch around his waist. He lined them up, starting at Eagle's Launch, and had them go in more or less a straight line toward the Wavecrest Archipelago – specifically, the largest island along its southern tip, Abalone.


"A sensible choice for our first destination," Leiji said, gripping her chin in thought. "Wavecrest is the most fertile nation in the West; many rely on its supplies of food. It is also relatively civilized, and they were quick to swear loyalty to the Realm in the past. They may also be eager to return to the fold given the threat posted by the Coral Archipelago and the Neverborn."


"'Civilized' may be too generous a term, Captain," Otero said. "The Feathered One may live in a palace, but many of the people still live in the primal jungle. It's said they sacrifice mortals to keep the hundreds of volcanoes there dormant."


Leiji wrinkled her nose. "Such indulgences of petty gods is distasteful, but let us leave that to the Immaculates who follow us. Our mission is to reopen trade relations, and that shall be our focus." She stepped forward and tapped the map. "We should change the route itself slightly. This is far too straightforward."


The navigation officer appeared chagrined as Leiji moved the wooden blocks around, breaking their linear pattern and creating instead a series of zig-zags:

"You must have forgotten our… difficulties," Leiji said sternly. "I do not wish to be overly paranoid, but it's obvious we're someone's target. By not going in a straight line, we may be fortune enough to throw whoever is after us off our trail. At the very least, we won't make it easy for them." She turned to Otero. "Speaking of which, I want a full report following the intense inspection of the ship itself. I will be quite disappointed if even a single stowaway came aboard, or if something was done, magical or mundane, to slow down our journey."


"Yes, Captain," said Otero with a nod. "May I ask if we should not consult Lord Mnemon, Lady Mnemon, Lord Cathak and Magistrate Cynis about our plans?"


Leiji shook her head. "This is my ship and navigation is my purview. Send messengers to inform them that Wavecrest is our first destination; if they would like to speak to me about it, I'll be here in my cabin or on deck."

 

[Melcairiel]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Eris is roaming the ship, examining its every corner, deciding which part is better for some muscle stretching.


Mmmm.....All over I guess....


A dim blue glow surrounds her and the slightest push of her feet against the deck propels her on top of the ship's mast. The cloud pushing her gently upwards dissolves as her feet gently touch the wood.


"You can never have too much balance girl. You never know what you will need to walk on, where you will need to fight. Attune to every surface, BE the surface you want to walk on, let the slightest air draft carry you with it."


With those words, she had seen her Sifu walk on top of grass, affecting it no more than the slightest, imperceptible breeze would have. A swift spin and a twist of his body in the air and he landed on the edge of her blade, before hurling his body on the huge leafs of the tree above her head, that didn't even recede under his body's weight, climbing to a branch above, using them as steps. Sometimes you had to admire that old bastard, even though the usual thought was to bathe in his blood.


OK, focus, focus....You've tried this before....


A relaxed walk across the mast was the easy part. Now, the jump...


Mast, rope, sail, mast, rooooo........shit...


The rope bounced and moved under her harsh landing, rocking her body back and forth and it seemed like a good idea to have her anima active. Crashed bones after a long fall are never fun. Another jump and the cycle starts again....and again...and again....Her muscles begin to ache, sweat is breaking on her forehead but she keeps going. After all, it's either focus on that, or potential sea sickness. Water was not really her element.


OK, OK, BE that rope, fine...BE the sail...


Eyes closed, she lets her body feel equally the slightest breeze and the strongest winds, becoming one with them. Eyes open abruptly. A swift jump, a smooth landing on the rope, barely disturbing it, a relaxed walk and finally, a jump on top of the sail, a smooth landing...Crossing it carefully, sliding down on its side, repeating the process on the sail below, running on it this time, sliding again, until she found herself on the deck.


Cool, that was fun!!! Need to find new surfaces to practice now!

 

[xarvh]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Eris


Eris runs clumsily in the middle of the air above the ship, yet she move only a few meters, her legs whirling in the air in a struggle to learn the new Immaculate Charm.


A cursory glance sweeps on the water below, noticing something wrong underneath the surface....


Something large and several meters long...


A tubular something, vaguely reddish in color, that quickly disappears in the depths.


Chu, Nyusul


Something... Something large touched and the hull and dragged against it for a couple of seconds.

Spoiler

Great work Amethyst, take 1 xp for your effort.


You have left the coast some weeks ago, and are now navigating in open sea, about 800Km from the closest charted shore.

 

[Aurellian]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Muttering an oath, Chu stands from his meditations and moves to exit the cabin. Had they run aground? Did they hit something?


Then, he stops, and glances back into the room.


Or had something hit into them. Something. He walks back in and grabs his hammer. "Just incase..." he says quietly to himself, walking out with the calmness of a immaculate in any situation. To the deck, to see what was happening.


The sun glared down and the sea looked calm. There was also no land in sight. He walks to the edge of the ship and glances down, holding the rail and leaning over.

 

[Melcairiel]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Almost surfing the air, Eris travels down towards her cousin and, as she reaches the deck, the cloud beneath her feet disappears. She approaches him calmly,all the while trying to estimate that thing's size, although she knew, she had just seen part of it. There we go again. For a cruise, it's getting a bit too dangerous.


"You're not going to see anything cousin. it's gone. Barely got a glimpse of it myself. Come on, let's go to that....Captain of ours, see if she likes crashing on unknown life forms to add to the thrill of the trip."


Reaching Leiji, Eris asks, her features a bit stiffened. She was really NOT in the mood for more surprises, those past few days had been a bit intense, even for her taste.


"Felt that Peleps? Cousin? Any of you managed to get a glimpse of that thing? From up there, looked like it was 30 meters long, but I know there was more of it. Didn't get to see much more, just, a long, kinda red tube and it was gone, right away...Any ideas how we get it before it gets us?"

 

[Aurellian]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Chu followed his cousin to the Water Aspect and listened to her description of the creature for a bit before nodding. "This is why solid ground is better...fewer giant surprises under it to worry about. Leiji, any idea on sea snakes?" he hefts his hammer and glances at the railing of the boat near where the creature had passed under them. "Like if we fit their idea of food perhaps? Or if it'll leave us alone?"

 

[Amethyst1]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Leiji tilts her head to the side and follows Chu's eyes to the railing and the waters beyond. "There is no shortage of monsters, beasts and even gods in the West," she says. "So vast and deep is this part of Creation that there is no full record of all the creatures that reside here, and even among existing records, well... It is hard to separate fact from the overactive imaginations of lonely sun-cooked sailors, who are rarely experts in zoology." She says this more with dry disdain than dry humor. "To answer your question, yes, some animals, like the pelagic dragon, have been known to sink fishing vessels and even damage larger whaling ships. However, this is usually because something has angered them; it is not so common for ships to be assaulted without some sort of provocation. Of course, it's entirely possible that there might be something out there that has been summoned to... cause us problems."


She turns to Otero, who is standing nearby. "Let the watch officers know that Lord and Lady Mnemon reported seeing something around 30 meters long, possibly with a red-colored tentacle or tube of some sort. Tell them to keep their eyes out and to report if they have seen anything in the water." She looks to Chu and Eris and tries to force a smile. "Do not be overly concerned. The men on my ship are quite capable, and it is just as probable that if we hit something alive out there that we left it dazed and confused rather than having it hot on our heels."

 

[xarvh]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


The day continues tense and nervous.


The men are suspicious, but they weariness is confirmed only in the late of the afternoon, when four galleys appear far in the distance, moving sails up against the wind, and bearing the colors of the Lintha Family.


Lintha.


The Demon-Pirates of the West?

 

[Aurellian]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Chu glances at the ships and tries to remember all he has heard about the Lintha. Pirates with exalted amongst them as he recalls. Some rumor of Anathema amongst them too.


This was going to be annoying to a man who needed solid ground beneath his feet. Maybe even annoying enough to start a fight.


But then, these people were also a force out here in the West, maybe peace was a better option. He'd better find his cousin, before she found them.

 

[Amethyst1]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


"LINTHA!"


The word was repeated on the lips of sailors up and down the Scourge. They frantically move around, getting to their stations if they are not already manning them. It is not very long before Leiji appears on the deck shouting orders, not exactly panic-stricken, but definitely acting with the utmost urgency. "EVASIVE MANEUVERS! We need to get out of here! We need to put as much distance as we can between ourselves and them!" She takes a moment to look out at the four ships approaching.


Otero runs up beside her, breathless. "Captain, the Lintha... They say they don't take prisoners..."


Leiji growled. "Who hasn't heard rumors about those Demon-Blooded beasts? But I've also heard that their ships don't have sails... That their vessels are pulled by enormous sea monsters... And yet those ships are using sails against the wind."


Otero arched an eyebrow. "So they aren't Lintha?"


"Who knows? I'm not taking any chances. There are more of them than us and we would be hard-pressed to resist even one ship of Lintha. We should avoid them, if we can."

 

[xarvh]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


The helmsman struggles against the helm, unable to turn it.


"Captain! Something is blocking the rudder!"


Then the Scourge shakes.


The reddish side of a huge tubular shape surfaces briefly, then is swallowed again deeper in the water.


The worm-like creature is holding the hull of the ship, hindering any manoeuvres, and the wind is pushing the ship straight against the pirates.


The pirate ships lift up their sails and start to quickly close in.

Spoiler

Scourge[/i] is 2 Km North of the Lintha.


The Lintha are moving northwards at moderate speed.


Both the worm and the wind are pushing the ship southwards.


The worm causes a -2 external penalty to any roll to control the ship.


Fighting underwater incurs in a -2 external penalty to all rolls.


Due to drag, ranged weapons are unlikely to work, and melee weapons that require to be swung or that are otherwise affected by drag have their raw damage (strength+weapon) halved.


Activating Water Aspect Anima overcomes all these penalties.

 

[Aurellian]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Chu glances back at the people shouting about the ship. Interesting, warnings about a sea creature means nothing and its attack is an inconvenience...but the other ship was something to drive their rather over confident captain to screaming fury.


This could hurt.


He walks towrds the railing facing the oncoming ship. "Ah. I see you've discovered our guests, cousin. Behave till they attack...then sink them." he doesn't even look up, simply lets the breeze flap the loose parts of his clothing.


A smile curls his lip, and is mirrored on her mouth. The difference is that his eyes are cold, and hers are eager.

 

[Amethyst1]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Spotting the tube-shaped creature for herself this time, Leiji's eyes squint. Her chest rises and she lets out a sour grunt. She was not overly familiar with the sea monsters employed by the Lintha to guide their ships, but she had heard about huge worms that were said to be demonic in nature. Given what she knew about the infernal pirates, this would not have come as a surprise. Whatever it is was, it was holding back the Scourge, putting its crew in danger and endangering the mission. It needed to be stopped.


It was within her power to infuse the ship so that it could travel twice as fast as it would now. But, being pushed southward, that would only make the Scourge move quicker to the Lintha. No, first things first: the rudder had to be freed from the clutches of the worm -- or whatever it was.


"If you see that creature again, any part of it, use whatever ranged weapons you have!" She shouted at everyone, both the crew and her Brothers. "We need to break free! Commander Otero, you're in charge!"


Suddenly a circle of blue and green light appears around her head, tumbling and tossing just like the waves below. Drawing her straight sword, she surges forward, grabbing the railing and throwing herself over the side. She falls down along the side of the ship, but rather than plunging into the ocean, she lands gracefully upon the rolling sea beneath her feet. Immediately she breaks out into a sprint, drops of water kicked up like dust and pebbles would be, and begins running toward the rear of the Scourge. Once she reaches where the rudder would be (assuming she makes it that far), she jumps into the air, makes her lithe body as narrow as an arrow and dives beneath the waves, ready to do battle with the worm beneath.

Spoiler

Spending five motes of Peri. Essence to activate her anima banner and its powers.

 

[Persell]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Nyusul swiftly exit from his cabin.


"What the .... Wow! I thought it would be a boring journey...Now we begin to enjoy!"


As he sees Leiji diving, he follows her, screaming at her:


"You damned swashbuckler! What's happening? A giant mysterious creature is pulling us? What's the problem? We will arrive sooner! But I'll not leave all the fun to you!"

Spoiler

Activating Mantis Form spending 6 +1 peripheral motes

 

[Melcairiel]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Eris lands gently next to her cousin and the breeze grows stronger as her anima starts flaring around her. Her attention is divided between the Lintha and her companions, racing towards the sea worm.


"What do you say cousin, shall we have some fun with that creature too?? There's time to deal with the pirates when they arrive..For now, I hope Peleps will manage to make that thing emerge somehow, or I'm afraid I cannot do much..."

 

[xarvh]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Below Leiji, several hundred meters of nothingness open.


Under the hull, the worm stretches in all his length, that disappears in the depth.

The worm has wrapped the rudder and the astern lower hull firmly with his mouth tendrils, and floats almost vertically, swimming powerfully.


Its external surfaces are covered in thin, chitinous plates.


As Leiji approaches, it lashes violently against her.

Spoiler

The Worm Joins Battle with 4 suxx.


It is not in conditions to bite, so its damage is 10B.


DV 4, Soak 6 BL


The image is from the polychaete worm Alitta Virens, commonly used as fishbait, and contrary to our friend here, they are not great swimmers.

 

[Persell]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Nyusul, tick 0, speed 4


The Fire warrior, turning his wrist, wraps the Flames Tongue around his right arm. With the left hand he tears apart one of the worm's scale, opening an hole in his armor in which the Flames Tongue strikes true.

Spoiler

Join battle: 15 dice: 7 suxx -2 = 5 suxx


Attack: 13 dice: 7 suxx -2 = 5 suxx - DV = 1 suxx : hit.


1 suxx + Damage/2 = 8 Damage - Soak = 2 dice of damage.


Nyusul rolled the following in his 2 dice:


10, 7


Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 2 successes.

 

[Aurellian]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


"Do what you will cousin. Just don't attack those people till they attack us...play with the creature if you want. A rock in the ocean doesn't fare well, and I am a rock." Chu keeps his eyes on the Lintha. The worms actions shifting the boat almost violently but he stands amidst the tossing ship and her moving crew, stationary.


Waiting.


His only move is to get his hammer ready, and even then, he look at the ship approaching only.

Spoiler

Mnemon Chu rolled the following in his 5 dice:


1, 6, 9, 5, 7


Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 2 successes

 

[Amethyst1]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Seeing the gigantic worm, Leiji's eyes widen, but only for a moment. Almost instantly she begins to swim toward the tendrils gripping her ship, her sword at the ready. When the worm lashes out against her, she does her best to avoid the attack, moving carefully closer to the threadlike appendages so she can cut at them.

Spoiler

Join Battle Roll:


Peleps Najalin Leiji rolled the following in his 8 dice:


8, 4, 4, 1, 2, 1, 8, 9


Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 3 successes.

 

[xarvh]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


On the ship


The deck quakes under the violent contorsions of the worm.


Struggling to keep his footing, Dezrik reaches Chu's side and stares weary at


the Lintha ships, his bow ready.


The water is rocked by fight below, and salty splashes fly high.


Underwater


Struck, the worm bellows lowly.


Its body arches and leashes against the Fire Aspect like the string of a bow.


The water is an indistinct whirl of foam, bubbles and scales.

Spoiler

Worm, tick 1, Speed 5, DV -1[/b]


Attack, 6 suxx against Nyusul.


The -2 applies to Nyusul DV as well, but I don't think it will be enough anyway... oO

 

[Melcairiel]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


"Not leaving you alone, cousin. I don't mix particularly well with water either. The Lintha, on the other hand....Wait, you said?"


Her eyes, eager and gleaming, focus on the approaching ships, her hand firmly grabbing her chakram. Bringing it horizontally at the level of her eyes, she is aiming towards the open sails of one of the ships, stretching her arm back and forth, simulating a forceful throw.


She mutters almost to herself, but within Chu's earshot:


"I wonder how much damage this could do....Never tried on a sail before..."

 

[Amethyst1]

Re: Huge, flat and salty


Underneath the water, Leiji takes advantage of the opening created by Nyusul. She has spent years perfecting her use of the sword, and it is high time to put that knowledge to use. She shoots herself forward like an arrow, passing through the water as if she was one with it. She suddenly reaches out and grabs one of the worm's tendrils, using it to halt her momentum. She spins around it, like a tether spinning around its pole. Using the added energy, she focuses it all into a heavy slice across the tendril, hoping to cleanly separate it from the worm.

Spoiler

Leiji Tick 2, Speed 4, DV -1[/b]


Attack roll:


Peleps Najalijn Leiji rolled the following in his 9 dice:


4, 5, 3, 2, 10, 7, 3, 3, 8


Using 3 as the target number, the roll resulted in 9 successes.