Fantasy Hunter's Moon: Ascendancy [IC] [CLOSED]

[Worthlessplebian]

After the theatrical distraction, Rajko slept with the heft of a stone. He felt refreshed in the morning, albeit the inflamed bruise on his left cheek pricked him with pain. A new morning begets new tasks. His preparations were swift, a dose of petting for Leofwine, and the inquisitor had been ready to depart. He did take note the look of worry on the Saint's face that morning when she put a hand on her horse, but he kept questions to himself today. The others seemed to be in their respective, characteristic moods; Jayden, Camille, and Sebastian were rediscussing the sordid revelations of yesterday with Royland chipping into the conversation as well. Frankly, Rajko couldn't care less about it, tuning out the affair entirely after the second or fifth word.

He did listen to the siren lesson, even if it was an echo of his idle chat with Claire. Still he did learn new nuggets of information: they could leap and were faster than a cat chasing rats. Oh, how joyous. His inherent distaste of the seas, rivers, and lakes is being proven right with each passing second.

He looked admirably at the construction of the new Duke's estate although it held no deeper meaning than simply being, or would be, a remarkable structure. The enforcer split away from the group accompanied by Cassandra, who in Rajko's eyes seemed more put-together after her rest in the underworld. A doctor who aids vampires. Concerns of morality and the shackles of ethics aside, that would fetch coin, Rajko muses thoughtfully.

The dark cowled inquisitor quietly tapped his fingers on Leofwine's saddle in an imagined rhythm while waiting for the duo to return. The rust aroma of blood had been so faint on them that their containers were likely shut tighter than a boat screw. At least vampires had refined dining etiquette, the less maniacal ones anyway. And like that they continued into the countryside.

 

[K0mori]

Sebastian listened closely to the advice given about the sirens as he bobbed along on the back of his horse. The city passed by, a gallery of meaningless building facades that offered him little else to think about. Since they would try to keep their distance, he reasoned, it would be best to carry his Mauser with standard ammunition. He made sure that he was carrying his ammunition in the correct pockets, and double checked that the cotton balls were where he expected them to be. The fair weather felt good on his skin as his sinuses slowly cleared out, and he coughed away the last of the dampness in his lungs and throat.

The sight of the Duke's estate reminded him that the inquiry had been responsible for burning it down. It was such a large building, Sebastian imagined that any butlers or maids working for the man who lived there would have had a terrifying time trying to evacuate themselves to safety when the blaze spread out of control. It was a terrifying problem in the bigger cities; when fires catch in these old, wooden structures, there was little which could stop it from leaping to the next, until entire city blocks were annihilated by flame. He had heard stories of people escaping from a burning building, only to be overtaken by smoke and heat as they tried to outrun a windborne wall of flame.

The only remedy was modernity, as in better building materials and engineering practices, and Daristein led the continent in both. He considered briefly the flamboyant displays of technological progress shown by the other great powers, like when the Queen of Escaria arrived in Red Gorge in a flying machine, and wondered why his own country felt disinclined to show off in a similar manner. As far as Sebastian was concerned, if Escaria could build it, the Daristeinians could build it better, cheaper, and faster.

These thoughts, far away from the crisis at hand and the war abroad, briefly offered Sebastian the escape he needed to break out of his foul mood. He noticed when Cassandra returned that she appeared uncomfortable, maybe even frightened. Claire, on the other hand, simply seemed annoyed as she rode to the front of the group. Sebastian chuckled to himself, figuring that Claire must have said something to get under the woman's skin while they were alone together.

 

[joshuadim]

After the events of last night, Azathor traveled with the group towards their main destination along the coast. The godly artifact that was stowed away here was near, and with such a tangible goal being so close now it brought about a bit of excitement from the demon prince. Upon mention of sirens being present, Azathor could not help but let out an exasperated sigh. Could nothing be easy nowadays? Regardless, the task was at hand and it required them to deal with whatever came between them and their destination.

Riding upon Horse, Azathor kept quiet as the discussion went towards the advice on how to deal with sirens and kept the details in his mind. As long as they could bleed, they could be killed. That's all that really mattered, anything else was an inconvenience or annoyance put on by the creatures. He leaned down to feed Horse some additional sugar cubes from a pouch, having solicited them from Tariun with a polite request, to which the beast happily suckled and chewed on as it let out a whinny of approval. He did have a large surplus with him, and so he spoke up with an offer: "Would anyone like some sugar cubes for their steeds? I've got plenty on me."

 

[Infab]

"Would anyone like some sugar cubes for their steeds? I've got plenty on me."

Claire glanced back, before shaking her head. "Save them for later. The horses will deserve a nice treat for having to deal with us through all of this." said the enforcer, smiling slightly as she gave her own horse a pat and rub of the neck.

The countryside north of Peltragow was dotted in farmland, much like the eastern and southern sides of the city. The war hadn't seemed to affect the farmers much; Most of them were still out in their fields, tending to their crops and orchards full of beautiful trees. After traveling a ways, Claire lead the group on a detour away from the road, turning to the west and walking the borderline between a pair of two large farms. They needed to move closer to the coast, if they were intending to run into the entrance of the cove.

Eventually, they would come to a ridge overlooking the beach and coastal waters of the Isle. There were one or two fishermen out on the water, but that was only while they were close to Peltragow. The further they traveled north, the less people they saw and the more rocks began to appear on the coast and the ridge itself. They were nearing their destination, as Claire mentioned that the entrance to the cove would be a trail leading down from a rocky outcrop on a hill.

And soon, they would find just that. The hill, traveling slowly upwards and topped with several scattered rocks and boulders. "Best we dismount here and make our way down on foot." said Claire, dismounting her horse near one of the boulders and drawing her revolver. "Remember, if you start hearing singing, cotton balls go in your ears. I don't want to have to slap you with my revolver to get you to snap out of the trance."

As the rest of the group dismounted, Claire began to make her way up the hill. Revolver in one hand and drawing the cutlass with the other. As they climbed, she glanced up once towards the sky. Clouds. Dark ones. It was going to rain soon enough. Perhaps they would find the artifact before the first drops fell, but it was doubtful. The weather never seemed to agree with her when it came to work.

When they reached the rocks at the top of the hill, they soon noticed a winding trail leading down into a mass of rocks further down the hill. The further down the hill you went towards the coast, the more jagged and sharp the rocks looked. And it looked as though the trail hadn't been walked in quite a long time. She motioned for the group to follow, taking a few steps down the trail. Her eyes sharp, and hearing sharper.

They began to pass by the taller rocks, as the trail curved to and fro, and they then started to noticed something new. Bones. The skeletal remains of long dead, dotting the trail as they walked. There were old musket pistols, rifles and swords scattered about, and their clothes looked rather old and tattered. Dead pirates and soldiers, from a time long past.

Claire only paused once, looking down at the remains of one of the pirates. Using the tip of her cutlass to inspect the outfit the person had been wearing. "These boys belonged to Captain James 'Jimmy' Cutter. Bit of a cowardly bunch, honestly. Looks like the Atracans caught them by surprise as they tried to run, and cut them down. The Atracans lost some of their own in the process, though." she muttered to whomever was listening, before continuing on. Stepping over any bones that lay in her path on the trail.

Surprisingly, they had yet to hear any singing. Perhaps the sirens hadn't moved into the cove? They wouldn't know until they were in the cove proper, however. A short distance further and they would emerge from the narrow pass into the outer reaches of the cove. Stretched out before them, sitting on stilts jutting up from relatively shallow water, were several wooden structures. Several of them had collapsed from years of disuse, bits of boards and logs jutting upwards or floating in the water below. Further out, they could see the wreckages of several large ships among some large rocks in the bay. Some were entirely sunken, bits of their masts and hulls jutting out of the water. Others had been blown apart, with the halves of the ship separated by debris and a bit of distance. There was one ship still docked among the old wooden buildings, listing to one side with a massive pair of holes blown into the starboard side. Water filled most of its lower sections.

Claire sighed. "Well, I guess we better start searching. The rain isn't going to wait on us." she muttered afterwards, pointing upwards to the dark sky above. "If you can sense supernatural entities, I suggest you take the lead."

 

[Dmaster]

Cassandra splitting off from the group should have been cause for alarm for the huntress, but Claire more than likely could keep a good watch of the pureblood. If anything nefarious was being planned, Camille was certain that Claire had a better chance of killing Cassandra than she could. Though in truth she was paying very little attention to the announcement of their departure, her gaze transfixed on the Duke's manor as it was steadily being rebuilt. She tightened the reins of her horse, though not in anger or fear but reservation.

The memory of Wesley dispatching Cassandra with his axe and her tossing it into the pyre should have been one of finality, yet here she was working with them as tenuous ally. Perhaps her husband was right about fate or destiny having some sick sense of humor.

It was not long before they were off, and as Azathor offered sugar cubes to the group she found herself agreeing with Claire's sentiment. "I still have yet to think of a name for mine. I'm not sure if they'll appreciate sugar from me," she relents, though it suddenly comes to her. "Hah, perhaps in the wake of the prince's kind offering I should name this steed Bonbon. That shall suffice." Camille pats her horse gently as confirmation for her own decision.

The journey through the countryside was pleasant, as it was rife with more sightseeing. When the time came to dismount, she prepped herself for the hike through the inclining terrain and craggy rocks. She did frown as Claire pointed out the rain. Well, she should have suspected to get waterlogged in some way when coming to the cove. The graveyard of ships ahead of them was certainly harrowing, especially with the possibility that any of her family trade ships could easily meet a similar fate.

"I've nothing but my mortal eyes and ears, so I shall stay further back."

 

[Damian0358]

Xiaòzhou considered Claire's words immensely, now with the knowledge that sirens can leap far from the sea, if given the right opportunity. He patted the cotton balls he had been given that were presently in his bag - he was surely going to be an aerial scout once more. The hermit kept his ear towards the conversation at hand whilst watching their surroundings, as they passed by the land that had previously belonged to the old Duke of Grimtham. Another place that the inquiry had passed by, the one that had been burnt down. He sighed as he watched upon it, remembering what he had read on what had occurred, looking over Cassandra as she split off with Claire, and Camille. He couldn't imagine what they would be thinking upon seeing it.

Soon enough, they moved on and slowly but surely arrived by the coast and the ridge. Xiaòzhou placed his cotton balls into his ears as soon as they made sight of sea, to avoid being caught off-guard. The oni nodded in response to Claire, making his way towards the front.

 

[K0mori]

Sebastian grunted as he looked to the dark clouds rolling in. Rain didn't bother him in the slightest, as he had been trained to stay focused on his work despite the changing weather conditions. He remembered being in boot camp, when he and his fellow enlistees were made to produce earthworks like trenches while under a heavy rainfall in order to demonstrate what would be physically required of them. His rifle slung over his shoulder and his pistol at his hip, he took up his axe instead, reasoning that it would come in very handy to break through any of the rotting wooden barriers of the buildings and wrecked hulks dotting the cove.

All that remained was to locate the amulet. "Where should we look?" he asked Claire. "Do you think one of those ships was carrying it? Because that would make things harder," he grumbled, stating the obvious. It then occurred to him that vampires didn't need to breathe, and therefore couldn't be drowned. If the amulet was lying in the silt at the bottom of the cove, then perhaps they were well-suited to recover it where no mortal had previously succeeded, before the treasure was forgotten.

Or maybe they would find it above the water line, and the fate of the mortal realm would be saved by pure happenstance. He tried not to think about it.

 

[Infab]

"Where should we look?" he asked Claire. "Do you think one of those ships was carrying it? Because that would make things harder."

"Well..." she breathed, as she took a few steps towards the nearest wooden structure. Its second floor had collapsed inward, falling down atop the first floor and crushing everything that had sat beneath it. Tables, chairs, what appeared to be a bar... gone in a pile of splintered wood and rusted nails. Claire glanced back to Sebastian, eventually continuing what she was going to say. "...I would say we simply search for a large concentration of supernatural aura. I gathered that since it was a godly artifact, it would house immense supernatural power and make it easier to find. But..."

She then motioned towards the still docked ship with her cutlass, before motioning the sword's tip across the entire cove. "...This entire cove is bathed in supernatural aura. Either the amulet has been bleeding supernatural aura everywhere, or there's something else here with us. My money is on zombies and skeletons, so prepare yourselves if we have to fight any. Zombies are easy enough to put down, but skeletons require a few good whacks."

She then pointed her sword back at the docked ship. "I'm going to head over to the ship over there, and check it out. There's another large concentration that I can sense from here over on the north side of the cove. Looks like some sort of old market place from what I can see from here. A third concentration is out in the water, near that sunken man-o-war."

She pointed towards the wreckage of a rather long vessel further out into the bay, which had seemingly lodged itself onto a sandbar beneath the water. Half the ship was broken off, two-thirds of the way sunk into the deeper water near the sandbar. Rusted cannons hung out its windows, and a variety of objects floated around the wreckage atop the water. A tattered black flag hung from the top of the mast by a few threads.

Rebecca spoke up. "I'll head to the market if anyone wants to come with me." she stated, glancing to the rest of the group. "Best we search all the larger concentrations before moving to smaller ones."

Cassandra, meanwhile, pointed to the man-o-war. "I'm going swimming. If anyone else fancies a dip, then we can search the wreck together."

 

[joshuadim]

Having arrived to their destination, it quickly became apparent that the search would not be so simple. Azathor could also feel the aura in the air, but couldn't pin down just what exactly the source of it was. It was still cause for concern as he looked about to figure out where he would use his efforts to aid the group: the market seemed to be the least likely place, in Azathor's mind, for the artifact to be located at and so he ruled out wasting his time there. The man-o-war underwater made the demon prince visibly grimace as his gaze fell onto the waters. If he had to fight, he would rather be on solid ground or, at the very least, above water. Down there, movement would be hindered and his senses more sluggish. It was an invitation for potential disaster.

And so he settled on the third option as he walked over to Claire and gave her a nod: "For me it will be your ship." Azathor said with determination. "Lead the way."

 

[Breadman]

...This entire cove is bathed in supernatural aura. Either the amulet has been bleeding supernatural aura everywhere, or there's something else here with us. My money is on zombies and skeletons, so prepare yourselves if we have to fight any. Zombies are easy enough to put down, but skeletons require a few good whacks.

"Aye. Prepare accordingly." Royland manifested the morningstar that was used previously to dispatch the necromancer. It was going to come into play once again.

I'll head to the market if anyone wants to come with me. Best we search all the larger concentrations before moving to smaller ones."

"I'll be useless in the waters on account of the heavy armor, so the market is where I'll be."

 

[K0mori]

Cassandra, meanwhile, pointed to the man-o-war. "I'm going swimming. If anyone else fancies a dip, then we can search the wreck together."

To be alone in the water with a mentally ill vampire assassin... Sebastian couldn't help but stare at Cassandra for even suggesting it. He shook his head in disbelief and turned away. "I'm going with the Saint," he said plainly. "I'd fare best on dry land if we're attacked."

"...I can't swim," he added quietly, a hint of shame in the words.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille surveyed their options with a hand to her hip as her face scrunched in thought, listening to the conversation around her as it was slightly muffled by the breaking of waves. Though she was hopelessly blind to the auras the others were speaking of, the huntress knew to trust the words of her compatriots. Then came the choice of who she would be accompanying, her head turning to Sebastian as he sheepishly admitted that he cannot swim. "Unsurprising. You're Daristeinian. Despite the rivers and lakes you're rather land-locked," Camille wagers.

"I myself am an excellent swimmer by necessity rather than choice. Though I detest swimming in salted waters, I am not so above it all that I would jeopardize our task. I shall accompany Claire and the demon prince."

 

[Damian0358]

Xiaòzhou watched the group decide on the three options presented. Azathor and Camille had chosen to pair with Claire, while Royland and Sebastian had chosen to follow St. Rebecca. None had thus far chosen to follow Cassandra, albeit for understandable reasons. However, in his eyes, it seemed foolish to leave someone to go at it alone, even if they are more than capable of taking care of themselves.

"I will join Cassandra, though I will keep myself above water," the hermit proclaimed, "better to have someone watch your back, and have a quicker chance to notify the others," he said, tapping the ground with his right foot, in reference to his ability of flight. And while not acknowledging it, he can always try to resurface parts of the sunken man-o-war.

 

[Infab]

Cassandra listened quietly, her face slowly shifting into a frown as everyone decided to simply go with Claire or the Saint. It seemed that she would be going alone into the water. At least, until Xiaòzhou said that he would accompany her in the air. She'd still be swimming alone, but at least she'd have some help.

"Well, let's get to it. We're wasting time." she soon muttered, turning about and strolling past the ruined building that Claire was standing next to. Making her way through the winding alleys and over walkways to the shoreline.

As she walked, she began to shed her clothes. Intending to put them somewhere where the salt water and rain wouldn't soak them thoroughly. When she arrived at the water, she was dressed in only dark colored underwear and clutching her sword in hand. She had stashed her clothes under some old tarps, making sure to layer the tarps so that they wouldn't give way and douse her dry clothes with water. She looked out over the waters at the man-o'-war, glancing about at the debris and other sunken ships, before wading out a few yards into the water. Then, she dove in, disappearing from view.

Claire and Rebecca had watched Cassandra and Xiaòzhou as they departed, before glancing to one another and giving a nod. "Watch your step. These walkways are likely rotten in a few places... or in several places." stated Claire, glancing back to the others as she began to make her journey towards the docked galleon. The path was simple enough. Weave through some streets and dilapidated buildings, and cross some walkways and a bridge or two. The docks looked sturdy enough from where they were standing, but seeing and walking on them were two different things entirely.

Rebecca's trail to the marketplace was a bit longer, as the streets and buildings that they would need to traverse were filled with debris and scattered items. It seemed that a few cannon shots had landed in the path, making small craters and destroying buildings and anything else in their paths. They would likely need to cut their way through some of the larger debris, but thankfully Sebastian brought his axe.


Alone, once again. Sort of.

The cove's bay was filled with junk from the various ships that had been sunk in it. Boards, crates, barrels, cannons, corpses. There were a variety of things floating about or sunken to the bottom. But none of these things were what she was searching for. She had to find an amulet. One that was giving off an intense supernatural aura.

As she neared the man-o'-war, she began to notice that the large aura concentration that they had been sensing was actually dozens of smaller ones. And these weren't godly feeling, though she did sense a trace of a godly aura having passed through here recently. Curious, she swam closer, keeping a tight grip on her sword as she neared the sunken portion of the ship. Was it really skeletons? Bloated, waterlogged zombies?

No. It was far more morbid.

As she rounded the shattered, jagged side of the vessel, her eyes went wide. There were well over fifty corpses here, stuffed into the cracks and crevices of the broken ship. Half human like, half fish. Were these the sirens that Claire had spoken of? Did the skeletons just kill them all and stuff them into the man-o-war?

The bodies were already thoroughly decomposing, their scaled skin rotting away and revealing muscle and bone beneath in large holes and patches. Some were missing their heads, while others were missing a limb or other bits and pieces.

Good gods, that's disgusting. Cassandra eyed the corpses, before looking about once more.

And that's when she noticed the tigershark beelining towards her meters away on her right.


As Rebecca, Jayden, Royland, and Sebastian made their way through the ruined streets of the cove, moving around in a long arc shaped path, Rebecca took a moment to glance back to Sebastian as they walked. "...If you would like to learn how to swim, I would be happy to teach you. After we deal with the amulet, of course." said the Saint, "Always a useful bit of knowledge to have... and you shouldn't feel bad about not knowing how to swim. There are plenty of people that don't know how."

She looked back ahead. "Remember the dullahan? Rosanna? She didn't know how for quite a long time. Another hunter eventually taught her. I didn't know how until part of the way through my training for Velin's Order."

Jayden spoke up as well. "I, uh, don't know how either. Never bothered to learn." he said, rubbing his neck. "A descendant of a pirate that can't swim. Bit ridiculous sounding, innit?"

Eventually, they came to a collapsed building which impeded their path towards the marketplace. It seemed a pair of cannon balls had knocked it down by hitting its support struts, and the entire structure fell foward into the street before falling apart.

"Well, time to start clearing a path." muttered Rebecca, before motioning to Sebastian's axe. "We'll move what we can, while you chop up what we can't."


The galleon towered over the group of Claire, Azathor, Rajko, and Camille as they stood on the dock it had been tied to. Even if it was listing to one side, it was still quite a massive vessel. Claire tucked away her pistol and sheathed her cutlass, before putting her hands on her hips. Gazing up at the ship with her blood red eyes. A smile formed on her face.

"...I used to serve on a ship just like this. The Highland Rose. Beautiful ship, and deserved a better send-off than what she got." she said softly, before eventually motioning towards the remains of a ramp that used to lead up to the main deck of the vessel. "Doesn't look like we'll be using that, so uh... we're going to have to be a little unorthodox in how we board."

She then motioned to the ropes that still looked to be in good shape. "We can either try to board by climbing those ropes up, or..." she said, looking to the trio with her, "...I can throw you. You run, step into my hands, and I sling you up onto the deck using a little vampiric strength. Landing might hurt a little, but you'll get there."

 

[Damian0358]

As Xiaòzhou passed by Claire and Rebecca, he gave both of them a nod and a smile - Cassandra can make it on her own, but he'll help make sure she comes back. As he turned towards Cassandra and followed her, he noticed that she began stripping. The hermit turned his gaze away, thinking it improper to watch her so. As she stopped to leave her clothes, the oni spoke.

"I'll go on ahead, see you near the ship," he stated, keeping his focus on the direction of the sunken man-o-war, walking towards the water and beginning to float over it.

As he made his way over, he began maintaining a distance between himself and the bay, to avoid making himself an easy target close to the surface. Above water there wasn't much to see. Things floated on the surface, and some of the man-o-war was barely sticking out above the sandbar, but the majority remained beneath. At this distance, he could sense that the aura concentration was way more fragmented than it was from afar. A godly aura lingered from the past, which made him wonder what had been through here before.

As he began breaking down what he was sensing and considering his options, he could feel Cassandra arrive at the ship and... something moving very quickly towards her.

He swung his head quickly at the direction of the incoming being, and tried to react quickly. He attempted to use his abilities to stop what appeared to be a shark from this height in its place, to allow Cassandra either to escape or attack it.

 

[Worthlessplebian]

We can either try to board by climbing those ropes up, or... I can throw you. You run, step into my hands, and I sling you up onto the deck using a little vampiric strength. Landing might hurt a little, but you'll get there."

Rajko looks to Claire then to the tilted vessel then back to her. The inquisitor is not entirely certain of the latter method. There aren't doubts about her vampiric strength, but it seemed too loud for the werebat's tastes. He moved to the payed ropes and extended a hand. The ropes felt rough, rinsed with the wet air. He tugged firmly. Closing his eyes to listen for anything strange. Despite their outwardly appearance, their insides seemed tough enough to support them and nothing usual at their attachment. Rajko hummed thoughtfully.

In an almost uncharacteristic move, he selected the second option. "Alright..." A few paces away from Claire. "Into the breach." He said, shaking his limbs then adopting a standing start. In hindsight, this would be one of Rajko's easier landings.

 

[K0mori]

Sebastian didn't reply to the saint's attempt at encouragement. Whether it was because of his drunkenness the previous night, or because of the poor weather, his head continued to throb as he walked along. Jayden, however, amused him.

"I, uh, don't know how either. Never bothered to learn." he said, rubbing his neck. "A descendant of a pirate that can't swim. Bit ridiculous sounding, innit?"

"We're not our forebearers," Sebastian said with a yawn. "If I were my father's duplicate, I would know how to sell appliances."

 

[Dmaster]

Camille looked to the canted vessel before them as she weighed their options, her head swiveling as Rajko tested the strength of the rope. Though it had been in the moist, salted air for what had to be many years she was rather surprised that it didn't snap when the inquisitor tensed it. It showed promise, and truthfully she took more stock in a more careful approach than being launched onto the deck by Claire's strength.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll be trying my hand at climbing aboard," the huntress answered as she moved toward the ropes. "I cannot chance breaking my legs from such a maneuver. What's more it would be a terrible thing to be reeling and defenseless should there be foes lying in wait."

 

[joshuadim]

Azathor found himself observing the galleon for a moment, taking the time to admire the old craftwork that went into building such a vessel, before shrugging towards Claire's suggestion. "No need for me, I'll make my own way up." the demon prince simply commented. He crouched down slightly as he gathered strength in his legs before, with sudden force that blew a few splinters away at his feet, launching himself upwards with inhuman speed. His trajectory and momentum was so that he was able to reach the top that Claire had mentioned with ease, but also land gently onto the wood of the vessel itself without damaging it. He then took the moment to pat away a few splinters that had journeyed up with him before nodding: "That should do it." he called down to the others, beckoning them to hasten.

 

[Breadman]

"My lineage is that of soldiers and warriors. All the way back 4 generations. Ser Royland the first. A farmhand that grew in renown to be granted knighthood and you can guess the rest." Royland spoke. "During my time was one when we had less choice in what we could do." The knight picked up pieces of debris "But young Sebastian is right, while my father fought for king and country, I chose a more pious cause."

"I wouldn't refuse Rebecca's offer if I was you." He added as he moved more chunks out of the way "You never know when it would come in handy."

 

[Infab]

Cassandra didn't have much time to react, as the tiger shark was almost upon her. But suddenly, the shark came to an abrupt halt. As if it had been grabbed and held in place. She glanced up towards the surface, and could see Xiaòzhou's odd aura above. Appreciate the save, Xiaòzhou. She glanced back to the shark, which seemed to be struggling to get free from Xiaòzhou's invisible grasp, before looking back to the corpses stuffed into the broken man-o'-war's hull and innards. It was doubtful that the amulet was here.

She turned about, taking one final look at the shark before swimming back towards the shore. She'd be needed on land, and she couldn't do much out here in the water besides poke some fish with her sword. Once back on the beach, she took a moment to rid herself of as much water as possible before moving to find her clothes.

Rain had begun falling, the first few drops landing in the sand and making ripples across the waters of the cove. It tapped on the old wooden structures and rocks all over the cove, offering some ambiance to go along with the tide rolling in. Honestly, it seemed quite peaceful here.


The moving of the debris took some time, as it was a fully collapsed building which was blocking their path to the market. But eventually, they managed to clear a path through and would emerge to find the market area in complete disarray. It seemed this was where some of the cannon fire from the Atracan ships had been centralized, with several craters and destroyed buildings scattered about the area. There were shops that had been blown to pieces, with crates and barrels scattered about in small chunks. Items were also scattered about, having been worn down over the years or half buried in sand.

There were also several skeletons here, likely a mix of Atracan soldiers and pirates. Rebecca confirmed it as she walked over and inspected the remaining scraps of clothing on the skeletons. "Quite a battle occurred here." she stated, looking about as she let her sword rest on her shoulder. As her eyes wandered about the market, inspecting the buildings and destroyed shops, she paused only a few times.

"The amulet isn't here, but it has passed through here a few times recently. I sense the aura of a specter, as well as several undead." she soon stated, glancing back to Royland. "The undead, however, are inert. And I can't detect where exactly the specter is at the moment."

But soon, another set of auras came into focus. And these weren't the auras of undead or of specters.

"Demons. Closing in from the east. And quite a few of them." stated Rebecca quickly, as she tightened her grip on her sword and shield. She looked to Jayden. "Stay near one of us. Don't get separated or they will kill you." she quickly ordered, before looking to the others. "We need to regroup with the others, if we can. I'm also sensing two extremely powerful auras among them. Icons, most likely."

How the hell did they know where to look?


Claire watched as Camille made her way over and slowly began to climb the rope leading up to the galleon, before noticing Azathor simply launch himself from the dock up onto the main deck of the vessel. The only one left that would need a boost would be Rajko. She turned about, and found a position where she squatted down and held out her hands. "Alright. Whenever you're ready." she stated, as she looked to the hunter and gave him a nod.

He soon sprinted towards her, and the moment his foot landed in her palm, she quickly stood and slung her arms upward over her head. Sending the hunter sailing through the air and flipping before landing safely on the main deck of the galleon. After making sure he had landed correctly (and hadn't broken anything), she turned about and made a similar jump as Azathor. Rocketing up into the air before landing gracefully on the wooden deck of the galleon.

The deck seemed to be in relatively good condition, with just a few ropes hanging from the masts and some crates scattered about. The cannons that lined the deck were old and rusted, and a few cannon balls lay next to each. There were also some skeletons on the deck, likely pirates that had been shot by riflemen from the decks of the Atracan vessels.

Claire looked about, and was about to task the group with searching the vessel, before she felt a chill run down her spine. In fact, they all felt the same chill. "Specter." she whispered, glancing in the direction of an aura that had manifested in the captain's quarters of the galleon. As it moved, the undead auras around the ship began to brighten significantly. Soon, the skeletons began to move and rattle, before standing up as they pieced themselves together.

Surrounded by skeletons, they found themselves looking about at their potential foes. Most were wielding cutlasses of various shapes and lengths, a grand mixture of nationalities it seemed. None seemed to move, however. Simply staring at the trespassers on their vessel. The specter, however, was who Claire was more focused on.

The spirit moved through the ship, making its way to the main deck. And when the doors opened, separating the deck from the ship's innards, the group got a full view of the specter itself.

Captain Alexander A. S. Valdueza



​

The specter spoke, with a thick Volucian accent, as it walked onto the deck towards the group. "Do you mind telling me why you're trespassing on my ship?" he asked, "I don't recall inviting anyone."

Claire spoke before the others. "We meant no disrespect, Captain Valdueza." she stated, giving him a bow. "My name is Claire McLachlan. These are my associates." She motioned to the others with her, as the specter arrived just a few meters from them.

The specter seemed to eye her for a few moments, before speaking again. "Captain Claire McLachlan, of the Highland Rose? I have heard of you before. You sail alongside Captain Franklin Morgan, out of Black Sand Cove."

Claire hesitated to respond for a moment, but soon replied. "...Yes. I did. Its been several centuries, of course."

"Yes. I heard piracy is long dead. So what happened to you? Seems as though you managed to survive."

"I was arrested. Morgan was killed. I spent several years in prison before I was released. Was branded as a pirate as well. I turned to hunting afterwards."

"...And the vampirism?"

"A side effect of being saved from certain death."

"...Indeed. As you can see, I suffered a similar side effect."

Eventually the specter waved his hands about. "So why are you here, Captain McLachlan? To kill me? That's what you hunters do, correct?" he said, his bone jaw continuing to move as if he were speaking like normal.

Claire shook her head. "I've no wish to kill you, Captain Valdueza." she responded, "We're here for the amulet."

The specter paused for a moment, before reaching up to his chest. "Ah, yes... The amulet." His voice was almost a whisper, as he spoke of the artifact. He reached beneath his clothes, before drawing out a lovely oval-shaped ruby amulet. It was encased in brass, hanging from a thin steel necklace. "...Do you have anything of worth to trade?"

Claire thought for a few moments, before eventually shaking her head. "...No. I don't."

"Pity." responded the spectral captain, "...Well, that means you'll have to take it from me."

Claire sighed, looking about at the skeletons. "...Alright, if that's how it must be." she muttered, before pointing her cutlass at the specter. "...I challenge you to a Captain's duel."

 

[Breadman]

Royland picked up on the undead auras. It looked like once again they would have to put the horrid creatures down, but something in the air shifted. The knight drew his sword out of sheath as the morningstar head wouldn't come in use this time.

We need to regroup with the others, if we can. I'm also sensing two extremely powerful auras among them. Icons, most likely.

"Stay close, Jayden." The knight turned his head to their temporary companion "The auras are strong enough for concern. It would be wise for us to make a retreat and for you to be out of danger."

 

[K0mori]

"Demons. Closing in from the east. And quite a few of them." stated Rebecca quickly, as she tightened her grip on her sword and shield. She looked to Jayden. "Stay near one of us. Don't get separated or they will kill you." she quickly ordered, before looking to the others. "We need to regroup with the others, if we can. I'm also sensing two extremely powerful auras among them. Icons, most likely."

"Right," Sebastian said, processing what the saint had said. "...Jawohl! Lead the way!" He suddenly snapped, throwing the axe back through the loop on his belt and readying his rifle as he jogged back over to Rebecca's side. They weren't ready to face Icons; if everything he heard about the mission Camille's husband took into the Abyss was true, he didn't think they even stood a chance. But they also couldn't abandon the amulet if it was really still here. The whole world needed them to hold this ground a while longer.

 

[joshuadim]

With everyone gathered for their venture on the ship, Azathor followed Claire further onto the deck to investigate to find the remnants of a past long gone. But that past suddenly reanimated as the skeletons reassembled, and a spectre made its appearance. This had Azathor bring a hand to his blade's hilt on his back, preparing for the outbreak of violence. But then he *felt* such powerful presences in the region that made his eyes visibly widen and grit his teeth. "There are Icons here." he muttered out, alerting Claire to the urgency of their current situation.

His head turned towards the shoreline, then back to the Spectre: "You cannot be serious. The Icons of Taranoch have come here to claim the amulet, and you're here asking for a bargain." Azathor spat out angrily towards the undead, before moving his attention to Claire once more. "They need help back there. I will go."

 

[Damian0358]

Xiaòzhou kept the shark stationary, as Cassandra continued to examine the man-o-war, before noticing her turning about and walking towards the shore. As she made her way back, he motioned the shark to swim away from here, which it promptly did. He gave the ship one last look himself, before making his way over to the coast, making sure to keep his distance as he could imagine she would be dressing herself.

As he floated over, the hermit noticed it begin to rain. He created a protective qi cover to avoid getting wet, as he slowly approached the coast and the re-dressed Cassandra.

"Anything of note with the man-o-war?" the oni asked.