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Graded [Odai Island-West Empire] A Monstrous Task

Connor Erland
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Develius Develius

Connor laughed along as the fish-woman started going on about the crew, and ranting about her old one. Like a family, she says? This gave assurance that they truly were in good hands. He extended his arm to meet the fish-woman’s hand with a clap, giving her a firm handshake. “Glad to be working with you, Mera. Don’t worry about me! Seeing as we’re going to be with such a dependable crew, I can believe it when you say it’ll be fine.” he said, winking.

“As an adventurer too, this is all part of the job. It’s quite the fulfilling one,” Connor gestured towards the blue sea ahead of the ship they were on, ”Being able to go on all sorts of adventures, meeting and helping tons of people out. Just thinking of what music would be able to convey to others this kind of experience is getting me really excited!”

Excite him it did, reminding him of one of his goals. “Yeah, it always felt like being in a band was my calling in life ever since I was able to hold an instrument. So much so I probably have been a musician or something in a previous life, haha!” Lowering his voice, Connor made a show of acting like he had a big secret he was about to confess. “But don’t expect me to settle down anytime soon and just be a part of a local band.” Puffing his chest out, Connor raised his arm to point at himself with a thumb. “I’ll tell you here right now, I’ll become world-famous! Aren’t you guys glad? You’ll be able to brag to others you were able to get acquainted with the legendary Connor before he made it big!”
 
Rios
Mentions: Develius Develius

Rios opened his eyes for the briefest of moments. His image training had been disrupted by the orange haired woman looking at him as if he were ill. Her curiosity was warranted. The crows nest was an important part of a ship at sea. Unfortunately it also happened to be one of the only places where Rios could get some peace and quiet. Compared to the sounds coming down from below, the occasional spouting of navigational information from the human woman was far more preferable. Likely she was wondering why a passenger had invaded her workspace for seemingly no reason. Rios disliked explaining himself to people because they rarely tried to see things from his perspective. "I'm perfectly fine. You can stop glancing at my weapons, I'm not going to kill you" said the swordsman with a very flat tone. Rios's compounding issues had led to him seeming direct or curt.

As for his image training, it hadn't gone as well as he'd have liked. His mental image of that infernal dragonkin had been replaced with that of the Guildmaster. Their clash within the depths of his mind had led to loss after loss on Rios's end. No matter how strong he had gotten so far, he was still far weaker than those who had reached the realm beyond tribulation. The weakest among their ranks could end him within moments. Gritting his teeth at the thought of those cold, dismissive eyes; Rios seemed like he was struggling with something. He had to get even stronger than everyone here. Unsheathing a few inches of steel to check the condition of his weapons. Rios recalled how they had been a custom order from a traveling blacksmith. The quality was far above his previous swords. He was hoping to break them in with something other than a stupid bear on this trip.
 
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Renny Renny [Connor]​

Connor's enthusiasm was infectious, as Mera began to share in his growing excitement. "It's always a crackin' adventure when you're aboard the Fury Stripe!" she replied with a classic swashbuckling grin, "I guarantee you'd never forget your time 'ere. And even if ya do, don't worry! We always remember a familiar face."

Of course, she also suspected that a musician like Connor would desire to be in a band, or even make up his own if he was ambitious enough. Though the thought of who they might've been in their past lives gave her an interesting perspective. "Past life, huh?" she inquired, putting a finger under her chin as she began thinking upwards, "Hmmm... I wonder what mine was? Or WHO I was, for that matter. Like, dude, maybe I was like a fish or something in my past life. Like an ACTUAL fish creature. Or maybe I was someone like you? Or, Hells, maybe I've always been dating with destiny as a sailor. I'm sure I gotta pay some deity a pretty coin to get that answered I bet, but I aint in no rush."

Mera giggled as Connor proclaimed to aspire becoming a world-famous musician, how they could brag that they've met him before his legendary aspects make him big in the industry. "One day at a time, my friend." she winked back with a smirk, "But FIRE dude, I can already tell ya have what it takes in ya! Know that I'd totally be among the FIRST in line to nab a ticket to your debut concert! Just make sure ya don't forget about the folks that helped ya raise your spirits to stardom."

1Lucker 1Lucker [Davito]​

Skeen casually raised his hands upon hearing Davito's threat, despite his false assumption. Even so, the knight would be able to see a trickle of sweat run down his forehead. As Yor told him to hear the lad out, the kobold sighed. "Well, pardon my attempt at comedy..." he mumbled, acknowledging his mistake before allowing him to sit at the table with them.

Yor couldn't help but add on, "Your comedy is terribleeeeee-"

"Shut it." the kobold hissed.

"Ya mean the NAVY?" Skeen blurted out, as the knight compared his time in the army to sailing. He took a moment to really try and compare the two military branches before giving his verdict, "I mean, yeah, I guess both are pretty hellish in a military settin'. Or, heh, absolutely BORING at peacetime. But this ain't no ship that goes off killin' folks from far off-lands for a monarch ya know? We go ADVENTURIN' on our OWN accord; and uh, in some cases for the right price of course. Gotta make a livin' too. We do the stuff not even generals consider doin; exploring hostile far-off lands, lootin' from the dank n' sunken ships, and hunt a big ole' beasties that only a mother could love. They think we're crazy, and we ARE crazy, don't get it twisted! We're just a whole separate breed of it." He was convinced that Davito had little idea of how it was to be aboard a TRUE non-military exploration ship worked, especially the likes of this very vessel.

So it came as a surprise to Skeen, when he heard about the knight's recent voyage and what he happened to have encountered while on it. He reared back, seemingly stunned for a moment at what he'd heard. He looked to be rather impressed, but also... was there a slight jealousy in his eye? Davito wouldn't be so sure. After getting over his shock, Skeen chuckled gleefully. "Now that is crazy!" he bellowed loudly,"All that in a single voyage? It's a miracle you've even made it out there alive." The kobold leaned back in his chair, with Yor still blinking blankly at the conversation. "Would ya believe that's just a normal Tuesday for us? Heh heh."

With a statement like that, it was only natural for Davito to ask about whether they had some recent excitement in their quests. "Excitement?" he quipped, with a glint in his eye, "Lots of it! Why recently we-"

"Tell him about today's lil incideeeeeeeeeent." Yor interrupted, giving his suggestion of what the Kobold should recount. Skeen flinched, growling as his head slowly creaked at the frogfolk, "That thing isn't nearly as exciting as-!" A few moments of flubbery and Skeen would relent. "Aaagh, fine." Pushing back into his chair, the kobold would clear his throat. "We were out fishin' earlier today, right? Not just fishing for just any ole' thing, but BIG GAME fishin'. We were out lookin' for swordfish; these big-ole fish with a long blade-like bill at the tip of their heads. Have good meat. Fast too. We came across a couple of em as they were feedin' on a bait ball, just zippin' and zoomin' as they took chunks outta the school. We all proceeded to cast our lines into the water and hoped one of the swordfish bit. "

"Eventually, the Cap got himself a bite and we see 'im mighty struggling to keep it steady. The fish went WILD, throwing itself out of the air and just speeding through. One of our mates, Mako, then decided to help out; looking over the edge to ensure its location until BAM! Swordfish leapt out and stabbed the poor bastard in the bicep, taking him down with it! Nearly ripped the rod outta the captain's hands too. Now some of us were laughin' our butts off, because honestly that Mako guy can be a dick, but we knew we had to act fast to save our fellow brother. We set down the lifebuoys in the water and hoped to the gods he'd make it out. Honestly we aint sure if that was the end of him to be perfectly honest."

"But by sheer luck, Mako happened to have had his trusty dagger on him and was stabbin' at it furiously! Whole chunk o' his arm had a hole in it, but by god did he not stop until IT stopped movin'. We then quickly buoyed him up and sailed back here. Currently he's gettin' healed by our head cleric, Bailey, over there." He pointed over to where Mako was with the toothed whalefolk, talking up a storm with Aniel.

Faynorae Faynorae [Aniel]
​
They wouldn't see it coming. With a clap of his hands, alongside voice confirmation of his selected spell, Aniel would find both Mako and Bailey become briefly aloof for a moment. Their pupils go wide in a thousand mile stare, before reverting back to their regular colors. At first, it would seem like nothing had happened; with the two at most shaking their heads as if they had blacked out for a second.

"Ugh," the sharkfolk grumbled, "What was...?" He then began to feel the need to air out his vest, "Huh, is it me... or did it get a bit warmer?"

Bailey felt a bit drowsy herself, taken aback by the random low she just had. But shortly afterwards, she found herself giving a series of a particular low-frequency grumbly hums. These very much resembled the whale-calls that modern whales use today, but deeper sounding and ending in a more creaky tone. Her head was lowered and her body more reserved than usual. Mako glared at Bailey with a befuddled look, "Y... you ok doc?" he asked curiously, making the effort to carefully sit up more straight.

Bailey's groans subsided as she paid her attention back to the two. "Yes, I'm... fine." the whalefolk stated somewhat confidently, "I suddenly found myself thinking about... him." Mako's eyebrow instantly perked up in curiosity. "'Him'?" he inquired. "Why my husband!" she stated, her tone pitched in a more distraught manner, "Ohhh my handsome darling, how I miss him so! He was a whalefolk too, a Basilosaur just like me. How strong and smart he was... Another series of grumbled calls emitted from her before giving a deep sigh, "I had been trying to find someone to fill the void for a looooong time since arriving here... though frankly, I suppose no one will completely. The whalefolk here don't... look like me. There were some gentle and kind souls that I've found, yes, but... ohhh it felt... wrong? I want to have the right partner, the right husband for which we can raise our calves together... but I don't know if I can." She gripped her hammer tightly, silently mourning at the life that once was.

Mako listened intently, before he too began to feel... fidgety. "I suppose that uh... reminds me." he said lowly, "I've had a couple of partners back in the day... lads n' lasses. Most were just, oh, one-night stands that was arranged in the odd bar or so, but a few would stick around for a bit. Not for very long though... I'll admit I was much more of a problem back then. Wasn't quite ready to... sit down and start a family, you know- phew when did it get so hot all ov'a sudden?." He took off his vest completely, showing his chiseled and scarred form laying bear for all to see. "Though you know..." he confessed, "There has been one girl here that caught my eye. She's a more recent recruit, but... her name's Mera. Mera, uh... Kelpanna. She's a triton. Haven't really talked to her that much frankly, though whenever we'd get into some passionate conversations... we'd be laughing and having a good time over a few drinks. She's a cool person; very chill and just, you know, has the right vibes. I guess the reason why I hadn't asked her out was... honestly, I don't know. I've had this feelin' stuck in my chest but somehow... I guess I'm waitin' for the right moment? Not sure if this is... just a fleeting moment in time or uh.... somethin' more."


The fiery-haired woman stuttered at Rios' response. His persona was quite cold and reserved and his response was blunt and straight to the point. She wasn't necessarily worried about Rios attacking her, since if that's the case she'd be fighting him now. And frankly, she had a feeling she'd lose to him anyways. However, she had other obvious questions that weren't quite addressed. And judging by his reaction, he didn't look like the type to give out such information easily. But neither did it look he was the lying or deceitful type. Still, she could probably give a good guess as to why he was up there.

"I take it your one who prefers peace and quiet." she assumed, glancing down at the commotion happening on deck, "Alright, fine. Guess you can stay up here for now. Can't say I blame you. We can get pretty chaotic during our journeys." She gets a bit closer to Rios, cocking her head to the side as she faces him head on. "At the very least, I'd like a name to call you." she states with a mild pout, "Otherwise, I'm gonna choose one for ya. And I've been told my choices are ter-i-ble!"



Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread [Velvet]​

"Why that be great to hear!" Captain Tsubaraya bellowed joyfully at Velvet's confirmation of health. He pulled out yet another orange from his pouch and bit into it, "Ooh, and speakin' of health," he remarked in relation to her statement, "Citrus fruits be great in preventin' scurvy, ya know? Vitamin C and all that. Me doctor prescribed em years ago when I was eatin' a lot worse. Since then I always make sure to carry a fresh cargo ov' em per journey. Crew loves 'em too! So if by chance ya needin' your dose o' V-C, feel free to grab a fruit for yerself... or maybe two! Harharhar!"

The captain gave a warm smile, chuckling at Velvet's wholesome grin and her remarks towards his ship and mission. She really reminded him of a true aspiring young soul, innocent but determined. "It's always a grand experience aboard the Fury Stripe, lass!" he remarked with a softer tone, "Though I be wishin' it was for somethin' a bit less serious ya know? Still! We be potentially savin' lives this quest and that..." The captain places a big ole' hand gently on Velvet's back before finishing, "Is always a noble cause worth fightin' for."

He was ready to check up on the cargo status, before Velvet asked if he had a story or two to share. Oh, how he couldn't resist Velvet's puppy-dog eyes pleading with him like a little kiddie. He just physically couldn't! The Captain looked back to see how everyone was doing, making sure all was getting in order, before turning back to Velvet. "Weeeeeeeeeeell," he thought aloud, "I suppose I have time for ONE quick one.. Alright!"

Turning back to face the ocean, he allowed the girl to get comfortable before telling his tale. "It was a bright n' clear day over de high seas. Sun high in the sky with not a single cloud in sight. Me and the mates had just finished a job and were returnin' back to celebrate our triumph. But then we realized... we were starvin! And we had no food aboard except for straight bags of flour! We debated on whether or not we wait to head ashore or to eat each other, herherher! Of course, we also thought of fishin, but we weren't quite in the mood for yer standard mill of accessible options. We were thinkin' somethin a bit more... fancy."

"Of course, that's when one of our mates had an idea. He wanted to fish, but not just for ANY fish... but BIG GAME FISH. Particularly he was feelin' dangerous, for he was cravin' swordfish; a large fast fish with a long sharp bill great for stabbin'. Their meat is gamey and hearty, a prize that's hard to catch but one that can feed an entire crew. Now, the question was... how do we find one? We weren't willin' to wait hours for one to potentially pass by and we were gettin' hungrier by the minute!. Turned out, we didn't have to wait long!"

"In the distance, we saw the splashin' commotion of water; with sea birds divin' down. A bait ball! Thousands of tiny sardines huddled together, attracting predators from all around! There were large tuna and sharks, even a pod of dolphins were present. And among the chaos, SHOOM! Speak of the devils! We see a swordfish leaping out of the water, with a few fish speared in its bill! It was a biggin' too; silver with dark blue and a streak of yellow running down its side. With a glint in our eyes we pushed forth, our strongest readying their lines as we determined who would catch one first. I too had a line meself! The one who'd catch a swordfish first would have first dibs on their meat."

"And so we waited and waited... a few fish would be pulled to deck. We caught a few tuna, as well as an odd shark, but not a single swordfish yet. I was gettin' a bit tried of all this and was just about to call the hunt off until... my line caught somethin! It felt big and it was lightnin' fast. It was that moment where I realized... I had meself a swordfish! And it was a BIG one! So I went about usin' all me mighty strength to tame the great fish. But the lad was mighty fit! I had to call upon a few of me mates to help pull the line, as well as track it's movements. All hands were on deck!"

"Soon I felt the line lurch towards me. I thought I had the slippy bastard! But suddenly, WOOSH! In just seconds, it leapt right at the side of the boat, stabbin me mate, Mako, right in the arm! The two fell overboard and I be so surprised that I nearly lost me grip on the rod! But the line, SNAPPED! Both were then loose in the great blue! Everyone was panickin' and we did our best to try and save the poor lad. We threw the lifebuoys, we called for his attention, but for a time we didn't think he'd make it out alive. A cloud of blood began to pool close to our vessel. We feared the worst! All we did... was hold our breaths."

"And then, thar they blew! Mako returned to the surface, wounded but alive. And better still, he was able to slay the mighty swordfish; as we saw him holding onto it with his lucky ole' dagger. We all erupted into a cheer! Thank the gods he was safe! We quickly proceeded to haul 'em back onboard and prepared de meat. Durin' which, a mighty argument erupted as me crew was divided on who would save the first servin; me, the one who had it in its line first, or Mako, the one who killed it? There just be arguing weather or not Mako's choice even counted, given the unfortunate circumstance. Of course, I proclaimed that HE gets the first servin', both for his bravery and the sorry state he was in. We enjoyed our fishy haul, stuffed our bellies mighty full by the time we approached the dock, where me cleric Bailey be patchin' em up."

Finishing his dynamic story, filled with movement and emotion, the captain glanced at Velvet. "And the best part?" he asked, "This all took place just earlier today!" And just soon after, a crewmate would quickly walk up behind him. "Sir." they stated, "We've gotten all cargo on board! Ready to depart at your mark." The captain slowly turned, filled with a sense of pride and determination, if not looking a bit relieved, and nodded. "Excellent!" he replied with a smile. He took a deep breath and announced the following. "ATTENTION MATES OF THE FURY STRIPE! ALL CARGO HAV' BEEN LOADED! LEZ' GET THIS RESCUE EXPEDITION SETTIN SAIL POST HASTE!"

The crew shouted "AYE!" acknowledging the statement as they proceeded to man their stations, or hurry aboard if they were still in the harbor. Finally, they were setting sail, as they began making their way out of Hondoshire Harbor and towards Odai Island.
 
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Velvet
Location: Furry's Stripe

"That sounds very exciting, captain!" Velvet cheered at the captain's story with some claps. If this was her old self she would probably be horrified by the fact that people risked their life just to get some unusual meals, but her previous life was wasted for practically nothing and she was unexpectedly given a second chance she now had a much better appreciation for people who lives in the moment and confront their fear.

"I can't wait until I can wrestle some fish too!" She exclaimed with both of her hands clenched.

The story session ended once all the preparations was finished. The captain announced the ship departing with his booming voice and the crew answered by returning to their station and started working. Velvet being the curious person that she is ended up going with the flow, giving the captain a salute and screaming 'AYE!!' as if she was part of the crew.
 
Only sluts take off their shirts which don't cover their torso in the first place. How indecent!
  • “Eh?” When Aniel noticed Bailey and Mako become a bit dazed for the moment, he’d feel himself confused. He was unaware that what he had done was a little more laced with magic than he’d have expected and leaned over to take a slightly closer look with just as wide eyes before snapping back as the two began to speak.

    Contradicting with what he had said earlier, the swainling would reply with a nonchalant; “Not particularly, no.” Whilst blinking as his eyes shifted to Bailey murmuring to herself. Her strange sonance was quite pleasing to Aniel who was a little of a lover of the performance arts. He found her low-pitch quite pleasant to listen to...

    “Oooh~” Aniel excitedly leaned closer with his hands covering his smile, “him?” Aniel would echo cheekily. Yet, with Bailey’s disturbed shift in tone the paramour quickly withdrew as the whalefolk mused. “I see... What a nice and truly lovely dream, Bébé! I must admit I understand how you feel; although I’m a bit hopeless myself, I want for that one true person as well... To settle and nurture a simpler life for the ones I love...” He’d smile solemnly, placing a hand on Bailey’s elbow, “Worry not, it is alright to think of him fondly every so often; once you feel yourself having truly moved on, then the one you seek shall find you and you will find he has been seeking you too.” The swainling reassured, unaware if she meant her husband was dead or simply that she could never meet him ever again. She did mention something regarding her old world.

    When Mako began to spill aswell, Aniel turned and listened with all his attention focused. He wasn’t surprised to hear about how Mako mostly involved himself with one-night stands and short-term flings. He seemed like that kind of person, in the least offensive manner possible—although calling someone a playboy never really was a compliment in any sense at all. He just didn’t seem like the type ready for commitment... Wait, was he taking his vest off? He was already practically shirtless, why was he, oh no, oh yes, oh no, oh yes, oh yes, oh no OH NO—

    In a panicking fit, Aniel quickly pulled and clutched his beret over his rose-dyed face, yet even the back of his hands were blushed. “Forgive me father for my sins—” Were the words he’d utter quietly in the lace of his hat, words he so often murmured to himself almost habitually when he glanced at other guys in the locker rooms as they everyone redressed. To indulge in carnal desires was a scandalous thing, but blame God for one’s lust for it was he who hung apples a ruby-red from the branch of a tree saying that it was forbidden to eat, perhaps instead. the apple should have been rotten.

    “Silly, silly~” Aniel whistled, turning away a bit as he brushed back his untidy hair and waved his beret in the hair, “The ocean breeze is a harsh thing; wearing a hat can be quite troublesome at times—“ He’d clear his throat, glancing back at Mako before turning quickly to fix his fringe. He’d look off to the side a bit as he listened and put on his hat again. He took off his vest, so it was fine to look a little bit was what the paramour thought to himself,

    Before his heart had utterly sunk like massive ship never to sink crashing into a cold iceberg. Each time you drop your heart and each time you pick it up, it won't be entirely the same. Aniel was accustomed to it and these days he felt a bit discouraged to carry it around all the time, but he knew must eventually pick it up, again. He’d sigh; it was usual for the people he loved to already fancy another, thus, another first love scatters in life's hurricane like a perishing rose.

    He smiled and turned, his hand reaching into his satchel as leaned a bit forward, “How truly lovely, I understand that! I wouldn’t want to profess my heart’s true feelings as if it were any other conversation; any other topic to talk about,” Aniel mellowed a bit, “It has to be something that makes an ordinary day stand out, if not just a little...” He bounced back with a smile, pulling out a piece of parchment and the special stationery box again. “Oh and, would you be so kind as to do something for me, pretty pretty pleeease~? Both of you, since we’re friends, right—” The swainling unpinned his hats’ feather again to act a quil as he took from the box his inkwell again,

    “Would you two like to write something for me? A sentence... Please write, uhm;” He thought for a moment... then another moment... ... ... then he perked up with a cheery grin, “Cwm fjord glyphs vext bank quiz!" He'd say, a sentence which just happened to have every letter in the alphabet and 26 letters in total. "Yes yes, write that precisely, please~" The swainling smiled, wanting not to use this innocent piece of parchment with their handwriting for aught a nefarious deed; as he placed the parchment onto the box next to the inkwell as he outstretched his hand with his quill.

    Love's last shift was what they call it, afterall, love rules without rules; how else would two come together in an unplanned totally coincidental moment of pounding hearts and faces flushed with roses? The goddess of love was not called the Weaver of Wiles without reason.

    Aniel trembled hearing how loud the voice of the captain could be, but our sweetheart of sweethearts wasn't one to not join in on the making of a noise. A slight bit delayed was his "AYE!" as he subtly cupped a hand beside his mouth with a cheek to cheek grin. He jumped a little, his excitement manifesting in the erratic fluttering of his wings lifting him higher than with what he jumped.
 
Rios
Mentions: Develius Develius

Rios was surprised to see how the woman quickly turned around on her previous opinion on his presence here. Honestly he was surprised by that kind of strength of character. "Rios" said the swordsman while looking at the condition of his katana. It was the only thing he could remember when he was found in Honeywood by the local Adventurers Guild branch. Although he was told by the local temple he was some kind of reincarnator. A lack of memories from his previous life meant he had just as little connection to his previous world as to this one. Now the only thing tethering him to Ryke was his desire for vengeance. Sheathing his weapon once more and leaning his head back against the wood of the crows nest once more. Rios clicked his neck before standing up and looking over the horizon like he was expecting something to attack their ship at any moment. Honestly he was hoping for some action on this mission.

He could feel that his swordsmanship was improving with each battle he survived. The bandits, the bugs and the bear had each lost their lives to improve his sword. Tightening the sash around his belt so that he could be sure where his swords were at all times. Rios wondered what kind of reception they would get at their destination. A disaster was almost certain to await them but the level of disaster was still unknown since it had been some time since the original outbreak of disaster. Numerous were likely to have either perished or been injured beyond recognition. Many would have begun taking advantage of the chaos to serve their own personal ends. Rios was hoping that he would be able to kill them.
 
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Location: Open Ocean ---> Approaching Odai Island
Time of Day: 5:20 PM
Weather: Mild; dark clouds billowing over the horizon; Storm Imminent
Current Goal(s): Get to Odai Island
Faynorae Faynorae [Aniel]​

Mako and Bailey gave two concerned glances when Aniel suspiciously presented them with a piece of paper to write a very particular and odd sentence. "I mean... we did just meet so 'Friend' is a bit... strong." Mako stated unsurely, "But, okay? Get yer knockers off?" Bailey looked at this entire fiasco with heavy suspicion. "Really, Mister Mako?" the basilosaur-folk grimaced, "You're seriously going to fall for-?"

"Yeah yeah, whatever." the sharkfolk dismissed as he wrote the statement presented. It would be then when the Captain called for everyone to set sail, giving a sense of urgency. "Well nice gettin' to know ya Aniel, but we gotta start mannin' the ship. We'll see ya-"

"You're going to REST." Bailey ordered, swinging her hammer out in front of Mako, "Captain has permitted you an hour's rest the moment we depart. I demanded it.\." Once again, Mako gave a tired, defeated sigh, "Suppose' you're right... well then. Off the the bunks I go. Someone wake me when it's been an hour." The sharkfolk hobbled onboard, with Bailey trailing closely behind. Half way up, she turned towards Aniel, "Nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Aniel. See you around."


The woman gave a smug grin at Rios, satisfied with his simple, one-note response. "And I'm Audrey." she replied, keeping the fields level, "Pleased to meet ya, Rios." She considered giving out a hand for him to shake, but decided to cease tormenting him for any longer. She turned back to the front of the crow's nest, leaning over to view the grand ocean before them, "If you need anything, feel free to bug me 'bout it." she politely finished, looking back at him before returning to her outwards gaze.


The route that "Fury Stripe" would take to reach their destination was carefully planned. She would be trailing a cargo vessel, the "Shinsei Maru", halfway through their journey to the third island of "Nakama", before "Fury Stripe" diverged northwards towards Odai on its own. This was a means to keep the vessels safe and mitigate the risk of attack by the perpetrator, given the attacks having been committed when ships were alone. While the flashy vessel would be sailing solo for the last leg of the journey, it would be a fairly quick journey between both islands when compared to when they departed from Hondoshire. The risk of any attack would, in theory, be minimal.

Thankfully, the journey between the mainland and "Nakama" had been mostly smooth sailing. The first half of their journey was met with mostly sunny skies, with a cool, oceanic breeze that was pleasantly appreciated by those onboards. The waters were also mostly calm, with the winds blowing favorably with the vessels, providing a slight boost in their estimated schedules. The ships communicated through magical intercoms, presented as crystal balls that could communicate sound and visuals, allowing them to stay in touch and provide updates whenever they arose. For the most part, nothing was truly amiss.

However, they would all notice the dark clouds present ominously in the distance ahead, growing larger and larger as time went on. The winds were getting stronger and the waves more turbulent. Unexpected storms weren't particularly odd during this time of the season, but this was counted as a bad omen considering the recent tragedies. Nonetheless, they still appeared to be on schedule, hoping they'd at least reach "Nakama" before the storm arrived.

Despite these ominous circumstances, the crew onboard were still in high spirits. Things were particularly normal, with most of the crew relaxing or steadily keeping the ship in tight order. Donavan, the hippofolk, was playing his accordion as usual. Skeen and Yor had given up chess and had since been sparing each other with sticks. Bailey had finished healing Mako, with the latter being permitted to rest in the bunk for the hour. The whalefolk, meanwhile, was still reminiscing on her ex-husband, gazing blankly upon the open sea. Mera was reading a book as she patrolled the vessel, talking to whoever approached her. And Captain Tsuburaya was ensuring his guests were enjoying themselves. The adventurers would be treated to a fine selection of foods onboard; exotic fruits, prized meats, crunchy crackers, and alcoholic beverages of rum and wine were present for all to enjoy. Of course, fresh clean water and juices were provided for any of the booze intolerant.


Eventually, the vessels would finally make it to "Nakama", in which the two vessels would part ways. By then, the storm was already looming over the crew, the rumbling of thunder and the odd flash of lightning heralding its rapid approach. It would be upon them soon... The crew ensured to tie everything down, ensuring nothing gets loose, and those onboard were watching for land and for any abnormalities.

"Brace yerselves'," the Captain muttered with grit in his tone to anyone nearby, "We be gettin' close."

It wouldn't be long until Audrey in the crow's nest saw something in the distance with her parascope. "Land ho!" the orange-haired gal shouted, which was relayed back to the Captain, "Odai's in sight! ETA, 30ish minutes!"

Even as the storm was beginning to rain down upon them, the faint visage of Odai Island could be seen from port side. There was a dark visage that clouded the landmass, as if fire and smoke were still raging on even until now. And as the "Fury Stripe" approached, they would come across broken debris floating aimlessly against the choppy waves. These were rare at first, an odd plank there or some floating rubbish. They were mostly hard to tell exactly what they were... but key-eyed individuals would notice something odd. There was this... black, tar-like substance costing to some of the rubble pieces. It looked... thick and mucus-like, with bits of white dotted amongst the larger individuals. Not much information could be gleamed from where they stood.

A Nautical Graveyard


The trail of debris would eventually produce larger pieces, before the vessel came across a mass graveyard of ruined ships. Most had been completely dissolved, though several vessels still stood above water. Some were split in half, others completely on their side, or completely dissolving into the depths as chunks and pieces of wood. The damage certainly didn't resemble anything caused by a rival ship... or even a large sea creature. But most evidently, and horrifyingly, was the black ooze that seemed to nearly cover the larger wrecks, the same kind seen earlier. They could see it clearly sticking to the sides of ships, undulating slowly like large fungal blobs infecting their hosts. The white dots seen before were in fact chunks of bone-like protrusions jetting out at odd angles and sizes.

The crew were already feeling mighty disturbed by the sight, with the Captain portraying a grim visage of disgust and shock. "What in Sailor Mary's name...?" They were already trying to get a closer look, leaning over the edge to get a better look. "Keep the vessel far from em." the Captain warned the crewmate steering the ship, "I don't like the look ov' em one bit..."

The ship proceeded to sail past the ooze-ridden vessels, as they bobbed up and down on the stormy waves, careful not to accidentally bonk into any major sources of this goop. It felt like this was... perhaps a taste of what's yet to come.
 
Velvet
Location: Furry's Stripe

Once the ship departed from the dock, Velvet once again found herself very sleepy. Dragging herself into the guest room, she jumped into one of the hammock and quickly dozed off. For someone who barely had board any ship before, she sleep very soundly, the swaying and creaking of Furry's Stripe didn't bother her as she took her sweet time regaining her energy... Also she felts a bit hungry.

...

Velvet opened her eyes and found herself in the dark. Going out onto the deck, she was greeted by heavy rain that immediately soaked her body. She didn't seems to mind too much about that though. Instead she looked around the horizon, noticing the countless floating debris around them, and the piles of wrecked vessel that the captain was wary of. Velvet approached the captain and tried to get a better look at the shipwrecks.

"C-captain, what do you think is happening here?" Velvet asked with concerned voice. She was confused and worried. She thought their rescue mission would mostly consist of digging people out of rubble, carrying people on emergency stretcher, and maybe punching one or two pirates and fight sea monsters. Now she wasn't even sure if she's qualified to handle the situation.
 
Connor Erland
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Develius Develius Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread

Now that they were sailing at the open sea, Connor spent his time idling and standing near one of the sides of the ship and looking out at the vast expanse of blue waters. Donavan was even back to playing his accordion again, and although it was very tempting to once again join in, Connor had to sit this one out for now. While they really do not have much to do here to begin with, a part of the reason why he had not moved around as much is the slight headache he was experiencing. Wasn’t enough to really affect him, though he did have to gather his bearings for a bit. It helped that the wonderful crew of the Fury Stripe kept the optimistic atmosphere

Connor was biting into a small, weirdly spiky, red fruit-he didn’t bother asking what it was-when their approach towards land was announced. He was getting used to the sensation of their ship moving finally, and with great timing as the sea was now starting to get rougher. Debris soon starts coming into view, steadily increasing in volume until they were surrounded by what clearly were victims of the mysterious events happening as of late. Sensing the weird situation, he steadied himself over the edge to take a closer look, throwing the remainder of the fruit he was holding into the water. Ugh, the juices were sticky, but comforts will have to wait.

Velvet seemed to have awoken in the midst of the storm. Connor also approached the Captain, waving at the sleepy vampire with a quick “Good morning. I have no idea how you manage to sleep so well, even through rough waters…”

“I don’t know about you, but that… ooze doesn’t give me confidence that this would be man-made or something. Wasn’t the disappearances supposed to be lone ships?” he said to the Captain. Connor continued to keep an eye down towards the waves, trusting the Captain’s obvious statement that something was amiss.
 
What happens if we touch it though.
  • "Silly silly♡ It's easier to just be friendly and nice with everyone than stand-offish and awkward just cause you dunno each others' favourite colours and birthdays!" Aniel would retort. "After all, we're all the same folks, we all have the same brains; so we might as well all connect our hands and lay looking into the starry night together!" He'd say, to him, being friends as simple as exchanging names.

    Like a child blowing out birthday candles, Aniel smiled warmly once Mako dismissively wrote down what he'd asked. He'd lift a hand to wave as Mako left the scene, "Ciao~ Keep it peachy♡" with a subtly disappointed smile of a friend wanting to talk more, yet having no choice but to part ways for the day. Although, the swainling flinched as Bailey referred to him as 'MISS ANIEL'. They say: 'All girls are pretty and all boys are ugly bugs.' Aniel snickered to himself a bit, was he just that gorgeous? Maybe he should've just been a girl, this was a fantasy world; don't they have potions for that or somethin'?

    Aniel smiled to himself in content as he folded the note, wiped his quill and packed away his inkwell into the box, and the box into his bag, before flying onto the ship.

    Aniel was a bit down in the dumps now that he spent a bit of his time alone near the ship's railings staring out longingly—and awfully dramatically—into the trembling ocean. He put his all into what most would refer to as 'puppy love'; to him, it was truly his true love. Yet, if that was true he wouldn't have a heartbreak count of nine. It didn't matter, it seemed like even the weather was against him.

    He scoffed at the coming rain and moved to somewhere he'd scarcely get wet. He wasn't going to be doing the cliche standing sad in the rain trope! He was on a mission, two missions—and he still had his ninth first love to keep his heart afloat! A flower must first wilt to bloom beautifully again—quel che sarà, sarà! ※("whatever will be, will be")

    One thing the rain did stop was Aniel's attempt to push in his mission of romance for the mortals of this world, after all, you couldn't write a readable letter in the rain unless you were magic. Aniel, unfortunately, was only partially magic... Struggling a bit to make his way over to everyone else, Aniel held his satchel over his head to cover himself from the rain—despite ineffectiveness in this storm-ridden weather.

    "Salve~♡ Catch any cats or dogs?" He'd greet Connor, Velvet and the Captain with a cheek-to-cheek grin, "People constantly praise the rain for being all lovely and relieving of stress, but all I feel is wet AND I am in much distress," He'd whine, "Ah, on the brighter side of things there's always a rainbow after the rain~♡" Aniel gazed over the railing and seemed to cringe.

    "Ew, what is THAT?" He would say in utter disgust, although, it was more the disgust of a vain high school girl having to bear witness to a bad hair day and split-ends; "That's grotesque! Is that mould?!" He'd look to the group with widened eyes. Seeing as both the Captain, Velvet and even Connor didn't know what it was, Aniel sighed.

    "Well, if we've not a clue of what it is—" The swainling pointed to himself, his wings spreading open beneath his cloak, "Then I can go fly down and have a closer look! Mayhaps we'll find aught we can't notice from 'ere!" Aniel said cheerfully before his expression went blank as he quite seriously and monotonously said, "I'm not touching that though." He'd look to the side, "Probably—"

    He then smiled, looking to the captain; "By the who, Captain Su~♡ Could you tell me where I can find a person named 'Mera' on this vessel? Need to inquire and deliver news sooner or later. Y'know, girl stuff♡" He'd say, as though he were a girl—it was the only excuse he could come up in the moment, and he had better ones fershur but this was the usual excuse he used when his sitting at a table gossiping with girls about the latest relationship drama from grade school to college.
 
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​
Looking at the ruins with his telescope, Captain Tsubaraya's gaze was serious and very much concerned about the situation present. Velvet was the first to approach her concerns, asking what was happening. The orc captain shook his head. "Frankly Lass," he stated lowly, "Hardly a clue. Never seen such carnage like dis before, let alone the black tar-much clingin' onto em. And... what-are-those, bones stickin out? Yeesh... I reckon, so long as we stay clear o' the rubble, we oughta be OK but... what in the Seas happened 'ere?""

Connor would appear next, also looking dreadfully concerned, commenting about the muck not looking man-made. He added also how he remembered hearing lone ships being victimized and how this scene seemed to contradict it. "Aye," the captain affirmed, "It be strange. Either these remains somehow be pulled 'ere by some wrathful current..."

He lowered his telescope with a dreaded expression.

"Or worse... they been here when the attack happened... and got infected or somethin'."

The damage seen here looked to be fresh, not more than a day or so old. If these were the remains of the ships lost according to the maps, there would most certainly be the beginning signs of decay and water damage. Aniel would groan in disgust as he leaned over the railing, suggesting he goes over to fly over and investigate... though wouldn't dare touch that vile liquid. There was a reluctant groan from the orc, as if he was thinking whether or not this was the best course of action. However, before giving an answer, the flamboyant lad then asked for where Mera happened to be, having some urgent news for her.

"Afraid now's not the time," the Captain stated firmly, his expression giving way to a disgruntled groan, "I'll pass it along to her though. But first! I needa debrief yall quickly."

He motioned for the Adventurers to gather around him. "Gentlefolk." he started off, "With the storm be brewin' above us and rough waters be closer to shore, it would be dangerous for our vessel to make a safe landin' without riskin' being breached. Ya be havin to get the rest of the way there by rowboat once we be reachin' 150 meters from shore. Unfortunately, that means we be havin' to remain out in the bay while we be waitin' for an opening." He paused as he looked at each adventurer with regret in his eye. "Once you're off this ship, ya'll be on yer own."

The Captain then rummages through his pocket and presents five glowing-white rose quartz shard necklaces. "These 'ere necklaces are magical ones; Pendants o' Sending. Used to relay yer message to anyone wearing one in the general area." the captain explained, before raising his coat's neck flap to show that he had one around his neck, "So long as you state who you're speakin' too FIRST and that the message be within TWENTY FIVE WORDS or less. Keep in mind, they only has one charge for ONE message, so make 'em COUNT. Use it ONLY fer when you're ready to leave by callin' me, or to any of ya'll in case of DIRE emergencies. Understand, yall?"

He hands to everyone each their own Pendant.

  • Pendant of Sending E [x5]: - (One Each) - Allows for a user wearing it to send a short message of twenty-five words or less to anyone wearing the same necklace. They'll have to be touching the quartz crystal in order to send to it. The receiver hears the message in its mind, recognizes you as the sender if it knows you, and can answer in a like manner immediately. Can only be used ONCE.

As the storm begins to pick up, the Captain would suddenly call out, "Bailey, ol' girl!" he called out, "Ya be willin' to give our folks that dry spell of yers? Don't want em' to catching any cold and be soppin wet!" The whalefolk would come plodding along shortly, with her warhammer in tow. "It shall be done." With a soft glowing xanthic light, Bailey blessed them with her magic. In mere moments, they would feel as if the dampness of the rain completely evaporate, the water droplets simply gliding off them as if they were waterproof.

  • Waterproof E: - [Magic E, Control Environment E, Water Resistance E, Spell Duration E, Targets F. Focus F] - Users remain completely dry from touching or submerging in water for up to 1 day. Does not affect one's movement capabilities when submerged, neither does it completely protect them from extreme temperature differences. Can be applied up to 5 individuals at a time.

"There we go." Captain Tsubaraya stated confidently as he wiped his hands, "Better then just constantly holdin' an umbrella I reckon? Heh. Right, 'en. Head on over to the rowboats, we'll get ya departed once we get near." He leads the adventurers to the right end of the ship as it sways side to side with the mounting waves, where two large rowboats are currently being readied to be deployed. "One boat oughta hold ya all fine." he assured to them, "Even with the storm, these ole' things hel' up great. No wave be capsizin' ya anytime soon."

Soon enough, the Fury's Stripe would reach within 150 meters of the island. It was time. Before the adventurers would be ready to finally depart to the island, the captain gave one last hardy salute. "Wishin' y'all the best of luck!" he cried out to them before turning to his crew, "Alright fellas! Let's set 'em on their way! Drop em!"


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[Pretend its Early Evening, Raining, and all that]

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​

Location: Odai Island Shore
Time of Day: 6:15 PM
Weather: Stormy
Current Goal(s): | Explore | Search for Survivors |


As the adventurers were being jostled around by the stormy waves and howling winds, they would find themselves pushed into a shallow gulf. Once sporting beautiful crystal-blue waters in which many would wade in, it was now a chaotic mess of unsteady waves and dark muddied water. The waves forming behind the boat would crash into their starboard, splashing against them but allowing the boat to be boosted forward. Eventually, it would reach the shoreline, breaching onto the sandy beach in ankle deep water. With their Waterproof spell taking effect, the adventurers would comfortably be able to pull or push the boat safely to higher ground, only feeling the physics of water pushing against them.

What lain before them was once a sparkling Mediterranean-styled beach town, separated from the beach by a cobblestone promenade arching around alongside a row of palm trees. Now it was in very rough shape, with fire still blazing strong in several blocks of the nearby vicinity. Directly in front of the players to the north was a large center park. adorned with several trees and benches. It was blighted with the same undulating black ooze found earlier, but on a much larger scale. Three major splotches can be seen nearby; the biggest encapsulating the top right edge of the park that reaches near the middle in a diagonal manner. It was infecting a ruined bungalow, now set ablaze and littered with debris. Large rib like intrusions were jutting from it.

The second largest was hunkered in the opposite corner to the left, bubbling disturbingly like black tar. Several bodies can be found close by, two of which being partly consumed by the infectious mass. The boney structures The bodies were a mix of civilians and soldiers clad in armor, their belongings spilled out from the ground. A pouch can be seen, as well as a few swords. Closest to them was a small puddle of ooze, about five feet in diameter. It too was bubbling quietly, but... there looked to be something shiny lodged on the surface.

Just across from the park's northside was a large palace-like building. While still standing, it had sustained major damage. Two large fires were burning in the opposite wings, though not as bad compared to some of the infernos seen elsewhere. It too also has ooze creeping onto its walls and even on the roof.

Meanwhile, to the west of the park, more stores and establishments can be seen in varying levels of destruction. Ooze was present in certain qualities, but it was relatively light in comparison. And to the east, a large pier can be seen jutting into the bay, alongside a looming mountain in the distance. Ooze can be seen creeping up the cobbled walls and onto the pier, put while somewhat battered, it seemed stable enough. More stores and establishments can be seen, but appeared to have endured minimal fire damage.
 
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Velvet
Location: Shore

Velvet stepped onto the beach, her hands nervously fiddle with the communication pendant the captain gave her before sliding it around her neck. Looking around, she found nothing but destroyed buildings. Her heart skipped a beat when the thought of them being too late crossed her mind. What if there's no one left to help here? Panicked, she started to run into the nearby park to look for survivor.

"Hello! Anybody here?!" She yelled, hoping someone would answer her. She wasn't even sure if her voice can beat the drizzling rain but she's trying anyway.

"W-we are the rescue team. We come to help!"
 
Davito Aranda

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Davito shook his head at the kobold's comment. "Not really the navy. In my experience, it was mostly transportation around the country, with a few fights against pirates and the occasional monster. I've never actually fought in a war. The occasional turf squabble between the nobles, maybe, but I mostly fought monsters." Davito explained. He was, however, quite interested in an exploration and adventuring vessel like the one he was on. They seemed less structured than the military, and a lot more fun. He listened intently to the fishing story, which certainly seemed more exciting than most of his boating trips. After a lot more conversation, laughing and swapping stories with the pair of crew mates, Davito got up to investigate where he'd be sleeping.

-----

Davito was standing by the railing near the bow of the ship. They had separated from the other ship and were moving on towards Odai, and the weather was steadily growing worse. With a yell from the lookout, Davito gazed across the water to see a faint line of land in the distance. As the ship closed on towards the island, Davito started seeing debris in the water, flotsam from other wrecked vessels. The closer they got, the more wreckage there was, until they reached a ship graveyard, full of half dissolved wrecks. "Goddamn. What could do that?" Davito looked closer and saw a tar-like black ooze in the water. Before his eyes, it surrounded a plank, and within a few seconds, the plank was gone. He had heard tales of a monster called a gelatinous cube from his campaigns back in Rotia. This tar seemed relatively similar, but a lot more powerful.

Davito recoiled away from the side and looked up toward the Captain. He was up near the wheel with the other adventurers. Davito jogged over in order to attend the meeting. The Captain seemed to think that the tar-ooze thing was a disease or something similar, and Davito thought that it seemed plausible. Captain Tsubaraya briefed them and handed out a few crystal sending stones, along with getting them blessed with water protection, which Davito was thankful for. Fighting in the rain was a drag. Donning his crystal, Davito hopped in the boat and went to shore.

Arriving on shore, Davito quickly hopped out and pulled the boat to shore. He looked around, taking in the damage, then glanced over at Velvet. "No one is going to answer. Anyone who's left will probably be hiding, and it's unlikely that there are many survivors in the nearby areas. If they're smart, they've already left the town." Drawing his sword, Davito walked towards the tar pit with bodies around it. Picking up the pouch, he checked inside it. He [Searched] the bodies and the surrounding area to see if there was anything useful, or something that could give him an idea of what had happened here.​
 
Connor Erland
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Develius Develius Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread 1Lucker 1Lucker Faynorae Faynorae Gaius Danius Griinia Gaius Danius Griinia

Their ride towards the shore was quite rough, but somehow, water that should have splashed them many times over were harmlessly just sliding off. Thank you, Bailey. With the incredibly useful sounding pendant on him, and the magic keeping him dry and comfortable even in the midst of the pouring rain, Connor stepped off their boat and onto the sandy beach. The situation wasn’t pretty, There weren’t any survivors currently in sight, only what appeared to be a few bodies also seemingly covered by the same things they keep seeing since earlier. Hopefully, this means those that are still alive are away from danger.


Velvet and Davito has respectively picked different directions to start off with. Connor turned towards the others.“Let’s try to cover more ground. When something comes up, yell or something!” he said, stepping off alongside Velvet towards the burning palace ahead of them. He does not want to approach the weird ooze just yet, there could be people around still anyway. “This is the rescue team! Anybody that can hear us, let us know where you are!” he yelled.
 
Rios
Mentions: Develius Develius Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread Renny Renny

Rios was able to pass a bit of time by exchanging some small talk with Audrey. Although he wasn't much of a conversationalist these days owing to his increasingly detached personality. Once land was in sight, he could smell the scent of burning bodies on the sea breeze which blew against his face. Gritting his teeth and looking around the area. Rios was quick to descend from the crows nest after telling Audrey they would meet again if he didn't lose his life on this relief mission. He had no idea WHY he had stated that, the pair had just met. It may have been a simple desire for someone to wonder about him if he just disappeared. Touching down on the sand with Connor who was watching two others picking their first tasks. Rios was concerned with the strange black ooze which was on buildings, plantlife and especially people. Crouching down for a moment to interact with this strange sludge. The mercenary adventurer made sure to properly utilize [Appraisal C] on it.

After inspecting the building muck for a little bit. Rios turned his attention to the corpses which were also covered in said muck. Whatever this substance was, it had seeped into everything. Regular volcanos would drop ash and soot on these people, not sludge. Making sure not to touch it directly. He continued his brief observations in order to get a good idea if going near this stuff posed any form of danger which he would be able to handle with his swords. Although strong by conventional standards. Magic Ooze didn't seem like something that could be cut or sliced through. Plus there was a chance it could make the dead rise as Slime Zombies. None of the crew were a cleric so undead really weren't something they would be able to handle right now.
Actions:
.Appraisal C
 


As the rescue party began slowly descending into the ruined town, Velvet and Connor would be the first to call out survivors as they head towards the park. Their desperate cries echoed through the apocalyptic wasteland, ringing out like a beacon of hope for anyone nearby to receive salvation. Yet aside from the rain and the desolate howling of the bolstering wind, they would find their calls go unanswered.

Both would proceed towards the ruined Palace, which was faring not much better than the rest of the buildings in the area. The main structure had certainly taken a beating, being covered in two major sources of the black ooze that seemed to be raising to the roof. Both wings jetting from the main structure were also aflame, coated with thick smoke and embers ejecting into the dark sky above. Up a set of wide stairs, the main entrance was blocked, covered by collapsed rubble.

But as Connor relayed another announcement to any survivors, this time, someone replied. A faint moan could be heard coming from within the Palace, which judging its proximity looked as if it was coming from the main room inside. But with the main entrance obstructed, and the side they'd have to find another way in...

A quick glance around would reveal a row of large first-floor windows were present. While most were broken or have smoke and fire bellowing from within, at least one broken window off to the right corner seemed safe to enter. However, since the building happened to be risen a story off the ground, and just beyond the reach of the stairs, Connor and Velvet seemed to be in a disadvantageous position.

But underneath the window, at the base of the wall, lain a pile of loose rubble thats seemed to have come crumbling from the roof. While not quite high enough to reach the window - meeting about halfway up - if they could somehow stack just a few more feet onto the mound, they should be able to reach it.

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Investigating the small pile of ooze to his left carefully, Rios would be quick to recognize that this was clearly not ordinary gunk. It felt... old. Not for how long it's been here per say, but something about it felt 'ancient' and 'lost'. As if told straight from some ancient cursed manuscript. Yet despite its spherical aura and dense-looking volume, it didn't look quite as gelatinous as to that of a slime. It's texture looked far more sticky and fluid-like. If any of them took a step in it, they'd certainly have a hard time getting out or getting it off. He'd also catch a whiff of the foul odor emanating coming from it, heavily resembling the smell of asphalt and tar but mixed with something rotting. Like rotting flesh. And the white objects embedded on its surface looked very much like that of bone, ranging in size from tiny pebble sized pieces up to 1 foot tall "ribs" jutting out of it.

It looked something like a "carcass", the remains of something that once was... but the way it was undulating and squirming hinted that it was, in some capacity, "alive"?

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Meanwhile, upon picking up the pouch laying adjacent to a dead civilian, Davito would find that it had a bit of heft to it. Upon opening it, he would first be greeted to a couple of Rykes; featuring 2 silver and 6 copper respectfully. Simple pocket change. Looked to be whatever the deceased had on her prior to her death. However, there were two other notable items in the pouch. The first was a vial of reddish blood-like substance, with the second being a small bag of various green herbs.

  • Vial of Blood F (x1): - A vial of unidentified red humanoid blood. Non-Magical.
  • Medicinal Herbs F (x3): - A collection of various healing herbs. By crushing them into a fine powder or paste, it can be used to treat minor wounds on an individual.

Davito would then approach the fallen victims, with Rios shortly joining him, resting their eyes upon the death lain out before them. They'd see their bodies were mostly in tact, save for those being consumed slowly by the black tar. Their infected body parts were beginning to "melt" seemlessly into the tar, as if it was assimilating them whole. This appeared to be a very slow process when seen first hand, given the rate they were advancing on the body, but hard to tell being they wouldn't know how long the bodies had been laying there. It could've been minutes, hours, or even a full day.

Several bodies would also have deep stab wounds and lacerations on various sections of their person. One was slashed on the back. Another had been pierced in the shoulder. Even some of the soldiers' armor were bent and creased, as if something tried to bash and pierce them open. They didn't appear to match the strike of a blade, supported by the fact the loose blades present lacked any blood splattered upon them. However, most would be tainted by the tar, with veiny strings and globs covering the majority of the blade and handle.

It all seemed very... hazardous. And ominous.

And from the corner of his eye, Rios would notice the tar beginning to undulate just the slightest bit quicker. Not enough to ring too much of an alarm, but enough to get him to notice...
 
Velvet
Location: Palace yard

Velvet didn't stop her callings despite the lack of result. Davito might be right that the survivors had fled from this place, but it would be their duty to make sure there's no one that needs their help there. Not long after that they heard faint calling from inside the place and Velvet rushed to the building trying to get into it. Unfortunately for them the front door was inaccessible and many windows were filled with raging fire. Velvet approached the only window that seemed to not be burning.

After a few moments of thinking, Velvet stepped onto the rubble below the window. She leaned her back against the wall and joined both of her hands to make a step with her palms.

"Come here, Connor. I will give you a boost up." She called.

Develius Develius Renny Renny
 
Connor Erland
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Develius Develius Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread

Whatever these black ooze was, Connor was suspecting more and more that it has something to do with the destruction they have been seeing so far. Straining his ears against the sound of the pouring rain, he just barely managed to make out a voice, coming out somehwere through the remaining openings that was the windows. Unfortunately, these windows were what appears to be the only means of getting in given the fact that the actual entrance has collapsed into a heap of rubble.


Velvet offered to give him a hand to climb up, which he accepted with a nod. Running over towards her, he used the platform Velvet created with her hands to get the necessary height with which to pull himself up and over into one of the broken windows of the smoldering building. “I’ll help you up as well.” he said. It took a bit of struggling to get a safe enough hold to get himself over, but Connor eventually made it in. He was unsure of what he’d find inside, but assuming the immediate coast was clear, he can spend the time leaning back out the window to extend an arm down towards Velvet and pull her up.
 


With a bit of effort, both Connor and Velvet would pull themselves up onto the window sill and make their way inside the flaming ruined manor. As they entered, they'd find themselves within a small office, perhaps once worked by a secretary. Papers were tattered across the room, with minor fire damage to the desk and shelves. Overall, his room was lucky to have not gotten severely arsoned or consumed by the black goo. An open door would be at the very back of the room, which led to a much more grizzly scene. Down the hallway, the two would come across a ruined interior; with fire and goo coated a good portion of the reception room.

And there, laying facedown on the floor, was the body of a young, blonde-haired man covered partially by fallen rubble covering his legs. Judging by his armored attire, he looked to be a squire - some sort of junior knight in training. His short-sword was nearby, but it was just out of reach for him. He wasn't looking too hot, but his weakened groans confirmed that he was still alive. Though for how much longer was anyone's guess. If they could quickly get the debris off his legs, he'd be free.

Just a few feet behind the fallen squire, a large body of black ooze would begin bubbling. A large mound began to slowly form, shifting the white ribs jutting out of the tar with a sickening squelch. Suddenly, smaller bubbles began pulsing into view before opening to reveal a myriad of glowing yellow eyes. The mound was alive! The black tar squelched and squealed sickedly, its body morphing into a monstrous globulous form. Jagged teeth adorned its gaping maw, with bony protrusions running down its back and adorning its lanky arms. And a large cycloptic eye blinked into existence, with smaller eyes adorning its body like beady trinkets.

All of which were wide and all looking wildly at their surroundings.

Only the main eye remained in control, the six foot tall monster eying the squire ravenously as it began awkwardly lumbering towards him through the ooze. A series of distorted and uncomfortable groans seemed to emit from all around it like a form of nightmarish ambiance. For the moment, it seemed fixated solely on the boy, not having noticed the newcomers' presence.

And the lad was not going anywhere...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -​

Ooze Boozled


For the party outside, the piles of ooze in the park also began to rupture and bubble more violently. Eyes suddenly jolted to life within the inky tar, as moans began to rumble throughout the vicinity. Near Davito and Rios, they'd see two globular cyclopses rising from the dark ooze as their many eyes focused all on them. Their mouths hung agape, as a volley of distorted groans and squeals began advancing towards the two warriors. The one closest to Rios would attempt to swipe a lanky clawed arm towards the swordsman, while the one advancing on Davito would try and lunge at him with its jagged mouth.

As for Aniel, he too would find a glob rising from the opposite pile, bearing its fangs hungrily as it slowly advanced towards his direction.

0JqUOn9.png

Art by Develius


Prepare for Combat! Combat Rules are active!
  • Remember to keep track of your cooldowns.
  • Use three actions per post at most. Only 1 post per round is allowed.
  • Basic attacks and/or defend actions, talking a lot (more than a few sentences), moving further than a few steps and ability usage all take up an action.
  • Don't hesitate to ask questions when/if needed.
 
Last edited:
Rios
Mentions: Develius Develius 1Lucker 1Lucker

The sight of the gooey slime monsters made Rios regret specializing in blades. Creatures like this weren't affected much by slashing attacks. Attacks that would crush and bash suited these foes. Rios had no choice but to draw both of his swords. He'd have to hope they possessed enough substantial physical mass for cutting moves to be any use. There was little knowledge on his foes as of the current moment. Luckily Rios happened to have a trick up his sleeve to hopefully get some info out of these danger blobs. Rios focused his eye on the closest black slime and utilized his [Appraisal C] on it. His hope was that he'd find out at least something he could use to fight this thing and the many others like it he would no doubt find in the future.

"My sword spares no one"

Kicking off the ground like a beast. Rios closed the distance between himself and the slime with surprising speed. What followed was a series of quick cuts aimed mostly to break down anything resembling the guard of the goopy enemy attempting to harm Rios. The extra training that Rios had put himself through lately seemed to be paying off given that his swords were flowing far more naturally than when he first took up that discarded bandit blade so long ago.
Actions:
1. Appraisal C on Goo Monster
2. Move towards Goo Monster
3. Quick Cuts = Fighting Style (Katana) D + Vorpal F + Fast E
 
Connor Erland
charc.jpg​
Develius Develius Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread

The both of them managed to get up safely Connor immediately discovers the supposed source of that voice he was hearing earlier, a blonde man that looks to be some sort of knight. Before he could get moving to help the man out of the rubble he was under, movement from the black ooze caught his eye. While wondering what was happening, glowing eyes appeared, prompting Connor to bring forth his katana and violin. Whatever it is, it looked like it was aiming for the fallen man. Doesn't appear to have friendly intentions either, Connor feels shivers just looking at its appearance.

Taking advantage of the fact that it doesn't seem to have noticed them yet, he played a brief [Soothing Melody] and ran forwards. “Velvet, get him out!” he said, positioning himself between the black creature and the blonde man, swinging his katana forwards.

Actions:
  • [Soothing Melody]
  • Move between squire and "globster"
  • Attack "globster" with Katana (D)
Soothing Melody - Magic D, Selective Magic F, Magic Area of Effect F, Healing E, Performance F - Play a melody, generating a slight healing effect to allies within Connor's immediate vicinity - Grade D - 2 Post Cooldown
 
Davito Aranda


_270bd1cc-5aee-4bdc-8259-5a8556fb52e9.jpeg



Davito glanced over as Rios approached the tar pit as well. If anything went wrong, at least he had backup. He glanced into the pouch. A few coins, some herbs, which might be helpful, and a vial of blood. Maybe Velvet could use it. If not, I recently acquired a nice cookie recipe. Tucking the pouch away, Davito advanced over to the edge of the tar pits. He noticed the tar was slowly devouring the bodies, much like it had with the ships in the water.

With a loud bubbling sound and a loud groan, a creature pulled itself from the tar. Well, it seemed to be the tar itself. A globular creature, covered in eyes, with large spikes and claws adorning its body. It threw itself at Rios, catching the pair of warriors by surprise. Another monster rose from the tar, rushing at Davito, its claws slashing. Davito surmised that an attack on the eye would be most effective. He rushed at the monster, then parried the slash and sent a counter jab directed at the globster's largest eye.

Actions used 3/3
1. Running towards the monster
2. Parrying the monster's attack
3. Stabbing the globster in the eye​
 
Velvet
Location: Palace

Finally managed to get into the palace, it didn't take log for them to find an armored man trapped under the rubble. Unfortunately they're not the only one that had their eyes on him as the ooze started bubbling and reformed itself into some sort of goo monster with several eyeballs on it. Velvet let out a brief yelp but when Connor ordered her to get the squire, she immediately got into action and leapt next to the fallen man.

"Hello, sir?! Are you awake? We're here to save you, please tell me your name." She said to the squire, trying to keep him conscious as her hands started working on removing the rubble.

Action:
1) Move to squire
2) Use Athletics F to remove rubbles

Develius Develius Renny Renny
 


With a swift motion of his katana, after strumming a healing tune, Connor would step between the fallen squire and strike fast at the looming globster! The blade struck against its melted chest with considerable force, causing the monster to groan in visible pain as a large gash raked across its torso. Lobs of black ooze ejected from the cut, plopping on the ground as they writhed in place. The cut was considerably deep, enough to hack through a good portion of the glob's chest. Yet against such viscous material, the blade wouldn't deal as much damage as expected. In fact, Connor would find that the globster was already beginning to regenerate the damage caused; quickly filling in what would've normally been a fatal blow. The monster, in turn, would issue a gurgled groan at Connor, almost sounding as if it was mocking him. It's body began morphing and undulating violently before vomiting a volley of black tar from its mouth, straight towards Connor!

With Connor's soothing song filling the blazing room, some of the fallen victim's minor ailments would begin to heal. Velvet rushed over to tend to him and remove the rubble. Aside from lifting a heavy piece of stone from the victim's legs, the procedure was relatively quick and easy. From her point of view, she'd find that, visually, some of the minor scratches and bruises on his face were already if not nearly healed. And the raspy breathing they'd hear - once filled with smoke and ash - had also begun to sound clearer and more stable. The man slowly opened his eyes, before coughing out the toxins in his lungs. His expression was a bit dizzy and his eyes befuddled, but he already looked a lot better than when they got to him.

"Ugh..." he moaned groggily as he was getting to his senses, "What... what happened?"

Velvet began to state their intensions and ask for his name. "Name's... E... Elliot." he replied woozily. Seconds later the lad's eyes suddenly grew wide in panic. "Raedolf!" Elliot gasped worryingly, as he attempted to get to his feet, "Where's Sir-? Urk!" He stumbled upon getting to his feet, briefly knocking him down to a knee. His legs still seemed a bit wobbly after being stuck under heavy debris, though thankfully not sprained or broken. He glanced back at the fight at hand, as is expression began to grow more panicked.

"We need to go, now!" he called out urgently, "Where there's one of them; more won't be far behind!"

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

YZ3dmYj.jpg

| Comprised by Gaius Danius Griinia Gaius Danius Griinia - Monster Designs by Develius Develius |​
[ Gaius Danius Griinia Gaius Danius Griinia | 1Lucker 1Lucker | Faynorae Faynorae ]

Upon closer examination of the globster heading towards him, Rios would gather that his assumption appeared to relatively accurate. Normal blades would certainly have a difficult time hitting through there viscous malleable forms. The way they moved and undulated foretold of their regenerative capabilities; being able to heal their wounds by simply reapplying spare liquid. While it isn't impossible to kill them with blades, with the amount of liquid they had access too where they currently stood, this would prove to be a lot more difficult of a task. Blunt force and magic would seem better to use against them... but surely there was a more efficient way to do it even with the weapons he held?

After all, he wielded no ordinary blade.

Launching himself at the globster, just narrowly avoiding his swipe, Rios proceeded to quickly cut through it with quick efficiency. Thanks in part of his katana's unique [Vorpal F] ability, he'd find it easier to cut through its gooey exterior. The cuts were deep, shredding considerable gashes out of the globster's body as it reeled in pain. Chunks of black ooze dripped from its body, with yellow pustules leaking xanthic fluid from the slashed eyes. It left it stunned for a moment, its exposed wounds writhing and wiggling to reconnect. Rios would note that the black ooze under it would seem to siphon into him, using its terrain to help assist with the regenerating process. It would take a big longer compared to the wounds given by Connor within the manor, but it still stood ready to attack once more. It lurched forward, as his arm would suddenly extend with surprising speed in order to hit the swordsman!

Davito would raise his sword, clashing against the gaping maw of jagged teeth that attempted to bite him. It was a close shave, but it gave him enough time to focus his blade and strike the creature's main eye. It bled a yellow pus-like fluid, with dark veins beginning to fill in the damaged wound. It didn't take it too kindly, screeching madly as it took a moment to recognize what happened. Yet by no means was it out of the fight, now relying primarily on the large eyes adorning his shoulders as well as the smaller ones on the rest of his torso and arms. Still, in its mad rage, it began swiping angrily in Davito's direction in large arcing swipes. Before long, it actually began to walk on the ground and away from the ooze pile it was birthed from.

Aniel would, unfortunately, find himself a bit too slow to completely dodge against the approaching globster. With a sudden jerk, the creature swiped its clawed hand at her with surprising strength, knocking her back a good few feet. A gash would find itself present on his right arm, with bits of black ooze sticking onto them. It wasn't enough damage to knock them out of the fight, but they had to now keep their wits about them in order to survive this encounter.


Combat Rules are active!
  • Remember to keep track of your cooldowns.
  • Use three actions per post at most. Only 1 post per round is allowed.
  • Basic attacks and/or defend actions, talking a lot (more than a few sentences), moving further than a few steps and ability usage all take up an action.
  • Failure to react to the threat before the GM posts without prior notice will be at risk in suffering consequences.
  • Don't hesitate to ask questions when/if needed.
 
Last edited:
Velvet
Location: Palace

Velvet felts hopeful as she heard the man responded to her question, not only that but his smaller wounds seemed to be healing. Though his warning about the blob monster did alerts her. She nodded in agreement with the man, her hand swiped the sword nearby and handed it to the squire.

"Connor, let's retreat!" She called for her partner as she helped the squire to get up and walk.

"Is there any other survivor in this building?" She asked the squire, in case there's someone else they can save.

Action:
1) Handed the sword back to Elliot
2) Helps Elliot retreat

Develius Develius Renny Renny
 
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