Fantasy The Dread Wastes [IC]

[Teh Frixz]

Liandri


With the white edges starting to ring black and her heart pounding to the point of near unconsciousness, Liandri figured this was it. An inglorious death during the first sign of danger, fainting then letting her heart continue to speed up, blood unable to pump, she’d misfire then die in a few moments. Unable to keep crawling, she held still, her numb lips failing to move but willpower giving her just enough wherewithal to start a prayer.

Then her final rites where interrupted, something… no, someone lifted her off her feet and pushed her blue vial back into her hands. The pain was all encompassing, almost muting the feeling in her hand entirely but enough of her remained aware to grip tightly and crack the glass top off the vial. Pouring it right into her mouth, the taste was like a kick from a mule but the reaction was almost instant. Rapidly absorbing into her blood stream through the mucus of her mouth, her heart rate began to slow. The insufferable pounding in her ears diminishing to a dull throb.

Liandri’s white knuckle grip on her chest relaxed, the world coming back into focus. Blinking, one of her eyes itched as she closed and rubbed behind her glasses. Opening it up, her left eye had gone blood red, having burst a few veins. She took a deep breath, realizing who had assisted her.

“..je…je… to the doer please Clyde, need to set, get the infirmary ready…” she panted, forming a weak smile. “Alarms…” she held herself in his grip for a moment before sliding free. “Thenk you for saving me, now go save the ship. Good chapter for your book je?”

 

[Vexumin]

Naileen had been passing the captain and the others when the word Leviathan reached her ears. Her eyes widened, fear beginning to course through her veins like the chill of the frozen sea beneath them. Her gaze followed the direction of the captain's spyglass, staring off into the distance after this beast of the depths. It was so sudden, but after a bit of thought, everything up till now was almost like haunting signs leading to a dreadful event.

Her heart began to race as she bore witness to the creatures advance, that distant shape becoming all too real in mere moments. The pounding in her chest filled her ears, her breathing began to pick up, but the cold was like shards of ice cutting into her throat.

This moment felt like forever. The hope that a fight would not come stretching a second into an eternity. But that moment was dashed when a voice broke over the chorus of voices.

"ALL HANDS ON DECK! READY YOUR GUNS!"

With that, she clenched her jaw, though she could not feign bravery now. This was a very real threat, and there was little chance that blood wouldn't be shed. However, despite her fear, she would help. She had to. All hands were needed to keep this monster at bay. It only takes her a moment to get back her senses, following the rush of people towards where guns were being quickly passed out to the able bodied.

When a rifle was held out, she reached out and grabbed it. However, when she tried to take it, the grip on the weapon was tight.

"Miss Enroy? What are you doing?! You should get somewhere safe!"

Naileen was a bit too tense to focus on the voice or the face, she just wanted a weapon. To help, to feel safe. She tightened her own grip on the rifle.

"I can use it! I've hunted with rifles before. I've shot quite a few times. Please! I can help!"

There was only a brief look shared between her and the one fellow among the few passing out weapons before he nodded. Before she knew it, she had a rifle in hand. She slipped out of the flow of bodies and stood along the side of the ship. She tried to spare a look towards the leviathan, but she couldn't bring herself to look at the creature a second time. She was starting to panic.

It was only when she began to focus on the heft of the rifle in her hand that she could put her mind to something else. The rifle, yes. That could help. She focused on its weight, the soft shine of its metal, the small scratches in its different surfaces. By the time she had gotten to know the weapon a bit, she had also calmed, if only a little. She stands ready beside a few others. Where some had their own groups of people, she hadn't considered a team in her haste. She was starting to regret that.

 

[Breadman]

Sounds like her people were about the same as his. A group that needs to have its hands moving. Productive bunch. Clyde's group aren't a crew, but a bunch of rag tag group looking for adventure. Somehow he isn't their leader. Thats a dime novel in itself. Some creative license for his chapter will work wonders for the publisher.

Leviathan. Charging straight for us. ALL HANDS ON DECK! READY YOUR GUNS!

Shouts filled the air. The gruff voices calling to arms. Graves should be on his way soon.

Fuck. Better get yer boys, Fontaine.

"Good call." Fontaine turned his head to where his cabin was. As predicted Graves had already bolted out the door, looking for weapon to use. "My man is ahead of us, though." His bodyguard was cursing and barking orders as he looked for the company men. Just a minute ago, he was talking with Kozlova if these men would live up to any standards, now was a good test. Clyde was nowhere to be seen now. Probably to get his gear. "I didn't call for you, Gaves." He said as he saw him approach.

"Sorry about that, boss. Thought the situation called for it." Graves responded with a smirk on his face. He was carrying two riffles with him.

"I appreciate the initiative." Reginald grabbed one of the guns. "And the others?"

"If they aren't here in 60 seconds, I'm cutting their pay in half." Graves checked if the gun was loaded. "You know, for motivation."

"Don't use that trick too often. It stop being effective if they dont care." The first of the company men were already gathering. Now what were they standing around for? "What are you waiting for? You heard the captain. Take your place and aim at the beast!"

 

[K0mori]

"ALL HANDS ON DECK! READY YOUR GUNS!"

Amidst the unfolding chaos, Kozlova looked out over the ice in the direction of the danger and frowned. "Well, let's get to it, then," she said, moving quickly, but without panic, back toward her cabin. Within moments, she had re-emerged carrying a very unusual, Alleghanian-built revolver carbine with a telescopic sight. As she did, the other members of the Sokrovian team appeared, although only Vasylenko was armed, and only with a simple revolver of the same basic type. They hurried to the railing where the others were positioned in wait, and readied themselves.

Kozlova took up the position of a skilled hunter, her breathing steady and controlled. She waited for the creature to breach in a way which would reveal the universally-understood weak points on the leviathan's body. Of all of them, the target she desired the most was its eye.

 

[Infab]

“..je…je… to the doer please Clyde, need to set, get the infirmary ready…” she panted, forming a weak smile.

Clyde nodded, carefully escorting Liandri over to the open bulkhead door that lead inside the bowels of the vessel. Once they arrived, they stepped inside and Liandri soon slipped free of his grip.

“Alarms…” she held herself in his grip for a moment before sliding free. “Thenk you for saving me, now go save the ship. Good chapter for your book je?”

"Yeh, folks love some action." he responded, with a hint of a chuckle. "Be careful on th' way down to yer lab."

He patted her on the side of her shoulder, before departing, heading towards where his quarters were. He managed to pass by Koslova, who was on the way out with a rather interesting looking firearm. A revolver carbine fitted with a scope? Quite a choice. The only thing he had ever used with a scope was one of those new Sharps rifles. Great for hunting big game on the open plains.

He darted through the narrow halls, eventually slipping into his room and sliding to where his cot was situated at the wall on the opposite side of the room. Reaching underneath, he located his rifle and ammo box with little issue. A Spencer repeating rifle, an oddity among weapons these days as it was what was known as a 'lever-action repeater'. Ammunition was also loaded into the weapon from a hole in the back of the stock, where bullets were simply dropped in before being secured in place by a follower that slid in behind them.

He drew the follower from the back of the weapon, grabbed seven rounds from his ammunition box, and slid them into the hole one at a time before shoving the follower back in. Then, the hammer was cocked back, and the lever was cycled forcefully. The weapon was ready. After slipping the ammo box onto his belt, he darted back out the door of his quarters. He'd not need to bring extra ammo for his revolver; it was likely that pistol ammunition wouldn't hurt the creature all too much.

Back out on the deck, Clyde would find himself near where Koslova and her colleague were with their weapons. He shouldered the rifle, taking aim for any weak points he could spot on the creature before opening fire.

 

[demytra]

The cracking of ice came like thunder, both close and from afar, as two behemoths - one of steel and another of flesh - tore through the seascape at their full strengths. Wolf readied his rifle, as did his marines and others on board, as they watched the Leviathan gain on them despite the ship being at full power. A heading had been set thanks to the quick thinking of Angela, which was then confirmed by Mr. Jones as being correct based on their previously known positions and the current compass heading aboard, but getting there was another matter entirely. As the beast grew closer, its trademark spines grew more visible for all to see as did its other well-known features: scales as large as a man, an almost tubular and snake-like shape, and its all too distinctive bellow that rumbled through the waters.

However, this was not as powerful as Wolf expected as he looked down to the waters with slight confusion before recognizing what the deal was. "It's a young one!" he shouted to everyone nearby still preparing to fire. "It's not too big!" For many of the experienced sailors, this came as a sigh of relief as it meant they weren't likely to die - the ship on the other hand was the one in most danger. Its metal hull would be put to the test as the beast finally fully surfaced from the water for all to see, with its sharp teeth glistening in the pale sunlight.

An artistic depiction of the Svalbarnian recorded Leviathan "Karl", the largest Leviathan ever seen in History.
​

It was a juvenile by all accounts, still maturing as it was only around half to sixty per-cent the length of the vessel itself - but its raw strength still meant it posed a danger. Gunfire erupted accompanied by plumes of smoke as the marines fired first, pelting its hide and the waters around with bullets. Rahmer's sailors and Clyde's company joined in on the black-powder chorus to similar effect, which seemed to do little to slow the beast's approach. Another shudder from the ship as the beast bellowed again made a few other sailors and marines miss their target, but for Naileen it did have the fortunate effect of throwing her aim off from the main body to shooting out a tooth of the beast.

Fontaine and his men held better fortunes as they steadied themselves and fired upon one of the creature's known weak points: a slab of flesh near the hinge of its jaw that was less protected than the rest of its body. While bullets peppered around it, one shot managed to pierce through it which made the Leviathan thrash around angrily as it swam. As painful as it was, another target - if hit - would have fared worse for the juvenile as Kozlova prepared to fire. Her knowledge of Leviathan biology allowed her to quickly pinpoint its eye, the most vulnerable part of the creature if one could strike at it. Taking into position both her and the creature's position and the latter's trajectory, as well as the chaos of the ship she exhaled to steady herself and - once the scope aligned briefly to her mark - pulled the trigger.

The gun cracked like thunder and a whip as its bullet sailed, but found itself only just wanting its target. Rather than take out the eye, it carved a crack and a gash across the natural plating at the far corner of its lid. The beast, however, roared once more and rather than stay surfaced it quickly descended downwards into the depths. Wolf's eyes widened as he could see the vague shadow of its form practically dart towards the ship.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" the Lieutenant shouted, darting away from the railing to find some footing with nearby rigging. Others aboard did much the same to varying degrees of success as the creature finally made contact with the vessel. With a thunderous shock, the ship lurched upwards as the Leviathan struck from below - forcing everyone throughout the ship to stumble. Some sailors and marines fell, with a few hitting their sides or their heads on accident, but the majority remained safe as they managed to keep their footage after having found something to hold onto. One Albionian sailor, and one Lauhurnian, were not so fortunate as the impact sent them tumbling overboard into the icy depths below. Their screams of panic were drowned out by the chaos and commotion of both the vessel and the beast, and in turn they were lost to the waters.

The beast was not done yet, however, as it trailed around the other side of the ship and broke through the surface once more - more sea ice shattering as it did so. Wolf rushed over starboard side to the railing and observed, calling everyone over: "ITS COMING BACK AROUND! GET READY TO FIRE AGAIN!"

By this point, Dobbs returned from the helm - confident in Mr. Jones' steering - armed with a rifle of his own. Assuming a wide stanced firing position, he brought the rifle with his right hand positioned onto his left elbow and peered through the scope. "MAKE READY!" the Captain shouted, bringing forth the marines to firing positions. Isaac, by now, had also managed to grab ahold of an available rifle and took up a firing position nearby to prepare for the next volley.

Back at the helm, Mr. Jones was on the wheel - gritting his teeth from the stress - as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "What is our current heading on the compass, Angela?" he asked of the young navigator. "I need to know how much to adjust after that blow."

Below deck, a few of the those that had been injured from falling up top - as well as those within the ship - had been brought to the infirmary by their comrades, to which Lonstray quickly attended to as best as he could. Liandri was there too, having joined just before impact, to which Lonstray quickly glanced and pointed to her: "STOP DAWDLING AND HELP ME WITH BANDAGES!" he shouted, less out of annoyance and moreso out of immediate urgency. One man's head had been cut open with a deep gash, which Lonstray started to disinfect with a wet cloth doused in ether. Another man nearby had been hoisted onto one of the free beds and was writing in pain as he cradled a broken arm.

K0mori Infab turtwigwins AriAriAbabwa Teh Frixz Emperor Sagan dikdik Vexumin Breadman

 

[K0mori]

The first shot missed its mark - just barely - and Kozlova knew it. As the leviathan dove below water, she and the other Sokrovians grabbed onto the nearest railings and braced as instructed. The impact was otherworldly, and two of their team were knocked onto their backs regardless of their grip. Kozlova grunted and shook off her instincts to panic. "[...Everyone alright?]" she asked a moment later.

A chorus of "da!" followed from her companions.

The beast was not done yet, however, as it trailed around the other side of the ship and broke through the surface once more - more sea ice shattering as it did so. Wolf rushed over starboard side to the railing and observed, calling everyone over: "ITS COMING BACK AROUND! GET READY TO FIRE AGAIN!"

By this point, Dobbs returned from the helm - confident in Mr. Jones' steering - armed with a rifle of his own. Assuming a wide stanced firing position, he brought the rifle with his right hand positioned onto his left elbow and peered through the scope. "MAKE READY!" the Captain shouted, bringing forth the marines to firing positions. Isaac, by now, had also managed to grab ahold of an available rifle and took up a firing position nearby to prepare for the next volley.

The Sokrovians moved in toward the middle of the ship, although only Kozlova and Vasylenko moved all the way to the edge with their weapons at the ready. The others had learned their lesson and remained far from the edge of the ship, watching and waiting for the beast's next approach. "[Still going for the eye?]" Vasylenko asked.

"[Naturally.]"

 

[Infab]

Clyde managed to hang onto the railing of the gunwale, as the ship was rocked by the behemoth of a creature. Their weapons weren't cutting it, though Kozlova quite nearly had put out one of the creature's eyes with her shot. It was likely she could do it again, but Clyde was never one for simply driving something off.

He went for the kill, if he could.

He looked back at one of the Alleghanians that had joined him on the deck, and noticed it was just the one he intended to seek out. "Thompson!" he called out, "Still got those sticks o' dynamite on ya?"

"You know it! Ain't goin' out unless it's in a fireball!" he responded with a loud chuckle, loading a new round into his single-shot trapdoor rifle as he spoke. "What, ya got somethin' in mind?"

"Yeah! Bundle 'em up tight and toss it overboard at th' thing when it gets close enough!" said Clyde, "I'll shoot the bundle, and hopefully take a nice fat chunk outta that thing's hide!"

Think your aim is good enough for that?

I've done it before, if ya recall.

You have, yes, but that was while you were standing still on solid ground.

Wouldn't hurt ta try.

Thompson quickly drew the sticks of dynamite he had in his shirt out, binding them up with a strip of rope and preparing himself. As the creature neared again, he moved close to the gunwale before hurling it over the side at the beast. A moment after, Clyde stepped up to the gunwale, drawing his revolver from its holster with a snap and following the bundle as it sailed through the air.

The moment it bounced off the beast's flesh, he fired.

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Angela
Interactions: demytra

​

The peace lasted as long as a fly in boiling water. When the Leviathan struck, Angela barely had time to comprehend her next move before being swept off her feet. All she needed to know was this: they need an out, now. The gunfire and monstrous waves of the creature roared behind her, briefly shattering the blind positivity that kept her going up to now. When she landed at the helm with Mr. Jones, her autopilot scrounged together just enough to set the heading.

The Leviathan's impact sent her stumbling with a yelp, snapping her back into the moment. Angela stared at Mr. Jones for a moment, blanching and overwhelmed. She eyed the sweat beading down his face; he felt the same fear as her. He could contain it—so should she.

"20 degrees!" she yelled. "It knocked us off by 20 degrees!" With the battle raging in the back, Angela attempted to focus on everything at the helm, distracting herself from the chaos.

 

[dikdik]

Every day was entirely too similar when you were charged with telling people what to do. And these ones, save the Albonian crew and perhaps just a few of the fellows joining the expedition, were needing quite the attention and effort when telling them what to do. The days following the Dawnbreaker’s departure from Edwin’s Point were entirely too similar and entirely too dull. Isaac fucking McGuire had a job to do, a job he loathed and hated with all his might, but he had to do it. He kept uncharacteristically sober, too, just for the first impressions, of course. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to be belligerently intoxicated whilst just setting off on the mission of a lifetime. Bah! Who the devils was he kidding!

Izzy slid belowdecks to check up on some supply stores. Meaning the supply of liquor readily available inside of his jacket pocket, now lined with a warm and fuzzy fleecy layer to keep him warmish in the nasty cold, and how much he’d need to replenish from said stores after he slurped half the damn thing down in an instant. What was the harm, anyways? Half the crew was drunker than he would ever be and the other half was a hell of a lot dumber than he would be, even after the rum kicked in. Especially that Fontaine guy. Moron.

Emerging from belowdecks, Izzy felt the ship lurch as an anchor was dropped at Jones’ command. That was unexpected, now wasn’t it? Izzy meandered a roundabout way of a trip back to where Lieutenant Wolf was. Though the man was full of ridiculous, relentless chatter, he was surely the capable sailor. Really annoying though. Really. Annoying.

Said really annoying man was engaged with Wagne and Izzy felt awkward just standing around nearby. He opted to go on a little stroll about the decks of the Dawnbreaker. He gazed out over the ocean in front of them. Had the alcohol hit him that hard? Where was the Trail? The place had looked different on every sketch or map he’d ever seen of it. Hmm. Today was bothersome, really quite bothersome. Whatever! That was fine! All of this was totally and completely and utterly fine, wasn’t it? Just another day on just a lovely vessel. Not as lovely as Vaxis, though. Really, nothing could be. A resonant crack met with a pause and a sudden bout of yelling roused Izzy back from his daydreaming.

Thankfully, well maybe not thankfully, his body knew exactly what to do and not a single sliver of panic gripped his throat and made him feel like he was choking. Not one sliver. Izzy went to assist in passing out firearms to everyone that knew how to shoot. He repeated any orders from the other officers, including Wolf, and tried to calm any hysteria or panic. The crew functioned as a well-oiled machine in its preparation to fight the-

“Oh my Mother of God.” Isaac McGuire squished the words out as quiet as he could, which in this case was somewhere between a screech and a yelp, as the behemoth of a creature swirled its way out of the water. He’d seen them before, hell he’d fought some larger but they scare the shit right out of him every single time.

After having been fired at, and wounded by a couple lucky shots, the leviathan reared back and smashed into the undercarriage of the ship. Izzy didn’t have time to grab onto any rigging and the impact made him lurch forwards and fall, smacking his shoulder into the deck and sending the gun he was holding flying. With a throbbing and half of a stumble, Izzy managed to grab the gun and fall into position at Dobbs’ command. He pulled the gun into this shoulder, the throbbing one, and stared, both eyes open, at where the leviathan was emerging, ready to shoot at the fucker.

 

[Vexumin]

It was a momentary relief to have heard that the beast was a mere fledgling among its colossal kin. A youth of their kind, although equally as vicious. Naileen had never seen the like. Never once in all of her years had she wandered anywhere near these parts. Not once in her life had she ventured anywhere close enough to leviathan territory to behold one of these fierce creatures. It must have been fear that made it seem far more massive than it actually was. Despite that, Naileen was still shaking in her boots, literally.

The idea that they had encountered such a creature so soon terrified her. Her mind began to drift away from the details of the rifle in her hand as the creature came near. The fear was setting in again. But she had just a bit more confidence with a weapon in hand. She watches, gaze trailing down the sights of the rifle, as its spines cleave through the ice like a knife through snow. She and the others were ready, and as it neared, the firing began. She tried to wait for the right moment, focusing her weapon as accurately as she could on its center mass, but as its maw opened and that terrible roar rumbled through the deeps, shaking the very ship, she stumbled and flinched which caused her to fire way off mark.

Surprisingly though, her shot had hit it's mark in a rather unexpected way.

It will be a memory that she will not soon forget, if ever. As her round hit the beast, it was met with a crack and a brief flicker of red. An ivory tooth flicked free from the beasts maw. Watching it fall into the sea was almost saddening. If only it could have been claimed, it would have made for a good story.

Her thoughts about the tooth sinking do the depths only lasted a moment though, as she had come back to the danger at hand. In only moments, the creature had surfaced and then disappeared. It was only when the shout rang out that Naileen had realized what was happening.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" the Lieutenant shouted

The first punishing assault was far from enough. It was rounding for more. Naileen felt the ship reel from the impact and then suddenly she was floored. The force of the blow had affected those on board in many different ways, some leading to considerably injury. For Naileen, who had failed to brace in time with the others, had nearly been tossed. It hurt, but it really deprived her of the breath in her lungs as she hit the deck and would likely result in a bruise or two. She groaned as she rose, a hand placed against her chest, clutching at her thick clothes.

The beast was not done yet, however, as it trailed around the other side of the ship and broke through the surface once more - more sea ice shattering as it did so. Wolf rushed over starboard side to the railing and observed, calling everyone over: "ITS COMING BACK AROUND! GET READY TO FIRE AGAIN!"

Naileen shuffled back to her feet, the desire for peace once again driving her to reload her rifle and ready it along the side of the vessel.

 

[Breadman]

BRACE FOR IMPACT!

The company men braced themselves as the ship was lifted by the leviathan. Many of them stood on wobbly footing on account of the vessel being smashed directly by a gargantuan beast. Yet they stood.

"Everyone alright?" Graves asked not out of concern for their health, but for how many guns he could count on for the next round. They scored a hit, but there was no way the leviathan wasn't going to leave them be.

ITS COMING BACK AROUND! GET READY TO FIRE AGAIN!

And there it was. "Damn it! Come on boys and girls, are you going to let that fish take a chunk out of the ship? Form up and stay away from those edges! I want you to show the royal marines what you're made of." He snapped to one of the men falling behind "You, get your ass back in line with the rest. We paid good money for each of you, so show me you're worth it!" The bodyguard barked. He lacked the uniform, but he still carried himself like an officer. Some habits you couldn't shake. "As soon as you hear the captain, I want you to light that sucker up! Aim for the eyes!"

While Graves was busy organizing the men into line, Fontain had prepared to take another shot. He didn't need to give orders or instructions of his own. Not when his own right hand was eager to take the reins and the captain of the vessel maintained control. He just needed to aim and fire. The leviathan was just like any big game he hunted before. Dangerous, but with its own weakness. He did catch what the other group of Alleghanians was planning to do and raised an eyebrow. Dynamite? Clyde had better not miss.

 

[turtwigwins]

Rahmer barely had time to register as one of his Lauhurian men, Frank, got knocked by the impact and tumbled into the deep depths below a curling scream as the leviathans ominous presence kept terror in their midst. Scaring the beast off was important, was it the most important thing in that moment? Instinct kicked in. “Lifeline!” he barked turning around searching, an oar, no this is a world class vessel, focus. He found it, a hope, a long coil of rope that he took out and hurled toward the icy waves. Two of his men nearby got ready to pull if Frank was able to reach it as he began to see him swept by the waves of the leviathan. Whether the man could reach it in time, Rahmer didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to let them disappear without a fight.

He turned back, forcing himself to focus. The rest of his men reorganized and had already begun reloading, some faster than others, but their shots had barely deterred the beast. "Steady yourselves! Weak points!" He positioned himself, before he caught sight of Clyde and Thompson. The moment he saw the dynamite hurl, his breath hitched, this man better be a good shot. "Oh, hell—"

 

[demytra]

Another rumble through the waters rattled the ship to its foundation as the Leviathan grew closer to attack once more, and was to be met once again with the resistance one board as everyone prepared to fire their weapons once more. Wolf steadied his breath, glancing over briefly to see Captain Dobbs retain his stance - as immovable as a mountain - as he prepared for the creature's next full breach above water. For the Lieutenant, it provided some morale support as his commanding officer remained steadfast in the face of danger and fully joined his men in combating it. For the other Albionian sailors and marines it was much of the same effect as they steadied their hearts in anticipation for the next barrage. And soon thereafter, the Leviathan breached the ice once more to reveal its vicious form to all.

The Albionians with Dobbs and Fontaine's men released their barrage collectively, many of which hit the tough outer hide of the beast to little effect, in a rapid fire of smoke and bangs that filled the air. Similarly, Naileen and Kozlova's gunfire peppered the beast to much the same effect as bullets harmlessly pelted the Leviathan's exterior. This only angered the beast on its approach, garnering an ever more furious wake trailing its path, but also distracted it from Clyde's positioning and plan with the explosives he carried. Rahmer and his men would succeed in injuring the beast further, in that a few shots managed to hit its weaker points that in turn forced it to rear upwards. And this was the moment that Clyde awaited, as he threw the bound cluster of dynamite towards the beast.

For a shot like that, it was worthy of rememberance - to hit what was essentially a small speck amidst a large area as it moved - but Clyde had, with his marksmanship, succeeded in such a task. As hit bullet hit, an explosion rocked the air, the beast, and the ship altogether; a fiery plume erupted where the dynamite had detonated, and in turn had tore off a chunk of the Leviathan's flesh at its midsection the size of two men. Its oily black blood and greasy flesh pattered the deck above as the beast roared and submerged to the depths once more, this time to flee. At the helm, the section rumbled from the explosion, before Jones quickly looked through the windows to see the creature flee their presence. This allowed the helmsman his moment of reprive as he let out a deep sigh, having finally corrected course once again. "Well done. You're not hurt are you?" he asked Angela, wiping the sweat of his brow once more.

Back above deck, a few of those that were closest to the blast were unfortunate enough to be defeaned for the time being, which included Wolf as his ears rang and the world around him doubled slightly. In the commotion around him, he could see a few others clutching at their eardrums or sprawled around stunned by the blast. His comrades would quickly go to their aid, and to others affected, as the rest of the ship began to celebrate. They had warded off a Leviathan; a junior one, perhaps, but it was a feat worthy to celebrate as Dobbs shouldered his rifle, allowing his men to celebrate as they cheered and fired their weapons into the air. The Captain quickly walked over to Wolf, offering him a hand: "Can you stand, Leftenant?" he asked. Wolf started blankly for a moment before nodding, allowing Dobbs to help him up onto his feet. "Make sure to get yourself checked by Dr. Lonstray." the Captain then said, before turning to others.

"If you're wounded or hurt in any way, get yourself to the infirmary to get checked!" he shouted above the cheers, his voice being acknowledged and understood by everyone around him. It was then that Dobbs moved to Isaac and patted him on the shoulder: "Well done."

As Rahmer's men moved to rescue the two overboard sailors, they would surprisingly find no sign of them; they had only fallen over minutes ago, and as such it would be expected to see them either in the near distance flailing for help or for any sign of their existence. Instead, they were simply met with ice and the deep black-blue waters beneath. A few Albionian sailors similarly were looking for their lost comrade, but looked to one another with growing concern, and then fear, as they realized along with their Lauhurnian fellows: the two men had disappeared.

 

[Infab]

As soon as the creature vanished from sight, Clyde spun the revolver around his finger with a flourish before slipping it back into its holster. He smirked, looking over to his fellow Alleghanians who were celebrating with cheers and handshakes. Got it done.

Indeed. Excellent shot. We're getting better.

He then glanced over to Kozlova nearby, who had been using a scoped revolver carbine. He gave her a polite tip of his hat as she looked his way. She almost had done the job herself, hitting near the eye of the beast. Would have been less flashy, but probably would have still driven the beast off. "Fine shootin', Doc."

He then moved back towards the bulkhead door leading into the ship. There wasn't a need for the Spencer rifle now, since the beast was gone. Still, he'd keep it laying out on his cot for the time being. Just in case something else decided to make its presence known.

Interactions: K0mori

 

[Vexumin]

The smoke of her shot filled her nostrils as the beast had risen from the depths for another charge. This thing was too damn persistent! The volley of gunfire riddled its hide, seemingly doing nothing but pissing it off more than it already had been. It was hopeless. This much trouble from a juvenile leviathan? Her eyes grew wide, she could feel tears stinging, fighting to roll down her cheeks. What had she gotten herself into? The sounds began to drown out, but the screams, oh they pierced the veil as clear as a haunting melody. Torment and death. A few figures falling from the deck and into the cold, dark sea. It was black. Before her very eyes, it had turned into an endless void.

Was it all in her mind? This was impossible.

Her eyes find the leviathan again, a beast kin to the shadows. The only light from it being the rage in its eyes as it coursed through the dark. She was shaking. All she could do was stare as it trailed closer to them. She couldn't reload her weapon even if she tried. This was impossible. Impossible. She had considered herself brave before. Willing to try anything, afraid of nothing. But now... She knew fear now. Her first true fears. The depths. The monsters that call it home. Unbearable. She felt like she was going to die, if not by the leviathans, then by her heart giving out.

It was only the slam of air and sound of the explosion that threw her out of her nightmarish trance. She felt the black blood fleck across her face, her eyes, suffering it like a spray of pinpricks as each drop carried the force of the blow. She let out a scream as all the sensations pushed at her. The creature was done for now. Just like that, it sheltered in the unreachable fathoms of the sea. Gone, but who was to say if its injury would prove fatal or if it would come back for revenge.

The world spun as Naileen slowly rose from the deck of the ship again, thrown like before. She grabbed her rifle which had fallen to her side and peaked over the edge of the ship.

A black void. So dark. Was that the light of rage beneath the surface just there? Was she starting to see things?

Unable to bear looking into the ocean again, she clutched the rifle to her chest, turned, and slowly sank down, sitting there along the gunwale in silence. She couldn't help but ball up a bit. Naileen had not been prepared, and it took its toll on her. That had been a child among their kind. A small example of leviathan terror, and they were only going to get bigger. As the crew began to celebrate, Naileen took the time to process the whole event. A longing for land gnawed at her heart.

 

[K0mori]

After the explosion, Kozlova's ears were ringing, and blood and fine particles of flesh had splattered onto her face and clothing. She lowered the revolver carbine quickly, staring intensely at the aftermath for a moment before turning to Vasylenko.

"[Dynamite,]" she said.

Vasylenko grunted. "[A rather Alleghenian solution.]"

The doctor nodded, wiped her face on her sleeve, and then stood up to leave.

He then glanced over to Kozlova nearby, who had been using a scoped revolver carbine. He gave her a polite tip of his hat as she looked his way. She almost had done the job herself, hitting near the eye of the beast. Would have been less flashy, but probably would have still driven the beast off. "Fine shootin', Doc."

She had no response for him, just staring unpleasantly for the moment before departing towards her own cabin.

 

[turtwigwins]

Rahmer wiped a streak of the Leviathan’s viscous black blood from his brow, exhaling deeply as he felt the grease across his skin. His ears still rang from the blast, his vision swimming, but he forced himself to focus. Wiping down the blood on his clothes he thought on the moment, the beast had been driven back, victory. Yet even as the cheers rose around him, tension did not fall within. Two men lost, this expedition would have countless more. Selfishly he just wished it wasn't a Lauhurnian, it was always easier to deal with loss when you didn't know a man.

"Where is Frank?" Leonie muttered, scanning the water frantically eyes, her rifle still giving off smoke from the well aimed shot placed just moments prior.

Two men overboard. But no bodies. No cries for help. No sign of them at all. He turned to the men around him, "Its called the dread wastes for a reason, we are conquering the unknown, a dreadful dealy unknown. But we are hunters, it is our heritage. So we should be proud of the way Frank went, Fighting a leviathan!" One of the men nearby Braun, a burly man with messy brown hair, gave a laugh, "Aye Rahmer, he's secured his tale as a hunter, a good beast for your last fight." The others around them began come celebratory motions and jokes of Frank's past within the group. It was important they remained hopeful, and gradually there tales lifted his own mood

He then noticed Clyde, who was starting to move off. Rahmer gave him a firm nod as the man passed. "Hell of a shot Cowboy," he said, his voice tired but offered a brief smile.

Infab

 

[Infab]

He then noticed Clyde, who was starting to move off. Rahmer gave him a firm nod as the man passed. "Hell of a shot Cowboy," he said, his voice tired but offered a brief smile.

Clyde paused, looking Rahmer's way and flashing him a smirk. "Honestly, pure luck." he responded, "Doc Kozlova would'a drove it off if I had missed. Damn good shot with that carbine of 'ers." He towards Kozlova as she moved back towards her own cabin. He then tipped his hat towards Rahmer and his bunch behind him, before continuing his own trek towards his own cabin.

Interaction: turtwigwins
Mention: K0mori

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Angela
Interactions: demytra

​

As the gunpowder ripped through the air and the waves buckled from the beast, Angela held her breath. Was it over? Were they safe? The brief silence drew out for an eternity. By the time the crew started cheering, Angela was ready to shove aside her fear and keep working. "I-I'm okay!" she spat to the helmsman, the trembling of her hands betraying her. "We did it, right? We're all safe?"

The girl took to the navigation instruments, ruffling through her strewn papers on the ground and comparing them to the readings. They were still on course, but suddenly the average expedition length dawned on her, and Angela wasn't too thrilled with the thought. "The quicker we reach our destination, the less leviathans we'll meet... Is there any way to get there faster?"

 

[demytra]

"Aye, we're fine." Jones was visibly relieved when Angela affirmed her status, but shook his head at the question that followed: "No, we simply have to push through it until we get back to shallower depths. Closer to land, that is... wherever the hell it is." The helmsman looked out towards the bridge's windows towards the expanse of icy nothingness before checking the maps one last time and letting out a sigh. "Alright... it's a straight shot towards the Spire from here. You can take a break." he stated to the young navigator, "I'll send for someone if I need you again."

Back on deck, Wolf had managed to regain more of his bearings though rubbed at the side of his head as he felt a dull pain radiate. For a simple headache, he wouldn't bother the infirmary until he was sure those more in need of aid had gotten attention first. He looked over to see the others chatting, or celebrating, and even spotted Boots having crawled out of hiding and was now snacking upon a small chunk of Leviathan flesh that had been splattered aboard. This was in spite of the repugnant smell - and famously vile taste - of Leviathan that made the Lieutenant scoff. He also noticed Naileen tucked off in a corner by her lonesome, and approached out of concern: "Are you alright?" he asked, looking her over for wounds. "You don't need to see the surgeon do you?"

Dobbs' concerns were more towards the gathering of Lahurnians and his own Albionian crew that were discussing among themselves and others on the disappearances. A palpable tension filled the air as the men let out their own wild theories as to what happened to their fellows. "Must've... must've froze to death." one sailor proposed rationally, but was quickly shot down by an older man who had plenty of experience under his belt.

"You don't sink that quickly from the cold." he stated, drawing eyes and ears. "These waters are cursed. They've been dragged down under. Down to Lord Umfrey's Locker I tell you."

"We just saw a fookin' sea beast and you're spreading fookin' ghost stories?" a younger sailor spoke up, garnering a few grunts of approval from his peers. "The beast fookin' ate them, thas all."

Dobbs intervened: "It doesn't matter how they've perished, only that they did." the Captain spoke, immediately defusing the conversation. "...what's the lads name that went overboard?" he then asked.

"Thomas." another man spoke up, taking off his cap and solemnly resting it on his chest. "Thomas Abney, sir." Others joined in on the vigil, which made Dobbs sigh and shake his head.

"He knew the risks coming aboard. You all do too. There is naught we can do but go on." the Captain stated, "All we can do is carry on in his memory, and ensure we succeed in our expedition." He looked over to the Lauhurnians with Rahmer and walked over: "What was the name of your man? So that I may prepare the log."

turtwigwins AriAriAbabwa Vexumin

 

[Vexumin]

Naileen didn't do much other than sway slowly with the motion of the massive ship, huddled there with the rifle tight in her grasp. When she was approached, her eyes finally drift away from the stare nearly burning a hole through the deck. It's like she was hyper examining the surface to distract herself from the presence of the sea. Her shoulders, so tense they were, relaxed a bit in the presence of another. She offered a smile that would do little to convince someone that she was doing well.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking her over for wounds. "You don't need to see the surgeon do you?"

Naileen shakes her head, raising a sleeve and wiping some of the thick, black blood from her face. "Um... no. I'm not hurt," she says, still a bit far away. She takes a moment to check herself as well. Aside from the ringing in her ears and a few bumps from her falls, she was in pretty good shape. Although her mind still felt like it was twisting whenever she heard the water lap against the side of the ship. "I'll live. I'm just... probably not coming out of that with all of my usual self."

She could not deny her fear. It ate away at her. She just didn't want people to worry too much about her. She's not the only one who had to endure that whole ordeal.

 

[dikdik]

Isaac McGuire
Interactions: Henry the Flask (of course), demytra
Mentions: Breadman turtwigwins Vexumin ​

It was an organized scrambling, but a scrambling. Men overboard, with the glorious and righteous Wolfgang Rahmer to save them. Fontaine falling into line and acting as a part of the crew. Naileen somehow shooting a tooth out of the leviathan’s mouth. The trusty flask tightly tucked into his interior pocket promising a moment of reprieve for when the whole thing was through, and even though he’d sucked half the thing down right before this whole thing blew up in his face, the adrenaline held its effects at bay.

Cycling through shooting, reloading, glancing about to be sure the crew was following Dobbs’ orders and engaging with the thing, Isaac fell into a rhythm. Eventually the throbbing in his shoulder seemed to make a comeback, telling the rest of him that he wasn’t particularly as alert as he wanted to be. That was alright. Everything was fine. Everything except the fact he’d much rather be lounging around in the nude on that fluffy maroon carpet of Mistress Gardenia’s as she poked at him with a- Oh, found it! Mmm. Yeah, he was a little warmer inside than he had been. Friendly little flask. Never disappointed. Unlike some people… Fucking Dominick...

He should name it!

A round hit the leviathan square in the head.

What would he name it?

A crewmate right by Isaac had a jammed gun, so he helped wrench a round free, returning it to working order.

Frankie? No… Maxine? No…

Greasy black blood followed a deafening explosion as dynamite exploded against the Leviathan’s flesh, ripping free a chunk of it. The thing fled just about immediately thereafter. That was a great idea! Exploding the damn thing! Ha! The noise, though, that made Izzy feel a little dizzy, but that was fine! At least the creature wouldn’t be bothering them anymore. For now, at least. And, you know, as much as Dobbs bothered him, he had to admit that the man was a capable captain as he was now briefing the crew on steps to follow after the thing’s attack.

After receiving quite the attaboy pat on the shoulder from the man, and after pressing a fake smile and a half salute back at him, Izzy realized how terribly his shoulder was bothering him. Tugging at his collar and his jacket to get a look at it, there was quite the bruise already forming under his skin, but there didn’t seem to be any deformity. Likely not dislocated or broken. Just a real bother.

Henry! That’s what he’d name it. Hello, world, I’d like you to meet my dear friend. Henry! More witty and silly and capable and intelligent than most humans, Henry- Gods, he was really losing, it, eh? Oh! Oh, there were men still missing after having just gone overboard? He really wasn’t paid enough for this… He really wasn’t paid enough for another of Rahmer’s little “I know everything about everything because I’m such a cool and great and amazing adventurer” comments. Izzy realized he was gritting his teeth and made it a point to release the tension in his jaw as he began to walk around the deck, helping where he could.

All of the chatter around the deck about what had happened to those thrown overboard had Isaac just a little uneasy. He knew this place was Hell on Earth, but he really didn’t want to think of what strange things could’ve pulled them under water, or ice floes, so quickly. Isaac turned to patting men on the shoulder, thanking them for their good and quick work, to try and comfort them, and in turn, himself. Dobbs’ matter-of-factness about the whole thing, preparing the log and honoring memory and yada yada yada, sent Isaac just a shiver of contempt. The man was all business. Though more established and esteemed and experienced and renowned than Izzy, Dobbs wasn’t half the man. Who could be!

 

[turtwigwins]

"He knew the risks coming aboard. You all do too. There is naught we can do but go on." the Captain stated, "All we can do is carry on in his memory, and ensure we succeed in our expedition." He looked over to the Lauhurnians with Rahmer and walked over: "What was the name of your man? So that I may prepare the log."

The chilly air cut in against him as he talked with the Lauhurnians. Rahmer took a breath, things like this happened, it was part of the work. He turned to the approaching captain knowing what would come next. As Dobbs asked his question Rahmer gave a short response, "Frank Von Sachsen, a good man."

 

[Breadman]

"Excellent work, men!" Graves complimented the company soldiers. "You justified your pay for the evening." He joked as he patted one of them on the back. The man looked at him with some worry that he was being serious about docking their pay if they hadn't been following orders.

"Yes, I found tonight's work very satisfactory." Fontaine walked closer to his men. "You are free to return to your cabins until you are needed again." He looked to one of the men in particular. The one Graves had to motivate to be faster, "Keep in mind that it could be at any time." He walked away, leaving his bodyguard with his men, only to be joined by him a few moments later. "Worried that the leviathan might re-emerge?"

"I am too excited to rest right now, sir." Graves answered with a chipper tone. Not the first time Fontaine has seen him like this. He had the same look in his eye whenever they were on their hunts for big game or other prey. "The cool breeze would calm me down some."

"It's only the first of our encounters on this trip, Graves."

"And it's a leviathan! Can you imagine what else is waiting for us?" The two walked on the deck, listening to any exchanges among the crew. Now would be a good time to get material for Fontaine's journal. The leviathan itself can be a chapter of its own, but the raw emotions from those who bested it must not be underestimated. "Mr. Clyde!" Graves spoke up as they neared their countryman, "Incredible shot. Haven't seen sharpshooting like that since Fort Mercer." Of course, he'd bring that battle up. Only major engagement Graves participated in. Fontaine was more interested in the conversation between Dobbs and Rahmer. Seems like the Lauhurnians were a man down.

Interacting: Infab

Mentions: demytra turtwigwins