Bye Bye By-Catch
Log Info
- Title: Bye Bye By-Catch
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Cryosanthia, Aryia, Seyardu
- Place: A18: Port Alexandria, The Inmost Sea
- Time: Sunday, June 06, 2021, 5:36 PM
- Summary: Cryosanthia is down at the fishing docks, making ice for the fishing boats. She does this by casting, dancing and doing acrobatic leaps with Lily's harmonica playing setting the tune. Aryia arrives in time to see her work on the 'Chum Runner', and is impressed. Seyardu arrives after the boat leaves. The group discuss their daily activities, Aryia is working, Cryo is also working but has some sort of deal, and Seyardu has the day off from volunteering and plans to go fishing. Cryo leaves to freeze up the 'What's Up Dock?', as the Filthy Oar comes in to moor and tosses ropes for Ayria to secure. The Mul'niessa does so, and as the deck hands start unloading, one of them screams and is pulled into the hold. Aryia rushes aboard, drops in, and finds herself fighting a lizard-fish-person-thing with sharp teeth and four arms. The footing is slippery, largely due to the hold being full of fish, and the Mul'niessa is bitten in the face, but manages some telling blows that stun the creature. Seyardu comes aboard, joins Aryia in the hold and heals the sticken deck hand, as Aryia finishes off the creature. It is a Saghuain, somehow caught in the net. Cryo arrives when everyone is back on deck, and suggests the body be taken to the Vardama Temple or Mictlan, a task that Seyardu offers to do.
- APL: 2, Aryia 2, Seyardu 2
- Encounters: CR3, XP800
- (1) CR3, XP800 Four-Armed Sahuagin Mutant
-=--=--=--=--=--=-<* A18: Port Alexandria, The Inmost Sea *>-=--=--=--=--=--=-
The Sea Walls of Alexandria have been called a Wonder of the World. So has its port. From here, one can see both--the walls, rising either side of the mighty Tornmawr River where it feeds into the Inner Sea, and the Port. A port of international envy, ships fill its waters in plenty, along with the Alexandrian Navy. To the south and all sides, the Inmost Sea stretches. To the North, the Sea Wall, and a great gate which leads to the shining city.
Overhead, flies the flag of the Phoenix. Atop the wall, massive artifice-lights shine out into the waters.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. Aryia 4'8" 110 Lb Shadow Elf Female A heavily scarred mul with a curious look about her. Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Chum Runner Crew =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jorph Friendly Human Male Captain -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Filthy Oar Crew -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Haebo Friendly Human Male Captain Irrel Friendly Human Male Senior Deck Hand Rung Friendly Half-Ord Male Junior Deck Hand, Emerald Skin, white sweater, black cap. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
It's early morning on a warm day that promises light rain and grey skies all day long. A slight wind from the south east flutters the sails of the fishing boats tied up at the dock. The nearby fishing market is largely empty, it gets busy in the afternoon and evening when the boats return, but there are a few stalls with the previous day's catch on ice, curiosities, and in a few places tanks with lobsters and crabs. All catch that wasn't snapped up by the local restaurants or sent off to the packers.
Present is a common sight for the fishermen, but unusual to those who know her. Cryosanthia, the whitescaled Sith'Makar, with her pink-scaled youngling, Little Fang. Both are wearing rough working overalls. Little Fan is standing on a barrel, and Cryo is halfway up the gang-plank to a boat named 'Chum Runner'.
The boat's captain has an irritated look, "Can you do it without the song and dance this time? I'm in a rush."
Grey skies. A blessing for the Mul'neissa. Doubly so when working on the docks. She changed it up from week to week, warehouse work, dock work. This day, she was stepping off a boat from across the pier, having help loaded it up and paid for the day. She dusts her hands off, looking up and down the docks for another small job before her eyes land on a familiar duo. She smiles lightly before approaching.
Aryia gets within earshot, hearing most of what was said to the whitescaled Sith'Makar. She tilts her head to the side, and obviously listens from the base of the gangplank on the dock.
"Not really Jorph," Cryosanthia answers cheerfully, "It's repetitive casting and it's hard to keep it up without cramps or losing the rhytem. It's easier with a beat, and I want my daughter to be involved."
She indicates the pinkscale, who takes out a harmonica and holds it to her mouth.
Captain Jorph gives the Kobold youngling a skeptical glance, but doesn't seem about to argue that. "All right. The water tanks are ready and full. Are you sure you can't use your breath weapon instead?"
The whitescale shakes her head, "I don't trust your hull with it, and I promised the 'What's up Dock'. It'll be fine. Lily, go!"
Lily starts playing, a fast sea-jaunty, and Cryo slips into a dance. It's almost a kata, smoothe, flowing with rapid direction changes, except instead of punches she's moving her hands through graceful, elegant gestures. Her scales start to twinkle, light flickering across and down her arms. When it reaches a hand, a beam of pale light flies from her fingertip to strike the water tanks. Where each impacts there's a sudden halo of frost on the surface, and inside a frozen chunk of ice. Spinning, sweeping low, even jumping and doing some acrobatics flips, she casts and slowly ices up the 'Chum Runner'.
Aryia had never actually seen Cryo use any magic before, her head tilting to the other way like a confused puppy. Though, none of her suprise was hidden as the tall woman began to glimmer, let alone twist and- did she just flip? First fighting demons, then playing in a band, and now she was an acrobatic?
The shadow elf stands there on the dock, looking on, dumbfounded and slack jawed.
"I'm sure there's a more efficient way to do this." Captain Jorph grumbles. Lily looks up at him and blasts a loud tweet on her harmonica, and keeps up the music for her Ssassa.
Cryo dances and puts her frost cantrip to the test. While her shots seem random, she is striking all the tanks one after the other in a progressive pattern on each, maximizing the ice freeze. It's also beautiful, the morning sun and her internal light flashing off her scales, pale beams in all directions, the thump of her feet and tail as she dances as beat and matches the harmonica music. She moves like she's swimming in the air, her form gliding through arcs and sweeps. There's even a moment she grabs a rope from the mast and swings around it in a half circle, still casting.
The dance ends with some less elegant maneuvers, where she presses up against each tank and checks the temperature, then gives them a few more blasts up close. Including, perhaps as a tease, a blown kiss of cold breath. Enough for a final frosting which she makes her sign in with her finger. "All done!"
As she heads for the gangplank she notices the shadow elf, "Oh, Aryia, Peace on your Nest! Are you working? This boat?" Aryia was staring, full on. She herself could only do maybe half of what she was seeing. Don't get the elf wrong, she could move, but not like *that*. That bit of inadequacy began to creep up again, but she remember that she managed to take down Thurid with help. Thuird, of all people.
She blinks, oh, she was being addressed. Aryia picks her jaw up and replays what was asked in her head.
"P--s - -st," she pops and hisses, raising a hand. She shook her head, jabbing a thumb behind to her a ship that was weighing anchor. A fishing boat heading out.
Aryia gestures towards the general area where all the frigid shots were being landed, and looks... very confused. "What was that?" she adds with a hand. <Handspeech>
"Thanks Cryo, see you in a few days." Jorph calls, "All hands, cast off." Deck-hands emerge from out of the way observation spots. Some work levers beside the frozen tanks and drop them into the hold. Others pull in the mooring lines as they're thrown, and the last one runs up the plank then pulls it after, leaving Cryo and Lily on the dock near Aryia.
"Oh, I have a deal with them. They'll give me a fish when they come in, and if I'm ever here with Tanith they owe the whole catch. It's free ice for them and I need the practice. And, there's other reasons."
Lily moves around on the other side of Aryia and hisses happily, "Peaasss Kneeesss other Aay-aah."
Seyardu, on one of her rare days off from volunteering at the Althean temple, still found the day occupied in a similar matter, or at least planned to. The wizard she spoke to the other day gave her the idea, and after spending a sizeable amount of time trying to find the right shop, the silver sith'makar found her way down at the docks with a fishing rod carried in one hand. In hindsight, if she was looking for fishing supplies, it would have been a better idea to check stores near the docks to begin with.
She saw the ship leaving, and the elf, sith and her child, Seyardu offering a wave with her free hand.
"Ah! Peace on your nests. What brings you to the docks this day?"
Aryia looks down at the moor line next to her, waits a moment, then pops it off to help. Looks like she's done it hundreds of times with how nonchalant it was.
She nods, that made sense. Though, her looking down caught the pink kobold coming around. An amused smile crosses her lips, her waving towards the little one and says back in her voiceless hiss, "P-s -sss."
She gave the kid a pat on the head.
Brows raise at the familiar voice, her giving a wave to Seyardu as she approached. "Peace on your nest," she signs to her. <Handspeech>
Going back to Cryo, she makes another questioning face and tries to copy a move or two from the dance that the whitescaled did. "P-ct-ce?"
"Peace on your Nesst, Seyardu." The pinkscale youngling says to the silverscale. She rubs her head against the shadow elf's pat, then blows a short tune on her harmonic. <draconic>
Cryo watches Aryia carefully, then says thoughtfully, "You might not be able to do that one without a tail, unless there's another way to get some extra kick. It's practice."
She looks between the two, "Regular exercise is dull, so I try to work some dancing into the flexibility and strength training, and I need to keep casting. And after last summer, after a very long winter, I felt rather disconnected with everything."
The whitescale watches the fishing boat receeding, successfully heading out to sea, "Adventurers aren't really a part of their world, any more than they're a part of ours, but doing regular things with normal folk, it helped."
The silver sith'makar finished her wave to the small group, and qlked over to where they were discussing matters. Not catching much of it, but in time for the last comment.
"Yes, it's something I've discussed with others before. A lot of the tasks put forth for adventurers are due to them being jobs that most could not be expected to handle. But I feel there should not be such a divide, either. There is no reason I cannot help others in town in addition to helping others on their travels."
Again, that made sense. Aryia preferred to do manual labor and training for exercise, though she saw the appeal. Not that she could ever put half as much confidence into any dance.
Though she couldn't help to feel disconnected as well. With Cryosanthia's stance. Aryia felt she was firmly in the 'normal folk' group, doubly so after staring at the display Cryo put on limp-jawed.
She rubs her arm, taking a moment to fumble with her journal before scribbling down something and showing the group.
"I stil feel lyke Im part of the norm all crowd. To b honest. Al that you just did lookd vry... no thing I could evr do."
"You should do what you can do, yes." Cryosanthia says, nodding towards Seyardu, and then carefully reading what Aryia has written. She holds out her right foot, there's a series of decorative straps wrapped around it, interlacing between her toes. "Well, I could always move well. I had some magic boots made that help. And I didn't always have magic. A wizard in Charn tried to turn me into a familiar and that's how I ended up being able to cast."
She exhales slowly. Lily is staring at her. Cryo continues, "I had a lot of terrible carvings in my hide. Deep gouges right through the scales into the muscle, that glowed a black green."
She laughs, "But getting 'fixed' was worse. So, don't give up hope, skills come, with practice. Were either of you here working, or after something I might help with?"
A fishing boat is moving against the others, approaching the dock while most are leaving.
Aryia looks down at foot, her tilting her head to the side. The elf pulls up her pant leg, showing some dark blue leather boots, almost black in the shade. Small etching of spirals adorn the sides in a tesselation. She frowns at the mention of Charn, her scribbling.
"That makes sense, Charn wizards can b lyke that. Sory you had to go throuh that. I can understand stuf getin carved on you." ... a bit blunt, that.
Her face contorts into a grimace. If Cryo was fixed... she didn't look forward to getting hurt as well if she ever sought a fix. Aryia rubs her arm before scribbling a bit more.
"Im done with loading a boat. Myght fynd another one soon ayfter a break. Im here a lot. Used to boats."
"I like swimming, and fishing." Cryo says, glancing over at Seyardu's pole. Lily meanwhile has crouched to trace the tesselations on the dark boots. "Lily, don't touch. Those are nice boots."
The whitescale looks further up the dock, where a fishing boat is waiting, she slowly starts moving in its direction. "Of course, I prefer fishing while swimming. I'm glad it's getting warm enough Lily can swim with me, I was going to teach her. Merek likes fishing a lot too, it seems to be an adventurer thing."
"They are like that, sadly, anyhow, it was unusual circumstances, both of them." The whitescale squeezes her lips together, another exhale that makes a visible puff of condensation, "I think the divide is due to adventurers 'missing a piece', so to speak. I've met a lot that have a certain drive most 'regular folk' don't. Not always, musicians have a drive too, to do things, they don't all become adventuring bards. It's... I don't know. Needing something, that makes adventurers chase whatever is missing."
"Working? No, I do not have a job, just what I can do to help at the temple. Though they give me enough to be able to afford a room at the inn from the donations, at the very least, and I am in no position to turn it down." The sith'makar shrugged. "That does sound like unpleasant business, and business I could not help with. I am glad you are better though. As for why I am here, I was hoping to try my hand at fishing, at least off of the docks. Beef and other similar meats are expensive, so if there is anything I can help provide for the larders for the temple, then it is a worthwhile way to spend a day."
"I do not know if I like fishing or not to be honest. But it is one of the ways I can help, since hunting is generally off the table."
The elf lets the small one inspect the boots. From a certain angle, the patterns almost look like... a cat!
Aryia gives a small sigh, her nodding and writing more.
"I thynk I under stand. That myssing feling. Kynd of feels lyke that for me now. Aya told me to learn what to not be. And I dont want to be useles. So Im trying to not be. Im doing okay so far with that."
"Im alright at fyshing too. Been on boats for a few years."
Lily is quite fascinated by the cat pattern, and traces it on the ground. Now she'll remember.
"Oh, I'm terrible at hunting. Fishing too." Cryosanthia admits, brushing at her throat. "Actually I enjoy chasing after the fish through the water, and sometimes when I snap at them I get one in my mouth. I have used poles though."
The whitescale turns to read what Aryia has written, and there's a shout from the boat moored up at the dock, "Cryo, are you coming?"
"Yes, just a minute!" She waves in their general direction, taking her time with Aryia's note. She nods, "Right, so you get it. I hope you find it. My missing piece is Lily."
She sets her hand on the little Kobold's head, "I still adventure, do the things only I can do, but she comes first. I hope you find yours Aryia. I hope you both do."
She glances up the dock, then back the small group, "It'll just take me a few minutes to freeze up the 'What's Up', then I can join back with you. Is it ok if you wait?"
"Fishing was about the only way I could actually help back home to get any food." Seyardu admitted herself with a slightly sad chuckle. "I will let you know if I find that though. Go ahead though, your work comes first, and I am more than fine waiting here with Aryia."
The fishing boat is closer to the dock, tacking and turning. Its coming towards the recently vacated slip. A sailor calls, "Ahoy, Ahoy, can you catch a rope?"
At the call out towards Cryo, Aryia picks up the pace, her easily walking sideways to keep up with her longer legged friends. She smiles more at the reassurance, Cryo was right.
She stops following and gives a thumbs up, okay with waiting, though she turns to face the sailor calling out to the pier. She whistles back at them with a pinched finger in her mouth and holds a hand up for the rope.
"Okay, I'll be back real quick." Cryo reassures, picking up Lily, who squeaks. The whitescale takes off running, moving swiftly along the dock. Magically enhanced, likely. It's a minute or two and then she's up the gangplank and heading into the hold. Lily follows with her, as she prepares whatever she's going to do.
Nearer to Aryia and Seyardu, the sailor waves in response to the whiste, visibly holding a coil of rope, "Catch and wrap, then pull, then tie off." He makes a visible throwing motion then flings the coil towards Ayria. It arcs easily towards her.
As he waits to see if she'll catch it, he shouts some more, "Silvery one, can take the back post?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC10" GAME: Aryia rolls profession/sailor: (9)+8: 17
The silver sith'makar shook her head. "I would not wish to risk dropping the rope, I am sorry." She called back, turning to the elf near her. "Would you be able to get that one as well? I don't want to cause trouble when they are coming in to dock."
Like she's done hundreds of times before, she catches the rope, pulls with one arm and whips the slack at the post, wrapping it around and around as the boat comes in. She looks up, letting go of the wrapping to lean over and catch the other rope.
"Uh, okay." The sailor says, watching Aryia expertly catch and tie off the bow. He's a little quick on the second throw, assuming she'll catch it, and the rope snakes through the air towards her startlingly fast.
There's a deck hand at the stern, ready to assist, and another is already reaching out with the gangplank even though the tip of the board still hovers over water.
GAME: Aryia rolls profession/sailor: (3)+8: 11
Aryia grabs it, almost missing by a half foot but kicks it back into her hand. She finishes wrapping the first one and ties it off before doing the same with the back post. Whip, whip, whip, tied off. She dusts her hands off and gives a thumbs up to the boat.
With the ropes properly secured the fishing boat is pulled up flush to the docks and a gangplank extended. The boat's name is on the bow and across the stern, she's the 'Filthy Oar'.
The crew are moving to unload their catch, opening latches and throwing lids, bringing a crane with a block and tackle around, arranging the slide. "Irrel, make sure she's secure aft. Rung, first hatch."
Rung is a young half-orc, well muscled and more towards the emerald skin-shade, wearing a black knit beanie and a white herringbone sweater. He opens the hatch, then shouts out suddenly. "By-Catch! By-Catch!"
By-Catch is a fishing term for species that were accidentally caught. Something one doesn't want in the net. From his panicked tones, whatever they picked up is very undesireable.
And then he screams as he's dragged out of sight.
The 'Filthy Oar' isn't large, about 40' wide and 90' long with the hold caps in the centre of the boat. Her crew is shocked at the suddenness, and freeze.
From the hold there's the sound of gurgling snarls, meaty tearing sounds, and screams.
This snaps them out of it, barely, "Irrel get the boat hook! You! Help us please" The man stares at Aryia and Seyardu, struggling with uncertainty, then grabbing a harpoon.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "It's a regular move to get up to the hold." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "You'll need to make a DC5 acrobatics to not fall off the gangplank." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "You could jump down (another acrobatics) and might take some falling damage depending how deep it is," <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "or you could look down to see what's going on." <OOC> Aryia says, "got 40 move speed, +9 acrobatics, and boots of the cat, lets get silly" GAME: Aryia rolls acrobatics: (16)+9: 25 GAME: Aryia rolls acrobatics: (16)+9: 25 <OOC> Aryia says, "stunning fist!" GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (14)+6: 20 <OOC> Aryia says, "dc 14 fort or stun!" GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (1)+2: 3 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (19)+4: 23 (Saghuain Save)
Aryia blinks, suprised by the sudden violence that happens in front of her. The man calling out to them shakes her out of it, and she tore off. She bound up the gangplank, dashes across the deck and leaps into the hold without a second though, her boots orienting her to land on her feet. In the air, she wheels her arms, glances about, and sees a flash of moving flesh that wasn't man.
And crashes her elbow atop them before sliding off and standing in fish. The smell was... well, she was used to it.
She brings her fists up and bounces in the sloshy fish pile on her feet.
In the dimness of the hold, the first thing the shadow elf sees is the catch. The grey-green bodies of haddock resting in icy water. It's cold. There's Rung, his white sweater stained red, two pairs of long gashes crossing on his chest. The cause, some humanoid similar in build to the silvery Sith'makar, but with sharp scales and a wide jaw full of predatory teeth. A long tail, good for swimming, and a deformity, what first look like large fins but are secondary arms.
It recoils from the shadow elf's elbow strike, and focuses depth refined fishy eyes on her.
GAME: Seyardu rolls acrobatics: (15)+-6: 9 <OOC> Seyardu says, "in that case, Seyardu is going to get up to the hold and check whats going on," <OOC> Seyardu says, "since she isn't prepared. Will pose it out."
Things were happening quickly, a scream from the ship, and Aryia already taking off for the dock. Seyardu did not linger, though getting on the ship gave them pause, as she did her best to not be disoriented from the size of the path. Though they are not as nimble or sure footed as the elf, so she pauses at entrance to the hold, not jumping down yet and taking stock of what was there.
Irrel grabs the boathook, as the Captain grabs a harpoon. Both rush to the open hatch, encouraged by the actions of Aryia and Seyardu. The captain is last, having to maneuver around more of the deck. He comes up beside the silverscale, "What do you see?"
"Nuffin but scales an' shadowy movement's Cap'n. An' Rung, 'e's hurt real bad. I dunno what ta attack." Irrel is crouched, hook in hand, peering into the hold.
"Don't stab blind man, the Helper Elf's in there. Make sure yer sure. Missy, what's it? What we're facin'?" The captain calls down.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (12)+4: 16 (Saghuain Bite) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (9)+4: 13 (Saghuain Claw 1) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (9)+4: 13 (Saghuain Claw 2) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (2)+4: 6 (Saghuain Claw 3) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (4)+4: 8 (Saghuain Claw 4) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3 GAME: Saghuain damaged Aryia for 3 points. 21 HP remaining.
Whatever it is, there's a burbling flurry and the shadow elf sees a maw full of serrated teeth flash in the light, then rake her face, opening wounds that will add to her scars. This is followed by the viscious rake of claws, as dangerous as daggers. Each one turned by her skillful defense.
Scales. Scales and claws everywhere, an ugly olive-grey.
<OOC> Aryia says, "we're gonna flurry with a stunning stike on the fist one!" GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (16)+6: 22 GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (1)+2: 3 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (1)+2: 3 <OOC> Aryia says, "dc 14 fort or stun!" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (5)+4: 9 (Saghuain Save)
Aryia hears the call from the Captain, but she couldn't call back for lack of a voice. And any handsigns would be impossible to see. She makes a clicking noise towards Rung, shoving him to the side and gesturing for him to shoo. The slight distraction causes serrated teeth to cut across her cheek. Painful memories flash across her mind for a brief moment before snapping out of it. Aryia dips, ducks, and twirls out of the way.
She snarls, cocks a hand back, and just throws full body haymakers into what she could figure was their face. Wet crunches followed.
Wet splashing noises. The flopping of fish, not all in the hold are dead, obviously. Combat, a solid wet crunch that suggests something broke. Badly.
Then Rung falls into the square of visible light, shoved from somewhere unseen. He lands on the fishes, doesn't move, continues to bleed.
GAME: Seyardu rolls intelligence: (3)+1: 4 <OOC> Seyardu says, "TLDR move action to get down into the hold, action to use the level 0 spell stabilize on Rung"
It was hard to see in the hold below, too much light reflecting off of everything. But she could see the elf fighting with something else in the room. So she jumped down into the hold. A hand on the fallen orc for a brief moment, and a brief, hurried prayer. Hopefully the bleeding stopped at least. With the immediate danger sorted, she stepped in front, taking a side behind the elf, weapon in hand.
After Seyardu leaps in, the Captain calls after her, "Is she dead? Are those eating noises? What do you see?"
The half-orc is stabilized, but still near danger. His crewmate makes a decision, "Imma try pull up Rung." He reaches with the bill hook, attempting to snag his sweater. He manages to do so and pulls him closer, lifting him partially from the fishes.
"Careful! Could be a trap." The captain cautions.
"We gots time with those two in there." Irrel leans all the way in and grabs the half-orcs shoulder's.
Meanwhile, the denizen of the deep sways on his feet, his tail lashing to keep him standing. His head lolling and his arms, all four of them, reaching for shadows or paddling as if he's in water, to try and keep his balance.
He's still stunned, for now.
<OOC> Aryia says, "flurry again! Another stunning fist!" GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (14)+6: 20 GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8 <OOC> Aryia says, "spend a ki for another one as a swift!" GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (20)+6: 26 (THREAT) GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (19)+6: 25 (confirmed) GAME: Aryia rolls 2d6+4: (6)+4: 10 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "it's really, really dead."
The shadow elf, intenstely focused on the creature in front of her, throws another haymaker at it to stun it once again. As it staggers back, she stomps its knee out from under it, and she spins around.
There it was again, that mote of clarity. She grabs their claw, jams it into what she figure was their head, and stamps down onto it with her heel. Hard. Driving the claw through its skull and getting her foot stuck in there.
She breathes heavily, staring at it with blood dripping off her face and her fists scruffed raw.
There is a burble of its dying breath as the weight on its lungs collapses them. Finished with one of its own claws. It bleeds a blue-green, the streams slowly mixing with the melt-water in the cold hold. Here and there, a few fish still flop. The only sounds are the adventurer's.
And the Captain and deck hand, as they grun and haul Rung's body upwards. He's carefully laid out, stabilized thanks to Seyardu, but in need of some immediate attention.
"Is it okay in there?" The pair of fishermen still face the opening with harpoon and bill-hook. "Did you win?"
Seyardu was moving to assist the elf, but it seemed that was unneeded as she struck the creature down. She paused, taking stock of the situation. "Are you alright Aryia?" She asked quickly. "We do not know if it is safe down here yet. There could be something left. But the immediate threat has passed at least. "Your crewmate should be okay for now, and once we are sure it is safe, I will head back up to provide more aid."
She looked around the hold, checking to see if anything was lurking in the dark.
Still high on adrenaline, Aryia looks around as well with her dark-tuned senses, her pulling her foot out with a sickening lurch from the cavity she made. The boots, however, were spotless. Thank you magic boots.
She also gives a thumbs up at Seyardu's question, though there was a cut on her face that was slowly dripping. Aryia didn't seem bothered by it.
Fish, lots of fish and cold water, and a few other things on top of them, like small crabs, lobsters, coral. As if the last netting scraped too low or was dumped directly without some effort to get unwanted species out.
Perhaps that explains the four-armed, fish-lizard-thing. It's colouration is similar to the haddock, as are the scales. It might go unnoticed in the middle of a ball of fish.
There is a trident, and some clothing made from coral, suggesting it was intelligent, but perhaps not enough to try parlaying first.
The hold is a cold and unpleasant place to be, reeking of fish, with remanents of ice and fish that go all the way down. Walking around, is really stepping and sinking into a pile of fish until they stop shifting out of the way enough to support one's weight. Seyardu will find herself up to her tail in them.
The search seems to take a long time, but it's only minutes. It's safe.
There was a lot to look through, but finally she stopped, feeling satisfied with her search. instead she turned to lift up the body, carrying it to get it out of the hold.
"It is safe here, seems it was only one. Help me get this out of here though, so it does not spoil the still living fish."
"She turned to Aryia, nodding to the elf. "You did well. You should get out of here as well. I'll treat your injuries once I am able."
Aryia took the time searching to come down off the fight. She shivers, crashing in a minor was as she uses the sides of the hold to support herself. Did... did she really do that? All of that? What did that come from? Was that Korite right about her...?
The elf smiles weakly and gives a thumbs up to Seyardu. Satisfied with her search (and wanting to get out of the fish smell), Aryia scoops up the trident and returns to the entrance of the hold, gives a little hop, and pulls herself out. She stands in front of the crew, her facing having stopped bleeding a bit ago but a new cut was carved from temple to jaw. One leg was soaked up to her knee in blood.
She looks the trident over, making sure it wasn't anything special. If it wasn't she just tosses it to the floor and offers a hand to Seyardu to pull her up.
The crew help haul the body out. Irrel uses the boat-hook, digging in into the creature's flesh to pull it up. An insensitive act, but the Captain uses his hands and shreds his gloves on the sharp scales. It's heavy, even with Seyardu's assistance, but the creature is finally dragged onto the decks.
"Thanks!" Irrel says, making a short bow to Ayria.
"Yes, thank you both," the captain repeats, as Seyardu is assisted up and onto the deck. "What was that? What is that?"
Irrel is examining the trident, which sadly isn't anything special even if it was crafted in the deeps.
"Is something going on?" Cryosanthia is at the top of the gangplank, following an adventurer's instinct, or perhaps a fisherperson's, that a recently arrived fishing boat with isn't unloading is having some kind of problem. She quickly scans the deck. "Lily, don't look! Go down, back down on the docks. Wait for Ssassa there."
With the body out, Seyardu followed suit with some assistance. Though more than a bit bloody herself, she quickly went to where Rung was set down, kneeling and checking the wounds. "Celestial mother, with your guidance through my hands, mend this ones wounds."
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d8+2: (6)+2: 8 GAME: Seyardu rolls heal: (2)+7: 9
She took a moment to look over the wounds, too busy to turn to where Cryosanthia was. "I believe they are called Sahuagin here, seems to have ended up on the ship. Attacked one of the fishermen when they came into port. Didn't leave much choice considering it immediately tried to kill one of the crew."
Aryia gives a thumbs up towards Irrel, not caring about the trident on the floor. It was fair game for whoever wanted it. She shrugs at whatever the creature was. She didn't know at all.
The elf regards Cryosanthia, her giving a weak wave and points towards the creature with its skull caved in. "By-Catch" she signs with a hand. Wrong Catch was the actual words, but that's what it meant on the docks. She gives a thumbs up, even though she seems a bit shaken. <Handspeech>
"Oh." Cryosanthia ensures Lily is waiting on the docks, then steps closer, her tail curling in the air behind her, "A Nar-sektoth, another of the Children of the Flame. I've always wanted to meet them."
She glances at the captain, then at Seyardu, then at the creature again. "That is the local name for them. Trogs and Soggs and Hissth. The 'Sith' on the front of Sith'Makar is softskins making fun of our lisps, you know. We should really insist on Makari but I try to own what they call us. Sorry, I'm rambling. I wish I was here to help, I'm apologize. It looks like everything happened really fast, and he didn't want to talk." Cryo grins awkwardly.
"So, should we send for the Mourners?" The captain asks.
"Umm... I don't know." The whitescale admits, then looks over at Seyardu, "We usually burn our dead. I'm not sure what would be appropriate for him."
Rung coughs and awakens with a scream, then a gasp. He grabs at Seyardu's arm, "Sorry, I thought you were..." Then he spots the body and stares at it. "that."
Aryia uses her sleeve to wipe her face free of blood, her listening to Cryo's rambling. Though, it was still informative. She didn't know any of that. The elf rubs her raw knuckles and gives a shrug, her sparing a hand to make a motion of picking up the body and tossing it overboard. It was a crude suggestion, but it made sense giving where the Nar-sektoth came from.
She flinches from the scream, closing her eyes for a moment before shaking her head.
Seyardu sighed, looking through her bag and setting it down. "They are still Children of the Flame, regardless. Though it is not done out of necessity, I believe they should still be burnt." She said simply. "This is a ship, so I would assume you have spare sailcloth, if you would be willing to part with it."
"But yes, it happened quickly. Aryia was already down there, and we did not know it was here until they were upon one of the crew. I can carry them out of the city, see what the elders and Shaman of Mictlan have to say. If they should be burnt there, or on a pyre elsewhere."
She did not flinch from the scream, but they could tell she was bothered all the same, if only for a moment. "It is alright. You probably need some rest, and I understand your worry. It is taken care of though, and if you need any more healing, I can help you here, or you can go to the temple of Althea in the district."
"Thanks," Rung says, looking grateful and a paler version of his prior colouration. He's lost a lot of blood. He looks at the Captain, who nods, "Sure, go, get yourself checked out."
The Captain tells Irrel, "Get some sailcloth for the healer."
Cryo nibbles at a knuckle thoughtfully, staring over the side at the water, listening to the explanations and finally nodding, "You're right, the Shamans in Mictlan would know best. Shaman Geir is a Mourner at the Death Singing Dragon's temple up the mountain, you could deliver the body to him and not have to make the trip."
She looks at the Shadow Elf, "your idea is good but the port isn't, the body might wash up somewhere." Plus, there's the optics, which the whitescale doesn't elaborate on.
"So, I guess that's it? Still going fishing?" Cryo glances at Seyardu, "after maybe..."
"I'm down a man," the Captain says, "if one of you wants to help unload."
Aryia tilts her head to the side. Optics? She mouths the word. Oh. Right. Yes, this wasn't Charn. You couldn't just do that.
The elf turns to the Captain, her raising a hand and then pointing to herself, volunteering to help out. She holds up a finger to affrod some time as she takes her bag off, goes to the edge of the boat, and steps off with a distant splash following after.
From the dock, Aryia resurfaces, cleaned off of blood but completely damp. The cut on her face stung slightly but it wasn't that bad. She walks by Lily, gives her a damp pat on the head with a smile, before jogging back up the gangplank to get to work.
"Ready," she gestures with twist to her fingers. <Handspeech>
When the cloth was returned, the Sith'makar was quick to work with what was there. Cloth out, body on, wrapped and tied off in the traditional manner, clearly it was not her first time, and she was not bothered by the work. Though the elf jumping overboard gave her pause, until she continued. It wasn't long until the body was wrapped up, no longer leaking blood onto the deck, and looking a lot less concerning for any children on the docks, or their parents. She kneels back down, lifting up bundle over her back and shoulders.
If there is one near here, then that is likely the better course of action. It seems fishing was not meant to be today regardless, but I am more glad that everyone is safe. I should be going though, the body is a bit heavy to linger too long, even for myself."
Lily watches the water when she hears a splash, and then the wet elf as she walks across the dock, and bobs her head when she's patted. She doesn't follow Aryia up the gangplank although she clearly wants to. "Ssassa!"
"Yes Lily, just a moment longer." Cryo calls, watching the wrapping and feeling a lot less concerned about the body now. "Thank you, Seyardu. You do a good thing. Peace on your Nest."
Her tail twitches at a memory, and she shakes it away. Turning to the Captain, the whitescale says, "Aryia is a dilligent and quiet worker, she'll fill in for your man. You won't be disappointed. This one must go however, I have further tasks."
That said, she makes a slight bow and leaves the boat. Once on the docks she picks up Lily and carries her, holding her closer than usual.
And things return to normal.
Combatty
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
12 ScaryFish
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5 Aryia 4 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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1 Seyardu 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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| Name | Race | Class | CHP | HP | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
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|Aryia |SHADOW_ELF|Mnk | 20 | 24 |16/13/16 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
|Seyardu |SITH-MAKAR|Clr | 20 | 20 |20/20/10 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
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