Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Dwarmin]

Perception Check 18/8+5=13 (disadvantage=night, storming)

Ker stares into the distance, rain pattering on his head-though it is not easy to make out details in such weather, he does have a little success..

Still, he can make out a stony shore on the island ahead of them, beyond which is a dense green wet-forest* that stretches far. Rising from this greenery, he can barely make out some a series of low, lumpy hills probably about a mile inland. When the lightning flashes (he waits for this to give him some illumination) he can barely make out that the bleak brown hills are pockmarked with many holes and rents, almost like staring eyes.

*Ker has heard from his more worldly friends that some of the forests in this land are much different than the ones in his homeland. These are called 'Wet Forests', or 'Jungles'.

[My Name is Immaterial]

Earl pounds up the stairs, onto the deck and shouts to Catherine, "The hold is full of water!"

[Dwarmin]

Catherine looks down at you, before making her way with deft movements back down the deck.

She cocks an eye at you.

"It's not a problem, greenlander...she's barely listing. The more water in her belly, the slower she goes, but we're making good speed right now. We'll get to land before it gets any worse. I swear, you greenlanders are afraid of your own shadows. Ya think I never sailed across the whole damn ocean without springing a leak? Tearing a sail? Losing a mast? Boyo, we build these ships to last! Ya need to relax-and let what will be, will be.

That being said, if you're so worried...ya better start bailing out. The rest of ya, back to yer bunks unless you wanna help. We've got water to bail, and a boiler to feed." She says, picking up a rolling bucket from the deck, and handing it to Earl with a cheesy grin. He wryly notes the bucket has a hole in it.

Earl thinks she might be trying to tell him not to worry, that if the ocean is going to sink them, a bucket really won't help anyway.

Or perhaps she's insane.

[My Name is Immaterial]

Earl mutters something about wanting to be well rested when he dies, so he returns to his bunk.

[UXLZ]

Taking note of the conversation, Ispil sighs. She was mostly right, their fate was left to the stars. It irritated him.

Still, that didn't mean there wasn't anything he could do about it.
"Is this ship powered in the regular way by an elemental or some other means? I'm going to the boiler."
He expected it to be the latter.

[Dwarmin]

Ispil makes his way down to the rear of the ship, following the written directions on the walls to the engine room.

Predictably, it's very engine-y. Riveted Metal walls, flooring, and roofing, buckets and barrels of coal, and a large oven like device dominating the rear area. He takes a cautios look inside (not too close, because he breaks out into a swear this close) and sees an inferno, dancing amongst hot red coals. He notes above this oven is no doubt the boiler that provides steam to the...you know, blah blah, something something...

As he watches, the blaze seems to come to actual life, taking an amorphous, yet deliberate form and turning toward him. It's quite disconcerting. After a moment, the fire actually takes a humanoid shape, a combination of living fire and ash-a female shape, and quite shapely if I may comment on that.

The flame-woman casts her coalfire glowing eyes on Ispil.


"....Tssssssh! What are you doing here, fleshling?" Says her(?) voice-a voice that sounds like the crackle of a campfire.


---
Earl, meanwhile, tries to get some sleep...unfortunately, he's plagued by the oddest dreams...

In this dream, Earl seems to have found himself the attention of a physically impossible two-headed Red Dragon. A very large Dragon. Weren't they supposed to be extinct?

 He's not quite sure how he got here...or how to get out...

The worst part is, the heads seem to be opposite genders. And they sound like his parents-his mother and father.

Dream logic.

"I say we eat him now."
"No, let's make him talk-once he's got his guard down, then we'll eat him."
"It's not like he can very well stop us, can he?"
"I'm interested in what he has to say. And there might be more like him. We might get more than a half a meal."
"Who says you'll get half? Maybe I'll get him all in one bite."
"We share the same stomach, idiot! How about we let him decide?"
"I admit...it's a good idea. Surely, he'd rather be eaten by me. You hear that, mortal? I can promise you a glorious mastication!"
"My teeth are much sharper, mortal. I can promise you a swift, honorable death...after you tell us all that you know."
"Now, choose!"
"Hurry up, we...well, you don't have all day. Hahaha!"
"Good one! Ahahaha"
"Ahahaha!"

You're fairly sure your parents never engaged in bouts of evil laughter like that.

[UXLZ]

Regaining his composure, Ispil speaks calmly. (S)he(?) was a bit strange, but the New World was going to be even stranger. He had to be prepared.

"I believe I'm here to feed you, or something like that. The storm is quite rough and this leaky boat has sprung quite a few holes so we're in a hurry to reach the nearest bit of land. I'm sure ending up on the bottom of the ocean isn't something that would appeal to you, so if I can help you speed this ship up, I'm listening."

He was glad the elemental didn't seem malevolent, though something told him (s)he was going to be a bit more complicated to deal with than one would hope.

[Dwarmin]

The fire being seems to relax...insofar as you assume she can.


"...well, if your fleshling-wood-tub slips beneath the waves, I'll just open a door, and flee back to my home among the Fire Plane...I doubt you can do the same..." She(?) says smoothly. "However, I could use some more coal if you'd be so inclined, but I'm also starved for conversation. It's so boring here! Nothing to burn but coal...you're not part of the crew. Why are you here? Did you steal this vessel from the other fleshlings? Did you kill them? That would be exciting...." She(?) says, laying gently back on her(?) bed of coals, and examining her(?) flaming nails.

[UXLZ]

Ispil raises an eyebrow, though he doubts that (s)he can see the shift in expression due to his hood.

"Oh? The captain is that trusting? I would have expected there to be something magical keeping you bound to this place, and do I really look like someone who could kill an entire crew of sailors by myself?"

He looks around the rest of the room. Now where was that coal...?

[Dwarmin]

"Trust has nothing to do with it. Tssssssh! I could burn down the ship if I wanted as well, but you see I desist?

They don't bind us anymore-and we try not to set you on fire unprovoked-because of the treaty, foolish fleshling. Don't they teach you about The Elemental Accords?" She(?) asks sarcastically, rolling flaming eyebrows. "...And, you could have had help. Or perhaps you're a very powerful warrior who only appears weak and spindly, and you killed the whole crew yourself with your bare hands-tearing out their bones organs and...well, don't blame me for having an overactive imagination." She(?) says.

Also, there's coal everywhere. In buckets!

[My Name is Immaterial]

"Well, if I had to be eaten, I think I would prefer it to be both honorable and glorious. Why don't you two share?"

[Dwarmin]

The Dragon's heads don't like this suggestion. They start to argue with one another.

"You're much too small to share."
"We'd hardly get a leg each!"
"We could divide him horizontally, then?"
"Ah, but who gets the bottom half? He's a bit skinny, there's not much on the bottom. Or the top."
"Hardly worth fighting over...but I AM hungry. Just let me have him!"
"I said we'd wait-we need him to talk. Then we-we as in plural-will eat."
"I'm beginning to think you just want him all for yourself...but, let's hear what he has to say, if you're so interested."
"Indeed. Anyway, little morsel-we need names. Names of all your faces. The ones you lie with. Be quick about it, dear. And, tell the truth. I find liars most foul tasting..."
"...but, I'm not a picky eater, myself."

[UXLZ]

Ispil grins. He usually tried to remain calm and detached, but that was mostly a product of training rather than his inherent nature, and it had been a long time since he'd met someone so unique to speak to - even if they were an elemental. It flared his interest. His teachers might disapprove, 'consorting with the enemy' as they may choose to call it, but as long as (s)he wasn't malignant he was content. If (s)he seemed evil, he'd return to his normal demeanor.

"Overactive imagination indeed. I'll let you in on a little secret, though..." He whispers conspiratorially "I'm a lot stronger than I look..."

He starts feeding her(?) with coal at a rapid pace, as if to demonstrate that he wasn't just making it up.

"Oh, and while we have the time, do you know anything of the creatures that inhabit the New World? I know it's unlikely since you're cooped up in here all the time, but anything will help."

[Dwarmin]

"The 'new' world...oh yes, I recall. Because it's new to you.[/i]"[/font] She(?) says.

She(?) seems to take the coal you shovel in her(?) fiery hands, taking obvious pleasure in burning it. Her(?) flames seems to glow hotter and brighter. She(?) then considers your question.

"Ahhhh...that's nice...at least the Captain buys proper coal...

...It's hard to say. My kind don't exactly care about borders or boundaries...we enter and leave your world at whim, when we can, though in truth we don't really like it here. Too cold. And your cities and machines make it harder for us to find our way around. We prefer the natural order.

That being said, many of my kind do reside here-and they are very powerful, because the lands are less...civilized, I suppose you would call it. I suggest you do not engage them without care. Most free Elementals are only trying to find their way home, but others like to claim a spot of your 'real estate' as you call it, and camp here. Less competition, is all. Respect the borders and balance of the elements, and you'll never have to fear an attack from my kind. We are, essentially, lawful beings.

Ergo, don't toss a bucket of water on me, and I won't burn you to death. Fair enough, right?"

[UXLZ]

Ispil thinks about what she(?) was telling him. If it was true, then he probably wouldn't need to kill them.

"She seemed like the sort who'd skimp anywhere she could. Maybe she just didn't want to annoy you, being integral to this ship actually working and all..."

"That seems reasonable enough. If the other elementals really as you say, then I'm glad. If they aren't evil then I won't need to hunt the(m)-!"

Ispil tenses and stops moving. He'd gotten too relaxed, caught up in bucketing coal. Even if (s)he didn't really care about his mission he'd still said something he shouldn't have.