CH1: Falling in the Deep End

[Mysticsage]

《Chapter 1: Falling in the Deep End》

Location - Somewhere out in the Ozmit Sea
Time - 6 AM

It had been six weeks since your father died, and now finally, you were on the road to getting revenge against his killers, to put your name in the history books where it belonged. It was the only parting gift you could think of to give to your father. However, you had to actually survive the journey if you hoped to deliver, and it seemed like the gods had other ideas, as the ocean tossed your ship around like a child's toy in the bath.

You had never experienced the Ozmit Sea this bad before, and you could hear the wood of the ship actively screaming under the protest as it crashed through wave after wave of water.

If it had been your choice you wouldn't have chosen this ship or this crew, but it hadn't been your choice. As a whole, the Stalwart, for all the strength the name implied, would have been considered out of date for a cargo vessel over a decade ago, and it showed, but it did have the pro of being paid for by someone else. Your father never had much money to his name, and he wasn't one for saving it, choosing instead to often use anything he had to take care of you or fund his next expedition. What little you both did have saved was quickly spent over the last six weeks for his funeral rites and debts that you didn't realize he had until they started calling in droves.

After selling the house and anything you could to the vultures, you had no choice but to turn to the association for help, and every one of his usual backers had been nowhere to be found. Sure they had met with you, and gave you the appropriate condolences, but they had refused to open up their coffers to help. Their gold was all tied up in other ventures they said, but you knew what that meant, and who was tying their hands. Even after your father's death and stealing half of your father's legacy they were still playing dirty.

But they didn't tie up everyone, or it was better to say there were some people they actively ignored.

So you had managed to make a deal with one Veritas Herlock, a young half-elf noble just barely old enough to take these kinds of meetings, but not yet old enough to drink. He wanted to impress upon his elven father that he could be trusted with the business, capable of succeeding at risks. You had planned on taking his money for the sake of the adventure, even dealing with him cutting corners as long as it got you to your dream. You didn't realize it would be a package deal, both him and his bodyguard, and that package deal came with a lot of extra conversation.

---

"I never knew weather could be this bad," Veritas nervously chuckled trying to lighten the mood as he searched for a distraction other than the storm. He and his half-orc guard have been sticking to you like glue for the entire trip so far, and this weather means that you have had even less personal space. "But, I'm sure you've been on even more crazy adventures than this, right, Armand?"

[info]Give me a quick DC 10 CON save for seasickness.

Let me know where you are on the ship, what if anything you've been up to during the week on the boat, and where the crystal shard is on your person.[/info]

[Schnizzer]

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 1 + 2, total 3[/blockquote]

[Schnizzer]

Armand had never been a fan of the sea always having preferred to have both feet on solid ground. He knew the trip was going to be difficult and bad weather was a possibility but this... He side eyed the young Veritas standing next to him with his nonstop banter. Armand wasn't sure what was worse at the moment, the sea or the man's incessant need to fill the silence in a time like this. As he sat in the galley with the two he wondered if the gods were punishing him for some reason and if it'd just be better to throw himself into the ocean. "This... This isn't an adventure. Its a deathtrap." He muttered under his breath. Despite it probably being the truth about the boat, he was sure the crew wouldn't appreciate the comment.

He quickly got his answer as the few contents of his stomach spewed out in a projectile vomit. He stopped and wiped his mouth, "I think I feel a little bett..." His churning stomach said otherwise. He stopped and looked at the mess he had made all over himself and the table. The ocean was definitely worse!

He excused himself and got up to stumble off and cleanup. He made his way back to his room and reached in his shirt pulling out the shard wrapped in a piece of cloth. He placed it under his hat on the bed and began to clean himself with a bucket of water. As he splashed water on his face he knew that no matter what the gods, nature, or anything else, he was going to make it to that island.

As the ship lurched again in the ocean Armand said to himself, "As long as this thing can hold together until we get there, at least."

[Mysticsage]

You had found a way to silence Veritas,  as you lost control of your stomach, and with it your lunch. The kid had pretty good reflexes for being able to dodge without much of a heads up, or maybe you did a worse job maintaining your composure.

As you stood, covered in your own sick, Raynolt the usually stoic bodyguard chuckled, "You look greener than I do friend, and that's saying something."

"Don't tease, Ray! None of us were expecting the journey to be anything like this." Veritas countered looking slightly pale himself. Seeing that you were quickly going to make your exit, Veritas stood and quickly shoved a key into your hand. "The captain gave me an extra room for gear, I have a wardrobe case with a couple of extra outfits. Here is the key," he finished with a smile as he pressed the key into your hand before letting you go.

As you make your way from the galley, through the inner hold, to the few cabins that had been allotted to you, you have to be careful not to slam into the mountains of crates that Veritas' father had packed the ship to bursting with for the sake of the journey. It was like a maze in the hold, with the sheer number of boxes, filled with food and other needs that would probably have been enough to last you three expeditions, let alone one.

The ship rocks hard as you make it through, slamming your shoulder into one of the many crates. Now adding a bruise to the list of things that have happened to you today.

You would have thought someone would have called out that a wave that size was about to hit, but with the noise of the storm pressing down on everyone, it was easy to believe that the crew was busy fighting to keep this hunk of wood afloat.

Location - Stalwart Cabins
Time - 6:10 AM

The cabin they had you in would have been generously called a closet if you were on land, but at least it had a bed and for your needs, a clean bucket.

First thing, you sit down and take the stone fragment out of your shirt and the letter your father had sent. The letter, the last thing you ever received from your father, held a warning of danger as well as the few notes he had managed to gather on where the stone had originated from. The papers were damp, but otherwise undamaged, these were the best clue you had to find the answers that your father was searching for. He had spoken of an island chain, supposedly lost in the ocean during the age of calamity. An island that had once been the seat of a civilization that shaped the very waves around them and pulled up land as they needed it. He had used these legends and the markings on the crystal to pinpoint a general location for your travels.

Placing the letter under your hat, you turn your attention to the crystal. It feels warm in your hands despite the cold and the rain, and the stone has only been getting warmer each day you've been on the ocean as if it is signaling that you are headed in the right direction. Right now, it seems to almost thrum with power as it sends a comforting tingling sensation up your arm and through your body. The crystal was clearly more than just a regular piece of rock that your father stumbled upon.

The sour scent of bile pulled you from your musings, however, as everything but your hat had ended up a casualty of this rocky ocean ride. With no means to really do laundry with the current storm you really would need to get changed if you wanted to focus. The question was, was it worth looking at the spare clothes that Veratis brought? You knew the half-elf didn't lock his room during the day so you could easily grab what you need.

[Schnizzer]

Armand pulled off his shirt and tossed it in the corner. "If I'm going through his stuff, I should probably not wear this in there then." He then pulled the key out of his pocket and opened the door to Veritas' room. He'd wished he'd packed more clothes but he was already short on funds with little time to properly prepare. He let out a heavy sigh as he stopped in and looking around.

[Mysticsage]

Veritas' room, was actually a separate space meant, for a full set of crew hammocks, that had been cleared out and adapted into a series of partitioned spaces for his personal use.

As you enter the room, you can see two beds separated by a chest-high folding screen. The bed closest to the door was neat as a pin that you could have bounced a copper piece off of. A series of cheap weapons in easy reach no matter where you stood, which clearly read as Raynolt's space. The half-orc packed light so there was not much obvious there to explore unless you really wanted to search.

The other side of the room was another story entirely, this bed half slept, in with a goose-down pillow that Vertas had clearly brought from home. The bed was covered with books, art supplies, and half-finished charcoal drawings as if a tornado had gone through it. As you glance further past his living arrangements you can see a secondary door, open wide.

This secondary room, the size of your quarters at a glance,had been fashioned into a bathing/dressing area. You can see your own reflection from a full size mirror peaking out from the room along with the reflection of a large wardrobe case.

[info]Feel free to roll a perception check if you want to explore the room, just call out what area you are looking at or if there is anything you want more detail on.[/info]

[Schnizzer]

He knew better than to actively go through the belongings of his young benefactor. That didnt mean he couldnt have a look at what was already strewn about. Armand made his way to the spare room, stopping at Veritas bed to see what the young man was looking over.

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+6 : 5 + 6, total 11[/blockquote]

[Mysticsage]

Glancing down at the bed while you move, it is difficult to tell what Veritas was reading, but it was clear what he had been using the art supplies for. A series of charcoal portraits depicting you, and Raynolt, doing different activities around the boat, in a surprising amount of detail. He clearly had a talent and an eye for detail, as each piece was more flattering than the last. He used his creative license to create an air of heroism around the both of you, using light and shadow to make you both more imposing and important looking even when you were doing mundane tasks.

The one at the top of the pile was different than the others, however, it was half-finished, and didn't depict anything that had happened on the boat. It depicted all three of you standing in some kind of jungle scene, though the details were still being fleshed out.

---
As you moved past the bed into the spare room, the trunk out in the open was, at a glance, a perfect match for the key you had been given. As you opened it up, you realized that it didn't contain just spare clothes, but full outfits, right down to the accessories. Digging through the contents, you realize why these were considered 'extra'. These appeared to be themed sets, that had been cobbled together by a young man craving adventure.


The first set was deep crimson, focused on an oversized trench coat, that looked like it was a rescue from another era. It would give anyone who wore it, along with the thick black leather boots, and series of belts a strong silhouette that would draw anyone's attention. It was clear that Veritas had put together this outfit, with its various extravagant belts and scarves, to play at being a pirate prince for a day.

However, it is clear that when this was designed, it favored form over function, the coat could not close, instead of using a series of belts across the chest and torso, which means you would have to go bare-chested for everything but armor.

The other outfit was more functional. Made of extremely soft, rich, lightweight material that would move with your body so as to not inhibit movement in any way. This outfit was a short sleeve shirt that barely covered your shoulders, pants that ended just below the knee, textured gloves meant to help with grip, and fabric-like shoes that allowed for a full range of motion of your foot. You had seen outfits like this before worn by different adventurers when working in the wilds that would require a lot of vertical movement. Veritas had added his own improvements to the design for sure, including things like extra belts on the arms, and perhaps too many pouches, but nowhere near the red one.

However, while you think the crimson outfit could be adjusted to fit you without much issue. It was clear that the designer had been a bit confused about who would be wearing this ending up with a size between Veritas and Raynolt. For you, that meant that it was probably half a size, or a little bigger, than what you normally wore. It wasn't enough to actually make it a problem in terms of function when climbing given how flexible everything was, but it meant just like the other pirate costume you may get a few looks if your rival were to see you. to make it harder, these looks are so specific that you pretty much have to go all or nothing to even try and make them work.

[info]Do me a favor, once you have chosen an outfit please give us a general description of Armand.[/info]

[okay]Item stats if that matters
Flamboyant pirate outfit
+1 to intimidation and persuasion
You begin any social challenge with a person who doesn't know you one step positive or negative at the player's discretion.

Climber's outfit
+2 to climb check
you can climb one-handed at a -5 penalty

[Schnizzer]

Armand looks down at the drawings and raises an eyebrow. He wasn't quite sure why the man was drawing pictures of him but, he had to admit that he was talented. He chuckled at the creative license that was taken. The half-finished drawing drew his eye though. He wondered what he'd expected to find when they reached the island.

"Worry about that another time. I really need to get out of these." Armand looked down at the pants still slightly covered in sick and then continued making his way to the spare room.

---

Armand looked at the outfits and chose the simpler, more subtle of the two. He changed into the outfit and looked at himself in a nearby mirror. It's not his particular style but it was practical and comfortable. His brown eyes were red from the lack of sleep. His short brown hair swept back, wrapped in the bandana and tucked under his hat. The outfit fit his medium 5'9" frame, exposing his lean slightly tanned body. He scratched at his chin at the stubble that was growing in. He was starting to grow a beard since he wasn't willing to shave while on a ship. He looked at the still tossing ship and felt he'd made the right decision.

He then gathered his belongings and began to leave back to his quarters to drop them off.

[Mysticsage]

You make it all the way back to your room without much problem as the boat continues to rock violently. Throwing your dirty clothes and boots into a spot by your bed the boat rocks with a sudden forceful jolt. If it wasn't for the fact that your new gloves gave you extra grip, you wouldn't have been able to stay on your feet and would have ended up in a heap with your old clothes.

You got lucky.

One of the crew members did not get as lucky, as the sound of a loud scream directly outside your window drew your attention before being followed by a splash. However, you didn't just see one person falling outside your window. In fact, what you saw was the elderly sea dog of a captain directly meeting your gaze with a suddenly sheepish expression, as he and a laughable number of his crew, and only his crew, tried to cram their bodies into one of the two tiny lifeboats that the Stalwart had been equipped with.

The other lifeboat you could already see in the distance was equally packed like sardines as they sailed out back the way they came away from the storm being chased by the waves.

In the split second while all of this registered as if to put a period on the thought, the captain called out, "The Renards send their blessings on your travels! May your father greet you soon!"

And then you watch the boat plummet out of sight as, with a laugh, he cuts the line.

[Schnizzer]

Armand stared at the captain with obvious confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on. As the captain spoke and cut the rope, Armand snapped to and yelled out the porthole, "You better hope I don't survive this you bastard!" He was sure no one heard him over the sound of the crashing waves. It didn't matter, if he was going to die than he was going to do so having the last word. He quickly made sure he had the crystal, letter, and hat securely on his person before running back to the galley.

The adrenaline kicked in as the reality of their situation started to sink in and he ran yelling, "RAAAAAAAYNOOOOLT! VEEEERITAAAAS!" He stops in the doorway looking around for the two men.

[Mysticsage]

As you enter the galley in a dead sprint, both men were equally surprised to see you up and around so soon. Veritas looking you over for a moment, quickly smiled as he saw that you had in fact picked out one of his outfits. He seemed all smiles and sunshine, blissfully unaware of the life-threatening danger you were all in as he was in the middle of a solitaire card game.

However, Raynolt, quickly reading the look on your face stood, "Is there some kind of problem?"

As if to punctuate his question, your collective stomachs drop to your feet, as a sensation of weightlessness overcomes you all as the ship crests another wave.

[Schnizzer]

Armand attempted to grab hold of the doorway and brace but still felt himself being tossed around. He tried to recover quickly and looked to make sure the other two were ok. He was then quickly distracted by the taste of bile in his mouth again. By the gods he almost thought of accepting his fate, if not simply to just make everything stop spinning and jumping. He then looked at Raynolt with a mixture of rage and desperation as he swallowed it back down and spit the taste out of his mouth.

"That rat bastard captain and his crew abandoned ship to leave us to die in the storm. It was a damned trap! You wouldn't happen to be able to sail a ship would you?"

[Mysticsage]

"We've sailed before," Veritas said, with a firm conviction, as he tried to stand with the rest of you.

"Your father's sailboat cannot compare, a boat this size requires more than three people to be run smoothly. That said, if we don't at least try to do something we'll be the laughing stock of the afterlife!" Raynolt smiled a genuine smile, that showed his razor-like tusks.

"We won't last long without a plan, and Armand, you are the only one with any kind of clue where we're going. If we're going to survive I think you'll need to take point on this. Tell us what you need and we'll do our best to help out where we can. To think we would have this kind of excitement so soon in our adventure!" Veritas said looking between the two of you with only a half terrified look on his face.
---
It seemed like the two men were looking to you for direction. You all knew the general layout of the ship, where the important mechanisms, were as well as to get supplies. Assuming that the crew hadn't laid traps or worse.

Veritas, taking a moment, rattled off everything he knew about boats in an attempt to help everyone understand the types of tasks that would need to be done to keep the ship afloat in this kind of weather.

[info]Skill Challange - Sink or Sink even faster.

DC: 15 Base
Veritas lists 3 major problems, that at least one of you will have to man if you hope to last any period of time.

Tasks:
Navigate the storm
Steer the ship
Man the sails

You can tell me how you want to do each task. Good descriptions and creative solutions with gear will modify the roll in your favor. Failing by five or more will cause complications succeeding by 5 or more will make other rolls easier. A Crit success and failure may also have unique effects.
[/info]

[Schnizzer]

Armand thinks for a moment before pointing towards Raynolt. "Right, you get the sails! Time to put those muscles to work." Hen then points to Veritas and smiles, "Time for you to see how good of a sailor you are. You steer us out of here and I'll try to keep a watch ad guide you through. If we're lucky, we might even survive!"

Armand then puts in the direction back up to the ship. As they make their Way back up, Armand gets an idea to see if the captain may have left anything useful behind. "You two, get to your stations! I'm going to see if that asshole left any maps or something I can use to figure out where we are."

[info]Veritas will take the helm.
Raynolt will man the sails.
Armand will check the captain's quarters before attempting to help Veritas navigate the storm and keeping a look out.[/info]