Messages

[Flamboyant pirate outfit]

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

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]

["You look greener than I do friend, and that's saying something."]

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.

[Location - Somewhere out in the Ozmit Sea]

《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]

["We must face this head on, together! Don't worry about dignity my king, just pick me up and let's get to the people's side as soon as possible!"]

As the screams of the citizens reached her vulpine sense she could feel every hair on her body in both realms stand on end. Her voice slightly caught in he throat, "Has whoever sent us here come back to take another bite from our people?!"

Some deep dread from the waking world that she knew what was going to be coming next seeped into the terror of her dream self. Looking at her King she quickly grabbed his hand eyes flaring with a mixture of emotion. "We must face this head on, together! Don't worry about dignity my king, just pick me up and let's get to the people's side as soon as possible!" She said almost throwing herself into his arm as she wished to be bridal carried to the scene. Her face red as she buried her face into his thick upper chest and neck to try and stay as aerodynamic as possible. She didn't care that he could most likely hear if not feel her own heart beating out of her chest from the adrenaline. Nor did she care what they looked like.

"Quickly, let the beast out and run to the fight faster then the wind!"

[info]Gonna have Nyx use a free dream verison of Flash step and his sure footed feet to run with the two of us to the fight as fast as possible.

I will be casting ice storm from my staff set as soon as the king or I can find the threat, if there is a big fire or threats. It has a very large area over 400 ft range[/info]

[info]Cha check
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+6 : 13 + 6, total 19[/blockquote][/info]

["Be careful everyone,"]

"Be careful everyone," Riven hissed as he checked he ran a hand across his chest to check that his wounds were shallow and glancing around the room.

"Something about this room feels off to me. The armor in this space feels strange, like it's watching our movements or watching us," he whispered as he raised his other hand to draw the group's attention to the various helms.

"I can feel my hair is on end in a similar way when there is someone throwing magic around. There may be traps or some kind of mechanism that we need to look out for."

Turning to Alak, "Do you know any significance the armor has?"

[info]perception
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 19 + 5, total 24[/blockquote][/info]

[Location: ???]

Location: ???
Time:  ???

"So much of everything is gone," Amelia said, as the weight of the things she had lost since arriving in this new world weighed on both her dreaming and conscious minds.

Seeing the road to the capital simply end in these unknown wilds, felled like an unwanted tree, made both sides of her mind retreat slightly. She leaned back into that smell emanating from the lion standing next to her as she let his hand slip from her shoulder to her side. Sheltered against his broad chest from the wind of the cliff, she did her best to steady her thoughts as she took in the various shades of blue around her that seemed to mirror her emotions.

How often had they been in a situation like this? Her memories went back to all the times in her study at the academy where she spent many a night reading setting against a man's chest like this. The nostalgia brought her comfort in moments like this, those quiet moments providing her strength to deal with the various bits of chaos. However, those memories were not as clear as they should have been, Memories that Amelia's waking mind would have recognized as the many days in the public library, sitting with a boy as he draped a jacket over her. She pushed away not wanting to see a face of a boy that she now had no hope of seeing again.

Unconsciously, she allowed this dream to get a hold of those thoughts, warping those hazy details into something new. No longer was the outline simply a young human man placing a simple hoody over her shoulders. His outline expanded massively gaining a more young feline shape as the jacket became more of a blanket-like cloak to match. The exact details of her surroundings blur even further as she let herself sink even further into the smell of the fur around her.

However, these memories were far from being solid as these images continued to shift in her mind. Something about this lion still did not seem to fit as she felt like he should. He seemed to be missing some important aspect that would provide these thoughts with more definition.

"We need to give our people something to hold onto," Amelia said, as she turned her gaze away from this new world, back to the skyline of what remained of their home. It was their job to give them the strength and stability they needed, the strength that she needed.  The looks on the faces of the people they passed stayed with her. The problem was how to provide that stability. After all, they could not be everywhere at once, then something inside of her seemed to fall into place.

It was in that moment of longing, of weakness that her heart both in the dream and in waking latched onto the thing that had been her constant source of power regardless of what world she was in. Her loving bond with her companion was the thing that, despite fate's attempts to separate or change them, only seemed to grow stronger. As she put her head back against her lord's chest, his arms fully able to wrap her away from the scenes before them, and in the waking world, Amelia wrapped her arms around the black cotton void that was Nyx's waking form mirroring the gesture on both sides of the dream. Regardless of what form it took, their love and bond shone through, and it is also the thing that allowed Amelia's subconscious to run wild.

Amelia's heart, latching onto that bond, throwing magic and emotion in turn, had no way of seperating real from the imagined. So as her heart, shaped her fantasies, her dream to feed to the bond. It used more than images of cats as it's a source. It pulled on the deep whimsical things that Amelia would normally find silly, or possibly even unhealthy.

Things like the leather-clad rebels of the eighties who would not be turned away by the strength of her personality. Someone who really only existed in movies. Like the stalwart knights like Kurt, had been before all this, who always seem to be there to offer a strong back.

It was while her heart allowed the magic to take power from these kinds of thoughts that the sounds of deep purring in the waking world began to hear like the revving of a motorcycle engine to her sleeping mind.

"We need the army for our defense, and the academy needs to help find our answers," she paused.

"Why don't we use your Umbral Hunters as that civic support force? They're young like you and I, and could do the city a great service by helping people right now."

It was a seed of a thought that the sleeping part of Amelia's mind offered readily to the narrative from her mixture of emotion began to take shape as her heart strove to mix her dreams with that of the memory of the lion through their bond. Her unconscious mind loosing a bit of control and striving to bring more to the weave.

Ever since Nyx made a habit of finding a way of sneaking out of the house back in her old world, she imagined him going out on the town leading a whole gang of strays in keeping the streets safe. Those romantic thoughts didn't mean she didn't try to find a way to stop him, but he always seemed to walk his own path and pull her along. That was even more true in this new world where he had taken on the image of a nightly vigilante, fighting all kinds of things for levels and to protect those he cared about.

The sleeping part of Amelia, with the power, held onto that image of that punk rock hero, pushing it to mix with the image of the leonine king and the teenaged athlete from her memory. Her creativity now free was trying to make the proud king, himself during the day and the wild child during the night. Instead of meeting her normally, he would climb through her window when he didn't think she'd notice, covered in scrapes and bruises as badges of honor as he met all sorts in the streets.

His little gang of loveable street toughs was an open secret to many in the city, though none knew they were led by their king. The Umbral Hunters, the name had just popped into her head.

The gang was known as prideful and loud but deeply protective of their home, and its people just like their leader. The people could use a fair bit of energy and distraction right now. She looked up at her large feline companion touching the cat's heart, her dream-self unaware of what the true Amelia's subconscious pushed into his chest with the sound of nightlife, rock music, youthful street brawls into nature of nobility.

"While the Umbral Hunters help with public morale, we should head to the academy to see what we can learn. We should also send out scouts from the roost," She said as this active action seemed to give her energy.

Looking to the skyline she expected to see buildings that may have not been there before. A school for the people, and a large tower like a needle to the sky used by winged beastfolk for take-off and landing.

[info]
Amelia is doing four things:
Allowing herself to forget a boyfriend she had before using that to feed the dream

Offering some of her high school experience to this version of Nyx along with his punk rocker vigilante hero personality (this king needs a little more nyx tooth and nail lol)

Using more of her high school memories as a base to enhance any school that may or may not already exist

Using her memories of the space needle as a base for the roost. A place for winged beastfolk as a modification to a place that may or may not exist.
[/info]

Riven moved quickly as the hell knight continued to focus on Alak to block Melody from further assault. He could feel the healing power that she had summoned coursing through his veins pushing him forward to continue to fight. His teeth ached from bashing against the armor without making a proper purchase, but that only served to stoke his rage. He wasn't going to let his chew toy get away unscathed.

While his enemies were distracted with his friends he tried his best to take advantage of what few openings that he could find as he added his fangs to the flurry of attacks.

[info]Action 1 move into range
Action 2 and 3 Attack
-

Attack 1
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 12 + 8, total 20[/blockquote]

Damage
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 1 + 6, total 7[/blockquote]

Attack 2
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+3 : 4 + 3, total 7[/blockquote]

Damage
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 1 + 6, total 7[/blockquote]
[/info]

["You dead are doing nothing but howling at your own personal moon! If you refuse to leave the land of the living then it is up to this hound to make sure you stay good and Buried!"]

"You dead are doing nothing but howling at your own personal moon! If you refuse to leave the land of the living then it is up to this hound to make sure you stay good and Buried!" Riven retorted, as he moved smoothly around into the opening Bell had created to make an additional bite attempt.

[info]Action one move to flank

Action 2 demoralize (intimidating glare)

Action 3 bite

[/info]

[info]Demoralize intimidation vs will
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 4 + 5, total 9[/blockquote][/info]

[info]Attack bite

Attack 1
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 9 + 8, total 17[/blockquote]

Damage
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 9 + 6, total 15[/blockquote]
[/info]

[won't let you get away with this you overgrown chew toy! Let's see how talkative you are when you are missing a few pieces!"]

Seeing the talking skeleton land a sickening blow on Melody  he growled, "won't let you get away with this you overgrown chew toy! Let's see how talkative you are when you are missing a few pieces!"

His words were soon accompanied by the sound of his stretching lupine jaw as he rushed to meet the Hellknight from his unprotected flank.

[info]
Action one rage - gain 5 temp hp and 2 damage lose 2 ac 17

A2 Move to flank with Alak

A3 Bite
[/info]

[info]Bite attack flanking
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 7 + 8, total 15[/blockquote]

Damage
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 3 + 6, total 9[/blockquote]

[/info]

[info]Initiative
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 9 + 5, total 14[/blockquote][/info]

Riven still somewhat reeling from the dots in his vision does his best to pin the creature and crunch.

[info]Trip
Concealment
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 18, total 18[/blockquote]

Trip
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 2 + 8, total 10[/blockquote]

Jaw1
Concealment
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 12, total 12[/blockquote]

Attack
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 14 + 8, total 22[/blockquote]

Damage
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 7 + 6, total 13[/blockquote]

Jaw 2
Concealment
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 20, total 20[/blockquote]

Attack
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+3 : 5 + 3, total 8[/blockquote]

Damage
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 10 + 6, total 16[/blockquote]

[/info]

[trip against reflex dc]

Riven snarling as he tried to focus his eyes and while struggling to do so he heard the sound of the second bird's cries allowing him to lash out with his fangs. first trying to clip its wings before going in for the kill.

[info]trip action and 2 jaw attacks with flanking and prone if trip

trip against reflex dc
Concealment
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 14, total 14[/blockquote]

Attack
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 5 + 8, total 13[/blockquote]



Jaw 1
Concealment
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 19, total 19[/blockquote]

Attack
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 1 + 8, total 9[/blockquote]

Damage
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 2 + 6, total 8[/blockquote]

Jaw 1
Concealment
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 9, total 9[/blockquote]

Attack
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+3 : 9 + 3, total 12[/blockquote]

Damage
[blockquote]Rolled 1d10+6 : 1 + 6, total 7[/blockquote] [/info]