CH1: Falling in the Deep End

[Schnizzer]

Armand stared at his father for a moment. There was so much he felt he had left to say but didn't have the time to say it all. He sighed  and took another sip of his coffee. Father, I know why you're keeping me behind. I know you suspected you weren't coming back. I know you trusted me to continue your work. And I know that I failed! What I don't know is, why didn't you think I could have helped you? Why didn't you trust me with the truth until after? He paused for a moment and closed his eyes, fighting the wetness starting to form. He then said in a quiet whisper, Why didn't you give me a chance to say good bye? This isn't how this went! You let me leave angry. You never gave me a chance to say sorry...

When Armand finished speaking, he looked down into his cup and wiped the tears out of his eyes. He wanted his father to understand the burden left upon Armand's shoulders. He wanted to get the weight of this guilt off of him. Besides that, despite what his father may have thought, Armand wasn't ready to do this on his own. The fact he woke up in what he only assumed was some sort of afterlife meant he had obviously died either from the blast or the waves and failed in finishing his father's work.

[Mysticsage]

Before you had a chance to look up from your cup of coffee, your father had crossed the table and embraced you in a hug. He did not say anything at first, just simply held you there, in a gesture of fatherly affection, that you know didn't happen. Yet despite the fact that you know this isn't how this happened the first time, the real-time, you could still feel his heartbeat under his shirt as he held you, and you could still smell the aftershave he used every day. He let that comfort stretch on for a moment longer than he ever would have normally before pulling away slightly, and looking up at you as he pulled away and ruffled your hair he finally speaks.

"You know I love you, you are worth more than any treasure this world has to offer," he says with a smile seeming somehow smaller than you remember. "With your mother gone, you have to let me be protective for the both of us, even if I suck at it sometimes. You have to know, that every success I have to my name, pales in comparison to the fact that your mother and I got to bring you into the world."

To put an extra period on what he said, he plucks the hat off his head and places it on your head, "You being angry, was the best gift I could ask for, that you wanted to walk this road of adventure by my side. But we both know my days are numbered. It was my job to give you everything I could. After all, you look better in this hat than i ever did."

[Schnizzer]

Armand couldnt help but let the tears flow as the realization that this actually was his father. He held onto to him until his father let him go and smiled and listened intently. He felt a weight lift off him as his father explained to him.

When he finished, Armand wiped his eyes and looked up at his father. I dont like it but, I understand! He took the hat off and looked down at it as his smile faded. When he looked back up at his father, there was nothing but defeat and despair on his face. It doesnt matter. We didnt make it to the island. Valerie basically paid the captain to double cross us. The ship came apart and I drowned. I was so close and yet so far! Im sorry!

[Mysticsage]

As you look up to make your final declaration, to your father, of your failure and death, through your veil of tears everything was gone. Your father, your house, everything had disappeared, replaced with a white void with only your voice echoing off into infinity. However, your father's voice, even less then a whisper, reaches your ear.

"Embrace the Dream and Anything is Possible."

As the words finished you were able to have a single breath, a single moment to think that this might be your afterlife, being forced to relive aspects of your life over and over again. However, this place had other plans for you, as the tears began to dry on your cheeks you realize this white void was begging to glow and get warmer. Eventually the light got so bright and warm that it felt like your skin was on fire and you completely blinded you for the second time.

Father's Hat*** Transforms into:
Father's Hat (+1)
this hat holds the special memories of your father and now acts as a 5lb bag of holding.

Location - Unknown
Time - Mid Morning

Then you wake up with a start, in a bed. The mid morning sun peaking through a roughly made window of a grass and driftwood hut, no bigger than twenty feet either side. The calm sound of waves and the cawing of seagulls greeting you, along with the rich scent of some kind of sweet rich smelling soup bubbling low on a fire pit just outside the grass curtain door off to your side. As you take a moment to orient yourself you can taste the salt of your own tears although you can't remember the exact cause. Glancing around further you see this hut was decorated with various hand made crafts, sea glass chimes and large seashells that acted like china lined the walls and ceiling. On the table is a bowl of soup, still warm, along with your clothes and your father's hat.

The outfit you had asked Veritas to prepare for this trip per your specifications seemed to be intact, but what drew your attention  the most was your father's hat seemingly in perfect order. A miracle amongst the storm.

Things to know:
1). Your memory is completely missing from the time of the lightning flash till waking up write now, but your heart and body still remember everything that happened so any emotions you want to carry through you can you just don't have the context for them.

2) your memory of when your father left have shifted to be more in line with what you just enacted minus any mention of your failure or knowledge of his plans. However you can still feel your emotions because your heart remembers both sets.

3) You are aware of the hats power as if you knew from the start.

4) you are now 6'1" and the outfit fits ideally, shoe size shirt size the works, however your body is still used to your old stature for now. Meaning when you get out of bed you may experience some vertigo or the like I'll let you decide how that plays out just in the immediate future till your body adapts.

[Schnizzer]

Armand quickly sat up, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. He squinted as his eyes tried to adjust to the bit of sunlight coming through. He blinked heavily as he caught his breath and took a look at his surroundings. His eyes stopped at the table with his belongings and the soup. He moved to get out of bed and felt a wave of dizziness as he stood up. He slowly walked towards his belongings with a strange sensation. He dressed himself then took the bowl of soup and drank a few gulps from it. As he put the bowl back down, he had an odd feeling that whoever lived here must be of a small stature.

After making sure he had all his belongings, he checked the hat for his father's letter and the crystal before slowly making his way outside.

[Mysticsage]

You made your way over to your belongings and reached for the hat in two strides. Reaching your hand past the brim the shadows consumed all the way up to the forearm. Glad to see that whatever strange magic had occurred in the mist had not interfered with the magic of your father's hat, you quickly confirm that the contents of the hammer space were still intact.

With everything accounted for and still plagued by a little bit of dizziness you make your way out into the warm embrace of the sun. You are greeted by a cool breeze and soft white sands as if you had stepped into the middle of a painting depicting a tropical island. Several make-shift homes are spread out in the shape of a small village. You can even see some small canoes just off the shore as a few outlines go about their day fishing. The thing that catches your attention is the bough of the Stalwart ripped mostly to large pieces scattered in chunks in various directions.

The largest section seemed to have quite the crowd surrounding it as people you had never seen before were busy energetically talking while another group went about passing down several boxes with Veritas' family seal. Some of the cargo you brought with you must have survived.

[Schnizzer]

"No,! No, no, no..." Armand tried to make his way towards the commotion. He was a bit wobbly and lightheaded has he hurriedly walked towards the wreckage. He began waving his hands as he moved towards the people to both get their attention and briefly stop them from pilfering what was left of the supplies.

"Wait, Stop! Raynolt, Veritas?" He yelled for his companions having realized he didn't see them nearby. He hoped, what felt like in vain, that they not only survived their ordeal but were in some shape to recover at least some of the supplies they had brought along with them.

[Mysticsage]

Few of the people ransacking the remains of the ship even paused from their work, despite Armand's protests. Everyone is too busy sorting the trash from the salvage to pay your yells much more than a glance.

As you approach closer to the scene of the wreckage, frantically scanning the faces and the surroundings for your companions, you can see that these people have all seen better days. All wear patch work outfits of furs, leathers, scales, and clothes you could imagine someone bringing along for a voyage on a sea. All of them had a deep tan from spending too much time out in the sun, and their various hodgepodge clothing didn't provide them with much protection. Some of them even had gnarly scars on display though most you could see had gone white with age.

As you get closer, you can tell that this group seems as diverse as their patchwork clothing: humans, halfings, and even a massive mangy white lion-kin make up the ranks of this small handful of survivors, no more than 15 in all. Eventually your frantic calls draw the attention of a younger woman, her skin a rich tone from a long time under the sun while her gaze was clinical in nature as she moved into your personal space without a second thought to put the back of her hand against your forehead. She is a good half a foot or more shorter than you and maybe just turned old enough to be considered a full fledged adult, but the air about her is calm and steady as she looks through you versus at you for a moment. However, all sound of work has stopped completely as the people tearing apart the ship are now watching the interaction intently daring you to act out while this girl is so close.

"It seems like your fever has finally broken, I'm glad," she says after a moment of thought. Her voice has a slight accent you can't place, as she speaks. She steps back out of your personal space again as if seeing you properly for the first time. "Seems like you're a bit unsteady, from the way you are holding your weight, but it doesn't seem like there are any obvious injuries. A god must have smiled on you," she finally said with a nod.

"We were only able to find two others amongst the wreckage, a half-orc and a half elf. If that's who you're screaming for then they are over in Jareth's hut," she said, pointing to one of the larger huts you can see deeper past the beach line where you ran from. "You seemed to be having a rougher time of things, so we kept you separated for observation. They have yet to wake up yet but they're stable. You should go check on them while we go about seeing what loot we can gather."

The last line being more of an order than a suggestion.

[Schnizzer]

Armand was about to protest to the woman but he was caught off guard by the warm hand against his forehead. He almost stumbled as he took half a step backwards in surprise. He quickly regained his composure as she removed her hand and spoke. The mention of his two companions being the only other survivors brought the memory of the crew's betrayal came flooding back to him. "If the gods do smile on us, the others were swallowed by the black."

He then looked past the woman towards the others salvaging the remains of the ship. If Armand and the others were going to survive and stop Valerie, then they were going to need help. With any luck some of their gear would be recoverable. And it would be good to have people who live on the island as guides. It was always better to have someone who knows the local area rather than going in blind. He looked back at the young woman in front of him and smiled, offering his hand to her in greeting. "My name is Armand Knute! I'm guessing I have you to thank for saving my life?"

[Mysticsage]

As if she could judge your moral fiber based off of how you stood, Mira put her hands on her hips as she studied you for the second time, truly studied you in detail, like one would a questionable bit of produce at the market. Finally after just long enough of a gap to make everyone feel comfortable she puffed her checks and blew a raspberry to release the tension.

"You seem harmless enough for the moment, your energy is all over the place, but I can't expect much better considering you survived the stuff the island puts out to keep people away. The name's Mira and I guess it's my job to welcome you considering my mom ain't around," She paused to put on the airs of a faux professional before continuing, 

"Welcome Armaund, to your new home, its harsh, its dangerous, and its the jealous sort, so you better get comfortable. We call our little village, The Grove, and as long as you follow our rules we don't have to throw you or your friends out on your asses. We don't have much, and what we do have we worked hard for. Prove you can add something of use and don't take advantage of us and everything will be good times and smiles. Act like idiots, and you'll have to learn what it's like to live on an island filled with monsters alone. Need something to note that down with?" she asked her eyes still watching you closely despite the playful dry tone of your voice.

"We're all in the same boat here, so don't feel like you gotta push yourself to play nice, we aren't gonna leave you out to dry unless you screw us, so no need for forced smiles at a time like this, got it?" She said, her fake smile softened into a real one. "You got all the time in the world now that you are stuck here no need to rush things."

[Schnizzer]

Armand gives a genuine smile and nods. "We do not wish to cause you trouble. We are all friends here and do not want to intrude on your ways. Although, staying here permanently is not an option." He stops himself for a moment. He stands as if he wished to say more but was unsure of something. Instead he simply shakes his head and smiles again. "I really must go speak with my companions but I thank you again for your help." He gave another brief nod as he turned around quickly, almost stumbling, as he made his way to his friends' tent.

As Armand made his way to the tent walking in with a sense of urgency, yelling to his companions as he entered. His demeanor changed from being relaxed and jovial with Mira to one of determination. "Raynolt! Veritas! I'm not dead and we have work to do!"

[Mysticsage]

Mira watches Armand go looking like she wanted to call after him before thinking better of it simply shaking her head, and turning back to the group, motioning everyone to get back to work.



You make your way back up the beach into the mixture of huts and make shift buildings. The one she pointed you towards was actually one of the largest huts made of a large section of ship. From the side of which hangs a giant stone unicorn, that has a steady stream of white smoke billowing from the horn. As you push your way inside the eight foot tall entryway, you are greeted by the heat of a forge and the clinking of metal as you enter a space that is one part blacksmith, one part storage shed, and one part living quarters. Going up a ladder into the second story you find a small living quarters with the two men sprawled out amongst a pile of pillows and grass rugs.

Both men are still wearing the same clothes as they were on the ship. Without a detailed look, it seems like they suffered little more then a few scraps and bruises. Although, Vertias' arm is lightly bandaged, and Raynolt seems to have the lion's share of the wounds. one hand gripping the corner of the half elf's over coat.

More interesting however, while they both seem to stir at the sound of your voice, they don't wake up but quickly fall back asleep as if they were in a dream they didn't want to wake from.

[Schnizzer]

Armand stopped and looked at the two sleeping for a moment as a smile of relief slowly came across his face. Despite his rush, he really was concerned for the two men and was happy to see they were mostly in good shape. A sense of calm came over him as the comfort of knowing he wasn't alone here came into his head. The memories of the night their ship sank flooded back to him as he stood there and realized how lucky they really were. Especially, seeing how he really did seem to take most of the punishment. He leaned in the doorway, partly to steady himself but also just to appreciate the moment. They had all almost died just a few days ago and were all lucky to be alive. Armand just stood there in the doorway for a couple minutes, just appreciating the gift of a second chance that they had been given.  Whether by fate or the gods, Armand did not care, because he did not plan to squander it.

He decided he'd let them sleep long enough. He made his way to Veritas' bed and slowly sat on the edge. He then proceeded to softly shake Veritas awake. "Veritas, it's time to wake up!" Armand takes a closer look at his sleeping companion's condition as he tries to stir him from his slumber.

[Mysticsage]

As you go gently shake the younger man awake, breaking him out of whatever dream held him, sharp static jumps from his shoulder into your palm. Just as you are shaking out the numbness in your hand, the half-elf and his companion begin to stir for the first time their eyes slowly opening with deep rattling breaths.

"Awww-" Veritas yawned before locking eyes with you, "-rmand, we're alive! We are alive right?" he asked suddenly looking around the room, as he tried his best to gain his bearings, he also tried to sit up before letting out a soft grown and sinking back into the bed.

"I think we're alive by how bad my head is hurting," came the graveled voice of Raynolt. "Glad to see all three of us made it out of that mess alive. So, before I crawl my way out of this bed just tell me how much shit we're in?"

"Did we make it to the island?"

[Schnizzer]

Armand let out a small hiss of pain and surprise from the shock that quickly turned smile as he shook feeling back into his hand. It was good to see them up and about. As soon as they asked about the situation, though, the smile faded just as quickly. He let out a heavy sigh as he got up and walked across the room, taking his hat off and brush his hair back with his hand. He turned around to face them both, "We are not dead and made it to the island. The ship is beached outside but I don't know how much of the supplies survived and what hasn't been looted. We were rescued by some locals so you have them to thank for not being dead. They took care of us while we were recovering for the past. Three. Days!"

Armand put extra emphasis on the amount of time that has passed since the betrayal on the ship. If he were to be honest with himself, the fact three days had passed didn't really upset Armand. He was sure they would make up for the lost time. He was being impatient because he knew somewhere on this island was the captain who left them to die and the person responsible for his father's death, and they were after his father's life's work. He scratched the back of his neck before shaking his head and trying to let go of the anger. He could only deal with one problem at a time.

"Now here's the good news; everyone on this island who would want us dead, thinks we are now dead and we have made contact with locals who know the area. So we can try to see if they will help us as guides to move around while buying us time before probably being hunted."