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[D&D 5E] Whispered Curse, Day 60- Offshore/Abbott of the Eternal
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Geth, roll 1d10 for Extra Damage
Geth roll 8d6 lightning damage- (Everyone)
Geth roll 1d6 Captain's Quarters (Flammability)
Geth roll 1d20 Strength Challenge (Not-Valtari)
Geth roll 1d20+1 Disadvantaged Strength Challenge (Meepo)
Geth, roll 2d20k1+4 for Dex Save
Geth, roll 1d20+4 for Perception
JACK
URIXES
It was somewhere in the middle of that where Urixes stepped up and did what he did best, make the smarter play and was putting out the fire with magic. Once Oak again was grateful for his presence, and he was able to carry the captain and the mirror out of the room into the fresh air. Placing her down gently, Calthus and Calvin come to take over the care. The Shifter stands and takes a deep breath, relishing the feel of the sea breeze, when Natali catches his attention and tells them that Jack and Meepo need help.
Rushing down, mirror raised, Oak runs to find his friends.
One last glance around to make sure the situation here is being taken care of, he dashes outside, bumping into the returning Meepo with news of strange goings on on the Orlop Deck. "Meepo, with me!"
They find Natali Grave-Digger, along with a hurt and loudly complaining Mister Fusspot indicating a dark corner and the sounds of something moving about. His senses aren't all they could be in this form, but his nose is still good enough to spot their 'guest'. Jack charges blindly when a set of chains is bumped and tackles something quite skinny and quite feral.
When Oak and Urixes arrive he's wrestle-wrapped around... someone. They might not be visible, but they're most odorous. "Little help guys?"
Below deck, Urixes walks in just behind Oak, having locked the door before turning to take in the scene with a deep frown. "I remember you, traitor," he says to the invisible man, "Do you have anything you want to say before you die?"
URIXES hears a voice within his head:
OAK hears a voice within his head:
JACK hears a voice within his head:
But then the voice speaks in his head. Oak's face turns feral in an instant, his features shifting instantly to the more beast-like nature that resides within him. He growls down at Iqium. "Ya' stay outta' my head, or I will end ya' here."
He looks over to Urixes. "Yer call on him. Ya' seem to know him the most."
Jack looks at Urixes, "Am I good to let him go? Only I think Mister Fusspot got hurt..." He glares at the old man, clearly considering another headbutt, "...and I want to check on him."
Oak had known that eventually his deal would come back to him. What that entailed he didn't know for sure, but he knew it wasn't good. He had half a mind to toss Iqium overboard right now, before he tried something that made things worse, but the thought of Oak's own personal weight impacting the rest of the ship kept him in check. What if he did need help? What if Iqium could actually find a way out? Could he damn the entire ship by wanting to stubbornly toss the man overboard?
He turns his darkening eyes to Iqium. "You already killed me once, and I lived to regret that. I won't regret this." With that, Urixes attacks.
Shortly afterwards, the Captain had arrived, rushing down the stairs with Calthus and Killian close behind, each a sword drawn. They find the Wild Bunch still standing in shock over the departing shadow. The situation is quickly explained, and Captain Arabella looks…torn. “I’da probably done the same fucking thing,” she remarks plainly. “But not gonna lie, I wish ya’d waited just another minute to do it!” She laughs ruefully, and sits down upon the stairs, angrily taking out and lighting a pipe. She blows a wreathe of smoke into the air and looks around at the assembled crew. “Well then,” The Captain says. “’Spose you’ll all be wanting that explanation, then?”
CONFESSIONS OF THE CAPTAIN
The next five days pass rather uneventfully. The Wild Bunch is given leave after their recent trials to relax and rest as their voyage draws them closer towards the Abbot, and the recovery of the Queen of Chaff.
On the second day, the hatches are battened down as the Ship crosses through one of the Expanse’s magical palings. The winds howl and lightning arcs outside the port holes, but the strength of the enchantment upon the Ship’s Lodestone holds fast.
On the third day, Jack finds his Red Skull sword refusing to withdraw from his scabbard: it takes him a good hour of pulling to finally withdraw the thing, and when he attempts to roust it he finds the blade unresponsive, as though sulking. Or perhaps, as though it had never had voice in the first place…?
The fourth day, Captain Arabella calls Urixes into her office and shares with him the secret of the Ship’s Lodestone: that deep within the calcified bit of magical stone, at it’s very center, pulses a quick and constant lump of flesh, which beats impossibly…
And on the morning of the fifth day, Mister Oak, as he rises and sups his coffee, sights land upon the horizon
ARRIVAL AT THE ABBOTT OF THE ETERNAL
The Captain calls Calthus and the Wild Bunch up to the Ship’s Wheel as the strange shaped island draws within range, roughly a mile out. “Never been, meself,” she says, warily regarding the place. “But from everything I’ve heard, its supposed to be some sort of wellness paradise!”
“Hrrmph,” Calthus remarks, withdrawing an eyeglass. “Looks like there’s only the two approaches…up those lines to that little village from the east, or further the west past those treacherous looking rocks, coming in just below the Abbott. Not exactly a welcome wagon, either…looks like you could dock a Ship this size, but jest barely! An can’t see any people out this time o’ morning…”
The Captain nods at Calthus, and then turns to the Wild Bunch. “Well, people….whadya think?”
"Village looks ta' be the safer route, compared to the Boathouse on the west. Though..." he pauses frowning slightly, "Looks completely empty. And we'd have ta' go through a forest fer the rest of the island."
He stares a bit longer before adding, "If we can land it, boathouse is the better path to the Abbey. Goin' ta' need some good sailin' though."
He looks from one end to the other, "Which side looks less like a mouth?"
Calthus scratches his neck frill and considers. “Certainly need ter’ do reconnaissance fore we all decide we’re here on some sorta holiday. An these three are the best at this sorta wet work we have at this point.” As Jack worries aloud about the strange shape of the island, Calthus (whistling through his nose with shrill concern) begins to nod effusively. Siddling up next to Young Jack, the Dragonborn steps behind him and draws the spyglass over his right eye, pointing with his other hand towards western end of the island. “Oh, 100%, boyo! Ye’ see that bulgy shaped hill, resting jest above the Abbott? Those odd ridges either end? I’d bet me blade that used to be something massive’s skull!”
Captain Arabella bristles, clearly irritated with Calthus for goading Jack’s concern. “Alright then, let’s not jump to conclusions er’ scaring the men! It coulda just…formed like that.”
Calthus begins to scoff, but catches himself before disrespecting the Captain. He coughs apologetically. “Due respect ma’am, but after Villam…” He trails off, leaving the tale unspoken.
Meepo glance around, perturbed at the sudden tone of the conversation. “Err, this sumfin ya’ folks deal wit’ often? Living isles?”
Calthus, with a curious cock of his head, turns deferentially towards Captain Arabella. The Captain, after a beat, smiles wryly and shakes her head in exasperation at her 1st Mate. “It’s the Twilight Expanse, people! Not…the Pleasant-Ocean-of-Fuckin’-Happy-Good-Fun-Times! Sometimes its gonna be a sentient fungus…sometimes its floating five hundred yard above the ocean…sometimes its just a portal an’ some rocks juttin’ out from the elemental plane of fire….and yes, sometimes it’s a living isle! C’mon! We roll with the punches, people!”
Rolling his eyes and snorting resignedly, Calthus Zurkul turns to Urixes the 2nd Mate. “An’ you, Master Warlock? What do you think of all this? Shall we try to guide the Ship straight up to the Abbott, or try ta’ get a look around the island’s tail end ferst?”
His head turns from one of his friends to the other, "Which way den?"
Calthus clears his throat, and steps up beside the Captain, looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. “Ye’, uhhh, wanted me to remind you, Captain!”
Captain Ari cringes a bit. “Ah yes…that.” The Captain walks over to Jack , and places a tender hand on his shoulder. “So, Young Jack…how’d ye’ feel about watching Derbin guide us in, start learning how ta’ pilot this baby?”
From down at the Wheel, Derbin turns his head like a whipped owl. “Beggin’ yer pardon, Captain?”
Arabella shrugs dismissively. “Ye’ told me ya need a new replacement trainee, now that Arno’s no longer with us. The boy’s up here half the time anyway, and everyone’s relieved when he’s not holding a hammer! Plus, Jack did a helluva job gettin’ this group down the river at Villam!”
“Gee…I dunno, Cap’n…” Derbin the dwarf replies nervously, looking around at the rest of the crew. “The crew’s over Jack as an ill-omen, but if any of em’ see he’s up learning at the Wheel…!”
“Well, don’t let them see it, then!” The Captain snaps tersely. “That’s an order, Mister Derbin!”
Derbin Brightbeard turns to the nearby Weatherworker Refi (who shrugs, as if to say “what can you do”, then looks over sheepishly at Jack. “Well…c’mon then!” He waves Jack over. “But, errrr, do me a solid and duck down, so the fellas don’t see you…!”
He answers Derbin with a broad grin and scoots closer, hunching down to make himself smaller. It doesn't last long, he's far too energised to focus on his posture however he's not all that tall to begin with. After getting rejected asking to take the wheel (twice) he finally settles enough to pay attention.
Finally those balloon piloting skills will come in handy!
Savantlike, Jack answers each question with a detailed, thoughtful answer, counting them off on his fingers as he goes. Sat cross legged behind the wheel, Jack finishes and looks over to Refi and Derbin for approval, but as he does so takes notice of something: an underwater outcropping of the unnatural rocks, almost unnoticeable in the dim light cast from the island’s crest far above. Yelping, Jack leaps forward and grabs the other side of the Wheel from Derbin, yanking the craft to the starboard side and narrowing avoiding scraping the Hull along the treacherous spiny growths.
Derbin, withdrawing a kerchief from his back pocket and wiping his head from sweat, whistles with sincere wonder. “…dear lords, Master Jack…ye’ pulled us offa them rocks! I didn’t even see them!” Whooping and throwing his hat to the deck like a prospector who has found gold, a stern look from Refi makes Derbin find himself, and he clears his throat, looking around to make sure he hasn’t drawn the crews attention. Lowering his voice, he remarks. “…I think ye got it, lad! The “Sway”, like Arno had!” Patting the young Shifter upon the back, Derbin slowly takes his hands from the Wheel, leaving it solely in Jack’s hands. “Alright then,me boy!,” the dwarf says, a newfound respect in his tone. “How’about you pull us up about fifty foot short o’ the Boathouse, broadside it so we coast in…should be enough space to sit comfortable for awhile…”
As Oak walks the Kobold through the dangerous ways of the sea, the little lizard says nothing at all, his rapt attention on the Shifter’s lecture.
Throughout the lesson, Oak keeps one bit of bad news to himself:
As the quartet find their way to the overhang and the Boathouse far overhead, they come upon a sudden sea of ropes, cables, and lines, all dangling down from the structure above. As the Longboat pulls in, a shadowy figure watches down from some sort of open hatch within the building, fifty feet above your heads. When it sees your eyes fall upon them, it scurries back further into the shadows, but you can all still hear it breathing from somewhere at the back of the wall…
Despite it's clear hesitation at engaging strangers, the figure in the shadows now scuttles closer to the light, peering over the edge of the hatch and looking down on the four of you below.
"Yiss?" The man asks wetly, a sound like gargling at the back of the throat. "What izzit ye' want? Abbott's bin closed down furm visitors..." Though not the most charming person you've all met out here, the strange man doesn't seem unpleasant. He dangles a pair of oddly bent legs over the edge of the Boathouse, peering down below as it awaits your answer
The fish person returns to the edge of the hatch, peering down onto the Wild Bunch below and cupping his hands around his mouth so as to better be heard. “Dere’s two chains either end near the center there ye’ ken unhook. Carefully unclamp em’…don’t stick em’ near the cable or yer sword, there’s a strong magnet built into the end! Drop em in and let em’ drift under yer’ craft. Once they’ve drifted under, yank thurr chain and it’ll catch into the cable on thurr other side…then I can lift ye’ all out o’ the muck” The man, croaking with concern, adds, ”Take care!…drink around the Abbott is slow poison to yer’ kin!”
After the chains have been secured, the fish man disappears from sight again, and the crank begins to whir to life once more as the mechanism quickly and safely extracts the Longboat and it’s crew from the water, lifting them up into the Boathouse. Once they have been pulled fully through, they find themselves in a spacious, mostly empty warehouse that reeks of fish and mold. The mechanisms overhead are clearly places to “hang” Ships from, safely out of the water. It’s probably large enough in here for more than three Whispered Curses to be stacked next to each other, side to side. As you take in the area, the fish man patters over to the edge of the Hatch, looking at you all with a keen curiosity (and a strange lack of fear, considering there’s four of you and he seems to be alone). Approaching the group cautiously but firmly, he steps up…and sniffs each of you, one at a time, darting in once to press his nostrils to your chest before quickly retreating back to the planks of the Boathouse.
The fish person has a brilliant gold medallion upon his chest, but is otherwise clad in simple, loose fabrics, well worn. He is an uncanny, almost exact combination of man and fish, and carries himself like a proud Lord. Once finished sniffing the quartet, he addresses the Wild Bunch. “Aye. Not visitors!” The fish person says, nodding with understanding. He approaches each of you in turn, his voice wet with sympathy. “Mouth rot.” The fish man tells Meepo. “Hungers-most-foul.” He informs Jack. “Demon-branded.” He laments to Oak. To the Tiefling…he seems to offer little more than a wary eye. “…this place offers little balm fer what you suffer. Nothing that can taken into the skin…no baths o’ cleansing er’ submersion” The fish man crosses his arms, grunting. “Immortals tend to shun the Abbott…” As he awaits your response, Meepo, (when he thinks no one is looking), breathes into his hand, looking forlorn…
Geth, roll 1d20 for Persuasion
He murmurs to Meepo from the side of his mouth, "Don't worry, I got this minty tincture from a fancy place back in town, works wonders."
"We're not here for ourselves. We've other healing that needs done and we're not sure how much time we have left before it's too late."
Geth, roll 1d20+4 for Intimidation
"Like ziss," proposes the fish man, pressing his hands together with determined purpose. "Send hungry friend here back in boat to Shep. He ken bring over za sick; wounded. I stay here, keep eyes. Demonbrand and Little Lick ken head over to za Abbott...inform za High Priestess of your injured companions. You shall have no need of guide."
Gil's eyes look over between Oak and Urixes, blinking rapidly. "We ken help your injured." He says quietly, but firmly finishes with, "But za Abbott will not be threatened!" The fish man pauses, and turns to glare with mistrust at the Tiefling. "Immortal. The Confessor may be less than pleased to see one such as yourself. Perhaps, you may wish to join your hungry friend on boat...?"
He looks at Urixes and Jack. "Might be good fer the two of you to bring back our....sick. Job needs ta' be careful, and I dun know how many else we can trust to do it right."
He picks up Mister Fusspot and places him on Oak's shoulder, fiddling with the abacus, "Come find us if they get into trouble, yea?"