Fantasy Inescapable Archipelago

Robert Shuum was a man of renown. When the seaside kingdom of Jeroux was overtaken by a ruthless tyrant using a combination of a corrupt court and legal loopholes, Jeroux refused to serve him and would came to aid the rebellion with tactical genius, with many victories in land and legendary prowess in naval warfare. Legend told he once had his small fleet surrounded by a larger combination of the kingdom's navy and mercenaries, only to have them destroy one another with suffering casualties himself. In an ironic twist of fate, though the man himself had no fondness for pirates, his name was fought over by many of them for the right to call themselves by the prestigious name. The best pirates, it seemed, will even plunder your fame.

Crashing rhythmically against the waves was a massive ship in a faintly golden color. It's bright lights were a symbol of status, and the reflection of the sunlight scared back many creatures from the depths, if the enormous armaments and ornaments of the ship were insufficient to begin with. The coloring wasn't the only adornment on the massive three-story ship that dwarfed most naval forces, as a stamp of sapphires was displayed in front of the ship protected by the long frontal cannon, whereas the back of the ship developed into a large wooden maw. All the way in between were files of windows each ready and armed with enchanted cannons, though the ones towards the center were covered in redundant wooden armory which could be loosened if the ship needed to pick up the pace or was stuck somewhere - like in the limbs of a kraken - though the pirates had made sure to ring these with explosive magical runes. One had to wonder if this majestic fortress on a hull even needed the spellcasters on board from anything but hiding on the red shelter on the deck while casting spells to help ease the journey during storms.

The Captain of the Great Robert Flag observed the horizon from the upper deck with one boot on the rails. It was then she turned as she began to hear unfamiliar moans, most likely the two prisoners being taken away by her prized ship. It was helmed by the crew who stood victorious against countless of their fellow pirates. It was made to bend the knee to the kingdom after their defeat.

The captain turned to Wavecrash, their kenku mapmaster. It was a rather unique position to have on a ship, but the Kenku's excellent memory and lack of creativity made for extremely good map makers and great skills in orienting themselves and finding their way through such dangerous waters. Even their names weren't really words per say, but simply the first sounds they mimicked, like the crashing of an ocean's wave for example.

"How long do you reckon?"

"Not TOO far OUT nOW. Maybe cOUPLE hOURS." The mapmaster replied in a mixture of mimicked voices.

The captain narrowed her eyes, pensive.

"We'll have to keep our eyes peeled. Don't let even a single plank of wood hit the soil, ya hear? No one pebble in the gaps."

The cloaked knight leaning his back on the shelter chuckled.

"Isn't it a little early to worry? The bird-man over there just told you it's two whole hours away."

"Tch. The supervi- the emissary from the kingdom. Sentences like that give away how little experience you have sailing these waters. Many talented men have disappeared without a trace just miscalculating the distance."

"What a convenient excuse. Told by pirates no less."

"An 'excuse' we could use ourselves, as you'd do well to remember."

The 'emissary' from the kingdom reached into his robes and revealed what appeared to be a green orb. It was unclear if it really was, though it seemed to have a very faint glow to it. The captain spat into the sea and ignored the knight's grin.


"I'll have that talk with the prisoners now." The captain turned to the crew on the deck and shouted. "One of you monkeys get them awake!"

The crew looked at one another, like a would-be game of chicken for the first to bother. The first to resign himself was an overweight man with unkept hair and a woolen shirt that didn't fully cover his belly. The rubbed the back of his hand against his nose, snorted, and walked over to the pale, mutated girl and the air genasi woman, both unconscious on the floor and tied up hands, feet, arms and legs, not to mention the ropes gagging their mouths just in case either were able to cast spells... though it didn't seem like they could when they were captured. Cracking her whip, the woman leaned slightly forward so the two would-be-kidnappers could see her face....if they strained their neck just a little.

"Rise and shine, you coralfeed."


"The two of ya should be thankful for the miss fan- the princess's mercy. Well, ya should be thankful for the opportunity to lick my ol' salty boots, but that's a whole other matter. Point is, congratulations: You will not rot in a cell. On the other hand, ya can kiss goodbye to any chance of escaping, if ya thought you had any before. Don'think about trying anything funny either: Pride's the only reason we don't put a bullet between your sockets and dump ya both in the ocean. Far as the rest of the world is concerned? Same difference. And the thing about pride, it goes easier down the throat with some ale than dried meat does."

The pirates around the captain chuckled.

"Welcome, ladies, to the cursed archipelago. Coming by is the easy part - going away, well now that depends. Ya're banished to 'ere, and as long as that curse is around, so will ya be. If by some miracle either of ya ladies find yaselves with children in these parts, their grandchildren will die before it is lifted. So guess YA'RE chances. Now, as we're speaking some of our crew are dropping yar supplies onto the island. Another thing to be grateful for. We will then drop ya both onto the raft and let ya sail yourselves to shore. Untied of course, but try anything other than what we tell ya and ya will regret it. We could also just throw ya onto the island... though ya'll regret that one too, probably. Well, once ya're in shore, we'll be leavin' and you can do whatever ya want, or whatever ya can rather. What that is, well that'll be yar problem."

Neither of them had her gag removed or was allowed to speak. As soon as the crew returned and gave the signals, the two prisoner's wet let up and surrounded by weapon, as a low-tier crew member untied them both, leaving only the rope in their mouths and one tied around their waist.

"Ya can take the ones in your mouths off once ya're in shore. Ya don't need to speak to climb onto a boat or sail. Try it before... and ya'll see the consequences. Nod if you understood." The captain warned, and waited a moment. "Good. Now, get a move on."

The prisoners were forced to the edge of the ship and climb down, supported by the crew holding onto the ropes around the prisoner's waists. The pirates dropped the remaining of the hempen ropes onto the the raft and watched the prisoners like hawks.

The captain found almost disappointing. No resistance. No attempt to flea or plead. Perhaps the two prisoners were just resigned to their fate. Despite everything both seemed to have some sense in their heads, for good and ill. Of course though, their current performance showed there were limits to their sense quite clearly, as one laid on her belly and the other begun to inspect the paddle or something.

The first results were obvious: Strong or not, you're not pulling an ocean. Perhaps with enough force you could accomplish something, but if you didn't know what you were doing it wasn't going to help. The other one seemingly lacked either the technique or the knowledge (or both) to use the paddle adequately, though the genasi seemed to be getting the hang of it bit by bit. Perhaps it was just a matter of familiarity... Altogether, the two barely advanced a few feet.

Some of the more impulsive (or alcoholic) crew members were already starting to laugh as the two prisoners barely made way.

Thanks to their joint efforts, Gyibris and Sephi managed to pull the raft a fair distance away from the pirate ship. The laughter gradually died out, partially as it faded from that distance and partially as the two of them managed to get the raft moving. Sephi attempted various ways to push the water with the paddles, making a mental note of which ones felt like they had the most success, while Gyibris put her unnatural might into pushing in a semblance of what Sephi was doing.

As the raft grew closer, perhaps something akin to halfway towards the shore, there was a change in the shade of the water. It remained clear and clean outside of a few drifting algae, and the distortion of the persisted small undulations of the sea, and the depth likewise remained too much to see into it with clarity. However, it was now possible to see that there was flooring even if it was still too dark to tell what kind or might be lurking there or in-between. Shades of sand faded-yellows and some crimson seemed to be the most prominent colors for astute eyes, and many darker shades moved around, a great collection of marine life.

Despite some initial shortcomings, the duo made real progress and it wouldn't be long before the raft reached shore. The shades on the floor grew more pronounced and eventually distant yellowish sand with some red patches and some blurry sea life became visible, swimming away from the raft in a hurry where able to. It was easier to make out what the island was like from this distance as well: Sand and trees were more individually distinct and a small mound around the center of the beach now had a noticeably wooden appearance, with some manner of rope or wire around it... Those were likely their supplies. A curtain of water rose over covering that sight, suggesting those supplies were just barely on the shore.

If either of the two prisoners were to try to touch the water they would be able to tell it had grown no less cold. Perhaps if one were to jump off the raft they'd be able to reach the shore fast enough from this distance, however. The sounds of the pirates had drowned out completely other than the occasional shout or laughter still faintly reaching them.

Sephi’s attempt to hurry was a clear misstep. As she attempted to row faster her physique simply wouldn’t match the way her body could move when faced with the unfamiliar pressure of the water. A refined if tentative rowing soon became a sloppy mess, constantly too weak or too strong, flickering out of the water or not sliding in how she wanted it. That state of mind wasn’t the best for such an unpracticed technique.

Gyibris’s own rowing, pressured by the other girl, accelerated, but not only was there a differential in pressure to begin with, Sephi’s self-inflicted clumsiness made Gyibri’s the only one still pushing. If not for the hexblood’s earlier re-allocation, the duo would’ve spun a lot more than they did before they could recover and resume. Nonetheless Gybris’s force was enough to propel them forward faster even if with potentially some motion sickness.

Finally the two of them reached shore, not so far from the stack of crates that constituted their supplies. Faded yellow colors of the sand stretched all across the beach, only tainted by occasional red patterns somewhat deep toward the sea, and on the other end switching to dirt and grass as one headed into the yellow birch forest. Though much of it was green, there were still some signs of yellow leaves that gave the tree that name. There was also a visible mountainous inclination toward the center of the island, (something).

As the two of them stepped onto the sand, they would have to be careful walking around the cracked eggshells that littered the shore

Sephi’s eyes also caught sight that particularly around the crossing of forest and beach was the occasional small, unassuming egg-like stone, but clearly put there if one paid attention to it, as told by the small symbols marked on those stones. Further in the mountainous rise were also faint traces of stonework amidst the tree tops.

The two girls headed towards their supplies and managed to rescue them. Inside the boxes were full of equipment they might need in this island, neatly separated by the category of equipment and owner, albeit both unlabeled.

The Sun was beginning to slide out of the highest point in the sky, and the pirate ship finally raised anchor and readied their sails to depart, leaving both prisoners to their own devices. Having moved their equipment out of the crates now more safely lying on the beach (assuming there was no great rise in tide as the afternoon advanced), they both inspected the stones Sephi had noticed. Up close or away, neither of them could recognize the symbols on the stones, glowing naturally or through that magic emanating from them.

Already battered by the seawater for some time before they had even arrived, the boxes were little match for Gyibris’s brute strength. The wood peeled like an orange, though finding parts of it that were wet enough was a challenge. Fortunately, much like a lot of schemes Gyibris had faced, once one side was disassembled the rest came easily apart as well, giving her easier access to the parts facing away from the sea to deliver to her cohabitant.

While the hexblood returned to work on more of the crates, Sephi grabbed some of the rocks on the island. Whatever their purpose was, for now they could be a tool to make fire. The rock felt heavier than it should be, but surely it was merely a product of exhaustion? The pressure she felt as she removed it was merely being tired. Yet as Sephi attempted to slide the two rocks together, something flashed before her eyes.

People standing in front of a large temple, barely clothed with attires she didn’t recognize. A golden glint in the waves. A large something in the darkness under the water, with a golden glint around the center, right beneath narrowed green fish-like eyes.

It sounded like a massive drum embedded right inside her head, a sound and pressure that reverberated and sent Sephi backward onto the floor. Some manner of green sparks began forming around her hands, flowing like an aura, and then new sparks appeared on a small fissure on sandy ground that was slowly letting sand slip inside. The two waves of lightning suddenly met, seeming to pull something out of Sephi as as tiny seemingly clawed limbs formed, two small creatures made entirely of lightning gazing at Sephi and Gyibris like wounded animals.

A lightning trail formed around the arm of one of the creatures and was flung at Sephi, striking the sand next to her and leaving it smoking hot, though fortunately missing Sephi herself in the process.

Ac: 13

After Gyibris’s landing, the sprite’s slid a little back hovering a few inches above the ground. The other one saw its hand growing larger with charged lightning and made a grab for the hexblood, who managed to move away from the grasp on a nick of time.

The first sprite to attack them was unphased by the sudden loss of Sephi’s attention, but not by her successfully landing a kick through its kin’s body, swiftly and mindlessly turning to the thus far more successful aggressor. The electrical energy pulled from within its body seemed to make its shoulders grow then the top of its arms, then that size moved to the front and was pushed out as two bolts of lightning that struck Sephi on the back. Sparks flew around her body for a moment, though her body remained physically relatively unharmed, most of the shock having been absorbed by the natural protections of her species. Still, whether her mind could continue to take this kind of damage might very much turn out to be a whole different question, however.

Before the second one could charge up its own counter-attack, it was torn apart by Gyibris’s claws, causing a very small and very harmless electrical explosion and leaving no trace of itself behind. The other one screeched and crackled. It was a weird sound, akin to chewing pebbles or a fireplace with weird wood, a sound of static.

WHOOPSH, Sephi’s makeshift quarterstaff lands on the creature horizontally and sparks fly in every direction as it sent back a foot or so. While the elemental critter struggled to reform, Sephi went for the killing blow, only just barely too high to land her kick. With a crack, the sprite raised its arms and grabbed onto her leg, incorporeal claws stabbing inside her thigh and sending a shock through her whole body. By the time she rolled onto the ground, she was no longer conscious.

“Hells, time is up already.” Sephi heard in her own voice, but a tone unlike her own. Then, Sephi regained consciousness….and nearly slipped under the waves as she came to the sudden realization that she was, in fact, swimming. She gasped for breath more from surprise than actual need, and flapped her arms until she was able to better collect herself and get into proper swimming form, rising again to the surface. Where was she? In the sea, for sure, but how far had she come? Turning around, she could still see the coast. It seemed she had swimmed right about as far as the distance she had been dropped off into the raft with Gyibris, or a little less. She had no idea why she was here or even how she got here. The last thing she remembered, she was fighting those electrical creatures with Gyibris, and now she was far from the coast, in the sea.

It was then she noticed the color covering her arm and hands, and indeed, the water around her: A deep crimson. There was a taste of iron in her mouth after accidentally diving, and she was having a harder time seeing than when she swam under normal water too. The final confirmation came as she took a closer look to her surroundings. There were all manner of fish and a few other sea creatures, cut open, charmed and smoking as they floated on the surface of the water, and who knew how many had sunk towards the depths.

As she instinctively pulled back, Sephi felt some kind of pressure against her body, a sensation of weakness and a bit of pain and discomfort. She left whatever surface was causing it, but when she turned, there was nothing. Nothing at all. The sea water passed through entirely unimpeded, and even corpses simply wandered through with no entity stopping them. There were even a few objects thrown about a little ahead of her, some of which she recognized as a bit of her own supplies and a bit of parchment from the craters with some arcane symbols written on it, slowly being swallowed by the waves. Sephi slowly raised her hand to see what was there, finding herself stopped by some manner of invisible force. Something keeping her from getting too far away from the island. Perhaps this was the reason the pirates hesitated to come too close to shore.

Sephi’s journey back was largely uneventful, interrupted only by some plopping sounds as something hit the surface of the water and floated gently down not far from where her head had been a few moments prior.

As the seafloor grew shallower and Sephi closer to shore, with her view unimpeded by the need to move a raft or the distortion of the water, it was easier to notice the grim picture: It was barely noticeable, but here and there some coal-black bones poked out of the sand and pieces of rusted old weapons laid there half-buried. There were a couple skeletons less buried by sand and of a more natural color closer to shore, one of whom Sephi would recognize as being from a region close to her homeland, though it was heavily torn and degraded by time and the sea currents. Whatever it all meant, it probably didn’t much for her current worries.

Sephi made it back to shore, finding Gyibris picking up stuff from the sand next to something long, smelly, and wrapped in a sheet. All kinds of things were strewn around the camp, including some of Sephi’s personal belongings.

The sky had turned orange soon even that color would fade as the Sun hid behind the edge of the horizon.