Fantasy The Guildstone Chronicles ((Questing Thread))

[Uasal]

Eiru Eagna
Gold Support
Fae Witch

Once Eiru was finally back on her own two feet she was quick to pat herself down and moved even faster to retrieve her hat and return it to her head. The large woman from before was most certainly brutish in nature and Eiru did her best to avoid those kinds of people whenever she could but aside from that something felt completely off about the woman. She had an odd smell, an odd aura, something that made Eiru feel almost disgusted when in close proximity. Whatever it was Eiru didn't intend to find out, she had no business with the woman and besides that, she had to act now if she was to keep Ymir aboard the ship.

Reaching into her bag Eiru produced a thick and worn looking diary, the book looked quite worse for wear and despite its thickness seemed to be almost falling apart at the spine. Waving the item gently Eiru's eyes met with Ymir's before she opened the book on a marked page with a soft cough "Saturday, today me, Eiru and Leo took on a quest that the old shrub practically forced on me. I was happy to see Eiru and Leo were willing to join me despite the short notice however things went bad very quickly" Skipping on a bit Eiru began to grin widely "When myself and Leo were tossed in the slammer he opened up to me about some rather heavy topics. I didn't know how to reply, I really didn't as cool as I might have played it. To be honest I feel as though when it comes to Leo..." Cutting herself off Eiru waved a finger and her broom shot in front of herself, moving back and forth to match any movement Ymir might have made to again pounce. Closing the book Eiru dropped it back into her bag and folded her arms "the next two paragraphs are actually my favourite, I'm sure they'd be Leo's too. You sure you want to leave me and him here alone? Out of sight? I hear story sharing is quite popular among sailors..."

Sylph​

 

[Sylph]

Hanzel
Location: Crew Quarters
Mentions: RatKing SilverbackActual Lazaro1505 ​

“Mr. Hanzel, is there supposed to be a tiny wizard in this barrel?”

Hanzel frowned, stepping over to the cask in question to pull off the lid. Interestingly enough the wizard wasn't his primary cause for concern. His first thought upon smelling the contents was who had put a fish barrel of all thing in the crew quarters. It would stink the place out if it happened to fall over.

"A tiny wizard in the barrel you said?"

"That would... appear to be so." Hanzel stared down at the small creature in question. They were dressed much like how a wizard would be, though most that Hanzel knew of weren't quite that small. Nor did they eat fish raw out of the water. "You alright in there?"

It felt somewhat absurd to address a creature who might not talk at all. Hanzel supposed one of the crew could have caught it and put it there as a joke, but the small creature didn't seem uncomfortable with the situation. Respect was rarely a bad option when faced with the unknown.

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Mercantis Port
Mentions: Sylph SilverbackActual Uasal ​

"Hower?" Leonidas nodded. "Or Abrahams." He added hurriedly, on the off chance his mother was alive she might have had reason to go into hiding and switch back to her original last name. "I've heard rumours, but nothing about an Olivia, unfortunately." Leonidas sighed. "I figured, I was setting myself up for disappointment anyway, don't worry about it." He said with a small smile, other rumours about the Howers didn't really interest him, most of them would be fake anyway and those that were real would undoubtedly put him in a foul mood.

"You might have some luck with the other crew." Leonidas smiled. "I'll give it a shot later." He didn't feel like getting disappointed twice in quick succession, so for now, he would rather just leave it at that.

"We'll be heading to the cabins for now to let the rest of the crew finish the preparations." Leonidas nodded, readjusting the strap of his instrument case on his shoulder. "Lead the way."

He followed Hanzel over to the stairs. "It's first come first serve for sleeping arrangements, so you'd best get a move on if you don't want to be stuck at the back." Leonidas chuckled, he actually didn't mind that much. He had no problem imagining how cluttered the back of the ship would be but if he was just going to be sleeping there he didn't mind the clutter. Either way, whether he was at the back or not, it would be a massive downgrade from the comfortable captain's quarters of the blue avenger.

He was about to go down the stairs after Hanzel when his own name caught his attention. He couldn't really hear what Ymir and Eiru were discussing but judging by Ymir's expression she was not happy about it. "There is a lot of tension between these two, huh?" He laughed. "You haven't seen the half of it yet." He paused briefly. "Though I think the conversation is about me at the moment, so I'm not sure how to feel about that." He continued with a smirk. "I'll go check it out."

He got to Ymir and Eiru just as the latter finished her sentence and before Ymir could react he spoke up. "Hey, you two fighting over me?" He asked with a grin.

 

[Yahhah]

Freed
Location: Dockyard---> Ship
Mentions: SilverbackActual Sylph RatKing Lazaro1505 ​

Freed did a quick spin trick with his weapon before he holstered it and began to follow the procession heading up the gangplank. He seemed generally relaxed until he caught the feeling of eyes on him and looked over to see someone apparently talking about him and commenting on the fact that he'd apparently be good for some kind of monkey business. "Powder monkey?" He exclaimed, stopping for a moment to think about the word before he shrugged. "ya know what I've been called worse" he decided to let the misunderstood quote go and leave the person who'd said it to their business.

He made his way into the quarters of the ship if only to have a look at them and wasn't surprised at them. He'd spent half his life in a hole and another quarter of it in alleys so this was fine by the goblin. The smaller bird guy, Ruvo, from before was near a barrel and Hanzel was also having a peek inside. The girls that'd been fighting, Freed wasn't sure on either of their names, were speaking with the one that'd broken them up and with the guy who'd introduced himself as Leo.

He decided to leave that group to their devices and decided to have a look about what was in the barrel. "What's going on over here? Is that a newt... with fashion sense?" Freed hopped up to look into the barrel, he sort of perched on the side of it to look inside.

 

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Salvager Deck
Mentions: Uasal Key of Stars SilverbackActual ​

"You both good?"

No, they were not. They were about as far from good as the last time Eiru dragged Ymir into a noble party she was forced to attend, only this time was infinitely worse given it was on a boat.

"Just peachy," Ymir said, teeth grit as the larger woman wandered off. Her eyes narrowed when Eiru pulled out the distinctive, leatherbound book supposed to be on her desk, but for whatever reason the witch had it in their bag. "Did you seriously break into my room to take my expedition journal?" Ymir's extended hand didn't move from its position. The witch had several items to return, and she intended to get them back.

"Saturday," the witch said, clearing her throat. "Today me, Eiru and Leo took on a quest that the old shrub practically forced on me."

Ymir raised a brow. What's with the third person narration?

"I was happy to see Eiru and Leo were willing to join me despite the short notice however things went bad very quickly."

Is that supposed to be what I've written? Eiru pretended to skip a few pages and continue reading, which was absurd since Ymir hadn't been back in her room once since the morning, let alone to write an entry that long. It didn't make a difference to the witch either way. "When myself and Leo were tossed in the slammer he opened up to me about some rather heavy topics. I didn't know how to reply. I really didn't, as cool as I might have played it. To be honest I feel as though when it comes to Leo..."

That- Ymir froze. For someone who wasn't there they had an uncannily accurate rendition of the events. There had been a discussion, and the fact he was a Hower was still something she was trying to come to terms with, but they shouldn't have been there for it, unless they were going off a very well educated guess. She stepped forward only to have that stupid broom appear in front of her again, blocking the path. "Eiru, I swear- if you wrote that drivel on my official records-"

She wouldn't put it past them. The book snapped shut as they stowed it away, and Ymir tried to swat the vexatious broom out of her path. "The next two paragraphs are actually my favourite, I'm sure they'd be Leo's too."

Ymir froze, staring down at the smaller woman. They had that look, equal parts bored and unimpressed. The same one they used with particularly vexing lords."You sure you want to leave me and him here alone? Out of sight? I hear story sharing is quite popular among sailors..."

Even if she is bluffing... The thought of Eiru keeping hold of her journal was bad enough as it was. Inches off doing something regrettable, the voice of her now second least favourite person interrupted the conversation.

"Hey," Leo boasted his usual grin. Not in the least bothered by the current air of contempt, or the winds beginning to stir beyond the breakwater."You two fighting over me?"

Ymir turned her head the other way, teeth grinding as she glanced over the ships moored in the docks. "You say that like you aren't a co-conspiritor, Hood." She ought to check if he was the one holding onto her bag, but... she kept her gaze fixed in the opposite direction. If Eiru was going to play games then she wasn't going to have a bar of it. They could go back to how things were when she first knew him as a copper.

The lurch of the boat broke whatever semblance of ambivalence she had for the situation. Her head whipped around as she noticed the crew hoisting up the gangplank and pushing away from the dock. The sails billowed out to throw some unfortunate soul off the rigging and though they were caught easily enough by one of the other crew, Ymir hardly noticed. She grabbed onto the nearest railing as if the floor had dropped out from under her, fingers white-knuckled. The boat was moving-

She felt like throwing up.

"Up and away! Up and away!" Scrapper cried above them.

Maybe it wasn't too late to jump for the docks.

 

[Uasal]

Vas'on was dealing with the vampire maid very well on his lonesome, especially considering her regenerative powers were being enhanced by the full moon much like everything else. Silver tipped arrows were deeply embedded in the earth all around the two as they fought hand to hand, of course, with Vas'on's Strenght ripping an arrow from the earth would be no issue but considering how deep these arrows had pierced he'd need to be careful not to stain the body of the arrows while doing so save he leave the head behind. That was assuming he got a chance to do so at all. His returning kick was blocked by the maid's elbow and she was quick to recover from the force, stepping in closer to slug him with a barrage of punches to the upper body, each one creating a wave of pressure as it travelled. Taking them head-on would be more than possible for Vas'on to do but how long could he take her heavy hits before braking?

As misfortune would have it, that concern was the least of his worries. While the brawler maid continued her assault the archer from before had made a recovery and had appeared behind Vas'on while he was preoccupied. Fangs on open display the woman latched onto him once again with her arms around his neck, nails digging into his chest as she clung to him, positioning herself with a clear shot to his neck. Winding up for a strike the woman quickly shot down like a snake on its prey. Her fangs would only graze the man's neck guard, indenting it slightly before she was hurled back from whence she came by Akel who had recovered not a second too late.

Akel had grabbed the woman by the back of her neck and launched her back into the wall once again, having the structure finally give way and collapse atop the maid as she made contact. However, that wouldn't hold her for long. Looking over Vas'on's shoulder and into the eyes of the brawling maid, Akel's bloodlust began to seep into practically everything in the vicinity. Her eyes were cold, like an apex predator that thought nothing of taking a life to protect its territory. The Vampire attacking Vas'on had, upon seeing and feeling this, finally begin to lose her composure. Rapidly taking a few steps back and striking a defensive pose as opposed to the offensive she had been practising this entire time.

Placing a cold hand on Vas'on's shoulder Akel moved to stand beside him, her eyes never once wandering his way, focused purely on the vampire ahead "What was the point in buying those stakes if you aren't going to use them?" Akel's voice was cold, quiet and held no sense of emotion whatsoever in its tone. Shadows slowly began to pool around her feet, growing in size as they slowly edged towards the brawler maid. "Were you enjoying yourself? Did you want the fight to drag out? Perhaps you wanted your blood feasted upon by these women... is that the case Vas'on?". Akel's bloodlust was no longer merely seeping into her surroundings, no, at this point it was practically consuming everything around her much like an overbearing and looming shadow.

As Akel was about to speak the rubble the archer had been buried under began to shift, glancing lazily in it's direction Akel repeated herself "Is it Vas'on? Why did you not stake this woman?"
Seraph Darkfire​

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

View attachment 916482View attachment 916483View attachment 916485

Vas'on was dealing with the vampire maid very well on his lonesome, especially considering her regenerative powers were being enhanced by the full moon much like everything else. Silver tipped arrows were deeply embedded in the earth all around the two as they fought hand to hand, of course, with Vas'on's Strenght ripping an arrow from the earth would be no issue but considering how deep these arrows had pierced he'd need to be careful not to stain the body of the arrows while doing so save he leave the head behind. That was assuming he got a chance to do so at all. His returning kick was blocked by the maid's elbow and she was quick to recover from the force, stepping in closer to slug him with a barrage of punches to the upper body, each one creating a wave of pressure as it travelled. Taking them head-on would be more than possible for Vas'on to do but how long could he take her heavy hits before braking?

As misfortune would have it, that concern was the least of his worries. While the brawler maid continued her assault the archer from before had made a recovery and had appeared behind Vas'on while he was preoccupied. Fangs on open display the woman latched onto him once again with her arms around his neck, nails digging into his chest as she clung to him, positioning herself with a clear shot to his neck. Winding up for a strike the woman quickly shot down like a snake on its prey. Her fangs would only graze the man's neck guard, indenting it slightly before she was hurled back from whence she came by Akel who had recovered not a second too late.

Akel had grabbed the woman by the back of her neck and launched her back into the wall once again, having the structure finally give way and collapse atop the maid as she made contact. However, that wouldn't hold her for long. Looking over Vas'on's shoulder and into the eyes of the brawling maid, Akel's bloodlust began to seep into practically everything in the vicinity. Her eyes were cold, like an apex predator that thought nothing of taking a life to protect its territory. The Vampire attacking Vas'on had, upon seeing and feeling this, finally begin to lose her composure. Rapidly taking a few steps back and striking a defensive pose as opposed to the offensive she had been practising this entire time.

Placing a cold hand on Vas'on's shoulder Akel moved to stand beside him, her eyes never once wandering his way, focused purely on the vampire ahead "What was the point in buying those stakes if you aren't going to use them?" Akel's voice was cold, quiet and held no sense of emotion whatsoever in its tone. Shadows slowly began to pool around her feet, growing in size as they slowly edged towards the brawler maid. "Were you enjoying yourself? Did you want the fight to drag out? Perhaps you wanted your blood feasted upon by these women... is that the case Vas'on?". Akel's bloodlust was no longer merely seeping into her surroundings, no, at this point it was practically consuming everything around her much like an overbearing and looming shadow.

As Akel was about to speak the rubble the archer had been buried under began to shift, glancing lazily in it's direction Akel repeated herself "Is it Vas'on? Why did you not stake this woman?"
Seraph Darkfire​

[Location: Sangana Village]
{Interactions: Akeldama Uasal )

Vas'On gave as good as he got but even he was aware that he would not be able to continue on forever. But he didn't need to. He had a plan. All in all, it wasn't a good one but it was one that would work. Just as he was grabbed by the other woman, he moved at about the same time she did. Aiming to use the force of her own bite to break her jaw as she bit down on the neck protector but he barely felt her before Akeldama yanked her off of him and promptly slamming her back and destroying more of their surroundings.

He frowned slightly as it sounded like she was talking down to him "Akeldama" he said using her full name, something he rarely did, "I may be part elf but I lack their innate sense of precision. Against a foe with heightened speed and reflexes such as yourself, aiming for a small centralized spot such as the heart is next to impossible" his voice matched Akel's tone surprisingly well but there was something there, an underlying flame of challenge, and a warning "My initial plan was to use my burst attack to deal enough damage, preferably removing her head all together, barring that I would then stake her. I underestimated the exact level of regeneration the full moon gave her. Secondary plan was indeed to drag the fight out. The less energy I used with simple powerful strikes and minimal blocking for her more lethal moves, I could wear her down. Vampires may be powerful but no creature has an infinite source of energy. If I had to surmise, blood is not just food, but fuel. Eventually it'll be burned out" he didn't even dignify the blood drinking with a response. He might've considered the idea if he'd had guaranteed knowledge that his blood would completely incapacitate them. But that was a big if and not a risk he was willing to test out.

Vas'On was a Breaker, a type of combatant built to either finish the fight in one shot or weather the attacks of tougher foes.

"Her hits are nothing, but you truly wound me by not having faith in me. I didn't doubt that you had my back, nor did I believe that you'd give in to your urges like these two. Trust me Dama" his last words were spoken softly as he knelt down and gently pulled a few arrows out, using the small reprieve to arm himself. He quickly snapped them down even smaller and slipped them into the cloth around his knuckles, using his grip to hold them in place between his fingers like a pair of silver tipped knuckles. As he did this the muscles in his legs tightened once more as his toes dug into the ground underneath him.

"Keep Nibbles occupied" he growled before he exploded forwards again, this time appearing much lower and throwing a silver tipped punch at the brawler vampire's abdomen. Time to put on the heat while the vampire was panicking under Akeldama's bloodlust. It was strange that he didn't seem to be affected in the same way, in fact the raw fear inducing aspect seemed to be spurring him on, exciting him like a shark in a feeding frenzy.​

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Salvager Deck
Mentions: Sylph ​

"You say that like you aren't a co-conspirator, Hood." Leonidas raised his hands in a defensive motion. "Hey don't look at me, my hands were tied." He subtly pointed to Eiru with the nose of his boot. "Though," He added with a grin. "Not literally like yours of course." He imagined he might have gotten punched for that, or at the very least gotten a few choice words if it weren't for the perfect timing of their feathery captain.

"Up and away! Up and away!" The somewhat annoying scream paired with the slow but steadily increasing movement of the ship and the wind on his face put Leonidas in a particularly good mood. Ymir on the other hand... His friend was holding on to a nearby railing for dear life. He was glad the railing was the one taking all the abuse and not his shoulder or arm because he could tell at a glance that Ymir had some impressive grip strength.

He walked over to stand next to her and casually leaned on the railing. "So..." He paused, breathing in the sea air for a moment. "I can see you're a bit busy at the moment but Kathlyn told me to give you these." He said, holding out the bottle with translucent blue pills for Ymir to take. "Sea-sickness pills, they're her father's recipe, you just have to take one a day."

He waited for Ymir to take one of the pills and slightly calm down before he continued. "I also held on to this for you." He offered her her bag of holding. "Kathlyn put some more of her own medicine in there as well. They're cookies that are supposed to reduce anxiety." He paused briefly, a grin forming on his face. "I was ordered to tell you that eating too many of them will not just lead to a sugar overdose but also potential death."

"Anyway," He started, pushing himself off the railing. "With all that boring stuff out of the way, you ready to have some fun?" He asked with a smile. "Don't think about the fact that you're on a ship, just focus on having fun and... some work too I guess." He made a dismissive motion with one of his hands. "Anyway, give it a shot, you might come to like it."

"How about this," He started, putting the instrument case he had been carrying around down at his feet and carefully clicking it open before pulling out a violin. "If you beat me at drinking tonight I'll play whatever you want." He quickly played a little tune, humming along. All in all, it was a rather mediocre attempt at making Ymir feel better. Leonidas was pretty sure that she couldn't care less if he played something or not but he was in the mood for both playing and drinking so it seemed like a decent compromise. Besides, she could always make him play something embarrassing if she wanted.

"For now though," He said, putting the violin back into its case carefully. "We should probably go and claim a place to sleep, unless you don't mind ending up at the back of the ship."

 

[Uasal]

Eiru Eagna
Gold Support
Fae Witch

Eiru would have been more than happy to continue teasing Ymir about the new contents of her diary but there was a time and a place for such things and those places were all places Leo was not. With him arriving Eiru recalled her broom to her side and laughed softly at his remark "Fighting over you? My my, how brazen do you think now we know you're a Hower we'll throw ourselves your way?" Eiru teased with a grin and wink. The small witch made her way past the two and offered a lazy wave as moved to enter the cabin "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, remember no sharing bunks~".

Once inside the cabin Eiru made her way to the furthest back corner and inspected the bunk carefully, smoothing out the sheets before letting her broom lay in atop them along side her bag and hat. Climbing onto the bunk Eiru let out a yawn and curled up into a ball of silver and purple before almost instantly falling into a deep slumber, her aura slowly returning and filling the room with a lulling embrace, her fair complexion against her silver hair almost 'fairy like'. This was what Eiru looked like when peaceful and quiet, a rare sight indeed. The wooden planks around Eiru and her bunk would slowly begin to harbor moss and despite being cut from trees the planks would also self repair. This however was a very slow process and no one bar those attuned to mana or nature were likely to miss it all together. That or they too would be entranced in the lulling embrace and find themselves sleepy.​

 

[Uasal]

Akel didn't seem all to convinced by Vas'on's speech although it was hard to tell considering her current state of emotionless being. Looking back toward the rubble Akel sheathed her sword and threw her hair back over her shoulders before beginning to slowly walk off toward the manor itself. Looking back to Vas'on with side glance she spoke again "Deal with them yourself, I'm going to go deal with the lord. Maybe I'll let him bite me all over!". And with that Akel was gone, disappearing into the shadows just as she had appeared. Her bloodlust however still lingered in the garden.

Vas'on's punch managed to deal a devastating blow to Brawling maid, who for better or worse managed to power through and hold her position. The strike had pierced her abdomen easily as a result of the arrow heads and where they had punctured were left blue flames. The woman grimaced as the flames slowly burned away at her flesh, but she was quick to return a punch of her own right down on the back of Vas'on head as he recovered from his lunge. She only managed to get one hit in though as the flames needed rapid extinguishing. Hoping back a few feet the woman began to pat herself down and while one might have seen this as a chance to strike it was not.

A hail of arrows were sent Vas'on's way from the roof of the manor, the archer maid having recovered now. It was 2 v 1 now but Vas'on was finally equipped with a weapon that could take down a vampire.
Seraph Darkfire​

 

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Salvager Deck --> Cabins
Mentions: Key of Stars Uasal Yahhah ​

"Though, not literally like yours of course."

She couldn't respond right away, much too busy panicking over the movement of the boat, but as Leo appeared in her periphery she managed a petulant, "go away," tacking on the end for good measure. "I'm not talking to you."

The boat rocked as if to reprimand the childish behaviour. Her tenseness probably made things all the worse.

"So-" At least he didn't take it to heart."I can see you're a bit busy at the moment, but Kathlyn told me to give you these." He held out a bottle, though Ymir struggled to let go of the railing to take it. "Sea-sickness pills, they're her father's recipe, you just have to take one a day."

That assumes I'm here longer than the next few minutes. She took it nonetheless, stowing the pills away in her clothes.

"I also held on to this for you." The other item was far more significant. Her expression eased a fraction at the sight of her bag of holding, though her immediate instinct upon grabbing it was to check inside for the waystone. "Kathlyn put some more of her own medicine in there as well. They're cookies that are supposed to reduce anxiety." She almost missed his words as he continued. "I was ordered to tell you that eating too many of them will not just lead to a sugar overdose but also potential death."

She paused at the latter warning, raising a brow. "...Seriously?" Instead of the waystone she pulled out the innocuous bag of treats, fixing Leo with a flat look. "Your solution to this is drugged cookies?"

The boat dipped as they reached the edge of the breakwater and she lunged for the rails again. Leo hardly seemed to notice the increase in movement, pushing off the side and adjusting to the ship's sway with practiced ease. "Anyway, with all that boring stuff out of the way, you ready to have some fun?"

Show off. Ymir's expression said he may as well have asked her to strangle her cat. What part of being on a ship is meant to be fun?

He seemed to recognise her thoughts, waving a hand."Don't think about the fact that you're on a ship. Just focus on having fun and... some work too I guess. Anyway, give it a shot, you might come to like it."

"Uh-huh," she said, sounding entirely unconvinced. I think I'll stick to jumping off cliffs.

"How about this-" Leo switched tracks, setting down his instrument case and clicking it open. She raised a brow, wondering where he was going with his actions. "If you beat me at drinking tonight I'll play whatever you want." He pulled out the violin as Ymir watched with faint confusion. Perhaps her stare finally got to him. He lowered the instrument after a short tune, setting it back in its case. "For now though, we should probably go and claim a place to sleep, unless you don't mind ending up at the back of the ship."

He must have put some influence into the song. Subtle as it was, it... helped, somewhat. Eiru chose that time to take her leave, throwing throwing a farewell over her shoulder."I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, remember no sharing bunks~"

After a heartbeat Ymir sighed, hanging her head as Leo finished packing up his impromptu performance. With some difficulty she pushed away from the rails, fingers curling in absence of a support. "Fine," she said, regretting the words out of her mouth. "I will- see, about the voyage." She certainly wasn't holding out on it being fun. "But I don't drink on expeditions." Too many unknowns.

She made her way less steadily down to the cabins, a hand on the nearest wall for support. The quarters were far from a quality establishment, though they weren't the worst she'd seen. Choosing the nearest unclaimed hammock she threw her stuff down inside and watched Eiru head for one of the few solid bunks along the corners, immediately curling into a ball atop it. The witch must have used a great deal of energy throughout the day, and despite the movement of the ship she was soon peacefully asleep.

The rest of the crew in the cabins appeared preoccupied with one of the barrels towards the back, though Ymir didn't approach. She saw the goblin perched on the edge like an overlarge cat, the others leaning over to see what was inside. A strange bunch for sure. "I'm assuming we'll stay down here until we're needed on the deck," she said to Leo once he'd joined them downstairs. It seemed most of the ones up top were those experienced enough to actually help manouver the vessel. "Did you end up finding anything out about those pirates?"

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Salvager deck > cabins
Mentions: Sylph ​

"I will- see, about the voyage." Leonidas shot her a triumphant smile. "You'll be enjoying it soon enough." "But I don't drink on expeditions." Leonidas grinned, picking up the instrument case with a swift motion. "Not yet." He corrected.

He followed Ymir down to the cabins. Trailing behind her all the way trying to not burst out laughing at her clumsy movement but also paying enough attention to catch her if she was actually about to fall. He accidentally let a bit of a snicker slip out when a striking comparison of Ymir to a toddler just learning how to walk popped into his mind but Ymir was either too busy to notice, didn't care or was simply waiting to take her revenge later.

Leonidas carefully put the instrument case down in one of the hammocks before throwing the rest of his stuff to the side in a pile. Everyone else seemed preoccupied with a storage barrel towards the back but Leonidas didn't really care for now. "I'm assuming we'll stay down here until we're needed on the deck," He thought about it for a moment. "Not sure about that yet, I was planning on getting in some sword practice as soon as possible." He said, tapping the sword still strapped at his hip. "I only got to swing it around a few times back at the guild and I haven't even tested its affinity."

He casually leaned against a support pillar. "That said, I wonder what kind of work the captain is going to make us do." Of course normally when one would sail on a ship in exchange for work they'd expect to be scrubbing the deck and cleaning the quarters. But, with Leonidas's experience on the sea, he dared to hope he might get a somewhat more interesting job.

"Did you end up finding anything out about those pirates?" "Ah," Leonidas pulled a tube of rolled up paper out of his bag of holding. "Funny you would ask. To be honest, nothing all too important. I studied the wanted posters that Tyron so kindly," He coughed "threw at us and most of these guys don't even look like me." He said, holding one of them next to his face and mimicking the expression of the pirate on the poster.

"Also, I'm surprised the navy has all of these different bounties on people who claim to be the same person." The bounties on the wanted posters varied wildly from almost nothing to a rather absurd amount. "I guess it doesn't matter what name is attached to a pirate as long as they are captured or killed." He said with a shrug. "Check this one out though." He said, throwing a poster to Ymir.

"He obviously doesn't look like me that much but he certainly seems well off enough compared to the others." What really caught his attention originally wasn't the face of the pirate though but rather the number of zeroes behind the bounty amount. "8000 coin, almost as much as a lower difficulty gold quest. I don't know what that guy has done to get a bounty that high but right now he's probably several times stronger than I am." Leonidas said, smile briefly fading.

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Locaton: Crew Quarters
​

Judging from the quartermaster’s reaction it seemed the small wizard in the barrel of fish was not in fact something that was expected. As to why or how the axolotl got into the barrel, he wasn’t quite sure but given the small handful of wizards he knew all seemed to have some eccentricities he figured this was simply a weird wizard thing and would be sure to ask the stowaway about it later.

Now stepping away from the barrel that was drawing a small crowd of people who wanted to see what all the commotion in the corner of the room was about, the bard finally claimed the hammock he would be using as his bed for the duration of the voyage. Unfortunately, it seemed his decision to investigate the rumbling sound of the barrel cost him a chance at grabbing the hammock he wanted, but luckily enough the bard managed to get one that was still a few rows from the very back. As he went through his things to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything Ruvo felt the boat lurch forward and he could swear he heard Captain Scrapper yelling something from above deck, though what exactly he wasn't sure. "Oh! Have we started to sail off?" he asked excitedly to no one in particular as he was pretty sure he already knew the answer to his question. Then before long the remainder of those that had left from the guild hall made their way into the cabins. Curiously, as he was finishing going over his personal belongings he watched Eiru swiftly make their way to the hammock in the back most corner and seemingly fall asleep instantly. "Huh...wonder if that magic sleep powder was used on her or something" he mumbled as finished checking over his backpack.

 

[SilverFeathers]

Nanalee Imphon | Of Spiritual Snow
A curious explorer with a love for battle, adventure and power.​

• Appearance
• Notes

• 
• Location
  Mercantis Port - Departing from the docks - In the sleeping quarters of the Salvager
  
  Mentions
  ---

"We'll be restocking at several of the islands. As for gear - that'll go in your cabin. Newcomers share the forward cabin." Nanalee bobbed politely at the grey-brown haired crew member's words, who she'd later figure out to be the 'quartermaster' of the ship. She didn't exactly have much to be stolen at the minute, so she didn't fear thieves despite sharing a cabin with others. To be honest, if there was a possibility for thievery, she'd be quite suited for it, since she could just fly away. Wait... didn't all adventurers have that teleportation stone? Couldn't any one of them be amazing getaway thieves who disappear without a trace? What a fun possibility, though, she had no plans to really become a thief anytime soon.

"Well, there are many different subspecies of harpy and each are native to different climates much like birds. In fact, Harpies share quite a lot of similarities with different bird species for example one subspecies known as the -Vulture Harpy- is native to the desert region known as the 'Grim Barrens'. This particular type of harpy boasts vulture-like talons and heavy heat resistant wings as well as a very strong digestive system more than capable of handling rotten or raw meats. But that's just one example. There are many types of harpy living in the far reaches of the world. The guild actually has a book pertaining to it in the library. It's quite in-depth though so if you like I can create some cliff notes for you from memory although it may take me a day or two, the book is over a thousand pages of scientific and biological study after all."

Though her question was quite light-hearted, only really aiming to make mindless idle conversation with the strange witch, Nanalee quickly became invested in the in-depth knowledge she displayed on the subject. She tried her best to make mental notes of everything she spoke of, which helped fuel her determination to explore and discover the wide wide world out there. Her mismatched eyes shone with a naive, but passionate excitement as she listened, though it was quickly interrupted by a sudden brawl between the witch and the white-haired human that had helped her out earlier.

Though she wanted to intervene, she quickly figured out the way they fought seemed very much like idle banter. No blood was drawn, or anything serious of that matter, so she chose to just watch the mayhem and try to figure out what kind of relationships everyone seemed to have here. As always, she constantly tried to remember that she was new here, and that she shouldn't be too rash in her actions. It seemed that the dark-haired human and the light-haired human were dating? She bobbed lightly as she confirmed her thoughts, trying to affix it to memory so that she could give them more alone time in the future, out of courtesy. Soon after, the fight was broken up by a pair of tall women, fellow adventurers she faintly recognized by the looks of it.

"We'll be heading to the cabins for now to let the rest of the crew finish the preparations. It's first come first serve for sleeping arrangements, so you'd best get a move on if you don't want to be stuck at the back."

Perking up attentively to Hanzel's words, Nanalee quickly swooped down from her little perch and joined the others in descending the stairwell to where they would be resting. Though many others seemed to be crowding around a barrel, supposedly where a wizardy little creature could be found, she took her time deciding on her sleeping arrangements. As much as Nanalee thought herself to be adaptable and relatively optimistic, her expression couldn't help but distort slightly at the cramped space before her. Her wings and talons were, of course, an issue in a space like this. Who knows how many crates, ropes and supplies she would damage if she was forced to take a bunk in the deepest end... fortunately, however, since the others were pre-occupied by the barrel, she managed to secure a sleeping space close enough to the entrance.

Tying her recently acquired possessions from the guild to the post of her hammock, she quickly finished settling in just as the witch from earlier settled into a bed at the back and fell dead-asleep. Peering at her face slightly, Nanalee pondered how she managed to fall asleep almost instantly before the harpy abruptly lurched forward, a side-effect of the ship finally beginning to move. Noticing the last of her fellow adventurers descending the stairwell, the human couple, Nanalee smiled at them slyly before turning her attention back to the crowd around the barrel. Afterall, she had nothing to pass the time with, no books, no toys, or anything fun like that in her possession, so the most she could do was watch the commotion around her. Fortunately, however, there always seemed to be something going on, ever since she joined the adventurer's guild at least.

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

View attachment 917187View attachment 917188View attachment 917189
Akel didn't seem all to convinced by Vas'on's speech although it was hard to tell considering her current state of emotionless being. Looking back toward the rubble Akel sheathed her sword and threw her hair back over her shoulders before beginning to slowly walk off toward the manor itself. Looking back to Vas'on with side glance she spoke again "Deal with them yourself, I'm going to go deal with the lord. Maybe I'll let him bite me all over!". And with that Akel was gone, disappearing into the shadows just as she had appeared. Her bloodlust however still lingered in the garden.

Vas'on's punch managed to deal a devastating blow to Brawling maid, who for better or worse managed to power through and hold her position. The strike had pierced her abdomen easily as a result of the arrow heads and where they had punctured were left blue flames. The woman grimaced as the flames slowly burned away at her flesh, but she was quick to return a punch of her own right down on the back of Vas'on head as he recovered from his lunge. She only managed to get one hit in though as the flames needed rapid extinguishing. Hoping back a few feet the woman began to pat herself down and while one might have seen this as a chance to strike it was not.

A hail of arrows were sent Vas'on's way from the roof of the manor, the archer maid having recovered now. It was 2 v 1 now but Vas'on was finally equipped with a weapon that could take down a vampire.
Seraph Darkfire​

[Location: Sangana Village]
{Interactions: Akeldama Uasal )

'We really do fight like old lovers' he grumbled in his thoughts before he was struck in the back of the head. He shook it off and refocused his attention and was about to lunge again before he was forced to back off when a hail of arrows struck in front of him. He suddenly had an idea and leapt back further and knelt to brace himself as he began to charge up his lunge once more. He timed it with the Brawling maid as she put out the flames on her body, he bit the inside of his cheek letting the blood pool before spitting it out towards the maid in an attempt to get her to rush him, all while building up his strength.

It was not his plan to lunge towards the maid. Given how attracted they were to his blood, he was hoping that the appearance of him attempting another big attack as well as the blood would force her to attack him instead. When she was in range he'd grab her and twist using the burst speed of his strength to both use her as a shield and to get closer to the arrow firing one. Whether or not they fell for this ploy was up to fate.

He needed to move quickly and decisively. Despite the current squabble he seemed to be having with Akeldama, she was still his partner and friend and he wouldn't leave her to fight the lord on her own.​

 

[Sylph]

Hanzel
Location: Salvager Cabins

Spoiler: Mentions:

Yahhah RatKing SilverFeathers Lazaro1505 SilverbackActual Uasal Key of Stars

​

"What's going on over here? Is that a newt... with fashion sense?" Hanzel wasn't sure himself as the goblin hopped up beside him on the container. It seemed as good a description as any, though it was the first time he'd had a stowaway in a fish barrel.

"Uh... i do not think this is a newt, powder monkey. They aren't even the same type of salamander." Fair point, though personally he'd like a reason why they were there at all. "Anyway... you deal with that bigger salamander, Hanzel. Gonna watch over the deck."

"Aye," he muttered, trusting Shepard knew what needed to be done. He could hear another voice yelling on the deck already, almost as loud as Scrapper."Weigh anchor! And hoist mizzen!" Though Hanzel hardly noticed the boat moving at all, even if several others found it a surprise. The Salvager being built for shallow reefs meant its movement were more noticeable than on a larger vessel, but at this point he'd spent more time on it than on land.

He gave the recruits a while longer to settle in before catching their attention with a sharp whistle. With the voyage under way they'd have to sort out what positions people would have. Thought disappointing, the vast majority of work on the ship involved cleaning or keeping watch, which was why they could afford to take on as many new hands as they did.

"So-" Hanzel glanced around at the strange assortment of adventurers. Possibly one of the strangest he'd seen to date. "Now you've all had a chance to settle in we'll have a look at assignments. I'm aware all of you are here for a reason, whether it's adventure, fortune, or as part of a mission. Unfortunately the day to day won't be nearly so exciting. Most your time will be spent cleaning and maintaining the ship, keeping lookout, or doing tasks for the captain. Decks, sails, cabins, storage rooms, cannons; they'll all need to be looked after. Those with wind affinities will also be expected to help Scrapper fill the sails on quiet days. Once we get close to the isles it's important not to stay in one place too long."

Clearing his throat, he continued. "The days are divided roughly into six parts, four bells a shift. You are expected to work two or three of those per cycle, depending how busy we are. They can be at night time or during light hours. The rest of can be spent how you wish. Part of my job is making sure there's always enough people on hand to run the ship, but unless there's some shortage you'll all get to choose what hours you work."

He glanced up as Scrapper screeched something at the regulars and the ship dipped in response. Dismissing the matter he returned his attention back to the crew. "We're approaching the fourth turn of the day so you'll hear Scrapper ring the change over bell soon. The only other time you'll hear that thing is if someone wants to signal an emergency, so keep an ear out. Those of you who want to get your duties out of the way first up should join me on deck and I'll let you know what you'll be doing. Otherwise you can take some time to get your bearings."

It wasn't unusual for reactions to be mixed, but some of them certainly looked like they needed it.

Ymir
Location: Salvager Cabins​

"Not sure about that yet, I was planning on getting in some sword practice as soon as possible. I only got to swing it around a few times back at the guild and I haven't even tested its affinity." Right, since he'd lost his old one.

"Well-" she said, still gripping the nearest support as she examined her dingy hammock. "I'd offer to hit you with a stick, but that would require letting go of the boat."

"Huh...wonder if that magic sleep powder was used on her or something." She only noticed Ruvo had picked a spot nearby upon hearing him mutter to himself. She followed his line of sight to where Eiru was curled up in a ball, looking far more innocent than she had any right to. Tiny demon.

"-pixie dust," she corrected absentmindedly, grabbing the edge of her hammock. It didn't particularly smell, but she did shake loose a fair bit of dirt onto the cabin floor. "And no, that sort of thing wouldn't work on her." Eiru had Fae blood, even if most of the guild only knew her as a very small witch. "Though if she ever starts talking too much a good whack with a lute should do the trick."

Satisfied the material was parasite free, Ymir turned her attention back to Leo as he finished pulling out the posters from his bag to answer her former question. There were seven or so faces in total, though only three looked to be of interest, judging by the number beneath their portraits. The other bounties were all less than a thousand - hardly worth the time it would take to track them down.

"Check this one out though-" She caught the scroll he tossed her way, opening it to an unfamiliar face."He obviously doesn't look like me that much, but he certainly seems well off enough compared to the others."

"Eight thousand, huh?" She pulled herself onto the hammock, sitting on the edge as she set her hand under her chin.

"Almost as much as a lower difficulty gold quest. I don't know what that guy has done to get a bounty that high but right now he's probably several times stronger than I am."

"Probably." She turned the poster over, checking there wasn't anything on the back. "That's what Eiru's for though. You know, support mage and all." Even magic cast by a copper rank could become a serious threat. She wasn't sure if Leo had ever seen it in action, but she was sure he'd have a chance soon enough.

A sharp whistle cut their conversation short and Ymir glanced over at the sailor in question. It occurred to her that introductions must have happened while she was still unconscious, since he didn't bother saying who he was. Both him and the goblin perched on the barrel were complete strangers. The harpy as well, though Ymir had since recalled them asking about the expedition back at the guild. She still didn't know what on earth they were doing in the guild in the first place, since most encounters she'd had with harpies were either territorial disputes, or some other form of conflict. Turns out they didn't much like her flying through their airspace.

Ymir raised her hand as the the quartermaster finished speaking. "Can I take night lookout?" It wasn't that cleaning was so much an issue, but she doubted she was going to be able to sleep given the circumstances anyway. "I don't need light to see and I can use gliders to scout from above." So long as I don't have to worry about being eaten by sharks I don't care how tired it makes me.

"You'll need to do at least one cleaning shift a day," the quartermaster said. He turned to look at the rest of them. "Any other requests?"

 

[Uasal]

Eiru Eagna
Gold Support
Fae Witch

As Eiru slept peacefully at the back of the cabin word of work and shifts began to sprout. Now Eiru was an adventurer and had seen her fair share of hardship but when it came to physical labour the witch had no affinity whatsoever. Even slimes gave her a rough time when out and about so lugging around crates and the like was completely out of the question. Fortunately, though Eiru was no stranger to this sort of arrangement and had found her own way to get around doing chores and the like while travelling. Of course, if her magic was needed she would assist in any way she could but for now, a very excited broom stirred beside her.

Levitating out from aside the witch the broom took to the air and quietly and carefully made its way out of the bunk without stirring its master from her slumber. With a quick turn, the broom brought its bristles to the wooden floor and immediately went about its way sweeping meticulously starting from Eiru's bunk. The broom swept carefully and was leaving no spec behind and anyone getting close would be swept around as to not delay the process. That's right, Eiru's pet like broom would be doing it's master's share of the work and more than efficiently so. But this was just the start, a mere glimpse into what her broom was truly capable of. And so as everyone else discussed their roles and shift's Eiru's broom was already hard at work for her and the little witch continued to sleep peacefully without a sound.​

 

[Yahhah]

Freed
Cabins->Upper Deck
Mentions: SilverbackActual Lazaro1505 Sylph
​

"Salamander? That doesn't feel right but I don't know enough about swimming lizards to argue with you" Freed said still sort of ignoring the title that he didn't know what to make of. The little lizard didn't seem to be much of a talker so Freed sort of hopped off. "Godspeed little guy" Freed bid the little thing goodbye before he left it in the barrel. He went over to a nice little spot near the back of the room and chose a spot for sleeping which he marked by depositing a few seemingly random buttons within the hammock.

He then took a few moments make sure that things were the way he wanted within his burlap bag. He was then alerted to something going on above deck and listened the the address that was given to the crew and other adventurers. It was apparently something about keeping up care towards the ship and there may have been more but Freed practically tunnel-visioned when cannons were mentioned.

He'd worked on them in the past but had never been on them when they were actually in combat, which meant that Freed was bursting with ideas on how to modify cannonballs practically just to see what would happen. This could be his lucky trip, if he could get assigned the work of course.

That sounded right up Freed's alley. He heard that those could choose or at least ask for their position. He made his way up and lifted a finger. "I think I know how to handle a cannon if those need to be looked after" Freed offered.

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Salvager Cabins > Deck
Mentions: Sylph SilverFeathers ​

"That's what Eiru's for though. You know, support mage and all." He smiled weakly. "You're right." He said, though the doubt in his voice was clear. It wasn't that he doubted Eiru's abilities as a gold ranked support, even if he had never seen her abilities for himself he had heard stories. It was more that he doubted he could win even with a gold rank support mage on his side. An 8000 coin bounty was exceptionally high, not the highest Leonidas had ever seen but it was hardly reassuring that those he knew with higher bounties were referred to as the admirals of the seas by his family. A pirate with an 8000 coin bounty was at least gold rank themselves or they possessed some kind of relic or item that gave them the power of a gold rank.

He was about to bring the subject up with Ymir when a sharp whistle caught his attention. He silently listened to what the quartermaster had to say, nodding along for most of the explanation. All of it sounded pretty standard and nothing that Leonidas couldn't handle, though he was probably a bit out of practice with the blue avenger taking care of most of the work for him in the time that he sailed on it.

"You'll need to do at least one cleaning shift a day," Leonidas sighed, there was no escaping the more boring and simple tasks after all. "Any other requests?" He shook his head. "Nope, just call for me when you want me to take a shift in something, for now I'll go practice a bit." He said, tapping the sword at his side.

"Nanalee," He turned to the new guild member he had brought along with him. "Are you interested in a bit of a spar?" He didn't know the harpy's exact strength or affinities but he knew she was an iron rank so he figured she would make a good training partner if she was interested. He didn't wait for an answer and walked up the stairs leading to the deck, she would come to find him if she was interested.

Various crew members were still busy running around on deck but things had calmed down considerably from when they just set sail. After finding a good location he pulled his new sword out of its sheath, the curved edge of the blade made the motion a fair bit smoother than it was for his old sword.

He held the weapon up to his face and inspected the blade, it seemed well enough made but it didn't have the craftmanship of something made by his family, the slight yellow hue he had noticed before in the guild hall was even more present under the sun, coloring the blade an almost uniform light yellow. Ocean's lullaby, the name didn't make much sense to Leonidas, as far as he knew the weapon didn't play music. He lightly shrugged, deciding not to worry about it.

He went through a few of the basic steps of Hower swordsmanship, getting a feel for the weight and length of the blade. His initial steps felt a bit clumsy but over a few cycles his movements got smoother, at least outwardly, Leonidas was fully aware that his technical skill with his current weapon was still far behind that of his old weapon.

He pulled the blade back up into a resting position before willing a bit of mana into it. Small bolts of lightning danced across the shining yellow surface of the blade with a faint crackling noise. He swung the sword in a diagonal arch, small bolts of lightning tracing the blade's path through the air. Ocean's lullaby, now it made sense. He went through an entire cycle of practice swings, each swing causing a crackle of electricity that, on its own, sounded like just that, a crackle, nothing more. But when linked with other swings it formed a rough ever-changing melody of electricity and the whistling noise of the blade cutting through the air.

 

[SilverFeathers]

Nanalee Imphon | Of Spiritual Snow
A curious explorer with a love for battle, adventure and power.​

• Appearance
• Notes

• 
• Location
  At sea - On the deck of the Salvager
  
  Mentions
  Sylph Key of Stars

Hanzel's sharp whistle brought Nanalee back from idle boredom, although, she didn't spend much time thinking about his words before giving her response. "I can work as many shifts as you need, I have nothing else to do anyway." She began casually, though she followed up to explain her usefulness a little more. "I don't think I'll be particularly efficient at cleaning, due to my wings, but I think I'll make a pretty decent lookout." She continued in slight contemplation, pondering the sharpness of a harpy's eyesight and the aerial view she could achieve from flight. "For my cleaning shift, could I get a space more open? Or some place that has less delicate and small things to clean." She decided to make a small, vague-ish request in the end, after idly watching the witch's broom magically clean her surroundings without her moving a muscle. The oddly specific request by the goblin caught her attention also, as she was not good with things like mechanics and engineering herself. But, since she had already spoken her turn, she didn't feel the need to add to it.

Nanalee originally was thinking about following Hanzel up on deck to start familiarizing herself with working early, but the call of her name stopped her in her tracks. Leo's request visibly stunned her, though very quickly a wide grin she couldn't contain emerged on her face. Seeing as he was already ascending the stairwell, she quickly flew after him, though she bumped into a few wooden props along the way in her excitement. With her sharp eyes quickly locating the dark-haired human, she quickly strode over, though her eyes were trained on his movements and the unique blade in his hands.

Listening to the song of thunder coursing through the air, she clapped appreciatively after she let Leo finish off his latest cycle of practice swings. Even after he paused his movements, her eyes couldn't help but focus on the shining yellow sword in his hand, and the sparks of magic and electricity that slowly calmed down around it. "A fascinating blade you have there." She commented with a smile, finally raising her eyes to meet his. "Let's spar?" She inquired bluntly, though it was more of a statement than anything else considering he had already asked this of her earlier.

"I will inform you in advance that I am more of a ranged fighter than an upfront one. And since I have these," She flapped her wings lightly. "It wouldn't be very fair for you if I stayed in the air the whole time, so I'll do my best to participate too. Though, perhaps just fighting against my spirits would be enough for you?" She pondered out loud with a tilt of her head, though the anticipation in her restless talons was unmistakable. She loved fighting. But most of the time, she fought to kill, as a hunter. So she'd have to try her best to restrain her instincts as well as her spirits, and prevent them from going for the throat. Afterall, this was a new friend. A human comrade.

"Perhaps you should just see for yourself." Nanalee mumbled after a pause, allowing a thin wispy aura of frost to materialize at her fingertips. Her eyes, despite their striking colours, seemed to grow translucent, as she concentrated the fluctuation of mana within her. Two small sculptures of ice, carved in the shape of foxes, materialized in front of her talons. For the briefest moment, the left fox's eyes glowed red, whilst the right fox's shone blue. As a pair, they leapt forward aggressively towards Leo, their sharp, frozen claws outstretched. "The one with the red aura is Ael, whilst the blue is Bal. They have their own personalities and fighting styles, which I'm sure you'll find out soon." Nanalee smiled excitedly, feeling oddly chatty, but proud of her friends from the other side.

Ael was the more visibly aggressive of the pair, often the first to jump at openings or deflect attacks, whereas Bal was a little more patient, perceptive and co-operative, often following up Ael's actions and carefully watching the opponent's battle style. Though they were small and relatively weak physically, they were agile and good at co-operation, leaving few breaks between their attacks. Nanalee, true to her word, occasionally swooped in too, using the brute force of her talons to parry and swipe at Leo, despite the tingling paralysis she slowly began to feel creep up her legs.

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Locaton: Crew Quarters
Mentions: Sylph
​

"-pixie dust," he heard from a voice behind him, correcting him on what the 'magic sleep powder' was. Turning around he noticed it was Ymir, who had chosen a hammock near his own. "And no, that sort of thing wouldn't work on her." "Oh? uh... okay. " he replied a tad confused as to why that was the case and more so why Ymir knew for sure it wouldn't work. Perhaps it was something that come up in the past or perhaps the witch had some kind of surprisingly powerful fortitude and couldn't be forced asleep. "Though if she ever starts talking too much a good whack with a lute should do the trick." "I don't think that would be a good idea, I might damage my instrument and I'd rather not anger a gold rank anytime soon" he said as he clenched his instrument not wanting to see it destroyed from smashing it upside someone's head anytime soon.

Just a few moments later a whistle brought everyone's attention to Hanzel who explained some of the work they would be expected to do, how the shifts operated, and the length of the shifts. "Those of you who want to get your duties out of the way first up should join me on deck and I'll let you know what you'll be doing. Otherwise you can take some time to get your bearings."

Then as if on cue, Eiru's magic broom carefully but swiftly moved itself from its resting place beside the witch and began sweeping the floor with great skill and seemingly was not willing to sweep around people or their belongings. Figuring he may as well start getting into the swing of things sooner than later, Ruvo would join Hanzel back up onto the deck to get assigned some work. Besides he figured the job of cleaning up in the crews quarters was already taken care of.

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Salvager Deck
Mentions: SilverFeathers ​

"A fascinating blade you have there." He smiled. "I'm starting to think it's less lacking compared to my old one than I expected." Her eyes met his. "Let's spar?" He nodded sharply, more of an answer wasn't necessary, he had been the one to make the offer in the first place.

"I will inform you in advance that I am more of a ranged fighter than an upfront one. And since I have these, it wouldn't be very fair for you if I stayed in the air the whole time, so I'll do my best to participate too. Though, perhaps just fighting against my spirits would be enough for you?" He temporarily retracted his mana from Ocean's Lullaby, the crackling lightning on the blade fading away. "You don't have to be too considerate of me, an actual enemy wouldn't be either. Besides," He grinned. "I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve." He might have little idea of what Nanalee's affinities were but the same thing was true the other way around.

"Perhaps you should just see for yourself." Leonidas watched with curiosity as the two icy creatures took shape and, without further warning, shot towards him like two ballista bolts. "The one with the red aura is Ael, whilst the blue is Bal. They have their own personalities and fighting styles, which I'm sure you'll find out soon." Leonidas hurriedly raised Ocean's Lullaby, the weapon crackling back to life as it collided with the claw of the more aggressive of the two foxes. "Fascinating," He shouted back, dodging a strike from the other fox spirit by twisting his body. He swiftly followed up by driving his left fist into the side of the icy creature, conjuring a blast of wind at the point of impact of his fist. "Truly fascinating, you can tell me more when they're not trying to tear my throat out later." He yelled with a grin.

Nanalee herself certainly didn't forget about her promise to participate, swooping in from above immediately after to strike at him with her talons. He swiftly spun his blade around, swinging it up to parry her talons with the dull side of the blade. The sheer force of his opponent's downward momentum almost made him drop his weapon, he raised his left hand under the blade to support it, having covered the hand in a swirl of air to avoid touching the edge of the blade directly. The movement left him wide open for an attack from the sides, he just barely managed to conjure up a small barrier of wind before the fox's claw swiped at his side. The wind dampened the impact slightly but his control over his magic was not nearly sophisticated enough to block the strike completely, he winced as the claw tore through a bit of skin.

He pushed Nanalee back with a sharp motion of his weapon before striking the fox that managed to hit him from above with his elbow, sending the creature spinning into the deck with considerable force. "Come on!" He barked, parrying a clawed strike from the other fox and jumping back to avoid a swipe from Nanalee's talons. He raised his weapon and pointed it Nanalee's flying form, letting instinct take over as he conjured a small ball of wind at the tip of the sword before shooting it like a bullet. He bit back a curse as he received another scratch, the curved edge of his new sword would take some getting used to, especially considering that using it as an aiming device, unlike his old sword, made the bullets curve way off target.

The continuous assault from Nanalee and her two summons gave him preciously little time and room to maneuver, making it hard to take the full steps of Hower swordsmanship. Instead, he was forced to improvise, getting a slash in wherever he could combined with wind imbued strikes of his fist in between parries and dodges. In the current flow of the battle he was just barely keeping up with Nanalee and her summons, having to focus 90% of his attention on defending.

He wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead after snatching one of the rear paws of an attacking fox and making use of its momentum to send it barreling into the railing of the ship. "You said they have their own personalities, right?" He didn't wait for an answer, blocking a clawed strike with the edge of Ocean's Lullaby. "It makes them hard to predict, but..." He grinned. "Unfortunately for you, it's a good match-up for my skillset." He nimbly passed Ocean's Lullaby to his left hand, raising his right hand to his chest. "Against an icy assault I am forced to make way, but how will you fare with your balance in disarray?" He recited, putting his magic behind the words.

 

[SilverFeathers]

Nanalee Imphon | Of Spiritual Snow
A curious explorer with a love for battle, adventure and power.​

• Appearance
• Notes

• 
• Location
  At sea - On the deck of the Salvager
  
  Mentions
  Key of Stars

"You don't have to be too considerate of me, an actual enemy wouldn't be either. Besides, I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve." "I look forward to seeing them then." Nanalee chuckled lightly in response, after parrying a sword blow that left her flapping her wings in the air. It was hard to ignore the constant clash against electricity. She had never fought against such a power before, and the stiffness and jolting feeling she felt every time they clashed was taking its toll on her talons, that twitched every now and then outside of her control. She didn't see this ending well for her, but a spar was a spar no? It wouldn't be fun if she tried to end things quickly either.

"Fascinating, truly fascinating, you can tell me more when they're not trying to tear my throat out later." "I'm sure they'd like to meet you too, but, we'll see if I still have mana left after this for that." Her face lit up at his interest in her dear companions, the wide smile that had never left her face this whole time growing wider still. Though she boasted a relatively large mana pool, constantly repairing the bodies of ice her spirits were currently inhabiting was rather taxing. With every clash, a claw would disintegrate and be made anew, not to mention what happened internally whenever Leo would punch or elbow one of them away. Ice, though magically enforced, was ice afterall. She wasn't at a level where she could say her ice was as strong as steel.

Nanalee was having fun, almost too much fun in fact, for a journey and adventure that had barely begun. She laughed and smiled the whole time, though her harpy eyes remained trained and focused on the battle. Even after missing her target, she looked happy, though she curiously watched the bullet of wind her opponent sent, fly past the small ice wall she had quickly conjured up and ruffle past her feathers. 'A distraction?' She thought confusedly, though her attention snapped back to her spirits and Leo as soon as she made that conclusion. Quickly regenerating their bodies, she dove towards Leo, taking the full brunt of his blade to allow her friends to dive back in.

Three against one wasn't very fair, especially since they each took it in turns to distract Leo and try to get a sly strike in on the side. Just as Leo pushed her back once more, Ael grazed his leg before being sent flying, allowing Bal to try and claw at his front whilst Nanalee slapped him with her wing as she recovered. She had to admit, Leo's swordsmanship was very good. As someone that didn't have proficiency in any weapons, she admired the fact that he fared so well against them, using almost his blade alone. It was surprising to her that they both seemed equal in strength despite this, with each clash of talons and blade ending up without much of a physical victor, though the way he used his blade against her talons noticeably became cleverer as time passed. His wind magic didn't seem particularly proficient, but his earlier words kept her mind curious. 'What other tricks could he have?' She pondered internally.

"You said they have their own personalities, right?" Her dark-haired opponent abruptly spoke up, causing her to look up at his face despite being sent back into the air again. "It makes them hard to predict, but..." He grinned. "Unfortunately for you, it's a good match-up for my skillset." He abruptly swapped his sword hand, before proudly speaking... a rhyme? "Against an icy assault I am forced to make way, but how will you fare with your balance in disarray?" She was in the middle of recovering from the clash, before she suddenly realized... she couldn't? It was almost as if the world she saw suddenly didn't correlate with the actions she physically took. Flight, something she had done all her life, suddenly became impossibly difficult, she would flap one wing and then the other erratically, likely partly affected by the electricity his blade had passed onto her too, causing her to almost instantly fall from the sky.

"WAIT WHA-ARGH, WATCH OUT!!" She yelled in both flustered confusion and warning, as she dove headfirst onto the ship's surface. Fortunately, she had enough knowledge of movement in the air to avoid crashing into her opponent or the other crewmembers watching the fun. Instead, she stumbled and rolled multiple times as she collided with the wooden floor, before crashing against the wall by the staircase. Suddenly, it seemed that Nanalee was more injured than Leo, and the amusing thought made her smile again, despite the sudden dizziness and pain. Her balance gradually recovered, as she sat there and watched her spirits quickly but clumsily run over to her side. Locating Leo from her position, she yelled at him with a laugh. "You weren't lying when you said this was a good match-up for your skillset!"

 

[Sylph]

Hanzel
Location: Salvager Deck
Mentions: Key of Stars SilverFeathers Yahhah RatKing SilverbackActual

Spoiler: Progress

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"I don't think I'll be particularly efficient at cleaning, due to my wings, but I think I'll make a pretty decent lookout. For my cleaning shift, could I get a space more open? Or some place that has less delicate and small things to clean." Hanzel had nodded, but decided to keep details for later. By the looks of things she already had business with the one practicing towards the rear of the deck. Hanzel might've lamented the fact they were barely out of port and already there'd been two fights afoot, but with the battles looming ahead they would no doubt need the practice.

The fourth bell rang just as the two combatants began to trade blows. Hanzel watched for a time to make sure they weren't accidentally destroying the ship, before he turned to the others who'd made their way on the deck. Freed and Ruvo, he recalled. The smaller goblin spoke first while the bard appeared to wait for his orders.

"I think I know how to handle a cannon if those need to be looked after." Based off the traces of gunpowder and his general impression of goblins, Hanzel wasn't surprised that was what they asked for. Nor was he about to pass up the opportunity, given how much damage goblin munitions were rumoured to do. He gestured for the two of them to follow, waving as Shepard shouted something about a drink to him and the captain. It was no surprise she'd already hit the cups, but right now he needed his focus.

"Some maintenance wouldn't hurt," he said to Freed, "especially if good ol' Nessie decides to pay us a visit." It was mostly cleaning the inside of the cylinder, checking fuses, making sure all the parts were where they need to be; but Hanzel didn't think he needed to explain such things to a goblin. "If you notice anything wrong report it to me and I'll have a look. Nothing worse than the back end blowing out when it goes to fire."

He led them to the main area below deck, four or so cannons pointed out each side of the ship. "Ruvo, I recall you saying you were a carpenter so I'll get you to check the barrels. There are a few in the corner there that need repairs if you think you can manage, otherwise they'll have to be fixed when we're next ashore."

It wasn't until he finished that he realised a third member had followed them in. One of the women who'd been in the brawl earlier. "Here to help?" he said.

Ymir
Location: Cabins --> Deck
Mentions: Uasal Yahhah RatKing Lazaro1505 ​

As the last of the group trailed their way back onto the decks Ymir remained in place, nothing but the sounds of creaking timber and Eiru's quiet breaths. She rather liked the hammocks, she decided. It was hard to tell the boat was moving at all. Alas, they weren't the greatest for getting changed, and since Ymir hadn't been given much in the way of preparation - she glared at the sleeping bundle that was Eiru - she was still in the attire she wore to town. Blessed with a moment of privacy she switched her attire out for something she wouldn't mind being ruined by the salt and, out of a lingering curiousity, she stopped by the barrel to see the strange creature everyone had been looking at before. The small wizard seemed perfectly content, but since they were also eating what was ship rations Ymir decided to take them along with her. Plucking them out of the barrel and sticking her tongue out at Eiru as she went, Ymir joined the rest of the crew upstairs.

She regretted the decision as soon as she set foot outside, of course. A garbled screech was the only warning before a body of white feathers crashed into the wall next to the staircase. Ymir froze, quieting the instinctual alarm from a harpy flying out of nowhere, listening as they gradually shook off whatever they'd been hit with. "You weren't lying when you said this was a good match-up for your skillset!"

Nanalee seemed to be having fun - Leo too, if his smug grin were any indication. Ymir on the other hand... she unlatched her grip from the side of the entrance, edging away from the chaotic scene. As much as Ymir might enjoy a fight on a normal day, currently she was preoccupied with staying upright and thus not so fussed on making that task harder. She edged away from where the two them seemed to be getting very into their little spar, following the quartermaster as he led two of the others into the relative safety of the hold.

"...otherwise they'll have to be fixed when we're next ashore." She listened to the explanations as she glanced around. The quartermaster finally realised her presence after he'd finished. "Here to help?"

She shrugged. It seemed as good an idea as any. "I don't see why not."

"In that case you can help clean out the storage. There tend to be plenty of unwanted stowaways in the supplies."

Pests, in other words. She could handle that. She watched with some curiousity as Ruvo and... the goblin, got to work. She hadn't had much of a chance to talk to Ruvo in the past, outside when he played at the guild anyway, and the goblin was definitely new. "I don't think we've met," she said to Freed, smiling faintly at the smaller recruit. "It's unusual to see you guys apart from your tribes. What brings you aboard a ship?"

"Oh-" she recalled the small creature she'd effectively kidnapped. Holding him up by the back of his small wizard robe, she considered just what sort of animal they were meant to be - aquatic creatures weren't exactly her specialty, if her relationship with water was any indication. "Do either of you guys know what sort of... frog, this is?"

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Locaton: Crew Quarters
Mentions: Sylph Yahhah Lazaro1505
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As Ruvo followed the quartermaster up the stairs and to the top deck, the sound of battle starting could be heard amidst the toll of the fourth bell. The fight was exciting to watch, Nanalee could keep up a nonstop assault between herself and the creatures she formed from ice. Each taking turns attacking directly while the others tried attacking from blind spots or setting up an opening for the other. But Leo was able to keep up an incredible defense even when fighting off three opponents, knocking aside the ice creatures and parrying swipes and jabs of talons. The two were clearly quite skilled and he wondered if he could matchup to that kind of combat prowess someday. And while he would of loved to stay and see who the victor was, he was led back down below deck for his assigned task before he could see who dealt the final blow.

"Ruvo, I recall you saying you were a carpenter so I'll get you to check the barrels. There are a few in the corner there that need repairs if you think you can manage, otherwise they'll have to be fixed when we're next ashore." "Barrels huh? I can give them a look over and see what I can do" he said as he stepped over to the barrels in question to assess the work that that needed to be done. During his time working as a carpenter in his parent's shop he had made a couple of barrels, so he figured fixing them shouldn't be too hard. So long as there wasn't anything strange about them like containing small wizards.

"Here to help?"

He turned around to see who had entered the room and was being addressed and spotted Ymir who seemed to have changed their outfit at some point and had brought along the small wizard. The cartographer was looking for work much like Freed and himself though she was also introduced herself to the goblin due to not being able to earlier when introductions were done.

"Do either of you guys know what sort of... frog, this is?" "I don't think it is a frog or at least not frog I have seen. I believe someone said it was a salamander, but Freed here said it was a newt" he replied not certain himself exactly what the small wizard was. Though he was more curious where one obtains small garments such as those on the creature. Were they custom made by a tailor or were they conjured or produced by some weird magic?