CH 3: Pulp Adventure!

[JadedDM]

The following morning greets the party with clear skies and a cool westward sea breeze. After waking up, collecting their things, and turning in their room keys to Brock, they head straight to the docks without breakfast. Hopefully, there will be food on board.

Jocelyn's mentor, Noah, grumbles and complains at being up at such an 'ungodly hour.' But he is required to go where she goes, to make sure she's getting the experience she needs.

Waiting for the party at the docks are three dwarves. Jocelyn and Ouragana recognize the oldest one as Kohen Dalaim Truestone, the priest of Gonto who hired them. He waves them over when he spots them. Despite his advanced age, the prospect of exploring these ruins has him nearly bouncing with energy.

Of the other two dwarves, one is about middle-aged while the second is rather young. The middle-aged one looks gruff and annoyed. He is beardless, instead wearing a small mustache. He also wears a tri-corner hat. The younger dwarf appears just as gruff, but has long red hair and a braided beard. He's also well-armed, wearing a full suit of studded leather and carrying a very nice looking battle axe.

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It is now 9:00 AM on Agate 18, Rockday.

(OOC: Casters can choose their new spells for the day. We can assume your characters studied/prayed for them before leaving the inn.

Post at will, including Noldoli!)

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn stood on the dock, looking out over the water for a few moments. The light breeze from the sea was refreshing to her, so she closes her eyes for but a few moments to just enjoy the salty air as it flowed around her. The others could deal with the dwarves standing in front of them.

[Noldoli]

Oren stood with the other two of his kind waiting on the group to arrive. He had been up for a good while in preparation for the foray into the ruins. He was anxious to be off and they seemed to be taking their own sweet time in arriving, so he was already annoyed when the others arrived. "Well, aren't ye a strange lot," he chuckled loudly as the others arrived at the docks. "No offence, o'course." he added, though the latter didn't seem that sincere.

[Breila]

Ouragana leaves the inn in high spirits. She was going to spend some time on her beloved sea, and later get the chance to explore ruins, actually see what she had so far only read about. She had prepared a "feather fall" spell which seemed to make the most sense, as a way to prevent dire results of accidents.

Arriving on the dock and proceeding to greet Dalaim Truestone, she overhears Oren's words. "Well, 'strange' depends on the definition of 'normal', doesn't it?" she says in passing.

Bowing to Dalaim, she says "Good morning. It seems we are going to have good conditions for our voyage."

[JadedDM]

"Ah, yes! Not just good, I'd say they are excellent conditions, indeed! Surely, the gods have blessed this voyage. The wind is decent in strength and pointing exactly in the direction we wish to go," Dalaim says exuberantly. He sticks his finger in his mouth, then holds it up into the air as if to reconfirm that point. "Yes, yes, indeed! Most fortuitous!"

The dwarf wearing the tri-corner hat (and the only one to have not yet spoken) crosses his arms and harrumphs. "I wouldn't call it a blessing. Seems to me the gods be rushing us to our doom. Pah!" He spits over the railing of the dock, into the water.

"Always the pessimist, eh, captain?" Dalaim asks, clucking his tongue. "Allow me to make introductions. This is Boffi Scragsplitter, captain of the Lucky Mermaid. It is on his vessel we will be transported to the island."

Boffi Scragsplitter.jpg (65.25 KiB) Viewed 13231 times

Turning to the other dwarf, the red-haired one who called the party 'strange,' Dalaim says, "And this is Oren Hammerfeld, another warrior I hired for this expedition. So you all will be working with him. He's from the mainland. Isn't that fascinating? Anyway, Captain, Oren, these are the others I told you about. This is Acolyte Jocelyn Blaine of Octhanus--although we won't hold that against her, eh?" he jokes with a stage wink. "And this is...Ouragana, was it? A Storm Sorcerer. Oh, but I do not know the rest of you at all, so you will have to introduce yourselves, I'm afraid."

[Jenara]

Arei arrives somewhat later than the rest of the group, tying back her Auburn hair behind her head she pulls down her floppy hat and strides to the dock.

"Good Morning." She says with a quiet voice, "Areilon Landar." She lowers her hat in greeting, "Captain, the sea seems a little calm." She gives the Dwarves a curious glance, including the warrior.

"Strange is a relative term." She says in agreement with the Sorcerer.

[HorizonsDream]

"Strange sounds about right to me," Jocelyn finally says to Oren. "I thought the same thing myself." She turned to the older dwarf with a light smile upon her face. "Oh, this is Pastor Noah Sanderson," Jocelyn said, motioning to the halfling next to her. "I guess he would be my mentor."

[Nuke]

Accompanying Ouragana, Val enjoys the chatty walk to the docks. Her assessment of the weather is the same as the good Captains, so she was pleased to introduce her self.

"Me Val Urgan." Looking the man straight in the eye, she says nothing more.

[Noldoli]

"Pleased to meet y'all," Oren says after the introductions, "hope ye won't hold me callin' y'all strange aginst me, just ne'er seen so many differ'nt types in the same comp'ny together's all." He smiles as best as his gruff face will allow and turns to the boat captain. "So ye think we're in for our dooms eh?" He strokes the blade of his battle axe and continues, "I'd say our dooms is in fer us!"

[Breila]

Ouragana laughs at Oren's remark. "Well spoken, Master Dwarf, well spoken. I hope I can count on your protection, then?"

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn gives Ouragana a small nudge with her elbow. "We are the protection," she points out. "But it looks like we might have his help."

[Breila]

"We go there for the protection for the scientists, yes" Ouragana agrees with Jocelyn. "But if someone comes towards me with a big weapon, I am pretty helpless. I hope we will be able to solve the issue in some way similar to what we did with the birdmen."

[HorizonsDream]

"Guess that all depends on why these tribal people are attacking others," Jocelyn says.

[Jenara]

"We shall see won't we?" Arei says with a smile, "Whatever it is, we will find out soon enough." turning to the captain she adds. "I take it we are to bunk with the crew Captain? As I am used to.

[JadedDM]

"Aye," the captain says in answer to Areilon's question. "Best make peace with your gods now, because that whole island is cursed, if you ask me."

Dalaim shakes his head. "Ah, don't mind him. You know how superstitious sailors can be."

"Lost half my crew to that devil island!" Boffi shoots back. "All dead by now, likely. Harrumph! Gonna go attend to the ship," he adds, turning away and heading down the dock.