CH. 16: Homecoming

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn and Gallath (The Hold)
Sierra shakes her head at Jocelyn. "I wouldn't recommend going in at all. Not until she calms down."

The woman who is looking through the aforementioned window in the door can see Jocelyn, and clearly this is not calming her down as the cleric believed. "I demand to be released," she says. "You have been infiltrated by two demons, and they are working their bewitchment upon you!" The woman has a strange accent that Jocelyn cannot place. She sounds like she might be from the mainland.

Ouragana and Baeros (The Galley)
Although it's 10 in the morning and Val was fully healed by Jocelyn the night before, the half-orc excuses herself to go rest and heal, after having eaten her 'dinner.'

Naras leaves, as well, sounding annoyed. This just leaves Ouragana, Baeros and his hounds sitting alone in the galley.

Drav Arellax (Quarter Deck)
Drav moves to stand under the mainmast. It doesn't offer much protection from the rain, but it's better than standing out in the open.

"Let's go, people!" Terra calls over the rain. "We're on a tight schedule here! Keep along the side of the island for now. Then we'll move northeast!"

Naras Stonebreaker (The Stores)
Naras makes her way to the ship's stores, where extra equipment, among other things, are kept. There she encounters an old dwarf. He is dark-skinned with purple eyes and a long brown beard. Despite his advanced age (Naras would guess he's around 200 or so), he looks to be in good shape and is pretty muscular.

"Aye, and who are you?" he asks upon seeing her. "I'm the quartermaster here. Name's Hofur." He looks her over. "You a Kohen? Didn't think the sisters would let one on board, to be honest."

[Chris1234]

"Hi Hofur! I'm Naras," answers Naras. "Seem to have a knack of upsetting people but I don't mean to. To tell you the truth, I feel pretty useless on this ship. Where I've offered to help it doesn't get picked up, so maybe I'd just be in the way anyway. I can paint a bit, but got no painting stuff here. Typical. So thought I'd try and scrounge some spare canvas. Offcuts or something. I can still sketch onto that. And it does seem a magnificent boat. So how're you and what's your story?"

[Nuke]

Val takes a nap while it rains for a couple of hours before waking and making her way to the crows nest once again.

[HorizonsDream]

"I'm afraid you can't be released at all until you calm down," Jocelyn says. "Could you try to calmly explain what is going on here, and why you believe that these two are demons?" she asks.

[Breila]

(OOC: Jaded, I had no chance to say that Ouragana would want to stick with Naishe and discuss the topic further. In the very next post you made after mine, you separated them.)

After Gallath, Naishe and Jocelyn leave the galley, Ouragana sits there for a moment, debating with herself if she should pursue them and discuss her opinion with Naishe. Then she pulls herself together, telling herself that she can't avoid confrontation forever. So she goes down to the brig as well. Arriving just in time to hear the exchange between the captive and Jocelyn, she stands beside the cleric. "I can hold her magically if she freaks out again after being released" she says quietly, so that only Jocelyn and those standing close by can hear.

[spyguy1503]

Gallath nods at Ouragana. "If it becomes necessary." he says.

[chese780]

Unless someone notices him, Drav will wait for a moment and return below deck in search of Gallath.

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn, Ouragana, Gallath and Drav (The Hold)
Ouragana and Drav head down to the hold to join the others. They find Sierra here, with Jocelyn, Naishe and Gallath, outside one of the cells. A woman is inside, peeking through the small window in the reinforced wooden door. She has dark hair and speaks with a foreign accent that none of them are familiar with; she sounds like she might be from the mainland.

"I am Penta Malachman," she says with a hint of pride in her voice. "Of the famous demon slaying Malachmans? Surely even you islanders have heard of us." However, none of you ever have.

Looking disappointed at the lack of a reaction, she continues, "We have slain fiends for generations now. That is all you need to understand. I was dispatched here after we received reports of heightened fiend activity in the islands. There were even rumors of a cult that worshiped them. And these two," she says, looking at Gallath and Naishe, "are the only lead I've found so far. I can sense demonic blood in both of them. Do not be deceived by your own senses, for demons can fool them. Regardless of what they look or sound like, or what they say, I assure you they are both demons. They will use their magic to enslave the minds of everyone on this ship for their own nefarious purposes; if they have not already done so!"

Baeros (The Galley)
Ouragana hurries after the others, leaving Baeros alone with his dogs.

Val Urgan (Quarter Deck)
While the others are busy, Val returns back to her cabin to get more sleep. She had only gotten up in the first place to get some breakfast.

A couple of hours later, she returns to the deck to find it is still raining, however. Terra is under the mainmast, giving orders to the crew who go about their duties despite the bad weather.

Naras Stonebreaker (The Stores)
"I hear that sort of talk a lot from you adventuring types," Hofur replies. "Tends to be true, though. If you don't have any sailing skills, you are in the way. Sailing a ship takes a full crew, and there's not all that much room. If you can't help with it, you're just taking up space. That's why we don't usually take on passengers."

He digs around in some of his crates and pulls out a torn piece of canvas. It isn't much, only about 1' x 2' and it is torn along the edges. "That's about all I can spare. But don't let the captain know I gave it to you for free." He furls it up and hands it to her.

"As for me, I've been sailing the high seas for over a century now," he explains. "Got a job swabbing the deck for a Guild ship a hundred years ago, and just sort of climbed the ranks from there. Served on a couple of dozen different Guild ships now. But been on the Bullring for about 30 years now. What about you, kohen?"

[HorizonsDream]

"Um," Jocelyn says, looking over to Gallath and Naishe. "Well, we were around a demon recently. Actually, it was a devil," she corrects herself. "Are you sure you aren't sensing that?" Of course, that was a few weeks ago, but she had to try.

[spyguy1503]

"We killed a slaadi together on the Bullring several times. And my hair was stained with demon blood." Gallath points out.

[Chris1234]

"Thanks, Hofur, "replies Naras with a hearthwarming smile. "Religious and artisan parents. Inevitable where I'd end up. My residency was the smallest of places, no more than a shrine really, barely 60 people. I let it be known I wanted to move round. Actually wanted to follow up a rumour of a diamond mine. Specialty of mine, mines. Thought someone was being nice when they send me to Narin, until I found out the previous kohen had gone missing and had left things in, shall be say, a difficult state. An air genasai had my acolyte killed and plans to destroy Narin with war. Possibly the same one responsible for the ruination of the place we just left. Came here to try and stop him. Trail's gone cold. So here I am. Nothing to do. So I'll sketch. 'Til I can get paints, anyway."

[BishGada]

"That's just great." Baeros grunts. "Everyone goes on their business and leaves me here. Alone!" he continues glumly. "At least you two are faithful." he smiles at his dogs, pets them, stands up and decide to search Jocelyn since he has nothing else to do.

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn, Ouragana, Baeros, Gallath and Drav (The Hold)
Baeros, with his two hounds at his heels, eventually makes his way down to the hold, following after Jocelyn. He finds Sierra here, with Jocelyn, Naishe, Ouragana, Drav and Gallath, outside one of the cells. A woman is inside, peeking through the small window in the reinforced wooden door. She has dark hair and speaks with a foreign accent that none of them are familiar with; she sounds like she might be from the mainland.

"Not unless they copulated with it," she responds to Jocelyn.

To Gallath, she says, "Stained with demon blood? Well...I suppose that could be an explanation...but what excuse do you have for the woman?" she demands, glaring at Naishe. "She is absolutely a demon; of this I am certain. The fact that you keep defending her only proves that she has already placed you under her magic charms."

"Please," Naishe objects sarcastically. "If I could 'magic' men into doing my bidding, I'd be admiral of my own fleet of ships by now."

Naras Stonebreaker (The Stores)
"Bah, genasi," Hofur replies. "Never trusted them. I remember a run-in I had with the Children of Meer back on my last ship. Those freaks think they're better than the rest of us. Wouldn't surprise me to hear genasi are up to no good. Odd that he'd want to wage war on Narin, though. It's a pretty small town. You'd think he'd want to target Paradise City instead."

[HorizonsDream]

"Wait a second," Jocelyn says, looking between the two women. "How can you sense demon blood?" she asks. "And for that matter, is there another other way to prove that they are or aren't demons?"

[Breila]

Ouragana listens intently to Jocelyn and the woman's reply. Demon studies were taught at the Academy, but she hadn't taken any special classes. She had wanted to stick to the mundane world and sailing/navigation skills, weather prediction and control and the like. Maybe that had been a mistake.

(OOC: Where can I read up on what Ouragna might have learned in her standard studies? there is little information on the other planes in the PHB or DMG)