The Voyage West RP

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Kala cursed loudly as the man drew his dagger. Picking up her pace across the ship, she began to chant loudly - perhaps more loudly than was needed - and took some white pouder from a pouch. Throwing it in the air as she hurried across the boat, towards the merman, the powder instantly disappeared. Nearing the merman, she raised her right arm up high above her, it now glowing brightly.

"Drop the knife now, you fool!" Kala shouted, her face red with anger. "Do you wish to bring Lothgar's curse down upon us all?! We are in the merpeople's domain here - you do NOT go and threaten them. I'm warning you, boy, if that knife does not leave your hand shortly, it is you who will spend the last short few moments of your life in pain."

 

Corth looked over his shoulder at the mage calling him 'boy'. Corth could feel his amulet heat up. Pretty soon he would either get burnt, or the amulet would glow. Either way, he had to calm down. Or They would find him.

He sneered at the woman and removed his knife from the merman's neck, but, he didn't put it away. Merfolk were tricksy, and Corth would be ready. If they only knew...They don't even know what pain is. Corth never got along with Academy Mages.

"So, we just charmed and captured one of their youngsters. We're already threatening the merfolk. Within minutes I expect this ship to be crushed by a wave or struck by lightning from one of the merfolk magickers. That is, unless we get this..." Corth turned to look back at the merman "to call off his friends."

 

Aewilar, clearly realizing his plan had gotten somewhat out of control took steps to remedy the situation.

"Everyone, calm down. We are not in any danger, this merman and his companions are no more dangerous to us then stable boys would be. There's one magic user in the group, but he or she is clearly not very powerful. Now if we all calm down, I'm sure the boy would be more willing to talk.
"As for bloodshed amongst crew members, that I will not tolerate, this is not the Crimson Mistress* so we do not settle matters with threats or blood."

*The Pirate God, Hjomir's, infamous sailing sloop, a vessel often blamed for particularly vicious maritime and coastal raids.

 

Corth put his dagger back in his boot. He'd have to wait until later to put it back into the sheath underneath his cloak. Corth, realising he was wrong, mumbled "Sorry." to all who managed to hear.

Corth always over-estimated his enemies. Now that he realised that the magickers beneath the waves were hardly worth any trouble, Corth calmed down. The amulet cooled down.

Corth turned towards the mage that had threatened him - in his mind, Corth had threatened her too - he wanted to apologise to her specifically, but, the words wouldn't come out.

 

The frown deepened on Kala's face. She clicked her fingers and the glow quickly faded from her hand.

"I fear you missed the point, good sir, although I commend your efforts to try and fix the situation. We should not be holding a merperson - or anyone for that matter - against their will. If you wish for information, you should be the one entering their domain, not kidnapping them. The fact that he called for help is a clear sign he felt threatened, which will not do. I will not tolerate such behaviour upon this ship."

 

"I intend to do no harm to the boy and hold him no longer then I have to." said Aewilar, "My religious values tell me that violence is never to be instigated and only used after diplomacy or guile have failed, Aethen also makes it very clear that sentient beings should have the freedom to wander as they like. If this boy gives us information, I consider it payment for the pile of rotting fish one of them left on the boat. If was unfortunate they had to open relations with us through practical jokes for that ensured that they would fear reprisal and not hold dialog with us."

 

Urgeld appeared back on deck, clearly unaware of what was happening on top of the deck. Mogrub motioned to Urgeld, pointing out to the sea.

"Merfolk.", Mogrub uttered.

Sure enough, the group of merfolk youth where but a short distance from the longboat, watching the ship with considerable interest.

Alandra hurried over to Urgeld.

I wonder which one he wants to impress." said Alandra pointing to the merman, "Maybe if we threaten to show him to his friends in such a pitiful state, he'll be more forthcoming with information."

"It would be kinder to stab a boy that age through the heart then do such a thing."

 

"Fine then," Kala said, making it clear from the tone of her voice that she did not think it was fine. "Just do not keep him aboard any longer than needed."

With that she turned around and marched a short distance away, to watch from afar.

 

Now that Corth was calm, he could think a lot clearer. "Well, considering that merfolk are helpless out of water." This was accentuated when the merman tried to struggle out of Corth and Aewilar's grip, but to no avail.
"I think we should start asking it questions. But, Aewilar, a boy this age; They learn fast through punishment." Corth winked at Aewilar, then slowly turned his wicked grin onto the merman - more like merboy - in his grasp.
"Don't you?"

 

They actully threatened him? Merfolk are never any threat to anyone.

Max walked up behind the gathering of crew and decided to intervene.

"There is no need to harm him Corth. While he's the leader, he's only young. Has anyone considered just asking him? I thought not. You didn't even have to get him out of the water in the first place you know"

He looked closer at the merman, and saw he was scared... very scared.
"You can handle it" he said to the bard "But I'll object to violence."

With that out of the way, he walked up beside Kala and looked out to sea at the faces of the other Merfolk, most of which were looking up at the ship with wide eyes and fear. With his back to her, he muttered to Kala out of the corner of his mouth.
"What would you have done if Corth had known that spell was only a hand of light?"

 

It had all happened so fast, Corth had threatened the Merman, someone else had threatened Corth...To be honest Trailen was a little confused, he moved up beside a lady and a man, the man being the one that had unerved Trailen...

"What exactly is going on?...I will admit to having been rather unsociable today and I think I've fallen out of the loop slightly." He spoke to the both hoping one would answer "I'm Trailen by the way, I do not believe we've met." He nodded slightly in greating.

 

Max looked around when someone spoke to him. He saw it was the other innate mage.

"Gretings Trailen, I'm Max Spellman. I'd say its a pleasure, but I have a lot on my mind right now.

What's happning? is the crew is trying to get infomation out of this Merman, thats whats hapning. In all honesty they couldn't have handled the situation in a worse way. They could have asked him while he was in the water, but that won't work now, and they threatened him, which means any infomation they get out of him will probably be a lie."

Max relised he had raised his voice. He never raised his voice.

"Oh... sorry. I didn't mean to rant at you, but the situation frustrates me."

 

Silandris was up to his guts in fish guts.
Never the less doing this made everything that happened before look like a bad dream.
"If only thoughts could just die,but no they always return knocking on my door and im stupid enough to answ..."
He raised his head and listened.He could hear somebody cursing and screaming.Something was wrong.He took the kitchen kife and rushed to the deck hopeing its not to late,for whatever was happeninig.
He suddenly tripped making the knife fly out of his hand.He looked up but he couldnt see it anywhere.
He mumbled a curse and continued unarmed to the deck.
He was very surprised when he saw a mermain and
couple of other crew members around him.
"Its probably time I wake up" he said in himself
He looked at the mermain the fear in the cratures eyes was obvious,everybody else looked a little shocked .
"Thats one big fish, i will probably need a little help to gut this one" he said and smiled

 

"Ah...I am beginning to think I was better off out of the loop, that way I could have claimed ignorance if the merman decided to take some sort of revenge...maybe I would have been spared" He smiled slightly, he felt a slight pressure and his hand tingled, his smile disappeared and so did the pressure.

"Maybe we all would be better in ignorance, atleast we'd be prepared for the worst."

 

This wasn't my fault! Alandra charmed him to jump out of the water. Aewilar told me to grab him, so I did. Then the merman called for help from his friends, I made him calm down. I did what I had to do. I did what I thought was right. Why can't they see that?

Corth knew the looks directed at him said 'This is all your fault'. Corth understood that not everyone liked violence. Corth himself hated it. But, all through his life, Corth had realised one thing; All 'natural' creatures had a sense of self-preservation. Except for beserkers and Paladins - neither of which feared anything. But, Corth knew that causing fear produced results. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. But, results nonetheless.

They'll find out sooner or later... Corth drew his amulet from underneath his shirt and showed the sigil to the merman, and spoke - quietly - to the merman.
"All peoples know what - and who - this symbol represents? So, I'd advise you not to lie. Now, my friend Aewilar is going to ask you some questions."
After this, Corth re-hid the amulet underneath his shirt.

Aewilar, one of the closest people to Corth, saw the amulet clearly for what it was. Seeing that Aewilar had seen it, Corth spoke to him;
"We don't have time for that Aewilar. Start asking."

 

Seeing an experienced adventurer, like Aewilar's, face go snow white in a situation without direct confrontation would have surprised most, but then most creatures would have preferred to stand toe to toe with a red dragon and be in possession of nothing more then undergarments and a butter knife instead drawing HIS attention.

Aewilar turned to the merman, "Lets finish this quickly and get you back into the sea."

The merman nodded, eyes bulging with terror.

"Lets forget about names, I think it would be better if we both forgot this as soon as possible. I need to know what lies ahead of these waters, what is to the west? Do great beasts lurk below the waves or are there other dangers to worry about?"

"I... I know of one danger to the west." the young merman's voice quivered with terror and his eyes focused on Corth, seemingly waiting for the him to implement on the of the infamous "information extraction" techniques so well mastered by members of the Vailorathian Church.

"Good, please tell me young one."

"To the west lies Shark Spine Trench. Shark Spine Trench is home to the aggressive shark devils called sahaugin, worshipers of the god Selogan. My people have been periodically at war with them for some time. They constantly seek to expand their territory and they seem pretty interested in surface shipping too."

"Thank you, dear boy, we shall return to the water. May you wander in freedom."

Urgeld came over, picking the merman in his arms and then gently releasing him over the side.

 

"Well I'm glad that's over." Max sighed with relief, and then turned back to Corth.

"So, what's your story? Everyone on this ship seems to have a story, and I would imagin you are no exeption. I personaly was asleep in the hold when we left port."

If I'm going to be on a boat with them, there's no harm in geting to know them. Max thought to himself

 

Kala laughed, as Max whispered to her. Smart, this innate - she'll certainly have to keep an eye on him.

"Very observant, Master Spellman. As I told you, magic should not be used for violence, but a simple protection spell on the merman would have only taken a few moments. You will quickly learn though that most commoners - and most of your kind, for that matter - will..." She trailed off, as Trailen approched.

She nodded in greeting, but decided to remain silence, letting Max answer the questions. When the new comer mentioned revenge, how ever, she spoke.

"You have little to fear in the way of revenge. These are merfolk, not humans. The worst they could do, themselves, is as Master Spellman suggested - mislead us."

She paused and looked silently towards Corth and the merman as the events began to unfold.

 

Corth narrowed his eyes at Max trying to figure out if he had seen his amulet or not. Evidently not, because if he had, he would've reacted as Aewilar had.

"Well, Max, it's all very simple. I'm an oppurtunist. Some people would call me thief. But, I've rarely stolen anything in my life. I have stolen, I admit that. But, never anything more than a few copper and silver pieces. In any case, many, many years back, I fell into a different crowd, I was no longer a thief, I was...Something else. As of late, I'm trying to distance myself from that group as much as possible. As for this voyage? It takes me far away, and there's the possibility of treasure. Simple. I'm just like everyone else."

Well, I didn't exactly lie, but, that's close enough to the truth. When the merman had been thrown overboard, Corth drew Aewilar to the side. And whispered
"Aewilar, I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry I had to do it. We could've charmed him again, but, I know some creatures have resistances to being charmed twice. I'd rather that you forgot what you saw. I know I'm trying to forget." Corth patted Aewilar on the shoulder. And walked off to find somewhere where he could be alone.

 

Eventually the night crept in. Alandra drew attention to herself, determined to be able to tell stories tonight without interruption. Corin, without any light to read his books had decided to listen to Alandra and Haukor, Urgeld and Mogrub had decided to lay off the mead and listen to Alandra. Aewilar was not present, likely praying to Aethen to grant the ship speed.

"Why don't you tell us the tale of Derwyn Borgerixson." chimed in Haukor.

Derwyn being the greatest hero of Old Lyonesse adn quite possible the western world, a godson who who was slain by trickery Queen Maeb, the Fey Queen and the treachery of his comrade, Ithannon the Fairhaired almost two thousand years ago.

"That's too easy, even the most inept bard knows that tale. Next you'll be asking for tales of the faerie knight Midir Strongshield or the gods themselves."

"How about you tell us of Algar Wolfkin."

"Which one? Even more importantly which one isn't known by heart through out the Northlands? No I've got a tale in mind, the tale of Farkon Skullguard."

Farkon Skullguard was a name rarely mentioned, let alone a tale told. The tale of Faldon Skullguard was not the tale of a great hero, but instead one of the greatest villains ever known. Faldon was the man who created the secretive, illegal and terrifying cult known as Death's Hand, a cult strongly associated with Dokhvours, the god of time. The members of Death's Hand seek true immortality, hence they seek the Tome of Dokhvours. Kelgoryd and Dokhvours where both once faeries before coming into contact with an evil being whose powers surpassed the gods themselves. Contact with this being turned both faeries into lichs and they where both transformed into deities. Rumor has it that Kelgoryd was infused with such divine power his mind was overwhelmed and he was unable to understand the process, but Dokhvours who received less divine power was left with a clear mind and able to understand the transformation and supposedly recorded the process in a book, typically referred to as the Tome of Dokhvours. Faldon himself started off as a disturbed orphan who spent much of his time living in crypts of his city's graveyard in the present day Princedom of Hozenval. His time amongst the dead lead to his understanding of necromantic power and he soon blossomed into a powerful necromancer. From here the story becomes a bit more incoherent because no one really knows what happened during vast parts of his life, though the bards that tell it are more then happy to make those sections up. Regardless of how it has been told, it is agreed that Faldon somehow managed to survive for over one thousand years; the most common belief is that he has sacrificed countless numbers of humanoids to go in his place to death. The dreaded necromancer however during his long life drew the wrath of the Arcane Order and ina cataclysmic battle in the mausoleum in which Faldon had been hiding, the whole mausoleum was brought down upon Faldon, his followers and the mages of the Arcane Order. Faldon has not been heard of in years and Death's Hand has chosen new leaders in the time that has passed, but rumors do persist that the necromancer survived the battle somehow and is still alive, keeping himself from dying in the same fashion he always used.

Following the telling of the story, the crew headed off to bed.