[RPG] Sword and Sorcery Play-by-Post

Granberia
I draw my Mithril Greatsword with a smile. I sense something as I ignite it with flame.
Granberia: "That you Mom?"
Salamander: "Yeah, be careful Granberia there is a lot of wood around here and some of it is dried and rotten. You don't want to start a fire that goes out of control."
G: "Thanks for the warning."
S: "Cheers, and come and visit me sometime, it get's lonely in this volcano."
Taking SALAMANDER'S advice into account I tone down the flames into a searing hot blade that makes our surroundings easier to see since it's nightfall.
G: "Neat trick huh Sancireph, I won't be able to use much magic here, the wood might be too flamable and we don't knows if their is gun powder aboard any of these ships Just gonna have to cook us some roasted frogmen with a searing hot giant knife I guess."
I take an offensive stance. This troubles Sancireph knowing of my Serene Mind ability. [MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION] It has no effect on aquatic monsters do to it being of water origins. But also a natural warrior thing I picked up back in the Far East.

[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
May I assumed you declined the opportunity then? "Pink Text Block"

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[MENTION=56506]Tamamo[/MENTION]: That would be correct. Sancireph still doeon't completely trust her but she has been of help and shown no ievil intentions. I think he can trust Granberia to keep an eye on her.

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*during the dream* I recall that it has been at least 3 years since my departure from my world. I left the safety of my family to that of the
guardian of the Royal Family, who also helped me during the battle with the "dark lord" I fought. The man had been hellbent on slaying the youngest
of my newborn quartet children, claiming he would be his undoing one day. The battle that ensued nearly cost my life had the Royal Guardian
and the Gods themselves not interfered. Instead they separated the soul and body of the "dark lord" from each other and sealed them away. This measure was
only temporary however. I journey to find out more of this "dark lord", where he came from, what he intends to do with so much power at his command, and
how I can defeat him once he is unleashed. < [MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION] we can discuss more of this via PM if you with to include more of this in the story >

[indent]@mrz84: As you wish. I wanted to give you a little room to explore it more, since the pressing concern about consuming other characters is directly tied to your pursuit of the dark lord. If you want that hunt to take a more active role in the plot of this game, send me a private message with some details and I will work towards that goal.[/indent]

*frogmen attack* I will of course lend my blade to the defense of the camp. I enchant my blade with wood so that I can easier defeat my foes is they
try to escape my reach. I take a defensive stance as the rear guard and urge everyone to be careful and not go near the water (there could be frogmen
in the depths waiting to drown us). I urge Katrien to rest and only fight if she is in immediate danger and leave the defense of the camp in my hands.

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Tamamo wrote:
GM Text Boxes
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What do I dream about?
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TheDarkOne wrote:
GM text needed for Sancireph's observations.

Granberia
Kuo-Toa, these guys like mime I dealt with them while acting as a escort and guard for a diplomat. I sheath my blade and approach the frogmen who point weapons at me. I shake my head and smile, using a combination of simple my kick ass miming skills I try to communicate with them and ask them if they have seen a sword in the ocean that doesn't like dragons. And that it belongs to my people and they will be rewarded if they return it! I also juggle fireballs to show how entertaining I can be.

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Sancireph:
I keep my blades drawn in case Granberia's diplomatic approach doesn't work. I watch the ones further away, to make sure they aren't trying to sneak around and attack us from behind. I hear Goldleaf murmuring behind me, but as I am not a wizard I cannot make any sense of his words.

Goldleaf:
Knowing that these frogmen are amphibians, they are cold-blooded, so ice magic would be most effective. I murmer to myself the words of the spell (the words alone do not cast the spell--material components and somatic gestures are needed as well) to have it ready. The spell I choose is Cone Of Cold, as it will hit more than one of them at a time.

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I stay on guard and alert, ready to defend the main entrance to the cabin.

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The lime text is what happened, so I removed the original.

[indent](Ret-Con - The diplomacy was unsuccessful)
Granberia,
Caught up in your juggling fire, you begin to daydream about how you will make peace with the frogmen. You can feel the great spirit of water UNDINE somewhere near here, and so you fantasize that the frogmen are fleeing a more dangerous force and will assist you in making contact with the spirit in exchange for your help against their enemies.
Unfortunately as you are pondering such things, one of the frogmen gets a sinister look on his face and slaps your hands away. The flame you had been juggling crashes into the deck behind you, setting the remnants of the Katrien's Glory ablaze.

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((OOC: @Tamamo I think you should delete that last post. How the frogmen react should be up tp CJC, as he is the GM. No offense , but you are kind of steamrolling and that is not how this game works. This is not a flash RPG. @CJC I apologize if I am mini-modding but I really think the outcome should be your decision and not Tamamo's))

[indent]Thank you for your concern. I know I have been a little lax in the past about retroactive continuity, but I am going to be more proactive about it from here on out. If players make assumptions about actions (as Tamamo has with the assumption that Granberia's diplomacy is effective) I will correct the assumption if it is false, just as any player may correct an assumption made against their character(s).

Abe: "Jim trips on an exposed root"
Jim: "Well, I WOULD have tripped on that root, if I hadn't insisted that you go first."
Abe: "Well, I WOULD have gone first, if I hadn't recently suffered a pulled calf muscle that made it impossible to traverse the jungle. ...Uh oh, did I just type that? Crud, a pulled muscle is much worse than tripping!

Anyway, it'll be okay.

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Tamamo wrote:[spoiler]All of sudden a Kuo-Toa in a Captains Clothes walks forward and hats his equipment and follows suit pantomiming and ribbiting for quite a while.
I nod respectfully and pantomime "that is all."
He nods, and says something in froggish and they hop off.
"We we're lucky, Sahagins live on the otherside and are not near as nice; something about UNDINE'S TEMPLE being underwater near here. I want to stop by there but it'll be difficult without some sort of magic or diving gear.
"I guess these guys are are actually just refugees, trying to hide from their own so they don't have to fight a pointless war with the Sahagin for control of the island. Seriously though there is nothing here anyways except a ship graveyard."
"But something isn't right, Undine despises war. She is a peacful spirit. Unlike my hot headed step mother."
"I HEARD THAT! GRANBERIA!"
"We should head back to the cabin now, tomorrow we'll explore the Sahagin territory and try to see about that temple. If I can convince her to Contract with me she can not only help me get the WYRMKILLER back but also get us off this cursed island."

[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION] Yes that just happened. Now we have frogman deserters, UNDINE who is most likely pissed off (which might explain the turbulent seas Rose experience perhaps?), and two warring fractions. You get to keep your silver aquatic dragon though. 😉

UNDINE IS LOCKED
SALAMANDER IS LOCKED and under my exclusive control. NO YOU CANT HAVE MY MOTHER CJC! "just kidding, it's a normal lock"

I'll pm you my Idea for UNDINE.[/spoiler]

Granberia,
Caught up in your juggling fire, you begin to daydream about how you will make peace with the frogmen. You can feel the great spirit of water UNDINE somewhere near here, and so you fantasize that the frogmen are fleeing a more dangerous force and will assist you in making contact with the spirit in exchange for your help against their enemies.
Unfortunately as you are pondering such things, one of the frogmen gets a sinister look on his face and slaps your hands away. The flame you had been juggling crashes into the deck behind you, setting the remnants of the Katrien's Glory ablaze.

Goldleaf,
As the diplomacy fails and the frogman shoves Granberia, she loses control of her fire and sets the ship ablaze. Luckily you had prepared a cone of cold (a communion with spirits... PHANTOM magic) and you unleash it in a blast of fury towards the flames. They are doused, but as the cold sweeps the ship you notice it drives the frogmen to flee. You shrug this off as an instinctual avoidance by their cold-blooded nature; a freezing blast would have easily incapacitated them had they tried to hold their ground.

Everyone,
The frogmen have retreated... for now. The sun has risen and it is the start of a new day.
You each need to decide whether you will work on scavenging duty or fortification duty.

If scavenging, note there are three key landmarks you can see from the deck of the Katrien's glory which have not been explored yet:
[indent]Some manner of MERCHANT SHIP teetering precariously on a sea stack at the center of the island.
A large WARSHIP located on the far side of the island. It appears to be mostly intact.
Finally, there is the forecastle of a mostly submerged ship, sticking out of the water on the coast directly west of the Katrien's Glory.
There may be other, smaller vessels as well, but these are the largest and the ones closest to being seaworthy.[/indent]
Also, though the frogmen fled the Katrien's glory, they're likely still out there waiting to spring an ambush. If you choose to scavenge, expect combat.

If fortifying, you will need to:
[indent]Find or fashion tools to conduct repairs (so that a nearly intact ship might be repaired for escape).
Find a source of fresh water.
Set up traps to ward off further attacks on the cabin.
Board up some of the entrances to the cabin to counter the possibility of a flank by enemy forces.[/indent]
Fortifying is safer than scavenging, but work needs to be done to keep moral high. If you choose to fortify, expect conversations.

Granberia
I choose to check the traps for crabs.
GM Text "What do I fine?"
"In the morning when it's safer I will explore the FORECASTLE with a harpoon and no armor, I'll need to make a breathing reed and some flippers though. I'm going to scavenge for materials so see you when I get back."
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Opportunity
Sancireph, You notice Cecette looking around to make sure no one is watching her as she leaves after me. You may choose to follow her if you choose.
Outside cecette approaches me.
Cecette: "I'm coming with you."
Granberia: "Can you fight?"
She wraps her arms around me and kisses me
C: "I am a dragon after all honey, and a Mage. What do you think?"
G: "Very well. Let's go."

Rose "she needs a full extended rest until she's at full power again."
She is quite troubled on the nature of the blood she consumed.
I wake up light my Kurusu and have a smoke, then turn to Cecette and ask about the Dragon Scale and Tracks.
Rose: "Interesting, I have a feeling we are in a dragon's bathtub and are it's rubber duckies." :weirdo:
Katrien shouts.
Katrien: "Bad Joke Missy!"
Me and Wallace laugh.
I decide I will do my best to help fortify the ship after a rest.

[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION]
GM Text Boxes
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Granberia checking the crab traps and scanvenging for materials to make diving gear.
Side Note: I am actually going to make two reeds and two pairs of flippers.

[indent]Granberia,
One of the traps has caught a crab. The other... no such luck. It appears to have been damaged from the explosion, and whatever was caught inside abused the impaired structural integrity to smash its way out of the trap. You toss it back into the water to be carried out with the tide, since it won't be useful.
One crab... kind of a sad haul. Still, even split among the survivors it might help to make the rationing less intense.
You begin to search the ship for materials useful in constructing a diving kit. When looking for a breathing reed, you notice the pile of weeds that were collected the previous day. You consider rolling one of them into a breathing apparatus, but Cecette stops you.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I don't like the feel of those plants. They look poisonous; I certainly wouldn't want them near MY mouth."
Looking outside the cabin you notice one of the frogmen dropped its spear. It's made of bamboo with sharpened stone tied to the tip. Since the handle is hollow, you could easily modify it to make a breathing reed.
As for flippers... well, it doesn't seem like there's much around here which would work for that. You'll either have to dive without them or go scavenging the other wrecks.[/indent]
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Sancireph:
After witnessing the exchange between Cecette and Granberia, I decide to mind my on business. I volunteer to go searching for more supplies. I suggest checking out the merchant vessel--my natural elven dexterity should be sufficient for me to climb to it without any problems, and it is the most likely to have something useful. I also mention that if any of the ships we search are intact, we can use them to escape from this place.

Goldleaf:
Phantom magic ((OOC: Cone Of Cold is evocation magic in AD&D terms)) is not my specialty but it isn't as physically draining, so I am still mostly fine. Nevertheless, I stay behind to assist with the fortifications. As for a final line of defense, I mention that using the spell Magic Barrier around the cabin would prevent any opposition from getting in, but it will only last for about an hour. However, our physical fighters (Sancireph, Zataka, Granberia, Katrien, the remaining crew, and anybody else I've forgotten) can probably hold the outer line, and possibly I wouldn't even need to cast the spell.
[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION]: I've forgotten, is Katrien locked?

[indent]Katrien is locked under mrz84's control, so he and I may veto actions that you make with her if we feel such action is necessary. Still, you are free to make assumptions which can later be corrected with retroactive continuity (a ret-con), much like Tamamo assumed the diplomacy went well and I adjusted the outcome when such was not the case.
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[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
(OOC: Yup, Katrien is now a npc by [MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION] if IIRC But you may still may assumptions on her behavior, which is much smoother do to retroactive continuity. When you introduce an NPC you have access to it's key as well as the GM who access to all characters.
For example when I demoted her to vice captain she got pissed. "As any captain would."😉

[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION] Any chance you could go over the 13 schools of magic and give us descriptions come the next update saturday?

[indent]Will do. I'll explain the nature of each of the twelve schools (since Dragon magic has been established as a corruption of other magical forms), I'll go into detail about why I assigned a particular specialty to each character, and I'll talk about how various schools go about achieving similar results (primarily in the execution of elemental attacks, as those are a favorite in the setting). I know the magic system is a little confusing: I was trying to make it flexible enough to cover all the bases while making it unusual enough to be interesting.
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Tamamo wrote:Granberia
I choose to check the traps for crabs.
GM Text "What do I find?"
...
GM Text Boxes
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Granberia checking the crab traps and scanvenging for materials to make diving gear.
Side Note: I am actually going to make two reeds and two pairs of flippers.
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Sancireph,
You begin to climb the sea stack, confident the frogmen could not occupy the MERCHANT SHIP as the climb is too treacherous. Reaching the boat, you come across a rather large hole in the hull. It could be patched, but first you'd have to get the ship off of this rock formation. Still, it makes a nice means of entry.
Boarding the merchant ship, the first thing you note is the unbelievable wealth of artifacts in the hold. It looks like this vessel was being used to smuggle cultural treasures. There's quite a bit of gold, too, scattered about in trunks and gaudy sacks with dollar signs on them.
As you step into the ship, you notice that it shifts uncomfortably from your weight. It is almost as if the thing was balanced on top of the stack. ...Placed.
Uh oh.
You hurry to the center of the hold so that you can catch your balance and keep the ship from rocking. If you are going to take anything from this ship, you will have to be careful to counterbalance the weight of the object removed. Alternatively, you could arrange for the ship to topple and then pick through the rubble, but that would eliminate it as an escape candidate.

Mangetsu Zataka,
The immediate threat out of sight, you decide to go into the cabin and fetch some breakfast. Wallace, the one-armed cook, seems to be struggling with the net you retrieved the previous day.
"Drat, the damn thing is all tangled!"
You ask what he's up to.
"Well, the captain's private washtub is made of teak, so it will float. If we can get this net straightened out, we might be able to paddle out a ways from the island and catch some fish. But this net's got a tear in it and it's all tangled up"
You wonder how you might help.

Retroactive Continuity
(OOC: Granberia is much more resourceful then you think, if it's broken she will attempt to either repair it later or make it into something else. :kawaii:

I doff my armor at the cabin and grab a harpoon and tie a knife I found lying around to a rope which a wrap around my waist and head to a cliff where I build a bonfire to draw power from.
Salamander manifests inside the flames.
"Remember my powers won't work underwater."
"That's not what it's for Mom."
Drawing the power of the flames within my body I get a running start and dash for the forecastle and make a leap for the ship. ROCKET JUMP! I now color code my Fire Abilities in orange.
"Only my daughter comes up with these ideas. *sigh*"

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Repairing nets isn't my specialty, but I will assist however I can. I look for something that could be used in place of the hole, perhaps some strong rope. While I search, I for rope, I check on Katrien to see if she is getting enough rest. I don't want to risk losing anymore survivors so long as I have the power to prevent it.

*I'd like to say that while I have do partial control of Katrien, I will only correct actions others make with her that I deem necessary to do so. That said, I am confident that nothing truly crazy will be done and leave final say-so with CJC as far as her actions outside of that are concerned*

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((OOC I had an idea with Katrien but since she is locked I won't do that))

Sancireph:
I leave the ship as it is for now and return to the cabin to report what I found. The blue wizard Goldleaf speaks ip, saying he has magic that could easily help, I ask him for more detail. After his explanation, I agree that it is worth a try, but I ask the others for their input.

Goldleaf:
Upon hearing of Sancireph's discovery, I realize that I could use a spell of Levitation to try and get the ship down. It's size might have an impact of the effectiveness of the spell, but if nothing disrupts my concentration, it should work. I explain to Sancireph and he agrees, but asks the opinion of the others.

[indent]Interesting plan!
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[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
WALLACE nods and turns asks you to try to find some rope on board, preferably dried it will be useful for repairing that...
He points to a damaged cannon and hook.
"It's a grappling cannon. using it we can make a zip line the rope got burnt during the battle with the dragon and JON is trying to repair the cannon itself the hook surprisingly still works. So no problems there. Firing mechanism is shot though may'be the Dragonkin can figure something out we ain't going to find the materials unless we find a similar cannon.
[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION] since granberia is gone already and rose is sleeping Wallace is being used my bad. 😞
Also is the post limit still 6?

[indent]It seems a little less important now that double posting is off the table. Don't worry about it for now, and let's see how the rest of the week goes. As long as I'm breaking up the action tennis with my own responses it seems manageable.
Also, your use of Wallace doesn't violate his character concept, so it's perfectly fine.
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Katrien stirs in her slumber. She's smiling, though. It seems like she's dreaming about something pleasant. From the gestures she's making with her hands, it's likely she's fantasizing about a mound of treasure.

Jons stares with worry at a crack in one of the two cannons. He hadn't spotted it when they were set up outside the cabin the previous day, but it's a good thing there wasn't any powder to load the thing with; it would have exploded. He asks around if anybody has a welding torch.

Wallace goes back to repairing the net with Zataka, using some cords the paladin claimed from the cabin's curtains.

Another crewmember works to board up the windows. When someone asks what she's doing, she says that the frogmen could attack again at any time and if they can be bottlenecked at the door they'll be easier to fend off.

Sanceriph returns from excavation, talking of a ship precariously balanced atop a sea stack. Goldleaf suggests the ship might be levitated down to the ground, but they need the consensus of the crew before making an attempt as the spell is complicated and requires absolute concentration.

Rose dreams of counting vampiric sheep.

Granberia
A manage to make the jump. And splash into the water near the forecastle of the sunken ship which I am still unable to unidentify I take the breathing reed and pop it in my mouth and surface enough to poke it out of the water and enter though a gap in the haul. I swim lower and find skeleton. I swim past it. I surface again to breathe inside the ship resubmerging and head for the captains quarters. when something catches my eye underwater. a book near the skeletons hand."
Salamander "This book is enchanted Granberia It cannot become wet, it's probably cursed too."
Granberia "Thanks for the warning. Mom." I say with a smile.
I continue on ignoring the book and entering the captain's quarters i think, but i find the kitchen, I decide to see if I can find any goods.
GM Text Here "what does she find?"
I surface once more and continue onwards and eventually reach my goal, but unfortunately the door is locked.
G "Alright we're going to need a new plan, let's return to base for now."
S "Damn, and I was hoping to see Undine and her pet Hippocampus too. Why couldn't you be a water dragonkin Granberia!"
As I swim by the skeleton I instinctly snatch the book and quickly swim away
I return with the stuff needed to completely explore ship, "the skeleton since I took the book."

[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION] any chance I can fight the skeletons when I/we come back here? It would of moved of course since removing it's treasured belonging. "this one was the captain."
also I'm curious what the nature of this ship is. Perhaps it was an exploring ship?

[indent]Well... self-animating skeletons wouldn't really be a thing. It's possible that a magician could be animating them, but I need to think on this. It will be easier to explain after the next update, as I'll be posting an explanation of each of the magical schools and that can be used as a reference for how the dead are being animated (or rather how the book came to be cursed in the first place).[/indent]

GM Text Boxes
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Scavenge for not rotten food in the kitchen. "Obviously canned goods. I can only carry a small amount in my under garments (top and bottom) since I have my reed and book (ship log???) in each hand.
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[indent]Granberia,
Alas, it seems this ship has been submerged for quite some time, considering the crew's bodies have nothing left but their skeletons. The kitchen is full of putrescent brown clouds which may have been edible when the ship was sailing but are nothing short of disgusting now.
Still, you do find something interesting: it's a knife. It's made of a clean, white material. Ceramic? It looks very sharp. You take it, since you are currently without weaponry following your loss of the Wyrmkiller.
Emerging from the water, you take note that the book you acquired is a DIARY. As you try to open it you feel a tremendous burst of cold, forcing you to turn away. You slam it shut.[/indent]

NPC Portraits
[spoiler]
Hippocampus

[/spoiler]

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Tamamo wrote:GM Text Here "what does she find?"

Zataka,
Wallace indicates where and how to tie the rope so that it can fill the gap of the net. The weave isn't as tight as the rest of the net but it should be enough to keep fish from wriggling out. Wallace then points to a pair of oars hanging over the mantle and shouts out to Jons.
"Hey! Forget about the cannon for now. Gather up those oars and help this nice paladin carry the washtub out to the shore. I need you to go fishing."
Jons obliges as Wallace has command when Katrien is unavailable. The two of you carry the washtub out to the shore. You take a moment to note the unnatural stillness of the water. Thankfully there aren't any frogmen under the surface, at least as far as you can make out.
Jons gestures for you to get into the tub. It seems he's assumed you will be fishing with him.

Goldleaf,
You call for silence as you begin to focus on your levitation. You've levitated yourself before, and various hand objects, but never something as massive as a naval vessel. If only there were other mages to assist you in the effort... it's so heavy. Well, there is ONE thing you could do.
You decide to use your staff as a focus to augment the spell.
Shutting your eyes, you focus your mind on raising the ship from its position on the sea stack. Slowly you can feel the hull scraping against the rock as it rises from the perch. The staff pulses brightly, nearly blinding you with its flash as it begins to contribute to the enchantment. You gesture starboard, making the ship veer violently to the right. Several objects plummet from the hole in the hull and crash to the ground, nearly startling you out of your concentration.
...Strange, is it getting colder?

Sancireph,
You watch in awe as Goldleaf manipulates the teetering ship with little more than his mind and his staff. Several artifacts fall from the hole in the hull as he moves it, crashing and shattering on the ground. Gold coins and fragments of priceless statues adorn the ground in a trail as the ship floats from the sea stack and then settles on the ground.
It's suddenly very cold. Isn't this a tropical island? It shouldn't be cold.
Uh oh.
You see a great serpent--silver--posturing out of the water by the shore. He's staring at you and the blue wizard quizzically.
"What are you doing?" he asks, almost innocently. His voice is booming, nearly knocking you to the ground.

I return with the knife and diary to the cabin and think on the events that brought me here and the lost of the wyrmkiller looking at my Mithril Greatsword and Armor in the corner.

"I can't feel even a faint presence anywhere, nor does it answer my summoning call. Is it possible it no longer sees me as it's master because of CECETTE or perhaps it has returned to an eternal rest now that Darcy is gone, although in truth he escaped. Stranger still is Zataka's amulet, I think he's hiding something about it. It's almost as if the dragon activated it but how? I will ask UNDINE about the WYRMKILLER if it's in the ocean, she would be able to pinpoint it's location. But I'll need to figure out where she is first."

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Sancireph:
I keep my blades sheathed, to show no hostility as I address the creature. "Begging your pardon, but we are stranded in this grotto. We thought, perhaps, this vessel might hold supplies necessary to our survival, or might even be used as transport away from here. However, we were unable to explore it fully atop those rocks, so my friend" (gestures to Goldleaf) "brought it down here." ((GM decides how the serpent responds))

[indent]Sancireph,
The great silver serpent begins to speak.
Erasmut: "Stranded? What does that word mean?"
You sigh. He's kidding, right? You really hope he's kidding. You try to explain that you've lost your means of transport and you need a ship to sail away.
E: "A ship? Like this one? I balanced it on the rock, you know. It was hard to keep it level, but I managed to perch it without smashing it."
You get the feeling he's not very bright.
E: "None of these ships float, though. I watch them as they float by, but then they shoot rocks at me and they get smashed."
He stares at you quizzically.
E: "You're awfully small. Are you a new toy?"
...WHAT?!
E: "All my other toys get slimy after a while. But you don't look very slimy."
You don't even know how to react to this.
E: "Would you like to play a game?"
He doesn't seem to have taken any interest in your plight, but he's not attacking and he hasn't removed the ship. Maybe getting out of here will be as simple as humoring this beast?[/indent]

Goldleaf:
I drop exhausted to my knees, drained as usual from using the staff. I hear the booming voice of the serpent but at the moment I cannot even raise my head to look. I hear Sancireph's attempt at diplomacy and hope that it works--I do not have the energy to assist if the creature decides to attack.

[indent]Goldleaf,
You hear this conversation but do not see the serpent, as you are exhausted.
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Normally I leave fishing to those proficient in it. However, the warship I wished to inspect can wait for the moment. I would bring my greatsword, but due to its massive size it would weigh the makeshift boat too much. Instead, I borrow one of the spare scimitars from the crew in case the frogmen decide to attack. I clasp my pendant for a brief moment and ask for my wife to see this vessel on a safe trip and back.

[indent]Zataka,
You and Jons drift out in the teak bathtub, hoping to catch some fish with the repaired net. Unfortunately, Jons is as much a greenhorn in fishing as you are.
The first time he tosses the net, he doesn't think to hold on to it. He's forced to dive into the water after it, and he emerges covered in algae and some of those poisonous weeds you scavenged the other day. GRAVEBLOSSOMS.
The second time, both of you toss the net while having a hand on it. You wait for it to feel heavy and then pull it up, but only manage to snag one fish. As you try to pull this fish into the boat, it slips through the repaired section of the net, as the weave is larger.
You both decide to give it one more go, this time tying the net to one of the oars and lowering it into the water slowly. Indeed, you feel a weight pull down on the net, but when you pull it up you find not fish... but an ALLIGATOR!
It attacks you, Zataka!
(Read 10-15-15)
-C[/indent]

[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION] Is the serpent locked? And is it both old enough and close enough for me and CECETTE to sense it.

[indent]Yes, yes, and no. The serpent is locked (I don't declare a character locked until I name them, but in the case of dragons they generally will be), it is old enough to be detected by the heat of its pearl, but it is out of your range.
(Read 10-15-15)
-C[/indent]
[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION]
Are you going to beat me up if you ask you to further explain how I was able to sense Cecette being dragon when she didn't have her pearl at that time?
Btw:Not trying to fight you on this, I'm just confused. 😕

[indent]Dragon radiation. You could feel the residual magical energy of the home dimension (despite the fact you were born here) even though her pearl had been removed.
If you need more explanation than that, A Wizard did it. : {P

[Actually, when you were in prison next to her, she recognized YOU. She probably told you about herself over that month since she recognized you as dragonkin, but whether or not you could detect her dragon energy in her human form is up in the air. Such may or may not have implications later in the plot. I'll decide which it was at the next update]

EDIT: Yep, she sensed you.

(Read 10-15-15)
-C[/indent]

[indent]This will be the last action tennis I volley before the next update, which will be sometime tomorrow evening.[/indent]

TheDarkOne wrote:((GM decides how the serpent responds))

Goldleaf,
You hear this conversation but do not see the serpent, as you are exhausted.

mrz84 wrote:Normally I leave fishing to those proficient in it. However, the warship I wished to inspect can wait for the moment. I would bring my greatsword, but due to its massive size it would weigh the makeshift boat too much. Instead, I borrow one of the spare scimitars from the crew in case the frogmen decide to attack. I clasp my pendant for a brief moment and ask for my wife to see this vessel on a safe trip and back.

Rose,
You wake from a pleasant dream about making vampire sheep to find the cabin mostly empty. The only crew left are a few ship hands you have not had the pleasure of an introduction with, Wallace (who seems busy with cooking a meal), and Katrien (who is asleep). You decide to take a look outside and see what everyone else is up to. As you emerge from the cabin you pull up your cloak in an effort to protect against the noon sun. Shielding your eyes, you see what appears to be a tower of mirrors, with that FIGHTER bowing to it and that BLUE MAGE on the ground nearby. Squinting, you notice it appears to be some kind of GIANT SERPENT. It and the FIGHTER appear to be having some kind of conversation, but you're still dizzy from that blood sample and you can't make out the words.

(Nothing new to add for Granberia, she'll have to take agency to join Sancireph or wait until the update)

Granberia
I look out the window and spot the sea dragon.
"Not good!"
Flame Dash
Within seconds I arrive at the scene.
Erasmut: "Oh hi!. Did you come to play too?"
Granberia: "Piss off, I'm not your rubber ducky."
His eyes open wide. He looks about, frantic but excited.
E: "Rubber duckies!? Where?!"

[indent][spoiler]

"Oh my, you're brave. Do have any idea how easy I could kill you?"
Erasmut wouldn't say this. He doesn't know what killing is. I've corrected his dialogue.

Granberia cannot help but laugh noticing now that the serpent is nothing more then a child.
G: "What the hell you look harmless enough. Fine we can play hide and seek then, but in exchange we need to take a look inside that merchant ship, what do you say serpent?"

Rose
I walk over to Wallace, and ask him what's for supper.
Wallace: "Nothing you can eat unfortunately."
Rose: "I'll go fishing with the net this evening, I'm quite proficient at living off the land. Use to be a werewolf."
W:"Please tell me your joking."
R: "Nope."
W: "You are a very interesting girl."
R: "That I am Wallace, that I am. I'm going to drink one of my emergency vials and wait for the other's to return I guess."

[indent]Doesn't Granberia have the book? She hasn't brought it back to the cabin yet.
[indent]
Actually Granberia always returns to the cabin unless, I specify otherwise. (I thought I mentioned I returned there, in my last post my mistake) However since I forgot to mention I put it down, I shall accept the penalty.
[/indent]

Rose,
Your mute &#8220;Kuo-Toa&#8221; leads you to the warship on the far shore of the grotto, opposite Katrien&#8217;s Glory. You can see hundreds of them, staring at you with hateful eyes. The one who helped you holds up its arms and gestures and the others retreat.
He guides you into the captain&#8217;s quarters of this vessel. They&#8217;re a mess; everything has been thrown about and those Graveblossom weeds are growing everywhere. He points to a portrait of a young captain, no doubt the original owner of this ship. Then he points to the weeds, and finally to himself.
You think you understand his meaning.
Hmmm&#8230; it would be Lycaon magic and Gourmand magic, then. A curse hanging over this tropical hell. But&#8230; the only practicing magicians here are Goldleaf and Cecette, and you&#8217;ve burned the bridge with Cecette.
What will you do?[/indent]

[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION]
I was joking. :lol

When we gonna have feathered serpents? Since only those of the four dracoforms I know of remain.

[indent]I can elaborate on what dictates a dragon's physical appearance, but that will have to wait because I'm already elaborating on magic this update and it's quite a rant.
[color=cyan][indent]
I'll PM you on dragon society after the update then, I have some request there.
Also don't elaborate on the four spirits (other spirits are fine though), I plan on handing it when we meet Undine. It's a bit different how they work since borrowing their power without a contract can be fatal.
[/indent]

Heads up: GM Text will not be filled in until the next update, as that's more action tennis.
(Read 10-15-15)
-C[/color][/indent]

I use my borrowed scimitar and (while attempting to not tip the boat over) slash at the alligator's eyes. If I can blind it, we can try to make our way back to shore. Otherwise, I will guard against its jaws as best I can and hope that Jons can help as best he can.

[indent]Zataka,
You quickly slash the alligator across the eyes. You try to shove it back into the water but Jons fights you. &#8220;It&#8217;s good meat! Kill it!&#8221;
Taking the blade, which is smaller and much easier to maneuver than your greatsword, you stab the reptile in the gut. It flails a few times before it gives up, slipping into death.
&#8220;We eat tonight!&#8221; Jons proclaims happily.
The two of you turn back to return to shore with your quarry. Near the ships, you see a GIANT SILVER SERPENT hovering quizzically over several figures of the crew, who you can&#8217;t make out from here.
&#8220;Maybe we should&#8230; just wait a bit before we go back. We might catch something else with the net.&#8221;
You frantically row back to shore despite Jons&#8217; trepidation, and within a minute you are back to shore.
What do you do?

(Read 10-16-15)
-C[/indent]

Rose
I approach Cecette and she glares at me.
Cecette: "No, I'm not giving you my blood."
Rose: "Actually we need to talk it's about the hobgoblin sample, Something isn't right about those corpses."
C: "Very well, let's go."
We head over to where Cecette and company found the bodies.
R: "Just as I thought. No wounds what so ever, this blood doesn't belong to my hob friends. Poor guys."
C: "I take it this is how you boarded the pirate ship"
R: "They got me close to yours, I figured they we're going to sink so I transfered then I saw Katrien rescued her and help slay a vampire. Can you sense any magic from the corpses?"
Cecette casts a spell, but points her hand to my left nearly blasting me with a lightning bolt.
C: "Stop pretending to be my friend, I know you're one of Carmilla Von Redmon's kin you have that *****'s smell, now where is she?"
R: "Choose your fights more carefully Dhampir or you may become a hunt as well."
I turn to mist and dissipate leaving a pissed off Cecette in my wake, reforming my body next to a Kuo-Toa in hiding. I charm him with my gaze and put my finger to my lips he nods.
I whisper to him.
R: "Can you understand me?"
He nods, a small gurgle coming from his throat. He gestures towards the serpent towering in the distance, then to the water. Grabbing a rock, he tosses it, then grabs your hand and leads you away.
[spoiler]

"I speak some common, but not lot, we hide."
He nods and throws a rock causing a splash in the water. Cecette dashes towards the sound and he whispers back at me.
"Follow me, me take to Kuo-Toa hideout"

[MENTION=39330]CJC[/MENTION]
This frogman is not as dumb as you think. He's a mage; self taught from books and scrolls that washed up on the shore same reason he knows some common language, but I want to see the next update first.
[indent]Noted. However, I never portrayed them as dumb. They're organized, which implies a modicum of intelligence. They just haven't spoken yet.
I'll edit relevant portions of the update here after I post it. You can also read them in the update post itself.
(Read 10-16-15)
-C[/indent]

((I am inserting this dialogue based on the personality of the serpent. If this violates the terms of character interpretation, then disregard this exchange))
[indent]Actually you're spot on! Good show.[/indent]

Sancireph: What type of game do you have in mind, serpent?
Erasmut: Serpent? I have a name, you know. It's Erasmut.
S: My apologies...Erasmut. I am Sancireph.
E: Sawn-sur-eff? What a funny name!
He looks over at Graberia.
E: You're different. Kind of like someone else I met. He wasn't very nice. Are you nice?

[indent]Sancireph,
Granberia and the dragon are arguing. You sort of drown out the particulars, but one line catches your attention:
Erasmut: &#8220;Toys I&#8217;m not playing with have to go into the box.&#8221;
As the serpent speaks these words, Granberia vanishes, leaving only a strange diary where she stood.
He turns his eyes back to you.
E: &#8220;So&#8230; what should we play?&#8221;
Goldleaf rises to his feet, then collapses to his knees again. You can sense a terrible rage within him.
E: &#8220;I know! Let&#8217;s play Hide and Seek!&#8221;
He looks around.
E: &#8220;&#8230;But it&#8217;s not really fun with only two people. I guess I could put you in the box for now, and take you out later when everybody&#8217;s ready to play.&#8221;
You worry he&#8217;s going to vanish you like he did to Granberia. There must be some way to stall him.
What will you do?[/indent]

Goldleaf:
With great effort I raise my head and see the serpent. I feel the anger weeling up within me--a serpent like this one killed my betrothed. This may not be the same serpent but my hatred for them knows no bounds. With the strength born of rage I rise to my feet, though the effort is too much and I drop to my knees again.

[indent]Goldleaf,
As you take a closer look at this serpent, onto whom you are projecting your rage, you notice that it is the same serpent you saw when you opened the wyrmhole to Siegbert. Was it a premonition, or is this thing following you?
&#8230;No, it&#8217;s far too na�ve to be tormenting you like that. It must just be a beast similar in appearance to the one who hurt you.
Did it just say something about Hide and Seek?
What will you do?

(Read 10-16-15)
-C[/indent]