Anika is in the galley with the hope of drinking some ale. Gets herself a tankard and begins to think of her boss, and how short of a rope she may have left. The group has excused a lot of things but oh boy...this might be the final--or approaching final straws.
Dunal has returned from the temple, after blessing the altar. He sees the battle worn former-pirate ship. He gets to the middle deck where he can hear Kenji snoring and Anika in the galley.
Ember is making tea, soothing tea for the soul. Keeping an eye on Grannie and hands Dunal a cup of tea as well. Ember tells him to make himself at home.
Yozsu was checking on the animals, now though she is on the hunt for grannie.
Grannie thinking of horrible past events...staring at her ale. Numb and worried look on her visage. Yozsu spots it and approaches.
Grannie looks up from the ale, the pair are fashionably fucked up wearing outfit parts of their battles, cloak/coat, boots/hat.
Grannie reveals her patron’s being morally different than Grannie as she speaks with Yozsu. She didn’t care for it before.. But now…
Her tankard grows cold--icy… She loses composure and throws it at a wall. The ale has been super chilled. “That was a dirty...trick.”-Slipping her voice. Shaking, sweating, ghostly. Hands slam on the table as she loses her visage control in her fear stricken state.
Yozsu signals to Ember and Dunal to wait a moment.
Vikta loses control of her visage and becomes a blank slate of her original form. Wearing Anika’s clothing. Ember is highly suspicious...of what is going on who is wearing grannies clothing. Fire elemental takes over in this moment.
Ember’s eyes go gold, the tea in her hands start to boil. Dunal continues to watch.
Vikta stares down at her hands while everyone else watches on. She notices that her darkening fingers has increased.
“My, my, my…” Ember approaches and takes Vikta’s hand to study it. Yozsu notices the corruption.
Vikta flinches at Ember’s words about her being Grannie and also pulls her and away, scared, uncomfortable, and quite frankly horribly embarrassed and distraught. She catches things about Cynder/Ember. And Challenges her to reveal her other name.
“Ms. Cynder.” The golden eyed woman.
Vikta askes if Cynder/Ember knows of her “thing”. Vikta shows of her abilities. To prove her’s is “natural” and “intentional”.
Ember talks about being different.(She sad and Shy )
Vikta points to the tankard as she explains everything she said was real, the real “grannie is dead has been for years”. She tells that her patron knows her fears. And Then she takes the scalding tea and downs it--hoping to combat the trembling of her fear.
Kenji feels the tension in the air feeling a tiny weight on his chest. Grimm is on his chest. Does his tongue thing at Kenji, snake sniffing. “I need a drink.” In his hangover/drunk haze. Headed to the Galley.
Dunal is watching all this flabbergasted and is like shock central, “That is… she is… uh what used to be Anika? Still is? I don’t know.”
Kenji just takes the scoop of the situation. “This is some serious shit...You can’t just rawdog this.”
Vikta gives a speal and Kenji mentions Cynder came out in the temple. “Eh this is weird…”
“Stay in Grandma,” Kenji tells her. Everyone takes offense...mainly Vikta. Yozsu sees it as him being scared.
“This is normally where I run, mask dead.” -Vikta
Ember asks if she is gonna leave.
Yozsu remarks on the markings of corruption on Vikta’s hands.
Vikta tracks her clavicle corruption, the edges are reaching the shoulder now. “Are you saying I’m fucked?”
“Not entirely.”
“Oh so this is fatal.” -Vikta listening to Yozsu explain it.
“Normally it would be if not treated.” Yozsu, you can try to change patrons or break the contract.
Vikta gives more bad news, “I’ve never seen the contract, I was dying of cold and drowning.”
Yozsu is like oh shit--and has to make a save as Ember turns to Dunal to get his input. Yozsu’s god strikes Yozsu reprimanding her. For two minutes her skin feels as cold as the tankard.
Dunal sees all this and is like… damn… that’s just evil.
Szass Tam is Vikta’s patron. Yozsu is like--he a baaaaaad guy. His nickname is “Icy hand of death”.
Ember and Vikta hug. “I’m fucked.” Kenji joins the hug. (YAY KENJI <3)
Grimm is traveling the ship happily. Doing his snaky thing.
Vikta asks the party to knock her out if she tires to go against “mercy”. Vikta gets up to drink herself.
Time that has passed: 3 days, Mid-Morn--moving towards afternoon, 1 week
Ember smiles at Vikta and tries to focus trying something new?
Vikta downs a tankard, mostly sober still.
Kenjis cuddles up to Yozsu, laying his head on her shoulder.
Vikta is continuing to drink herself into a stupor.
Dunal is going on a crusade to figure out how to help Vikta.
The team decides to take a long rest--without Dunal and plan to attack the bandits that night. Vikta sets up a note for Dunal. Dunal continues his search for information, paying some helpers to help him find more information.
Time that has passed: 4 days, 1 week, Super early morning/night
The party takes their long rest, an eerie peace. It takes us about 3 hours to get to the farmland. The party seeks out the bandits. Hoping to spot the bandits. A destroyed hut catches the party’s eye, it seams the farm area around this hut--is in disrepair.
Leo takes a look at Ember’s request. They don’t pay any mind to Leo at all. Silly fools. He came back with news, large vehicle--wagon. There are people, seven although--I feel one doesn’t belong.
One appears to be wounded and not dressed like the others, mayhap a captive. The team tries to make a plan.
Kenji’s plan to get hostage out first then, party beat the shit outta the redbands.
Leo is watcher. We approach.
Orc, Goliath, 4 humans, our “mercy” bois are there… oooh those shit heads are gonna die. The hostage. Fancy clothes, reminds me of the other fancy boi on our ship.
Yozsu has some fun and Vikta gets blasty ready. Yozsu messes with the fire, and makes whispers happen in the night then shakes the ground.
Vikta hits him with an Eldritch blast and hits the goliath.
“Chris is shocked”
Yozsu hits them with that “shatter” spell! Orc boi doesn’t feel too well.
Kenji falls on his old faithful, new crossbow, hitting Orc Boi.
Ember flaming fist’s a man’s face! BAP!! Nearly max damage. 15dmg Cynder has taken control. KO. Chris is dead.
Dunal sneaky sneaky pops outta the bushes behind our “mercy” bois… they are probably shocked and horrified now.
Kenji: His goal is to save the hostage. He sneaks closer.
Cynder: Looks to the duo, nearby. Going to the pair who we gave a chance too. Ready to kill. *BAP BAP* 21dmg. Killing Brian. Luke is the last man standing. Killing him by saying “let’s have a chat”, killing him with burning hands. Luke moves to attack Cynder.
Vikta: Attacks goliath again, hitting him and uses her form of dread. Causing him to run away after being frightened.
Goliath: Flees.
Human dude: Attacks Vikta and does 5dmg and Vikta shrugs it off with the temp hit points.
Yozsu: all 6ft of the serpent woman rushes at the human like fuck that! NAT 20!!! Crit DAMAGE!! INFLICT WOUNDS. EAT THE LIFE OUTTA HIM. Killing him.
Luke: Sees Ember and Dunal, Disengage and flees.
Dunal: Doesn’t go after Luke, and moves to heal hostage if possible. But he sacred flames the Orc instead.
Kenji: Climbs up and moves to shoot the fleeing Goliath.
Cynder: Moves After Lukey-boi. Cartwheeling after him. Jumping the young man to knock his ass down. Ty Lee style, 29dmg. Ember beats him to unconciousness, winning over the shared body once more.
Vikta: misty steps and moves to follow the Goliath, hitting him with an eldritch blast. He’s now limping.
Goliath: Limping to freedom. Whimpering holding his limbs. 60ft away now.
Yozsu: Goliath boi attack. He fails his save. He dies, a coward who ran...
“Hello darkness my old friend” -Ryder in the background.
Orc: Having witness the death of his friend. Attack Yozsu.
Kenji: Spots Orc trying to hit Snake Homie he attacks and hits, with his short sword.
Orc: Still living.
Ember/Cynder: Races over to kill the man. 15dmg to the FACE. Ember 3x front flip and hits him with her heel
Kenji: Barfs
Ember comes back to her body and complains of her feet in vomit and brains.
“Heal the hostage.” -Vikta
Dunal continues to try and fix and save the men.
Cynder takes control again, smacking the man awake. Luke Panics.
"Leave some for me!! I got in trouble over his dumb ass!!"
"Dunal, I risked being 'let go' by my patron...which means death..."
"Dunal, I've been alone since I was 10."
"Luke, tell me... was this worth it?"
Vikta drops her visage, as a scare tactic.
“MONSTER”
"Sealed your fate." Vikta, Cynder, and Yozsu just burn the man alive.
Then Vikta regains her visage. "No tolerance, now you know why I've hid my whole life."
Dunal walked away after hearing Monster… He didn’t want a part in it.
Yozsu will reply saying that she could understand that in a way. "my kind are not well liked either, a damned race much like your own consider monsters. So I embraced my peoples ways. If they only see monsters why be anything else?"
"And that is why so many of us... take lives and spy." Vikta responds.
"Indeed the more human among us usually take places among the different races as such to gain footing for our races in other kingdoms."
We move to heal the hostage and loot.
The hostage, is held up by Kenji. The man thanks him. “You people, where did you come from.”
“We’re a group of many backgrounds.”-Kenji
"Someone heal the man!" Vikta calls out.
He mentions that genasi aren’t friendly as Ember is… super nice.
"Eh, she's the nicest besides Dunal here." Vikta would call out.
He mentions being in Ember’s debt.
“Alejandro Malaki”? SP?
He was separated from his caravan. Killing his navigator--and friend. They took him beating him to get possessions, and information.
He is part of Safier’s party! YAAAS WE DID A GOOD THING!!
We offer to take him there. Naaah it's alllll gooooood.
He wants safe passage.
WE offer it and are happy to take the money to escort him back. Kenji gives him the key for the chest.
In the chest are 12 tall bottles of deep red wine. Absolute contentment and relief wash over him. Deep green stained glass super long bottles.
He hands one to Ember, calling it a special bottle and hands a second one to Kenji.
Dawn hits when we arrive at the place of Sucali. Make it to the temple district. Festive atmosphere hits the party. This place is fancy, and the god of Dunal is sooo fancy. A dozen men in women are dressed like Alejandro, talking with the temple guardians.
There a tiny owlbear cub dancing. OH MY GOD.