Minefields - RPLOG
Participants
Date
1/3/477
Log
A fine mid-morning in the Maritime district, when the fishermen are gutting and salting their catches and stinking up the entire waterfront with the scent of fish guts. Well, maybe not a fine morning any more, but at least it's more tolerable in and around the rose walkway, where a research vessel is being loaded. It appears to be a sturdy craft - one certainly notices the steel-reinforced hull - but if there are any weapons, they're not abovedecks. A few academics board the gangway and quickly disappear belowdecks from the gaze of the early morning sun, while a few more wait for the arrival of the hired bait - one means, field testers.
Bite stretches as she sways along, making her way to this vessel she'd been hearing about. A first-hand viewing should be helpful, for the right cost of course. She looks around at the fish, trying to decide who if anyone she will buy some from based on their works, before she stops at the steel reinforced boat and waits expectantly for someone to greet her.
Alef walks up to the gangway from the dock, wearing a simple cotton shirt and leather pants, leaning on her staff as she shields her eyes from the glare, moving to Taipan standing by it. "are you part of the research trip?" looking at Bite curiously.
Dio takes a heavy whiff of the air. Nothing like the smell of fish in the morning. A nasty scent to some, but fishing is certainly a handy skill for one who calls themselves a professional traveler. Coat, armor, and weapons checked, the lion strolls up behind Alef and Bite with the subtlety of a burning tree stuffed with gunpowder. "GOOD MORNIN' TO YA LASSIES," he booms, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "A fine day fer fishin', no?"
At length, a Water-Clanned sea krait steps down from the gangway - now that the wind's changed, the vessel's name is clearly denoted on its side, the Hathway. Taking a moment to appraise all three Freeswords, the krait keeps her face completely straight as she addresses them.
"Well, a very good morning to all three of you. I'm Aris, and while I trust you've all read the summons there nevertheless is a certain amount of explaining that needs to be done. This creature, whatever it is, was last spotted some ways south of the coast, not too far from the blockade - or rather, the attempted blockade - the Isharans have set up. When we approach the area, we'll lower you ina dinghy with anything you need, and then observe at a safe distance while...while you investigate the waters. Anything you can discover about this thing would help, but if you can find out anything about the beast's motivations, that would be ideal.
Are there any questions or requests you'd like to voice before we push off?|
Bite half nods to Alef and hisses "I hope so." before she blinks. The serpent reaches for her dagger as she turns around, stowing it again when she realizes it's the living shield from the forest. "Oh hey sssweetie." she says as she slips him off of her shoulder and giggles. As the krait somes out she smiles, giving a nod as she talks. "Nothing to request at this time, but I do expect there is some form of compensation for being up close with a massive creature?" she hisses.
Alef eeps lightly at Dio's entry, sighing "one day Dio, il get back at you for that." Smiling lightly, sighing gently as she feels slightly better about this now that Dio is along. "Its a pleasure to meet you." Offering her hand to Bite. "I dont think we have met before, my name is Alef Bustoke." nodding as the krait walks down the ramp. Shaking her head. "im ready to go." nodding lightly and heading up the ramp.
The living shield watches as the snake lady slips away, but soon turns his attention to Aris. "An' a good mornin' to ya too, lass. Read it front, back, an' to the side multiple times. I think I got it down pat, but I must wonder if the boat we're sailin' on 'as any fishin' poles o' any sort. Gotta 'ave somethin' to do durin' the downtime." Dio chuckles and gives Alef a light pat on the back before moving closer to the ship. "But aside from that, I'm ready to take off."
The krait looks slightly puzzled at Dio's request. "Fishing poles? I don't think so, but you're welcome to fish if you don't get in the way of any of the deckhands or faculty staff coming along for the trip. And yes, dear, we'll be compensating you accordingly to what you're able to tell us about it, and what we can observe from our position. If there's nothing else, we can be setting off, then."
After everything's stowed away and the anchor raised, the weather mage on board conjures a gentle breeze for the sails to catch and calms the waves, or at least until the ship is out of port. At length, a small island appears in the distance - while the ship draws close, it doesn't approach it proper. Sailors prepare to weigh anchor, and a small dinghy, about the size of a lifeboat, is rolled across deck and lowered into the water by way of pulleys.
"This is the location of the last credible sighting of the creature," the Krait says as the boat hits the water with a soft splash. "Some of the sailors have taken to calling it the Leviathan, after their own ancient mariners' tales...are you sure you don't want to ask for anything? Any assistance we might be able to render will naturally take some time to reach you."
Bite can't think of anything they can do for the group off the top of her head, so she shakes it and says "I think I'll be fine." With that, she dives off of the boat, naturally away from the lowered dingy.
Alef shakes her head "Not really, just be ready to get out of here if the Leviathan turns hostile, we will manage on our own somehow." Nodding lightly, the unsure mage frowning lightly as she slowly climbs down the latter to the boat, sitting down easly, ready to use watermagic to move the boat toward there destination when dio joins her in the boat, smiling lightly at Bite's dive.
"Think we got all we need," Dio nods, checking over his equipment one last time before he gets ready to leave. "If anythin' goes awfully wrong, we'll fire off a fire magic signal o' somethin'." Waving to those on deck, the lion hops aboard the boat and settles himself in.
Slowly, the little boat drifts away from the research vessel and towards the island, and as it does so, one can see the sides start to get quite packed with onlookers. Those aren't the only eyes on the three Freeswords, though - even as Bite dives into the chill winter ocean, something else stirs below the surface, something impossibly huge. It's only after some distance has been placed between Dio's little dinghy and the research vessel that the beast does surface - just a little, enough to carry the boat a little way out of the water on a patch of grey, barnacle-encrusted skin and set it down again like a child playing with a paper boat in a pond.
Bite is quite thankful of her dedication, her rubbery skin pushing off the chills of the ocean. She swims along the dingy, at least until the water stirs and something very large gets very close to her, and lifts the boat up. She stops and tries to consider her options. "Umm... sssweeties don't panic okay? It did this before..." she says as she tries to solve the puzzle worth her research boat crowns.
Alef powers the boat along on a artifical current of water math, keeping pace with bite, not aware that Bite's pacing for them, though the spell is instantly dispelled when the massive... thing in the water starts to move, eyes widening as for a moment a barnicle as large as the boat she and Dio share is there neighboor and then it sinks back into the water. "I.. I... oh creators..." Eyes wide as bite says something, "N.n.no worrys... I.. I... dont think anything I could muster would phase it..." Looking at the surrounding water in only bearly constained fear and a little controled panic.
