Selkark's Moving Island - RPLOG
From Rusted Promises
Participants
Date
25/10/477
Log
True to the rumours circulating about the town, there's a strange quiet at the docks. Aside from the hurried clomping of feet and maybe the occasional peg leg, hardly a voice carries on the salty sea breeze. Chains of sailors have formed to hasten the loading of cargo, and already at least have a dozen vessles dot the expanse of blue-green, sails turned away from the city. The harbourmaster too is on the scene, hands clasped behind his back and grim-faced, chewing on his pipe between puffs as he simply observes the unfolding exodus.
Thelergramor has no idea what's going on, and was concerned by this fact. Wearing surprisingly noble clothes; fancy shirt, pants, expensive cloak... Something is clearly wrong today. Hafting his cannon, the wolf walks towards the docks, peering at the sailors. And, while he has no idea that's the harbourmaster: "You, smoking guy. Something important happening?"
"What's all the... Commotion?" Comes the fennec's voice as she slinks up, brushing a hand along her dress as the other cradles her grimoire against her chest. "And I am interested in helping, regardless. If I can. Ahhh." She glances over her shoulder for a moment, adjusting her hat and making sure her jaguar was still at her back!
Rev aimlessky meanders through the maritime district The black furred wolf is dressed in a simple outfit comprised of trousers, a tunic, with boots, gloves and a vest. The tall, and rather fit wolf carries a felling ax which rests against his shoulder, and is smoking his Kiseru. And as he arrives on the scene, and picks up on the grim atmosphere in the surrounding area. The wolf cocks his brow, and exhales a puff a smoke."Well now what is going on here?" He calls out to the nearest sailor.
Natska stays close to Cassidy as the pair wander the docks, the jaguar looking out over all of the ships busy leaving. "This isn't the usually amount of traffic at this hour," she comments quietly, her ears perked. "What is up?"
Walking done one of the roads of the Bird Stain is Rokarion. The young jasmine spots the crowd forming near the harbour master, and hearing about the rumours decides to go and lend a hand or just know whats happening. He tugs on his heavy cloak, drapping it over his shoulders to cover his body, and moves towards the group. Most likely outcome is your local sailors being superstitous or some kind of pirate or privateer bullying people in the docks.
The pelican gives Thelergramor a wary eyeballing, taking the pipe from his beak, and by all intents looks ready to tell the wolf to hit the bricks, but then by good fortune Cassidy happens to approach to lend some legitimacy to the inquiry. "Beg yer pardon, Lady Solacious, didn't realize this ... gentleman was with ya. 'Fraid I can't give a straight answer, though, it's spooks or another Isharan invasion, or the sea beasts running rampant, or the damn city's about to sink, depending who's tellin' the tale. Pardon th' language." The sailor tagged by Rev hesitates briefly in the midst of his task, tossing cautious glances about before hissing in a thick Shralestran accent, "If you're smart, you'll get far, far from this place. It's been cursed! ...This is all I'll speak of it." So he hastens away with his burden.
Thelergramor glances back at Cassidy, Natska and Rev. Each gets a smile and one wave to divide between them. Turns back to the pelican. "Not as with her as I wish..." Takes two flowers from a belt pouch, holds them out to Cassidy and Natska without any clarification. And is confused as the pelican starts to leave. Thinks over the implications of an invasion silently.
Cassidy offers a little shrug and takes the flower. "Err. Yes, I'm not really sure he's 'with' me. Natska is here with me, though," she says gesturing to the feline. "So, ah... What would you like us to do? Do we go... Try to calm people down? Beat something up? I am uncertain what you wish of us."
Rev reaches into a pouch on his hip, and withdraws a small nugget of the hair thin strands of his Kiserus fuel, and stuffs it into. His Kiserus brazier as he quietly listwns to Shralestran sailor. "Hmmmmmm cursed huh sounds fun." He mutters to himself while puffing on his pipe, and scrstching the fur of his cheek with the head if his felling ax. "And here I thought today would be boring." He says while approaching The others that have gathered around.
Natska spends a few moments thinking about that, then gives Cass a smile at the 'with me' comment; she gives the flower a curious look, but follows Cass' lead and takes that as well. "Huh. Cursed, really?" she asks. "Who..." she trails off and shakes her head, then looks at Cass and raises her eyebrows.
"Wish of ya?" The bird's eyes go wide and he pushes back his cap with a bent wrist so he can have a look at the fennec without the rim in his line of sight. Determining that she is, indeed, not joking, he tugs his hat back into place and plucks the pipe from his maw, smacking lips in thought as he looks one way up the boardwalk and back down the other. "Well y'can certainly try, don't know how much success you'll have there, but s'long as they're orderly we can't rightly hold 'em in port." His gaze lingers a time on a pair of seamen, a hulking tower of a kangaroo and a porcupine that hardly comes to his knee just loitering and conversing by a stack of crates and barrels, until he remembers he was in the middle of a conversation and snaps his attention back. "I'll tell you what'll happen if this keeps up, though: all these sailors are gonna head off to other ports, word's gonna spread around, and faster than you can haul a keel Sweetwater's gonna be completely cut off from it's biggest source-a trade. Criminey..." He shakes his head in dismay at the thought.
Thelergramor smirks; flower giving success! Then scratches his head; not entirely sure what to do about this. "So... Cass, Natska. Any ideas?" The wolf doesn't know where to start. "Guess I could start talking to sailors or something..." Shrugs, lets his cannon hang from his shoulder as his hands find his pockets. "But, I'll defer to you two."
Cassidy sets the flower on the brim of her top hat before shrugging. "I am not sure, Natska. But it sounds like we have a curse to disperse! The real question I've got is... How? I mean, we could go out there and ask them what's wrong and discourage them from leaving. Or we could... Hrm." She shrugs and wanders off towards the kangaroo and his conversational partner. "Ahoy! What's the problem here?"
Rev puffs on his pipe as he comes to a halt not far from the others just in time to listen to Thelergramor. While picking the kiseru from between his jaws. "Well if the other sailors are as spooked as the man I just spoke with. We are going to be in for a long day. I just spoke to one, and he mentioned a chrse, and refused to speak more of it."
Natska snorts, the jaguar starting to scowl. She tucks the flower into the lapel of her jacket, then gives Rev a small nod before she follows after Cassidy. Her greeting causes Natska to snicker, and then after a moment she decides to add a little herself. "Ehyea. Why's everyone running around with their tail between their legs, with a look like they wet the bed and don't want their parents to find out?"
"What is noise!" Sven Snowmark's boisterous voice thunders as the puma comes striding along the docks from his own ship, the Aurora. "Who says there is curse?" the hefty mountain lion growls, "Is only puny Sweetwater curse! Who cares!?" The nobleman catches sight of Cassidy and Natska and his thunderous look softens. "Ah! Hello pretty ladies!" he says, "You are not listening to these silly sailors, Da?"
Having finished her earlier work with the Longtail Corporation the lizard woman leaves the manor and sets about wandering the city. After a while of wandering Sara eventually comes upon what seems to look like a comotion over by the docks and is left stopping in her tracks. "Huh? Wonder what happened there.." she mumbles as she nears the group. After overhearing something of a curse Sara swallows audiably and looks around, "Uh.. you need an extra hand with.. well.. whatever's happening here?" she asks the sailor that had seemed to have been in a state of leadership.
The harbourmaster tugs down on his cap again with another shake of his head, uttering a soft "Good luck t'ya" as he taps out his pipe and begins searching his many pockets for a refill of pipeweed. The kangaroo turns a broad, welcoming grin as he's approached, and seeing his mate's attention shift the porcupine wheels about, starting at the approach of the gang, scooting back against the stockpile behind them. "G'day t'ya!" the marsupial hollers back, with an accent that's... unplacable, frankly. "Nah prollem 'ere, jus' waitin' fer use-a tha lift." With a tip of his head he indicates service crane, currently being swarmed over by members of, presumably, a different crew. The porcupine just hastily nods in agreement, staying silent. Sara finds herself under the baleful gaze of a purple feline of some housecat variety, face marked by a lighter pattern of fur in what resembles an astrological chart, by attire some manner of mathemagician. "No, we certainly don't need any help from -you-." Definitely Cliffsider. She pulls her logbook closer to her bosom and turns her head to open crate of fish beside her, "If you took a moment to use your eyes and brains, you'd see I have everything under control here."
Thelergramor did of course follow Cassidy and Natska over to the kangaroo and porcupine. And then there's Sven. "Hey, Sven." Nods, looks back to the kangaroo. "So, there isn't a problem? At all? I mean not just for you two, but all these other beings. The ones that are scared or something." Shrugs and looks around. Avoids his usual blunt behavior in favor of letting his friends speak.
Cassidy nods slowly and frowns. "Well. If you don't need the help... Could you at least tell us more about what's going on? Do you know what exactly it is that's causing people to leave?"
Rev digs a little nugget of pipeweed out if the pouch on his hip, and tosses it over to the harbour master. Before moving on to speak with the rest of the sailors. The large wolf debates asking a few questions of his own. But decides against it for the moment, and just stands back, and watches as the others question the sailors.
"Is all silliness!" Sven says firmly, though he honestly has no idea what is going on. He was napping until about half an hour ago when the commotion started and still is not sure why everyone is in such a tizzy. He heard something about ghosts, which didn't bother him, something about leviathans, which excited him, and something about an invasion, which he discounted, since he had sat through that long, boring council meeting earlier in the day. "Sven does not see what all the commotion is about," he says folding his burly arms over his bare chest, "Is probably only ghosts or sea monsters!" The noble puma frowns up at the workers on the giant mover, watching them work. The port back home was so much more efficient!
Natska snorts, and gives her head a little shake. "Ghosts? Is that all? I've punched out plenty of them myself." Natska looks around, nudging the brim of her hat as she tries to spot a likely worried target. "Really."
"Huh.. no problem, right. I guess that's why we've got multiple sailors running around with their heads cut off then?" Sara asks as she turns to face the annoying Cliffside sailor and continues, "I tell you what, when you actually have something useful to say, I'll be all ears, but until then, keep your idiotic comments for someone who actually gives a damn about them." after breathing a heavy sigh Sara walks closer to the few familiar faces, Natska, Cassidy, and Thelergramor. "You mentioned there were ghosts?" she asks Natska as she nears, "Any idea on who started those rumours?"
There is some mutterance about the degree of uncleanliness attributed to all those who call Sweetwater home aimed at Sara's back, but the feline's ire is largely focused directed upon the task before her from then on. "Oy, well, if yer inquirin' 'bout all the fuss these blokes're kickin' up..." the kangaroo reluctantly conceeds, and when he starts to trail off the porcupine jumps right in, blurting, "It's the captain's fault!" "OY! Shatdaaap!" The larger sailor shoots a glare down at his compatriot, giving him a first swat with his tail, and is all smiles and cheer again when he addresses the group. "See, it was middeluv last nite, 'bout third bell. Wassa thick fog 'bout two feet 'igh off tha deck. Next we know, ship's scrapin' a sand bar!" He leans towards Sven of all the folks around him, for whatever reason, lowering his voice, "Thing is, we're inna middeluv th' ocean, moyls out frum th' coast." Back to the group at large, and his normal speaking volume, "'Ad a bitavtha touch an' go there, pushin' 'er free, we get a lite out there an' shurnuff! It's an oyland! Been sailin' these routes moy 'ole loyf, neva been an oyland there b'fore. Cap even 'ad Simmins check the charts ten toyms ova."
Thelergramor scratches his muzzle, turns to Sara. "Hey, Sara." Checks his belt pouches. "Out of flowers, sadly..." Turns back to the sailors. "And... A random ass island is enough to freak you sailors out?" The wolf chuckles, keeps his thoughts on the magnitude of pansiness of thes seamen to himself. "Probably just a mage with a sense of humor on board the ship."
Cassidy closes her eyes and hums. "Yes. Odd you should say that, actually. It's entirely possible it's a prank, but people are leaving over a new island? Really? I'm surprised they're not being -excited- and going to search for treasure or something. You know, one of my old relatives used to have a keep out on an island... I heard it's teeming with all kinds of neat things that got left behind." She glances around, ears perking as she looks to see if there was any local reaction to her 'rumor' drop.
Rev taps out his Kiseru then once again firmly clamps it between his sharp teeth. "Hmmmmm well a new island hardly qualifies as a curse. So I take it there is more to the story. That or you lit are superstitous to the point if being mad."The wolf says as he crosses hus arms over his broad chest. With hus fist firmly wrapped around his ax just below the head.
Sven frowns deeply at this news. There is no island between here and Aurumrock and nothing close enough to match the captain's description. "This is not one of your jokes, Jonas Selkark?" the puma asks seriously, leaning in, much as the kangaroo captain has, "You swear this is truth?" The puma looks very bothered by this and looks at his companions. "The sea does not change, my friends," he says seriously, "And Sven has never met mage with powers to raise an island." The burly cat looks severely troubled. The sea should not change like this! "You think it is floating island?" he asks the captain, "Or maybe sea monster?" He looks rather hopeful at the second prospect.
Natska tilts her head to the side, giving the captain a dubious look. "So you took a wrong turn and hit an island, and now every boy of the sea is scared enough that, if our friend the Harbor Master is to be believed, it is the Doom of Firmament? Really." She slowly shakes her head, then turns and looks over the small group gathered there. "Well. We have explorers and Freeswords here. We have a captain with a ship. Why don't we go check it out?"
As she overhears Thelergramors comment Sara raises a hand up in an attempt at saying, 'No problem' before pulling the cloak back slightly to show off the flower he had given her last night still sitting proudly in one of her pockets. After giving Thelergramor a friendly, "Thank you though.." and pulling the cloak back the lizard looks over the crew and then to the captain that had mentioned the 'problem'. "A new island? Any idea on how large this new landmass had been?" she asks the kangaroo rat in question before looking to Sven as he mentions the problems being faced before chiming in with her own, "Could be creator tech? I've seen some of those machine spirits do some strange things. For all we know, creating new land could be one of their abilities.." before shrugging and looking over the captain once more, "If I may ask, would it be possible to visit this strange landmass again? Or at the very least tell us roughly where it is?"
"Ah, oy wouldn't ritely expect ya t'unnastand." the marsupial lets out a beleaguered sigh, uncrossing his arms, just to fold them again, switching which is resting on top. A few heads turn towards Cassidy, if only because aside from the 'roo she's the only other person speaking in a louder-than-usual voice, yet before too long they're back to their work. It heartens the captain to find an ally in the hearty Thera'Dorian, whom he looks square in the eye. "Shur as moy britches reekuv salt an' fish it is! Couldn't guess what it ritely is, but oy'll tell ya this: it's comin' this way. Creatah's know Sweetwatah's 'ad more'n it's share a foul business since th' Shatterin', be too generous t'ope this turnav fate'd be kind." Deep inhale through the nose, slow exhale through the mouth... and suddenly he turns on the crew hogging the lifter, "OY! YOU BUGGAS GUNNA CLEAR OUT T'DAY 'R M'OY GUNNA 'AVE TA C'MOVA THERE AND TOSS THE RESTA YA LOAD IN TH' BAY?!" It sufficiently spooks them into putting some extra pep in their step, and a basset hound who'd been observing their work from the deck of his ship merely smirks and tosses a loose salute at the kangaroo. The now-named Captain Selkark calmly returns his attention to the group, unfolding his arms and turning a palms-up gesture to Natska, "Oy trust ya not referin' t'moy, lav. Garrik, get'm th' chart 'n a kwill." The porcupine hastens away, and soon returns with the requested items, the towering being pinning the map against the nearest crate and scribbling marks on it. "This 'ere's where we almost ran aground'uv it, an' oy reckon boy now it'll be roit about... 'ere." This done, he extends the map to... no one imparticular. Whoever grabs it first gets to keep it, far as he seems to care!
Thelergramor scratches his head; trying to not sniff his salted fish pants out of curiosity. Takes the map; because, maps. "A map? Nice." Secretly a closet mapfan. "Uh... Anyone want this? I'd like to keep it for... personal reasons." Has a stache of maps back home... "Know any captains willing to bring us out there?" Glances at his friends/allies. Holding the map in an offering way.
Rev scratches his chin. "Well that is a interesting enough story. I would lije to see this island of yours with nyvown two eyes though." He says out loud to no one in particular. Before turning to Thel. "Well I would lije to take a look at it myself. Before we head out, and check out the island if we can get someone to sail us out there. But by all means keep the map." He says as he reloads his pipe, and lights it.
Sven gently snatches the map from Thelergramor's hands. "Da," he says, "Sven can take you. The Aurora is always ready to sail." The puma turns away without even a farewell to Captain Selkark and swaggers off toward his own ship. "Come!" he calls, "We sail!"
Natska flashes the kangaroo a grin and then hooks her thumb at Sven. "No, not you, a -man- of the sea." She turns her smile on Cassidy. "Sounds like we are taking a trip, love! Let's go have some adventure," she says, following after the sea-cat. "Sara? Thel? Are you coming? And... I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name," she adds to Rev.
Sara reaches out for the map before it is quickly taken by Thelergramor, "Hm.. right, yes. I'll definitely sail with you, my curiosity'll be the death of me if I stay behind." she mumbles before falling in line with Sven. "Just think.. a moving island that appears out of nowhere.. can't wait to see it!" the last bit coming out a bit more bubbly than her earlier mood, a decent sign of a change in personality before her once simple walk pattern turns into one that is more of a playful bound.
The kangaroo's laughter echoes behind the group, and if one looked back they'd see him leaning out from behind the pile of stacked cargo, waving. "Besta luck t'ya awl, then! Oy 'ope y'come back aloyv, oy rally do!" And with those... words of confidence our heroes set out! Hopefully the Aurora is a bit faster than many of those large trade vessles, but within a few hours the wayward landmass is before them, looming... not so ominously, actually. In the daylight it looks downright pleasant, with its tree-lined shores and sandy beaches, cliff faces rising perhaps no more than ten or fifteen feet, perhaps a quarter mile across, and untold how long, as their angle of approach gives no indication... and even closer than the kangaroo captain's estimate had predicted. If it really is moving, it'll surely be visible from Firmament's port by morning.
Thelergramor much prefers sailing to flying. Airships, unsettling. Actaul ships? Glorious. And he makes this known a few times over the course of the trip; during which, he did not sleep.
Spotting the island, the nobly clad wolf smiles. "Doesn't look so bad, really. Should be fun." Completely oblivious to the fact that the island may be moving.
Cassidy folds her arms and peers out over the deck at the island, carefully peering over the pages of her grimoire for the duration of the trip. When they arrive, she snaps it shut and stretches. "So... What exactly are we to be doing here, huh? Just looking around for clues, or something specific?" She slips over to Natska's side, leaning against her and flashing a smile.
Rev spends the jkurney astern on thd ship. The large wolf spends the time aboard the ship cleaning his pipe, sharoening his felling ax, and in general preparing himself for arrival. Which mainly involved keeping himself limber, and ready to move at moments notice. And upon arrival he heads towards the fore end of the ship, And waits to dissembark with the others.
Sven is at the helm, happily shouting orders to his crew scrambling in the rigging while a slightly shady looking Croc relays the orders along the length of the speedy clipper ship. "Weigh anchor Moychica!" Sven cries as he turns the broad side of the ship toward the island. "Jonas spoke truth! There should be no island here!" The puma hands off the helm to his crocadillian first mate and jumps lightly down to the main deck. "Ready a longboat!" he calls, "Captain Sven is going ashore!"
Natska slips an arm around Cassidy as her love joins her, and she stares at the island. When she speaks, her voice is loud, to carry to the rest of the group. "First to see that there really is an island... and that it really is moving," she says, giving it a nod. "If he's accurate, then this bears out. Second, we board the island and see what we can make of it. Is it sand and dirt that has collected on the back of a giant sea monster? Some Creator relic lost at sea finally coming home? And finally... see if it truly is a danger to our home." She gives Cassidy a little kiss, then waits for the longboat to be ready.
Most of the ride on the way Sara spends her time just pacing, going between a mixture of either youthful exhuberance, sharp giggles and the odd exclaiming of the fact that 'she couldn't wait to see the island' or the more nervous of her personalities, which had left her wringing her hands, and shivering as her rather jerky movements had left her staring into the wide sea, wide-eyed, and full of fear of the unknown, "Wh-what if there really is a curse?" she mumbles before settling into a tight pacing of the ship. As the ship settles near the unknown island, and Sara is left stoically idle the lizard mentions, "We're here. Good." before looking to Cassidy, and answering, "I'll see what's underneath. Might have a clue of what had fashioned this island." before unloading her weapons save the odd eastern looking sword, which is kept buckled to her belt, her cloak, and any other gear she had brought along, all of which is left bundled tightly in a corner of the longboat, ready for her to return and claim it.
