Pirates! Quest for the Eye

[Meep Meepersons]

Nurt looked about the room with quick glances one last time after being found by one of his previous cellmates. He could smell the smoke and knew plenty well what it could entail on such a pirate ship. He blushed a little at the site of the girl's naked chest but decided only a slight diversion of his sight was necessary at the moment, especially after she covered up again. "I umm, I can't s-swim and, I'm pretty sure I know where the key to the collars is." He explained, looking to the lines leading towards land from their current position on the water. "If I jump out with you, w-will you c-carry me to shore?" He asks hurriedly rolling up the paper and placing it into his bag.

[cliffracer]

Hunter was far more distracted by the fire suddenly erupting to even have a chance at catching anyone, so perhaps it was for the better that Nathaniel had everything covered on his own. She manages to look away and fix her agape mouth, but she still looks very shocked. If it was her job to play along with the prisoners, there's no doubt she'd be one of their group now! Even to the people who made the plan!

"Uh, hell yeah?" She can't help but make an awestruck noise, clearly watching a bit of history go up in flames. "Yeah. I don't think I'd stay around even if the Captain was standing right behind me." She shakes his hand, then starts jogging for land.

[Firehead]

Nathaniel gave a smile as the woman quickly accepted his offer and ran off ahead. "I'll let you take point then." He let her get a short lead before following behind her making sure to keep pace. He'd assumed the cube he had stashed away on himself was the thing they needed to stay close to in order to avoid setting off these blasted collars, but she provided a good way for him to test that. If she didn't get hit with whatever these things were designed to do he'd know that either his suspicions about the cube were correct, or the collars were always an empty threat from the very beginning.

[VintageBass]

Finally! Now they're both off of that damned boat, their adventure in this world can truly begin! Oh it feels nice being in the water. It's not too chilly, thankfully, but there is still a nice pleasant chill to help cool Reggie off from the heat. It's a soothing blanket, wrapping him in this wet embrace as he sinks down below the surface and watch a blurry view of the destruction above. It feels relieving, watching the ship break down while resting in the ocean. He's free from whatever troubles lurk onboard and now he's free to once again explore the ocean and find whatever lurks beyond. It's something he started and it feels he's repeating the past... only with more destruction, as he left his old crew not watching them get blown up.

There are a few problems here. One is that there is still a ship breaking right above them and two, they're underwater and running out of air.

Reggie breaks free from Annabell and swims to the top, getting some air before doing his best to get away from the carnage unfolding before him. He stops for a moment and realizes there's still Annabell and he helps her out, getting her to the surface and pulling her along to where it'll be safe for the two of them to be away from the madness. Even though Annabell is more than capable of swimming, Reggie figured he might help out a bit more with their escape as they're basically now partners in this. Might as well do what he can to help push them along and get going on their adventure.

Now comes a choice. Reggie looks toward the ship and sees a section where the two of them can get a boat and use one of them, but as he is swimming away from the sinking ship, going back towards it might not be a good idea. There's also the shore, but it's a little hard to tell how far off things are especially since Reggie may not be thinking all that straight with the amount of panic running through him. Getting to shore isn't bad. At least it'll give them some time to recouperate and start getting some supplies before doing... something else, or do the same on the boat and gather everything before it just breaks down...

Well, might as well make this a choice. "Hey, where do you think we should go?" he asked Annabell. "I think we should head to shore. Agree?"

[Nicoffee]

"Agreed!"

Annabell simply replied after recovering her breath, swimming just above the water's surface as her eyes scanned about warily, that was likely not the last they had seen of that pirate captain bitch, especially since she hadn't actually gone off and beaten the living daylights out of the woman like she initially intended, she would have to get to that later!

First things first though, Reggie had the right idea here, heading off to shore was probably the smartest path to follow for now, what with them both being kind of in the middle of the sea with a sinking boat right behind them, Annabell quickly began to make her way over to the shore, her arms swinging about as she and Reggie made her way to shore. Despite the wreckage around her, Annabell didn't seem all that preoccupied, I mean heck, she was pretty confident in her swimming abilities and it's not like the shore was THAT far away. Worse part of this was getting her clothes all wet, but there wasn't really much she could be doing about this right now, was there?

"So..." Annabell started, slowing down her swimming as she and Reggie got a fair distance from the wreckage itself, slowly closing in to the shore. "Never caught your name? Mine's Annabell." She beamed, smiling brightly. "I would shake yer hand, but mine are a tad busy at the moment, y'see?" She chuckled, changing her swimming as she began just letting the waves do most of the work, simply letting her legs keep her afloat as the waves slowly pushed the both of them to shore. "Thanks for the assistance back there, too! Couldn't have made it out without ya." She affirmed, slowly crawling up to shore, her drenched clothing dripping water all over the sand, slightly transparent from, you know, wetness.

[Ocfos]

Nellie scoffs lightly. "I'm part fish, 'course I'll carry you if you get the things off of us."

She keeps an eye on the door whilst waiting, just in case someone tries to dash through to stop them escaping.

[CondorBoH]

Ocfos and Meep Meepersons

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You both can hear people running around below deck, and for Nurt's sensitive ears, the sounds of a few heavy footfalls far on the top deck. Which is now, by the way, one fire. If you want to get out, you'd better hurry. You may encounter your captor, but the flames will distract.
Hurry, hurry. Clock is ticking. What happens next is up to you.

Nescafe and VintageBass

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You both reach the shore without any issue. But the adrenaline of the fight has well and truly worn off, the cold is starting to dig in now. Getting dry is a good idea, and so is getting further away from the ship. As you watch, people come running from the town to the ship, some carrying firefighting tools. Sadly for them, the blaze has well and truly set in now. The ship is crippled and on fire. Still floating, but a lot of damage has been done.

...
Though, it looks like the fire isn't touching a specific spot. A spot that's moving, flames whirling around it but never getting close enough. You're far enough away to not see what it is, flames don't help either, but you can probably assume a spellcaster on the crew, if not the captain herself. A fair amount of the people running to the ship are dressed raggedy, but most seem to have a mark on them, that you recognized was on the black flag formerly on the ship.
No wonder you didn't fight many, they were in town doing whatever.
What do you do now?

cliffracer and Firehead

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You run from the dock to the entrance of the town, passing people with support gear on their way to stop the fire, and a few individuals whom Hunter recognizes as the more... lackey types of people on the ship. They must have been in town gathering supplies or wasting their pay on pleasures. Either way...
Just as you pass through the entrance of the town, you both take a moment to relax.
Only for Hunter to have an arm suddenly grab her arm.

The one doing so is a common thug, though he bares a picture Captain Marie's partially jolly roger on his rag of a shirt. A lackey, accompanied by one other. You don't know either of these two well. They're in the crew for the money and the sex, they don't care about anything as long as they get paid and get some women at the end of the week.
"Oi, you're one of our crew. Whatcha doin', slinking away from our... precious vessel when it's in trouble."
His breath stinks.

No one around you is paying attention, too busy focusing on the burning ship. Some are actually worried the fire might catch the dock or any neighboring smaller boats.
The lackeys haven't noticed Nathaniel yet, so you have that advantage at least

Fantasy Fanatic:

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

From where you are, you think you can see the woman who intimidated the enemies and the young man with her getting to the shoreline. The foxy one and the pirate gal are running on the dock, thought its only a matter of time before they're spotted by the rest of the pirate crew coming from the town. You can't see any of the others.
As you turn your eyes closer to the town, you see the pirate lass get grabbed by an especially ragged looking pirate. You feel like you can smell his foul breath from here. It doesn't look like they've noticed the foxy one, but there's going to be problems soon if she can't get away.

Where everyone is
Matthew(?) and Gill: In Town
Nurt and Nellie: Inside the (on fire) ship
Nathaniel and Hunter: On the dock
Annabell and Reggie: On the shore

[Meep Meepersons]

Making sure his special bag was as air tight as it could get he took a deep breath and exited the room, assuming the fishgirl would follow him in suit. Shaking like a dry leaf struggling against the wind, Nurt straightens his clothes as he walks. More out of old habit then necessity. Feeling it a good idea to jump out of a window facing the town for quick access to the shore, he began to search about for a suitable window/hole to jump out from. "W-we should jump s-ship c-closer to the shore." He states firmly, though his stuttering nervousness was blatantly obvious. As soon as he managed to find a suitable hole, well, bombs away?

[cliffracer]

Hunter was JUST appreciating her moment to breathe once they got towards the town. She and Nathaniel were practically home free, it was a great shame that Hunter got 'caught' so quickly. At least the idiot that grabbed Hunter was drunk, that was at least exploitable to keep from making a scene in a fight.
"Trouble's right!" Find an excuse, find an excuse... "You know what happens when that fire catches the cannon powder? Lots of 'bang', and not the sort you and I are any sort'a interested in." She glances desperately over the pirate's shoulder at Nathaniel, hoping for some backup. "Speeeakin' of, if you don't go off and tattle, I think this distraction could be kinda fun for the three of us!"
She's screaming internally. She really wants to just throw these two in to the water.

[Firehead]

Nathaniel froze in a panic when someone grabbed Hunter. Fortunately, they seemed to have missed him. They confirmed for him that she really was with the pirate crew originally. Of course, that didn't mean she had stayed loyal once they collared her. He'd have to keep his guard up for any funny business, but he felt it was still best to stick with her in case someone else should spot him before he could find a way to get this blasted collar off.

He could see Hunter panicking as she tried to get them off her trail. It definitely wouldn't be a good idea to start a fight out here on the street. That would just draw more attention. Then she mentioned fun for her and the two guys and an idea formed. Looking for a nearby alley he grinned as he turned back to Hunter. Now he just needed to give her the gist of his plan without saying anything. Making a lewd gesture he pointed at the two thugs and then at the alley before dashing down it. He hoped she picked up what he had planned as he tried to find a place he could hide and wait in ambush from.

[CondorBoH]

It's been a while, time for a quick recap. This will make sure everyone remembers where they are from last time and very, very brief replies to those who did post.
You are all now level 2 by the way.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The characters each found themselves chosen by the mysterious wish granting artifact known as the 'Eye of a Thousand Suns'. They each have a strange stone and a magic map that will, gradually, lead the way to the Lost Isles where the Eye lays. Many would try to control the 'chosen' in order to steal the wish for themselves.

Of one such individual is a self proclaimed 'Pirate Queen' called Bloody Marie. Through means unknown she had managed to collect most of the characters and imprison them or pressure them into her crew. Through various means, everyone has escaped their bindings. Also the ship is on fire.

Nathaniel and Hunter are in the town proper, but have been accosted by thugs belonging to the captain's shore crew. Wanting to get away, Nathaniel darted down an alley way and Hunter is trying to lure the drunken sailors into it.
This plan is working by the way, the idiots following the suspicious promise of sexual favours in a dark dank alleyway.
Oh, and Nathanial found something pretty important that has something to do with the magic collars everyone has.

Nurt and Nellie are still on the on fire ship. Nurt can't swim, but Nellie is a squid person so hopefully things work out. There is a window in the room they are in, it wouldn't take much effort to smash it open and take a dive and hope for the best.

Gil is observing the events in the town, keeping an eye on everyone as they gradually filter in away from the ship. She can see Hunter leading a group of drunkards into a dark alleyway.

Annabel and Reggie have made it to the shore via swimming. They're currently drying themselves off and don't exactly have much to do. But you can see some of the ship isn't on fire, and that not on fire bit is moving. Which is a bad sign.


Everyone hears a voice in their heads.
"Good job, good job. Most of you have past the first of my trials. Now all you need to do is get away from this wretch of a hive and follow your maps. The keys for your bindings aren't so easily found, but the fox-boy has something that will help. I await your wishes."

[Fantasy Fanatic]

"Follow my map?" Gill thought before retreating to a secluded area where she took her map out and began looking at it, wondering what could have changed.

[VintageBass]

Before we get to the shore, there is some business to take care of at sea...

Mainly dealing with the brief conversation between Reggie and Annabell, along with getting to the shore. First there's getting some talking in. "I'm Reggie," he replied. There's a smile on his face from Annabell's humor, but that quickly subsides as he remembers that they're pretty much trying to get away from a sinking ship and getting to shore is on the top of their list right now. So using what he has learned, Reggie goes with the flow and makes his way up by riding the waves and using his arms and legs to push him along. Landing has him sliding up with the waves, pushing him along his bellt and leaving him to drive before the tide comes up to wash whatever sand is stuck to his form.

Reggie peels himself up from the sand, now feeling better that he's free from that wretched ship, What's happening on the ship right now isn't really of Reggie's concerns right now, as he's now soaking wet and coated in sand, so finding a place to go change out clothes and get cleaned off, perhaps coil up next to a fire and enjoy the warmth before getting back out at sea. Surely Annabell will like the same thing and enjoy a break from that mess.

Now comes people from the town, curious as to what's happening out at sea, Something about them feels off. They have the appearance of slaves, what by their raggity clothes and bearing the mark on the flag. They're also acting passive towards them, meaning that they're aware of where they came from, but there's some possible worries to come down the road. It's making Reggie a bit nervous, but hopefully these people are up for a coup...

But that's overthinking.

Now this isn't a one-man operation and surely Annabell has her own thoughts on the matter. "So... you think we can trust these people?" he asked Annabell. "These people seem to have a history with those from the ship, I don't want to stand around here and learn of what possible dangers these people present. It'll be good to get out of these clothes and dry off."

[Ocfos]

"I don't think I need to charm with my tits to get you to trust me on this, but I'm going to need you to hold on to me."

Nellie looks for something heavy enough to break the window, without it being too heavy for her to lift, practically lobbing it at the window as soon as she picks it up.

She gestures for Nurt to come with her, feeling like they don't have too long before shit is going down.

[Nicoffee]

"Trust is a strong word." The bulky woman stated, stretching her arms out a little bit as she was finally out of the water. Getting a good footing on the sand under her feet. "Heck, don't get me wrong, but I don't even trust YOU that much." She stated, matter-of-fact. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the help back there, though." She checked up her belt to make sure the cutlass was tightly attached to it and wouldn't shake or fall off anytime soon before she turned to Reggie.

"...Maybe we should find this "fox-boy" that this voice is speaking about." Annabell mumbled, not really feeling too good about following voices on her head, but it was as much of a pointer as they had at the moment, really. She glanced over at Reggie, hand in chin. "...I wouldn't say "Foxy" is an adjective I'd give you, so I'm thinking it's something else we're supposed to be looking for. Let's head into the town proper and try to keep a low profile. Well, I'll try to, at least, no promises on the low profile thing." She shrugged her broad shoulders some.

[Meep Meepersons]

Nurt wasn't against' Nellie's idea to hold onto her, especially since he wasn't able to swim on his own. "O-Ok!" He stutters, coming up behind her and wrapping his dainty arms around her belly. "D-don't let me drown....ok?" He says softly with lots of insecurity in his tone. Bracing himself when the window was smashed he just kinda stood there, waiting to be wisked away by his new, semi-aquatic companion. Who knows, maybe they'll make a decent team? If not, there's always more tiny boats to steal.

[Firehead]

Nathaniel started digging through some junk to find something heavy to clunk one of the oafs with. He'd have to rely on her taking care of the other before he could bare down on him. Nathaniel's ears perked as he heard the voice even though he was certain eh voice was only in his head. It was good to have confirmation that what he'd found was important though the words made it clear he wasn't the only one who'd they'd been meant for. He'd have to deal with the other captures looking for him later. For now, he had more pressing issues.

Ducking behind a pile of refuse he waited as Hunter lead the two drunken idiots into the alley. Considering his capture he didn't have too much room to chide them, but at least the girl he'd been tricked by hadn't led him down any dark dank alleys. Waiting for them to pass him he lunged as quietly as he could once they passed bringing the old piece of lumber he'd found down on the head of one of the thugs.

[cliffracer]

Hunter does her best to instill some trust in the louts by leaning in to one of them as they walk, sticking her hip out for the other. She practically chose her target by the time they were in the alleyway, heading deeper in to avoid any... prying eyes. She didn't know where Nathaniel went in here, but she was going to trust that he'd pull through for her...

"We should be good here, gentlemen. Don't be thinkin' about knocking me up." She leans forward to start slowly dropping her pants, planning on popping back up to slam her head in to her target's chin once she thinks he's made himself vulnerable enough.

[CondorBoH]

Cliffracer and Firehead:

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Nathaniel Stealth Roll: 23 (19 + 4)

The drunken louts don't even notice you, a combination of your skills with stealthiness and their current distracted state. You wait for them to get comfortable, begin stripping and such. Just as Hunter starts to push her pants down, you leap out and strike a blow against what looks like the head one.

Nathaniel Attack Roll: 19 + 1 (STR)

WHACK! The hunk of wood breaks over the man's head, surprising yourself with how hard you can possibly hit someone! He's already in a drunken state, the blunt force trauma to his head sealing the deal there. He slumps to the ground without a sound, almost comically.

Hunter Attack Roll: 14 + 5 (DEX)
There's another loud crack as your head impacts his nose. You feel blood drip over your hair and brow, but that can be worried about later. He stumbles back as you lash out with a knee to his gut and one last kick to his head. The drunk falls to the ground next to his pal.

Your head hurts a little bit, but you focus on pulling your pants back up before Nathaniel starts to stare.
Good job.

Ofcus and MeepMeepersons

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Nellie grabs a big metal lump and tosses it at the window shattering it. With the young beastman in your arms, you charge out the window, lightly cutting yourself on the glass as you go.
The water feels welcoming around you, but you are suddenly pulled downwards by Nurt's weight. He seems twice... no four times as heavy than when he was on land. This wasn't normal, this isn't just 'I can't swim'. But you're tough and you manage to get the two of you to the surface and start paddling towards the shoreline.

Fantasy Fanatic

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You open your map. Last time you had looked at it, the paper had been blurry, indistinct shapes covering it. The only thing that had been clear was this island, and the glowing dots on it. You now know that those glowing dots are you and the other map-bearers.
But now, the paper has somewhat cleared. What had been a series of strange stains and colours hardens into a clear path to another island, with distances listed as well. As you stare, it seems to grow larder, but you know the paper is still the same size. You can tell the exact distance between here and the other island, as well as what threats you could find on the way there.

Nicofee and VintageBass

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As you make your way into the town, you hear a resounding BOOM as the fire reaches the ammo supplies. The onlookers and those who were making their ways to the ship gape in shock at it. Then galvanize and rush to salvage what they can or protect their own vessels in the bay. Thanks to this, you sneak past a layer of pirates into the town proper. As you pass a particular alleyway, you both spot two individuals that you saw on the ship, standing over two more unconscious bodies.
One such individual, still standing and holding a broken mass of wood in his hands, is a Beastman with fox ears and tail. You found your... er, target.

[Ocfos]

Nellie did NOT expect such a sudden increase in her burden, but she latches her tentacles on to Nurt's back as they start to swim for shore. "Can't swim?! Are you cursed by water too? You feel like an anchor of sorts out of nowhere!" Nellie gasps in surprise as they emerge.
She doesn't sound upset, just rather shocked.