Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

[thetwo]

"I have gathered the four of you here today because things are desperate."

The Merman was big, with an impressive build, and he carried a trident that Amber knew he could use to great effect. She could also feel his magical talent, radiating out almost palpably. He could wield that impressively as well. His presence named him King of Atlantis as much as the crown on his head.

"It's public knowledge that we've begun drafting civilians for guard duties. But few know the true reason why. We're losing the war against the formori."

Every citizen of Atlantis knew things were desperate. Their god was missing, and without his protective hand common vermin, ancient evils, and even the sea itself all seemed set against them. The merfolk had been created by him when Atlantis had sank beneath the waves, and without him they would eventually die. But until today that had seemed a distant prospect.

"Not because they are better than us - they aren't - or even because they outnumber us, though they do. Because I have diverted most of our troops from the fight. The bare minimum guard our city, and what we have left further out is woefully inadequate. Because none of that will matter if Elric doesn't return soon."

"The evils we have faced so far are those simply held away by Elric's influence. But there are darker things that our God sealed away entirely. And those seals are weakening. They will fail. Imminently. Maybe in a week, maybe a month. We will be very lucky if they hold for six months, and fools if we hope they last a year. They could fall tomorrow. And when they fall, we fall. Keiga will likely ravish the cities on the shore, but the Other seal may spell the end of all."

An evil worse and more powerful then Keiga, the Dragon of the Tides, and the other Leviathan was difficult to imagine for anyone who lived their entire life in the sea. They had not been troubled by demons since Elric's Ascension, nor the invaders that had recently troubled the landbound, but the King seemed to think that whatever was beyond the second seal was worse. After all, those above the water had survived their invasions.

"But there is still hope. None have yet found any concrete hints as to where Elric is or why he doesn't answer our prayers despite years of searching, but there are always rumors. I have sent out as many of our folk as I dare following these rumors, and the four of you are no exception. Your task will be to go above water, among the Bound of Badaria. I have assigned each of you a city. If you find nothing there, continue inland until you discover the fate of our god or reach the Frozen Sea. If you do find something, follow wherever it leads. Do not waste a single moment."

"If you have questions, ask them now. Otherwise I will move you near to your destination."

The other three merfolk looked shocked. "What if we are discovered?" Melisa was a somewhat homely mermaid, with hair the color of seaweed.

"Then so be it. A small price for even the chance of salvation."

"And if... if we have to go out of sight of the sea?" Andrea was a middle-aged woman, with sandy hair, and a little bit old and well endowed for the traditional seashell bikini.

"THEN SO BE IT!" The water almost seemed to shake, though Amber knew that they 'spoke' through a direct mental link. "I apologize, I am under considerable stress at the moment. Any further questions?"

Michael, the other merman present, shook his head, sending his short halo of beaded braids bouncing, even the two coming off his chin. He gripped his spear a little tighter. "No, sire."

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

The day began as any other for Amber. She woke, had her breakfast, kissed her mother and father goodbye, and went to train. It had been awhile since she had faced any Fomori in combat, and she wanted maintain her edge. She had not been training for long when one of the city guard approached her with the king's summons.

Amber felt a mixture of trepidation and eager anticipation upon hearing of her summons. Being summoned by the king was of course a huge deal for anyone in Atlantis, especially someone like her who wasn't powerful or important enough to really be of interest to the higher powers of the underwater city. Still, if she was being summoned, it meant that something serious was about to happen, something probably life-changing. Was she being sent off to war, to fight the Fomori? That seemed the most likely, but she didn't think he would see her personally to tell her such a thing, leaving her to wonder just what he wanted to talk to her about.

Upon being admitted with the other three, Amber found her questions silenced by the king's presence. If ever a man had possessed a strong bearing, it was him. Though his words to them brought a look of first, surprise, then deep consternation to her face. Something worse than Keiga, something that would be unleashed upon the world imminently... That is dark news indeed... She thought this to herself silently. Things were apparently far worse than she realized. Sure she had known they were in dark times, and their civilization was in significant degree of jeopardy. But if the king was to be believed, and of course he was, then they were actually on the verge of being wiped out. For the first time in awhile she felt a shiver of fear run down her back, equal parts fear for her beloved family, and her beloved people.

Listening intently to the task the king laid out before them, she couldn't help but grimace as the older woman provoked a mental shout. Still, she kept her peace until the end. She was a proud mermaid. She knew her people needed her and it was her duty and honor to help them in their time of greatest need. No matter the risk to herself, she would not rest until Elric was freed and her people could rest safely again. When the king asked for questions, she replied, "Only one my lord. In the event we do find something, how are we to send back word of our findings?"

Upon receiving an answer, she would nod respectfully, replying, "By your order, my lord."

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

"If you manage to get news back to Atlantis, that is all well and good, but sending you help would hasten the fall of our people. If it turned out that your news was mistaken... or even if you did manage to free Elric, but Atlantis had fallen in the mean time for wont of defenders..." The king looked haggard for a moment, then his stoic face was back. "Every single person we can spare for this search is already on it, and I will not sacrifice our people to save the rest of the world. You four will be the last to leave Atlantis until Elric returns to us."

He smiled slightly, somehow making the face more terrifying then anger, though not directed at anyone present. "Send me word in the form of Elric's return. Now, let us go."

The king grabbed Melisa by the upper arm, and the two vanished, leaving a slight pull towards the space where they had been. A few seconds later the king returned and did the same with Andrea. Michael gave Amber a slightly sickly grin before his turn came.

Finally Amber felt the King of Atlantis gently grip her shoulder, and the underwater landscape blinked out. There was an instant of intense cold, and the world was back, but changed. They were out of the deep sea where Atlantis lay, in water barely 50 feet deep. The mermaid could hear breakers off in the distance, the shore probably about a mile away. "Amber. Be careful among the shorebound. I would not hesitate to spend your life in the defense of our people, but I would not have it thrown away uselessly. And consider the power of whatever keeps Elric from us. I can't offer you any aid from Atlantis, but do not rush in alone and blind. If you believe you have found the truth, seek out allies in your fellow searches, or whoever else you can find."

He let go of her shoulder, and glanced back towards the deep ocean, moving his trident into a fighting grip, his eyes distant beyond imagining. "Good luck."

He vanished, again leaving a small current that pulled amber towards the space where he had been.

The swim to shore would only take a few minutes. In the mean time, a peek above the waves would reveal a port town on a gravel beach, with the tiny specs that had to be humans moving about. There were two ships tied to the single pier, both showing signs of damage, and there seemed to be a great deal of activity.

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

So it's that type of mission... Amber's demeanor never faltered, but if there had been any doubt in her mind as to the gravity of the situation it was banished with the king's words. She was really on her own with this mission. Either the Sea King, Elric, was found and returned to Atlantis, or she would be unable to return and likely wouldn't have a kingdom to return to even if she should try. This was her moment, it was time to step up. Do...or die.

As the king whisked the Merfolk off to their respective starting locations, Amber gazed on somberly, returning Michael's look only with a stoic nod as he was taken. Finally, it was her turn.

When they appeared near the shoreline of the port town, she sighed. This was it. The king delivered his parting speech. It was blunt, some would have considered it cruel, but Amber appreciated him for his directness and honesty. She understood that they faced tough times indeed, and as a leader, the king would doubtless have to make decisions even more tough than the one he had faced in deciding to send her to shore alone and without backup. She saw his eyes take a far-seeing appearance and was left to wonder what he might be looking at. "I will not fail." These were her the last words she would utter to another Merfolk for who knew how long.

And so it begins... Wasting no time, Amber made her way to the shoreline, aiming for somewhere secluded where she could shift and come ashore without being noticed. She definitely didn't want to advertise her Merfolk heritage, and even if no one noticed her shift, she felt that an unfamiliar woman swimming up out of the ocean would attract a little too much attention.

If she found her way ashore without event, she would proceed into town in a rather even manner, trying to not look out of the ordinary. Her first order of business would be to investigate the high amount of activity and the nature of the damaged vessels. She would also need to start coming up for a plan on trying to find intelligence on the location of Elric. It was doubtless a manner she would have to handle with some tact.

Spoiler

Actions: Barring something major and unexpected, Amber will look for a secluded spot of beach, swim to the point where the water is fairly shallow but just deep enough to conceal her tail and transform into a normal-looking human with average, unflattering clothes. Upon reaching the shore she will head towards town, see what all the bustle is about and meander her way towards the damaged ships and see what's up there.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

The beach turned out to be completely deserted outside the town, and it was easy enough for Amber to find a spot where the water ran in a little closer to the hills beyond the beach. The she came out behind wasn't tall enough to stand without potentially being seen from shore, but it was big enough to shift behind.

It was a strange feeling. Her tail split in half, bones grew and reshaped. In the end she had two human legs ending in a pair of human feet. There were even ten little toes. Her upper body was already apparently human-looking, and since she wasn't who she was, just what she was, she didn't change anything. Finally, she changed her hair. Hers was perfectly fine for the water, but would stick out like a sore thumb among the shorebound. She nearly forgot about the ears, and had to go back to change them to the little pink ones humans had.

What she couldn't change, unfortunately, was her clothing. Her innate ability to shift form was limited to her actual body. So she would remain wearing her seashell bra, and the skirt made from strands of seaweed, with nothing underneath. If she really wanted to blend in well, she'd need to find human clothes. At least she would retain the protective enhancements built into her battle gear.

Since there weren't any handy supplies of clothes on the deserted beach, Amber headed into town. Everyone seemed to be busy. Enough that while she drew a few curious or confused looks, nobody stopped to talk to her. Most of the activity seemed to be moving between the ships and a road leading away from the town. Things were being carried back and forth, full barrels and boxes were moving from the ships to what turned out to be a caravan of wagons, and what went back seemed to be mostly lumber.

The nature of the damage to the ships wasn't immediately obvious. They were sitting low in the water, and one was leaning dangerous to one side, but above the water they seemed intact. They also seemed guarded. Or at least a pair of men with clubs sat looking bored on either side of the pier where it joined the streets of the town.

In the town itself there was more activity. A blacksmith worked at his forge, a few shops had people going in and out, and a pair of what seemed to be taverns or inns was certainly doing a brisk trade even though it was still before noon.

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

Pulling up onto the beach and getting behind some marginal cover, Amber successfully shifted into a relatively human-appearing woman. Although she almost forgot about subtle nuances such as her hair and ears, she was ready to go after a short while. It was too bad she couldn't shift clothes, and she didn't have denarii to buy even the simplest of shorebound clothing. As much as she wanted to get to her investigation, she needed a change of clothes, or at least some sort of cloak she could wear over what she had on. Shifting was kind of pointless at this point as she still stuck out like a sore thumb.

Amber decided that the caravan and the ships interested her the most, as they had the highest amount of traffic. Bars and taverns figured to do good business in a port regardless of day, so she disregarded them for the time being, although they could serve as a good source of rumors and half-leads should her initial search turn up nothing.

Still, the first order of business was securing clothes. Looking around, she tried to pick out the friendliest looking female shop-owner or keeper, hoping a woman would be more empathetic to her plight of being hopelessly under-dressed and apparently vulnerable in the port town. Of course she wouldn't come out and say she was a mermaid, she would just have to get creative.

Upon finding an ideal shopkeeper, she would approach in a polite manner, saying, "Good afternoon ma'am. I was wondering if you could help me, or rather if I could help you? You see, I lost a bet which cost me all of my clothes except for...these... I was hoping I could assist you around this establishment so that I could perhaps earn enough coin to purchase a cloak that I might at least wear something over this...er...whatever this is." She gave her best impression of a rueful smile and a shrug, still getting used to being in human form and moving around on land, while hoping that the woman would have some mercy on her and grant her some temporary work.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

The first few stores Amber checked out all had male shopkeepers, and by the third she was starting to attract some uncomfortable looks. Fortunately, the fourth shop seemed to be a clothing store, with the only person visible inside a woman who looked reasonably friendly for one of the Bound. The mermaid made her polite and reasonable plea, and for a moment got only a frown in return. There was a strong bitter smell in the air that Amber couldn't quite place.

After an uncomfortable pause and a frank looking over, the woman responded. "Sorry, no, I'm far too busy to train an assistant." She shrugged her shoulder in a way that indicated the completely deserted store. "Or not, as the case may be. Either way, I don't have any work for you."

She gave Amber another look up and down, and let out a put-upon sigh. "Oh, don't look at me like that. Go pick something out of the box in the corner and pay me back when you can."

The brown-haired shopkeeper turned away and did something with her hands, and smoke rose in a stream above her head. The smell in the shop intensified and the woman muttered under her breath. "Don't know why I even bother..."

Over in the corner was a bin with what was clearly used or poorly made clothing. There wasn't terribly much choice, but Amber would be able to find a shirt and pants or dress that more-or-less fit her and wasn't obviously torn in any meaningful way. There was also a pair of womens underwear available, something normally unavailable to mermaids. Turning back to the shopkeeper would reveal the woman haphazardly holding a small white object in one hand, with a glowing red tip. This object seemed to be the source of the foul-smelling smoke.

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

Fidgeting somewhat uncomfortably as the woman looked at her, she didn't feel as uncomfortable as she had when she had been on the streets, but she felt like the woman was looking at her a little closely and hoped she hadn't forgotten to shift something obvious, worrying she had missed a scale or some such amateurish mistake. Still, she gave a relieved sigh when the woman relented. Bowing deeply and with a very respectful voice she said, "Thank you ma'am. It is a great kindness you have shown me and I shall not soon forget it."

Going over to the bin, the clothing was rather...substandard, but she considered it more of a blessing, taking a large, plain, brown dress that fit over her native garb. With this she would hopefully avoid attracting unwanted attention as it concealed her womanly assets, a major plus for her since she wasn't the type of woman who enjoyed flaunting herself in such a manner.

She wasn't sure if the woman's low remark had been directed towards her own act of charity, or whatever strange experiment she seemed to be conducting. Nevertheless, when she saw the object, she felt her curiosity piqued, and she did owe this woman...she couldn't just leave.

With an interested look on her face, she approached the shopkeeper, wearing her new hand-me-downs. "Umm... Thank you again. Might I ask what that is you are working on? I have a talent for magic, it is possible I could assist you if you wish." Her manner of speaking was somewhat formal for her guise, but she couldn't really help the way she had spoken for the majority of her life.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

The woman raised the thing to her mouth, the glowing end pointing away, and drew in a breath through it. Then she let out a big cloud of the foul smoke, almost engulfing the disguised mermaid. "It's not an experiment, it's a cigarette. And if you're a wizard, go... magic something up or something, get me my money. I'm not running a charity, here."

The shopkeeper waved her other hand vaguely at the door, and promptly started ignoring her only 'customer'. In the mean time, Amber had more or less succeeded at blending in as a human. She had not, however, made any progress at all on finding Elric, nor even really getting a feel for the town.

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

Amber's cheeks burned, so this was a 'cigarette', a common shorebound stress reliever. It was quite foul and she stifled a cough as she bowed and made her way out the door. "As you wish ma'am."

Stepping back into the fresh sea air, she exhaled sharply and inhaled, enjoying the sea air far more after the smelly, dirty air from the shop. Cigarettes, hmph they were distasteful indeed. Well, she needed to get her bearings, but she also had to pay the woman back. After a moment's consideration, she decided to see if she couldn't assist with the moving of objects from the ship to the caravan. Her telekinesis should be good for that, and it could well give her an opportunity to talk to both the crew of the ship and the caravan people.

With that idea, she set off towards the ships to offer her help in unloading the cargo. Approaching the men who appeared to be keeping watch over the ships she said, "Hello there, I am here to offer my help in unloading these ships, I could speed the process greatly."

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

One of the men glared at the mermaid. "You a witch?" He spat, and gripped his club harder. The man next to him rolled his eyes.

From the other side, one of the other pair of men coughed. "Excuse my friend, miss. I'm afraid that some of this cargo is of a sensitive nature. We can't go letting strangers handle it. I just thank the Gods she was able to reach the pier with that hole..."

The first man hadn't stopped glaring, but he also didn't look likely to get up from his seat on one of the pier's supports anytime soon. "We don't take kindly to Witches around these parts. The King wasn't good for much, but he knew how to deal with that sort. So are you? A witch?" His partner buried his face in one hand and said nothing.

The more helpful of the guards looked back at the two ships, where the activity seemed to have changed. Men had stopped carrying things out and just seemed to be piling stuff on the pier, most of it apparently loose junk rather than the boxes they had been moving before. "If you really need some coin... go tell the caravanner that it's going to be tomorrow before the rest can be unloaded, and most of it will be waterlogged anyway, and bring me his response."

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

Did he really just...wow... Amber only arched an eyebrow at the man. So this was the Badarian xenophobia she had heard so much about. She may not have had much in the way of dealings with the human empire, but she felt that if any had needed to be knocked down a peg...or ten, it was the Badarians.

Nodding politely to the more courteous of the crewmen, she replied politely. "I see. Perfectly understandable, I merely hoped to offer my services to make some coin."

When the rude man interjected again, Amber rounded on him, and with a sharp tongue replied, "I am no witch. But what's more trouble in these times are the nefarious ones known as... 'The Idiots'. I have heard one lurks around these parts. I don't suppose your king knew how to deal with that sort, did he?"

Not waiting for the man to reply, she turned back to the other crewman. "I would be happy to help, but before I go, maybe I could take a look at this hole? It is possible I could seal it for the time being, from the outside of the ship if it would make you feel better about me not being near the cargo. If not, then I will go ahead and deliver your message." She hoped the possibility of saving more of the cargo from being waterlogged, and therefore the possibility of receiving more money for the goods would cause the men, at least the more reasonable guard, to be more receptive of her offer.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

The xenophobic guard growled at her, but kept any further comments to himself.

The more helpful one smiled slightly, and spoke up. "Well I can't speak for my 'friends' over there, but... well, if we'd had a major hole below our waterline, we'd never have made it to port. It's more of a slow leak along the entire keel. We're doing the best we can with resin, but the only way it's going to be permanently fixed is with some major repairs, out of the water. No fucking CLEW how it happened, it was almost like we hit bottom in the middle of the open ocean."

This drew a slight grunt of surprise from the idiot, but he didn't offer anything further.

"If you still think you can help... a few hours without needing people to empty out the bilges might speed things up a bit. I'd have to talk to the quartermaster first, but if you can do it from outside the ship... you seem nice enough..." He glanced over at the ship on the right side of the dock. "In a few minutes, next time he comes over this way."

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

A surprised look came to Amber's face as well. "That is rather odd...definitely a major problem for a trading ship, or any ship I suppose."

When the man indicated he would speak with the quartermaster about allowing her to help she smiled gratefully. "Thank you, I would appreciate the chance to help, I am running a bit tight on coin myself these days. Would you still like me to deliver a message to the caravaneer in the meantime?" If the guard still wanted her to deliver a message, she would set off hastily to find the caravaneer and deliver the message.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

The guard shrugged. "Can't hurt. Tell him the rest of the shipment will come tomorrow and probably damaged, if he still wants it."

On the edge of town, there were a bunch of wagons, about 3/4 of them full. Several big men sat around, looking bored. A short-haired blonde woman with a pair of revolvers on her hip paced back and forth, cursing quietly and shooting glances at the boats, the sun, and the landward horizon. "That good for nothing bilge rat! Why do I keep dealing with sailors! If he hadn't already paid me, we'd-!"

She stopped pacing and cursing, and glared at Amber. "What do you want!"

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

The woman seemed upset, likely damage to the boats had delayed the caravan. She seemed a rather intimidating sight, moving back and forth like a caged shark, her revolvers glinting.

As Amber approached, she turned her anger on the mermaid. Sara took a breath, this woman was just frustrated with the way things were going, it wouldn't do to piss her off like she had the other guard. Trying to keep in mind that this woman was doubtless having a bad day, Sara replied in a neutral voice, "The sailors have sent me to deliver word to the caravaneer. Might I find that person here?" She didn't think the woman before her was the one she was looking for, the sailor having referred to the caravaneer as 'him.'

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

This set the woman muttering again for a minute before she responded to Amber. "He's drunk, in the tavern. Again. If you have business with the caravan you can just tell me."

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

Ah, the boss was off getting drunk, leaving her to deal with the problems. Not a good managerial quality, and certainly enough to leave his subordinates, such as the woman before her, frustrated and angry.

"Ah...I see. Well, I regret to bring you more bad news, but the sailors say that the rest of the shipment will come tomorrow, and with some degree of damage." She really hoped this woman wasn't the 'shoot the messenger' type, though she didn't hold much hope that she would be so fortunate. Regardless, she waited patiently for the woman's response, it was what she was getting paid for, after all.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

"Damage. Well I saw how low that ship was in the water, I can guess what fucking sort of damage. Worthless! It isn't worth shit if it's been soaked in seawater! You tell that sea-scum not to bother!"

She whirled around and started yelling at the men. "Start harnessing the horses, we're out of here in five minutes! You! Go get the drunk and tie him to one of the empty wagons!" She lowered her voice. "At least there's he's good for one thing. Won't be me taking the blame for this, not after how often he's insisted he's in charge just because he owns the wagons. Ha, leviathan! If they can't afford to keep their boat dry they deserve what's coming to them..."

The strange woman seemed to be ignoring Amber now, and the previously-idle men jumped into activity. One ran off into the town while the rest started gathering horses and tying things to them, or securing the last few boxes in place.

 

[sturm]

Re: Trouble in the Deep (sturm) GMed by thetwo

A leviathan? That alone was enough to pique Amber's interest. The leviathans were tied to Elric as surely as the Merfolk were. She approached the woman who was taking charge of the caravan. "A leviathan you say? Just what sort of cargo are they hauling, if you don't mind my asking?"

She was torn, it was possible she could secure transportation with the caravan, it would be an expedient way to travel across the country, definitely safer with a group, and they were bound to hear all sorts of things. But if the seamen were somehow tied in with the leviathans...

"Also ma'am, they are currently working to seal the boat to prevent more water from getting in. There's a chance more of the cargo can still be saved if you're willing to wait a bit longer."

If the woman answered in the negative, she would book it back towards the boats to see what the crewman wanted to do. If she miraculously got a positive response, she would linger a moment to see what sort of info she could get from the woman.