Jason and Randall have spent some time trying to "casually" engage Sasha in conversation, to pick up whatever information they could. Although Jason seemed to be surprisingly suave (and well versed in "gamer-geek-speak" when "talking shop" with Sasha over the more game-like aspects of her position as a Link), there was only so far that got them: It seemed to be not "casual" enough to just pick up, say, where she might think Blake could be right now, without turning it into a proper interrogation.
A few bits of trivia came up, however. For instance, it would seem that despite the foursome that makes up Blake's team, and the "elemental" theme that pervades the Avatars universe, there's nothing particularly symmetrical or Aristotlean about the arrangement. Blake and his flaming lion, Regus, are of the element fire - the latter being a fierce type, with area-effect attacks. Jenny and her unicorn, Amaranth, are of the wood/nature element - and Jenny is a Healer, able to lend healing to her Guardian, and with limited ability to heal other Avatars as as well. Fry and his bear, Rockfury, are of the earth element - which would normally suggest that Rockfury shouldn't be able to fly, except for the magical flying cloud that he was able to obtain during a special quest arranged by the Sage, some time ago; Fry seems to have a particular power to boost Rockfury's already impressive strength and resilience.
Sasha and Moonlight are, as previously mentioned, of the element of Moon (a rarity, according to Inari). Unlike her companions, Sasha has no particular "Avatar-boosting abilities" - just her ability to summon or dismiss Moonlight as needed (and something she's used as a trick to get Moonlight out of danger at times). Sasha doesn't consider her own ability to be sneaky - her "stealth skill" - to be anything supernatural, even though it makes her nigh-invisible.
Although Sasha seems keen to brag on certain things, and rather open about some of the abilities of Avatars, there's a limit to how far "casual conversation" can go, and Jason hasn't pressed his luck on that just yet - especially not with the Storm looming ahead so close. There's one thing that bothered him a bit, however, during his discussions with Sasha: The way she describes her link with Moonlight (or between any Link and Avatar) sounds far more akin to Randall's link with Mara: a sort of empathic link that transmits emotions, and a rough idea of relative location, but nothing like the "visual feed" that Jason shares with RIU. (True, Randall's ability to look through Mara's mounted cameras through his PDA is unique, too ... but it's not the same as being in his head.)
During a break away from his time on the bridge, Jason takes a bit of time to experiment with RIU, trying to better understand his link with RIU. He doesn't come away with anything resembling an explanation ... but he does discover, by chance, a potential exploit: RIU still has the holographic projector that was originally mounted for use in fooling security systems, but when combined with RIU's electrical powers, it appears to have been boosted severalfold. RIU is able to generate, briefly, a telegraphic projection of "Businessman Jason" (a model of Jason with his suit and tie). With a bit of tweaking, perhaps this could be employed as a useful diversion, though it does seem to drain RIU's power a bit.
Randall, when not on the bridge, has been "talking shop" with the General, doing his best to be attentive and to listen to the General's tales of battle. If only the "evil empire" bit could be ignored, the General might seem a quite amiable gentleman in the proper quarters. But then, many of the Stellar Empire's evils seem to be vague and "off-camera." Most of the General's campaigns have been against monsters encroaching from the deeper parts of the Shadow Realms.
The General is unashamed of a few details - at least, when talking with a fellow member of the Empire of Stars - that could explain the Empire's "quasi-villain" status. He doesn't detail greatly (assuming a great deal of knowledge on Randall's part already, and not the sort of VNPC to provide exposition for an unseen audience) but Randall can piece together that the "red stuff" indeed comes from a dubious source: it's extracted from the "life force" of various aether-dwelling creatures, and through some sort of alchemical process allows a machine to derive some of their aether-navigating abilities. It does not, however, result from the life-draining of imperial slaves, at least. (Not that slavery is excused, of course - even if they are all "criminals.")
Sorcery is an art employed within the Empire of Stars, and though he doesn't evidence any acknowledgement of "wraiths" or the like serving in concert with the Empire, it sounds as if he is at least aware of mages using magical means to extend their own life-spans and to alter themselves in such ways as to hardly be considered fully human anymore. The General also hints at attempts by the Stellar Empire to acquire their own Links and Guardian Beasts ... but by drawing upon creatures of power found locally. (And that would seem to suggest forming bonds with creatures of the Shadow Realms - since that's where the Empire is located, after all.)
Still, despite the distasteful elements of the General's tales, Randall is nonetheless able to appreciate the General's concern for instilling confidence in his own men, and a certain code of honor he respects. (But then, perhaps a certain amount of honor is required, in order to take heroes prisoner and allow them to eventually escape!) It gives Randall many things to think about, regarding his own relationship with those who might be under his command, one way or another.
The churning of the aether seas commenced not long after leaving Shipwreck, particularly once the fringes of the Storm were reached. It's rough sailing out here, and the best estimates from Holly (who's spending most of her time in the middle of magical rituals, trying to provide some magical help against the swirling currents) indicate that it'll take at least a full day and part of another before they reach their destination on the other side of the Storm. It's going to be a long night.
"Please do not say every cloud has a silver lining, Captain," Jason remarks as he checks over the ship systems for the third time since the storm loomed into view. RIU, on the other hand, is watching the screen and mentally feeding to Jason what the storm ahead may be doing. "Silver nitrate is sometimes used to induce a full thunderstorm. Nasty ones. And well, given we're flying into it, I would prefer if this storm lacks any silver whatsoever!"
Randall hits the pause button on the replay of 'Greatest Moments of Thus Spake Zarathustra' on his wrist PDA - specifically, the moment where the Captain has to make a choice between leaving behind a crew member to certain death in order to save the lives of a marooned freighter. "It hadn't occurred to me to make such a comment, but now that you've mentioned it, I do feel a little urge in that direction," he says dryly, adjusting his Captain's hat. He gets up to check the ship's scopes and instruments.
"Then it will be quite a pity when the Captain's private head suffers a horrible black flow incident next time its used," Jason remarks with equal dryness. "Why, you might even declare, bidet, mates."
Randall winces. "So that'd be the moment the bodily products hit the fan?"
Akiko sits on an anchored stool, watching the Proximity Lens intently. She's held in by a harness, but nonetheless keeps a firm grip on the support rails nearby. (It's possible to "walk" one's way completely around the bridge by holding onto the rails.) "Good news, Captain! The catamaran ship looks like it's going to clear us completely. No need to avert course for it." There have been several such "not-quite-encounters" so far - ships with enough magical presence to show up on the lens, but not close enough to warrant evasive actions.
"Literally speaking, yes," Jason jokes. "Systems are so far stable. And speaking of these ships we've been seeing, think any of the abandoned ones are worth checking for supplies?"
Randall's PDA shows a scanning camera view of the hangar bay - a Mara's eye view. She occasionally sends nervous "pings" to Randall when the ship withstands yet another jolt, but so far it seems to be just that - nervousness. Their previous trip through the Storm on the way in, after all, was amazingly brief. This time, however, they have to take it the long way through, and it seems that Mara hasn't experience with this sort of thing.
The erstwhile police officer turned 'pirate captain' looks over her shoulder. "Well done, just keep an eye out in case they want to signal us," he advises. "Supplies? Are we short on something?"
"Food," Jason says flatly. "Ten days and dropping for all those aboard. We should consider rationing soon."
Akiko looks up. "Well, it's the abandoned ships that we really have to worry about. Dead levistones, no light crystals to keep them going ... I won't have any way to see them on the Proximity Lens if there's nothing magical to light it up."
Randall sighs. "Any food we could get out here would most likely be as artificial as the stuff we've got in the galley stores," he opines to Jason. "If we can keep up this pace, we should make Tasavalta in six days, minus however long we spend checking around Polydorus."
"Not necessarily, Randall. Remember what the sage told us about providing help at opportunity?" Jason points out.
Randall points out, "How do we tell apart the food supplied 'at opportunity' from the food that just happens to be around because the game thinks it should be?"
"Because if we actively look for it, the game might be more obliging. Like the books were," Jason points out.
Randall rubs his short beard. "I'd done a little looking around at Shipwreck, but no luck. There was just too much food around, weird and otherwise, that it was impossible to identify anything that might be meant for us. If we found an IHOF truck abandoned on the side of the road, I'd take that as a sign."
Sasha occupies the Thaumaturgical Detector station - a device that is similar in function to the Proximity Lens, but has a much broader range and is focused more on the minutae of enchantment and element types. But she's more there just because it's another convenient chair with a harness to keep her buckled in and not staggering across the deck, rather than performing any particular skilled function. She looks a bit green around the gills, so to speak, what with all the pitching and yawing, and seems more focused on keeping her dinner down than to watch for magical signatures.
"Haven't done much boating, Sasha?" Jason asks absently. "Recommendation: Don't try to read anything. Also, give yourself a focus. Find a star outside and just keep your eyes on it. It'll help keep you mentally equalized."
Sasha manages to look back to Jason. "I would ... if only the stars would stay in one place long enough."
Randall unlimbers the ship's periscope and checks the path in front of them, just in case a freighter might happen to show up bearing the IHOF logo.
"Then close your eyes. That will help too," Jason suggests. "And just relax back; enjoy the ride."
Akiko looks to be deep in thought, as she examines the aether patterns projected on the orb's "windows." "Derelicts aren't likely to last long out here in the main streams. They shift a lot. See - they shift a bit, and tend to merge, then break up again. If nobody's at the wheel, eventually you're going to hit something. But ... there are dead spots." She tries to point, but it's out of reach of her harnessed position. "The dark spots. I guess even those are going to eventually shift, too, but if something gets dropped there, it'll likely stay for longer. Except ... if it's foodstuffs, I guess it'd probably be spoiled by then. So I guess if you want it fresh, getting it in the streams before it breaks up is the way to go." She gives up and shrugs.
"You've got good balance, don't you?" Randall advises as he scans the aether ahead. "Hanging onto something only makes it worse, because the whole ship is shaking. Dance with the storm."
As Randall peers through the periscope, he sees something drifting along on one of the crosswise aether streams. No, alas, it is NOT a truck with the IHOF logo. It is, however, the "catamaran" that Akiko was tracking earlier. (The Proximity Lens granted enough resolution to mark out an "E" shape that made Akiko think of a catamaran.) Seen by eyes, it does indeed look like a catamaran in shape, with a central hull and two outriggers, gleaming with a silvery latticework on its hull that is surely suffused with some sort of enchantment. Broken ribs radiate out, as it looks as if the ship actually entered the Storm with its sails still out, and they've subsequently been torn asunder. There's a flicker of flame near the nose of the ship ... but it's out of sight again, before Randall can make out such details as might help him to determine what sort of crew (if any) are still aboard the craft.
"Speaking of wrecks, it looks like the catamaran you spotted earlier took some damage," Randall says. "Sails down, maybe on fire."
"Aether streams are shifting!" Akiko warns, pointing to Holly's multi-layered storm map. "Including ours!"
"You're going to want to offer them help, aren't you?" Jason comments wryly. His distraction is short, lived, though, as Jason's focus returns to the ship and its controls so he an react to shifts. "RIU, keep the feed open of how the stream is shifting on the map," he thinks.
Randall looks at the map, trying to judge where the catamaran is and how dangerous it's going to be to render assistance.
The sudden stream shift might offer the opportunity to change course to reach the catamaran's stream ... but that would take the Ozymandias off course, and there's no telling how much work it would take to get back on track.
"You called it," Randall says with a grin. "Unless you really don't want to, if we hit this stream, we should be able to cruise by them, and send over a boat."
RIU tracks the changes, and filters out all the extraneous streams. He keeps track of the pre-plotted course, and makes adjustments, showing that they could keep on going through the Storm and avoid the catamaran entirely ... or else there is a split-off (among many) that could allow them to change course to intercept the catamaran, if they act quickly.
"You're the captain, your call. I just hope we don't get into too much of a delay. Besides, more allies could be useful, I guess. Unless they think we're pirates, which would be bad," Jason opines.
The bridging stream starts to fluctuate just as quickly as it formed....
"Keep your eyes peeled for a cart of Tast-ee Soy Meals," Randall jokes. He shifts the speed of the ship's wheels to bring them onto the bridge stream.
"Adapting paddle wheels for variable stream movement. Compensating for current vector forces so we don't slide out of the bridge, then," Jason remarks as he goes to work. "Sasha, you're about to see our esteemed leader in one of his thoughts of being a hero. Hopefully we'll survive this one too!"
And not a second too soon! The Ozymandias catches a crosswise gust, and shifts over into the dwindling aether thread. As the thread "snaps" and swallows itself back into the larger stream from which it had spawned, it sucks the Ozymandias along with it. It takes the combined effort of Randall at the wheel - and Jason shouting directions to the ship's interface - to keep the ship from tumbling. The proximity alarm adds to the confusion, as the klaxons drop from the ceiling and start blaring. Akiko fumbles about and finds the override lever to shut it off and haul it back into the ceiling where it belongs.
Sasha says some choice words not fit for polite company, as she clings for dear life onto the railings around her station.
Randall says as he adjusts the Captain's hat, then spins the wheel adroitly, "It's the hat. It makes you do things. Sasha, when we get close enough, do you want to scout it out while we get a boat ready with some supplies? If they're still alive on there, they need some fire extinguishing and maybe remedial engineering."
Jason covers his eyes. "Thank you for volunteering me," he grumbles.
"Captain!" Akiko cries out, as she spares a look to the Proximity Lens. "I was wrong - it's not a catamaran - it's three ships! Those aren't outriggers!"
"You're welcome-- eh?" Randall locks the wheel and peers through the periscope.
Jason just sighs. "Pirates. Figures," he grumbles.
Now that the Ozymandias is at a different angle, Randall can see that the "outriggers" aren't actually attached to the central hull. Rather, they're two ships that likewise sport a silvery-latticework type of design, but which are lashed to the central ship by means of what look like chains and cords with grapple hooks. More flames are visible on the decks, and shadows of figures dancing about - or, no, strike that, exchanging blows.
Randall grits his teeth. "Sasha, can you operate ship's guns? Jason, didn't you say the Ozymandias has a ram mounted?"
"Guns?" Sasha asks, incredulously. "If it's like a video game, sure ... but what kind of guns does this rustbucket have?"
"We do, but with those grapples attached, ramming will be questionable. I recommend we somehow get the boarding lines loose first, then ram the attacking ships off them," Jason offers as he mentally winces at the thought of damaging the newly repaired ship!
Akiko calls out, "Should I man a massdriver? I think we're close enough that proximity detection isn't going to tell us much now."
"I recommend we clear the mooring lines, launch a barrage against their sails to cripple their movement, then ram them. It should effectively disable the ship," Jason suggests, "But your call, you're in charge."
"Massdrivers and power cannons," Randall replies to Sasha. "But first order of business, Akiko, run up yellow and black signals, we're ordering them to heave to."
"Aye-aye!" Akiko says with a salute, and then she cranks and ratchets the controls to adjust the ship's signal beacons, targeting them on the ship-bundle the Ozymandias is swiftly catching up to. (The other ships are just drifting with the stream, after all, while the Ozymandias is under its own power.)
Grim, the police 'captain' nods to Jason and shifts the Ozymandias's course to bring them along a diagonal where they'll have a clear shot at the mooring lines. "I'm giving them one chance to stand down in the face of superior firepower," he says. "I'll take over on the comms from here, Akiko, you take Sasha down to gunnery. If you see the General on the way, let him know we're apprehending some pirates."
In response, it would seem, a flare is launched from one of the smaller craft - it explodes into a "skull-and-crossbones" shape. There's just no telling what that means - a boastful challenge perhaps? Or a warning? Whatever the case, it doesn't look as if there's any heaving-to happening in the near future.
"Keep in mind they will fight dirty," Jason remarks.
Akiko nods, and hastily unbuckles herself from the extra harnesses she had wrapped herself into "just in case." "Come on, Sasha. I'll show you how to blow stuff up real good." She leads the slightly-ill-looking girl off the bridge, and to the stairwell to the gunnery deck. She calls back as she runs, "Do we man port or starboard guns?"
"And they're none too shy about hiding who they are," Randall says. He studies the scene via the periscope. "We'll cut across both of them, so man the starboard guns." He adjusts the wheel to port.
"Got it!" Akiko's voice calls back, as she's partway up the stairs. Distantly, Akiko can be heard instructing Sasha - "I'll take a massdriver, since I can load it myself; you take a power cannon - it's simpler...."
Jason drops engine speed to a more managing one for maneuvering the large vessel. "Slowing speed for an attack pass," he calls out. "RIU, do you sense any links on any of the ships?" he asks the dragon.
RIU curls around the pedestal orb, and a window pops up. An abstract view of the confrontation is presented, and a triangle of dissipating spots. In tiny letters, "LOGOUT" appears in a threesome, fading slowly away.
"Heh, people quitting the game to avoid being captured," Jason remarks.
Randall activates the intercom to the starboard gunnery room. "Bridge to gunnery, we're coming across now. You're clear to fire, aim for their mooring lines and sails."
"Everyone be alert, the pirates may have mages. That was no ordinary flare. RIU is feeding me some interesting information," Jason warns into the comm to the gunnery stations. "This isn't a typical raid..."
"Aye, Captain!" comes Akiko's voice. "Commencing fire," comes another voice - the General's? "Uhm ... okay, I think I've got it," Sasha can be heard reporting back over the call-tube.
Randall switches channels to the sorceress's room. "Lady Holly, stand by, we're engaging pirates. There may be hostile incoming magic, just keep it off of us." He doesn't wait for the response though, instead studying the periscope to see what the effect of gunfire is.
A shining javelin launches from the starboard size of the Ozymandias, but as it approaches the mooring lines of the pirate ship, it hits an invisible force and implodes, sending ripples across a cloudy field that envelops the starboard moored craft. Next, however, a bolt of red lances out, and the red glow on the bridge momentarily dims as it fires. Mooring lines disintegrate, and there's an explosion. Then, another red blast, and a similar dimming of the ship's lights - and similar destruction.
The starboard pirate ship is cut loose, and several humanoid shapes limned by the flaming red glow fly off into the tumultuous Storm. One can only hope those were the bad guys, of course. The craft drifts free, and its fanning vanes splinter and break apart, as it begins to roll over on its side.
On the deck of the flailing ship, Randall gets a brief glimpse of what looks like a spectral pirate in a tattered captain's coat, as he opens his lipless mouth in a wide scream, his eye sockets glowing with infernal fury, calling upon powers of the nether realms. Circles of flame form on the deck at his feet, as flaming hands erupt ... but rather than launching out to ensnare the Ozymandias, instead they grapple at him. He appears to be greatly surprised by this. He is even more surprised as the deck beneath him splits to reveal a hellish expanse, and the hands drag him through. The deck then explodes in a ball of fire, and the drifting ship is now a flaming hulk - thankfully well clear of the Ozymandias's path of approach.
"All right - I don't feel so bad now!" Akiko cries over the call tube. "Nice shot, somebody!"
"Great Frobozz, that was an undead pirate captain! Whatever he was trying to do backfired." Randall says, intercom open to gunnery. "Great work, gunners. Stand by on guns, we'll have the port pirate in view soon. If we can nail them like the other ones, it'll just be a case of mopping up whatever pirates are left. Jason, can you get us a fix on the other mage's location?"
"I can try! RIU, bring up the debug battle statistics maps of the ships and all notable bosses if possible, please," Jason tells the little dragon. A pause, and he nods slightly. "There are air and earth/acid mages remaining, Captain," he says.
"Could make for a nasty combination," Randall mutters, trying to spot them on the periscope so he can tell the gunners where to concentrate their fire.
A cloud-like form begins to swirl around the remaining pirate craft ... but it suddenly implodes, as a piece of flaming-other-pirate-ship rips through it. Then, a greenish orb forms from the other ship and hurtles toward the Ozymandias, with a searing trail following behind it - a big ball of glowing ... acid? Alas, it's too quick to take evasive maneuvers, as it impacts the hull of the Ozymandias!
"Bloody hell, they're hurting my ship!" Jason complains, loudly, at the green ball of goo that just hit the ship.
... However, it seems to do nothing more than to make an audible "splat" sound. Well ... wasn't that anticlimactic? And then the cannon fire starts.
Randall braces himself with the bridge rails. "If any of them live, we'll take 'em prisoner and make 'em repaint the hull," he soothes Jason. "After that, we make 'em walk the plank."
"Arr!" goes Jason as he lifts his right fist high!
A volley of cannon fire hits the Ozymandias squarely, rocking the ship ... but not so much as a single pipe bursts in the corridor, near as can be told. The handy magic orb "damage report" shows nothing worse than a bit of scorching on the starboard side, as the Ozymandias catches up on the port side of the pirate boarding action.
"I'm going to make them lick the hull clean," Jason grumbles after the ship rocks from the impact. "Positioned for next volley, Captain!"
"They've got two mages aboard but no telling where they are," Randall says over the intercom. "Mooring lines and sails again. I'll bring us over on a ramming course."
"That does it!" Akiko growls. "I'm switching to power cannons!"
A javelin does no more than superficial damage as it skids through the scene, but a lancing blast from one of the power cannons blows a hole clear through the remaining pirate ship. This fight just doesn't seem fair at all. (Not that anyone on this side is complaining, of course.)
"I missed the mooring lines," Sasha "apologizes," "but I think we got the desired result."
"Holy gods!" Jason squeaks loudly at the sudden blast going through the pirate ship, "Was that us?" To the comm, Jason says, "Ah, yeah, that will do fine, Sasha. Thank you."
"Nice shot, Sasha! That should discourage them a bit," Randall says cheerily.
And of course after he says that, Jason abruptly twitches. "Oh, hey, the acid mage is gone," he notes.
"Leaves us the earth mage. Could he be on the ship they were boarding?" asks Randall.
As the debris clears, it appears that both of the pirate ships have been taken out of the action. The pirate ship on the port side has been punched through, and, buffeted by the Storm, it is quickly collapsing in on itself. Thin and ragged forms spill off its sides - skeletal pirates, it would seem. Amidst all the debris, a multitude of sparkling lights floats alongside the central ship - glowing crystals, perhaps, left over as the spoils of war.
"Akiko, stay on the driver. I have an idea. I'm sending RIU down to you. Lets see if you can lob one of the ball lightning's onto their deck and just stun everyone," Jason says, grinning a bit maniacally at the thought of a dozen or more pirates dancing the sparky.
Mooring lines still cling to the central ship, and it appears that battle still takes place on the central deck, though the flow of more pirates from the side ships has certainly been cut off. Closer now, it looks as if it's easy to pick out the two sides: One side consists of humans. The other seems to consist of skeletal/undead pirates who fight on heedless of the severe losses on their side.
"Scratch that, Akiko, I'm going to send RIU over to do more spot dealing. Its undead over there and I'm not sure a blanket stun would help matters," Jason corrects into the com. To RIU, he says, "RIU, time to stealth and help the crew deal with the undead. Are you up for it?"
"Ball lightning--" Randall stares at Jason as he amends his plan. "You're seriously going to shoot your little dragon over there in the mass cannon?"
"Okay," Akiko calls back over the tube. "I hope you know what you're doing! I've got him all bundled up and ready to go! I stuck a helmet on him - hope that helps."
Randall face-palms.
"Fire lightly," Jason pleads. "We just need to boost him over, not splat him over!"
"Well, let's roll it," Randall says over the intercom. "Bringing us about, we should have a clear shot in ten seconds. General, can you prep a massdriver with a mooring line?"
"Of course!" Akiko calls back. "I don't want to knock a hole in the ship we're rescuing. I figure he can steer himself."
"Ah ... I'm a bit short-handed here," the General calls back over the voice tube. "This is normally a three-man job."
Randall chuckles. "Well, we splashed two pirates. You have a bit of time, General. All we want to do is make sure the civvy ship we're saving doesn't float off and out of the stream while we're helping them with the rest of the pirates."
"Just give the word!" Akiko calls over the tube. "I'll help the General," Sasha says. "I don't think I can pick off pirates with this thing."
"Launch Dragon-1," Randall says. "Then whle he's en route, let's get mooring lines out and secured. Lady Holly, I'll need you on the boarding team, we've got one mage left to deal with, and he's probably on that ship." He stands. "Jason, you coming over or are you going to oversee things from this end?"
"Eh, I'm coming! Who else will keep you grounded in reality," Jason jokes as he works on the controls to stablize their position. A 'hover' in other words...
A momentary RUSHING feeling washes over Jason, as a glowing blue crackling projectile launches out from the starboard side of the Ozymandias. Then, something splits off from the javelin (which continues harmlessly off into the Storm), as a little glowing serpentine shape "flutters" down toward the deck of the besieged merchant vessel.
"Reality? Who's the one who just told his dragon to hop into a massdriver and get fired into space?" retorts Randall.
"Dragons away!" Akiko calls back.
"What the.." Holly calls over the intercom. "On my way. Try not to move the ship too much!"
"Bwuahghgh," Jason says as he sways back and forth from the rather immediate and dizzying sensation. "A hsake of his head, he says, "The same one who told you to not go out in battle that got Mara shot up. This way I know what's going on over there before I get there." "RIU, scan the deck and show me all the positions of the attackers. Keep an eye out for an air mage," he thinks.
There's a sudden explosive cloudburst from the deck that sends the fluttering dragon flying off into space!
"Ack! He found the mage!" Jason says as he almost falls over himself! "Go invisible!" he tells the dragon.
Randall adjusts his cutlass and heads for the hangar deck, there to get a boat prepared for boarding. Mara, he sends to his wyvern. Get ready, I'm going to have you provide air cover while we're over there.
The little dragon vanishes from sight - though it still seems that there is a swirling vortex of clouds whipping around the place he was last seen.
Now it's Jason's turn to look a bit ill. "Banshee," he says as he waves in the general direction of the ship. "Big ghost woman. Corset. Tattered dress. Might look pretty but, well, undead is a bit turnoff..."
"Don't get RIU in trouble," Randall warns. "We're on the way, we can handle the pirates together."
Holding his head as he stumbles around, Jason thinks, "Any chance of hitting her with a bolt, RIU?"
"What's the situation?" Holly asks as she catches up with the others, and looks out of a porthole. "Why is RIU out in the storm, and who Entangled him?"
"Right, gunners! Prepare to fire on, well ... me in a suit! Don' worry, the real me is quite safe so ... let loose!" Jason cackles into the comm. The hacker then sits back, focuses on RIU, and instructs the little dragon to project the hologram of himself right over the banshee and waving its arms in a 'Here! Here!' sort of way!
Sure enough, Jason appears, floating a few feet over the deck of the ship, waving his arms. He's dressed up in a modern suit, complete with tie, just as he usually appears when answering the phone for "Reality Check" - well, minus the floating in space over a skyship part, that is.
"Boarding javelin loaded!" Sasha reports into the call tube. "I've got the power cannon!" Akiko cries out.
"Check your aim, you don't want to destroy the ship," Randall says hurriedly.
"Umm, what do we want to do here, Randall?" Holly asks the Captain.
"Get rid of the pirates boarding that civilian ship," Randall replies. "Somehow, 'we had to destroy the ship to save it' just won't fly on an incident report."
"How close are we?" Holly asks next. "I might be able to lob a Stun spell at them."
The lights on the Ozymandias dim, as Akiko/Inari's voice can be heard cackling over the call-tube. Then, a red bolt lances out from the starboard side of the Ozymandias, blasting RIGHT through poor Jason! He doesn't seem the least bit harmed ... but the barely-seen ethereal banshee right behind him, well, she's another matter entirely. She lets out a tremendous howl that knocks everyone on the deck flat on their backs, as she explodes in an outward burst. The swirling vortex surrounding the spot where RIU used to be suddenly dissipates.
Randall says, "We'll be taking one of the ship's boats over. If you want to try and stun them while we're on our way over, well, be my guest."
"Bwahahaah!" Jason cackles into the comm, "Remind me to never get on your bad side, Akiko!"
Jason suddenly gets a ping from RIU. The dragon seems to have stopped tumbling head-over-tail, and now weaves his way back to catch up with the ship.
"Assuming any are left standing after that shriek," Holly mutters.
The mooring javelin, meanwhile, finds its mark. A sturdy chain bridges the gap from the Ozymandias to the merchant ship.
"Jason, did you just order gunnery to fire a power cannon capable of destroying a pirate ship in a single shot at the deck of a civilian ship?" Randall inquires over the intercom. "Well, it looks like they're not destroyed, so there might still be someone left to save. Readying ship's boat now."
"You make it sound like a bad thing. Would you rather have a date with a banshee?" Jason asks.
Randall replies, "You said she was cute except for the undead thing?" jokingly. "Mara, cover us from the air. Jason, you coming along?"
"Well, remember when I tried to push Inari out of the aircar?" Jason jokes as he checks on the stability of the ship. "Let me see if the ship will remain or if I need to man it. Remember, I can act through RIU."
Captain Randall swoops in on Mara's back, as she lays down a stream of icy breath across the deck, forming up a rising wall that separates several of the defending crew against an onslaught of undead pirates. He shouts outs words of inspiration and encouragement, instilling the previously dejected crew with new hope. Behind them, he can catch a glimpse of a threesome of "hero" types who seem to be going through almost robotic motions in fending off the enemies with their two magical beasts and a magical sword - but they don't seem to be making much difference at all in the outcome of the battle.
The undead pirates, perhaps unsurprisingly, are unimpressed by the theatrics. Randall's sweeping chops with his Cutlass of Freedom do surprisingly little to thin their ranks, but Mara manages to crush several of them simply by landing in the midst of their onrush against the barriers, and then knocking several more with a sweep of her massive tail and a forceful downblast of her turbines. She roars for effect.
Inari leaps into the fray, in full fox form, nimbly bounding with her toe tips across the mooring line. She surrounds herself with a dazzling, distracting display as she blasts through the skeletons - they seem slow to even react to her presence at first, but by the time they seem to have properly registered her as an enemy rather than a reinforcement, she's already knocked several of them off the sides.
"Jason," Randall says over the comlink as he marshalls the defenders, organizing them to use the cover of the barriers so the remaining skeletons will have to be funneled into bottlenecks. "You said you saw some players who'd 'logged out'? They're here but they don't seem to be 'really' here."
Sasha and Moonlight, meanwhile, are late to enter the combat, it seems - though it's hard to tell for sure. Moonlight's method seems to be best reserved for skillful assassination of powerful individuals - and frankly, there are none left. The few times she makes herself visible, it's with a sudden appearance, a flurry of claws, and the disintegration of a pirate - ONE undead pirate - at a time.
"The game is keeping up appearances. Think of how it would look, continuity wise, if they just vanished to the VNPCs?" Jason remarks into the comm a bit distractedly. His main focus is on RIU ... who he is trying to send below decks to look for more undead.
Once the Ozymandias is firmly alongside the ship, and its gripping talons secured, the General abandons his station to charge into the fray. Unfortunately for him, he joins into a cluster of more competent-looking skeletons - or, at least, better-armed and armored - and it looks as if he might be overwhelmed ... save for the timely intervention of a "flash-bang" grenade conjured and hurled into their midst. The general manages to duck in time, as skulls and rib fragments go flying - and he tosses a salute of thanks back to Holly before rejoining the melee.
Randall says over the intercom, "I guess I'd figured they'd get written out of continuity - hiding in the cargo crates or something. Think we need to wait for them to get back on-line or should we just wave goodbye to their ship after we get done here?"
"Wave goodbye. No telling when they'll log back in," Jason comments.
Mara continues throwing her weight around (literally), while Randall has the ride of his life - and he gets a bit more of the hang of it, timing his sweeps with Mara's moves. An entire squad of skeletons, while fleeing another flash-bang grenade, practically throw themselves under Mara's downblast, resulting in another glittering field of glowing crystals ripe for the taking.
Inari continues her rampage, but she hasn't the element of surprise anymore: the skeletons have wised up to her, and are seemingly unimpressed by her illusory displays. They nearly overwhelm her, but she retreats to join the ship's defenders on the other side of the ice barrier.
Sasha, meanwhile, tries for more creative methods, cutting loose some ropes holding back several stacked up barrels of supplies, and letting them crash down on a bunch of skeletons who dutifully followed her up the steps - and who haven't the reflexes to dive out of the way. Crunching bones, crushing skulls - and a moment later, there's another mix of glowing crystals added to the final haul. Moonlight, meanwhile, dutifully goes through the same old routine - another skeleton here, another skeleton there - but in the big picture it hardly adds up to the damage being wrought by the rest.
The General holds his own - "For the glory of the Empire of Stars!" - as he cuts a path through the skeletons. The ship's defenders, emboldened by the turning of the tide, manage to finish off the few undead pirates caught on their side, and begin to use harpoons and flintlocks to get at the undead clambering over the makeshift defense.
Randall murmurs to Holly in the midst of the fighting, "Let's leave the players a note. Do you think we could get away with simply asking them to pass a note on to your supervisors or mine? Or would it need to be 'in character'?"
And, almost unnoticed by anyone at all, a bit of rigging comes loose, and a yard arm goes crashing down, crushing a cluster of skeletons, and releasing a new line of glowing crystals. There's a slight shimmer in the air, that forms the shape of a little serpentine form convulsing ... as if a little dragon were pausing to snicker before flying off to find new prey.
"Without the UI, I don't know if we can even do that much," Holly notes, then asks, "Do we need to fight the rest, or is it okay to just blow them off the deck?"
"Save your energy," Randall advises. "We'll need to check below decks."
Inari, seeing her chance, suddenly leaps across the barrier ... but manages to slip just a bit as she unwisely pushes off with a paw on a bunch of ice. With an alarmed cry, she skids off course, but Mara reflexively swings her tail in, preventing the oversized fox from bounding headlong into the void. Inari vents her frustrations on the remaining skeletons - and the ship's defenders, rallied by Captain Randall's words of encouragement, spill over as well. With the combined forces, the remaining skeletons haven't a chance - and soon there's nothing left but a few glimmering soul crystals, ready for the taking.
"Everyone okay over there?" Holly calls over the ice barrier. "Did any get below decks?"
"Well done, everyone!" Randall says, withdrawing his cutlass from the eye-socket of a skeleton that he'd pinned against a block of ice. "Let's check below decks, and then Sasha can catch up the crystals." For the General's benefit he adds, "Useful tender where we're going."
Through RIU, Jason directs a couple more subtle attacks from above. To the observer, Jason is just 'sleeping' in his chair ... except for the corners of his mouth twitching in a smile. "I don't know what I would do without you," he praises the Avatar over the link.
"Much obliged," says what must be the ship's captain, somewhat worse for the wear, walking with a limp, and with a nasty gash running askew across his forehead. He makes a nod of acknowledgement to the somewhat vacant-looking trio of heroes up near the fore of the ship. "And to you heroes, as well!"
Sasha comes up to Captain Randall, "fading" into view along with her cat. "All clear below deck," she reports.
"Great news, Sasha," Holly says. "What next, Randall?"
Jason, complete with business suit, shimmers in next to Randall. "Now doesn't let this rescue go to your head and inspire you further," he notes.
Randall grins. "Excellent then. We'll clean up the detritus, captain." He nods to the glittering dust of crystals. "When your heroes ask of us, let them know..." He glances over at the business-suited Jason. "Captain Randall of the Ozymandias gives them his regards."
"Not going to ask if the Captain has a daughter?" Holly whispers to Randall with a wry smirk.
Randall raises an eyebrow. "I believe I have enough distractions on my hands already, dear Lady Holly."
'Jason' just shakes his head. He almost says something to Holly, but seems to decide against it.
The captain looks about to say something, but then he just clamps his mouth shut as the General approaches.
"I'm afraid it doesn't look good for this craft," the General reports. "The tiller has been destroyed, and the sails are gone. It's just a matter of luck that this ship stays on course until it's caught in an aether-stream flux, or runs into another derelict."
'Jason' face palms at that. He just knows what Randall is going to do.
The 'pirate captain' frowns. "Well, Captain, wherever you were going, I fear you won't be making it there in time," he says. He glances over at Jason and Holly.
"Oh go ahead, you know you want to offer it. Unless you want me to see if I can fix the ship," Jason sighs.
"I don't think we can navigate the storm and tow this thing," Holly notes.
The ship's captain shakes his head sadly. "We weren't even supposed to be in the Storm as it was. Just skirting along the edge to make good time in the Sentinel Shards, from Polydorus to Cadmus - but we got broadsided by a man-o-war that nudged us into the storm - and when it looked like a couple of friendlies were there to help us - lo and behold, it was just more pirates."
Randall twirls the tip of his mustache. "Captain, we are in something of a hurry and cannot spare the time to make sure you're Aethyr-worthy again. You and your crew and passengers may accept the hospitality of the Ozymandias, as we are en route to Polydorus, or we may make available supplies so you can attempt to repair your own ship and make your way out." He rationalizes it to himself - emergency skylift ambulances do charge the rescuees, though not at the point of departure.
Inari looks approvingly at the suit-and-tie Jason. She looks for a moment as if she's about to "say" something, but then suddenly claps her mouth shut, looking askance to the captain ... and then to the General (who seems to be giving curious looks both to her and to Moonlight now).
"Anything the matter, General?" Holly asks the man quietly.
The captain says, "I would consult the heroes...." He turns toward the trio, and looks momentarily lost. Then, he turns back. "Whatever you decide is best, sir. We appreciate what help as you can offer, but we wish to be no hassle. We have trust in the Light to deliver us, if it would distract you too much from your present quest."
The General looks to Holly and shakes his head. "Nothing, Magess Holly. I just suppose I have not been properly acquainted yet with the resources of this rather special crew."
"Delivering them to Polydorus would give us a good cover story to land there," Jason whispers to Randall. "Can be explained away as being under cover..."
"We might be able to take on their supplies as well, given the.. emptiness of the Ozymandias," Holly offers in support of Jason.
Randall raises an eyebrow at the business-suited Jason. It must be the suit. Even when it's just his hologram, the suit does things to his mind. "Very well, Captain, we'll extend our hospitality to you and yours. Let's start loading things up, we have a stream to catch!"
"What?" 'Jason' has to ask at the strange look.
"Haven't you heard the saying, 'clothes make the man'?" Randall mutters discreetly to Jason, and laughs.
The ship's captain looks relieved, as if this was the answer he'd really been hoping against hope for, all along. "It will be a shame to bid farewell to the Silver Sylph, but she's ... well, she's served us all well, and all good things, you know...." He turns around, and starts issuing orders to his men, as take all haste to get moving. The Storm, after all, waits for no man.
"This is the only way you're likely to see Jason in a suit," Holly notes.
"You two are impossible," 'Jason' says and throws up his arms. A second later, he winks out of existence.
Randall throws the captain a salute. "At least you don't need to go down with the ship," he says with a wink.
In relatively short order, the crew of the Silver Sylph has relocated over to the Ozymandias, taking advantage of its surprisingly large collection of vacated barracks and cabins. They move over a cargo of Polydorian silks into empty stalls in the hangar bay, and pile up provisions in a remaining stall. Several unused cabins are converted into temporary storage space for miscellaneous salvage that can be broken up into smaller portions, though the particulars can be shifted out as the ship gets underway.
Since the crew seemed to be taking care well enough of this on their own, Captain Randall leads an expedition to search the derelict pirate ship remains for additional crystals and possible magic items - while Sasha takes her own reconnaissance on the back of Moonlight (who can still fly, even in the Storm). Inari looks vaguely jealous, and ends up shrinking down to a more manageable size so she can fit comfortably in one of the longboats of the Ozymandias.
Several crystals are recovered, enough that 930 crystals are added to the shared pool kept in the trunk of the aircar (which VNPCs don't even seem to acknowledge the existence of, so it makes for a handy storage space). More interesting items include a wispy dress found on the main ship (presumably belonging to the banshee - and no one volunteers to wear it), a glowing green stone off of the port pirate ship, and a steaming, searing blade off of the starboard pirate ship's remains.
Randall over the wrist com: "Even taking into account that their fire mage blew himself to Kingdom Dot Com, this cutlass seems to be sizzling just a little too much to be an ordinary blade."
There's also an abundance of trophies for those so inclined - various macabre articles, furnishings, collections of books of dark arcana, various things creatively constructed out of skulls and other bones and stretched leather, and so forth - just the sort of thing one might expect to find on an undead pirate ship with one or more mages on board.
"We're well stocked if we decide to become villains or... open a Goth store," Holly comments, as she looks over the odd green crystal. "I suppose you'll want me to check all this stuff for curses?"
"That'll be a great weapon if we ever happen to need to hack through a forest of ice," Jason observes about the blade. As for the dress, well, he suggests, "Holly could use it as a change of clothing. And I'm sure her daughter will just love the throne of skulls..."
Randall: "It came off of an undead pirate ship, what makes you think it isn't cursed?"
After some discussions of the pros and cons, it's decided that the "ghostly raiment" will go into the collective stores of the Ozymandias, for the next time the crew is desperately in need of some "gothy" magical attire. The stone is, according to some notes in one ship's magical chamber, an "Earthblood Stone," and is left in Holly's care for further examination. The "Scalding Cutlass" appears to be the possession of the former fiery pirate captain, and is considered for possible personal defense for Jason or Holly (with some reservations, what with that whole "curse" issue).
After careful consideration, Randall comes to the conclusion that his "closet" that he calls home just hasn't the room for hauling off new furnishings, and, besides, he's just not into the whole "goth" thing. (Plus, there's the whole idea of having something that might have been made from a former human or humanoid being, virtual or not.) And Holly certainly doesn't want to encourage Tracy. And Jason isn't a knickknack sort, and even if it might fetch a pretty penny back on the online auction sites back home, actually getting back home is more of an immediate concern. So, they opt to let it go, and minimize their chances of picking up fresh curses in the bargain.
So, with some small ceremony, and some shedding of tears on the parts of the crew of the Silver Sylph, the bodies of the fallen are committed to the void (since "burial at aether" is commonplace for sky sailors, and graveyards are a luxury for the rich on the shard worlds), along with the crippled ships.
Captain Randall then tends to the business of manning the helm. The crew don't question the lack of anyone visibly operating all the complicated equipment, and it's not like they're on the bridge anyway to witness as Jason calls out his own every move (so as to make sure the universe is listening in on his intent) as he uses the gauntlet to assist Captain Randall - and Holly conjures up a magical prop to assist him.
They manage to catch a splitting stream during the next flux - and watch as the pirate ship remains and the Silver Sylph are crushed into bits. (At least the figurehead and the levistones were salvaged.) But it's far from over. All through the night, they make their way, with Captain Randall and Jason taking shifts at the helm, RIU providing a link for "weather reports," and Akiko keeping an eye on the guests (and making the occasional coffee run).
Holly rather grandly offers Sasha the use of her makeup set and mirror, after cleaning up, and then focuses on more mystical concerns.
Randall: "Holly, I'm all admirant of your creativity, but really - could you pick something other than a 'Sailing for Dummies' book the next time you're providing a little magical assistance for our piloting? I'm beginning to think you don't trust my sailing."
The Scalding Blade turns out to be just that. It's a cutlass, capable of dealing damage as any weapon of its type, but with the added benefit of being able to harm creatures normally unhurt by mundane weaponry. But what's more, with its perpetually scalding aura, it gives some additional burning power: especially useful against creatures resistant to fire, and still capable of hurting even fire-type Avatars. The only drawback is that the weapon is indeed Cursed, though a relatively mild one: It is a jealous weapon, meaning that once it has been used, the owner must always use it as a melee weapon (though he is free to hold another weapon in his off hand, or to put it aside when he's using ranged weaponry instead), until freed of its curse. The more sinister side is that there's some sort of "backlash" effect that can happen if the wielder is particularly careless in its use.
Randall, of this diagnosis: "What is it with you and cursed things, Jason?"
"I haven't used it! It's not my fault," Jason insists.
Randall chuckles, "Well, I supposed I was the one who found it, not you. Let's save it for a lovely parting gift for someone."
The Ghostly Raiment is similarly mildly cursed. Put on, it provides nearly weightless protection, and makes the wearer somewhat better at hiding, since it grants him or her a slightly insubstantial appearance as needed. Although it presently appears as a stylishly tattered dress, it adopts the appearance of a somewhat frilly man's Renaissance-style suit if put on by someone of the male persuasion. The "curse" is simply that, once put on, the wearer won't have the choice of changing to another set of attire until such time as the curse is cured. This could pose a hindrance for someone hoping to upgrade to better armor later - or a nuisance for those inclined to change costume frequently. (Of course, one could also be concerned that there are no instructions for proper wash and care ... but that's rarely something worried about by adventurers.)
"Remind me never to include you two in any Secret Santa drawings," Holly notes.
"I still think Holly should wear that," Jason jokes about the dress...
Randall says helpfully, "If we burn it now, you won't have a surprise under the tree when Christmas time comes, Holly."
The Earthblood Stone is something of a focal point. Held in one hand, or worn as a pendant about the neck, or worked into a crown or other item of prominent jewelry, it grants the wearer the ability to make blasts of acid, drawing upon his or her own power. The Cursed aspect of it is similar to the others: It is a jealous artifact, and in whatever form it is first used, it demands to be kept: Once it is used held in one hand, that hand is going to be forever occupied with it until the curse is broken. If it is worn as a pendant, that pendant won't be easily removed. And so forth. The other half is that it is a potentially dangerous power, capable of resulting in backlash for the unwary user - and acid can be such a nasty thing.
"Hah hah," Holly says, after the curse-reporting is done. "We can probably sell all of this stuff if we want too. Not sure we'd want to sue any of it, except in an emergency. Or else give it to Sasha.."
"Could be difficult eating with that in one hand," Randall assesses. I guess now we know what happened to the fire
mage!"
Finally, it occurs to Holly that while she has her cell phone providing such useful information on potentially cursed items, perhaps she should try sweeping the area for other potential curses and enchantments before the spell expires. For instance, there's that new dresser and mirror set she acquired in Shipwreck, and which Sasha is presently trying out.
As she heads back to her chamber to follow that lead, she hears maniacal laughter echoing from her chamber. My, but Sasha must really enjoy that makeup.
"You can stop being mean to Sasha, Holly. She has been helpful," Jason remarks.
"Curse," the cell phone display reports. "Type: Possession, Form Change. Note: also affects linked entities."
"Oops," Holly says, stopping outside of the quarters. "Right. I wasn't being mean when I offered to let her use the make-up table, though. Remember that!"
Randall says thoughtfully, "That sounds bad."
Curiously, although the laughter still echoes and dies away, the chamber is empty. Sasha isn't there. And there's no sign of Moonlight, either.
Jared sighs and shakes his head. "Sasha?" he calls out in the chamber.
"Probably just turned her into a succubus," Holly says, checking for opened windows.
The mirror is marked with streaks of red lipstick. It doesn't look friendly.
Jason resists swatting Holly. "Behave," he reminds her.
"So.. she's probably stealthed," Holly observes, frowning at the lipstick. "She didn't sound unhappy though.."
"RIU, locate Sasha," Jason thinks.
As Holly turns to look at the lipstick, she's struck by the resulting image. Red splashes across her face, and where her eyes should be. It's as if she's looking into the mirror at her own mutilated face.
The 'pirate captain' sizes up the situation. "Holly, you remember what the make-up table looked like before you left? Did it get a couple extra pieces?" He examines the accoutrements.
Jason also moves to examine the furniture, particularly the smeared lipstick.
"Ugh," Holly comments, and turns away from the mirror. She looks over things as Randall asks.
"Sasha? This is Jason. Remember? We talked earlier. Please come out," Jason says a bit worriedly.
"Aside from the knocked over chair and way everything is scattered around, nothing strikes me as new or different," Holly notes.
"Oh, Holly, Holly, Holly!" comes a purring voice from unknown quarters. If that's Sasha's voice, that should have broken her Stealth, for sure. "Those colors just don't suit you! Really, I think your color is more ... RED!"
"Now.. be nice, Sasha," Holly says. "I'm sure we can fix whatever is wrong..." She holds her hands up and gestures with them in the usual 'hold on a moment' fashion.
"Holly. There are jokes, then there is being evil," Jason says a bit darkly, "This comes close to crossing that line." He also holds up his hands, saying, "Sasha, calm down, please. We can fix whatever happened." Mentally, though, his focus is on RIU and preparing him to disable Sasha when she shows herself. The last thing he wants to do is attack someone who has been repeatedly mind-raped, but he's not about to allow anyone else to get hurt.
Randall, normally the one to try and talk the 'perps' out of threatening actions, watches the air. Was that something moving-- "DOWN!" he yelps, leaping to tackle Holly to the floor.