Duty Session 382: A Distant Voyage

Schneider has finally decides he's got to get over to the Palace Lands, and will pick one of the supply ships that's going to resupply Seeker's Landing. They're going there anyhow, so hitching a ride seems like an easy choice. He climbs aboard, nods to the fellow watching the quarterdeck, and there's a bit of back and forth as he wrangles the price for passage. He forks over the coin and will go below to the cabin he's directed to, and will go to the common area where the passengers are waiting out of the way of the crew and he'll take his ease there are the ship is prepared.

Miho has a load to take to Land of Dragons. Namely, a forge to help with the small growing town along with other smithing supplies. Gear needs to be maintained after all right? She'll be getting on the boat she does not seem happy though. She's not sure what to think about the Land of Dragons recalling her experiences before Pluto's Kiss. She'll have to buckle up and get down to it. She pays to get it loaded and then will head on herself. She will just happen to un the common room setting up a board game of some sort as she looks over to Schneider waving.

"Hey! didn't think I'd see someone I knew here. So care for a game? We got a long trip ahead of us."

     Rizadoman walks onto the deck of the ship, one day they would have much better travel arrangements but for now this was the only way to get to the palace lands. In fact he was only going for a single night and then would be going back, in time for the wave that is likely pending. With a heavy look in his eye he walks out to the bow of the ship and waits only imagining whats going to come.

    People need access to the palace lands. Mizuki needs to get out there and help people, right? This is something she can do. She's got stuff to work through, but... life goes on. The world won't stop while she figures out #-1 FUNCTION (ANSI) EXPECTS 2 ARGUMENTS BUT GOT 1 she is.

    Besides, #-1 FUNCTION (ANSI) EXPECTS 2 ARGUMENTS BUT GOT 1ever else she is, she's also a badass cat ninja, right? Right!

    As she's looking around to see who's on this team, she enters the common room, and GASPS. "You brought a GAME? What is it?! How do I play?!" She rushes over, staring down at the board and pieces and absorbing information with a part of her brain unused for the past almost year and a half, tail shaping into a ? with the tip twitching lazily.

Schneider smiles as he sees Miho, and nods about a game, grinning as Mizuki comes over and joins us as well. "Sure, sounds good," he agrees It's supposed to be a week-long voyage, right? He'll have piles of time to kill. "Coming over with supplies?" he wonders. He's just brought himself, but he will begin the game as the ship finally gets things together and gets underway.

As we reach deeper water, some hours later, there is a -thunk- as of striking something beneath the waves. Has Scale developed submarines? No, there's a scraping sound as the ship is dragged to a halt, and sea monsters scramvle aboard and begin attacking everyone and everything. It is a mess.

Miho does not yet see Rizadoman is on the trip and she will look to Mizuki and grins "I'd get a Majong set if I could as for this its called Go."

She notes and will explain the rules as she sets up the pieces for play watching the catgirl. While her tail is swishing a bit. Miho then laughs at the response from Mizuki's tail. The game would help pass the time but she knows there may be things to do on the trip.

"Aye, certain things that are in dire need for the people at the Landing. Smithing supplies to be exact."

There would be some time for games before they hit the deep water at least.

The fun and games are over for the moment Miho sighs she's very strong in a way someone of her frame on earth could never be. That matters little as she gets her Katana out and starts attacking the creatures she's also breathing fire from time to time at them too.

    Scale Submarines? Why would Scale be attacking? The game is interrupted by a monster attack! Mizuki stands up from her seat, "Oh, COME ON!" And then...

    And then she just starts giggling, for several seconds. "Hehehehehehehe... I haven't had to be annoyed at a game being interrupted... haha... for over a year! Hahahahahahaha o-okay, I'm okay..." She takes a deep breath, and hurries up to the deck.

    Where she comes face to fishface with one of Innsmouth's Finest! She shanks it, pins its weapon arm with her other hand, and bites down on the neck hard, trying to kill it in the traditional cat fashion. When its health is low enough, she digs her claws in, clambers onto its shoulders, and then leaps off with one last rake, shattering it into polygons!

    As Mizuki's leap carries her over the battlefield, she twists to face downward, takes a breath, and then breathes a plume of flame over the attackers, vaporizing the water still clinging to their skin and, hopefully, burning them enough to make them easy for everyone to finish off together after she lands dramatically on the other side of the group!

    Rizadoman waits on the bow, sitting eyes closed as he takes in a deep breath with every passing of the ship. At least his sea sickness seems to no longer bother him. At least that is what he thinks up until the attack on the ship. The sea monsters attack and Rizadoman quickly gets up and is ready to unleash firey torment upon the attackers, until the rocking of the ship catches up to him and instead he finds himself losing his breakfast over the sside of the ship.

Schneider comes up on deck after we lurch to a stop, just in time to be faced by a horde of slimy fish monsters. "Zako Damero!" he shouts, and a gout of intense fire turns them into so many fish sticks. Miho slices and dices through the sea monsters, and limbs are flying everywhere as they flicker and vanish in a puff of pixels. Mizuki shanks the fish and bites another one, and it's pretty messy. But in a good way. Rizadoman, meanwhile, hurls over some monsters climbing up over the bows, and they drop back into the water because YUCK.

The monsters are pushed overboard finally, they can't keep up with the vigorous defense, but the ship is damaged none the less

Worse, the weather starts getting rough, and the tiny ship, well, not as tiny as all that, but it's tossed regardless. Lightning arcs out of the sky, and the adventurers will have to support the crew, offering protection or conducting repairs or just lending muscle where needed.

    Rizadoman feels much better after his sttomach empties, "It appears I will be fasting for the rest of the voyage." He comments to himself as he shakes it off, just in time for the rain and lightning to get rough. Taking a deep breath his scales turn blood red in a flicker before he begins to break apart his shield and throws one of the chained swords up in the air spinning it. He has now become a giant lightning rod.

    Weather is a pain.

    The world sees fit to remind Mizuki that not only is she no longer in a climate-controlled building most of her life, but that there are acts of nature even a warm coat of fur can't protect her from!

    Mizuki... doesn't really know anything about maintaining a ship! She can't even really be ship's cat, if there are any rodents around smaller than dire rats they're too hard for her to catch... Well, she still has her natural weretiger strength and speed! She moves heavy things, and when the weather is particularly bad, races around the decks lending help where needed, until eventally she sees someone fall overboard, and while diving over the side holding a rope to save them, her hand slips, leaving them BOTH in the drink...

Well things go well enough with the monsters that's the good news right? she seems pretty pleased at this and will move about to try and lend her muscle power to where the crew might need it. They need to clean up and she looks to Rizadoman for a moment and seems sympathetic to him.

"We'll get you something big when we hit the Landing then!"

She'll do her best but she's a bit worn down from the fighting earlier. It doesn't go so well.

Schneider is one of the adventurers who will shield those doing repairs. The slings and arrows of outrageous sea monsters are just the start! There are several crews, though, and Rizadoman helps with that task also. Lightning strikes his chain, which is grounded in the water, luckily! Miho's pretty worn out and isn't able to help much with the repairs. So is Mizuki, but she tries anyhow, and winds up needing to be rescued, herself! A rope is thrown to her, and she's reeled back in until she can be helped back aboard.

Even after the immediate repairs, she ship is showing damage, but it's not in immediate danger of sinking, at least. On the other hand, there are no end of injuries, some small, but some pretty bad, The party must make sure as many crew are tended as possible, so that the ship can be sailed on. Otherwise, it's a floating coffin.

    Mizuki is dragged back aboard looking like a drowned cat. At least she's practiced in drying herself, surrounding herself (and the Lander who fell before her) with a flame-filled Aero effect until warm and dry.

    Injuries, she's little help for. She has no relevant game Skills, and only some antitoxins and basic healing potions, which are of no help curing diseases or broken bones.

    She mostly spends this time brooding alone as she tries to stay out of people's way.

    Rizadoman looks at the injured people and quickly moves to help them, " The ancestors of those who all sailed these seas I call on thee. Heal those who still live today." With a bright light from his shield he begins to cst healing magic on the sailors trying to heal them. At least no one will die today from all the damage the ship has been through.

So the trip is going onward it could be worse right? She will rest while she can after the repairs are done there's a clear reason to why. The captain was chargiung so much for hauling people and cargo over here. She want to rest but people need help she does have some healing abilities so she sets out to work with those on the injured crew.

Luckily, a lot of the crewmen's injuries are just pulled muscles and strains, which as a basketball player, Schneider knows all about. Ice on this, heat on that, a crutch here, and wrap that up. He can even set broken bones, after a fashion. Mizuki can at least care for herself, with magical equivalent of a full-body hair dryer. A few of the Landers watch her brooding, but they're mostly feeling sorry for themselves just now. Rizadoman actually knows actual Healing, which allows him to take care of the more serious injuries with his powerful healing magic. Miho backs him up as best she can, but its a hard time.

After all that's befallen the ship, however, the winds, which had been steady to ZOMG, now fall to nothing, and the ship is becalmed. "The storm before blew us off course," the Captain adds, which does't help much, does it? "We need wind, and to go in that direction," he points at his map. Now to work out which way "that" is in a drifting ship.

    Rizadoman looks at the daytime sky and frowns, " If we simply wait a little while the stars will come out and it should provide an easier heading. However we can likely just head east in general. " The lizardman is quick to commit to his own idea as he begins to try to channel enough air to get the ship moving but all he seems to manage is a light breeze.

    Air magic isn't unfamiliar to Mizuki, as she demonstrated earlier in the trip! However, using it *this* way may take some doing... Mostly she knows basic lightning attack spells, and air defensive spells. Maybe she can use Flash Step to push the ship a little, working with others?

    If anyone knows an actual Wave Arte for calling the wind, Mizuki does her best to imitate it untrained with supervision. This isn't a battle, and getting it right the first try doesn't really matter, so maybe she can pull that off well enough to help.

Games, some fishing and the like for a while. It's calm but hte wins die down, they don't come back. She gets some ideas though of how to help. She doesn't have magic like many would think however she has some air based sword arts. So she'll use those to start generating wind to help move the ship.

Schneider can't navigate to save his life, and his magic that's not fire is wildly limited. He will attempt to summon an air elemental, but the elemental he summons can barely blow back his hair dramatically. Did he summon the hair imp by mistake? Seems so. At least his hair blows back dramatically as he stands on the afterdeck. Rizadoman gives advice that sounds good to Schneider, and the spell looks pretty impressive. It doesn't help much, alas. Mizuki, on the other hand, after some trial and error, gets a decent breeze to fill the sails. Miho, non-magical, still has enough of the quasi-magical elemental power to put some wind in the sails also.

The ship makes progress again, but we are behind schedule, or, stated another way, we've eaten all the food for the length of the journey we'd planned, and the added unplanned days were unplanned for food also, which means we need to acquire more. It's kind of important. The Landers are not pleased with our planning, such as it is. Or isn't.

    Mizuki, buoyed by her success with wind, is optimistic about the search for food! She does her part to put those sharp were fang eyes and ears to good use, pointing out sea life in the distance!

    Rizadoman was not so fortunate when it came to his hunting, as not a single bird int he sky or fish in the sea was able to be found in such a way that would appease any sailors, little lone adventurers. There was absolutely no food to be found out here from Rizadoman's perspective.

Well things go one wy or another the only issue that goes well for Miho during this time? She has some luck fishing but it's not enough to feed the whole crew. It's something but it's far from enough to raise people's spirits much if at all.

Schneider and the others may be formidable warrior and adequate seafarers, but as far as supply gathering goes, they are all best advised not to quit their day jobs. Rizadoman is unable to spot any .... what /do/ lizardmen eat, anyhow? Mealworms? No cheese floating along either, sadly. Schneider standing on the bow with a spear may look cool, but it feeds no one. The crew are wildly unhappy, tightening their belts and eying the party hungrily. The humanitarian joke keeps going through Schneider's head, and he winces each time. They are saved, luckily, by Mizuki's successful search for actual sea life, and when she points them out, Schneider is able to spear a few fish, and between that and Miho's fishing, it's enough to keep everyone alive, if not happy.

Sadly, we still seem to be lost. We are so far off course, the captain has given up on navigation, and the Landers are grumbling much more aggressivley. "I know a good song," Schneider says, trying to distract a lander. But he can't, in the clutch, actually remember the words. Or the tune. "Anyone else?" he asks.

    Rizadoman is not any more of a bartender then he is a hunter it appears. In fact he seems to only be able to serve up water, and not just water, salt water. He really isn't a good bartender, not one bit. However that doesn't matter as it sounds like they are finally there.

Things are getting bad or at least seeming so to Miho. She does however think and she'll start singing the first thing that comes into her head. A show she watched as a child.

"The castle of black metal is rising in the sky It's super robot Mazinger Z Its invincible power is protecting us Justice in my heart, pilder on Flying high iron fist! Rocket Punch! It is now, got it now, Breast Fire! Magin go Mazin go Mazinger Z!"

"The castle of black metal is breaking the mountain It's super robot Mazinger Z The anger of justice is for everyone Praying for the peace, pilder on Shoot it, hit it! Missile Punch! It is now, got it now, Rust Hurricane! Magin go Mazin go Mazinger Z!"

She's having a ball but she's a bit off key...

    Mizuki knows lots of songs! However, pop music and videogame vocals are often ill-fitting and difficult for landers to understand, and when she can't help but hum pirate- and ocean-themed background music, the repetitiveness gets on people's nerves...

    Oh hey! Miho's singing a song that Mizuki remembers! Or at least, she knows the melody from Super Robot Wars games... She eagerly follows it up with a song that... doesn't come out as cool as it plays in her head, since there's no instruments... Also, while everyone else can tell what she's singing, native Japanese speakers can surely hear her American accent mangling some of the pronunciation... Oh well, her eyes may be blue, but she's got samurai spirit, right? Right?

    "Burn it up! Hear a shout! MAZINGER!"

    "The final judgment has been passed / Darkness? army surges forward / The flame covering the sky burns red, red, burning!"

    "BURNING MAZINGER! BURNING MAZIIIIIIN--"

    "Illuminated by a single flash of lightning / Metal guards loom / God?s on the ground. Embodying miracles / Now the world is wrapped in darkness / Waiting for that power!"

    "If it?s with you, feel it, KNIGHT-O! If it?s you it?s possible, ROCK ME!"

    "There's no art of escaping from destiny / Shake off your sorrow and push forward / Howl passionately with burning anger, saver, savior?!"

    "Cleave the onslaught of dark clouds / Shatter them with a powerful hit / Now, break the wall! Release the future!"

    "Every person seeks love / Chasing that light..."

    "If it?s with you, feel it, KNIGHT-O! If it?s you it?s possible, ROCK ME!" (etc)

    She's smiling, but the song doesn't seem to be helping anyone break through anything...

Schneider turns out, in his researches, to have actully found a few pertinent tales regarding mariners cast adrift, starving, unsure of their destination, and ... drinking saltwater because we're out of freshwater? Schneider gives Rizadoman a skeptical look. This is wildly terrible and dehydrates people faster, if the devs have programmed that level of detail into the game? The Landers so all have Hungry and Thirsty debuffs, but it's hard to guage their exact level of pre-murderous rage. Mizuki and Miho's song choices do not cheer the crew very much, mecha anime not really helping to distract them from starvation, /but at least she's not singing Gilligan's Island/.

Things are looking grim as the sun sets, but the Landers don't quite have the energy to attack the players by now. Then, just as the sun is rising, the lookout shouts, "Land ho!" And not just land, but Seeker's Landing. We've actually gotten where we meant to go. The captain seems as surprised as anyone. The crew actually drags themselves up and starts getting ready to make port.