prologue ♔ everybody scream your heart out

[ironsides]

WHO || Sean, Dovan, Anastacia, Faith, Fred Jr., Lan
WHAT || Sean's on a boat
WHERE || Off the coast of Australia
WHEN || May 28 [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam

Sean's foray through the fog lands ends with the earth seeming to lurch beneath him. Hope he gets his sea legs quickly (and doesn't his sea sickness Fort save)... because it wouldn't take long for him to realize he was standing on the deck of a large wooden boat. Wooden hardly implies rickety, however, as this boat looks masterfully constructed, even lined with what appears to be gold in all the inlaid designs...

But he won't have very long to ruminate on the craftmanship of the place, before a deep gruff voice shouts: "Stowaway!"

The call is echoed from stern to prow, and from out of the rigging and cabins and from down below crawl a number of very short men with thick torsos and long arms, all heavily muscled and decked out in impressive heavy armor. Almost all of them sport impressively braided beards and mustachios, and a suspicious look in their eyes.

Comments

[ironsides]

We were stolen to this world out of our own - snatched in the middle of th' night and left here, our entire hall and everythin' in it along with us. These men came pokin' about after not long, and it didn't take them long to decide our gold was ripe for taking. We fought them off, every last one of 'em, and they tried to hold us in contempt of their laws for taking the lives of a few robbers and thieves!

[imgonnadie]

[So they showed up just like he did, that's... Not actually comforting. Maybe a little in the yay, I'm not alone way, but mostly it just makes him feel uncomfortable because thinking of where he came from just comes up blank. Hey amnesia is not cool.]

You killed them? [Its only half a question. They were packing more heat than a radiator, he wouldn't put it past them, but he is looking to clarify instead of vilify. Killing is bad, he gets why the other people would be upset, but at the same time he gets why the dwarfs would react that way. Well, he mostly gets it.]

[ironsides]

They're the ones what put up a fight. And you don't steal from Brightfists. [ there are murmurs of agreement from the other 'Brightfists' around. a few hefted weapons and 'hear, hears' ]

[imgonnadie]

[Sean lets out a low whistle. Damn he is with a bunch of dwarves with axes who kill thieves and he is some sort of stowaway because of... something. This is all giving him a headache and he would like something to make sense. Like, yesterday.]

So where're we headed now?

[You like how he did that, added himself into their little group.]

[ironsides]

Why, t'find a place to call home! In the lands to the north. When we get there-- [ he's interrupted though, but a sudden urgent trumpeting horn from the crow's nest. all of them immediately look off towards the horizon, and then a voice cries out: "PIRATES! TO YER STATIONS!"

yes, this is happening. ]

[imgonnadie]

[WOW THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT SEAN WANTED. Except, well, Sean is... Sean, so pirates and all this bustle cheers him slightly in the absolute ridiculous that is suddenly his life.

And what little boy didn't want to be a priate?]

What's going on? Are we... under attack?

[ironsides]

[ the leader scowls at him as he slaps his axe onto his back again ] Those rotten humans followed us from shore. Pirates lookin' to take us down and loot our ship! We'll show 'em you never mess with Brightfists!

[imgonnadie]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. [He holds up his hands like, horses, buddy, rein 'em in.] How do you know it's the same people? It's a big ocean, we aren't the only ship in it. They could just be regular people out for a sail. [He is struggling to just stop this before it ends badly (diplomacy 13), but since he can't assure them it's isn't... well. He doesn't think he is doing that well.]

Hell maybe they're just looking for me. Let 'em get in shouting range and we can see whats up. And if it's bad... well, I'll fight with you. But give 'em a chance.

[ironsides]

[ his diplomatic efforts are enough to give the brightfist clan leader pause and he looks back at sean, frowning heavily and making it clear he just kind of WANTS a fight. ] And let them get the first volley? Never! [ followed by a rousing chorus of 'Never!!'s from all around them. well shit. ] You know how to man a cannon, boy?

[imgonnadie]

[Sean hates everything.]

No. [The most sullen child. And then!] Wait!

Wait, just two minutes, before you go all Brightfist to the face. This isn't a dumb plan, I swear. I can distract them so they can't fire until they're close enough to talk.

And then if they're not good people... [He shrugs, have at.] I can do it.

[LOOK AT HIS FACE. Just look at it, he is so determined.]

[ironsides]

Distract 'em how?

[imgonnadie]

[Finally, finally, Sean smiles.]

You might want to cover your ears.

[He moves to edge of the ship and puts his hand on the railing, facing the opposing ship. (That way if they don't like him, he can just jump in the water instead of being axed to death. He doesn't know why he thinks this is a possibilty, but he does.) After a deep breathe, he lets out a long, warbling whistle -- aiming to disorient instead of just shatter the other boat. (Attack 17)]

[ironsides]

[ the other boat slowly begins veering off course, as the dwarves rush to cover their ears after the fact, because none of them listened to him in the first place, naturally. ]

Nine hells!

[imgonnadie]

I told you to cover your ears!

[Whatever, the ginge is proud of himself, look at his handy work. Still, he looks back at the leader.] Believe me now?

[ironsides]

[ he sho' nuff does ] What kind of sorcery was that, boy?

[imgonnadie]

[Laziest shrug ever, that is somehow simultaneously wicked proud of himself still. Skillz.]

I've got good genes. [and a ~groovy mutation.]

[ironsides]

Good what now? [ s-spot check ]

[imgonnadie]

[Spot 16 as he fumbles for an explanation that pirates would accept.]

I come from good stock?

[ironsides]

[ ANOTHER BOAT BEARING DOWN FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SHIP ]

[imgonnadie]

[OH HEY NOW.]

Cover your ears.

[He whistles again, trying to get the same veering off course. But that sure was a crit fail. Oops?]

[ironsides]

[ yeah no luck whatsoever, i don't know what's wrong with your mouth, sean. and the boat pulls up startingly close, as dwarves start manning the cannons. pirates are visible on the edge of it, and the leader starts shouting loud directions, as the other vessel fires on them. a cannonball rips into the side of the boat, shaking them all where they stand (balance check 13+ to stay on his feet!) ]

[imgonnadie]

[Balance 6, his username is so accurate, isn't it? Thud, down he goes but he manages to shout:] Okay! You were right!

[ironsides]

[ there's a ridiculous frenzy of activity, and cannonballs being fired and slamming into the ship in response, as dwarves run here and there, shouting orders.

one cry rends the air that seems strange however:

"That other ship, Cap'n! It's... it's firing on the pirates!" ]

[imgonnadie]

[Sean manages to push himself to his feet (dex 16), but he grabs on to something to keep him upright just in case. His eyes flash to the other ship, the one he set off course, at the shout and his face falls a little. Well, he screwed that one up. Should have hit the pirate ship with his best shot instead of the people helping them.

Just his luck. Though... he was totally right about that one. Wobbling, Sean makes another stupid decision and pushes away and starts to move toward the other side of the ship -- towards the boat attacking them. He's not giving up, okay, maybe it'll work better when he is closer.

He doesn't tell anyone to cover their ears this time, though, all his focus on getting to the railing and finding a crack from a cannonball to focus on. This time he doesn't even whistle, he outright screams, a huge sonic boom from his throat aimed directly at some splintered wood on the pirate ship. (Attack 22) He isn't trying to set anything off course, he is, literally, trying to sink their battleship.]

[ironsides]

[ holy fucking shit though, he must have hit the money spot because the ship STARTS TO CRACK IN HALF. the cannons are half abandoned as personnel go scrambling to either side, and the other ship launches a volley right into the cracking wood, speeding up the process. ]