The Unknown: A Game of Fear, Ignorance, and Adventure

[MasterSqueak]

"Who the hell destroyed my room?!"

Marneus looked up from cleaning his sword at the raging Mark.

"Calm down, what are you talking about?"

That had came from Alexis

"I thought I made myself clear? Someone broke into my room, destroyed it, stole things, and wrote across my wall 'Better watch your back old man.'"

Marneus decided to speak.

"It is likely it was done during the pirate attack, by someone on this expedition. A pirate would have not written that on the wall, as they intended to kill us all and take this ship. The culprit likely hoped to pin the blame on the pirates, but seemed to overlook that fact."

He continued to clean his sword.

 

[Dastardos]

"Thanks detective. Would have never guessed someone on the expedition would have done this." Mark said as rudely and sarcastically as possible.

 

[Flying-Emu]

Ticky let the grappling hook slide from his blood-soaked hands. Killing was a nasty business, no matter how you went about it. He bent at his waist and cleaned his hands on a dead pirate's jacket. Less bloody, more grimy.

As the confusion died down, Ticky made mental notes. A mage was on board. Useful information. And the senile man was making a ruckus again.

"Thanks detective. Would have never guessed someone on the expedition would have done this."

Striding forward, Ticky looked up at the man, pressing his spectacles up with his index finger. He spoke calmly. "Now, you listen here. There is absolutely no excuse for being rude to the poor boy; he only sought to help you." Ticky crossed his arms and glared at the man. "I realize you've been through some traumatic experiences. A man would allow that trauma to fuel the proper rage; the rage that does not burn against his comrades."

"You are a fool for snapping as you do. I am not an aggressive Gnome, but I refuse to stand by and allow you to berate and humiliate those among us. We have a common goal, and you would tear it apart with your personal griefs. Are you a professional, or a child?"

Ticky huffed. Keeping out of arm's length, he proceeded to begin dumping pirate bodies overboard with the help of the crew.

"Damn bloody fool's going to get himself killed. I only hope it happens afore he kills one of us." Ticky thought, grunting with the effort of lifting the oft-bulky pirates. He made sure to keep the senile old fool in the corner of his gaze.

No use being foolhardy.

 

[Dastardos]

Laughing the Mark walked closer to Ticky. "I fail to see how he "helped". How is stating things that are clearly obvious help? That's like if during the pirate attack I went 'Gee Wizz guys I think that some pirates may be attacking us.'"

Chuckling some more he continued, "And so your saying that I should not be upset that my valuables, things I needed from this voyage, hell the only picture of my wife has been stolen? Your trying to tell me I shouldn't be upset that everything I brought was destroyed or stolen. Your right. I should be calm and mellow about this."

 

[Flying-Emu]

Ticky cocked an eyebrow at the old man. "Sir, firstly, step away, please. I would prefer to not stand so close to one in your state. Secondly. Being angry solves nothing. Acting like a hotheaded child will not find your belongings. Being calm will."

Ticky stood his ground, staring up at the man. "Now. If you require clothing, I'm certain there is spare among the crew. If you require food, it is supplied to you. Adventuring supplies we can share amongst ourselves. I am deeply sorry for the loss of this sketch of your wife, but I am certain we will search the ship when we have the chance."

Seeing that Mark had still not moved, Ticky spoke once more. "Sir, I will ask you again. Step away. I do not wish for an encounter with you, especially so shortly after combat. Step. Down."

 

[Dastardos]

Stepping away Mark continued, "I'm sorry I don't feel safe here. I came here to get away from my problems. To relax and enjoy life, but I was dead wrong. I knew there would be problems but I hadn't expected my 'comrades' would cause it. A man's murdered and disfigured, and at least two robberies have occurred."

"I don't understand why I should be calm while there is a murderer and a thief roaming the ship, and someone robs me of everything then leaves a threatening message on my wall."

 

[Saskwach]

Jonas broke from reverie at the sight of another conflict that might simmer to boiling. He forgot all about Raven and joined Raven and Ticky.

"Let us all calm ourselves. Ticky is right: anger serves you and us not at all."

He turned to face Mark. The rage in his eyes had quelled but not disappeared. It was clear that the depths of his fury could cow a bull from the charge. Jonas was no coward but he was not a fool either: he did not want to stoke the still-red embers of that fire. The best approach would be to offer a solution, the best he could think of.

"But you are also correct. Nothing we've yet offered has been helpful. I suggest this: We question all of the crew and the expedition over who they can vouch for in the fight. For instance, I can vouch for seeing Raven as he and I were quite entangled during the struggle with the pirates. Who do you remember seeing and for how long?"

 

[Flying-Emu]

Ticky exhaled sharply, allowing the pit of tension in his stomach to dissipate. Despite his talents, he was certain he couldn't stand toe-to-toe even with the elderly man. He disguised the exhale as a cough before nodding at Mark.

"If you like, Sir, I do believe our newly-revealed mage could place an alarm over your door. That is, so long as he has even elementary skills in magic. I can supply a bell, or some other object; I like to carry knick-knacks with me. Would that assuade your paranoia? Then, only a skilled sorcerer could get away without activating a rather loud sound. This would prevent further theft, as well as murder."

"Unless, of course, the culprit is a sorcerer. But that's unlikely; sorcerers tend to be... cleaner."

 

[Saskwach]

Spoiler: Wow

You guys sure type fast. I post once within 5 minutes max and get beaten to the punch, then I edit within 3/4 minutes of that and I only just slip in. I wish I could be that snappy with my dialogue.

 

[Dastardos]

As angered and pissed off as Mark was, he started to like the little gnome more and more. "I don't see the point of an alarm anymore. My stuff is all gone and destroyed. I just think its strange that I'm the only person who is worried and freaking out about these events."

Turning towards Jonas, Mark answered him. "That's a good plan, except in all the confusion one could have been seen, then slipped away unnoticed. Anyways, I can vouch for the gnome." He said pointing at Ticky, "A pirate was on top of him, about to slit his throat, and I saved the little man."

Spoiler: Saskwatch

Emu and I talk on MSN all the time. We are informing each other of when we post so the other can hop on and reply.

 

[Flying-Emu]

Ticky sighed. "Sir, I meant more to protect your life. Even the slightest tinkling bell would serve to awaken you earlier, in the case of an assassin. Trust me or not, but it will help you without fail."

 

[Dastardos]

"In theory."

 

[MasterSqueak]

Marneus sheathed his now clean sword and stood up, facing the three.

"I cannot vouch for anyone, as I fought only alone or with Mark. Also, I am rather confused about something. Someone had broke into my room, while I was asleep in it, and had not stolen anything or killed or otherwise harmed me. However, whoever broke into Mark's room had left threats and stolen his possesions."

Stopping for breath, he continued.

"However, I have a suggestion on how we may recover Mark's stolen items."

Dramatic pause.

"I propose we have the Captain or Deslock search all rooms aboard this ship. We can search the public areas ourselves."

 

[Shapsters]

Derlan tossed the grappling hook back over the side of the ship as the last pirate had fled. He saw a group of ship members talking and wandered over to them,

"A search? And for what would we be searching for almighty knight?" Derlan asked with a smile on his face, "Some sort of jewelry gone missing, or perhaps a family heirloom?"

 

[Dragonrabbit]

Reeko was kneeling over a pirate corpse with his dagger out, he was cutting the thumb off. At the same time he was listening to the conversation behind him. He turned around, "I would like to remind you good sirs, that one of the most taboo things one can do to a Painted Elf is enter his territory uninvited, and even if you are invited, to rifle through his things is an insult punishable by death." Reeko smiled and stood up, pocketing the pirates thumb. He moved to another pirate he had killed and started to drain his blood into a small cup he had had removed from his pocket.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

[HEADING=1]Raven's Journal[/HEADING]​

Setting sun, 24th day of the Corvus.
Day 02 of the expedition, on board the Cepolada:

"No adventure is complete without a pirate encounter!", or so I have been told many a times. Though never had a vessel on which I had taken passage before, ever come under attack by these bandits of the sea. Then again none of my previous voyages had intentionally taken me into pirate infested waters. I suppose I can safely say now, given that I had my first pirate encounter, that I have had a full adventurers experience, though, exposing my magical abilities to the crew and the fellow explorers was not part of the plan.

It's uncanny how I seem to constantly find myself between a rock and a hard place, but what could I do?. I could not sit idly by and let an innocent man (as far as I know he hasn't wronged me) get slaughtered, let alone allowing an entire ship to be overrun by pirates is turning a blind eye to my own creed. I simply could not allow it to happen. While I suppose my actions may have eased our passage through the Ferios, I do believe that I have now made my goals of a quiet research virtually impossible. It's only a matter of time before people approach me asking for growth potions and wind chimes to boost fertility or whatnot. Worse still I just know someone will ask me to read their palms and it will most likely be a blasted elf.

Amidst all this concern, I am also a bit disturbed with what I am sensing. I feel the presence of something, something very old, but what it is I cannot say. I can feel it in the air, the waters too speak of ill omens, something unnatural stirs on this day but I cannot comprehend the signs that has haunted my mind for the last few days. I can only speculate if this shadow is a threat or a fleeting mirage. Perhaps...perhaps this is just my nerves playing tricks on me. I did expend a lot of energy today and it has been a while since I had to resort to heavy magic. I don't think I had to summon this much of binding energy since the Dwarves of Ere'bore asked me to move the Thingil mountain about eight feet to the left. Still, fatigue or not, I sense something that shouldn't be here and something more closer to home.

What I know for a fact is that I cannot solve anything in this state, I must meditate on these matters at hand. A murder on the ship, a growing source of discord and a group of explorers that seems to be more than a match in combat than a small army. Interesting days lie ahead for everyone on board. It's just a matter of time before the truth rises to the surface.

~Raven

 

[Saskwach]

Jonas turned to Marneus.

"That seems an excellent idea. I will assent to a search of my things immediately. Of course I'll supervise it as I have no desire for any of my belongings to be acquired."

 

[MasterSqueak]

Marneus nodded at Jonas.

"Of course."

"A search? And for what would we be searching for almighty knight? Some sort of jewelry gone missing, or perhaps a family heirloom?"

The knight sighed.

"Someone vandalized Mark's room during the attack, and stole his only picture of his wife. We are hoping to have a search of the ship done."

"I would like to remind you good sirs, that one of the most taboo things one can do to a Painted Elf is enter his territory uninvited, and even if you are invited, to rifle through his things is an insult punishable by death."

Seeing Reeko slicing up the corpses, Marneus growled and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Have you no respect? Chopping up corpses like a butcher would an animal. And I believe our leader, Deslock, has stated he will not allow these psychotic traditions on his ship."

 

[Dastardos]

Mark stood, dumbfounded, watching Reeko. The corpse of the murdered man from earlier also was missing his thumb. Why would this man be taking thumbs from corpses? This now, essentially, proves that he was involved with the murder from earlier. Had he not killed that man, he at least vandalized his body and removed his thumb. He then approached him and asked this now huge question on his mind.

"Why are you removing the thumb from that corpse?"

 

[Shapsters]

"Ransacked eh? Stolen picture eh? Well that sure seems like a pickle!" Derlan scratched his chin, "Cutting off the thumb of the fallen may, or may not be a ritual honouring the dead."

Derlan did a dance, which involved shuffling and spinning.