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The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:13 pm
by Venice Queen
"Why not go t' where there seems t' be some signs 'f life, yeah?"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 3:45 pm
by MadBull
"I trust smoke more than red water! I'd rather go there!"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 7:32 am
by Alexjh
The group decides to head towards the farmstead, judging that it seems a safer bet than the blood-red shoreline. It takes them about an hour and a half to get off the hill and down towards the farmstead - the weather is chill down here, and the cold weather after the storm has rendered the ground hard and sparkling with frost.

As they approach, they see an elderly lady - a Serotine who is small even by the standards of her people, balding and hunched with age, trying to break the earth in her back garden slowly. Given how hard the ground is, she has had very limited success.

"Hello? I can hear people coming? I have nothing of value worth taking, not even food, please don't hurt me."

She says it with a resigned practice but you also note she is gripping the hoe combatively with it aimed towards you - though as you get closer you see her misted eyes and realise she must be blind - though at least you consider for a Serotine that is less of a disadvantage than it would be for anyone else...

She doesn't give the impression of actually going to attack you however, so asking her any questions you may have may put her at ease...

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 9:17 am
by Venice Queen
Riain has yet to completely give up on the idea of robbing her, but he is willing to play nice for the time being. "D'ya know what th' 'ell happened in Porthcollen?"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 10:21 am
by Alexjh
"I....I haven't gone to look myself, but I talked to some of the people fleeing town... they asked me to go with them... but I'm too old and blind... I know I'd just slow them down... and besides this is my home..."

She notices her conversation is drifting a bit and gets back on topic

"The red-weed came... have you been having the same sulphur smells from the sea we have? It came after another bout of that - deep red weed that clogged the harbour and made it impossible to take boats out. We were going to starve if something wasn't done"

She pauses a bit, not knowing quite how to go on for a moment...

"I don't know for certain what happened next... they summoned a Shaman to deal with it... I heard he came down with his rune-etched staff and his outfit with the colourful beads and feathers - not that I can see them myself these days... He was meant to clean it up in the morning... but then..."

Her voice begins to quaver....

"I don't know what happened... I'm blind anyway so didn't go to see, but everyone was going to go watch the Shaman do his work and something went wrong... there was screaming I could hear from here.... and then I heard people leaving town... Old Yngark the Tavern owner stopped by and told me to pack my things and leave... but I can't... this is my home..."

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 6:44 pm
by Venice Queen
"so there ain't nobody left in th' town then?"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 11:56 pm
by Cha0sFerret
"Do y' know where they might've gone to?"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 4:28 am
by Alexjh
"I... don't know.... a lot of people left, but I've no idea if anyone stayed... I've.... not dared leave my farm since it happened.

As for where they went.... all on the South road I think....to the more southerly towns... Trevont and Eel Bay perhaps... maybe on to Curnathon and the rest of cities, I think for some this would have been the last straw. Except the caravan driver - I think I heard someone say he was going to try to push on north to Grimcove over the rockslide... did you see him on the way here? Is he ok?"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 3:55 pm
by MadBull
"Lady, how you told us not to rob you... it sounded like you've said that before..."

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 11:23 am
by Alexjh
"After the main bulk of people left town a few nere-do-wells had stayed behind to pick the houses clean. That shifty ole' rat McCreedy - no offense young sirs - game looking to pick my place over, but decided the better of it when he realised I still had my cleaver. I think the fool is holed up in one of the smokehouses set back from the shoreline. I guess whatever it is that's there is along the shore only?"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 12:29 pm
by MadBull
"is that still part of this town?"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 12:36 pm
by Alexjh
"It's certainly in town - we are really on the outskirts here; the town is centred round the harbour, and that smokehouse is a about two thirds of the way between here and there"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 3:47 pm
by MadBull
"ah, so there's more in this town than just you, maybe we should take a look there..."

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 5:39 pm
by Venice Queen
"let's be on our guard, an' make it quick, yeah? we do gotta get back 'ome eventually"

The Skybroken Shore

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:44 am
by Alexjh
The group tentatively heads towards the smokehouse to look for McCreedy - they find it quite easily, it is the only building to have footprints going to it and some loud snoring from inside suggests that McCreedy is at home. However, as they descend down towards the harbour, they cross the main street and have a direct view down on the harbour for the first time at this range.

The harbour is indeed filled with the red-weed as the old lady had described, but there is more to it still: the well has reached out and wrapped itself around everything near the water's edge - small boats are crushed in it's embrace, it grasps at the stonework of the harbour itself like virulent ivy and has pried away several huge blocks. The stench of carrion and sulphur is unbearable, and the group notes that along the strandline the sand turns oddly white.

Granite however can feel something the others can't - something slightly resembling sentience in a shambling way, reaching out through his magical senses towards him. He is not sure if is imagining it, but he is sure the weed is orientating itself towards him, drawing as close as it can while still being confined to the sea.... But beneath that... there is a different magic.... something more familiar... being... drained to fuel this monstrocity?

Amidst the focus on McCreedy and the weed, the group almost miss something else.... far out to sea, well away from the harbour, there are a small group of ships heading South. But a stranger collection you couldn't imagine once you recognise the colours... a Curnathon frigate, a turtle-boat from the Morchan Archipelago, a schooner from the Free Cities and longboats from two Sea-Raider tribes - the White Owl Tribe and the Crag Tiger Tribe, plus a few you don't recognize... Almost all of these are at war with at least one of the others... so what they could be doing together, you have absolutely no idea...