Play-Test Episode: "Ariel's Fate"

[Ireth]

Ariel

I blink up at the suddenly-headless giant orc, then turn to his underling, who now clutches the severed head. I'm not sure I can snipe him with an arrow from here, so I watch and wait to see what happens.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Lily is too focused on her target to notice the decapitation. She aims her kick right—

((GM: 1D20 => 1 #Lily))

—but ends up hurting her foot. Scott's horse-skull flops through the air, and his corpse—now missing both skulls—topples over.

Lily's expression suggests blushing, though it's hard to see the color change on her blood-speckled cheeks. She says to Ariel, "I don't think I'll get any argument from the other girls when I say you've earned your Big Game badge. Let's celebrate the completion of your training… after I have a little… cat nap."

With those words, Lily takes a rest on the ledge.

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

I smile at Lily's compliments, but I know Furtano deserves credit for finishing off the big orc. I turn to the smuggler and say, "That was a great flank attack. Congrats on scoring the kill!"

While Lily rests on the rock ledge, I decide to take advantage of what I've learned from Mum, and look around for any healing herbs. Of all of us, Lily looks the worst off. No wonder she's exhausted.

(Now where was that 20 one roll ago? XD))

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

Just my luck -- I find a lot of Vera's Honeybalm. Lily says the juice of the leaves is good for healing cuts and bruises, and the roots make a nice tea. I gather one of the plants, roots and all, and bring it back to where the others are.

I pick up one of the plant's long, thick, spiky leaves and carefully break it open. A thick, honey-like liquid oozes out, which I dab onto Lily's wounds. While doing so I glance up at Dila and the rest. "Anybody else who's injured, come over here and I'll patch you up." I'll take care of my own injuries afterward.

 

[Noma Galway]

I stare at the giant orc's last remaining underling and send my lightning with a song up at him.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Round Clear!

The orc's "Yeowch!" is almost drowned out by the thunderclap. He disappears over the side of the ledge. Even from their vantage, Fenella and Dila see no sign of the orc. After several seconds pass, there is a distant sickening crunch.

Ariel offers to heal everyone's wounds with some herbs she found. She insists to take care of Lily first. Lily tries to argue, "Heal your own… I need you to be in one piece when your parents show…" A sigh of relief escapes Lily's lips when she feels the honey-like liquid touch her broken skin. "Your ma—I mean stepmom—she's a shield maiden. I know she'll be proud you put everyone else's needs first. I won't get in the way of that. Carry on."

Somehow, the horse skull Lily kicked ends up dangling on the tip of Furtano's sword. That his sword happened to be in that position after his lethal attack is the only reason the horse skull didn't end up hundreds of feet below, but is such a thing worth saving?

 

[Ruby]

Fenella
1D20 => [ 13 ] = 13

I'm looking around wondering what to do?

((What's happened to the dice room? I can only copy and paste in this format now. Is that OK?))

 

[Devor]

Just remember to smile.

The blood rushed through Furtano's chest as he charged. His hands clenched around the hilt of his cutlass. In half a second instinct would take over as he neared the orc. He just had to remember to smile. He promised the orc he would smile at it for its death.

And if he did it, he would never think of the Red Water Pirates as bad ass again.

Lily joined the charge. She was fast and clumsy and hogging the path, so Furtano took a quick hop to the higher ledge, making room for her. It was less rocky than the railing of the ship in the storm, but the look of that drop made his legs tense. He kept going.

Lily wasn't clumsy - he could see it once he got out of her way. She spreads into her space deliberately and shifts her attack in fluid unpredictable motions. She leaped towards the orc with a screeching wailing throttle from her throat.

Great Scott turned towards her, just in time for Ariel's dagger to land in its left buttock.

Now. Now. Now. Furtano jumped from the high ledge and took the swing straight towards the orc’s neck. Great Scott looked right at him and made the face of a scared dying cow. The body went limp just in time for Lily to crash into it, knocking Great Scott’s head clear into the sky.

Furtano breathed deeply as he landed to the ground, sword outstretched in a shining moment of -

Ahh $%@#!

A real Red Water Pirate would have smiled.

The horsehead skull landed with a rattle on his blade. "Where the devil did that come from?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Where the devil indeed…

Furtano's question may never be answered (since Lily feels like a damn fool for kicking that thing off the orc), but another question pops into his head:

Why does he hear the sound of the ocean?

Most would immediately answer: because he's on an island, which is surrounded by ocean. But not Furtano. He's spent much of his life at sea, and is well aware of how well he should hear the ocean from what vantage point.

The sound of the ocean—the particular sound that caught his attention—is coming from the horse skull…

 

[Ruby]

Fenella:
There's quite a good view from up here on this rock. I can see Mariya standing by the cave and a man with long hair and a moustache ( whose name escapes me!) Is he Dila? Have we just invented a new game of sword tennis played with skulls?

The plot thickens and it's time to move on, if only I can climb down off this rock...

It's quite difficult to climb mountains wearing these ruby slippers. My Royal feet are killing me! ( Not literally!)

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Lily scrambles to the princess. "I know the feeling! Climbing up is always easier than climbing down. Need a hand?"

((That says "worry if <7. It's 17, so… don't worry!))

The sound from the horse skull is stronger than the rush of water from the falls below. Furtano and Ariel can both hear ocean waves. Mariya hears something else…

Spoiler: Mariya's ears only

Daughter? Is my means to communicate with my devout followers stashed in a cod piece?

 

[Noma Galway]

Mariya laughs quietly. "Yes, Mother." She speaks aloud in the hopes that others realize what is happening. "Is there any way to allow you to speak through something else?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Lily and Fenella work their way down. Lily suggests that climbing barefoot is easier, but doesn't expect the princess to take her suggestion seriously. She says Ariel's herbs seemed to have given her a boost of energy, and she's confident she can help the princess down without ruining her lovely gown.

All are now gathered in a dry area, with the horse skull as their only "spoils of war."

The sound of the ocean grows more powerful as Mariya is given a reply. Princess Fenella and Ariel believe the hear a woman's voice though they cannot make out the words. From Ariel's experience with her father, she has heard woman who sing well. The seemingly distant voice is surely that of an opera singer.

Only Mariya can make out the words:

Spoiler: Mariya's ears only

I can always speak through you, Mariya. However, it is rather awkward, to say the least, if my voice is coming from the skull of a horse, especially considering what the ogre was doing with it. Perhaps one of your human friends could kindly remove the conch from the skull. And please have the humans soak the conch in sea water and scrub away the stench of that brute.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((Mariya can relay that message, but anyone examining the skull would see a sea shell jammed inside. Whoever attempts to remove it will need to roll to do so.

I'm going to have a general rule that 1 = automatic fail and 20 = automatic success, except of course if you attempt the impossible. Aside from that, there will be some STR rolls in which rolling TOO HIGH means TOO MUCH strength. For a roll like that, a 19 might cause a strong character to break something while a weak character might not be able to produce "too much" strength. In that case, the stronger character is more likely to succeed, while the weaker character is less likely to succeed but also less likely to fail in a way that destroys the item.

Low and high targets vary among characters. Fenella is the one who is most likely to break the conch by rolling 19 (and possibly some other rolls in the teens). Anyone, including Mariya, can remove the conch with a 20 without accidentally breaking it.



On another note, everyone is in position to observe Mariya. Anyone watching her can plainly see that she is conversing with the sound in the horse skull, and that the ocean sounds (and woman's voice, for those who hear it) pause when Mariya speaks.))

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

I watch and listen in awe as Mariya converses with the voice inside the skull. Mariya clearly said Mother -- The Voice! My heart skips a beat. I wish I could understand my goddess' voice!

There's a seashell jammed inside the skull, which is where the voice comes from. I move closer to Mariya, saying, "Here, can I try to get it out of there?"

If she says yes, I take the shell and try to pull it out.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((You rolled, so let's just move things along. I sure am glad I gave the warning that 19 is the worst possible roll!))

Lily says, "Aw, just go for it."

Ariel pulls with all her might, and after a brief struggle, the conch pops out of the skull with a crack.

Lily shrugs. "Ha! I knew my training would make you strong!"

Only Mariya is able to hear her mother.

Spoiler: Mariya's ears only

"Well, this is awkward. Fortunately, there is another way…"

((PM sent to Noma.))

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

I laugh as I crouch down by the water to clean the shell. I scour it carefully with sand, inside and out, then rinse it well with seawater. "There, good and clean."

I look to Mariya, wondering what else her divine mother has to say.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Lily observes the conch. "Huh… um, I think a small piece of it is missing." Sure enough, Ariel sees that the crack she heard may have been an actual cracking sound. Lily opines, "Ehh… the orc broke it shoving it in there."

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

I look closer at the shell, then at the sand below our feet. "I dunno, I might have broken it when I pulled it out. I hope I can find the missing piece! Maybe it'll help."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

There are a few little pieces, but there doesn't seem to be a means to keep the conch in one piece. Lily looks back at Mariya, and it seems she's ready to speak in Ariel's defense. But when she looks at the muse, she notices the little woman has her head tipped slightly up (as does anyone else observing Mariya). She seems very attentive—to something—and is not at all disturbed by the mention of the broken shell.

The shell no longer emits a sound. There is, however, a gentle sea breeze surrounding Mariya. Her tiny dress ripples in the wind, though the outfit remains modest as her arms remain by her side. The muse begins to levitate as the wind gradually grows stronger, and saltier.