[Game Thread] Getting Your Feet Wet - Group A

[Tafratin]

Helping with the tarp he thinks Aramil's suggestion is a good one. With the lunch from Uley we should be set. Thus he is ready!

[Nuketcows]

"I've got a light load, I don't mind the run." Rory had stuck with the group and took in the information. He didn't have much to add. At this point they needed to talk to someone or something that knew the sea. The sailors were keeping up a good facade of playing dumb if they did know. That meant they were going to have a chat with a mermaid. He didn't like the idea of trusting something that probably didn't care about their plight.

[Avelestar]

So with a little bit of discussion the group sets out for Siren's Point. It takes just over an hour to reach the boat on the rocks at a run, and then they slow down and it takes another hour to reach Siren's Point. Firstly to conserve energy, but also because the terrain gets even rougher, and you're soon clambering over rocks. Sure enough, there's a large tidal pool with a central rock upon which sits a beautiful mermaid. At current she is facing away from you, and is singing softly and looks to be brushing her hair with something. The tide pool is roughly 65' in length overall, and there's a 10' by 10' island in the middle.The water is chest high at the western edge, and would take some effort to walk through (and is impossible to walk through quietly).

OOC: 10ft of movement per square you walk through, 15ft if you are in medium/heavy armour. You could try and swim instead, the water is just deep enough for it, a DC 12 check will let you swim your move speed. At the moment the mermaid is facing away from you, and isn't aware of you. What do you want to do?

[tilbert]

What a beauty... And the grace in her voice Emetiel is overcome by amazement, as his view falls on the beautiful mermaid. After few moments of pure amazement he, he regains control over his thougths.
"Has anyone of you dealt with mermaid before?" without really waiting for an answer Emetiel contiunes "Since we want to talk to her, she should avoid to put her in an uncomfortable situation, that would possi bly make her flee to the open sea. Same will probably happen, if we try to sneak up on her. I'll hail her, so she's not surprised by our arrival. Sheathen your Weapons."
Emetiel clears his throat, as he carefully steps a few steps forward "Hello, Helloohoo. My friends and me would like to talk to you. Could you be so kind to spare some minutes of your time"

[Avelestar]

The mermaid whips around in surprise, gasps and dives into the water. A few seconds later you see her head pop up out of the water. "What...what do you want??" she stammers, and swims about nervously. Clearly no one has actually come to Siren's Point to see her before..but when she notices you're all men, some of you quite handsome...her attitude changes. She seems bubbly, and quite pleased to see you. "My name is Mirriad, have you come to hear me sing?" without waiting for an answer she launches into song. It's in Aquan and non of you can understand it, but the singer's voice is very beautiful and you can't help but feel a bit moved by the performance. "What do you think?" she asks cheerily, swimming back and forth in the rock pool.

[Tafratin]

"Indeed, the song is as beautiful as the one who sings it. Good day to you Mirriad, may we sit by the water and talk for a moment? Then I would like to hear another song." Lartheianal steps to the edge of the water and proceeds to sit. Finding a good spot on the rocks he pushes back his hood and cloak clasping his hands before him. "Come join us for a little while for a storm is coming soon."

[tilbert]

"Oh yes. We heard you singing. Just like an angel descended from the celestial realm" Emetiel hesitates, unsure whether that comparison worked for a mermaid, and smiles softly to underline his good intention. His eyes flollow her playful movements - mesnerized. By her play, he doesn't dare to speak up and interrupt the scene for some moments.
"These are my fellows Lartheinal, Aramil and Rory. My name is Emetiel. There's a serious thing we wanted to talk about. Sad things happened at the coast to the east during the last weeks. And though your place is a bit off site, we hope you've seen something remarkable or strange in this area in the time mentioned. Did you see anything strange lately"

[goplayer7]

To the group, "What is the point in asking he direct questions? We can't understand what ever language she is speaking in. We need to think of another aproach...unless." Talks to mermaid, "Do you speak Common?"

OOC Avelestar did say that we can't understand her... anyway, why put translations if we can't understand anyway? Also, with common i'm refering to the standard language (that is what it is said in the PHB) and i'd say whatever the characters would refer to the laguage as, i'm only doing this because in different groups common can be called different things.

[Nuketcows]

"Well if words aren't going to do it." Rory shrugged. He waved her to come closer, before he started digging in his pack for the bone bolt. He came close to the edge of the water on his knees and reached out to let her inspect the bolt. If she takes it Rory has the map ready for her to point out anywhere that might be related.

[Avelestar]

At the group's kind words, a huge smile breaks out on Mirriad's face, and she swims close to the edge you stand on. Her smile grows especially large when the handsome Lartheianal sits on the waters edge near her. Ignoring Rory's comment for the moment, Mirriad speaks again.

"Okay then, I'll sing you another! This one is a mermaid classic...but I've heard men sing it too." there's no time to stop her, and Mirriad launches into another song. This one far longer, and in Common...her voice is beautiful but haunting, the story she tells vivid but horrifying. She sings of a great evil who once ruled the ocean, and turned the seas red with blood and death. Seven mighty aquatic heroes banded together to slay this evil, and banished it forever beneath the darkest depths. Mirriad comes to the end of the ballad, and the words send a shiver down your spine.

"Dagon they cried! Dagon they cried!
Of Men you shall feast, of death they shall weep!
A million million souls will show the way
To bring You back again..."

After this performance, Mirriad is no longer smiling, but crying. Her salty tears mixing with the water in which she swims. "Such a sad song." The mermaid tries to smile, but it falters and she continues to weep silently. "I need to leave these waters...the great evil is approaching, and that bolt is terrible news...though I wonder if you could do me a favour first?" Her tears finally stop, and she looks at the group expectantly.

OOC: Sorry made that a bit unclear, Mirriad speaks to you in Common, but her song was in Aquan, this second song however is in Common. The mermaid refuses to answer any more questions on the bolt until you agree to, and complete her task. She'll just keep saying that it is mermaid culture to trade favour for favour.

[goplayer7]

"What would the favour that you request be?"

[Avelestar]

"Ten years ago I used to live in another cove, and a young man brought me a flower every week." Mirriad smiles with the memory, and swims in a circle happily. "It was the most beautiful thing...he called it a Winter Thorn. A pale blue flower, smells delightful and looks so very beautiful." She giggles and continues. "He said it was almost as beautiful as me. However I had to move, and never since have I gotten such a beautiful flower...someone tried once, said he knew of a place where they might grow just South of here in the forests."

"But he never came back..." Mirriad lets this hang in the air, thinking to herself. "In return for finding me such a flower, I'll tell you exactly what you want to know." It is a mermaid's way of life to trade favour for favour, but is random walking South going to amount to anything good? Or is this a red herring?

[Tafratin]

"Beautiful Mirriad, your song matches your beauty and the flower, I think, will also be. As you can see we are different and respect each other. We will find your flower in the forest, but please tell me when you must leave so we may be back in time."

[Avelestar]

"I'll not leave until the storm hits, when I must seek shelter under the waves for awhile." she answers, still swimming in happy little circles.

[tilbert]

"Winter Thorn - a really beautiful flower. I have a faint memory of that " Than he softly shakes his head "It's Sowing Moon already, my dear. Winter Thorn can only be found far in the north in this time of the year. By the time we fetched some Winter Thorn, they would be wilted - all their beauty would be gone. But Rory and I can can pick some other flowers, that are blooming now. The storm would destroy their blossoms - but their beauty could be preserved for ever in your memory." *

ooc I was scanning through the application thread and the game thread - the only hint towards a season was given by ... me Originally Posted by tilbert