Open Chronicles [Into the desolation] A strange new world

[Ermengarde]

The trip of the White Tern and her sisters was long, but the crew stood out through the good and the bad. The worst of which was a few storms here and there, but other than that the ships sailed on course.
When the golden coast appeared on the horizon, a small celebration sparked in Ermengarde's heart. A promise of fortune, adventure, a new life.
Sailing further south, the massive delta was soon in view and the ships ended their course soon after.
Going through the delta's uncharted waters on seaworthy ships was out of the question, so a landing was to be made on the coast and the expedition was to begin on foot.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Rowboats were exited and the last few swats of foot deep water were trodden on foot. Ermengarde was at the helm, stepping forward and taking perch on a rock. As far as one could look, coppery stone, palms and plumes. Most of the lush greenery was located right around the waterside. The land there was fertile, but further out from it was barren, uncharted terrain.
Artemisia Delias Matari NoTail Quoril Szesh Cetus Korak Benthai et. al. and newcommers too.

 

[Szesh]

The journey had been, all in all, not bad. The first couple of weeks had been miserable, as expected. Szesh’s stomach held scarcely more than a spoonful at any given time, and he had in fact lost a substantial amount of weight. He soon discovered, however, that he could soar alongside the ships quite easily, and that this gave him complete relief from the rocking decks.

One sharp quartermaster immediately saw a shortcut to moving supplies between ships, and employed Szesh as a sort of delivery system. If one boat was running low on a item that another had in surplus, he would simply carry the goods across. He couldn’t take much at once and stay airborne, but the trips were good exercise and a welcome barrier against boredom. The ship’s cook was especially grateful for the steady supply of ingredients, and Szesh found an extra strip of meat in his meals from then on. Between that and the frequent flights, he quickly returned to his former bulk.

Szesh had also learned a great deal about his fellow explorers. He wasn’t normally one for small-talk, but forced isolation drove him to actually seek conversation. He spoke to Cetus most frequently, making no secret of his curiosity towards the man’s home and culture. He was similarly drawn to Korak, who seemed nearly as out of place this ship as Szesh did. Artemisia was friendly, and while her beauty was lost on the giant reptile, he was glad to not be the most outlandish looking sailor for once.

He had even sought company from Quoril, Matari, and Ermengarde from time to time. As the weeks wore into months, he felt less and less an outsider. It was… nice.

Sighting land had been a surprise after so much water, and while Szesh had almost found his sea-legs, he was very ready to be back on solid ground. The terrain was lush at the water’s edge, but vast barrens stretched out in the distance. They would do well to resupply liberally where they could.

Szesh stumbled onto the beach. After months of standing on a moving boat, still ground was unfamiliar. Still, the sand felt good under his toes, and he helped to pull in the last of the landing crafts.

He spent much of the day flying back and forth from the main ships to the beach. The journey had scarcely begun, but already he felt the excitement of discovery. The ties to the old world felt weak here, and Szesh was happier for it.

 

[Na’ill]

(Would it be ok if I joined?)

 

[Mualiin]

They wanted a lumberjack.

They wanted a guard.

Mualiin could do both. And he needed the coin. It seemed a constant pressure on his mind, to acquire this currency. His pay never lasted a month, either from spending or pickpockets, but such was his life. He only ever needed a roof and a bed to sleep under.

But traveling over to lands entirely new? This was something he considered above the job description. They wanted someone who could cut down trees like a cleaver to meat. He could do that. What that had to do with his presence on this foreign land he had no idea. The rowboat could barely tolerate his mass alone. It was quite the sight, seeing the armored giant paddle his way to shore, his hands a far better substitute than the wooden sticks themselves - he had also broken one of them when he rowed too hard. He was also alone on the boat, as that went without saying.

As it hit the shore, his boots dug into the wet sand, axe swinging on his back as he clambered off the wooden vessel. It literally sagged with apparent relief as he disembarked entirely, as if his weight was too much for it. Then a random plank from the boat snapped in two, the boat plonking in the water. Evidently it somehow hit its limit in all the short five minutes he had been its lone passenger. He took a curious note, along with a reminder to use bigger boats. With sturdier wood.

Rising to his full, imposing height, the armored lumberjack/mercenary shifted in place, the armor joints growling and moving in one smooth motion. He had been sitting for months, or just laying down in the lower levels of the ship due to his mass, and his body now felt very, very stiff. He actually felt like a statue now, opposed to all the other times he was mistaken like one. Incidents that were all too common during the journey itself.

 

[Cetus]

Cetus found the journey a pleasant one, regardless of his caution upon joining it. The myriad of other strange folk aboard the vessel helped provide a bit of comfort to the similarly strange Kivren, and those were the people he interacted with the most during the long weeks. Szesh in particular seemed to be his most frequently found conversational partner, seemingly having quite a bit of curiosity about the Kivren. Cetus was happy to indulge him, sharing numerous pieces of information and knowledge about his culture and home, from the pod he led to the Grotto he was born in. He spent time with Korak as well, finding some similarity in their oddness compared to the more typical of the crew.

To talk about his home when he was so far away from it was a comfort he enjoyed, although he often asked his own questions towards Svesh about what it was like to reside purely on land. The centaur, Artemisia, was completely foreign to the Kivren, appearing far from the sea and having never appeared in any of his excursions to land. As such, he tried to gain some understanding of her culture as well during the journey. He sought company in the others' presence as well,

However, a large amount of the time during the journey was not spent on the deck or in the hull of the White Tern, but rather within the water it sailed upon. As a Kivren, the feeling of water against his scales was always more pleasant than the air, and as such he often swam alongside the ship rather than on it. On numerous occasions, he hunted fish and other sea creatures during his swims to bring to the boat's cook, wishing to provide some familiarity and variety to their meals.

Cetus also found use for his magical abilities during the trip, using his affinity for the water to push the ship forward and expedite their journey on occasion. If the waves proved too tumultuous and volatile, he calmed them so that they would not cause too much issue or damage. It was a way for him to train and hone his abilities, alongside proving him as useful to the journey as well.

When dry land was found, a part of Cetus was saddened that this would mean an end to their aquatic voyage. The land was a far more unfamiliar and concerning terrain, doubly so when considering it was uncharted territory. It had to be done, however.

The Kivren swam out to the shore, making it there before anyone else. This was always an unpleasant part. As he crossed over onto dry land, he immediately tensed as his tail split in two and formed legs suitable for walking. He stood up, ignoring the dissipating aching in his legs as he surveyed the landscape. By the shore it was lush, but beyond the palms and foliage he could see a barren expanse ahead. "And the real journey begins."

 

[Ermengarde]

There was so much to learn from her crew. No other has walked with a cast so diverse, from so many different walks of life. Speaking with them was enlightening and she wouldn't trade the past months travelling together with anything else in the world. Not even her bed back in Monterossa.
And here she was, with the open land expanding before her. In the meantime, everyone was ordered to set up packs, except for Cetus, so that he may swim along the water. His was distributed among those that went with Ermengarde's travelling party. Some others would leave with different party leaders to go on different routes.

»Very well then,« Ermengarde readied her knapsack. »Are you all ready? We're heading out soon, gods know what we'll find.«

Those that were hired to construct already had set up some rudimentary tools and supplies along the shore. Soon enough they would be hauled a little further inland. Some of the odd, tall trees that grew near the rocks might make splendid building material, while oak hauled from Alliria would be spent in building the docks that would ease travel between the three continents.

 

[Szesh]

Szesh hoisted a large pack over his shoulder. Because of his wings it had been very difficult to know exactly how to make a backpack that he could easily put on and take off. A young cabin boy had figured it out. By attaching four loose straps to the bag, two at the top and two below, Szesh could fling it over one shoulder and in between his wings, and tie the straps in front of him. It was crude, but it worked.

Szesh had been given a proportionately larger burden to carry compared to his companions, except of course for Mualiin. The gargantuan knight outweighed the draconian, and Szesh was skeptical that he was indeed human as everyone seemed to profess.

Szesh glanced over to the shoreline to Cetus, who had been given leave to swim rather than walk. Szesh would have preferred to fly, but he would tire too quickly carrying the heavy pack. Instead he walked alongside the main exploring party, taking long sweeping strides over the sand and letting his tail swish lazily back and forth.

The sun felt closer here, its rays stronger and fiercer. Szesh held his wings loosely, letting the wind sap the heat from them like enormous sails. Was the water different here, too? He wondered. He had been fascinated by Cetus' stories on their voyage. He had never imagined how vast and complex the underwater world was. At first he was unsure of how to answer Cetus' questions about life on dry land. Szesh had never imagined a different kind of life until this voyage, and how could one explain something so basic? Though he assumed his own questions felt the same way to a being who had lived almost exclusively at sea.

From what they had discussed, flying seemed awfully similar to swimming. Szesh did his best to explain the feeling of cold air tearing past oneself, of being lifted by invisible currents and slicing through gusts. Odd that someone so alien would have something so specific in common.

He walked near the back of the group, looking forwards at the party. Ermengarde had proven to be a strong leader. One arm hadn't stopped her from whipping every last sailor into shape and making sure that everyone knew exactly who was in charge. She was small of stature, and her fair skin wouldn't do her any favors in this sun, but Szesh was glad she was leading them.

The centaur seemed the best suited for long walks, but how would her hooves fair on the sand? Likewise, how would their smaller companions take the arduous journey? Perhaps the goblin could ride on her back. Did centaurs permit such things? Either way, it was a comical image.

 

[Thrukk Guldarp]

"C'main lads pit yer backs intae it!" boomed Thrukk. He stood tall in the middle of the rowboat. He stood alone in the middle of the row boat. Just the two young ship hands on the oars, some bags of supplies and even then the boat seemed to be riding awfully low on the water.

Thrukk felt the rumble through his feet as the boat was driven into the shingle just beyond the beach. He jumped out of the boat carrying a great bag of goods over each shoulder. The shingle became wet sand which sucked at his feet as he marched up the beach.

"And the real journey begins."

"Aye., an' mah back is glad tae be aff th' boat," Thrukk grumbled. Despite being a fairly jovial half-ogre he had now had enough of ships and squeezing himself into small beds.

»Very well then,« Ermengarde readied her knapsack. »Are you all ready? We're heading out soon, gods know what we'll find.«

Thrukk dumped his bags and rolled his shoulders. Such a simple stretch seemed to involve layer upon layer of muscle working in tandem until something went 'crack' in his bones. He hefted his warhammer down from his back and gave a nod. In his experience there was a predator everywhere that was willing to at least try and eat you.

 

[Korak Benthai]

Sailing had not been kind to Korak. Not in the traditional sense of illness and restlessness that is common for would-be sailors, but rather in his solitude. Even in the great and biased city of Aliria he was able to find himself company and a good conversation. Not that he didn’t on the voyage, but it all felt so alien to him. Cetus the Kriven and Szesh the Dragon had proven the easiest to converse with, but even with them he felt...apart. Not even Ermengarde or the beautiful Artemisia were able to shake his terrible ennui; and by the time the call for a landing reached him, Korak hadn’t been seen for a few days.

When at last he did emerge to join the ground crews, he was barely recognize-able. Gone were the luxuriously attended locks and gleaming eyes. Instead, his hair was unkempt and matted, and his eyes were listless and dull. Hopefully he would find some relief in this new land...

 

[Na’ill]

Na’ill felt right at home and at ease with the group of mismatched explorers. It took a while to get used to life at sea but with a little bit of time and booze he adjusted.
Glancing up he began to row faster as he saw that he was going to be one of the last rowboats to get to shore. As he pushed ahead he listened to his feathered pet babble on and on about this new and unfamiliar place.

“Chunk.” The audible sound rung out as the boat lurched forward, “Land ho! Land ho!” Babbled the bird as Na’ill stepped out of the boat and drug it up the shore. His skinny body struggled against his battle with the wet sand and finally he managed to make it near the brush.

He then ran to join the other party and searched the crowd for someone other than his crow to converse with.

 

[Mualiin]

The armored giant strode over to his boat, lifting it clean out of the water and over his head. It weighed like how a wooden boat would weigh, to Mualiin. With the boat in hand, he carried it to a giant rock some distance away, setting the wooden construct down with all the grace of an orc. With the rope he had stowed in the rear end, he secured the vessel to the stone, serving as an anchor. It would not do for the construct to suddenly float away without his notice. It was one of the few capable of holding him. Finished, he turned to Ermengarde and her call.

He shifted as to place his hand on his axe's handle, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. Never hurt to be cautious, more so when making land on new grounds.

"At your call."

 

[Ermengarde]

Ermengarde waited for the rest of her crew to assemble. It didn't take long, even if some lagged behind. They were dependable indeed to row up on time.

»Alright boys! Here's the plan.« The one armed woman unfurled a large map in front of them. She kicked some sand over the corners to hold it down before pointing the tip of her rapier at a small delta that was barely even fully charted. »Our group will be exploring up the river delta to it's source, while other teams are going north and south. The remainder stays back to secure a dockyard and a basic garrison and meeting hall.«

»Nobody has written records of what may lie beyond the unknown, so stay on your toes and be prepared for any danger that we may encounter.«
»All clear? Let's go.«

 

[Szesh]

The river delta was perhaps the most hospitable part of the land that they had seen thus far. The water had allowed the rich plant life on the coast to explore inwards, clinging to the banks for safety. Small birds made their homes in the reeds, and strange, brightly-colored lizards darted in and out of rocks and shrubs.

Szesh turned his inky eyes downwards to see Korak. The goblin had secluded himself for the last leg of the journey, and he did not appear well at all.

"Korak," he began, softly, "It is good to see you, and good to be off of the boat, yes?" His grasp of the common tongue had improved dramatically over the months at sea. Szesh had never been particularly social, but long periods of forced contact had given him little choice, and there were scant few alternatives for entertainment. Korak had started out gregarious, but that had waned over time.

An old feeling fell over the draconian, something not felt since his youth as a soldier amongst his brothers in the Spine. Concern for another. A friend, even?

 

[Morgan]

Morgan was one of the final members to board the rowboats, for he spent a fair amount of the morning tending to his equipment. One could never be certain what threats awaited in an entirely foreign land, and the half-elf wasn't willing to risk his life and limb to be the one who uncovers a prowling wildcat or man-sized lizard. When he stepped off of his landing boat, he did so with the usual level of grace that had become archetypal of Morgan during his time on the ship. His knees were thankful to find sanctuary upon solid ground as his feet met the lush greenery of the coast, and Morgan only spared a moment to adjust his armored shoulder piece before continuing onto land.

"Yes, I believe all's well-- I trust nobody left anything on the ship, hmm?" In spite of his apparent confidence in such a question, the half-elf's hand still went to rest on the pommel off his saber. Good, good... He had remembered to grab it. "If not, seems we're safe to continue, O Captain mine." Morgan turned to Ermengarde with characteristic surety, giving her a debonair wink before striding ahead on a few confident steps.

 

[Ermengarde]

After hours of trekking, a large patch of greenery appeared in the horizon. It was standing out like an oasis in a desert, except everything was red and coated in orange shrubbery.

»My, look at it Morgan,« Ermengarde first spoke out, her words were quick to spread down the line even before the scouts could return to speak further of it.

It was a grove of tall trees. The bark was mostly white but pattrned in pastel pinks, greens and occasionally dotted in black. It didn't take much longer to get to it, as the promise of a cool shade under the heat of the land was a motivator enough.

Slowly they entered the woodlands, it seemed to be void of any life, or at least at first glance.

Something lurked at the treetops, hanging upside down. It's claws slowly reached downwards at the troop.

 

[Mualiin]

Mualiin had been at first, planning to stay behind to hew wood, gathering lumber for the settlements to follow. Surely the oaks would made good building material
But he followed the troop. They would probably need his bulk and size for traversing unexpected obstacles. Like acting as a bridge for a gap. It would not be his first time. His fellow kind had all sorts of innovative ideas for problems. And mayhaps extra sets of hands would also be helpful.

Why that involved him in such positions he had no idea.

The topmost branches of the low-hanging trees clipped at his helmet as he strode behind the troop, axe out and at his side. They hardly impeded his vision, but the soft swats of leaves on the armor made for an oddly rhythm on the forest trek.

Then, he had a hard *thunk* on his helmet. Not like the branches he had gotten used to, but something... else. His axe whipped upward, blade first into the trees, intent on flushing out whomever it was.

"We are not alone."

 

[Morgan]

The half-elf, admittedly touched that Ermengarde pointed the distant spectacle out to him first, was quick to pick up his pace towards the strange oasis. Where there were trees, there was shade; Where there was shade, there was salvation from that most damnable sun. "My Gods, that is the second most beautiful sight I've seen all day," Morgan said with a grin, though whether it was a compliment to the expedition's leader or to his own reflection wasn't made any clearer by his tone.

While he was a tall and somewhat lanky bugger, the duelist was happy to find that even the lowest branches rested too high to disturb his hair. "We are not alone," came the warning from the troop's back, and Morgan's sabre was in his grip like a flash, cutting the air as he wheeled back around. What lurked above was perhaps the single most peculiar creature he'd drawn upon.

"What in the-- ... Hell?" It wasn't clever by any stretch, but it was all that came to mind as he brought his sword to bear in the insect's direction.

 

[Ermengarde]

The insect tilted its head in observation before descending higher up. The clink of metal did not quite sound like flesh. But damned it be if it were not ravenous and had an entire flock behind it.
Some of the mantises jumped on the ground, the majority were about the size of a big dog, some like cats, while one member that still remained upside down on the tree was as big as a horse, it lept on Mauliin when one of it's younger sisters could not. Many others would begin trying to hack at the party, individually or in groups.

The woman would have brushed Morgan a wink if she weren't so occupied by the giant insect that lept in front of her and then towards her.

 

[Szesh]

The oasis was a welcome sight. The sun had been relentless and Szesh had already consumed a large portion of his waterskin. A chance to refill and rest was most welcome.

The shade was merciful, and animal sounds abounded as life flocked to the small patch of nourishment. Szesh ducked through the low branches and heard Mualiin’s helmet hit against something.

The giant’s axe had flushed a swarm to the ground, and Szesh started as a large mantis prowled before him. He snapped his down into a ready position and widened his base.

He jabbed the spear at the beast’s head once, twice. Both times it twisted itself out of the way. Szesh growled in frustration, and the creature lashed out with sharp scythes. It was very fast, and Szesh was barely able to jump back without being slashed. The creature clicked as it looked at him with bulbous, compound eyes.

A moment later it leapt forwards and raked both of its arms downwards. Szesh caught them with the shaft of his spear and they bit into the wooden handle. He could not wrench it free, and the bug didn't seem to be able to dislodge itself either. He threw the spear down, taking the insect's weapons with it, and swept his claws upwards, tearing the head off of the monster. Thick, sticky mucous poured out of it, and Szesh threw the head down in disgust. He had no time to reclaim his spear before another mantis jumped at him.

 

[Thrukk Guldarp]

"Ack, I dinnae like you," Thrukk grumbled. There was something so alien about the way they moved. Not smooth motions like any mammals. Even as several approached they kept pausing, remaining stock still and then suddenly skittering closer.

He had fought all kinds of beasts in the fighting pits of Cerak At'thul, but it turned out that giant insects unsettled him.

"Fark off!" he shouted, swinging his warhammer. There was a fluttering of wings as they backed away. Then they just stood still, twisting their heads from side to side, jittering their spiny little legs. Thrukk growled and took a step back.

 

[Mualiin]

Grabbing the insect's head, Mualiin brought it down to earth, crushing it into foul green paste. The party was swarmed with these creatures, but his size attracted the larger ones to him like literal flies.

He would have to make do in this enclosed space.

Axe whirling about in practiced stances, the blade chipped and chopped at all the buggers daring to approach, leaving parts and foul gore flying about. He had positioned himself a bit further backwards to give the forward party some space, a correct decision in hindsight.

With a hard swipe, he smacked aside an eager set of snapping mandibles, crushing the insect underfoot.

"Back to back, stay clustered! These creatures cannot be allowed to pick us off." He rumbled, left gauntlet punching aside a man-sized beetle, ripping off its head in the same motion.

Ermengarde Szesh Thrukk Guldarp Morgan

 

[Ermengarde]

»Leave none alive!« Growled Ermengarde as she thrashed a mantis onto the ground and stabbed it right through the abdomen. Cutting and stabbing weapons as seen were not much to use to instantly dispatch these buggers. Once severed there were still minutes in which the insects would wriggle and grab onto legs and arms with their sharp spines, potentially doing further damadge.

 

[Na’ill]

Na’ill made haste towards the cluster fuck of a brawl. Running full speed the elf dove down behind a tree where a medium sized mantis laid dead.
“This is going to be one of the grossest rituals yet.” He mumbled to himself as he dipped his finger inside of the goey blood and drew a circle around the mantis. Pausing to reflect on what he was about to he removed a glowing red glass dagger and then quickly slit his wrists. As the dark crimson liquid trickled down his wrists and spilled onto the insect Na’ill began to convulse as he uttered the first spell he remembered. It was a simple bondage of the soul until released.

The mostly intact, save for the few chest wounds and a deep gash spanning the length of one eye, and now undead mantis began to slowly rise to attention under the command of its new master. The two souls now connected, Na’ill willed it to battle.

The insect stumbled forward limping at first, and unnaturally pale in comparison to the vibrant green counterparts, it soon adjusted itself to where it charged forward leaning into its limp. The thing immediately jumped onto another mantis surrounding the cluster.

Na’ill slowly rose and Wrapped his wrists in a cloth that appeared well used and was covered in dry blood. He drew his short sword and tiredly dashed towards the battle.

 

[Szesh]

Raking with claws Szesh was grateful for his scales. The scythes of the attackers were sharp, but they cut only surface-deep through the silver plates.

The creatures‘ chiton was thick, but their joints were weak. Tearing off limbs seemed to be the best approach, and Szesh used his tail to sweep back any that approached from behind.

Several clustered before him, and Szesh belched out a burst of flame. Their dry desert flesh ignited well, and the group crumpled to the ground. Unfortunately the journey had been taxing, and he would need to use his fire sparingly until he could rest and feed.

 

[Ermengarde]

Szesh Na’ill Mualiin Thrukk Guldarp Morgan Korak Benthai Cetus

The mantises, in whatever way they were left, littered the floor with their corpses. Smashed, sliced, delightfully roasted, yum. None remained in a live state. Except for the obviously undead ones.

»Well, well... I suppose with them dealt, this patch of woodland may be just safe enough to rest in. We have water... and uh. It wouldn't hurt to have a bite straight from nature itself.« Her hand flamboyantly motioned to the free food on the floor.

»We can camp here.«
In the dark path of wood, it was hard to see how far the sun had traveled across the sky, it was quite dark indeed.