The Greenest Dolphin, Forecastle]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
This is the interior of the ship below the forecastle deck, where crew and passengers may quarter. The ceiling is rather low and the space cramped. While the wood that makes up the surroundings is old and battered and retains a perpetual particular smell, it looks well-cared for, swabbed with oil and patched between the planks with pitch. Several hammocks are hung from the ceiling on sliding hooks set over sturdy rungs, allowing them to be opened or closed and pushed to the side.
(The cramped forecastle is crowded with huddled bodies, many sporting injuries and bandages. There's a hole cracked through the floor, and the cabin doors have been stripped for wood.)
A bilge-sodden oakwood crate is here. A coil of heavy-duty hemp rope has been fixed here, hanging towards a splintery hole in the floor. A pinewood fishing pole is here.A ship's firstaid kit is here. A thirty-cubit measuring rope is left here.
Many people are sleeping here.
Also here is a short, sable-haired young man. Rahat is standing at a porthole window. Firo is standing at a relatively-new canvas hammock, holding a grimy wooden mug in her left hand. A towering brute with shorn raven hair is standing beside the way out. Rostam is here. Ziyad is here. Zakil is here. Illi is here. A poxy mongrelpops a squat by the crate, arms folded, sharp shoulder leaning there, watching, holding a purple pickled egg in his right hand. Zahir is standing at a splintery hole in the floor. A willowy, tawny-complected young woman is standing here, holding a small sheet of paper in her right hand. Monit is standing here, wielding a heavy ship's mop in his right hand.
Cardinal Exits: the southern Port Cabin, the northern Starboard Cabin, and towards the dingy west end of the forecastle
Other: out: squat cabin door (closed) and a splintery hole in the floor (steep)
A short, sable-haired young man tenses as he emerges into the forecastle from below, *his eyes briefly flickering north before* nodding sternly. "Alright...If anyone has any clever suggestions on what we spirit-blind folk ought to do, they would not go unappreciated." [in Sirdabi with a soft alto]
A willowy, tawny-complected young womansilently offers a small sheet of paperback to rostam after reading over it.
Quietly, rostam says, "At the moment, I think nothing is to be done."
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanoffers a small sheet of paper to rostam.
Rostam accepts a small sheet of paper from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
(Hidden) Rostamwhispers to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "--- --- -------- --- -------? --- --- s---- ---------?"
Rostam reads a small sheet of paper.
Rostam puts a small sheet of paper in a large, pebbly-leather backpack.
Rahat says, "I think most of us are spirit blind."
Rahat peers towards towards the dingy west end of the forecastle.
(Quietly): A short, sable-haired young mangoes still, his hand flickering to the back of his neck for a moment and hissing through clenched teeth.
Firo quirks a brow curiously at rostam, perhaps expecting more from him.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it tranquilly glides on.
A short, sable-haired young man squints towards the northern Starboard Cabin.
Blandly, zahir says, "Or none of us, most at this point I think have seen the ghost." [in Sirdabi with a dignified baritone]
A short, sable-haired young man squints towards the southern Port Cabin.
(At a bilge-sodden oakwood crate): A poxy mongrel tips his head in a faint nod after zahir's words. Shared thought.
"I certainly have." [in Sirdabi with a lilting soprano]Fadila offers quietly, still sitting quietly, watching the group.
A howl in a terrible screech can be distantly made out from the way out.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanwhispers something, involving rostam.
A howl in an inhuman snarl can be distantly made out from the way out.
Rostam catches firo's gaze for a long moment.
A short, sable-haired young man puts up his hands a moment, exhaling. "So be it. I'll endeavor to not get in the way. My specialty, in a sense." He deadpans, lingering on the outskirts of the action.
The subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man fuzzes into vision nearby.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman walks over from into the southern Port Cabin, with a fluid, feline grace.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman goes to stand near the southern Port Cabin.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman is haunting the open doorway of the port cabin, watching. (Room Pose Set)
A short, sable-haired young man is attempting to stay underfoot. (Room Pose Set)
Rostam whispers something, involving a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Zakil stands very close to a coppery, lithe young man, practically touching shoulders with the other youth. (Room Pose Set)
An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood walks over from into the southern Port Cabin.
(At the southern Port Cabin): An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood approaches the southern Port Cabin and shifts closer to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
Fadila gasps, "By the song." Before sh closesher mouth, worrying a braid of hair before that hand joins the other in her lap.
Rahat says, "Do you all-"
Yasin walks over from into the southern Port Cabin, wielding a dashingly curved scimitar in his right hand.
Rostam says, "Yes."
Yasin goes to stand near the southern Port Cabin, joining an average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood and a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
(Hidden) An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hoodwhispers to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, "-'m g--ng t- g-t - cl-s-r l--k -t s-m-th-ng. -'ll b- b-ck." [in Sirdabi with a lilting countertenor]
Zakil inhales a breath, his gaze drawn to the apparition as he inches closer again to illi, his eyes wide.
An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood steps away from the southern Port Cabin, leaving.
Around you, the ship glides across smooth waters.
A lean, red-haired young man arrives.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanseems rather used to appearance of the subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man, judging by the tiredness of her expression.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman trails a look after an average-height man wearing a heavy leather hoodbefore then turning her gaze back to the forecastle proper.
Monit keeps on mopping, grumbling as he shoves a heavy ship's mop between people's feet. It's crowded in the forecastle.
Yasin is standing near the southern Port Cabin, observing the forecastle. (Room Pose Set)
Ziyad fingers the strap of a mahogany suede mizuda as he turns his attention to the subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man, expression solemn without any surprise.
Rostam straightens from his lean against ziyad, patting the man's shoulder as he releases him.
An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hooddisappears into the gathering crowd in the forecastle.
An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood is there one moment, gone the next.
Zahir frowns faintly, brow furrowing as he peers at the subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man.
A passerby gives an average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood a strange look, drawing some unwanted attention and revealing his location.
Ziyad nods to rostamwhile offering a faint smile and remains standing close.
(At a bilge-sodden oakwood crate): A poxy mongrel's grows tense at the ghost's appearance, but it's the sight of bared steel that more directly draws his eye -- straight onto yasin, frowning.
An eerie, frosty whisper susurrates through the area.
(At the southern Port Cabin): A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman glances to a poxy mongrel, eyes fixing on him a moment. But then she murmurs aside to yasin, "Sw-rd -w--." [in Sirdabi with a dusky, purring contralto]
Yasin catches a poxy mongrel's gaze, and looking around several moments at the others, 'sheathes' a dashingly curved scimitar with a light exhalation.
Yasin puts a dashingly curved scimitar in a black leather scribing case.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanlingers close to rostam and ziyadstill, seemingly waiting for something.
Illi is standing next to a striking, violet-eyed youth with chaotic black curls, hand down at his swordbelt. (Room Pose Set)
Rahat grunts suddenly, expression twisting into a frown. "Speak, then. Don't whisper."
Firo inhales deeply as she looks on at the subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man, almost annoyed by the presence as she rubs at her temple.
(At the way out): There is a quiet snort of breath from a towering brute with shorn raven hair, leaning his back against the wall near the door leading outside to the deck.
(At the southern Port Cabin): Yasin glances toward the starboard cabin, briefly, but his gaze seems mostly focused on the subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man.
(At a bilge-sodden oakwood crate): One long moment of sustained eye contact later, a poxy mongrel is appeased and turns eyes back onto the ghost-face. The look he lands there is much less friendly.
Around you, the ship floats smoothly upon calm waves.
The subtle, ghostly face of a drenched manflickers, then vanishes abruptly.
A faint breeze seems to blow as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair materializes nearby.
Mehrnaz al nazir rises from the floorboards with a creak of long-dead joints, stiff and scarcely holding on. His palms are outstretched, chin lifted skyward as though receiving some unseen blessing. Dead eyes lower, tracking the forecastle - his spirit firm, solid in appearance. Something of a smirk twitches across his features, before his eyes fall dead upon rahin.
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair disappears.
A short, sable-haired young man doesn't look any more pleased to see the specter this time around, slowly creeping away from it. He doesn't, it seems, bother to go for his weapon.
A roar in a terrible screech can be distantly made out from the way out.
Rostam smiles aside at a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, quirking a brow in a slightly-questioning way. He frowns slightly at the sight of the spectre, smile sliding away.
Rahat peers through a porthole window.
(At the southern Port Cabin): Yasin shifts closer to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
(At the southern Port Cabin): Yasin leans in briefly toward a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, whispering something, his eyes trained north.
A slim, dark-haired Razmani man twitches in his sleep.
Fadila watche silently as the spectre appears anddisappears, that hand moving to toy with a braid of hairr. Rigidly she sits, a bit fearful but trying to keep herself calm.
A slim, dark-haired Razmani man wakes up, lying near a patched canvas hammock.
(At the southern Port Cabin): A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman tilts her head ever-so-slightly toward yasin, though her own gaze is trained northward, watching the latest operetta.
(Hidden) Yasinwhispers to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, "...--s- -s ------------- S------ ------ ----- ---s--? ----- --- -------- -----ss-s ----, --s--f --------, --- --s----- ... --s--- ----------." A beat. "S---s ... -------t--t t---g-, g---- ... " [in Sirdabi with a commanding bass-baritone] And he gestures towards the forecastle at large.
Halima climbs over from down a splintery hole in the floor.
Halima climbs up adroitly, with the aid of a coil of heavy-duty hemp rope.
Zakil slowly shifts a hand to the hilt of the sword at his belt in a mirror of illi, his expression watchful and expectant, the hint of a frown lingering upon it.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanlightly touches a raindrop pendant of crystalline glass, coming to stare at the ghost in return, though it's still in that stony silence.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman whispers something for a while, involving yasin.
Zahir moves aside to let Halima through.
Yasin whispers something, involving a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
Halima goes to stand near a splintery hole in the floor, joining a slim, olive-skinned woman and zahir.
A gangling, black-haired sailor walks over from into the northern Starboard Cabin, stiffly.
Suddenly the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is there.
Mehrnaz al nazirspeaks, rot heavy on the breath, to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "It is the final day. At least, if you do not act." He closes his eyes, sensate to something unseen, "Where the wind rides... yes, it gathers in droves, here. You chose well, priestess." He flicks a gaze whole with animal cunning, "Where are the knots? Tell me that you still have them. I can tell you now... this fate of mine, I wouldn't share it with anybody." [in with light-toned and naturally ponderous tenor]
And just like that, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is not there anymore.
(At a patched canvas hammock): A slim, dark-haired Razmani man is but one of many bodies in this cramped space. He doesn't rise: the heavy bandages across head and stomache probably prevent him from doing that. But he does cough and waken, eyes pushing open. "What--" [in Sirdabi with a rocky bass-baritone] he begins to ask at first notice of the gathering, but quickly falls silent, watching with horror clear on his face as the ghost speaks with a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
(At the southern Port Cabin): A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman drags her attention away from the starboard cabin, a nod dipped to yasin. Her molten eyes flick toward a willowy, tawny-complected young woman next, fixating there.
A gangling, black-haired sailor blinks, having just walked into the sight of the apparition. He blinks again, shakes his head, and strides onward stiffly, weaving his way through the crowd.
A roar in a terrible screech can be distantly made out from the way out.
A gangling, black-haired sailor begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Kinsa climbs over from down a splintery hole in the floor.
Kinsa climbs up adroitly, with the aid of a coil of heavy-duty hemp rope.
A gangling, black-haired sailor starts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
(At a splintery hole in the floor): Halima watches quietly, frowning.
(At the southern Port Cabin): Yasin focuses his eyes on the rat-chewed spectre, tensing somewhat, before looking over toward a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, waiting.
(Quietly): Ziyadshifts to give a willowy, tawny-complected young womana subtle nod in a show of support and encouragement.
You're not sure anyone else notices.
A gangling, black-haired sailor begins to climb down the scaffolding.
A gangling, black-haired sailor climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
(At the way out): Head tilted to the side, a towering brute with shorn raven hair glances over those gathered after listening to the spectre's words.
Rostam turns aside toward a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, head canting briefly in question.
Rahat peers through a porthole window.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womandeparts.
(Hidden) A short, sable-haired young manglances toward the north cabin for just a moment, though his gaze is understandably fixed upon the specter.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanarrives.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanstares at the ghost for a long moment, finally speaking after that heavy silence as it seems the time has come, "I have them. Tell us where the wind rides, and we will go there."
Fadila draws her attention to a rat chewed spectre as he speaks, only focussing on his face, but then she looks away, shuddering a bit.
(At the southern Port Cabin): Yasin tenses visibly at the declaration, as if preparing for something.
Rostam casts a glance through the crowd as a willowy, tawny-complected young womanspeaks.
A faint breeze seems to blow as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair materializes nearby.
Mehrnaz al nazircloses his eyes again, as a deathly wind begins to flutter his threadbare clothes; from below. Then, he disappears.
A subtle *whoosh* might be heard as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair de-materializes.
Zakil whispers something for a while, involving a pair of ornate gold and silk slippers, a ripped white bandage, a long-stemmed wooden pipe, a gold necklace, a slender sewing needle, a narrow sheath intricately decorated with jewels with a sleek slender sword inside, a sleek slender sword, and a flint flake.
A passerby gives esfandiar shirazi a strange look, drawing some unwanted attention and revealing his location.
Zahir's mouth twists bitterly.
An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood arrives.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanexhales softly, eyes drifting to rahat, "In the hold... does he mean the bilge?"
A roar in an inhuman snarl can be distantly made out from the way out.
Someone scrapes gently on the squat cabin door.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanexhales softly, eyes drifting to a splintery hole in the floor, "In the hold... does he mean the bilge?"
A roar in a terrible screech can be heard from the way out.
Someone scrapes gently on the squat cabin door.
A howl in an inhuman screech can be distantly made out from the way out.
Someone scrapes gently on the squat cabin door.
Rostam says, "I....did not hear him. But if he said the hold, he likely meant between the galley and the quarters."
Esfandiar shirazilooks around, teeth bared. His eyes flash pointedly on zahir.
Firo's lips harden into a tight line as she watches a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. "We are just going to take the spirit at its word, then?" [in Sirdabi with a sweet, shaky soprano] She questions, rigidly, flinching a bit at the noises from the squat cabin door.
An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood scans towards the northern Starboard Cabin.
An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood is there one moment, gone the next.
A lean, red-haired young man shifts a brief*, nervous* look to the squat cabin door.
Around you, the ship drifts on gently.
Rostam falls in with a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Softly in a considering manner, ziyad says to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "There is only so much below us. I'm sure that we'll know when we're in the right location."
Rahat goes to stand near a splintery hole in the floor, joining a small crowd.
Ziyad is no longer following a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Ziyad falls in with a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Zahir stands in silence by the hole between floors, arms folded, watching.
Rahat falls in with a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
A roar in an inhuman snarl can be distantly made out from the way out.
Someone scrapes gently on the squat cabin door.
Kinsa watches firo for a few moments, before asking with a chuckle, "I don't know that we have anyone qualified to make a counterargument." [in Sirdabi with a sonorous contralto]
A short, sable-haired young man glances to firo a moment. "Didn't that woman who was sleeping among the crates have a different idea?" he murmurs.
Looking between a willowy, tawny-complected young womanand rostam, esfandiar shirazi tells firo, eyes glittering darkly, "They have the knots. They will do what they wish, and damn the rest of us."
"Your information is out date," esfandiar shirazi tells kinsatensely, lips pursing."
"Not just... many of us have given it much thought." A willowy, tawny-complected young woman says as she looks to the squat cabin door quietly before she approaches a splintery hole in the floor.
Zahir nods in agreement with esfandiar shirazi. "They've made their decision"
Yasin whispers something for a while, involving a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
"Many of us -have-, yes," esfandiar shirazi tells a willowy, tawny-complected young womanaccusingly. "And you don't seem to care what we think."
Kinsa gives esfandiar shirazi a distinctly unimpressed expression, but says nothing for the moment.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman whispers something, involving yasin.
Stiffly, ziyad says to esfandiar shirazi, "Or perhaps the counterarguments were heard, but they were not convincing enough."
(At the southern Port Cabin): Yasin nods again to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, and walks away from the port-side cabin doorway.
Yasin steps away from the southern Port Cabin, leaving.
Esfandiar shirazi's words disarm firo, a bit, affording a softness to her demeanor. "It is stupid that you think others haven't given thought to something we stake our lives on," the elder, comments unhelpfully.
"What do you intend?"zakil calls out to rahin, a slight tilt of his chin accompanying the words. "Say it. Tell those of us who are at the edges of this."
As she starts to climb doen the scaffolding, a willowy, tawny-complected young womansays to esfandiar shirazi, "As if you would bother to tell my lowly self your thoughts."
"To who?" esfandiar shirazi asks ziyadpointedly. "To you? Why do you decide?"
Rostam just moves along with a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, gaze flicking from one person to another.
Yasin falls in with a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
A roar in an inhuman screech can be distantly made out from the way out.
Someone scrapes gently on the squat cabin door.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanbegins to climb down the scaffolding.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanstarts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanis followed by a small group.
Ziyad says to esfandiar shirazi, "I am only one of many who feels that way."
"I have done nothing but state my opinion for the last three days, -to anyone who cared to listen,"esfandiar shirazitells a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Yasin walks toward the general area of the forecastle, moving as if in line with a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
"And I am one of many who feels -this- way,"esfandiar shirazimutters dismissively to ziyad.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanbegins to climb down the scaffolding.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanclimbs away down a splintery hole in the floor. She is followed by a small group.
Rostam begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Ziyad begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Rahat begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Yasin begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Rostam climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor, resting a hand on a man's shoulder for support.
Ziyad climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Rahat climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Yasin climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
(At a bilge-sodden oakwood crate): A poxy mongrel ejects a huff of frustration and scuttles through the crowd to the hole, bitching the whole way. "It sure would be *nice*, if just for *the last day*, this ghost could speak *plain*..." [in Sirdabi with a guttural scrape of a baritone] Apparently he has nothing to contribute to the actual debate.
A poxy mongrelstraightens and shifts away from a bilge-sodden oakwood crate.
Someone scrapes gently on the squat cabin door.
"I think they've weighed it with their hearts, not their minds," esfandiar shirazi tells firoeventually.
A poxy mongrel goes to stand near a splintery hole in the floor, joining a small crowd.
Zakil lets out a decidedly irritable snort, then takes a frustrated step towards the hole in the floor as he casts a questioning look to illi and then to esfandiar shirazi.
Halima begins to climb down the scaffolding.
"And that is how the demon gets them,"esfandiar shiraziconcludes darkly, to no one in particular, staring at a splintery hole in the floor.
A towering brute with shorn raven hairglances towards a splintery hole in the floor, following the party as they descend but making no attempt to move himself.
Halima climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Zahir sighs, looking over at esfandiar shirazi and firo, then at a poxy mongrel. "And now?"
Kinsa rests her hands on her belt, musing aloud, "This isn't yet a done thing."
Out of Character: a short, sable-haired young man rolled will at hard difficulty and the result was a pass.
A poxy mongrel begins to climb down the scaffolding.
A poxy mongrel climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Dryly, firo says to kinsa, "They intend to do it now."
Zahir follows after a poxy mongrel with a sigh.
Zahir begins to climb down the scaffolding.
"Isnt it?" esfandiar shirazi asks kinsa, not exactly a rhetorical question, but... He nods at firo. To zahir, he shrugs. "How should we stop them?"
Kinsa nods once to firo, "So if someone wanted to stop them, they should probably act quick."
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman pulls herself away from that port cabin door, tracking a look toward a towering brute with shorn raven hair as she goes. She simply looks upon the large man, though, in the midst of her moving toward a splintery hole in the floor.
"What isn't yet a done thing?" zakil demands of kinsa or anyone else. "What do they intend?" he continues to firo, more frustration creeping into his tone. "Why will nobody speak it plainly?"
Zahir climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
A slim, dark-haired Razmani man makes an effort to rise, but the doing defeats him: with a groan, he slumps back into a grubby canvas hammock. "Well," he announces to nobody-in-particular. "The lunatic spirit bests all other possibilities in the end, mm?"
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman steps away from the southern Port Cabin, leaving.
A short, sable-haired young man exhales, glancing to the room. "...I'm going. I'll keep an eye on it. If things look bad...I don't know." He admits. *He's swallowing quite a bit of fear.*
A short, sable-haired young man begins to climb down the scaffolding.
"They are going to finish the knots," a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womanexplains to zakil. Succinct.
A short, sable-haired young man starts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
"I was trying,"esfandiar shirazisnaps at kinsa. "And you didn't help, did you?"
A towering brute with shorn raven hairbegins to climb down the scaffolding.
Moving towards a splintery hole in the floor, a towering brute with shorn raven hair leaves the vicinity of the closed squat cabin door. (Stand - at the general area -)
Resigned, firo says to zakil, "The tying of the knots."
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman goes to move near a splintery hole in the floor, joining a slim, olive-skinned woman and a short, sable-haired young man.
A short, sable-haired young man begins to climb down the scaffolding.
A short, sable-haired young man climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Illi follows zakil, frowning to himself, and says: "Let us see what is it be done, then?" "Little I know about it...but if it opposes the mist, then..." He shudders, and shivers, and says, "I hate the mist and these waters." [in Sirdabi with a rapid, energetic countertenor]
"The ghost--" a slim, dark-haired Razmani man begins, perhaps to answer zakil, "Offered safety, is my understanding of it. To twenty -- just twenty, no? Through the door?"
A towering brute with shorn raven hairbegins to climb down the scaffolding.
A towering brute with shorn raven hairstarts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
Kinsa simply grins at esfandiar shirazi, "No, I've simply been working to make the ship shipshape."
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman begins to climb down the scaffolding.
"It lies," esfandiar shirazi tells illi. "It is the unclean thing."
"I mean just now,"esfandiar shirazitells kinsamirthlessly. "When I confronted her."
An average-height man wearing a heavy leather hood shows up.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor, with a fluid, feline grace.
Zakil "Yes," me agrees with illi, nodding to those who answered his question as he moves for the hole resolutely.
A towering brute with shorn raven hairbegins to climb down the scaffolding.
A towering brute with shorn raven hairclimbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Zakil begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Yeshev lowers the hood of a heavy leather hood.
Zakil starts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
Illi follows zakil. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
Yeshev begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Firo goes to stand near a splintery hole in the floor, joining a small crowd.
Yeshev starts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
Kinsa nods at esfandiar shirazi, lifting her shoulders in a shrug, "I'm not of a mind to stop them."
Zakil begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Zakil climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Illi begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Yeshev drifts his way towards the logjam of bodies attempting to all descend the scaffolding.
Illi climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
"But you're of a mind to stop me stopping them," esfandiar shirazi tells kinsa, annoyed. "That is not a neutral stance."
Yeshev begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Yeshev climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Firo makes her way to a splintery hole in the floor, letting those who wish to go first do so before she makes her own way down. "Might as well bear witness to our damnation then."
Firo begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Firo climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Esfandiar shirazishakes his head, turning away from kinsa to contemplate a splintery hole in the floor. "I do not think I wish to see. I might do something I will regret."
Kinsa shakes her head a few times at esfandiar shirazi, "No, I'm telling you that if you want it to be stopped, you need to act decisively and quickly."
Kinsa says, "What you do is your own part to play."
"You tell me that I have the wrong end of the stick while I"m trying to stop her is trying to stop me," esfandiar shirazitells kinsa simply.
A lean, red-haired young man heads over to a splintery hole in the floor, rubbing the back of his neck.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it floats peacefully onward.
A lean, red-haired young man begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Esfandiar shirazibegins to climb down the scaffolding.
A lean, red-haired young man starts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
Esfandiar shirazistarts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
"You've made your choice, you'd better hope they're right,"esfandiar shirazitells kinsa.
A howl in a terrible screech can be distantly made out from the way out.
A lean, red-haired young man begins to climb down the scaffolding.
A lean, red-haired young man climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
"They're not,"esfandiar shirazi adds after a moment.
Esfandiar shirazibegins to climb down the scaffolding.
Esfandiar shiraziclimbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
Kinsa goes to stand near a splintery hole in the floor, joining a slim, olive-skinned woman.
(At a splintery hole in the floor): Kinsa mutters, "...--, - --st t---k ---'-- -- --s-."
Kinsa begins to climb down the scaffolding.
Kinsa climbs away down a splintery hole in the floor.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it floats smoothly upon calm waves.
Rising from her spalce on the floor Fadilaclimbs down without saying anything, just following the drift of the group.
You straighten to stand within the general area.
You begin to climb down the scaffolding.
Fadila starts towards a splintery hole in the floor. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the floor -)
You begin to climb down the scaffolding.
You climb down a splintery hole in the floor.
You climb down adroitly, with the aid of a coil of heavy-duty hemp rope.
[The Greenest Dolphin, Hold, A Musty Galley]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
This musty galley harbors a continous quiet clamor as crew and passengers eat and attempt to enjoy a bit of leisure in their cramped confines. A series of trestle tables are bolted to the floor, secure against the motion of even the roughest sea, and tucked into the back of the space, across from the arch out to the hold, is a cramped kitchen and food storage area. A few lanterns swing from the ceiling, illuminating the galley with swaying pools of light.
Fixed above, a coil of heavy-duty hemp rope hangs as a climbing aid.
( The grubby kitchen has been freshly stocked with firewood from elsewhere in the hold, next to the small contained hearth.)
A burlap satchel is here. A cramped kitchen serves up thin gruel at all hours. A dark wrought iron camp lantern is here. A deep cast-iron pot is here. A set of 2 carved ivory dice is here. A sturdy wooden crate stamped with a rising sun in a circle is here. A wooden splint is here.
a fine-boned, sapphire-eyed young woman and sekani rayegan sleep here.
Also here is a gangling, black-haired sailor.
Cardinal Exits: east through an arch to the hold
Other: a splintery hole in the ceiling (steep)
The voices of crewmembers can be heard echoing in quiet conversation through the creaking stillness of the ship's belly.
You walk east through an arch to the hold.
[The Greenest Dolphin, Hold, Dimness Below Deck]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
The scant light from a row of round porthole windows on either side of this deep hold does little to abate its darkness. Some warm lantern light glows through the opening to the galley in the front of the ship's belly, and a few more lanterns are posted about in the aft section where stalls for livestock are built into the cargo area. A knife-scarred arch leads to the crewmember quarters, while a ramp leading up to a hatch in the ceiling provides access to the Dolphin's deck.
A bronze-bitted hand drill is here. A cast-iron bilge pump has been bolted to the planking of the hold.A coil of old rope has been rigged up and tied off amateurishly, in an attempt to keep the hatch to the main deck from being opened. A coil of old rope is here. A heavy, rolled-up mizzen sail is here. A large, tar-sealed barrel is here.A page torn from a book is affixed to the wall here, with big lettering announcing something about an upcoming meeting. An iron-banded wooden pail is here.
Cardinal Exits: west to the galley and east through a knife-scarred arch
Other: up to the main deck: wooden hatch (closed)
The old ship creaks and rocks, a stuffy breath of musty brine stirring through the dim recesses of the hold.
A howl in a terrible drone can be distantly made out from the way up to the main deck.
Someone scrapes gently on the wooden hatch.
You feel dull pain from your wounds but it seems to be healing.
A howl in a terrible screech can be heard from the way up to the main deck.
Someone scrapes gently on the wooden hatch.
You walk east through a knife-scarred arch.
Maha begins to climb down the ladder.
[The Greenest Dolphin, Hold, Crewmember Quarters]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
These dim quarters in the hold are actually quite large, but feel cramped due to the infringement of the ship's great ribs along both sides. The crowding produced by various crates and chests belonging to crewmates doesn't help, and hammocks hung from the rafters in several spots add their own clutter even in mid-air. The battered, bilge-stained floor is made of planks that rock and creak above the deep keel of the freighter, and a few are loose, allowing access to deeper cargo storage. A knife-scarred arch without a door leads into the rest of the hold.
(The entire area has been tidied, trunks and crates pushed together and things stacked more neatly. Hammocks not in use have been wrapped and strung out of the way, and everything's a little less chaotic than it was.)
A large oakwood crate is here. A length of tarred rope is left here. (x3) A page torn from a book is here.
inaya sleeps here.
Also here is a pox-scarred guy. Owais is asleep at a sweat-stained hammock, holding a shiny leather ball in his right hand. Maha is climbing down the ladder.
The area is damp.
Cardinal Exits: west
Maha goes into the water.
maha climbs away through the loose planks.
Around you, the ship floats peacefully onward.
The ship floats peacefully onward on beneath you.
You begin to climb down the ladder.
You go into the water.
You climb through the loose planks.
You climb down adroitly.
[In the Dark]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
A cubit's worth of bilgewater rises to knee-height here below decks. It's horribly dark, the air reeks, and there's a sense of ominous tightness about the tiny space.
[It is far too dark to see anything here.]
There is moderately shallow bilge water here. A nigh-unbearable weight of filthy bilgewater clouds the air.
The bilge sloshes, terrible and stinking, at your feet.
The ominous scrabbling of an excessive number of rats can be heard through the bilge.
You wade north.
[The Greenest Dolphin, Under the Hold, Bilge]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
This cramped and narrow space is tight, the ceiling pressing down low above. Salt-encrusted filth spatters along the tar-coated ribs of the freighter's deepest, darkest interior.
The subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man wavers in and out of sight. The stiff corpse of a dirty bilgerat has breathed his last. The stiff corpse of a grungy bilgerat has breathed his last. The stiff corpse of a slime-sodden bilgerat has breathed his last.
A crowd of individuals gather here.
There is moderately shallow bilge water here. An overpowering aroma of filthy bilgewater clouds the air.
Cardinal Exits: south (water) and north (water)
A rat squeals aggressively from a place that seems far too near.
The ominous scrabbling of an excessive number of rats can be heard through the bilge.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it drifts on gently.
"Really, I am fine,"zakil insists too loudly, not to anybody in particular but probably mostly to illi, heaving again but somehow managing to avoid more than that. He clears his throat and lets out a sharp breath as he straightens with some effort, regaining his composure only for esfandiar shirazi to splash him with filthy bilgewater which elicits an actual shriek.
(Quietly): Rather than look toward esfandiar shirazi with that splashing, a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womaninstead traces a glance to a poxy mongrel. She studies the latter for a time in silence.
After the splashing subsides, a poxy mongrel speaks up quietly from beside esfandiar shirazi, though his voice still carries across the water to every other ear. "She has made her choice, Friend," the wretch rasps, eyes trained on a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. "We must each look to our own choice."
Esfandiar shirazi's eyes fix on the knots in a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's hands, glittering darkly. He ignores the spirit, though he can't help seeing it as it lurks near the woman. "No!"he shouts, and he starts swimming toward her with purpose in his eyes.
From thin air, an amalgam of several water-sodden rats in noose-tied ropes manifests, and swoops down at esfandiar shirazi with a frozen touch.
Halima takes stock of esfandiar shirazi.
Rostam takes stock of esfandiar shirazi.
(Quietly): Yeshevclocks esfandiar shirazi's movement with his eyes, but doesn't stray from the part of the bilge he currently stands in.
Zahir's eyes open suddenly at esfandiar shirazi's shout, and the splash of his move in a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's direction.
Kinsa jolts at the shriek from zakil, then watches esfandiar shirazi with shock as the rats appears, "Beggar's breath..."
Maha ducks and wades away from esfandiar shirazi and the amalgam, eyes wide.
Firo takes stock of esfandiar shirazi.
"This is my choice!"esfandiar shirazibarks a poxy mongrel, as he flings himself through the splashing water toward a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. He hisses when his leg is jolted, a grimace of pain seizing his features, but he keeps trying to swim.
Rahat puts out a lit wrought iron camp lantern.
Yasin stares with fire behind his honey-brown eyes as esfandiar shirazi runs toward a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. He moves at first to intercept, but then stops, watching as the manifestation moves towards him.
Fadila enters the crowded room shaking with distaste at the bilgewater. Her eyes flick to #sandals, shuddering, but she still looks over the crowd, listening ant attentive if horrified.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it glides across smooth waters.
Rostam pivots to face esfandiar shirazi. He splashes clumsily to stand between esfandiar shirazi and a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, shaking his head at the man. "Don't."
You peer north...
[In the Dark]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
This cramped and narrow space is tight, the ceiling pressing down low above. Salt-encrusted filth spatters along the tar-coated ribs of the freighter's deepest, darkest interior.
[It is far too dark to see anything here.]
Someone is standing on her hind legs, surveying the area, near the southward direction. Someone is standing on his hind legs, surveying the area, near the southward direction. Someone is standing on his hind legs, surveying the area, near the southward direction.
There is moderately shallow bilge water here. An overpowering aroma of filthy bilgewater pollutes the space.
The bilge sloshes, terrible and stinking, at your feet.
The ominous scrabbling of an excessive number of rats can be heard through the bilge.
A towering brute with shorn raven hairwatches esfandiar shirazi move, though the Tessouare makes no move to intervene. Instead, he just lifts his torch a little higher to ensure he can see what is occuring in the light.
Ziyad tenses when esfandiar shirazisurges forward and shifts to block access to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
"Take my soul then, if that is what you need," a willowy, tawny-complected young woman tells the ghost seriously, drawing a strange collection of knots between her hands to find the incomplete ends.
Ziyad moves into a position to try to guard a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
Yasin's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern flickers and crackles.
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair appears.
Mehrnaz al nazirwithdraws, remaining on the edges of the dark; the air around him heavy with cold as he eyes esfandiar shirazi, patrolling around where a willowy, tawny-complected young womanstands.
The eerie haze of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair fades.
"You doom us all!"esfandiar shiraziyells, a strange earnest, strangle sound, at a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. He sees rostam, but he doesn't stop. "Move or I will plant my blade in your ribs, Marzani. Don't think I wouldn't love it."
Rahat extinguishes a dark wrought iron camp lantern and then tucks it away into his satchel*, almost reverently*.
The bilgewater sloshes around esfandiar shirazi's charge, rippling in reeking waves.
Kinsa clenches her hand so tight it might threaten to crush the handle of her axe, shaking her head. Then she looks to rostamall of a sudden, calling out, "Marzani! The man died to the rats. Why are they at his beck and call now?"
Rahat puts a dark wrought iron camp lantern in a pale leather satchel.
Esfandiar shiraziflails, struggling to keep his head above water as the water churns.
Teeth baring briefly in a smile, not heeding kinsa to answer esfandiar shirazi, rostam says, "Don't."
Halima crosses her arms, watching.
"You consort with demons, fool! When have you ever been right?!" esfandiar shirazi gurgles at rostam, as he sruggles in the water.
Firo's expression as she watches esfandiar shirazi is solemn as she remains fixed in place in the grotesque water. There is little surprise in her features as she watches on.
A lean, red-haired young man glances between rostam and esfandiar shirazi.
Kinsa curses profoundly and rapidly under her breath in Tessouare, before calling out again, "This can be no good thing."
Illi grimaces a bit at zakil's shrieking, and watches a willowy, tawny-complected young woman from afar, grimly.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanslowly, and painstakingly, starts to tie the ends of the rope.
(Quietly): Yasinremains quiet, watching the conflict unfolding in front of him. He adjusts his grip on a dashingly curved scimitar, bringing it in closer to him.
A poxy mongrel didn't even try to catch esfandiar shirazi's arm when he pressed forward. He just stands back and watches, expression pinched tight and grave, jaw set hard.
"Bul'ajo juzidho ooke," [in Irzali]zakil exclaims weakly, steadying himself on the tar-coated wall only to withdraw his hand quickly again. His gaze pulls to esfandiar shirazi, watching the scene unfold somewhat helplessly.
Panting, esfandiar shirazi gets ahold of himself and launches up from the floor, the water not as deep as the waves had made it seem. "I don't mean HER harm, fool,"esfandiar shirazibarks at rostam, and then he's going after a willowy, tawny-complected young womanagain. "Give me the knots."
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazir rises by a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's side, murmuring, "Your soul? I wouldn't dream of it... you still have a purpose, here, student. But..."
He trails off, worms eating his insides causing his face to bulge oddly, "If you feel you are losing your way... you need only open your inner self... and I shall do the rest."
He falls into silence, watching the knots.
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair disappears.
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazir bares a dead, hateful gaze on esfandiar shirazi, a butchers hook manifesting into his hand as the air carries a much heavier chill.
A subtle *whoosh* might be heard as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair de-materializes.
(Quietly): Esfandiar shirazi shifts closer to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Wordless now, rostamsplashes sideways, trying to keep between a willowy, tawny-complected young womanand esfandiar shirazi.
"I warned those who listened." Fadilacalls out, "There is the spirit, the dark spirit that calls to those who are in the darkness." "Of course they would follow him." "He is untouched now where as those in the living are touched moreso." Her voice pierces the room with its high, clear cadence, the splashing reaking filth forgotten now.
Rostam moves into a position to try to guard a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
In a dry aside, firosays to kinsa, "If you intend to be brave and stop it, now is the time."
In a fell silence, an amalgam of several water-sodden rats in noose-tied ropes descends upon esfandiar shirazi, materializing through icy shards that vanish abruptly afterward.
Kinsa gets out from a dark leather weaponbelt in her possession and brandishes a wood-handled hatchet in her right hand.
"Stay away from her."Yasin declares toward esfandiar shirazi, breaking his silence.
Kinsa pulls her hatchet from the belt, finally, "I believe you might be right, grandmother."
Zahir shakes his head, brow furrowing. He closes his eyes, face tipping down and away from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Halima takes stock of esfandiar shirazi.
"I do not need your aid," a willowy, tawny-complected young woman mutters to the spirit, twisting the rope a moment longer but pausing to study it searchingly.
Maha continues to observe, silent and out of the way.* Attention most fully on the spirit and the knots, ready to act if something should happen with either.*
Yasin looks toward kinsa, then. "Kinsa. Lionness." A beat, and a breath. "Please. Calm."
Attack or no, esfandiar shirazimakes a desperate grab at the knots, trying to get around rostam. "The knots!" he cries. "He doesn't aid YOU, he aids himself! He will kill for what he wants!"
Rostam lunges now for esfandiar shirazi, but not to strike with a steel-bladed saber with a knobbed bronze hilt.
(Quietly): Rostamshifts closer to esfandiar shirazi.
Kinsa simply grins at yasin, twirling the axe, "I'm very calm."And with that, she makes to move towards esfandiar shirazi and rostam.
Zahir's jaw tenses, fists clench, shoulders shake.
"Oh," [in Sirdabi]zakil complains, again overtaken by fruitless gagging, finally loosing only a mouthful of saliva to join the foul, sloshing water of the bilge. He straightens again with some effort, a bewildered look shot to illibefore his attention is again on rostamsitra and esfandiar shirazi.
(Quietly): Kinsashifts closer to rostam.
Kinsa tries to grapple with rostam.
Kinsa grips rostamfirmly in one hand, ready to start dragging.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman whispers something, involving yeshev.
Esfandiar shirazistarts to take a strange collection of knots from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
By force, a willowy, tawny-complected young woman resists esfandiar shirazi's attempt to take a strange collection of knots.
Rostam tries to grapple with kinsa.
Rostam struggles against kinsa's hold, and successfully frees himself.
Kinsa releases rostam.
Rostam begins to tread water.
Ziyad grips esfandiar shirazi firmly in one hand, ready to start dragging.
The boisterous warmth of yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch grants a steadfast crackling presence.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
The boisterous warmth of yasin's lit pitch-topped torch grants a steadfast crackling presence.
The boisterous warmth of maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern grants a steadfast crackling presence.
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazir rises in an unholy shriek, his form twitching to and fro as the knots are handled.
A subtle *whoosh* might be heard as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair de-materializes.
Yasin moves in then toward esfandiar shirazi, as if to grab him away from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Esfandiar shirazibares his teeth, ratlike, as he makes a grab for the knots.
Yeshev whispers something, involving a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
(Quietly): Yasinshifts closer to esfandiar shirazi.
Esfandiar shirazistarts to take a strange collection of knots from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Ziyad grunts as he grabs hold of esfandiar shirazi and attempts to wrestle him aside.
By force, a willowy, tawny-complected young woman resists esfandiar shirazi's attempt to take a strange collection of knots.
Surprised by kinsa's sudden grab, rostamstruggles, managing to break free.
"No!" Fadila cries as kinsa graples with rostam, "More of this will feed the dispair, the darkness, the ill state of this fwl happenstance!"
Halima takes a stop back, watching the scene unfold with some bewilderment.
(Quietly): Rostamshifts closer to esfandiar shirazi.
Yasin tries to grapple with esfandiar shirazi.
Ziyad starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Yasin puts out a lit pitch-topped torch.
Kinsa begins to scuffle with rostam, clearly intent not to strike a blow as she does her best to keep him busy.
Esfandiar shirazidoesn't seem to notice yasin bearing down on him, nor rostam, frankly, as all his attention is on a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's knots.
(Quietly): Kinsashifts closer to rostam.
Kinsa tries to grapple with rostam.
Kinsa grips rostamfirmly in one hand, ready to start dragging.
A lean, red-haired young man shuffles backwards through the bilgewater, hands held up, in an effort to both get some distance from the scuffle and continue watching.
All the grabbing by esfandiar shirazi at the rope is interrupting a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's attempts to finalize the last knot.
(Quietly): Yeshevwatches the thrashing and grappling in the bilge, but remains at a removed distance from it.
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair appears.
Mehrnaz al nazirhisses at a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "Finish them... finish them, or you will all join the ranks of the dead, never to know peace!"
A subtle *whoosh* might be heard as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair de-materializes.
Yasin puts a dark pitch-topped torch in a black leather scribing case.
Esfandiar shirazistraightens and walks over to the general area.
Esfandiar shirazistarts to take a strange collection of knots from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Rostam shoves kinsa.
Rostam isn't strong enough to turn the tables on kinsa.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womansloshes back and away from the repeated grasping of esfandiar shirazi's hands, though she manages to keep her hold on a strange collection of knots.
By force, a willowy, tawny-complected young woman resists esfandiar shirazi's attempt to take a strange collection of knots.
(Quietly): Yasinshifts closer to esfandiar shirazi.
As things start getting physical, a poxy mongrel rips a blade from somewhere under his cloak. He grips it tight -- not looking to intend to use it, but it sure is nice to have for just-in-case. "Rats in the bilge, are we," croaks the wretch, eyes wild in the firelight. "Clawing over one another in the dark. Are you happy, Merhnaz? Does it please you?"
The Tessouare just stands there, seemingly not bothered at all by both the confrontation within the water nor the spectre. Though, admittedly, it is hard to tell with his helm on. Instead, a towering brute with shorn raven hair just continues to observe with a brief glance at the others who remain at the sidelines, eyes lingering a little longer on a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman than the others.
Rostam struggles to free himself from kinsa's hold, but can't.
Ziyad approaches the general area.
A poxy mongrel gets out a small sheath of tooled leather with a single amethyst with a wide-bladed dagger inside from an ugly makeshift pocket in his possession.
Kinsa shoves rostam.
Rostam is pressed away from kinsa's shove.
Esfandiar shirazishouts back to whoever, "I can't believe you leave me alone to save us!"even as he bounces and sloshes after a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Yasin tries to grapple with esfandiar shirazi.
Yasin grips esfandiar shirazi firmly in one hand, ready to start dragging.
Ziyad curses softly under his breath as he struggles to keep a hold on esfandiar shirazi.
Ziyad starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman meets a towering brute with shorn raven hair's glance from across the way, eyes hanging upon him. Her expression seems rather unreadable as everything unfolds.
Kinsa lets out a laugh, for whatever reason, as she manages to push rostam back through the filth, "You might be taller, but I'm bigger."
Yasin grabs esfandiar shirazi rather easily, and begins wading away from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it glides across smooth waters.
As kinsa shoves him, rostam goes splashing backward in the water, then struggles to his feet and sets himself, shaking his head at her. "You're in the wrong here, Sayyida! Please."
Yasin starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Ziyad wades south, wielding a sea-sanded hunk of driftwood in his right hand and dragging esfandiar shirazi.
Yasin wades south, wielding a dashingly curved scimitar in his right hand.
Zahir opens his eyes.
A shout in an eccentric, Irzali-flavored tenor breaks out from the southward direction.
"I WILL DIE FIRST! WE WILL ALL DIE FIRST!"
Kinsa shakes her head right back at rostam, "I'm not here to hurt you, Marzani. But I know evil when I see it."
A poxy mongrel scans south.
A shout in an eccentric, Irzali-flavored tenor can be heard from the southward direction.
"DON'T YOU KNOW A DEMON WHEN YOU SEE ONE! THE WAY ITS TONGUE CARESSES YOUR DESIRES! YOU ARE FOOLS!"
Zakil scans south.
Kinsa calls as an echo to the words pushing in from the south, "Would a demon not offer what we most desire?"
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair appears.
Mehrnaz al nazirhisses, lingering a few feet over a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "Finish it. Or I will."
And just like that, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is not there anymore.
There's a thoughtful narrowing of his eyes as yeshev spots the knife a poxy mongrelhas produced.
Zahir shouts, "FIND YOUR OWN PATH, PRIESTESS. YOU CAN TIE YOUR OWN KNOT."
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
The boisterous warmth of maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern grants a steadfast crackling presence.
Having wound his way around the other side, a short, sable-haired young man approaches a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, tense, glancing between her and the spirit. "Are you certain, Priestess? Completely certain? He speaks like a conman, for all that he's passed on. All pressure and terms."He bares his teeth at the specter. Perhaps to draw its attention? "Hey. Get away from her."
Firo still remains rooted in her place. "You will damn us. There is no good reason to trust the demon, and you know that." Is all she manages to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Rostam doesn't answer kinsa, a flicker of some emotion briefly crossing his face as he looks over his shoulder to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman and the spectre.
"Everything here is evil! It feeds on our despair," a willowy, tawny-complected young woman snaps, continuing her work, "If we do not leave, we will not die. We will become demons ourselves." She gives the ghost a tired look, then looks down at the rope and finishes tying the knots, though perhaps not quite the same one as shown before by the same spectre.
Rocking back and forth, hands clamped over her mouth Fadila's eyes widen, a soft moan escapingg as she peers first back toward where the others went, then to the priestess.
Around you, the ship tranquilly glides on.
Zahir breathes raggedly, gaze now on a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, watching, waiting, shivering slightly in the filthy water of the bilge.
A shout in an eccentric, Irzali-flavored tenor breaks out from the southward direction.
"PRIONER! IBN MUSA! OLD WOMAN! DON'T LET THIS BE THE END!"
Halima looks between the various parties struggling against each other, pursing her lips.
(Quietly): A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womansnorts to herself, mouthing the words 'old woman' beneath her breath.
Illi looks lost and uncertain, torn between the two insistent sides, and in the end, he does nothing.
Something in the way a willowy, tawny-complected young womanties the knot catches rostam's attention, and he smiles, glancing toward zahir.
A shout in an eccentric, Irzali-flavored tenor breaks out from the southward direction.
"LET ME GO!"
Kinsa pleads with rostam for the moment, attention not on a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. She even flips her hatchet so it's upside down, unable to chop with it, "We're being played at our most desperate. Con man is right- you've seen his type in a dozen places making promises he can't fulfil."
There is a tired sigh from a towering brute with shorn raven hair, the slightest shift of the armored leviathan's stance almost as though he intends to move closer towards the centre of turmoil.
A lean, red-haired young man peers over his shoulder at the shouting, brow knitting in thought.
A faint breeze seems to blow as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair materializes nearby.
Mehrnaz al nazir rests a rotting hand on a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's shoulder as he watches the great work be completed - correct or not. He moves to speak, but jerks as though struck by lightning. He is contorted every which way, horrible crackling sounds drowning out anything that might be said.
The eerie haze of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair fades.
Zakil takes a staggering step in the not-quite darkness, glancing in the direction of the shouting and then back to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. Indecision reigns over his expression, clearly undecided as he watches, giving an involuntary shake of his head before he lurches in that direction.
Pleadingly, earnest, rostam says to kinsa, "Don't trust the Ghost. Trust the Priestess!"
A shout in an eccentric, Irzali-flavored tenor breaks out from the southward direction.
"FOOL. YOU CONSORT DEMONS. YOU WILL DIE."
The strange collection of knots, with the final knot tied, suddenly rises up -- drifting inexorably away from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's hands. It lurks up into the stinking rafters of the bilge, and hovers there for a moment, glowing mistily.
(Quietly): "I trust the Priestess," a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womanvoices aloud, making her stance known. She directs this toward a towering brute with shorn raven hair, perhaps. Just in case.
"A knot is an oath,"maha speaks quietly. Maybe too quietly, "What oath is being sworn?" [in Sirdabi with a youthful soprano] She doesn't seem particularly worried, question rhetorical as she observes.
(Quietly): Yeshevtenses in anticipation.
And then the knots warp, twisting, spreading. They lengthen in the gleaming glow of torches and lanterns reflecting off the sheen of bilgewater below.
Halima stares at the knots.
A short, sable-haired young man winces at the cracking sound - he takes a step back from the floating knots, hands tense and miserable.
A misty gloaming expanse spreads below the knots, between the twisting length of rope that stretches out on its own through space --
Rahat remains to the side, shaking his head gently as he stares up at the rising collection of knots.
A poxy mongrel's eyes narrow on a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's hands, then rise with the floating knots, his grip white-knuckled on the dagger.
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazir sinks to his knees, panting for breath as his form turns to - relatively normal. He looks up at the knots, tears forming in his eyes.
Jittering strangely sideways, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair vanishes.
Illi follows zakil, even if it's too late to do anything, and watches the knots twist and turn and become...something else.
Solidifying into being before the clustered group wading at the end of the bilge, there is now a spectral door. It stands, in strange and eerie stillness.
Kinsa blinks in surprise at rostam, before looking to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, eyes wide as she takes in the sight of the unfolding magic.
Halima says, "Ah... is it a door for something to come through to us...?" [in Sirdabi with a mellow contralto]
There is a glance from a towering brute with shorn raven hair, as his gaze follows the rising knots.
Fadila lllooks toward the hovering knots, watching them, her mouth opens, but she can't say anything, she does step closer to the priestess though, away from the violent struggles beyond.
Kinsa spins her axe back around to be used properly, facing towards the door with uncertainty.
The ship drifts on gently on beneath you.
Rostam looks up at the door, setting his jaw, then turns to gaze wordlessly at a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. He nods once to her.
A faint breeze seems to blow as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair materializes nearby.
Mehrnaz al nazir rises for the door, nearly tripping over his own boots as he makes for it. He presses up against it, hyperventilating a fevered relief.
Jittering strangely sideways, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair vanishes.
Firo inhales deeply, perhaps forgetting the stink of the bilge, as she just stares at the door.
Zakil wades a couple of steps before stopping short, mouth dropping open at the appearance of the door. His chest rises and falls visibly, breathing somewhat ragged and uneven.
His mouth hanging slightly open, a lean, red-haired young manfixes a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope with a droopy-eyed stare.
Maha raises both brows, clearly having not expected this particular result. "... so. Who's going through?"
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair appears.
Mehrnaz al nazir barks in response to maha, "ME!" - he tries for the door.
The eerie haze of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair fades.
Zahir steps back, looks over at a poxy mongrel.
"I'll open it." A willowy, tawny-complected young womansighs out, wading towards the door, a cold look finding the ghost and trying to drag him back, "No, you don't."
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
Maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern flickers and crackles.
Rostam watches the ghost now, his eyes narrowing subtly, then glances aside to a willowy, tawny-complected young womanagain. Abruptly, he wades toward the door and the ghost, trying to grab the spectral figure.
Turning his gaze to look at the spectral door, a towering brute with shorn raven hairallows a faint hiss of breath to escape from the visor of his helm.
(Quietly): Yeshevwatches a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope with an intent stare. He doesn't answer maha - nor does he move from his spot.
Calling out now, rostam says, "TRUST the Priestess!"
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair appears.
Mehrnaz al nazir rasps as a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, somehow, is able to get a tangible grip on him. He is thrown back from the door, vanishing.
The eerie haze of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair fades.
Kinsa spares a quick look to the south, tense.
Kinsa peers south.
Illi stares to the door in intense surprise and wonder-filled awe. He looks from the door to zakiland back. And briefly, maha, as she speaks the question. Though the theatre of a Priestess throwing a ghost certainly consumes his attention thereafter.
A short, sable-haired young man can only react - he lurches forward and aims to assist a willowy, tawny-complected young woman in grappling? The ghost? If his hands can find purchase.
Here, a poxy mongrelwades forward, stepping away from zahir's side to approach the door himself. He halts to one side, out of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's way, and watches her.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanexhales sharply, glaring after the ghost, "A demon... he's just a greedy, desperate man." With that said, she turns towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope again and extends a shaking hand.
There's a soft, nearly-inaudible hum around a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope ...
...only to see him vanish, a short, sable-haired young manblinking...
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman watches on, eyes perfectly fixed on a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
With a nod Fadilaglances at the door. Hten the ghost, inhaling sharply. Forgetting the overwhelming stench of the bildge she gags, shaking violently at the wave of nausea overcoming her. She spits into the foul mess at her feet face growing sheet white as she tries to control the nausea.
The strangely-opaque, misty surface of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope swirls inscrutably.
Zakil twists slowly to look back at illi, staring at him instead of anything else, a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope briefly ignored if not forgotten.
The Tessouare finally moves from his spot, a towering brute with shorn raven hairbeginning to wade towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope with his torch held high. Looking over the odd portal, there is a brief, "Hmph," from the man.
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazir grips his wrists, panting heavily as he speaks, waist deep in the bilge, "Do not neglect the price."
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair disappears.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanlooks to rostam then, frowning faintly as she lingers by a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman peers south.
Around you, the ship tranquilly glides on.
Rostam wades to stand beside a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, nodding to her faintly.
Rahat peers south.
A poxy mongrel slides his eyes off of a willowy, tawny-complected young womanto catch them upon the ghost, unlocking his grit jaw to lift his chin and speak. "Harun and Bareea," he says to the dead man, fighting a shiver with the wet filth soaked through to his bones. "Were they your price?"
The boisterous warmth of yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch grants a steadfast crackling presence.
The boisterous warmth of a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch grants a steadfast crackling presence.
Maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern flickers and crackles.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman whispers something, involving yeshev.
Grimly, rostam says, "We were."
Zahir sighs softly, watching, expression bleak.
Looking back to the ghost, a willowy, tawny-complected young woman says, "And he can be ours."
Yeshev shifts his gaze towards a poxy mongrel, before sparing a quicker one behind them towards the ladder.
Yeshev peers south.
There is a brief hiss of breath from a towering brute with shorn raven hair, the noise barely escaping his helm. Green eyes stare blankly at a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, the Tessouare leaning closer to stare into the nearly mirrorlike surface with green eyes.
Rostam peers south.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womansays, "Him and his rats."
There's a hazy misting that forms into the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazirmurmurs, sinking face down in the bilgewater, "You wouldn't."
A subtle *whoosh* might be heard as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair de-materializes.
(Hidden) Yeshevwhispers to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, "- ---s- --s-- -- ------ ---s--f."
Rahat goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
A poxy mongrel goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a towering brute with shorn raven hair and rahat.
Rostam goes to move near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a small crowd.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womangoes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a small crowd.
With another grunt of breath, and after a brief shift of a shoulder causing his armor to creak, a towering brute with shorn raven hairreaches out with the tip of his torch in an attempt to touch a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Illi looks back to zakil with brief, wary dread as the spectre speaks, mouthing, "'price,'" tensely. He peers pass to zakiland the door, then back, and says nothing, though he tries a bracing smile.
Maha goes to stand by a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a small crowd.
Out of Character: a short, sable-haired young man rolled composure at hard difficulty and the result was a pass.
You go to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a small crowd.
Rostam turns briefly to where the ghost last appeared, teeth bared briefly in hard triumph.
Maha wades closer to the door, no longer able to be particularly sneaky about it. She seems particularly uninterested in talk of price. More interested in where this may lead. But she does let a towering brute with shorn raven hair touch first.
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazircrawls on shaky limbs, "Don't..." He wavers, before trying again, "Don't leave me. Don't leave me behind. Please..."
And just like that, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is not there anymore.
Firo goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a large crowd.
Lifting a hand toward the door Fadila walks palm facing twoard it as if she'd touch it.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman whispers something, involving yeshev.
"If something, or someone, demands a price, tell them the man and his rats are our payment. His greed will be his doom," a willowy, tawny-complected young womanrepeats coldly, soon turning back towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, "Now... I guess we go through it?"
There's a hazy misting that forms into the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazir looks up blearily, "I've given you all another chance to live... don't I deserve one, too?"
The eerie haze of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair fades.
(Hidden) Yeshevwhispers to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, "-- f---- s--s --- -- -------. -'-- --- -- --- --- -----s."
Zakil stares back at illi for a long moment and then shifts closer again, hand returning to the hilt of his sword as he turns to face the door, watching the others in silence.
A short, sable-haired young man goes to move near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a large crowd.
(At the general area): A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman ticks a look to yeshev, eyes hanging upon him. She then dips a nod and moves toward the door.
Kinsa doesn't approach the door, watching both the flickering spectre and the crowd.
Ignoring the ghost now and turning toward her, rostam says to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "Yes."
Wondering to those near her, a willowy, tawny-complected young woman says, "Is everyone ready?"
With what seems to be a grunt of acceptance, a towering brute with shorn raven hair just lowers his head and walks forward with his blade still resting on one armored shoulder.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a large crowd.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. His body crumples on the other side.
A lean, red-haired young man goes to stand by a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a large crowd.
Yeshev says to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "We've lost some...will it hold, Priestess, while I get them?"
The soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hairvisibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
A short, sable-haired young man looks down at the ghost - clearly tense at the word. "We're...going to just - use him? Like coal in a furnace?"
Fadila nods to the priestess "Yes I am ready."
A willowy, tawny-complected young womansays to yeshev, "I think so, but go - wait."
Halima says, "Ah... look?"
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazirflashes a mad grin, wolfish eyes flickering upon the door - for but a breath of a moment.
Jittering strangely sideways, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair vanishes.
Illi laughs abruptly; boldly, even, in the middle of the foul dark and strange circumstances. He looks to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, then back to zakil, tips his head up, and says, boldly: "Now she asks us?"
Halima points at soulless.
Halima points at the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman glances down toward the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair, pausing.
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
The astral aspect of a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
Maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
Yeshev snaps his gaze to the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair, then towards a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman with an obvious flash of panic.
Firo takes stock of the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
A faint breeze seems to blow as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair materializes nearby.
Mehrnaz al nazir rises with a spin, sighing relief as an icy air roils out from his being, "What a sorry bunch of naive piglets you all are. If you had not erred from my word --- " he shakes his head.
A subtle *whoosh* might be heard as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair de-materializes.
"Now indeed," zakilagrees with illi, giving a small shake of his head as he retreats another step to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other youth again. He closes his eyes a moment, then snaps them open again to stare at a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Yasin wades over from the south.
Ziyad wades over from the south, wielding a sea-sanded hunk of driftwood in his right hand.
A lean, red-haired young man stares at the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair for a long moment before casting a dubious look to a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair appears.
Mehrnaz al nazir snaps into view of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "There is no coming back for him, now... he is somewhere dark, sodden with bilgewater... ever to be hunted. How does it feel, priestess? You are the one who made this decision for them."
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair disappears.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman is no longer following a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Yasin wades back in from south, looking around, as if trying to best calculate what he'd missed. His eyes alight on a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
Zahir is no longer following a poxy mongrel.
A poxy mongrel watches the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair's body fall, displacing water, and stiffly proposes to those around him, "Someone might want to get his head above water."
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman has eyes only for the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hairin these moments, not seeing anything else.
Yasin suddenly looks over at the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair, gasping.
Kinsa moves on a poxy mongrel's word, stepping up.
Kinsa goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a large crowd.
Hand still lifted as if she'd touch the door when its her turn Fadila looks mezmorized, transfixed by its spectral glow, she seems ready to just go through it.
Firo spends some time looking at the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair, and then at a willowy, tawny-complected young woman a bitter expectancy on her face. "What now then? This was your grand plan."
Rostam doesn't move, head cocked slightly as he watches.
Ziyad begins to watch the direction of None.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Kinsashifts closer to the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Rahatshifts closer to you.
Kinsa tries to grapple with the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
Kinsa isn't strong enough to secure a grip on the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
"You are the one who brought us here." A willowy, tawny-complected young womansnaps to the ghost, turning towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope as she demands not of the ghost but of the space beyond, "Release him!"
"...what happened?"yasin asks grimly, though something in his expression seems to indicate he has some idea, glancing between a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope and the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
A poxy mongrel's eyes crawl up from the limp form of the great Bruul and finds their way onto the ghost. "... Push the ghost through," he proposes quietly.
Rahat reaches out to push your hand down, muttering, "Not yet."
Kinsa tries her best to keep the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair from ending up with his head under the water, but even for that woman it's a task to lift him.
You feel dull pain from your wounds but it seems to be healing.
(At the general area): Face grim, yeshev begins trudging through the bilge towards a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, water sloshing in his wake.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanflicks a glance to a poxy mongrel, then looks to the ghost, "Good idea...
A short, sable-haired young man looks about at his limit for courage. The young man retrieves a small, wooden pendant in the rough shape of the Azadi key from around his neck, gripping onto it. "What happened, then? Damn you, if you want to give a warning, speak plainly, and not like a man out to cheat! Agh." He sloshes forward, to give kinsaa hand in pulling the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hairupward.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanflicks a glance to a poxy mongrel, then looks to the ghost, "Good idea..."
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): A short, sable-haired young man shifts closer to the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
Yeshev goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a large crowd.
There is a brief chilling sensation in the air here.
Illi shivers and leans against zakil, certainly not rushing the spectral door.
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
The astral aspect of a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
Yasin's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
The boisterous warmth of maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern grants a steadfast crackling presence.
One hand remaining on the hilt of his sword, zakil stretches the other out, scrabbling for illi's in the darkness as he watches everything unfold, a shudder running through him.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman finally blinks a few times, pulling her gaze from the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair at last. Her eyes seek out yasininstead.
Fadila lets rahat push her hand down, but she's still transfixed on a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, eyes wide.
Suddenly the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is there.
Mehrnaz al nazirmanifests before a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, regarding those present with disdain. He exhales sharp amusement through his nostrils, "...what a shame. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He approaches a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, standing right before it.
Jittering strangely sideways, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair vanishes.
Yasin seems to meet a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman's gaze, his expression one of obvious horror. He wades over to her.
Halima glances around.
Illi mirrors zakil, hand-in-hand, hand in his sword, standing awkwardly in the water, shivering.
Maha has returned to silent observation, more than a little out of her depth. But she's eyeing the body. Eyeing the door.* Slowly tensing with the promise of action.*
Yasin goes to move near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a large crowd.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanreaches put to grab onto the back of the ghost's clothing, perhaps trying to hold him yet in place.
Yeshev's gaze flickers rapidly from the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair to a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman and back again. He's closer to the door, now, but still plainly weighing his options. Waiting.
The ship calmly moves over glimmering waters on beneath you.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman wades over from the south.
(At the general area): Illi shifts closer to zakil.
(Hidden) Illi whispers to zakil, "- -- -f --- --. -------- f---f-- ------ ---s ---- -s."
Vahir ift aksil wades over from the south.
With a glare at ghost, a willowy, tawny-complected young womansays, "And why are you so keen to go to such a dark place?"
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair appears.
Mehrnaz al nazir is kept in place by a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, but he looks over his shoulder, lifting a hand as the air takes on a fell, deathly cold - something beginning to form.
A subtle *whoosh* might be heard as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair de-materializes.
Like yeshev, rostamlooks from a willowy, tawny-complected young woman to the a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. He drifts closer.
Yeshev moves into a position to try to guard a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman mutters as she trudges through the shallow water. Her eyes quickly lift, wide and flickering quickly.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Yasinshifts closer to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
"Iken?" a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman wonders aloud of the air, flicking another glance toward the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
From thin air, an amalgam of several water-sodden rats in noose-tied ropes manifests, and swoops down at a willowy, tawny-complected young woman with a frozen touch.
Rostam takes stock of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
A poxy mongrelprickles with alert, eyes flashing between a willowy, tawny-complected young womanand the dead man. "--Shove him through," he barks, sloshing closer, stare intent on a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. "*Push him*! Before he finishes whatever he is doing!"
Vahir ift aksil wades through the bilge, tall and stern, and he allows his fingers to slowly tighten around a battered, thin-bladed steel sword as he takes stock of rostam, a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, and the spectral door.
Zahir backs a half step further from the door, stumbling and trying not to slip in the filthy water.
Vahir ift aksil shifts his grip and brandishes a battered, thin-bladed steel sword in his fist.
Firo sets aside, making no move to interrupt the spectre's journey. "He already made his sacrifice, no?" She questions, eyeing the ghostly form with little concern for the attack.
"Because he's lying. No dark place at all,"maha seems to decide, working her way to try to go through, herself, while the others argue. Unless stopped. "He wants to scare us from going in."
Vahir ift aksil peers towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Yasin whispers something for a while, involving a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazirstands just before the door, turning to grip a willowy, tawny-complected young womanby the wrists, gritting his teeth; his own hands turning black from the cold they emanate.
And just like that, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is not there anymore.
"Do you wish to?"zakil starts quietly to illi, perhaps about to say more when the chill starts up again and he slides his blade free decisively.
Zakil draws a sleek slender sword from a narrow sheath intricately decorated with jewels.
Yasin switches a lit pitch-topped torch to his left hand.
(Hidden) "-- w--t t----g- t-- ----," a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womanmurmurs to yasinswiftly. "--- ---- -- ---- ----. --s ---- -s ---- --- -- -s... --- ------."
A faint breeze seems to blow as the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair materializes nearby.
Mehrnaz al nazir rasps at a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "Come... come with me. I will show you how deep this place goes!"
And just like that, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is not there anymore.
Ziyad grimly watches with his hand tight around a sea-sanded hunk of driftwood, eyes flitting between the door and ghosts and other gathered forms.
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
The astral aspect of a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch burns on in a bright dance of oranges and yellows.
Yasin's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
The boisterous warmth of maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern grants a steadfast crackling presence.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanflinches, eye squeezing shut and a pained sound escaping her as she's grasped by the ghost.
Zahir breathes raggedly, his hand shakes.
Yasin whispers something, involving a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
Rostam snarls, glancing at maha, then tries to wade forward and shoulder-check the ghost free of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman hisses out in the darkness, "Frigid, here...what in the name of God is happening?" [in with a weathered alto]
Kinsa just focuses on keeping the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair afloat. Her other hand is so tight around her axe that the handle lets out a quiet cracking sound.
Fadila also walks towards the door ready to go through now, seeming to nod to the others.
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazirtwitches horribly, trying to drag a willowy, tawny-complected young womaninto a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope!
The eerie haze of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair fades.
Vahir ift aksil takes stock of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Halima takes stock of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Rostam takes stock of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
A poxy mongrelsplashes forth alongside rostam, though he's but a ruin of man and has scarcely any strength to call to. Instead, he whisks his dagger through the ghost's arm, trying to hack it off of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
Yasin eyes the spectre, makes a few, quick decisions, and wades toward it, moving as if to shove it free of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. "Off of her!"The smith shouts, wading clumsily through the filthy bilge.
The ship drifts on peacefully on beneath you.
Yasin shifts away from a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
A poxy mongrel draws a wide-bladed daggerfrom a small sheath of tooled leather with a single amethyst.
Not a single warning heralds the abrupt manifestation of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazirperhaps by a poxy mongrel alone, he yelps as his arm is severed at the joint. It lands with a splash and disappears, causing a hateful, boring gaze upon a poxy mongrel. With his remaining arm, he sloshes towards a poxy mongrel, seeking to yank him into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope - and whatever might await on the otherside, instead.
The eerie haze of the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair fades.
Illi answers zakilloud enough to carry, saying, "I am flesh and soul wed; that door is one for just souls." "I am not sure if the soul returns easily." He doesn't free his own blade just yet.
A short, sable-haired young man rapidly gives up on attempting to aid kinsa in any meaningful way - his wrists are basically noodles, compared to hers. Instead, what's going on by the door is what's got his attention now. He charges from the other side - aiming to hem the ghost in, aiding a poxy mongrel.
Rostam waits, waits, waits. As soon as the ghost next materializes, he thrusts his bulk toward the thing. But his contact seems to have no affect.
"Jackal!" a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman calls out when the spectre seeks to yank a poxy mongrel through that spectral door instead.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanalso struggles agains the ghost's icy hold, though she soon finds herself freed and falling back in the dirty water with a splash as it pursues a poxy mongrel next.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman seems horrified, briefly, by the violence upon the spectre. "Oh, God- does he feel pain? Are you *hurting* him?"
A towering brute with shorn raven hair wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Zahir looks back at a dark-skinned, matronly woman, "Sayyida," he cries toward her, something frightened in his tone.
A towering brute with shorn raven hairmutters under his breath, twisting his head sharply to crack his neck.
Rostam takes stock of a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
Zahir tells a dark-skinned, matronly woman, "Surely this is not the man you knew?"
Yasin rushes toward the spectre as it moves to yank a poxy mongrel, charging through the water.
Getting salt from her pocket Fadila tries to throw the salt in the spectral ghost's face.
A lean, red-haired young man angles a curious look over at a towering brute with shorn raven hair, but remains silent - seemingly content to watch the drama unfold.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Ziyadswims to a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope and shifts to approach a willowy, tawny-complected young woman...
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanpeers at a towering brute with shorn raven hair with wide eyes, "Ah... Sayyid?"
Halima glances at a towering brute with shorn raven hair.
Firo hesitates for a moment, but is soon taking a few steps forward through the water to grab at a poxy mongrel, aiming for whatever she can get hold of the keep him from being pulled.
A towering brute with shorn raven hairbluntly says to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "What."
A dark-skinned, matronly woman stares wide-eyed upon the fading figure, answering zahir. "I do not know, I do not know!" she replies. "He spoke of such things, didn't he? Gates and doors..."
A towering brute with shorn raven hair gets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Firoshifts closer to a poxy mongrel.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womansays to a towering brute with shorn raven hair, "Are you alright?"
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Yeshevis still trying to take everything in. A spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. A towering brute with shorn raven hair. A poxy mongrel. He doesn't move, yet.
Kinsa blinks a few times, having been keeping a towering brute with shorn raven hair from drowning and being rather surprised when he just. Gets up again.
Ziyad circles awkwardly through the water with his hands gripping a sea-sanded hunk of driftwood, which he waits for an opportune moment to swing at the spectre's head.
Suddenly the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is there.
Mehrnaz al nazir rasps and shrieks in pain as salt crosses his ethereal form, drawing away - even if only in brief, from a poxy mongrel.
And just like that, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is not there anymore.
Zakil lifts a sleek slender sword as he steps a little in front of illi, giving a toss of his head. "I am not certain I wish to be parted from flesh I have worked so hard to be proud of,"he agrees, ready but still holding back, still uncertain.
There's a lot going on. A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman's attention ticks between it all. But then a towering brute with shorn raven hair is just awake and up and not a corpse and she stares at him. Openly.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair rises from the water, emerging like a wet dog from the deep as he shakes himself in an attempt to discard some of filthy muck on him. Then, he just moves back towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A short, sable-haired young man all but bursts out with an extremely manic titter. "What!? That WORKS!?" he breathes, as the salt sears the spirit.
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around yasin's lit pitch-topped torch.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern.
Zahir looks back, at the door, at a poxy mongrel, at a short, sable-haired young man.
It is evening, the hour of evensong.
Seeming to find no purchase upon the spectre, yasin moves as if to stand in between the spectre and a poxy mongrel.
Rahat looks at a towering brute with shorn raven hair and watches him simply get up and move towards the door again.
Halima says to a towering brute with shorn raven hair, "What's past the door?"
Kinsa can't help but burst out into raucous laughter at a short, sable-haired young man, throwing her head back.
"Not. Pleasant," a towering brute with shorn raven hairsimply says, but despite that a hand is already reaching up towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope as though he intents to enter again.
Rostam shifts to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with yasin, trying to get between where the spectre had been and a poxy mongrel and a willowy, tawny-complected young woman.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman stares openly at a towering brute with shorn raven hair as the big ol' man starts making for a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope again without explaining.
A poxy mongrel isn't doing a fantastic job of fighting the ghost off -- how could he? But he thrashes and snarls and howls, sending up an almighty din. "COME ON THEN, YOU MISERABLE FUCKER!!" The dagger flashes and flails, aiming for the eyes. In the brief reprieve that follows, the dog collapses full and disappears under the water.
Rostam takes stock of a poxy mongrel.
Yasin seems to -mostly- be concentrating on this seemingly useless spectre-fight, but he does pause to stare in confusion as a towering brute with shorn raven hair both lives again, and then seems to be making for the door.
There's a hazy misting that forms into the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair.
Mehrnaz al nazir sinks to his knees, sodden by salt. He clutches at his face as it seems to burn his already rotting flesh; though a quick, few flickers in and out of existence seem to herald his return to strength.
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair disappears.
Rahat moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. His body crumples on the other side.
There is a moment of hesitation from a towering brute with shorn raven hair, and he turns away from a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope to look at the still bickering mass of people, along with the spirit. "You can see. Differently. Maybe, an answer through those eyes."
The soulless shell of a mahogany-haired man with a hole-marked forehead visibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman asks briefly, watching the ongoings. "Will your blades do anything? What will his disappearance do, chasing him from the spectral world? Will this...door, not still be upon us?"
A towering brute with shorn raven hair moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. His body crumples on the other side.
As the scuffle continues, mahaunhindered. As another passes through and collapses, she hesitate a moment. She grips a small obsidian mirror and continues after a moment.
Maha reaches out to touch a small obsidian mirror.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman just turns her head, slowly, and snaps a look toward yeshev.
Once more, the Tessouare brute's soulless shell floats gradually up to the surface of the bilgewater...
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Yeshevtakes a long, deep breath in, and lets it out again. He glances from a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, to a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womanagain.
Maha moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. Her body crumples on the other side.
Yasin looks with noticeable fear as both Rahat and Iken just ... walk through the door, crumpling. He shoots a look over to rostam, first, then to a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman and yeshev.
Firo watches a poxy mongrel fall into the water, recoiling from her fruitless rescue efforts. Her attention is pulled from him readily, though, to watch the man once again move through a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A poxy mongrel emerges again a moment later, gasping for breath, and spluttering bilgewater. He's no better off after his dunk, shaking like a leaf, but whirling round to find the ghost again, ready for round two.
Kinsa takes a moment making sure nobody is going to drown in waist-deep rat shit.
A short, sable-haired young man gets out a small utilitarian knife from a discreet leather satchel in his possession.
A short, sable-haired young man shifts his grip and brandishes a small utilitarian knife in his fist.
Illi blinks in surprise as the massive man returns, and nearly goes back for another round. "...any answers you're looking for? That decides it, no?" he asks zakil then.
There's a slow flicker of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, almost as if it is beginning to fade. While the solid manifestation remains strong, one might get the sense that this passageway will not exist in the corporeal realm forever.
Looks absolutely stunned, "I, I'm sorry, I, wasn't sure, its, just a thought I had, salt is, purifying, or, to me it is." Fadila says absolutely surprised.
The soulless shell of a dusky olive-skinned damsel visibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
As the door begins to fade, rostam makes a sudden decision and lunges forward.
Rostam moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. His body crumples on the other side.
Noticing the flicker, yasin wades away from the door, away from a poxy mongrel and Rostam, toward a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Yeshevstates, grimly, "Decision time."
Fadila also makes a decision and walks through a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Yasin's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch.
Kinsa opens and closes her mouth a few times, "Beggar's breath."
A short, sable-haired young man finally draws out the blade in his satchel, hoisting it toward the deceased with a slightly feral look on his face. *He's desperate to survive.* "Alright. You've taught me a valuable lesson about where my sympathy belongs, you literal rat bastard. You stay the hell back-" He looks over his shoulder and stares. "Is this - what we're doing!? Is this the plan!?"
The soulless shell of a lofty, ebony-curled man with tawny skinvisibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
There is a sense of cold within the frame of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman watches fearfully as the recent few make their decision, watching their bodies, their deaths.
A poxy mongrel watches the bodies pile up, breathing hard. His eyes scan round the darkening bilge until they find a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman. And there they stay stuck for a long, long moment.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Yasinlooks to yeshev and a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, wading over, before quietly uttering, eyes wild, "I'm ... with you two. What's the plan?"
Kinsa shakes her head a few times, "Bollocks to it. Chance for adventure."
Kinsa moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. Her body crumples on the other side.
On the other side of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, the astral aspect of a heavyset, curvaceous virago with amethyst eyes appears...
The soulless shell of a soft-featured, dark-skinned young womanvisibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
The soulless shell of a heavyset, curvaceous virago with amethyst eyes visibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
A lean, red-haired young man glances around, scratching at his cheek, before he makes a decision.
"I do not know, Illi, I do not know," zakiladmits, raising a sleek slender sword as scarred fingers tighten around the blade. He watches helplessly as the bodies pile up, gaze sweeping almost frantically over the others.
A lean, red-haired young man moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. His body crumples on the other side.
On the other side of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, the astral aspect of a lean, red-haired young man appears...
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanpeers at the door, "Well, I got us into this mess, so I suppose I should go too."
Illi tells zakil, eying the door: "...I have things I would like to know." And readies for the door, hand held back for zakil. "Come with me,"he requests.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman returns that look to a poxy mongrel, eyes hanging upon him. "Folly for your thoughts," she murmurs to the mongrel.
Halima watches with a perplexed expression as more and more people walk through the door. "Is this... supposed to be the best option?"
Rostam wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanmoves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. Her body crumples on the other side.
On the other side of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, the astral aspect of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman appears...
Illi decides, "We may ask after the huma bird and the griffin, if nothing else."
A dark-skinned, matronly womanconsiders Halima, head shaking mildly. "I could not say...do we trust a madman?"
From maha: looks over her spectral hands, taking a few long moments to come to terms with her new form.
Firo cringes each time a body falls, making no move for a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. She just shakes her head.
"Iken," a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman suddenly calls out to a towering brute with shorn raven hair when he wakes up again. "What are you doing."
Yeshev seems to make up his mind. He's sloshing his way towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, now.
A short, sable-haired young man scans south.
Vahir ift aksil slowly staps over, his blade held ready, his amber eyes ticking over to firo. "The Djinn's wishes are fickle. I do not care to trust it." [in Sirdabi with a steady, measured baritone]
The soulless shell of a lean, red-haired young man visibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
The soulless shell of a willowy, tawny-complected young womanvisibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
Suddenly the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair is there.
Mehrnaz al nazirunfettered in his step, he barks a dry laugh, as he yanks the door open; whatever awaiting on the otherside beginning to draw him in.
With a flicker, the spectre of a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair disappears.
From kinsa: looks around, before shaking her head, "Beggar's breath. We're still in the bilge!"
There is a tired sigh from a towering brute with shorn raven hair, the noise barely escaping from his helm. For now though, he doesn't attempt to move. At least, not his body. "Searching. But, it is not easy."
Rostam gets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Yasin shouts, loudly, as yeshev makes for a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. "Yeshev!" But he doesn't move. Not yet.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman turns eyes to rostam, desperately. "Rostam- please, tell us."
From the astral aspect of a willowy, tawny-complected young woman: looks around, squinting and looking upwards, "Gods! Can you hear us here?"
Halima says, "I'm as curious as anyone, but this..."
Kinsa wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Yeshev stops, just before a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, to look back over his shoulder at a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman and yasin. "I'll always find you two. Okay?" And then, he makes to cross the threshold.
Zakil lowers his sword, his eyes alighting on illi. "No, Illi. No," he murmurs quietly, giving a small but firm shake of his head. "This does not feel right..."
Slowly, rostam says, "I was... a spirit. I could see other spirits. When I re-entered the door...I returned."
Eventually, a towering brute with shorn raven hair shifts rise out of the water as best as he is able. "Can't... see. Can't do much. But... can... touch people."
Yeshev moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. His body crumples on the other side.
On the other side of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, the astral aspect of a slender, black-haired young man appears...
A towering brute with shorn raven hair gets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman speaks mostly to herself, near fervent. "This cannot be the will of God..."
From maha: widens her astral eyes, "I can... yes... there's something. I feel..."
Firo takes stock of kinsa.
Yasin just -stills- as he watches Yeshev's body crumple on the other side.
The soulless shell of a slender, black-haired young manvisibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
You feel the passing shudder of a chill.
Kinsa bursts into an upright position in a flurry of motion, "That's -too- weird, not doing that again."(Stand - near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope -)
Zahir draws a slow breath, watching the door.
A poxy mongrel just stands there, filthy water dripping from his chin, and stares back at a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman. He doesn't move an inch from his spot. He's not going through the door. "--it will fade soon," he croaks to rostam, turning his face that way. "If it fades while you are all still on that side..."
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman reaches out a hand, fingers catching at yasin's arm. "Trust him," she murmurs to the Razmani.
Rostam treads forward a second time, a chill running through him, scowling with a look of determination on his face.
You dedicate some consciousness to rumination on what you are, and why, and how...
"When you do... you see. Might be something..." There is a pause, and the Tessouare then says, "Here, that is useful to us. But... an anchor is needed for one through the door to see." A towering brute with shorn raven hair cocks his head to look at a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
Rostam peers towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Halima runs her hand through her hair. "I would be tempted to jump through myself, but I don't know what it is that jumping through actually means."
You feel the passing shudder of a chill.
Suddenly, for a second, the air feels particularly cold.
Halima says, "What about that is better than being here...?"
Illi stops at the shake of zakil's head, and waits then. He nods, and says, "Answers elsewhere."He waits back.
Mehrnaz al nazirappears through a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Yasin shoots a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman a look, before looking back to a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. There are no answers to be found on the Razmani's face.
"Because it is another way, to look for... Yes." A towering brute with shorn raven hairnods at illi.
A short, sable-haired young man swears under his breath. "What are we actually LOOKING for, on the other side!? I'll - pitch in, but you have to give me SOMETHING!"
Zahir looks over toward a towering brute with shorn raven hair, brow furrowing. "What do you mean?" he asks.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman's eyes are quick to land upon mehrnaz al nazir, head tilting in her intent observation.
Yasin's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern flickers and crackles.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch.
Kinsa looks at the door for a long moment, stalled out.
"But without anchors to see, it is pointless," a towering brute with shorn raven hair states.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman drags her gaze from a poxy mongrel to a towering brute with shorn raven hair. She nods slowly.
Mehrnaz al nazir is thrown from the door, splattering bilgewater in a heap.
Curiously examining the woman, firo says to kinsa, "Do you... feel different?"
A towering brute with shorn raven hair turns his head to look at a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman and simply states, "Move. I will watch." That said, the large Tessouare just begins to walk towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanwakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Rostam glances aside at mehrnaz al nazir.
"This again," zakilmurmurs distractedly, shoulders hunched against the cold, his eyes scanning the torch-lit darkness hurriedly in search of something.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. His body crumples on the other side.
On the other side of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, the astral aspect of a towering brute with shorn raven hair appears...
From rahat: kneels and murmurs almost inaudible words, "Do you hear me? Anyone? Anything? Anything that can help..."
Yasin stares suddenly at the stiff corpse of a dirty bilgerat.
Zahir cocks an eyebrow, peering at the stiff corpse of a dirty bilgerat.
Halima furrows her brow. "Answers..." She pauses and stairs at mehrnaz al nazir.
Esfandiar shiraziswims over from the south.
Inaya wades over from the south.
Yasin stares suddenly at mehrnaz al nazir.
Kinsa shakes her head a few times at firo, "No. I just... stepped out of my self. Then stepped back in again. Easy enough."
Zahir also peers at mehrnaz al nazir.
Rostam says to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "Priestess? Did you...do you know what we should do?"
Slowly, a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope pulses, that gloaming surface of the interior portal wavering.
Mehrnaz al nazir looks over his shoulder to a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, before looking to those gathered. His eyes flutter closed, as he draws a long, haggard breath.
"It is fading." Yasinsays, probably unnecessarily.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman snaps a look back toward a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, watching it. "Iken..."She murmurs.
From you: lifts and hand looking around herself
"It's not as he described, but it's not a place the living should linger." A willowy, tawny-complected young womandecides with a small sigh and a rub of her head.
There is a sense of warmth within the frame of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
You reinhabit the soulless shell of a soft-featured, dark-skinned young woman...it is asleep.
(Beyond your dream world): Firo does not seem enthused by kinsa's words, face scrunching up. "I prefer to stay of flesh and blood, I think."
(Beyond your dream world): A poxy mongrelblinks in bewilderment at mehrnaz al nazir. Then a vicious smile slashes across his face like a silver sickle. "Good!" he snarls through it, advancing on mehrnaz al nazir with dagger in hand. "Now I get to kill you myself!"
(Beyond your dream world): Esfandiar shirazi sloshes up alongside inaya, his pale gold eyes sharp and focused as he looks around.
(Beyond your dream world): Peace, quiet in his voice, mehrnaz al nazir tells a poxy mongrel, "I do not think that you want to do that."
You wake up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman leans forward at a poxy mongrel's exclamation, worrisome, trying to brace her hands on his shoulders.
Seeing a poxy mongrelgoing for mehrnaz al nazir, esfandiar shirazi swims that way, too, though he doesn't make any aggressive moves right away.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman looks down at those empty bodies, focusing in on the soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair and the soulless shell of a slender, black-haired young man. She ignores all else for the moment.
Rostam looks from the stiff corpse of a dirty bilgerat to a poxy mongrel, then says to a poxy mongrel, "Hold. Hold.. We can kill him once we have heard him out."
Desperately, a dark-skinned, matronly woman tells a poxy mongrel, "Please! Please, think before you let anger guide you- it is a dangerous thing."
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Yasinslowly turns away from a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope to face a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, following her gaze toward the soulless shell of a slender, black-haired young man. "We need to get him out of there."
You get up and stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A lean, ink-eyed manwades over from the south.
"Oh, I definitely *want* to, you fucking failure," a poxy mongrel spits venomously at mehrnaz al nazir, reaching out to snatch at the man's clothes, right over his heart. Into his face he demands with a fire blazing in his black eyes, "Now tell me why I should *not*. And do make it convincing."
Yeshev wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A short, sable-haired young man stares at the man - his hand trembling to hold the knife. "Now you're alive!? What? Was that your play? Talk plainly for once!"
"That was." Fadilasays, very odd."
A poxy mongrel is playing nice and making friends with a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair -- which is to say he's got a knife on him. (Room Pose Set)
Yeshev gasps for breath as he suddenly starts to life, wide-eyed.
"Oh thank Annur."Yasin sounds out, wading over to yeshevand cradling him.
Meeting a poxy mongrel's eyes, speaking in a plain candor, mehrnaz al nazir tells a poxy mongrel, "Why...? It is likely I will simply return."
Esfandiar shiraziswims up behind a poxy mongrel, ignoring rostam altogether. But at your voice, he turns, watching her. "What happened?" he calls over to her, a hint of urgency in his voice.
"It is wavering," a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womaninforms yeshev rather immediately.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanturns to mehrnaz al nazir then, "You have what you want now. How do we get home?"
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Yasin's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern flickers and crackles.
The soulless shell of a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Kinsa rubs at the back of her neck, telling nobody in particular, "I feel this growing urge to just start clubbing people until something makes sense again."
Yasin yanks yeshevclose.
Halima peers at the soulless shell of a mahogany-haired man with a hole-marked forehead.
Rostam nods curtly along with a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, watching mehrnaz al nazir.
Esfandiar shirazisnorts contemptuously at a willowy, tawny-complected young woman's question, attention drawn aside a moment, but he is looking still at you.
Yasin grabs onto yeshev perhaps a little too tightly, before releasing him.
Yeshev scans the brackish bilge, giving a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman a single nod. "Who's still through?"
Yasin says to yeshev, "Iken."
"Iken," a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman answers yeshev. There are other bodies littered about, but that's the only one she names.
Firo looks aside at kinsa, letting out an amused snort against all odds. "I'll give you a dirham if you start with me. Hopefully, I'll wake up somewhere better."
A poxy mongrel jerks his head toward a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope but keeps fiery eyes burning a hole into mehrnaz al nazir's sockets. "Not after this door fades, I am willing to wager."
Halima says, "Rahat, too."
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanstruggles to rise.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womangets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanvisibly struggles to remain conscious.
Kinsa grins over at firo, "You'd be a good start, grandmother. Too dangerous to leave."
Vahir ift aksil moves into a position to try to guard firo.
With a nod Fadila says to esfandiar shirazi"There was thus, stuck, unable to do anything, yet it was like mist itself." "It was, incorporiality.""There was nothing, one could do to experience." "Just exist."
Zakil retreats another more decisive step away from the door, his free hand once again moving to catch at illi's. "There is no salvation here," he murmurs.
Rostam stares at mehrnaz al nazir, rolling his jaw absently.
Thin in his haggard, still rat-chewed face, now heavily scarred, mehrnaz al nazir tells a poxy mongrel, "Then wager it. Are you... willing to? In some ways, I have already escaped. Some, here, have as well."
Illi nods once to zakil, looking over the stiff corpse of a dirty bilgerat and a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and sloshes through the water.
Snarling, rostam says, "What does that *mean*?"
Yeshev fixes the soulless shell of a mahogany-haired man with a hole-marked forehead with a tense stare. "He knows how to get back."
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanraises a hand to steady herself against the side of the bilge, looking a little worse for wear now with her eye a rather unpleasant blue shade.
Esfandiar shirazigrunts his acknowledgment of you, giving the woman a short nod with an air of finality.
"Thank you," esfandiar shirazi tells yousincerely. Then he turns his attention back to a poxy mongreland mehrnaz al nazir. "Say the word, brother," he tells the former man.
A towering brute with shorn raven hair wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman suddenly murmurs to yasin and yeshev, "I think... I need to lie down."
A dark-skinned, matronly womanconsiders mehrnaz al nazir, releasing a poxy mongrel's shoulder. "What is your hope for us, here? When we spoke, you talked of gates and portals, secret gardens...what were your intentions?"
Rousing himself, a towering brute with shorn raven hairglances over to search the bilge for a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman and simply states to her, "You did not move."
A towering brute with shorn raven hair gets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Firo gives an appreciative look at vahir ift aksil, but advises, "I don't think she will actually club me, dear." Another laugh, as the woman is apparently too overwhelmed to muster any semblance of decorum, whatever that means for the situation. A glance back to kinsa, as she adds with a grin, "Probably."
A lean, red-haired young man wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A lean, red-haired young man gets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Yeshev has a pale, bewildered look on his face. He seems inclined to follow a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
"It is a -demon-,"esfandiar shirazitells a dark-skinned, matronly womanexasperatedly. "It's intent is to consume us, in one way or another. And look, the remains of its meals lie floating in this foul water."
Halima listens quietly.
Yasin looks between yeshev and a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, with obvious concern. He nods, to her, clearly too confused to say much else.
A lean, red-haired young man rubs vigorously at the side of his nose while staring at a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Yeshev falls in with a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman.
Kinsa nods her head at firo, conceding the point, "I'd probably start with our revived magus. And then Esfandiar for good measure."
A short, sable-haired young man looks to a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope and back to the former ghost. "Walking through that, you're saying? They keep popping back up."
A dark-skinned, matronly woman speaks with wavering voice to esfandiar shirazi. "A trace of the true self must exist even in the false self...surely, even if he is a...demon, there is a trace of his soul there, yes?"
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes wades over from the south.
Inaya cuts a look aside to kinsa, eyes narrowed.
Now, a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope is flickering weakly. Its time in the material world is evidently nearly spent...
A short, sable-haired young man is ineffectually threatening the rat-man with a knife. (Room Pose Set)
Yasin makes no immediate move to follow a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman, instead looking to the others in the bilge.
"I will be fine," a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womanreassures yasin, then shooting a look to a towering brute with shorn raven hair. "It is fading," she informs the big brute while she peels away and tries to get out of here.
Moving towards the southward direction, a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young womanleaves the vicinity of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. (Stand - at the general area -)
Rostam stares over at a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope as it flickers, then back to mehrnaz al nazir.
"He looks like a man we knew," esfandiar shirazi tells a dark-skinned, matronly woman with grudging patience. "That does not -make him- that man." He whirls around, looking for illi. "Amunati!" he calls. "Is your unclean thing, your evil thing, was it once a man? Or does it simply wear the guise?"
Yeshev's lit pitch-topped torch flickers and crackles.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around yasin's lit pitch-topped torch.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around a towering brute with shorn raven hair's lit pitch-topped torch.
Kinsa offers an unrepentant shrug at inaya.
Firo tuts at kinsa, commenting, "Switching loyalties now? Taking after Marvani?"
"Opportunity, wasted,"a towering brute with shorn raven hairsimply says and without another comment begins to head into the dark.
Moving towards the southward direction, a towering brute with shorn raven hairleaves the vicinity of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. (Stand - at the general area -)
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Yeshev follows a pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes sloshes in from the darkness, muttering what might be soft but vehement curses under her breath, but stops stock still and goes silent as she approaches the crowd and the weird otherworldly door.
Rahat wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Mehrnaz al nazirthumbing his cheek, he speaks with disdain, "You have spent its power uselessly. Another solution might be found, but..." He looks with a flicker of bloodshot eyes to a poxy mongrel, "Nothing will be found if you kill me now."
A towering brute with shorn raven hairstarts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Vahir ift aksil keeps his gaze warily on the drenched man and the rest. He seems to have decided that the path through the door is not his own, for he takes no steps towards it.
Kinsa shakes her head a few times at firo, "No, I never signed on with anyone. Not switching loyalties if you were never loyal."
A pantherine, aurelian-eyed young woman wades south, with a fluid, feline grace.
Yeshev wades south, wielding a bronze-handled jambiya in his right hand.
Esfandiar shirazitells a poxy mongrel, leaning near and speaking almost in his ear, "He lies, brother. He wants to save himself."
Yasin grunts toward mehrnaz al nazir. "How were we supposed to spend its power? You gave us no guidance."
A towering brute with shorn raven hair wades south, wielding a leather-hilted greatsword in his right hand and a lit pitch-topped torch in his left.
Esfandiar shirazi adds to a poxy mongrel, hissing, "He is afraid."
's nostrils flare, face practically blistering with the urge to stick mehrnaz al nazir in the gut a dozen times over. But he's holding off. "Staaaart making seeeeense," a poxy mongrel sing-songs tense advice to mehrnaz al nazirthrough his teeth.
Zahir looks over at a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes offering toward her a weary, shaken "Sayyida Sassafrass..."
Quietly, glancing toward zahir, then answering yasin, rostam says, "The priestess changed the knot."
Rahat gets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes stares at the door for a long, wordless interval, then says concisely, "Oh, donkey balls." [in Sirdabi with a wispy soprano]
"It has no guidance,"inaya snorts with a sneer over toward yasin. "And you all have treated it like a god to be worshipped and followed." [in Sirdabi with a hoarsely broken, half-whispered contralto]
(The log resumes.)
[The Greenest Dolphin, Under the Hold, Bilge]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
This cramped and narrow space is tight, the ceiling pressing down low above. Salt-encrusted filth spatters along the tar-coated ribs of the freighter's deepest, darkest interior.
The subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man wavers in and out of sight. The stiff corpse of a dirty bilgerat has breathed his last. The stiff corpse of a grungy bilgerat has breathed his last. The stiff corpse of a slime-sodden bilgerat has breathed his last.
the soulless shell of a dusky olive-skinned damsel sleeps here.
A crowd of individuals gather here.
There is moderately shallow bilge water here. An overpowering aroma of filthy bilgewater hangs heavily here.
Cardinal Exits: south (water) and north (water)
Other: a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope
A rat squeals aggressively from a place that seems far too near.
The ominous scrabbling of an excessive number of rats can be heard through the bilge.
Nodding the spectre Fadila says, "Tell us help us to get home or more salt." She olds up salt, seemingly determined.
Around you, the ship floats peacefully onward.
Yasin considers rostam's statement for several long moments, before looking to a willowy, tawny-complected young woman. He seems to ignore inaya's comment for the moment.
Glancing down, bemused, mehrnaz al nazir tells a poxy mongrel, "Some clothes would be a start; and perhaps a meal or two... if your stores haven't been completely shot through. Or, you might plunge me with that knife - I'll still live, in some way, shape or form. I wonder if you will? Are you willing to take that chance?"
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes shifts a rather pained look over to zahir on hearing his voice, and sloshes her way over to him, keeping a healthy distance from weird doors and ghosts.
Firo lets out a silent 'ah' at kinsa, shrugging as her attention trails over to the action. Aside, though, she adds, "I appreciated your grappling work, at least."
Esfandiar shirazidraws an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt from a curved embroidered-leather sheath.
Esfandiar shirazi just withdraws an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt and plunges it toward mehrnaz al nazirwithout further discussion, his eyes flashing fiery murder.
"We can tie him up, for now. The Convict's chains are available."A willowy, tawny-complected young womanoffers as a suggestion, still leaning heavily against the bilge wall.
Esfandiar shirazi goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a large crowd.
Esfandiar shiraziprobably should ahve approached mehrnaz al nazir a while ago.
Fadila holds up another pinch of salt.
Zakil gives illi's hand a last squeeze and stays quiet, very much on the edge of things.
A poxy mongrel has had enough. Enough of ghosts and ghost-doors, of rats and bilgewater, and especially, he's had enough of mehrnaz al nazir's riddles. Snapping to the others around him, he says, "--Help me get this bastard upstairs."Slicing hard eyes back onto mehrnaz al nazir, he sneers, "We chain him." And then gripping the magus tighter and flashing him another of his violent smiles, "Then maybe I can spend the next few weeks haunting *you*, hmmn??"
Mehrnaz al nazircloses his eyes, arms outstretched to receive.
Esfandiar shirazishifts aggressively towards mehrnaz al nazir.
Esfandiar shirazidraws an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt back and jab towards mehrnaz al nazir's throat.
The stab impacts strongly upon mehrnaz al nazir's throat.
Blood begins flowing from mehrnaz al nazir's throat.
Halima curses.
"Shirazi!" yasinshouts over toward esfandiar shirazi. "Don't -kill- information, you fucking-" But then there's already blood flowing.
Esfandiar shirazihisses in satisfaction as he lunges, landing an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt in mehrnaz al nazir's throat.
Kinsa admits with a low whistle, "That was a good strike."
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around yasin's lit pitch-topped torch.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern.
Mehrnaz al nazir rasps in surprise as he clutches his throat, going cockeyed as he tries to stem the bursts of blood that well between his fingers.
Rostam closes his eyes for a moment, but does not move.
"We will surely learn something now!"esfandiar shirazicalls as he attempts to wrench his blade from mehrnaz al nazir.
Yasin grips mehrnaz al nazir firmly in one hand, ready to start dragging.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes twitches a little as esfandiar shirazidrives his blade home, but she seems, somehow, not terribly shocked by this sudden violence.
Yasin shoots a look to a poxy mongrel, then grabs onto mehrnaz al nazir as if to prepare to drag him out of here.
Around you, the ship tranquilly glides on.
Esfandiar shirazidraws an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt back and jab towards mehrnaz al nazir's left hip.
The stab connects with a solid whack against some well-crafted bleach-white sackcloth sirwaal and a buff cotton bisht over mehrnaz al nazir's left hip.
Blood is trickling from mehrnaz al nazir's left hip.
Esfandiar shirazislashes with an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt towards mehrnaz al nazir's neck.
The slash connects with a solid whack against a buff cotton bisht over mehrnaz al nazir's neck.
Blood is trickling from mehrnaz al nazir's neck.
That blade of esfandiar shirazi's wrenches loose as yasin grabs mehrnaz al nazir
That blade of esfandiar shirazi's wrenches loose as yasin grabs mehrnaz al nazir away.
Yasin drags mehrnaz al nazir away, away, away from esfandiar shirazi.
Esfandiar shirazitries to stop fighting.
Mehrnaz al nazirchokes on his own blood, spilling from his lips and down his chin.
Belatedly, rostamwades forward to try to press a hand on mehrnaz al nazir's throat.
"Someone help me treat him." Yasin grunts out, "I'm bringing him upstairs."
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Rostamshifts closer to mehrnaz al nazir.
Out of Character: esfandiar shirazirolled composure at hard difficulty and the result was a fail.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman watches in horror as the blade connects, rapidly undoing her bandaging.
Zahir shakes his head, attention on a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, at least until esfandiar shiraziassaults mehrnaz al nazir, at which point he simply stares in wide-eyed horror.
A poxy mongrel isn't actually strong enough to hold mehrnaz al nazir up. So when the man goes and earns himself that well-struck blow, a poxy mongrel has to let go. It's with a growl of disgust and frustration that he steps back and stows his own blade.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman unwraps a ripped white bandagefrom her chest.
Rostam offers to put pressure on an inch-deep puncture on mehrnaz al nazir's throat.
Esfandiar shirazidraws an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt back and jab towards mehrnaz al nazir's right arm.
Mehrnaz al nazir's frame involuntarily slackens.
The stab connects with a solid whack against a buff cotton bisht over mehrnaz al nazir's right arm.
Blood is trickling from mehrnaz al nazir's right arm.
Mehrnaz al nazir's frame involuntarily slackens.
Esfandiar shirazislashes with an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt towards mehrnaz al nazir's right eye.
Mehrnaz al nazir's frame involuntarily slackens.
The slash lands a solid cut upon mehrnaz al nazir's right eye.
Blood is trickling from mehrnaz al nazir's right eye.
Mehrnaz al nazir's frame involuntarily slackens.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): A dark-skinned, matronly woman approaches a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope and shifts to approach mehrnaz al nazir...
A poxy mongrelsheathes a wide-bladed dagger in a small sheath of tooled leather with a single amethyst.
(At the general area): Very tiredly and a little shakily, a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes mutters, "W-ll, th-s -s -ll v-r- l-v-l-."
Rostam is no longer following yasin.
Rostam falls in with yasin.
Firo makes no move to assist, and simply stares at mehrnaz al nazir with crossed arms.
Esfandiar shirazichases after yasin and mehrnaz al nazir, though he does hesitate, and seems uninterested in harming the smith.
Rasping, broken in gargles of blood filling his throat, mehrnaz al nazir says, "He--ll-- Hel-- Help --- Help me..."
Moving towards the southward direction, yasin leaves the vicinity of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. (Stand - at the general area -)
Out of Character: esfandiar shirazirolled composure at hard difficulty and the result was a fail.
(At the general area): Zahir speaks, "Things h-v- gon- - bit... sid-w--s, I think."
A dark-skinned, matronly woman takes stock of mehrnaz al nazir.
Rostam puts pressure on mehrnaz al nazir's throat with a hand.
Blood trickles from a shallow cut on mehrnaz al nazir's right eye, gradually clotting into a scab.
Blood trickles from a shallow puncture on mehrnaz al nazir's right arm, gradually clotting into a scab.
(At the general area): Rostam approaches the general area and shifts to approach mehrnaz al nazir...
Vahir ift aksil falls in with yasin.
A lean, ink-eyed manremains frozen at the edge of the crowd, staring.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman tries to tie tight the bandage upon mehrnaz al nazir's throat, eyes filled with concern.
A poxy mongrel falls in with yasin.
(At the general area): A dark-skinned, matronly woman approaches the general area and shifts to approach mehrnaz al nazir...
Yasin starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Yasin is followed by a small group.
(At the southward direction): Rahat approaches the southward direction and shifts to approach mehrnaz al nazir...
Esfandiar shirazistruggles to get close enough to mehrnaz al nazir, but as people descend on the figure, he is forced to hang back, bloody jambiya in hand.
Esfandiar shirazitries to stop fighting.
(At the southward direction): A dark-skinned, matronly woman approaches the southward direction and shifts to approach mehrnaz al nazir...
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it tranquilly glides on.
(At the southward direction): Rahat shifts closer to mehrnaz al nazir.
(Hidden) A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes says from the side of her mouth to zahir, "-- --- --s-----, --- ----? ----- s------'- ---- ---- -------- ---- ---s -f ----'- --s-----."
Zakil withdraws from the action. "I will check the hatch," he decides, heading off.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman takes stock of mehrnaz al nazir.
Firo takes stock of mehrnaz al nazir.
Rahat offers to put pressure on a shallow puncture on mehrnaz al nazir's right arm.
Rahat puts pressure on mehrnaz al nazir's right arm with a hand.
Halima attempts to get in between esfandiar shirazi and mehrnaz al nazir, though the water is proving difficult for her to navigate.
Esfandiar shirazilooks at a poxy mongrel with his teeth bared and tells him, still holding an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt casually and kind of raised, "If you'd struck we could have got him."
Rahat stops pressing mehrnaz al nazir's right arm.
Rahat takes stock of mehrnaz al nazir.
Illi falls back with zakil.
Halima takes stock of mehrnaz al nazir.
Esfandiar shirazi has ceased aggressing mehrnaz al nazir, though grudgingly.
(At the general area): A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes says softly, "It is - door to th- l-nd of th- d--d, tho-gh, isn't it...."
Rahat offers to put pressure on a shallow puncture on mehrnaz al nazir's right arm.
Rahat puts pressure on mehrnaz al nazir's right arm with a hand.
Hissing out as she attempts to fumble with the bandage, a dark-skinned, matronly woman says, "You selfish beings- filled with bloodlust, no better than animals..."
A dark-skinned, matronly woman offers a ripped white bandage to rahat.
Inaya departs.
Esfandiar shirazilooks at a dark-skinned, matronly woman, flatly, and seems unperturbed.
Seemingly overhearing, a willowy, tawny-complected young womansays to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "Something like that, I think..."
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around yasin's lit pitch-topped torch.
Yasin wades south, dragging mehrnaz al nazir. He is followed by a small group.
Rostam stops pressing someone's throat.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes appears to be very little concerned with the fate of the dead-before and perhaps dying-again mehrnaz al nazir. Instead she simply gazes at a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, very somberly.
Esfandiar shirazisloshes the blade of an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt around in the water to clean it.
Kinsa grins at a dark-skinned, matronly woman, offering up a shrug, "Animals don't enjoy it so much, I think."
Lifting her voice to the hieghts of the bilge dreched area Fadila lets out a long high howl of dispair.
Esfandiar shirazitries to stop fighting.
Esfandiar shirazitries to stop fighting.
Steps past those caring for mehrnaz al nazir, firo starts making her way out.
Firo goes to stand near the southward direction, joining a dark-skinned, matronly woman and rahat.
Esfandiar shirazisheathes an etched steel jambiya with a curled bronze hilt in a curved embroidered-leather sheath.
(At the general area): Shaking his head, zahir speaks, "S-yyid Ik-n s-id... th-y s--rch-d for som-thing, -nd... som-thing -bout -n... -nchor."
Firo wades south.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it flows gently across tranquil waters.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman peers around for the body, worriedly as eyes flicker.
Rahat says, "I don't have my needle or stitches, and I'm still not fully well. Someone else will have to handle that."
The doorway continues to fade, its light waning and beginning to dissipate from the bilge.
Halima says, "I don't have any needles either."
Eyes unable to keep still as she keeps searching, a dark-skinned, matronly woman says, "I've only the bandage...but..."
(At the general area): A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes sounds torn between sourness and regret as she says, "-t sh--ldn't h-v- b--n - r--l d--r, -f -t h-d b--n d-n- pr-p-rl-. B-t..." She grimaces faintly. "- s-pp-s- n-b-d- r--ll- d--s kn-w h-w t- d- -t pr-p-rl-, -ft-r -ll."
Moving towards the southward direction, a willowy, tawny-complected young womanleaves the vicinity of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. (Stand - at the general area -)
Fadila looks at the door transfixed by dispair, saying, "So much suffering and dispair." "So much, pain." She walks towards th door, "Perhaps it is better."
Esfandiar shirazilooks around, his brow creased, eyes hard. His gaze passes carelessly over most faces. He wades over toward zahir and a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes. (Stand - near the general area -)
Illi scans south.
Halima eyes a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes.
"Fadila!" esfandiar shirazi shouts, turning toward yousuddenly. "Wait!"
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanstarts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Zahir sighs and shakes his head, shoulders sinking at a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes's assessment.
(At a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope): Kinsashifts closer to you.
Fadila waits, tears flowing, "All the blood, all the pain, and evil." "Its so much."
Esfandiar shiraziscowls, frustrated, and can't move very quickly in the water. He treads there, watching you.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman peers towards a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
The door is weakening, cracks of dark and stinking bilge-air streaking through its glossy surface.
Kinsa blinks once, before making a sudden move...
Kinsa tries to grapple with you.
Kinsa grips you firmly in one hand, ready to start dragging.
"Yes," esfandiar shirazi says, seeming at a loss as he watches you.
A willowy, tawny-complected young womanwades south.
Kinsa grabs you by the scruff with her free hand, "Nope. Less of that."
Esfandiar shiraziblinks, seeming a bit surprised by kinsa's tackle, but not displeased. He gives the big woman a subtle, but firm nod.
The material structure of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope is almost transparent now, nearly gone.
Around you, the ship calmly moves over glimmering waters.
Zahir says, "Maybe we should have just done as it said, not this..."
Fadila struggles in kinsa's hold, "Please." She whispers. "We are never going to leave.""We are doomed."
"You will suffer with the rest of us,"esfandiar shirazithreatens, warns or consoles you archly.
Zahir looks up at a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope "Middle ground"
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes jerks her gaze towards you and the fading door and stares, then shakes her head slowly. "It's always so much," she mutters. "That's how the world is." *But there's a subtle sense of sympathetic understanding as she looks on.*
Kinsa looks up at the door for a few moments, before her attention turns back down to you, "We're not doomed. And we're not going to bloody suffer!" She shoots a glare at esfandiar shirazi, "We've got a plan. This didn't go how we wanted. That's fine."
Maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern flickers and crackles.
You think: Why does everything have to end in pain?
You feel sad and unable to comprehend the violence you've witnesses.
Halima pte pauses, eying a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes egain.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes narrows her eyes at zahir momentarily, then says, "No, I'm fairly certain that however unfortunate this is, whatever the ghost was trying to do would have been worse." Her eyes narrow still further. "Unless you did really sacrifice people, down here?"
Fadila struggles a bit more in kinsa's hold, "But why, why shold we continue." "I'm tired."
"I'm already suffering," esfandiar shirazi snorts almost breezily at kinsa. He seems comfortable with the place where humor intersects darkness. "If you'd held Marzani's head underwater a bit longer, I might be on the mend, however."
A dark-skinned, matronly woman goes to stand near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, joining a small crowd.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman moves tepidly towards the door, watching as it wavers.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman moves into a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, and ... through it. Her body crumples on the other side.
The soulless shell of a dark-skinned, matronly woman visibly sinks into an even deeper sleep, dead to the world.
Zahir shrugs and shakes his head. "They tried to offer it rats," he explains to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes. "I... don't know if the people who went through remain... entirely whole..."
You feel very tired and grieved at the events here.
Esfandiar shirazitells you, tonguing his gold tooth as he splashes a little uncomfortably in the foul water, hands patting the turbulent surface, "Go and sleep. Perhaps it will be over when you wake."
Rahat continues holding pressure on the arm of the man who was a ghost. "We must continue."
Kinsa shoulders her hatchet with a chuckle, "I don't know why you're all being so gloomy about it. What, did you think we were going to get out of here with a door just popping open to solve it?" She looks back to you, "We're all tired. But no struggle lasts forever. We'll figure it out, and we'll get home. Wherever home might be."
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes nods slowly to zahir, then sweeps her gaze carefully across the gathered crowd and their shadowed faces.
Halima blinks. * something seems to have crossed her mind.*
"No," esfandiar shirazi tells kinsawith undisguised annoyance. "-I- didn't. If you'll recall."
Halima glances at esfandiar shirazi.
Esfandiar shirazilooks at Halima, seeming startled by her sudden attention.
Halima glances at a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes.
Kinsa belts out a deep laugh, and sticks up a middle finger at esfandiar shirazi, "Not talking to you. You've got your own drive."
Halima glances at esfandiar shirazi.
Maha wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
"What?" esfandiar shirazi asks, a little impatient but sincerely curious, it would seem. He looks between Halima and a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes.
Fadila sighs deeply relaxing a bt then giving in to kinsa's hold. "Its just so sad." She says, "So dark."
Maha gasps awake, frantically looking around to see if the door is still in place, "It- it's there, we just... the mist. We're feeding it, I'm so close..."She starts to crawl through the water towards the roped opening once more.
Fadila gives the door another glance, her eyes widening at it, looking as though she'd go through. But sighing she lets herself be dragged away, her face etched in sorrow.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman wakes up, floating near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Kinsa pulls you in closer, "Then let's get back up into the light and warm. There's a fire up above us." There's a moment, then she releases her grip- enough time to give you one last chance to decide for herself.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes absently rubs at the scarf around her neck, appearing deeply lost in thought despite the still somewhat bizarre circumstances.
Kinsa places you near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Kinsa releases you.
You begin to tread water.
Halima seems to be keeping an eye on a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes.
Slowly, a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope is fading now, steadily. It has nearly vanished into the dark.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman lets her eyes open rapidly, shuddering out an exhale as she awakens. Though, there is briefly a large sense of peace about her.
Zahir tells maha, "Maha, wait... what are you... The door is fading."
Halima says to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "Where were you from?"
Maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern flickers and crackles.
(At the general area): Halima seems to realize how odd of a question that is.
You're not sure anyone else notices.
"What?" esfandiar shirazi demands of Halima, a bit louder this time. He has no time for the door, or the people coming in and out of it. He watches Halima and a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes.
Maha tells zahir, "I could feel the curse there... I'm going to find it and free us. Don't- don't throw my body out."
And then, the last traces of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope are gone.
A lean, ink-eyed manstares curiously towards the door.
A dark-skinned, matronly woman gets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, slowly.
Maha seems to come up just short, letting out a quiet cry as she's too late.
Moving towards the southward direction, a dark-skinned, matronly woman leaves the vicinity of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. (Stand - at the general area -)
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes blinks sharply at Halima, apparently startled out of her thoughts. "What?"
Sighing Fadila looks back at the door, then at someone and kinsa. She takes one last breath, then swims south, wearily, grief stricken.
Someone looks back at someone, at someone, and back at mahaagain.
Someone starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Someone narrows his eyes, watching someoneclosely now, his anticipation evident.
Moving towards the southward direction, Fadila leaves the vicinity of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. (Stand - at the general area -)
Someone shakes his head vaguely in the direction of the now gone door. "There's not enough time to learn more. The curse is all around us."
Someone wades south.
Halima says to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "You seem to know a bit about our circumstances. I was curious where you learned about such things?"
Someone gets up and stands near a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope.
Moving towards the southward direction, a lean, red-haired young man leaves the vicinity of a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. (Stand - at the general area -)
Maha steps away from a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, leaving.
Zahir looks over at someone, then back at Halima and a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes.
Someone calls out, "Anyone still through there, anyone need help getting up on deck?"
Kinsa steps away from a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope, leaving.
Someone starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
"Do we have a torch?"esfandiar shirazilooks around, prompted apparently by kinsa's question.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes looks hard at Halima, her mouth turning down into a wary frown. "Omrazir,"she says, after a long silence. "That was why I got on the ship there."
Fadila starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
A lean, red-haired young man wades south, huffing a little breath.
Illi starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
The ship glides across smooth waters on beneath you.
Someone nods to someone, "Enough for you to head on over there."
A shout in light-toned and naturally ponderous tenor breaks out from the southward direction.
"DOO--- D--- DON'T TOUCH THE KNOTS!"
Illi wades south.
Someone looks over his shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly.
Someone nods to someone. "I see." * She shuffles slightly, glancing at the fire of a torch.*
Someone peers south.
Rahat peers south.
Fadila lets tears fall as she stands, tiredly climbing the ladder. "This is too much."She says, "But I can't do anything there." "I have to just." She doesn't finish, merely climsthe ladder wearily dragging herself listlessly up.
Someone twitches in startlement and likewise squints off through the dimness to the south.
Someone peers south.
This reminder of the knots gives someonesome measure of hope, and she starts wading through the water, searching for their remains - if any exist.
"Are they not with the pagan demon-lover?"someone wonders sourly.
You wade south.
[In the Dark]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
A cubit's worth of bilgewater rises to knee-height here below decks. It's horribly dark, the air reeks, and there's a sense of ominous tightness about the tiny space.
[It is far too dark to see anything here.]
There is moderately shallow bilge water here. The all-consuming scent of filthy bilgewater clouds the air.
The bilge sloshes, terrible and stinking, at your feet.
The ominous scrabbling of an excessive number of rats can be heard through the bilge.
You wade north.
Halima says to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "Achyba eqabo wnynwn dwb' yq E?" [in Ruzur]
[The Greenest Dolphin, Under the Hold, Bilge]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
This cramped and narrow space is tight, the ceiling pressing down low above. Salt-encrusted filth spatters along the tar-coated ribs of the freighter's deepest, darkest interior.
The subtle, ghostly face of a drenched man wavers in and out of sight. The stiff corpse of a dirty bilgerat has breathed his last. The stiff corpse of a grungy bilgerat has breathed his last. The stiff corpse of a slime-sodden bilgerat has breathed his last.
Also here is esfandiar shirazi. Zahir is treading water here. Someone is standing at a spectral door limned in knotty-shadowed rope. Kinsa is taking up more space than she needs to, wielding a wood-handled hatchet in her right hand. Halima is standing on the northward direction. Someone is ineffectually threatening the rat-man with a knife, wielding a small utilitarian knife in his left hand. A lean, ink-eyed man is treading water here, holding a coil of old rope in his right hand. A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes is standing here. Maha is standing here, holding a lit wrought iron camp lantern and a small utilitarian knife in her right hand.
There is moderately shallow bilge water here. A nigh-unbearable weight of filthy bilgewater hangs heavily here.
Cardinal Exits: south (water) and north (water)
A rat squeals aggressively from a place that seems far too near.
The ominous scrabbling of an excessive number of rats can be heard through the bilge.
(Quietly): A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes mutters, "Good God dreaming, do they even still exist after all this?"
The ship glides across smooth waters on beneath you.
Someone stops pressing mehrnaz al nazir's right arm.
Esfandiar shirazitells a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes with a distinct archness that doesn't seem directed at her particularly, "I couldn't say - I was tied up when the door was conjured."
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes tilts her head slightly back towards Halima and answers a little distractedly, "No, never."
You get out a flint flake from a crimson velvet tunic in your possession.
You get out a small utilitarian knife from a crimson velvet tunic in your possession.
You get out a pitch-topped torch from a fine inikiskin mizuda in your possession.
Using a flint flake and a small utilitarian knife, you light a pitch-topped torch.
You put a small utilitarian knife in a crimson velvet tunic.
You put a flint flake in a crimson velvet tunic.
"Let us take this upstairs, hmm?"esfandiar shirazigrunts, to all, then splashes off toward the south.
Fadila starts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Esfandiar shirazistarts towards the southward direction. (Stand - near the southward direction -)
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around maha's a lit wrought iron camp lantern.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around your lit pitch-topped torch.
Kinsa gestures toward the south with her axe in hand, "We've got nothing else to see here, go get out of the bilge! Get warm!"
Halima nods to sassafrass. *She looks like she feels foolish for having asked.*
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes frowns at esfandiar shirazi in vague consternation. "Why were you tied up? You were one of the only people who seemed.. skeptical of the ghost's intentions." She pauses. "Ah."
You wade south.
[The Greenest Dolphin, Under the Hold, Bilge]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
A cubit's worth of bilgewater rises to knee-height here below decks. It's horribly dark, the air reeks, and there's a sense of ominous tightness about the tiny space.
The stiff corpse of a mangy bilgerat has breathed his last.
There is moderately shallow bilge water here. An overpowering aroma of filthy bilgewater pollutes the space. The area is lightly spattered with vomit.
Cardinal Exits: north (water)
Other: up: loose planks (open)
The bilge sloshes, terrible and stinking, at your feet.
The ominous scrabbling of an excessive number of rats can be heard through the bilge.
You begin to climb up the ladder.
You climb through the loose planks.
You emerge from the water.
You climb up adroitly.
You put out a lit pitch-topped torch.
[The Greenest Dolphin, Hold, Crewmember Quarters]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
These dim quarters in the hold are actually quite large, but feel cramped due to the infringement of the ship's great ribs along both sides. The crowding produced by various crates and chests belonging to crewmates doesn't help, and hammocks hung from the rafters in several spots add their own clutter even in mid-air. The battered, bilge-stained floor is made of planks that rock and creak above the deep keel of the freighter, and a few are loose, allowing access to deeper cargo storage. A knife-scarred arch without a door leads into the rest of the hold.
(The entire area has been tidied, trunks and crates pushed together and things stacked more neatly. Hammocks not in use have been wrapped and strung out of the way, and everything's a little less chaotic than it was.)
A large oakwood crate is here. A length of tarred rope is left here. (x3) A page torn from a book is here.
Also here are a pox-scarred guy, a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, a lean, red-haired young man, and illi. Owais is asleep at a sweat-stained hammock, holding a shiny leather ball in his right hand. Yasinis kneeling here near a rat-chewed matted man with blasted, windswept hair. Mehrnaz al nazir is lying here. Vahir ift aksil is standing here, wielding a battered, thin-bladed steel sword in his right hand. Rostam is kneeling here, holding a ball of 9 sinew lengths and a dark-stained glass phial in his right hand. A dark-skinned, matronly woman is standing here, holding an assortment of small items in her right hand.
The area is damp and speckled lightly with blood.
Cardinal Exits: west
Hissing sharply, mehrnaz al nazir tells rostam, "Feed the mist --- that's what you have all been doing since you were trapped here! I've done nothing to herald what you face!"
Halima climbs through the loose planks.
Halima emerges from the water.
Halima climbs up adroitly.
Esfandiar shiraziclimbs through the loose planks.
esfandiar shiraziemerges from the water.
Esfandiar shiraziclimbs up adroitly.
Soft snoring can be heard from one of the hammocks.
Rahat climbs through the loose planks.
rahat emerges from the water.
Rahat climbs up adroitly.
You put a dark pitch-topped torch in a fine inikiskin mizuda.
Rostam looks up, blankly, and for a moment his gaunt features are bone-tired. He doesn't release mehrnaz al nazir. "I'll let him rest when he tells me. How do we escape?"
Halima peers about.
Rahat takes stock of mehrnaz al nazir.
Speaking up after a moment, a willowy, tawny-complected young woman tells mehrnaz al nazir, "You must know about this place. Give us something, even if it's a theory, on how to leave."
Halima starts towards the westward direction. (Stand - near the westward direction -)
Esfandiar shiraziclambers up, dripping, weary, toucing the discolored patch on his cheek. He stands there, wetting the floor, and looks at those gathered around mehrnaz al nazir with a tired sneer. He shakes his head and stalks away.
Rahat sits down on the floor.
Moaning with grief Fadila crosses toward the galley, tears flowing, "So much violence and painn.""I'm so tired.
You feel tired and unbelievablly sad.
Esfandiar shirazistarts towards the westward direction. (Stand - near the westward direction -)
Halima walks west.
"Come," esfandiar shirazi tells you. "The fire will help."
Fadila starts towards the westward direction. (Stand - near the westward direction -)
Esfandiar shiraziwalks west.
The ship floats smoothly upon calm waves on beneath you.
Fingers finding his stitched throat, grimacing at the touch, mehrnaz al nazir tells a willowy, tawny-complected young woman, "...what... what day is it?"
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes climbs through the loose planks.
a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes emerges from the water.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes climbs up adroitly.
Illi looks over rostamand mehrnaz al nazirfor a few long moments, briefly smiling, humorlessly.
Illi is standing around, filthy and wet. (Room Pose Set)
You walk west.
Esfandiar shirazistarts towards the way west to the galley. (Stand - near the way west to the galley -)
[The Greenest Dolphin, Hold, Dimness Below Deck]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
The scant light from a row of round porthole windows on either side of this deep hold does little to abate its darkness. Some warm lantern light glows through the opening to the galley in the front of the ship's belly, and a few more lanterns are posted about in the aft section where stalls for livestock are built into the cargo area. A knife-scarred arch leads to the crewmember quarters, while a ramp leading up to a hatch in the ceiling provides access to the Dolphin's deck.
A bronze-bitted hand drill is here. A cast-iron bilge pump has been bolted to the planking of the hold.A coil of old rope is here. A grimy wooden mug is here. A heavy, rolled-up mizzen sail is here. A large, tar-sealed barrel is here.A page torn from a book is affixed to the wall here, with big lettering announcing something about an upcoming meeting. An iron-banded wooden pail is here.
Esfandiar shirazi is standing by the way west to the galley.
The area is slightly damp.
Cardinal Exits: west to the galley and east through a knife-scarred arch
Other: up to the main deck: wooden hatch (closed)
The old ship creaks and rocks, a stuffy breath of musty brine stirring through the dim recesses of the hold.
Fadila starts towards the way west to the galley. (Stand - near the way west to the galley -)
A howl in a terrible drone can be distantly made out from the way up to the main deck.
Someone scrapes gently on the wooden hatch.
A howl in a terrible drone can be distantly made out from the way up to the main deck.
Someone scrapes gently on the wooden hatch.
Esfandiar shiraziwalks west to the galley.
You walk west to the galley.
[The Greenest Dolphin, Hold, A Musty Galley]
You are on [a timeworn naval freighter].
This musty galley harbors a continous quiet clamor as crew and passengers eat and attempt to enjoy a bit of leisure in their cramped confines. A series of trestle tables are bolted to the floor, secure against the motion of even the roughest sea, and tucked into the back of the space, across from the arch out to the hold, is a cramped kitchen and food storage area. A few lanterns swing from the ceiling, illuminating the galley with swaying pools of light.
Fixed above, a coil of heavy-duty hemp rope hangs as a climbing aid.
( The grubby kitchen has been freshly stocked with firewood from elsewhere in the hold, next to the small contained hearth.)
A burlap satchel is here. A cramped kitchen serves up thin gruel at all hours. A dark wrought iron camp lantern is here. A deep cast-iron pot is here. A set of 2 carved ivory dice is here. A sturdy wooden crate stamped with a rising sun in a circle is here. A wooden splint is here.
a fine-boned, sapphire-eyed young woman and sekani rayegan sleep here.
Also here is a gangling, black-haired sailor. Monit is standing here, wielding a heavy ship's mop in his right hand. Firo is sitting at a lit small, soot-stained hearth, holding a grimy wooden mug in her right hand. Yeshevstands here with red-rimmed eyes, and a haunted expression. Halima is here. Esfandiar shirazi is here.
The area is damp.
Cardinal Exits: east through an arch to the hold
Other: a splintery hole in the ceiling (steep)
The voices of crewmembers can be heard echoing in quiet conversation through the creaking stillness of the ship's belly.
Water drips off you, collecting in wet puddles.
The ship floats smoothly upon calm waves on beneath you.
Firo moves to sit in front of a lit small, soot-stained hearth, extending her palms out to the flames as she attempts to dry. (Sit - near a lit small, soot-stained hearth -)
A lit small, soot-stained hearth flickers and crackles.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes walks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
Dripping, weary, and darkly amused - from the look on his face - esfandiar shirazidrags is wet self directly toward a lit small, soot-stained hearth.
Yeshev gives firo a dumb nod at that. "Then he's...flesh, again?" He neither says more, nor seems to expect an answer.
Firo gives a curious glance to esfandiar shirazi, answering aside to yeshev, "Flesh enough to be stabbed in the throat."
Fadila sighs wearily crying soundlessly as she wanders in, a haunted pained expression on her features.
A rotund and grimy ship's cook stomps over to plop down a grimy wooden mug to Halima, then goes back to other business after taking payment.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes squelches into the galley, looking cross and regretful at once, and moves to stand close to the hearth. (Stand - near a lit small, soot-stained hearth -)
Esfandiar shirazisettles into a crouch at the fire, twisting the sleeves of a well-worn, camel-hair-trimmed riding coat of maroon wool out. He looks at firo with a complex but not entirely unfriendly expression. His glance at yeshev is cold and mute. (Crouch - near a lit small, soot-stained hearth -)
Yeshev shifts his gaze to you as you enters. He doesn't say anything, but his eyes bear the same haunted and bloodshoot look.
Halima shifts a grimy wooden mug from her grip.
Halima takes a drink from a grimy wooden mug.
Halima grimaces after taking a swig of the grog.
Halima says to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "I'm... sorry for my questions. I'm a bit rattled, I suppose." [in Sirdabi]
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Firo scooches over to make room for the newly arrived, no small feat for the elder woman. Voice lower now, she questions esfandiar shirazi, "--- ----'t --- -- st-----g --st--, --- ---?"
Fadila crosses to a lit small, soot-stained hearth sitting down bonlessly and with some grace one might say. Her eyes flick to yeshev. "I was tempted to go through the door." "To stay there." "It was a different existance.""But I didn't."
Halima chugs down everything from a grimy wooden mug.
The contents of a grimy wooden mug have been finished.
Halima goes to sit at a bolted trestle table.
You go to sit near a lit small, soot-stained hearth, joining a small crowd.
Esfandiar shirazipulls out a bold saffron thawb with swanky embroidered trim from under a supple, smoke-tooled mahogany leather vestand twists the hem, wringing out some filthy water. A harsh snort issues from his nose when he hears firo's question, and a black smile curves his lips away from the gold tooth that catches the light from a lit small, soot-stained hearth. "No, Auntie," he murmurs, as if innocently. "Not yet," he adds, very softly.
Yeshev's steps begin to carry him, wordlessly, in the direction of the hold.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes drags one hand slowly down over her forehead and across her eyes, rubbing at them wearily. Lowering her hand just enough to look over her fingers at Halima, she says after a moment, "It's all ight. We all are, probably."
Yeshev starts towards the way east through an arch to the hold. (Stand - near the way east through an arch to the hold -)
Around you, the ship glides across smooth waters.
Yeshev walks east through an arch to the hold, with the red, puffy eyes of a man who has been weeping.
Fadila lowers her head in her hands, staring at the ground as she sits, looking utterly spent.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes holds both hands out closer to the hearth's warmth, squinting into the firelight.
A lit small, soot-stained hearth flickers and crackles.
You feel regret at not going through the door, but also some hint of relief that you didn't your feelings are all mixed up.
Esfandiar shiraziglances up at you when she nears a lit small, soot-stained hearth, his expression softening almost imperceptibly from the viscious smile it had held before.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes mutters, "I should have known people would do the most ridiculous thing possible. Ghosts. Pah!"
Around you, the ship calmly moves over glimmering waters.
Firo lets out an amused 'mm', shaking her head in disapproval but putting up no argument. She idly flips her hands over in front of the licking flames, content to soothe herself with the motions. Eventually, she pipes up with, "What happened then?"
Esfandiar shirazilooks at a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes with a nose-wrinkle of agreement but he's distracted soon by firo's question. Lofting a brow as he tries to wring out the cuffs of a robust pair of sea green floral damask sirwaal, he mutters, "When?"
Fadila also begins ringing out her own clothing, almost as if she's not thinking much, just something to do besides sit there and weep.
A shout in light-toned and naturally ponderous tenor can be heard from a splintery hole in the ceiling.
"ENOUGH -- ENOUGH somethingsomething NEVER ENOUGHsomething NEVER E--- ENOUGHsomething ENOUGHsomething ENOUGHsomething"
Esfandiar shirazipeers towards a splintery hole in the ceiling.
Firo takes some time to consider the question, eventually clarifying, "After you stabbed him and everyone endeavored to try and save the demon." After the words are given, her head is snapping up toward a splintery hole in the ceiling.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Esfandiar shirazimutters, "What the..."As his eyes flick toward a splintery hole in the ceiling.
Firo peers towards a splintery hole in the ceiling.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes peers towards a splintery hole in the ceiling.
You feel very tired, emotionally, physically, as if another day on this misty sea will make you want to just not think anymore.
Halima departs.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): "Nothing," esfandiar shirazi tells firo, with a shrug, but his gaze shifts to you a moment and he revises, "Fadila tried to escape to the land of the dead." He shrugs. "They're still trying to save the demon," he adds, which draws a smirk from him, and a glance eastward.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes frowns vaguely up at the ceiling for a moment, but doesn't seem to have it in her to wonder too hard at a bit of maniacal screaming. She just sighs and shakes her head.
Esfandiar shirazipeers towards a splintery hole in the ceiling.
Sighing Fadila looks up to the hole, "What in the Gods names is it now?" She asys.
Esfandiar shirazinarrows his eyes slightly and peers back at a splintery hole in the ceiling. He mutters, "Yeshev just went up there. Isn't he the one who cracked the fellow on his skull?"
Sighing Fadila looks up to the hole, "What in the Gods names is it now?" She asks with a tinge of something, peevishness mayhap.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Firopinches the bridge of her nose between her fingers, massaging the area as she questions, "Is that Mitsky?" A sigh, and sharp look to esfandiar shirazias she comments, "Maybe this is why we don't drug people on ghost ships."
A lit small, soot-stained hearth flickers and crackles.
Tiredly, a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes says to you, "We likely really don't want to know."
Esfandiar shirazirolls his eyes firo, hands open to a lit small, soot-stained hearth. "Of course it's -my- fault." A beat and then he chides her irritably, "Not a one of you has thanked me for trying to save your souls. But -this- you blame me for."
With a sigh Fadilasays to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes "Probably not.""Ye Gods." "This is such a dark day."
Halima arrives.
Halima frowns down into her empty mug.
With a sigh Fadilasays, "I thought you were brave stabbing him." "i threw salt on him." "I didn't know if that would work."
Fadila says softly to esfandiar shirazi"Thank you."
Firo huffs, first correcting, "Yeshev went to the crew quarters." Her green orbs do look aside at esfandiar shirazi, as she says, "This is definitely your fault..." A pause, and genuine concession,"...but thank you, For trying and not giving up on your convictions."
Looking toward youwith a twinkling grin which is grim enough, but also genuinely pleased, esfandiar shirazi murmurs, "He -WAS- in his meat form. Are we certain the salt didn't do that?"
Water dries on you, leaving you still soaked and a lit small, soot-stained hearth's warmth helps to dry you.
Fadila "I don't know."
Zahir walks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
You say, "My family used to say how salt was a great er, purifyer." "I just er, wel thought it would purify in the spirit.""It might have been stupid, but it, worked."."
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): "Ahh," esfandiar shirazi concedes to firo, on the first point, with a shrug and a glance eastward. At the last though, he gives her a sidelong, twinkling grin.
A lit small, soot-stained hearth's warmth helps to dry you and water dries on you, leaving you somewhat wet, but drying off nicely.
You feel dull pain from your wounds but you are on the mend.
Zahir goes to move near a lit small, soot-stained hearth, joining a small crowd.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes flicks a somewhat distasteful look off down the length of the hold towards the crewmembers' quarters. "Why are they so very bent on saving the wretch? Just so that they can say that they accomplished something after all?"
You feel a little better now you are warm and sitting somewhere. You'll feel better once you are dried off. You still feel quite sad and still very tired.
As he approaches the fire, zahir tells a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "Perhaps they wish for him to make them another gate."
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Rolling his eyes with a groan of exasperation, esfandiar shirazimutters to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "They want to ask it more questions. Because they haven't worked out, not matter how much I shout at them, that it only lies."
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Firorolls her eyes at the grin, not able to maintain the sincerity for too long. "Don't get your ego too inflamed." Then, she is looking to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, adding, "They seek information, apparently."
Esfandiar shirazilooks up at zahir, his gaze a greeting in itself.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes gives zahir a deeply sour look and tells him, "He didn't make it in the first place." She sniffs slightly. "Certainly not by himself."
Kinsa walks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Nodding his agreement with a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, esfandiar shirazi tells zahir, "Quite so. If it didn't need us I daresay it would've done away with us already. All it need do is open the hatch when we're sleeping."
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around a lit small, soot-stained hearth.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it tranquilly glides on.
With noticeable exasperation, a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes asks, "Why do they think this ghost, who as far as I can tell does nothing but spout little better than gibberish, holds all the secrets of the Song?"
A rotund and grimy ship's cook approaches Halima and takes the order for a grog with some cranky grumbling, then departs to the cramped kitchen.
Halima sets a grimy wooden mug aside.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): "They are desperate,"esfandiar shirazitells a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes simply, resting his chin in his palm. "They wish to be led."Then he snorts, brows wagging. "Not by -me-, sadly."
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes huffs, "It's absurd. We need a wind, not a door. Using the knots was never going to get *us* out of here."
Zahir shrugs and shakes his head. "You'd have to ask them, but... hope, I think," he explains to a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes.
The ship floats peacefully onward on beneath you.
Kinsa nods at a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "You aren't wrong, but you can't blame a people for jumping at something thinking it's hope. Even if it's a mirage."
Esfandiar shirazi nods slightly at zahir, but this makes him scowl - a real look of distaste twisting his features. "They are goats. They have no minds of their own. Their only hope is in a good shepherd. They tremble to think they are left to their own devices."
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Firolooks over at Halimanow, but keeps with the present conversation. "The Priestess had hoped to trick him, I think. It's not a fondness, more that a twisted sense of needing him."
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes scoffs, "Hope. From a ghost." She presses her lips together, then exhales slowly through her nose. "I understand that, but-- ugh." She folds her arms across her chest and turns her back to the fire.
A rotund and grimy ship's cook stomps over to plop down a grimy wooden mug to Halima at a bolted trestle table, then goes back to other business after taking payment.
Halima takes out a grimy wooden mug from a bolted trestle table.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): "They are cowards,"esfandiar shirazisays, his expression suggesting the word tastes like rotten fish on his tongue.
Zahir says, "She's been trying to summon the wind, but... with little luck. I can imagine her frustration."
Halima sets a grimy wooden mug aside.
Halima takes out a grimy wooden mug from a bolted trestle table.
Kinsa grins away at a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes's reaction, "Not everyone's a cynic. But I feel like we're all missing the point, one way or another."
Halima takes out a grimy wooden mug from a bolted trestle table.
Halima sets a grimy wooden mug aside.
Halima takes a drink from a grimy wooden mug.
Esfandiar shirazi sops at his face a bit, with the hanging sleeve of a well-worn, camel-hair-trimmed riding coat of maroon wool, looking weary.
A lit small, soot-stained hearth flickers and crackles.
You feel perturbed at the old cook's grumbling.
Looking over at kinsa, zahir says, "What do you mean?"
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes frowns back at kinsa and tells her, "It's not cynicism to distrust a restless spirit. Or an-- un-dead fellow, for that matter. I thought that was only common sense."
"Oh shut up!!" Fadilasays to the old cook, "Everyone is suffering around here, everyone's tired, and upset and, well I don't know what all else." "Either be quiet or if you grumble, then it be on you." Fadila says in frustration.
A lean, red-haired young man walks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Esfandiar shirazimutters, eyes dragging over toward a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes and kinsa, "If it even -is- a spirit---"He blinks, then, distracted by youroutbursts, and glances toward a cramped kitchen.
With a shake of his head, zahir tells a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes, "Not as common as you'd think."
Halima stares down into her mug with a confounded expression, losing her focus on the conversation.
Esfandiar shirazisnorts quietly at zahir.
Halima departs.
Kinsa looks over at zahir in turn, scrunching her face up slightly, "Well, it's simple, isn't it? Got a few things we need to do. Fix the ship. Find the curse. Bring the wind. First one- we're mostways done with that. Second one- we've got the man who makes the knots. Easy. Third one- well." She pauses a moment, before looking around the room, "We just need some hope, don't we? But we're nearly there."
Zahir hums, lifting an eyebrow at kinsa's assessment.
Esfandiar shirazi eyes kinsa with an expression that can not even be called dubious, because there is no doubt evident - he simply thinks this is untrue.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes lets out another long breath and presses her hand to her forehead, but doesn't say anything in response to kinsa's optimistic assessment.
Fadila mutters, eyes still bloodshot, weeping done for the moment. She mutters, "Hope is dead."
Zahir tells kinsa, "He seems... quite mad."
Zahir tells kinsa, "Somewhat murderous."
Zahir tells kinsa, "Not... entirely trustworthy."
Kinsa rests her hands on her belt, grinning away at zahir as she ignores the others, or doesn't notice, "So, just like the rest of us."
Esfandiar shirazilooks at zahir, raising a finger and sounding quite affronted at first, "Excuse me! I had your best interest-- Oh. Ohhh. You mean the demon." He clears his throat.
Zahir dips his head in concession "Well, some of us, certainly."
The ship glides across smooth waters on beneath you.
You feel weary and just about tired of all the trying at the moment.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes makes a quiet little scoffing noise, though she does look somewhat cynically amused for just a moment.
A lit small, soot-stained hearth flickers and crackles.
Kinsa lets out an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head as she peers around the room, "God above, the way some of you are getting on you'd think we'd split the boat in half."
Firo takes some time to start drying her clothing, not nearly as chatty or interested in solving the mystery, apparently. Commenting almost entirely to herself, she notes, "I at least find comfort in the fact that Marzani remains incorrect in every decision he makes. I was really worried about having to admit I was wrong at some point."
"I'd like a shower. And to visit a proper market. And to Retreat... You will find we all go mad one by one without our meditations, I suspect," esfandiar shirazi tells kinsaflatly.
Esfandiar shiraziprobably said bathe but hey, he's mad, right.
Esfandiar shirazilaughs properly at firo's comment, though.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it drifts on peacefully.
Zahir looks over from the fire to firo, watching her for a moment before giving a sudden, soft laugh. "That's how we find our way back, hm? Ask Marzani, do the opposite."
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes blinks over at firo, seeming to find that commentary quite unexpected. A short stifled laugh escapes her, in spite of herself, and some of the tension seeps out of her shoulders.
Water dries on you, leaving you damp and a lit small, soot-stained hearth's warmth helps to dry you.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): A touch impatiently, esfandiar shirazitells zahir, as if completely serious, "I have been saying this."
Fadila sighs then looks to kinsa. I a weary voice she says, "You must admit that we are nearly out of water." "The only food we have is pickled eggs and the rat sausages." "We've been drifting on this mist for quite some time.""There are no fish in the sea, or very few anywway." She corrects. "Its difficult."
You say, "People are dying, people are injured, there isn't much peace for some when we sleep."
Esfandiar shirazitells kinsa, as if amending yourstatement, with a glance up, "She's too polite to say we are all tired of being trapped with Marzani."
Firo shrugs over at zahir, some amusement coming forth on her weary face as she decides, "That might be the best plan anyone has come up with so far."
Kinsa brings a hand to rap knuckles off against her helmet, before pointing at firo with a laugh, "Very funny, I'll admit. But we're no worse off than we were twelve hours ago."Looking over at esfandiar shirazi now, she just grins all the more, "We're well past normal sanity anyway. Why go mad with distress when you can go mad productively?"Without elaborating on that, she turns to youwith a few nods of the head, "It's a hard life. We're struggling now more than ever, but we've got some solutions. Just need to keep working on what we're working on."
You feel unable to express the depths of dispair you feel at the situation.
(At a lit small, soot-stained hearth): Esfandiar shirazismirks up at kinsa, petting his mustache. "My madness is quite productive. Ask the hole in the demon's throat."
Kinsa says, "In fact."
Kinsa peers through a porthole window.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes's expression shades back into somberness as she observes you, but she simply tells the other woman quietly, "All you can do is keep going on until you can't anymore. And then your worries are through."
A lit small, soot-stained hearth flickers and crackles.
The ship glides across smooth waters on beneath you.
Frankly, firo says to kinsa, "No worse off? I think plenty of things are worse, really. Down to the sinew that was wasted on stitching a demon."
A lean, red-haired young man starts towards the way east through an arch to the hold. (Stand - near the way east through an arch to the hold -)
Kinsa peers out through the porthole, looking briefly to firo, "You may think what you like, grandmother. Meanwhile I'm going to go pump the fucking bilge after that sorry encounter. Next time we poke around the bilge I want it to be walkable."
A lean, red-haired young man walks east through an arch to the hold, after giving one last look around the galley.
Esfandiar shiraziyawns, the back of his hand briefly pressed to his open mouth.
Esfandiar shirazipeers towards a splintery hole in the ceiling.
Kinsa starts towards the way east through an arch to the hold. (Stand - near the way east through an arch to the hold -)
Rahat walks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
Esfandiar shirazi with a soft grunt, esfandiar shirazi gets to his feet. His eyes flit over those at a lit small, soot-stained hearth, one at a time, before he ambles off, those looks his own farewell. (Stand - near a lit small, soot-stained hearth -)
Rahat begins to climb up the scaffolding.
Rahat starts towards a splintery hole in the ceiling. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the ceiling -)
Esfandiar shirazibegins to climb up the scaffolding.
Moving towards a splintery hole in the ceiling, esfandiar shirazi leaves the vicinity of a lit small, soot-stained hearth. (Stand - at the general area -)
Kinsa walks east through an arch to the hold, with a cheery whistle on her lips..
Rahat begins to climb up the scaffolding.
Rahat climbs away up a splintery hole in the ceiling.
Esfandiar shirazibegins to climb up the scaffolding.
Esfandiar shirazistarts towards a splintery hole in the ceiling. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the ceiling -)
Yasin walks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
Shaking her head slightly, a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes gives a vague wave of one hand around at everyone and steps away from the hearth. It's evidently become that time when everyone drifts off to whatever solace there is to be found. "Fair dreaming to all of you," she murmurs. "Or as fair as it can be."
Moving towards the way east through an arch to the hold, a fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes leaves the vicinity of a lit small, soot-stained hearth. (Stand - at the general area -)
Esfandiar shirazibegins to climb up the scaffolding.
Esfandiar shiraziclimbs away up a splintery hole in the ceiling.
Yasin walks into the galley, looking around with a frown, before moving to climb up to the forecastle.
Yasin begins to climb up the scaffolding.
Yasin starts towards a splintery hole in the ceiling. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the ceiling -)
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes starts towards the way east through an arch to the hold. (Stand - near the way east through an arch to the hold -)
Yasin begins to climb up the scaffolding.
A fox-faced woman with apprehensive green eyes walks east through an arch to the hold.
Yasin climbs away up a splintery hole in the ceiling.
Firelit shadows prance through the murky surroundings around a lit small, soot-stained hearth.
Yeshev walks over from the way east through an arch to the hold, with the red, puffy eyes of a man who has been weeping.
A lean, ink-eyed manwalks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
A lean, ink-eyed manbegins to climb up the scaffolding.
Illi walks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
A lean, ink-eyed manstarts towards a splintery hole in the ceiling. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the ceiling -)
Yeshev begins to climb up the scaffolding.
Yeshev starts towards a splintery hole in the ceiling. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the ceiling -)
Illi begins to climb up the scaffolding.
Zahir warms his hands by the fire.
Illi starts towards a splintery hole in the ceiling. (Stand - near a splintery hole in the ceiling -)
A lean, ink-eyed manbegins to climb up the scaffolding.
Yeshev begins to climb up the scaffolding.
A lean, ink-eyed manclimbs away up a splintery hole in the ceiling.
Yeshev climbs away up a splintery hole in the ceiling, with the red, puffy eyes of a man who has been weeping.
Illi begins to climb up the scaffolding.
Illi climbs away up a splintery hole in the ceiling.
You feel so tired you'll want to lay down now.
You lie down and go to sleep near a lit small, soot-stained hearth.
(Beyond your dream world): A poxy mongrelwalks over from the way east through an arch to the hold.
(Beyond your dream world): Firo is idly drying off by fire, staring into the flames. (Room Pose Set)
(Beyond your dream world): Fadila e grumbles and grunts in her sleep.
(Beyond your dream world): A lit small, soot-stained hearth flickers and crackles.
(Beyond your dream world): Zahir prods absently at a bluish discoloration on his cheek, staring into the fire.
From the interior of the ship, you can sense that it calmly moves over glimmering waters.
(Beyond your dream world): Addressing the open air, zahir says, "What do you think would have happened?"
(Beyond your dream world): A poxy mongreljust kind of loiters on the fringe of the galley, as though at the threshold of another door, though this one he looks through to wearily examine those within. Seeing zahir and firoby the fire, he moves thattaway, stopping short to address the older woman.