Mikani checked intellect + sailing at difficulty 20, rolling 18 higher.

Amari checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 56 higher.

Shae checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 33 higher.

Kedehern checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 34 higher.

Miranda checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 12 higher.

Arcadia checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 67 higher. Arcadia rolled a critical!

Amari knows enough about sailing to know that she shouldn't try to sail anywhere, so while hopefully someone much more competent handles the boat, she'll stand at the rail and watch the coastline. Shading her keen hazel eyes with her hand, she's like a hawk though one happy to share her observations. She has a few and talks away amiably to anyone who has joined her, or is just walking by behind her on the deck. She's not picky. "I didn't realize that water could be this shade of blue. At Tyde Isle it was more a steely grey, and cold. Oh, look at the fish down there."

It's a job, one full of promise, warm weather, and rum. The Society of Explorers often receives requests to dig into spider-infested caverns and dreary forests for moldering ruins. Rarely does it come in the package of a caramel-skinned woman of about twenty-five, dressed a bit too provocatively for Arvani tastes -- Lycene through and through. The story she gives and is debriefed at the Arvian headquarters of the Society is quite straightforward.

"I cannot get to my family home myself. It isn't safe any longer for us to travel there alone," she sighed over wine. "It has been a year since my grandfather died. I promised him I would take the map and the money he left for me, and regain our good name. Once, Alegranza was an important stop for merchants and traders on the sea. Misfortunes dried up the money and my family eventually left for Lenosia. We dream of going back and recovering our fortunes, and why not now? If you can find any proof of the family's claim -- especially our crest, any documents of ownership in the house -- it would stand up in the courts better than my claims alone."

Orietta Urbina's silver is good as any and so she pays for a berth for a party of explorers as well as herself. The map she provides is sound, a rather aged piece marked with a number of routes and paths around a rocky, irregular island flanked by many smallery skerries and outcroppings in the Cornari archipelago. Even for a Lycene, there isn't much to say about the islands. They have a reputation for being little more than forgettable waystations, maybe visited by sailors. Other richer, more interesting ports of call exist than a dusty little spot. At least it's a perfectly findable location on a map of the Lycene Coast, and they have plenty of those up for grabs.

Orietta accompanies the group, prone to standing on the rail and looking at the horizon.

Standing near her cousin, Shae much like Amari is watching the sea. Not a sailor either, but at least, she seems to not get sea sick, so there is that! Perhaps it is a Keaton trait, having keen hawk eyes. Shae's hair is pulled up in a tight bun, to keep it out of her face. Glancing down to the water at Amari's comment on the color of it and the fish within it. "It is pretty, I wonder if it is the temperature that plays a part in the color of the water." Shae muses to Amari, and really anyone around them that might hear. As she looks up Shae's gaze narrows a bit on the harbor of Alegranza as Mikan brings the ship in. "Something happened here, maybe a storm of some sort, or earthquake?" Shae hazards, glancing to Kedehern and others with them.

Mikani calls out commands to the sailors on deck as they get closer to the island. "You should visit Redreef ... the red of the reef really sticks out in waters this color." She says with a grin. Mikani has the ship slowdown and the sails to be brought to where there is less wind blowing against them. She grins feeling the warmer air on her skin of the southern waters. "We are going to have to way anchor here and take smaller boats in. Any further and we will rip out the bottom of the ship." She informs the other explorers as the anchor drops into the water.

Some island hopping sounds like a good break from the other goings on to Kedehern, and so he happily agrees. At least the woman's request sounds -normal- unlike the other affairs he's found himself involved in of late. Good and proper and easy to understand. Or at least that's what he thought until they came into view of the port town. Nodding to Shae, "It looks as if the island's just... Sank half into the ocean?" as he notes the several buildings under the surface of the water.

Shae checked intellect + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 17 higher.

Arcadia looks out over the water, her eyes squinting. "I don't know much about islands, but is it normal for the water to swallow the town?" She leans far over the edge of the boat and looks down, "Think you can swim into those buildings?"

Miranda knows enough about sailing to help Mikani as needed. Yup, that's about it. Mostly, though, this Lycene noblewoman, who wears more hats than she can count, spends her time on the ship at the rail, watching the water. It may be that she's near Amari who admires the water as she does. Miranda seems to find it all fascinating, letting her eyes search the waters for creatures - big and small, friendly and dangerous. It gives her time to consider Orietta Urbina's claim and debriefing. The Lycene woman's attire, or lack thereof, is one Miranda can admire. Lycenes, right? Crazy lot, all of them, but never dull. She is a quiet traveler, for the most part, but does engage in conversation.

Now, they're closer to Alegranza, her honey-brown eyes take in the town, the damage, the water, and then lose focus as if she were staring off into space. She eyes the breakwaters and frowns. "Maybe a tsunami?" She looks to Arcadia, "Great big tidal wave."

Orietta is squarely not going on that boat. She instead gives them a cheery wave from there on the rail. "Good luck, my intrepid explorers. Mangata make the waves soft beneath you and the wind light at your back," she exclaims. For the moment, she has a vast, light silk scarf wrapped around her head to keep the wind from turning her hair into a rat's nest. The scarf threatens to billow widely indeed. "I entrust to you my best copy of the map. Here," she offers a rather thick leather scrollcase, treated with wax to prevent it from immediately being ruined by submersion in water. It's in an oilskin bag in turn, along with any other supplies. "Which one of you would be in charge of reading it? Oh, good luck, and joy to you all."

She sighs - dramatic, of course. Hard to resist.

Mikani looks appraisingly at the island. "Good thing I'm really good at swimming." She murmurs as she takes it all in. "We could do a combination of swimming and a boat. If there is stuff we find easier to bring it back in a boat."

Looking to Arcadia, "I think for now it may be best to get ashore, and explore what we can find there," opines Kedehern. "I'm not entirely opposed to a swim, but that should probably be Plan B, to my mind."

"It's actually a red reef?" Amari seems surprised by that when Mikani mentions it, but with everyone else talking about the state of Alegranza she focuses more on the beautiful and mildly apocalyptic scene. "It does seem like much of the town sunk, or the water rose. Is this high tide or low?" She really has no idea. Keatons are not a people of the sea, really, they just have a river and it's definitely not tidal. "One thing though. We may wish to be wary of that bell tower. Do you see it? It looks as if it's been repaired or maintained more than the others. We may be under observation already."

[GM] The belltower overlooking Alegranza Harbour suggests it was once a more prosperous place than it is now. A few wind-tumbled buildings are host to scrubby bushes in their broken doorways and yawning windows, true. Several vacant structures stick out into the water, washed clean by years of storm and sea action, not to mention many below. Clustered above the new rough shoreline are a variety of slightly larger, more permanent stone structures which might have housed shops and houses of wealthier sorts - by some standard, compared to the wretched waterfront. The tower sticks up about two and a half stories, crooked but certainly there. It naturally commands a fine vantage over everything except the ruins behind it.

Mikani checked intellect + sailing at difficulty 20, rolling 32 higher.

Miranda checked wits + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 13 higher.

Kedehern checked wits + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 14 higher.

Delilah has rolled 1 20-sided dice: 18

As the conversation continues about what possibly could have dropped half the town into the water. Amber eyes surveying the land more intently. Focused on studying the land and buildings. "Earthquake," comes Shae's voice. "It's got all the tell tale signs of one." Lifting a hand to point out the signs of the earthquake. And then she realizes talk of swimming, "I could swim in a more controled environment, but in the ocean, my leg may be more hinderance. I will go in the skiff, if we are planning to use one." But then there is the comment of the belltower and being watched, glancing up toward it and then around as she looks over the other structures.

Shae checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 47 higher.

Miranda mmms, "I wouldn't mind going swimming. We could check into those buildings while others go inland. Prolly a fighter with each group, at least. Never know what might be lurking. Mermaids. Marin'alfar." She pause, then adds with dramatic flair, "Fish."

Mikani looks at Miranda. "Marin'alfar ... are they dangerous down here?" She raises an eyebrow.

"There's sharks in warm water." Amari notes after Miranda has listed some of the weird and wonderful things to be found in the water. She says it as if she's read that fact in a book once, or overheard an authorative sailor say as much, which would seem to be her roundabout way of declaring 'I ain't swimming, y'all'. She gives a nod to Shae, "Definitely the skiff then. Let's explore the dry part of town."

Miranda shrugs at Mikani, "They live in the oceans somewhere, right? With my luck, we dive in and get greeted by their toughest warriors and drown while they decide how to handle things." She winks at Mikani. A look to Amari, "Noted. Thanks." She looks to the water, however and considers it. "Still. I think diving would be fun."

Mikani says in Marin'alfar, "You are an odd one ......."

Arcadia checked stamina + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 31 higher.

The sun sparkles on the water, revealing those ghostly outlines of clear buildings under the sea. The breeze plays over bushes and overgrown trees choking the remnants of Alegranza on the shore itself, climbing up the steep, rocky approach into a more level spot. Otherwise, all is left to the song of the sea, the occasional shrieking gull flapping by to harass a poor fish or hunt for shells.

Mikani says something Marin'alfar to Miranda. She just laughs under her breath before looking back out at the ocean. "Then don't worry, I am their ambassador." She widens her eyes for a moment as the boats get ready.

Kedehern keeps his eyes on the tower, and then looks to the boat. "So, it can't be -that- hard to row one of these things, right?" he asks to no one in particular, as they seem to be getting ready to disembark onto the smaller craft, or in some cases, the deep down under.

Arcadia isn't waiting for the okay. Off comes the boots and onto the edge she goes. A big deep breath and then she jumps.

SPLASH!

Straight in she goes and then once she surfaces, she starts swimming towards the underwater buildings.

"I've seen artistic renditions of mermaids and they were frightening." Amari also notes, as if they'd be in league with sharks and be waiting in the shadow of the boat for anyone reckless enough to jump in unawares. Arcadia goes in with a splash, so she shrugs a little and throws out a plan, "How about Shae, Kedehern and I take a skiff to the shore and set up a camp, and poke around. You can all swim in and meet us there."

Delilah has rolled 1 100-sided dice: 17

Miranda watches Arcadia and she smirks. "Well, then." She eyes the woman, "I suppose I should go with Arcadia, make sure she comes back to her husband and child or Pookie will scold me." She grins and climbs up onto the rail and dives in after Arcadia! Any excuse will do!

There is a nod from Shae as Amari, says they should explore the dry part of town. "Mmm, yeah." A pause as she glances to Amari, and then Kedehern, and then to the others there; Mikani, Miranda, and Arcadia--who is now in the water. "I see several signs on the land portion that point to people having been here at some point or another. Using it for a place to camp and the like." Eyes squinting a touch as she glances back to the belltower, "As to the belltower, it could be occupied, there is a bird up on the roof poking about. Could be looking for food." She says, and then nods to Amari's suggestion. "That sounds good to me."

Kedehern checked strength + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 28 higher.

Mikani jumps up to the railing, "Cady ... you ... this is not time for your half cocked schemes!" She growls and just dives in after the woman.

Arcadia can't hear the idle threats she's too busy exploring! She swims through a bunch of buildings and dives further down to upturn crab pots, old nets, ropes. Finally she surfaces with a huge beaming smile. "This is amazing. It's a whole town under here. Come see." Yep. Safety first.

Miranda checked stamina + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 51 higher.

Mikani checked stamina + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 27 higher.

Miranda has become one with the sea. Her sea legs grow before the eyes of all and turns into a tail! She glides and turns and can hold her breath for a considerably scary length of time. Diving deep, taking her time... Ok, her legs are not fins! They're legs, but swimming is clearly her jam and her calling is to be a fish! Nemo, eat your heart out. She explores the buildings, swimming in and out of them through windows and doorways. She does resurface, as needed, for air... but she can stay down, apparently for a LONG time. Ahem.

Kedehern gets into the boat with his fellow Valardin, and starts working those oars! He angles the small skiff more towards the quieter portion, somewhat away from the town, figuring that once they're back on solid, dry land, they can start to work inwards, and hopefully keep an eye on those in the tower, and any others who might be watching, with luck.

Miranda will upturn trinkets and look at them curiously. She doesn't fight the currents, but swims with them. If any air pockets exist, she'll use them, but mostly, she explores carefully. Looking for anything that might be a chest and the like. You never know what might be found in the depths!

Shae checked perception + animal ken at difficulty 20, rolling 51 higher.

Mikani grins as she swims. The water just always felt good and after being pregnant and winter. Well this was the most free she has felt in a long time. She glides through the water like a dolphin and keeps pace before popping up next to Cady. "Looks like we will have an easier time in the North ...." Mika says before wondering about how long the others could swim.

[GM] Kedehern's rowing smoothly takes the landing party over the bay to the northern side. Here the cliffs drop away into the sea, a distance ranging from five to twenty feet for the most part. Golden stones tumble into tranquil blue seas. He can find a somewhat rocky little beach to drive the boat onto, and only a few rocks stand in the way of Amari and Shae picking their way onto land. Several driftwood logs bob around a shallow tidal pool formed where old jetties converge, probably offering a natural landing point.

Once they get almost to a landing point, they can hear the oddest of sounds: a sloppy liquid gasp every ten or twenty seconds, as though the island collectively breathes... and blows out with a rather gloppy 'spoooosh' noise.

Kedehern has rolled 1 100-sided dice: 30

Amari thought to bring some rations out with them for lunch. All that swimming is going to lead to grumbly bellies. It's the spooshing she's not so sure about. She has a brow raised just as soon as she hears it, once she's taken off her boots and bounced from stone to stone and waded the last little bit to the sand. Her picnic basket is set down, and a hand offered Shae if she needs it, and Kedehern if he needs help securing the skiff. "What is that sound?"

[GM] Miranda, Mikani, and Arcadia swim towards the center of the drowned port, north of where the surf becomes a twisted labyrinth. They aren't hard to spot out there once they sink under the water and return. Sand and jumbled stones lie above former roads, now pathways to nowhere into the sea. Faded bottles spill out from one ruin. A ruined cart wheel lies poking out past an array of crushed barrels. Another gull squawks loudly when winging past, headed back for the nicer buildings in 'town' around the tower.

Miranda finds.. treasure! Or something. A box. She cradles it, then swims up to the surface. She finds a place where there is a building high enough to stand on, or sit, and not have to go all the way to the boat. She pulls her wet hair behind her head and then admires the box she found. She opens it to see what's inside, looking curious.

As Kedehern rowed the trio to shore, Shae took the time to study the bird on top of the belltower roof some more. Watching it's movements and body language. And as the small row boat made shore, her lips press together. "That bird that is up on the belltower, it's a parrot and with the way it's moving, it's a pet, the behavior is something learned. It is shuffling back and forth, almost like it's pacing. I would say it is highly likely there is someone up there in that belltower." Shae concludes, taking Amari's helpful hand, to get out of the boat. Glancing toward the spooshing sound, "Huh, maybe water in a cave or hole of some sort?"

Once ashore, Kedehern will pull the skiff up onto the beach some, and tie it off so that it doesn't leave with the tide. He frowns a bit, hearing the liquid gasp sounds, and looks to the others with a raised brow. "A cave sounds a possibility... Might as well check it out, before looking to see what lies in town, I reckon." And putting action to words, well, he starts to head off towards the direction of the ominous 'spoosh'.

Miranda pulls her dagger from its sheath and eyes the lock on the box, then tries to work the lock loose.

Mikani checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 35 higher.

Miranda checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 54 higher. Miranda rolled a critical!

"Two mysteries!" Amari enthuses, but the cave doesn't seem to interest her quite so much as it does Kedehern. She peers up at the tower and the parrot pacing about up there. "If it's water, then it's below the surface, and if an earthquake was responsible, that would mean we could be standing on some very unsteady ground. Mind where you step, you could fall into a murder cave and be drowned." That said, she lifts a hand and waves up at the tower and calls for good measure, "Hello?"

Amari has rolled 1 100-sided dice: 100

A glance between Kedehern and Amari, Shae tries to hide the slight smile at Amari's comment on drowning in murder caves. But when her cousin waves and calls up at the tower, her eyes widen. "Whelp, if they didn't notice us before then do now. I suppose it is only polite to say 'hello' before entering a possible murder cave. Right?" Following with her companions to go check out this possible cave, or hole. "It could just be a hole in the ground, in a cave." Sounding perhaps less enthused about that. "We have rope, right?" Looking to Kedehern.

Mikani spends a bit of time underwater. Thank the Gods she was trained in the Southern Islands and knew how to dive. She comes back up with a statue in her hands. She looks at it very curiously as she takes stock of it in the open air. Mikani's fingers move over the curves of the fish. "What was the sigil of the house we are looking for?" She asks the other two. Part of her so drawn to the statue that she wanted to keep it.

Amari checked dexterity + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 18 higher.

"Of course," Kedehern replies back to Shae, nodding with a smile. The smile fades a bit, as he looks back over his shoulder, towards the tower, however. Well, here's hoping they were friendly... Still, Cave first, Tower later!

Kedehern checked dexterity + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 33 higher.

Miranda lifts a brow at the trinkets found in the box. Her eyebrows flit over the items and she hrms a moment. A glance over to Mikani, "Uhm..." She should know this, right? "I found some... stuff. Looks like a letter opener or something made of rubicund. Talk about ostentatious, right?" She chuckles, "You want me to take that back to the ship? I'll come back and do some more diving after."

Shae checked dexterity + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 30 higher.

Is there a murder cave? After Amari, Kedehern, and Shae set out in their intrepid way along the coast, it takes some good scrambling around the rough paths to approach the sound of that weird slurping noise. Fortunately the scrub is quite good to use as handholds for climbing the loose hillside, and it doesn't provide very much cover. This is helpful, all things considered. After a short walk down the backslope of the hill, they come upon a small cove sheltered by a long stretch of black, wet rocks. The sandstone shore is undercut in a way to create a series of low galleries, well hidden by the high tide. Spume pops up and down from cracks in the cliff face, creating that very telltale noise of 'breathing.' Alas, the island is not alive and ready to ask them any questions about their purpose here or landspeed of Valardinian swallows.

The path so leads straight down to the entrance of the sea cave in question. There's even a sign over top of it, barely distinguished in the air, of the number 8. Someone even kindly left a -candle!- It's not burning.

Arcadia checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 28 higher.

Mikani nods to Miranda and hands her the statue before taking another dive.

Miranda takes the statue and her box o' treasure (tm) and then swims back to the boat. Once back aboard, she'll show the items off to Orietta. "Any of these look familiar?" She asks, offering the items over for the Lady's perusal.

It's a pity, as Kedehern is quite sure that Shae knows the landspeed of an unladen Valardinian swallow. "Number 8... Interesting... I assume that means there are seven more of these at least, as well. Supply caches, perhaps?" he asks of his companions.

"I didn't want to them to think we were invaders or plunderers. We're peaceful explorers." Amari explains, waving again up at the tower just to be thoroughly friendly about it. If she's not peppered with arrows at that point, she turns and scoops up her picnic basket and yells out to the swimmers hand cupped around her mouth, "We're going to find the cave that's making all the noise! I'm leaving the melon here for you, incase you get hungry." The melon is set on a log and she sets out after Shae and Kedehern.

Amari's mostly quiet after that, given the roughness of the path she scrambles along as best she can. Lending a hand to Shae where it's especially difficult. When they reach the cove she lets out a breath and takes the moment to gather her hair back out of her face. She's broken a sweat. "Curious. Supply caches for... pirates?"

Oh, oh! She does! And their mating rituals and everything! "Huh," is all Shae says upon seeing the cave, the number 8, and the kindly left candle, so thoughtful! "Pirates, I don't think I've gotten to deal with pirates before." Shae muses as they look at the cave, which she looks at more thoroughly now, looking for any sort of signs of danger; including people. Or you know murder holes.

[GM] All that shouting eventually -does- attract attention. It's well after the little Valardinian party rounds the hill to the cove, out of sight perhaps. But not to those on the boat or in the sea. A figure is soon enough visible out on the balcony of the tower. It's not the parrot, though the parrot flaps about and hops onto their shoulder. At a distance, they are simply someone dressed in brown. They stand out there, gesturing slightly, and vanish back into the tower after the space of a minute or two. They do not come back out. Neither does the parrot.

Arcadia stops after sometime of shifting through things. She squints up to the shore, towards the abandoned building. She frowns and squints some more, the hairs on her arm prickling. She says nothing and dives under while making her way towards that building.

Amari checked intellect + diplomacy at difficulty 20, rolling 34 higher.

Kedehern checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 33 higher.

Shae checked perception + archery at difficulty 20, rolling 34 higher.

[GM] Orietta looks rather stunned when Miranda comes back by herself. She was apparently reading or doing whatever Lycene nobles on a boat do. The sailors look alarmed finding only one wet Lycene Sword in their presence. "Is everything all right?" she asks, staring at the offerings. The box gets a bit of a dismissive check, her nose wrinkling at the slimy goo accumulated around them. She turns up one of them. "I don't know who this belonged to," she says, "but it was not ours. An official, maybe? These bits are hard to see." A tap of the disks moves them around in their moldy wood cradle. But the statuette brings a paling to her warm complexion. She actually backs away from it and flutters her hands like the wings of an alarmed pigeon for a moment or two. "Lady of Sea and Sky preserve us... put it down. Careful, now, careful. I've only seen one of those before and my grandmother offered to Mangata. Leave it there, I can clean it up."

Miranda sets the statue down, carefully, lifting a brow at the way the fellow Lycene Lady reacts to it. "As you like." She looks to the sailors, "We're fine. The Countess and Lady Crovane are still searching the ruins." She glances out over the rail, to the water to find the ladies in question. She mmms and notes Arcadia making her way towards the shore. "Anyways, might go back down and check a bit again." And if those on the ship don't have any issue, she will jump back into the water. Wahoo!

Kedehern studies the cave entrance a moment, and after a short while, he points out a small ledge submerged in the water, not that deep. He starts to walk down it's path, as he heads down the tracks, stopping to light the candle on his way, to better see by.

Amari may not actually be all that eager to run headlong into a potential murder cave frequented by pirates caching dangerous things in it. She lingers on the the figure '8' carved in the stone, getting up close to run her fingers over it and give it a full and proper looking over. "This isn't an eight, Kedehern. Well, it is, but it's a pair of fish twisted around each other. Maybe it's the sigil of House Urbino? I'm sure the map had a similar symbol on it..." He's going in anyway, so there's a small shrug to Shae. "We're going in? I'm going to leave the picnic basket here. If we're eaten by mermaids the others will find this here and know where we've gone. They may fare better against the mermaids. They seem to be strong swimmers."

There is a shrug in return to Amari's, "I guess so..." following after Kedeheren and Amari. As the group begins to head into the cave, Shae's fingers lightly run along the cave wall. Studying it some as she does so, "These holes in the wall, they used to have rings driven into them to hold a rope rail, to hold onto." And then as the candle is lit and before Kedehern can go too far, "Careful," she whispers urgently, "there is a trap, just there, up ahead where the wall bends to the right. Don't brush against the wall, or you'll be poked by the arrowhead in the trap." She warns them.

Mikani checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 8 higher.

Arcadia glances around the few buildings, there's more than a few she sees lurking in the shadows. Logic says to run away or to watch them back. Try to gain Intel or something. But no! That isn't the young Countess's style at all. Instead, she comes up onto the shore and heads slowly towards the buildings. Her hands are raised in a gesture of peace. No weapons held except the peace tied ones she jumped in the water with. She lifts her voice, a clear lilting Crownland accent, and flashes a smile to those who could see her. "Hi. I'm Cady. I was wondering if you guys would like to talk? Maybe take a hug? I'd really rather not get stabbed though. Blood and seawater? Ouch."

Miranda once more swims like a fish and moves towards Mikani in the water, easily.

Mikani checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 47 higher.

Arcadia checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 20, rolling 0 higher.

On the tower side, Arcadia emerges from the sea in her bedraggled glory. Her hands in the air certainly have something to do with not being peppered by a dozen arrows or crossbow bolts, but there -are- crossbows and bows appearing in gloved hands. Someone crouches in a doorway with the leveled weapon on the woman's chest. Another lurks on a balcony, taking careful aim. Those are the visible ones.

A very distant murmur over the hiss of the sea could be lost, perhaps. "What in..."

"...but the Melon lady?"

The warren of tumble-down buildings patched up with sandstone, plaster, and rubble are hardly a town quarter, more like a labyrinth. The roofs are generally intact so it's possible someone is up there. So many dark, shady corners to lurk in, so many partial walls to hide behind. It's very likely more people are peppered throughout, given those voices. The crossbow-wielding fellow has an unshaven, lean look of a sailor or fisher. "What d'you want?" He sounds very much out of the isles, Caina or Nilanza perhaps.

What did Cady come here for again? oh right. Treasure hunting. She tells them around, "The family who owns the town asked us to recover some heirlooms." She glances at the buildings, "Didn't really tell us it was underwater and inhabited." She glances back to the water. "It's oddly beautiful under there. Sad, but the buildings are pretty. Have you been here long? Would you need help rebuilding?"

Miranda nods to Mikani and makes her way to the tower where Arcadia is. However, instead of just coming up behind her, weapons ready - mostly because she'd have to throw her dagger and lacks a bow, she comes up in the shadows to watch and see who is in the tower with her, maybe get a count.

[GM] Meanwhile, on the cavern-side, Kedehern leads the way through a narrow, flat path. The water rises no higher than mid-calf at best, tapering away as the stone rises up gently in a broad enough slope for someone to pass unrestricted. The natural shaping of the rock is a bit too uniform after the cave bends ot the side, suggesting helping hands at work. Eerie blue light plays off the sea where the captive sunlight manages to reach, the golden glow of the candle banishing any further shadows. Sea sounds play through cracks in the rock, the galleries hissing and lapping with that breath of the waves. The cave swings in a general curved chamber, disappearing into the dark. Smooth walls continue to show those holes where the rope rail used to be. How exciting! No murder pirates lurk in the shadows, just the steady suggestion of gaining a bit of elevation.

"Trap?" Kedehern asks, slowing, and starting to look himself, where Shae pointed out the contraption. Perhaps looking to see if he can trigger it on purpose safely, so as to make sure it doesn't harm them.

The crossbow-wielding man squints back at Arcadia. He doesn't come further out, protected by his fallen stone building. "Owns the town. Ain't no town here," he replies in that slightly cracked voice. "Only the fish. You coming to take it or you offerin' a berth on that boat of yours?"

As they seem to be gaining in elevation, and the walls look smooth and worked, there is a quiet, "Hmmm," from Shae as she looks around a bit more closely. "Do you think maybe this is a secret cove entrance into one of the buildings on the island?" Posing her thought to her companions.

Delilah is overheard praising Shae.

"They'll see the picnic basket." Amari repeats, incase the Oathlands contingent eats it in a trap. It's more a confidence inspiring thing as she creeps further along after Kedehern and Shae, minding the trap. "Do dolphins live in caves? No, they do. I read that. What if they've built a shrine to Mangata in here? This would be the perfect place." Shae's suggestion is threaded into her theory easy enough. "I bet it does. I hope it does, honestly. It's probably the way into their fort."

Miranda narrows her eyes a bit and watches Cady along with her crossbow friend. She slinks along shadows to get behind the two others nearest her. She quietly pulls her sword from its sheath and her dagger out as well. Call her funny but having crossbows aimed at her friend isn't putting her in a sweet sort of mood. If she can get up close, she'll whisper to the two, blades at their backs, "Crossbows down."

Miranda spoke in Lycene Shav, of course, but whispered it.

Mikani wields Rhapsody's Requiem Diamond Plate Ingi Axes.

Miranda wields Kindling, an alaricite curved sword.

Kedehern checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 34 higher.

Disabling traps probably calls for finesse doesn't it? Artful skill and derring do with fine, sharp implements... Or you can just be like Kedehern, frown, get irritated, and whack it with a giant war maul. This quite possibly has unfortunate consequences, but well.

Mikani follows behind Miranda hiding in the shadows. She slips her daggers out and readies them for anything. She doesn't know what Miranda is saying but she figures it is a good time to be ready for a fight.

Kedehern wields Sunder, a stout diamondplate maul.

[GM-Towerside] A parrot-like squawk bleats out while Miranda moves. It's a distinctly noisy sound. On a rooftop, a tile drops. Sand hisses. There are few signs of movement anywhere, the present inhabitants of Alegranza being very good at remaining fairly hidden from strangers among the various buildings. "Pirate?" asks one. Having a sword pulled by a soaking wet woman gets another murmur of conversation back there. It's Lycene Shav, through and through, questioning by tone. She can sneak up closer to one of the men wielding a crossbow, the other using the limestone of the building to protect himself. A fancy, fancy sword is higher caliber than they probably ever see around here, either way. "What're you wanting?" crossbow-man asks. It's /alaricite/. That's scary.

Miranda glances down towards her friend in the water, crossbows trained on her. She speaks in that Lycene shav, easily, sword and dagger out and ready. She looks serious and like she knows how to use it. No trembling in her arms and her tone is precise, "We're not here to kill anyone. You put your crossbows down off my friend. I'll sheathe my weapons. We'll -talk- like civilized folk. What say you?"

Blinking a few times at Amari's thoughts on dolphins... starting to open her mouth to say something... and then Kedehern decides to go all brawn on the trap. "What the--" Eyes wide as she stares at Kedehern. "It's not the Blackhound you know." She states exasperated at what he had just done. "I'd like to not be buried under the buildings." A sigh and shake of her head, she passes Kedehern, "Come on, where heading up into one of the buildings, I'm sure of it." Leading the group now, even with her gimp leg.

[GM-Cave!] Crunch! Elsewhere, Kedehern savages an innocent hole in a stone wall. A broken arrow shatters on a wooden shaft, the pointed head misshapen and falling into the water where it will harm no passerby ever again. That will teach Lycene arrows to taunt people. The candlelight shimmers on the shaped walls as the trio navigates onward, taking up a path that leads in steadily inland to their left. A small cavern off to their right has been cleaned of any contents, but the sandstone walls glisten, strangely beautiful in their grey, blue and gold mottled bands. Further along by roughly thirty feet, the walls narrow in and undulate wide again a pattern of pinchpoints. There are no signs of occupation regularly here, except for a stretch of net to help them walk through a chipped, slippery part of the ledge and some old crates burned with a variety of symbols of trading companies piled up. Possibly for kindling.

For the most part, Cady just keeps talking. Smiling and talking. She moves closer up, "Me? A pirate?" She snorts, "Gods no. I'm a countess. Up at Bonespire.You may of heard of it, maybe not. Far north up near the everwinter." She pulls her bow from her shoulder to show them the relics depicted on it. "We deal in mammoths and snow. See." She points to the bow. "That's ivory from one of their tusks." She circles up closer, "Honestly. We're looking for heirlooms. Why?" she then coos excitedly when she notices the alaricite bow, "That's amazing. Where did you get that? Does it really shoot further?" The pure curiosity and excitement on the Countess's face shows how foolhardy she is.

Miranda checked charm + leadership at difficulty 20, rolling 27 higher.

It's in Kedehern's nature, really. Arrow traps? Despicable! Cowardly! Hammer smashing, however? Oathlands Approved! As Shae passes by, "I should hope not... I don't think it'd fit," he rumbles, and then he's following off after his betrothed. "A secret passage way, do you think?" he asks of the woman, then.

Mikani checked willpower + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 3 lower.

[GM-Towerside] "But she has axes." The man with the crossbow has a quarrel, but not with Miranda or Mikani or Arcadia directly. He isn't a fool, slowly lowering the weapon inch by inch. "Tha' one was skulking about in the water." The skeptical look at talk of mammoths only deepens, and he is nearly bewildered when Cady shows off the tusk-weapon. His eyes widen at the alaricite sword then the axes Mikani carries and back again. "With her... bow. Ain't natural. This is steel and wood, ye... woman person." His eyes narrow again and he slowly, almost uncertainly drops the crossbow at his feet. There. Hands up and open. Mikani he squints at. Back to Miranda. "That your boat? You givin' up berths or such like?"

Mikani laughs at Cady's response to the bow. It isn't a loud laugh more a sputtering buzzing sound as she tries, really tries, to hold it in. "I think they don't shoot further but they fire with more pounds per square inch making the arrow hurt more." She holds her weapons at ready waiting for Miranda's move.

No more theories about dolphins from Amari, she doesn't even complain about Kedehern trying to collapse the cave down around their ears either. That's fine. It's the crates that bother her, ultimately. "Pirates!" She exclaims. It's always the pirates. In the flickering candle light she crouches to check out the varied markings, and being a Minister of Finance, she seems to recognize them for what they are. "Seems strange for these to be here otherwise."

Miranda doesn't look to Mikani, but does say, "Axes down, my Lady." She lowers her own swords slowly, watching those she's near, just in case. "Countess, come out of the water if you can." If she's still in it. Back to Arvani so all can understand, "The boat is not mine, know. I cannot promise you a ride, but we can ask about it. Where would you go? Have you been stuck here?"

Finance? What is that even? Don't you just hoard your shinnies in a secret hidey place, like a ferret? Really Amari! But. There is a glance at Kedehern, it is unclear if it is withering or amusement, cause she just looks exhausted. "Strange how?" Shae asks, looking to Amari and the crates. Her gaze drifting as she gives the area around them keener glance over.

Mikani twirls her hand axes like a gunslinger and sheathes them. Her dark eyes staying on the men before her. She stays quiet and instead of her usual smile she has stopped laughing and is now just watching the men with a flat face.

Amari checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 25 higher.

[GM-Cave] Being a minister of finance will no doubt determine those crates of goods were probably basic provisions, none very exciting. Unless someone really gets thrilled about buying good hemp or cheap wine plentiful all over the Lyceum. The boxes lack the sense of being new, at any rate. On the other hand, they're certain to burn somewhat well, being mostly dry and hauled up out of the sea. Fewer signs of seawater add their briny tang ot the air, and after walking for what likely feels like an hour and is significantly less, they start to reach a long hook-shaped chamber. It has stairs. For some reason, it has a badly made wooden chair and a nicer upholstered one that probably was in style a century ago, flipped over on its side. Several images dance on the wall, carved in and painted, though the paint has weathered badly down here. Images of fish and waves, a thriving little backdrop of houses and buildings. A ship with billowing sails, in an antique style there, and one very cheeky dolphin with a ridiculous smile.

Arcadia scoffs loudly, "Any arrow hurts no matter what fires it." Jumping up out of the water and sauntering over to Miranda like she hasn't just had a crossbow trained on her, "I've seen arrows with barbs and they hurt more coming out. Made Pharamond cry like a baby when we had to pull it out." She shakes a bit like a dog sending water over the man and Miranda.

"...That dolphin looks terrifying," Kedehern murmurs. Then, he glances up the stairs, and looks to the others. "Shall we forge on ahead, perhaps?" He gestures to the chair, and "That looks like it was quite the nice piece of furniture, at one point in time."

[GM-Towerside] The grumbling on a roof is loud. The crossbowman waves his arm very, very slowly for Miranda to not find reason to shoot him. Or Mikani to tackle him, or worse, Cady to /hug/ him. He has a wooden rigidness to his poise. "You don't see any boats out there, d'ya? They abandon us here." He sucks a breath through his chipped teeth. "Jus' enough to live. Been here a fair while. Don't much matter but you take us to..." There's a brief assessment.

"Not Setarco!"

"Mainland?" asks the crossbowman, his rooftop archer friend ignored. "That'd do. Plenty hungry out here. If yer here for things."

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Delilah before departing.

Once the group finds the room, the stairs and a cheeky dolphin, which gets a grin from Shae. Finding it amusing in this moment. Even a slight, 'hehehe' chuckle from her. Glancing to Kedehern, "Terrifying, no. He looks cheeky, like he has a good pun to share." And then a flash of a grin at the Laurent. Looking over to Amari, "Ready to head up, or did you want to look around a little more in here?"

Mikani watches the two men. "Why did they abandon you here?" She keeps her voice even.

[GM-Towerside] A bemused reply from the rooftop archer, who is still lying near flat to avoid being seen. Heard, that's another story. "They're pirates! They point the sword, we get off the boat. That or drownin' in the waves, not no surprise!"

Team Valardin is working on a high score for destruction, as Amari takes a minute to stomp a crate into pieces and fashion a rough sort of torch out of the dry planks. A little extra light is nice, and it doesn't smoke a lot given how little moisture is in the wood at this point. She brings enough to keep a steady light going until they reach that long hook-shaped chamber with the mysteriously derpy dolphin carving and the chairs. "Dolphin." She says rather proudly, as if she totally called it way back at the start of this adventure, but she doesn't gloat, she defends. "He's sort of cute. Anyway, if you'll look over here - at the top of these stairs is a trapdoor. If you would be so kind, Kedehern. It looks a bit sticky to me."

Arcadia checked charm + empathy at difficulty 20, rolling 19 higher.

Miranda asks some important questions, see. "How many of you are there?" Because if they can't carry them all... "And we are searching for some documents that proves whose land this is. Seals, maps, journals, artifacts, that sort of thing. Seen 'em around?" She leans, then to Mikani to speak quietly to her.

Arcadia can't help herself. Her eyes round in pity, "You were abandoned?! Oh that's horrible." Unable to help herself she leaps and springs over to the man, her arms envelope him in a big warm hug. "I'm sorry! That would be so terribly horrible!"

"Right... I'll try and force it," Kedehern says with a nod, and then "Shae, darling, can you make sure there's not some sort of... Lyceum poison needle or something, before I do?" he asks, of his betrothed. Then, as he's heading up the stairs, "This is actually going rather well. I was half-certain we'd be running into demon worshipping, cave dwelling cannibals, or something, given how other forays have gone, recently."

Kedehern checked strength at difficulty 15, rolling 6 higher.

Kedehern checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 11 higher.

Delilah GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + medium wpn(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 28 higher.

One eyes closes as she gives Kedehern the stink eye at his comment of 'cave dwelling cannibals', "Don't jinx us." She mutters, as she moves closer to have a look at the trapdoor to make sure it won't poison them. Or stab them, or eat them? Who knows!

[GM-Cave] The cheeky dolphin almost seems to wink in the unsteady light of a new, fancy torch. Those plump cheeks and that big beaky smile benevolently smile upon their endeavours. If only the artist knew how to make the cetacean look as realistic as the boat, but there are points for trying. Amari is free to use the moth-eaten upholstery from the chair for her new light source, but the beams are strong enough to reveal the trapdoor set into the wall. It's at an angle, giving an easy drop up and down. The wood is probably a bit stuck in the frame, showing signs of not being opened all that recently. The wooden frame is fairly swollen. With a good tug, though, it is released with a groaning noise to reveal a dark hole overhead. There are floorboards and dust spilling down, giving Kedehern a lovely grey face. Some spiderwebs drift down as he neatly sidesteps a rope ladder that splatters to the ground in a jouncy, bouncy assembly of moldy ropes. He escapes that, but not the true horror... a dustcloth to add insult to injury flutters around him in a handsome hooded cloak. Or just a sheet dumped over his head. It

Look out! It's a ghost-e-hern.

[GM-Towerside] There's a shifty look from the crossbowman. He obviously isn't too happy answering Miranda, but looks over his shoulder. As he starts to say, "Since Liotto went off, s--" The word never finishes. Arcadia is there, all signs of kindness and compassion, springing up on him. He was already sprayed by water and now she is mauling him somehow. He makes a sound at the back of his throat, stock still.

Another lean shav with tattoos around his eyes melts out from the balcony and scrabbles down, ducking for a wall. "Keep back, he put his hands up!" he cries out in Lycene Shav, pointing rapidly at Arcadia. "He's going to be hurt! I can show you the path to the old big house, make her stop hurting him!"

Miranda snickers a moment at Mikani's last words to her, then puts on her serious face as she observes Cady hugging... a shav. She is stunned. I mean, Cady's wet. Soaked even. And she just hugged a dry person. A stranger! Stranger danger! Miranda glances up at the shav, "It's a hug." She looks to Arcadia, "Cady. Back away from the man. He's got personal space issues." She is not going to force her, "We're here for talking and they're jumpy."

Well... Kedehern supposes given all of the possibilities, dust and an old sheet is perhaps not as bad as it could be. After he coughs the dust out of his throat, he takes a kerchief from his pocket, and wipes his face clean, while pulling the sheet off, and giving a good shake. That done, he lends a critical eye to the ladder. "...I don't think I trust this. Certainly not to hold -my- weight, at least." It was likely sensible, being a fully armored man. "Hmmmm..." He looks up, and setting the candle down, will attempt to just climb up without the rope ladder entirely.

Amari laughs! Though born of surprise and nerves, it becomes a warm lilting peal of utter amusement that escapes her only to end abruptly when the dust finally reaches her. The cloud prompts a fit of sneezing and coughing at the same time which is so not cool. Away from the trapdoor she stumbles until she finds a fresher pocket of air to sip from through her giggles and coughing. She croaks when she's mostly recovered, tears streaking the grey dust on her cheeks. "I was sure it was going to be ghosts again." Cough cough. "Excellent work, Kedehern. Thank you. Are you going up? Do you need light?" She still has a torch so moves back to hold it aloft, minding Shae so she doesn't light her up accidentally. "He's handy to have around, isn't he cousin?"

Mikani sighs and resists the urge to pull Cady off the man. She assumes that would only make the whole thing worse. "I think the Old Big House is a good idea. I will take this as you help us ... we help you. You help us find what we are looking for and we will get you back to the mainland." Mikani sticks out a hand to shake on the deal. "Or I could let her hug you again .... the Countess /loves/ hugs."

Mikani checked charm + propaganda at difficulty 20, rolling 27 higher.

Mikani checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 20, rolling 16 higher.

Coughing a little as the dust floats down, Shae waves her hand about to try and clear it up some, but likely just makes it worse. Covered in dust. "Ghosts... well we almost had one," a touch of a smile there, as Shae finds amusement in the moment. Nodding to her cousin, "That he is," agreeing with Amari, about her betrothed. "Do you need a boost up are anything?" Watching as Kedehern decides to just climb for it.

It shouldn't really surprise anyone that Cady hugs Shavs. It's... Cady. Regardless. She releases the poor man, and gives his arm a pat pat and beaming smile. "Thank you. I'd love to see the big house." Still not phased by the looks around her she bounces on her toes, "Which way?"

"I'm also useful for reaching things on high shelves," Kedehern remarks to Amari as he pulls himself up, or attempts to.

There is a grumpy huff from Shae as her nose scrunches, "You know, I could use some archery practice, what about you Amari?"

Miranda just smiles to the shavs, "Alright, so. The big house, you said?" She eyes Arcadia, who seems oblivious. She, too, is ready to follow them to the old house.

[GM-Towerside] The crossbowman just waits until Miranda makes it stop. Sort of, since he stands there looking at the sky for mercy. His alarmed shav companion isn't jumping any closer, his plea thrown down on the remnants of his dignity. For a pair they make a sad if intimidating sight, their armour being composed of different styles and clearly not the most up to date. But it's there in abundance. Thin, lean, they wear weathered years and sunbeaten care. "Please don't be offended but the crews that leave us round here don't treat us well. Whips and floggings and suchlike," he hisses in a low tone, spite welling up at the end. The warning isn't for the women. He moves slowly back, and then points. "Minding if I be taking that and putting it on my back now? Gio, go show 'em how to walk up there. Bad way, you gonna be climbing I warn."

Gio, the would-be guide, looks plain jumpy. Like he expects to leap out of his skin. "Bad old house. We don't stay up there. The... feckin' eel-paste codging pirates stay 'ere. But path is clear up enough. Ain't wise to be staying, they rove lots in the spring."

"I thought you liked him." Amari replies, confusedly, somehow misconstruing the archery practice suggestion as Shae proposing they kill Kedehern with arrows. "Let's wait until we're up and out of this cave at least. Take the torch and I'll boost you up. If it's safe." She peers up, brows lifted, "Is it safe?"

Kedehern checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 13 higher.

Amari checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 32 higher.

Miranda offers to the shavs, "Don't worry about pirates. We'll take care of the pirates." She eyes the men and says, "They're whipping you? I'll definitely have a few words with them, then." She smiles.... and it's not sweet. "I eat pirates for breakfast." She might, too! As they walk, Miranda tells the shavs about this one time, in Ischia, when she and a bunch of others went pirate hunting. There's mystery. There's fights. BIG FIGHTS! Even a chase on the ocean before BOOM. Big ship o' pirates is sunk! Miranda might exaggerate the tale for effect. Maybe.

Miranda checked charm + performance at difficulty 15, rolling 56 higher.

As Kedehern pulls himself up, he glances down at Amari with a quirked brow. "I'm fairly certain she was joking, Lady Amari," he notes. He then lowers down the rope, and also reaches a hand down. "Here... I'll help pull the two of you up?" he offers.

Delilah has rolled 1 100-sided dice: 13

Shae checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 27 higher.

[GM-Cave] How starry destinies collide! The trapdoor opens straight up for a climb, but Kedehern uses the stone wall and the wooden lip of the entrance to good effect, hoisting himself up. Shae and Amari exist in a world of greater ease, negotiating the moldering rope ladder that nonetheless holds their weight without collapsing or sending them in a heap. But the dust does not get better. The mysterious chamber above is clearly in disrepair, tossed contents shoved up under discarded dust clothes and battered chests. The broken barrels and open chests are a looter's paradise, while other detritus could well amount to something valuable. Someone has stacked up three very dubious quality mattresses in a stack in the far corner. Could this be....

A murder love nest?

Mikani follows along after the pirates. She grinds her teeth at the mention of whips. Mikani grips her axes slightly before letting them go and heading up after them.

[GM-Towerside] With a look of abject something - is it hero worship? - the shav guide squints at Miranda. And then promptly keeps looking back over his shoulder as he guides them through a warren more dense than the Lower Boroughs, or at least the nice part of it. There may be some slip-sliding, and quite a few unnecessary turns that prove utterly necessarily to avoid quicksand, broken gaps, or falling into the sea. Sooner or later, the three women will spot the 'big house' beyond the cracked tower. An apt name. It is, in fact, the only complex at that point standing against the forest, a sprawl of shabby walls surrounding a courtyard garden of fairly standard Lycene design. Such that someone like Miranda, a child of the Lyceum, can navigate the floor plan with her eyes closed. For Mikani, there are actual stumps with chop marks in them, indications of someone hacking things with axes. For Arcadia, there is a statue of a derpy, plump dolphin incongruously sitting above a pile of gunk and moss, stepping stones, and a discarded bottle of alcohol. The big smile on the dolphin's face is alarming.

It needs a hug.