Episode 25 "The race home"

<Storyteller> Two weeks ago in the New York Necropolis
<Storyteller> Ambrose stands upon the the parrapet and wtaches as the Legionnaires return from the front. She shakes her head and looks to the young soldier to the right of her.
<Storyteller> "Take this message, and get aboard the Estiva. Find the Ulysses and deliver this messsage to the Captian."
<Storyteller> The young soldier nods, and runs down to the stairs and takes one last look at Ambrose, before he slams into what felt like a brick wall
<Storyteller> He looks up to see a large man-spider monstrocity standing above him. He cowers back
<Storyteller> The thing smiles gentley at him, "Stand Daniel, I will not hurt you."
<Storyteller> Daniel stands "Who are you?"
<Storyteller> "A friend." it says. "Fate calls upon you. Do not board the Estiva, she is a doomed ship."
<Storyteller> Daniel looks, "What?? We gotta warn her!"
<Storyteller> "No, you must board that boat there," it points to a lone Ferryman off on the dock seemingly unnoticed. "Go with him. And deliver this message to the Ulysses. Tell them, Ahuru mourns their loss...and mine. Go now." And Daniel runs to the ferrymen boat and boards.
<Storyteller> Ahuru hefts his great staff, smiles "Fate calls upon us all," and he heads towards the front lines.
<Storyteller> **************
<Storyteller> The Ulysses...now
<Storyteller> The ship plods toward it's destination, time seems as slow as the travel
<Simon> "Captian?"
* IronJohn watches over the progress
<IronJohn> "Yes?"
<Simon> "I need your signature here, it's for materials to repair the ship once we dock."
* IronJohn reads the document over
* Brianna remains in her room, meditating
* Hans helps witht he crew to repair the boat.
* William is watching from the bow of the ship, his corpus still in the shape of a priest's garb
<Rodgers> "Oy!! Boat ahead! Boat ahead!"
* William's sword is in his hand so fast you aren't sure he actually moved to draw it
<Storyteller> The crew turn and watch a small reed boat head toward the ship
<Rodgers> "It's a Ferryman, and a passenger!"
* William lowers his sword
* Abe slows the ship
<Captian> "Get close for them to board."
<Storyteller> The reed boat is close now, and you can make out the passenger
<Daniel> Daniel is slightly taller than normal, slightly paler than normal, slightly thinner than normal, and in fact, although close, there isn't anything actually "normal" about him. He has long, straight black hair, his eyes are like pools of darkness on his face, and his skin is the colour of freshly fallen snow. His ears are noticeably long and pointed, but instead of making him look odd, it enhances his innate beauty. He wears a long trenchcoat.
<Daniel> His voice is clear and strong, as he speaks. "Greetings and well met, Ulysses!"
<Daniel> "I have some messages for the captain!"
* IronJohn walks over to the side near the ferryman
* IronJohn looks at the ferryman
* Brianna opens her eyes, blinking slowly as she returns to the present. Standing, she leaves her room and returns to the deck to get some fresh air
<Daniel> "Permission to come aboard, captain."
<IronJohn> "Permission granted."
* Daniel steps onto the Ulysses
<Daniel> "I have two messages for you."
* Daniel hands him the message from Ambrose
* IronJohn accepts it
<Daniel> "And the other one is verbal."
<Storyteller> Once Daniel is off the reed boat, the Ferryman nods, and begin to move his boat off into the distance
<IronJohn> "Well lets hear it then."
<Daniel> "Ahuru sends his condolences for your-and his-recent loss."
<Daniel> "Whatever that means."
<IronJohn> "Aye."
<IronJohn> "What is your name?"
<Daniel> "Hey, where's my ride going? Ambrose didn't say anything about hanging around here!"
<Daniel> "Daniel Connelly, sir."
<IronJohn> "Mr.LeClair....find something for Mr.Connelly here to do."
* IronJohn turns begins to walk away from the new crew member
* IronJohn reads the message as he walks
<Daniel> "Oh joy...just what I wanted to see..."
<Daniel> "How...mundane..."
* William watches the new passenger, as he sheathes his sword
<Daniel> "Oh well."
* Brianna leans against the railing, idly watching the tempest below
* IronJohn turns to back to the new guy and says "Ye could swim back if our ship is not to your liking?"
* William stares at the new passenger
<Daniel> "So, who are all of you? If I'm stuck here until we get to New York, I guess I'm gonna have to find out who to poke fun at."
* IronJohn hands the letter to Remy
<Daniel> "Is there something on my coat?"
<IronJohn> "Read that then pass it around the command."
* Daniel makes a big gesture of looking his coat up and down
<IronJohn> "Allright....we need to get this ship moving."
* Abe continues to steer the ship
* William turns back toward the bow of the ship
* Hans walks to the new passenger. "Good day. I see my comrades are a little caught off guard by your appearance on this ship." he extends his hand in greeting.
<IronJohn> "I want this old ship moving at top speed ASAP."
<Abe> "Umm captian...could you come here a second."
* IronJohn joins Abe
* Abe whispers to Ironjohn, "We *are* at our fastest. The damage we took killed alot of our speed."
<IronJohn> "We can always go faster Abe...."
<IronJohn> "Just not by much."
* Brianna walks up to Daniel and introduces herself. "My name is Brianna."
* Brianna offers her hand to shake
* Daniel shakes her hand firmly
<IronJohn> "Abe...turn our course 15 degrees due south."
* Daniel begins shaking hands left, right and centre
<Brianna> "Do you know Ahuru well?"
<IronJohn> "There is a pathway that will shave a week off our time."
* William walks up to Daniel
<Daniel> "I...actually, he kinda just appeared in front of me...it was pretty eerie..."
* Abe nods and makes the adjustments
<Remy> "So, what's the news from home", Remy says anxiously
<IronJohn> "Abe my good man...speed also takes into account us traveling the shortest distance possible."
<Abe> "Hans, we are currently clocking in at eight knots."
* IronJohn smiles
<Daniel> "Not good."
<William> "Good day to you. I am William O'Connor. I have volunteered to guide the souls of this crew and keep them from darkness."
* Brianna asks hopefully "He didn't perhaps have a message for me, did he?"
<Daniel> "Unfortunately, not that I know of. I sense that Ahuru means a lot to you, though..."
* Remy smiles a bit, though he looks anxious to get underway
<Remy> "Remy LeClaire."
* Brianna looks suprised
<Daniel> "Greetings, all. I'm just thrilled to have such an optimistic and pleasant crew. Wonderful."
* IronJohn continues to help Abe chart a course
<Daniel> "Actually, to put it gently, back in New York, it's a war zone."
<Hans> "We know, thats where we are going."
<Storyteller> The ship turns and heads off down the pathway
<Daniel> "I'm just as glad to get away though. If I had to hang around those banal boys chanting war songs all night and blessed day, I'd go insane."
<William> "We know."
<Brianna> "What is happening back in New York? I had a horrible vision.."
<William> "Banal? Interesting word." William looks at you carefully, as if thinking back
<Daniel> "It's not pretty. Spectres arising everywhere...it's crazy."
<Daniel> "Alliteration is one of my fundamental flukes, if you catch my driftwood."
* IronJohn checks the maps and computes how long the trip is going to take
<William> "I see..."
<Storyteller> The crew busily work at their duties, and are trying not to show concern at the news of home
* IronJohn notices this and frowns
<William> "I just recall reading the phrase some where." He seems to be looking at you carefully, thinking about something.
<Daniel> "I'm sorry, I seem to have depressed the lot o' ya. Perhaps we could strike up an old sea chanty to get spirits high again!"
* Brianna turns back towards the sea
<Hans> "You'll depress more with the verdammte sea shanties."
<IronJohn> "Ok men...word has come that New York is under siege...the Anacerons want us back to give them some important information....but there is nothing saying that we can't exact a little retribution on our way....RIGHT?"
<Friday> "Yeah!!!"
<William> "Yeah!!"
<Storyteller> The crew stop working and begin to nod
* Hans nods at the remark.
<IronJohn> "All right then.....first man to bag a spectre gets an Oboli bonus."
* William wonders what the bonus would be added too for him, then shrugs.
<Friday> "Woohooo!!"
* Friday goes and gets his bow
* IronJohn rejoins Abe at the Helm
* Simon walks over to helm
* IronJohn nods as he approches
<Simon> "How is she doing?"
<IronJohn> "We found a pathway."
* Simon nods
<IronJohn> "Twill shave a week off the trip."
<IronJohn> "Other than that...as best as we can manage."
<Simon> "Once we get into port, we'll get on her repairs right away."
<IronJohn> "I must say I am right proud of this crew...lesser men would have buckled by now."
* Simon nods
* Friday walks over to Brianna
* Brianna looks over at Friday
<IronJohn> "Simon...when we get to port I want a ram installed on this vessle."
<Friday> "You ahh you ok?"
* Simon raises his eyebrows
<Simon> "A ram?"
<IronJohn> "Yes....A ram."
* Brianna nods slowly. "Yes, yes I'm alright, thank you. I just have some things to sort out, that's all."
* Hans heads to his cabin, and gets his violin out to play.
* Simon nods "I can do that."
<IronJohn> "Good."
<Friday> "Yeah, I'm sorry about your friends and all."
* IronJohn continues to watch over the crew
<Brianna> "Thank you, Friday."
<Hans> the sounds of bach travel through the ship as Hans plays his violin.
* IronJohn listens to the music
* William goes to his quarters
<Storyteller> The music is beautiful, and many of the crew members nod their thanks at Hans for taking their minds off the trouble ahead
* Friday nods at Brianna
* William sits in his quarters meditating
<Friday> "Well I'm umm off to see the pardoner."
* Friday heads to the pardoner
<Brianna> "Bye."
<Rodgers> "Captian!"
<IronJohn> "Yes Mr.Rodgers?"
<Storyteller> "Another deserted ship off starboard bow!"
* William returns to the deck
* IronJohn takes out his spy glass and takes a look."
* Hans stops playing for a few seconds, then resumes with another song.
<Storyteller> The crew watches as the ship gets closer
<IronJohn> "Abe...bring us around it..all crew be on the lookout for survivors or dark ones."
* Abe nods and makes the adjustment
<IronJohn> "Keep a watch on the waterline!"
* Remy mumbles something about the last two ships...
* Hans comes on board, hearing a commotion on deck.
<IronJohn> "Wasn't shot that took down that ship."
<IronJohn> "ABE! steer clear of that ship!"
* Abe turns hard to port
<IronJohn> "Give it wide berth."
<William> "In the water!"
* William points to jagged things floating in the water
* IronJohn takes a look
* Brianna looks
* William 's hand goes to his blade, drawing it half way
* IronJohn draws his pistol
<Storyteller> There are small jagged pieces of what look to be like glass floating in the water
<Abe> "What is it?"
* Hans draws his pistol.
* Remy unholdsters his pistol, too
<IronJohn> "I have seen this before in the Sea of Glass...."
* IronJohn watches as we pass by the ship not getting near the glass
<Abe> "Sea of Glass? But we are nowhere near there."
<IronJohn> "Looks like a trap."
<IronJohn> "See there...the glass is only around the ship."
<Remy> "Sounds like a safe bet to me."
<IronJohn> "The bastards tried to get us to rip our hull apart."
* Daniel watches the sea intently, eyes alight
<Daniel> "Wow..."
* Simon comes up on deck
<Simon> "What's this I hear bout ripping hulls?"
<IronJohn> "Trap....."
<IronJohn> "We avoided it."
* Simon sighs
<Simon> "Good."
<IronJohn> "Thats freakin low that is....."
* William steps back from the rail a few paces...thinking..
<IronJohn> "We atleast give the bastards a fightin chance."
<William> "I don't like this..."
<IronJohn> "Enlighten me William."
<Remy> "It seems like we been expected."
<William> "I wish I could, all I know is I have a bad feeling and it's getting worse and worse."
* Brianna looks down at the glass, concentrating
* William draws his sword all the way and holds it up like a cross, murmering a chant in latin.
<Storyteller> A spectre runs out of the hull mindlessly
<Brianna> "I sense... a great Whirling danger... like....maybe a whirlpool? or a tornado?"
* Brianna looks around for suggestions
<William> "Maelstrom?"
<IronJohn> "Shit...Maelstrom..."
<Remy> "Uh...is this coming, or is it passed?"
* Remy draws a bead on the spectre
<Brianna> "Oh no..."
* Brianna points urgently to the horizon
<Brianna> "A tornado!"
* IronJohn looks
<IronJohn> "Abe.....get us out of here!"
* William concentrates, he walks around the ship touching everyone, chanting in Latin
<IronJohn> "We have to set up a Bulwark...."
<Remy> "Aww, shi'..."
* Abe turns the ship hard port again and tries to get her to go faster
<IronJohn> "William....do you know how?"
<Daniel> "Oh joy, a Maelstrom in the middle of the Tempest. Just what I always wanted for my coming aboard gift. How ever did you know?"
* William seems lost in his concentration as he walks about the ship, blessing everyone.
<IronJohn> "I want the sails down....tie everything that can be down now!"
<IronJohn> "All rigging ..... down!"
<Daniel> "You know, it's times like this that make me want to get up and do a song and dance."
<Storyteller> The crew rush around and tie everything down
<IronJohn> "I want everyone on the move now!"
* William makes sure he touches EVERYONE
* Hans helps tie down things on the ship.
<IronJohn> "Once that is done...get down here...."
* Daniel stands in the middle of it all, talking away to no one in particular
<Remy> "We aren't gonna try to outrun this one?"
<IronJohn> "Everyone below decks!"
<IronJohn> "Too late for that."
* William finishes and leans against the rail.
<Remy> "I believe we's fucked."
<IronJohn> "We have to weather it."
* Daniel goes below decks and grabs something solid to hang on to.
* Remy looks around, with a cheerful grin
<IronJohn> "There will be spectres in the storm...."
<Remy> "Nice knowin' you all."
* William goes below deck, leaning on the railing as he climbs down the ladder
<Daniel> "We're not fucked until we're sinking."
* IronJohn takes ahold of Remy.... "Now is not the time."
<Storyteller> The crew rush down into the hold, their quarters anywhere but on deck
<Daniel> "Spectres, you say?"
* Daniel draws his slender longsword
* Hans heads down into the hold.
<IronJohn> {Remy: It will be allright...I am sure of it}
* Remy whispers to IronJohn "We got about as much a chance of surviving this one as the odds at a street corner shells game."
<Storyteller> The Maelstrom is closer now the whirling winds are making it hard to hear
<Daniel> {William:You can finally visit me, a few friends and...oh yes...Erik...}
* IronJohn looks at Remy and says "We are still here...we will fight it until we are all sucked into the darkness..."
<IronJohn> "Its the only choice we have."
* Brianna goes down into her cabin
* William looks up. "I have blessed this vessel and its crew. We are safe."
* IronJohn stays on the deck of the ship
<IronJohn> "Everyone below!"
* William kneels in the middle of the room
* IronJohn waits until everyone is below decks and then he joins them
* Daniel begins singing a light, humorous tune
* Remy gets down below
* Hans waits until all this blows over, then vows to stay on land as long as possible.
<William> {Bri:You needn't worry. When your friend's powers fail I will protect you.}
<IronJohn> "If ye believe in a god I suggest you make your peace men...."
<Storyteller> The storm rages for hours outside, and yet the ship holds together.
<Daniel> "You can make your peace with your god, I didn't come all this way to drown in the Tempest."
<Brianna> (I know that the only thing you desire is my demise)
* IronJohn remains calm the entire time
<William> "I have protected this vessel. We will be safe."
<Remy> {John: YOu can't say I didn't warn you...you never do listen}
<Storyteller> Finally after what seems like two days of nonstop noise, it is quiet.
<Daniel> {William:How can you be so sure that they're safe, when you can't even save yourself?}
<Storyteller> The ship is calm again
<Storyteller> The calm and quietness is a bit disturbing
<Abe> "I think the storm is over."
<Iron_John> "I will check."
<Remy> "I don' wanna be the first one to check."
* Iron_John checks
* Remy shrugs
<Storyteller> The storm is indeed over
<Iron_John> "The storm tis over."
<Remy> "Well, I didn't say it *wasn't* possible to win a street corner shell game.."
<Daniel> "See? I told you we'd all live. The heroes never die in the middle of a story."
* Iron_John grins
<Remy> "You jus' gotta be sneakier than the shellsman."
* Remy smiles
<Iron_John> "Good work William."
<Iron_John> "Ok lets get those sails back up, and begin a check for damage!"
* Hans warily gets up, still a little shaken from the storm.
* William returns to the deck.
* Remy steps up on to the deck. "Let's run a sweep for any straggling Spectres."
<William> "How's the course?"
* Daniel gets up, dusts his spotless trenchcoat off and goes onto the deck
<Storyteller> The crew get back to work, untieing everything, and getting ready to start once again, but one thing that nags them is the question...how far have we been blown off course?
<Storyteller> to be concluded