10/21 Sirens in the Deep

It comes to you in a dream- The idea of a ruin, lost long ago, with untold treasure and excitement buried within.


But how wrong you would be.


What was once sand was now frozen over - for the deep is cold, and the abyss is unyielding.

 Caddock was no stranger to the depths.

The descent is met with naught but a degree of bustling excitement, fit to shine joy and positivity upon even the depths that surrounded. He craved it - that adventure. That thrill. In this, would he find it, and of this, had he no doubt. He was in his element, of course -

Be it the water, or the danger, he thrived in both.

Fingers curl, beckoning the grouping forth.
(Caddock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Maertock's descent into the frigid depths of the ocean following the dark trail of bread crumbs the whispers had offered was not an unfamiliar stretch. His mother was a Kerdanhel gypsy, and following the dark highways of the sea currents into the abyssal depths was amongst his earliest memories as a sirenian.

But this cold was a familiar one. Different from the common frigidity of the ocean; its dark frost was one whose magics pulsated within the depths of Maertock's black heart. He could smell it in water like thick blood; the shadow of the Mori upon this place.

A flash of his serrated grin in excitement; the clink of his mithril blade from its sheathe as he flourished it. This was going to be FUN.

Able to breathe this deep, he'd offer a nod to Katja and Caddock at that.

"Brother, take point with me. Katja, watch our rear. We need to keep our non-aquatic party safe from any....surprises."
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 If couldn't truthfully say they were entirely happy about descending into the depths. They'd had some rather unpleasant experiences. But now they were far more capable of handling themself.

Their staff hovered close to their form. For now they didn't call their magic forth, saving their power instead by using the diving bell. They crossed their arms over their chest, and let their head tilt forward as they went down. The pressure made their head hurt.

The young alchemist followed after Anne when she exited the bell. And rather than face the crushing pressure of the depths, they altered the atmosphere around them.

Bubbles pulled through the water toward them, drawn by their magics. They floated casually within their little safety sphere.

One hand rested on their alchemical satchel, just in case they needed something from within. They had done their best to find some sort of water-breathing potion recipe in the time they had.. But they didn't know if it'd work.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Getting there is the easy part, and it’s likely the group will simply be able to walk there. A previously long-since travelled path leads somewhere untold, that it should lead, and the ruin is there and obvious. A large structure built into the side of a massive underwater trench, comprised of blackened marble flecked with salt and scraped away by years of misuse. Easy to miss, unless you knew exactly where it was. To reach the entrance, one must enter the trench, and land at the very bottom.

At the bottom of the trench, the ruin’s guardian lies dormant. A massive ‘Emperor Crab’, a species long since extinct in Essharan seas, is half buried under debris and detritus. It is not inherently hostile, but when any group moves to enter into the building, it will spring alive and, with its massive claws and salty water magic, begins an assault.



 Caddock descends.

Though, most admittedly, not the most invested amongst his peers regarding the happenings of their god, that innate desire for conflict, advancement, and that desire to keep swimming would do more than zealotry ever could. He moved. He continued. He sank. Deeper, and deeper still, would he go -

And then he was there.

A relic of ages past whirs into life, erupting with thunderous presence. Claws rise, brought to an offensive point by the gargantuan beast before them all - salt water conjured forth to an offensive point, poised to bare down upon them without a hint of mercy.

A part of Caddock pondered whether the creature was simply territorial, or urged on by forces long faded.

The bulk of Caddock's mind did not care.

He reciprocates the intent.
(Caddock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Maertock would venture to the depths of the trench with excitement befitting a marauder and reaver. He was excited to finally make use of his Black Surf upon the hunt. Mastering his occultic impulses had taken a lot of practice, meditation, and sporadic cruelty to keep the voices in check.

But as shadows swallowed his sword and turned it black as night, the edge extending not unlike a claymore that offered not even the slightest amount of glimmer at tracing light. This black blade was his upon the hunt, an extension not just of his swordplay.

But of the shadow within.

At the bottom of the trench, the captain would take some time to admire the titan that awaited. The lost imperator of the depths, the original master of close quarters combat; the phantom of the trenches.

The emperor crab.

"Your reputation precedes you, ancient. Let me show you ours."
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 How, exactly, is one meant to battle something of the watery depths with magic of the very same? If pondered the question for a time, observing the large crustacean. For the time it remained without hostilities the young alchemist went through their things.

One of their more triangular bottles were passed off to Caddock. A spherical vial passed to Maertock. They considered popping open one of the former bottles for themself.

Eventually they decided against it, and passed Yana the potion instead.

They set their gaze ahead once more when everything was said and done. Already the others were moving forward to meet the massive crustacean in battle. If let a short breath escape beneath the helm they wore.

Their fingers brushed the edge of their gravitational bubble and pulled a condensed, cylindrical jet of water into their hands. The Prince's Harpoon aimed up toward the massive beast.

Time to see if their theory worked.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Victory.

The emperor krab was defeated, twas not a easy battle for the un-amphibious, the krab was a monster it certainly had it's name for a reason upon the crushing blows of the crew.

It's ultimate defense was shattered it's shell showing cracks and bubbles would swarm out of it once again, within the deep the silent whines of the crab could be heard as it tries to hold on to it's last moments of life.

During it's rage, the crab would snap it's claw at Bah's grabbing onto his leg and fracturing the bone, though it was nothing to serious - Bah's manages to narrowly escape serious injury...

Now it was backed up against the frozen wall near the entrance to the underwater cavern.

Caddock would be able to land the last blow on the beast.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The waters chill evermore, ethereal pillars extending forth from the frozen mass of sand below them. Beckoned by Caddock's will, they exert their presence, slush-ifying the water around and sluggishly combatting the Crab's own. All the while, emerald spills, flowing freely betwixt the group to a degree of almost boundless control -

It was just as much their territory as the Crab's own.

Last blow or not, the truth of the matter was as such - This was no lone effort. To discredit his peers would be nothing short of a crime. No - The final blow was nothing short of meaningful, retribution dealt in full for Bahs - the man who'd sustained Caddock through the bout - and his leg. Retribution, dealt in full, for the blood spilled - the damage sustained - by his comrades.

His stave levels.

Potency flow. Ethereal blue, his magical presence made tangible, spills - a dull, ominous glow flying freely from the poorly raveled eyepatch upon his visage. An audible, reverberating crack shifts the foundation of the area upon which they stood as icy bindings ravel around the legs of the beast. An eruption of blue, dealt swiftly and painlessly in one surge, make clear the beast's fate -

Not that you'd have to guess, given the fragmented bits of shell and viscera that floated upward.

He drifts forth, casually extending hand for the claw - unless, of course, objected.

"Praise yer'selves just as much as me."
(Caddock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Maertock was not known as the shadow shark for jokes. There was a reason his reputation and magics fell in around such particular operations of his physicality. With incredible natural adeptness at swimming befitting of a shark, the captain of the Deep Company would circle around the crab before lunging in with sudden violence, brutally thrusting his razor shadows into cracked chitin like liquid razors.

Sapping succulent life energy that Maertock would incorporate into his own being. The ruthless, close quarters violence of the crab melding with his very spirit as he fed, lunged, clashed, and fed again. The battle was not unlike his dance with Getzelle earlier; though the crab with certainty took the lead here.

By the time Caddock felled the beast at last; Maertock had had his fill of the crab's energy and being; a flourish of his shadowy blade suddenly feeling just a bit more competent at fencing than he had before. The crab's energy and his had become one.

The shadow shark subsumed all.

"The trophy's yours brother. I had my fill of what I desired. It's energy....so robust....so stubborn. Mine now."
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 If was never close to the thing. Not unless it was already surrounded, or recovering from one blow or another. And even then they only darted in for a few moments at a time.

Once a lash against the thing's exoskeleton. The next a torrential beam of condensed water and gravitational force.

But for the most part, it was a matter of weighting. Pun intended. The young alchemist had to take massive amounts of time to build the force needed to effect the massive thing. The fact they managed to hold the thing down at any point was impressive.

They pulled back after the fight, retreating to be certain their little safety bubble would remain stable. The fight was draining, but they managed to keep up the forcefield for now.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Maertock felt utterly galvanized after consuming the life energies of the ancient crab; a sense of steadfast resolve hammered into his spirit from the spiteful, determined stubbornness of such an ancient being. Well sated by the energies of the titan, the captain would glance over the depths of the temple with nothing less than excitement.

Before wobbling. He was definitely drunk. He'd let Caddock take point; something he earned from the battle's victory.

"This is fun."
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 {NARRATION} The barrier will allow any magi who are water, earth(salt/sand), or cosmic in with no issue. Any others will have difficulties passing, but it has weakened so much it will not be an issue. Any cosmic magi will begin hearing whispers the moment they pass through.

The first room, and many of the rooms they pass through, have been long since destroyed and abandoned. Marble pillars have fallen in on themselves, and many extravagant rooms are no longer such, with barely rocks and rubble left in their wake.



{NARRATION} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVc15-01RvM&list=PLG9K8a1-LzMKFV7DjOso1fqq3xzSKtoH7&index=13]



 Caddock stepped along, a wary gaze inspecting the interior - a contradictory contrast to the spreading, shark-toothed grin that crossed his visage. A steeled mind. A focused gaze. He wasn't a cosmic mage anyways!

"Hmm.."
(Caddock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Maertock would sift through the depths of the ancient ruin of the Mori with nothing less than genuine excitement. The energies of the ancient crab had settled into his own shadow, bolstering his gait and general ego with the spirit of the titan. It seemed the lord high reaver's ego had actually swollen even further with this absorption.

But he was himself once more.

As Anne took point with her firm grasp of cosmic magic, the Captain would remain in the shadows of the group watching and waiting; silvery blue shark's eyes scanning every dark corner and potential source of ambush with his perceptive gaze and mastery of darkness.

They would persevere. They were the Deep Company.

For now, he'd remain silent, enjoying the sights.
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
] If was one of the last to enter. Not by any choice of their own, but by virtue of their miniature atmosphere nearly collapsing around them. The young alchemist drifted to the sands to focus their energy into sustaining the field.

And when most of the others had entered past the barrier, they finally followed. One hand gripped their staff and pressed the point forward to break the way open. Just enough for them to slip through.

They settled on the ground on the other side, their gaze panning this way and that. So much to see, but it was pretty damn dark for them.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{NARRATION}
Finally, the party makes their way into a room with eight statues lining either side of the wall, four on each side. These statues are made out of marble, but each of them have had the area where their eyes were carved out and destroyed, smashed to pieces and left blinded. The center of this room is a massive square hole, intentionally carved out, with water thirty feet below the surface. There are ‘ghosts’ in this room, many Sirens of all sorts wandering about freely and without a care to the party. They all whisper and speak similar things, such as ‘make the jump’, ‘do not be afraid of the unknown’, and ‘do not turn a blind eye to the world around you’.

On the other side of the gap is what appears to be the figure of a young girl, barely noticeable despite practically glowing yellow. Anyone who attempts to get a better look at her will recognize her as an Anguill, perhaps an anglerfish, before she notices the party, panics, and flees. Getting across the gap is not easy, but leads to the THIRD encounter. The second encounter can theoretically be skipped if the hints aren’t enough, or if something isn’t given to showcase the second encounter is actually accessed by diving down into the water below the gap.


 "I got a decent handle on eh.. Gettin' folks out of that if help is needed." The young alchemist set their feet on the ground again, dropping the gravitational force that held them aloft. No longer just a potion, but their own power.

When did If learn how to fly?

The young alchemist brought their staff up and let it hover free of their hand again, too. It slowly orbited their form. "Can help people down too if need be."
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Caddock contemplated this. He was in a nigh constant state of ascension, having long consumed a potion of true flight in his spare time - and so...what was stopping him from simply drifting across? What leap of faith remained when the situation played so easily into his hand?

"Hmm."

Interesting.
(Caddock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Maertock would listen from the back of the group as he covered his crew's flank, the shadow shark knowing more than well what the corruption of the depths could manifest when it was in the mood for chaos. IT was why he tried to stay on top of the whispers even above water.

Down here, where light struggled to shine? His eyes blackened as if scenting blood, though no crimson ichor ever came. His eyes would scan about the crew, considering who would be best for the task of going deep with a click of his serrated teeth.

"If is the smallest, I suppose it's only right we send him forward for the experience. Or Bahs. Short kings."

Maertock would nod firmly at that.

"Go team."
(Maertock Reave)

 Maertock was present in the shadow of his crew as ever. No fear.
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Caddock drifts down.
(Caddock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 If just straight up dropped off the edge like a sack of potatoes, ready with a levitation potion in hand in case their thought of magic not working was true. Should magic actually function though, their descent would slow several feet before the bottom.

And they'd land like nothing happened. Caught on their own anti-gravity field.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 {NARRATION} they pass a barricade of illusion magic. They land in a pool of water, enough to break their falls, and find themselves in what appears to be a treasure room. This room is full of rusted coins of various dates and mint, alongside a few gemstones and a massive black marble throne sitting in the center of the room.
[20:47] Impulse made them really want to sit in that throne. For now they managed to not do that. It was very likely a bad idea.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caddock Reave says, "Alrite."
 Caddock Reave says, "I vote Maertock sits on it."
 Maertock would sift through after his crewmates with nothing less than avaristic pursuit, the captain of the Deep Company never not one to take a possible source of wealth directly within his visage. The presence of the black marble throne amongst the treasure was easily the most attractive prize of the depths.

Black as shadow, dark as night. The Mori's calling card.

His shadowy tendrils would extend from his cloak of shifting darkness, eyes opening upon their expanse as they began to scan the locale of any valuables of note. The throne was a given, but treasure was treasure at the end of the day for a pirate. That was the life they lived.

"I want that throne. We're taking that throne back with us. No buts."
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Maertock Reave says, "I think it will be blasphemy."
 Maertock Reave says, "Not to take it Anne."
 Maertock Reave says, "He'd be offended."
 If says, "Mmmn.."
 It really probably was a bad idea, but If couldn't resist the thought forever. If no one stopped them, the young alchemist would go and sit on the throne.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Maertock would actively encourage If to sit on the throne. No fear. Go team.
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


{NARRATION} On this throne lies a skeletal fishman wearing a jacket and a pirate’s captain hat, with one hand clutched around a doll made of dried seaweed and packed clay and dirt.

Theres a metal clacking that could be heard as the skeleton flicks a coin in his hand, while the crew makes their way to the treasure.

"Oh- you're gonna be needing more than just strength to take this from me laddy..."

He stands up and starts to walk down the treasure. "Let me get this straight.. - you come into my lands... look at my treasures and say you will just take it, ha! if you weren't my targets right now I would say you were trying to steal my old heart..." He lets out a hardly laugh.

"Now then - time to get the party started shall we?" As he said that the cavern would shake and A immense feeling of dread covers the move with an occultic surge.

"Nothing without a shanty aint it - let's dance." The whispers grow wilder with another shanty.

The group would have to defeat him to get what they wanted.
 Caddock Reave says, "..."
Caddock adjusts his coat.

"That yer' dad, Maertock? He's lookin' the part."
(Caddock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Dead Ol’ Cap’n Saltspite asks, "WHO THE 'ELL CAME T'LAY THEIR HANDS ON M'BOOTY?"

 Dead Ol’ Cap’n Saltspite says, "Ch-chicken on a r-"
Maertock would approach the skeletal captain with bold swagger and maddening pride befitting the capatain of the Deep Company. His icy blue, shark's gaze would fall upon the undead reaver with sudden, excited fascination. His lessons of necroratsy from Trik had not begun in full yet; yet even this was more than enough proof of the potential of the deep's influence.

If he could seize that black magic from the old rat, the tendrils of the depths could empower it beyond contemplation. Countless husks dancing upon his shadowy marionette strings...

A jagged toothed grin would spread wide at that.

"Ain't my da. Gol Reave was twenty feet tall, this short stop couldn't even reach his knees."

The captain would manifest his pulsating, oozing shroud of shadows in fool as his blade was swallowed by the sludge of darkness, extending and sharpening as befit a warping shadow spreading across the wall at the sight of the light of halflife.

"We'll reave ye. Then we'll take your throne. And then you'll be forgotten, as you already have."
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Dead Ol’ Cap’n Saltspite asks, "S-SHORT STOP?"] Dead Ol’ Cap’n Saltspite asks, "'HO D'SIX E'LLS Y'CAHIN A SHORT STOP, FIN BREATH?"
 Actively encouraged by other members of the crew, If made their way up to the massive black marble seat. It was the only thing in the room that kept their attention, despite the coinage littered about..

But they didn't get to find their seating on that throne just yet.

The atmosphere around the young alchemist wavered, and slowly they lifted into the air once more. The staff which orbited them slowed, and angled toward the large skeletal figure.

If cocked their helmeted head to one side as they stared down the imposing form. The sense of dread rolled over them, but they remained steady where they hovered. One hand lifted to draw water from their surroundings, bringing it to coalesce into the Prince's Harpoon.

The sharpened point aimed up toward the skeleton. "Hey. That's my spot, bonehead." They glanced past him toward the chair.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dead Ol’ Cap’n Saltspite says, "I GOT SOMETHIN' FOR YE."
 Dead Ol’ Cap’n Saltspite says, "OOOOOOH YEAH. Let me just find it."
 If asks, "Is it a final will and testament?"
 If asks, "That ain't a real kitty thing t'be doin?"

 "Can you shiver?" Caddock would ask, a pun poised as a question - though one would find it given weight by the sheer extent of frost that emanated from him in that moment. A dull presence of zero extends forth, before erupting, malformed edges and jagged peaks erupting from the ground below.

Caddock floats, coming to rest atop the pillar as it extends.

His stave is offered a complementary twirl, the flow of his ice directed. He literally slid at the pirate.

"We're boutta' fuckin' find out!"

He was not taking this particularly serious. Perhaps the ol' Cap'n would give him a reason otherwise!
(Caddock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 If says, "Rattle 'em boys."

 The towering bridge of bones and spare muscle flashes If a boney middle finger, then spends the next five minutes searching through the remains of his lair in search of a particular something.

Rusted coin, old boots, and tattered portraits of busty women are thrown back over his shoulder.

Only for him to find his hat soon after.

"NOW YER' IN F' IT. I'll show ye'. I'LL SHOW YE ALL WHAT OL' CAP'N SALTSPITE CAN DO. DEAD OR NOT. AND WHEN I'M FINISHED WITH YA', YOU'LL BE JOININ' ME CREW TO SWAB THE DECKS FOR ALL ETERN--"

He remembers that he no longer had a functioning ship, and grows sad for a few moments.

Only to attack after.
(Dead Ol’ Cap’n Saltspite)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 If says, "Ah, so we're boned."
[21:15] {NARRATION} Danger

 Never before had the skelecaptain been faced against so many of the Sea's own.

A skeleton with lingering patches of rotten flesh stuck to his frame. Bones and frozen marrow facing off against the might of the Deep Company in their prime.

"SHITE!"

A decisive blow from the combined might of Anne and Bahs blows the pirate's leg off entirely, leaving the towering pile of bones to finish the fight on one hobbling leg.

As expected, it does not end well for the accursed.

"Y'don't know what you're gettin' y'selves into. My crew.. we.."

Bahs' might sends the former Captain spiraling backwards across the icy wasteland, his various bones rattling in different directions. All that remains before them is a chittering skull, animated in every sense of the world with its jaw still jabbering on.

"Take me hat. Take me rapier. Take me GOLD! Just don't go deeper in. M'crew tried, and we failed. Ain't want ya' t' meet the same fate."

And with that, the flames within the empty skull go pitch black, the lingering traces of the occult no longer present.

Dead Ol' Captain Saltspite was done for, and loot had been provided.

Whether or not the Deep Company would continue on was the question.
(Dead Ol’ Cap’n Saltspite)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Maertock would engage in the ruthless bout as the captain of the Deep Company considered the matter at hand, the undead captain's fall and the riveting clash with the crew of the Deep Company. The immensity of the skeletal scourge's might was more than enough of a match for the united forces of the crew.

But in the end, even as rivets of bone brutally pierced his shadowy shark hide, the final dance appeared to end in a victorious crescendo of Bahs, Anne, and Yana. As they divided up their spoils and treasures, the captain did what he must.

He paced forward past it all to the throne, assuming it was still in existence, and take a comfortable seat upon it as his deep occultic shadows flowed about with luxury.

"I'm ready when you are, crew."
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 If felt a dozen times less useful, when Bahs went to back Anne up.

They tried to act more defensively. They dared not brave the occult that stained the lands and rush out again as they had when Bahs was there to back them up. The singularity they formed didn't hinder the boneman as much as they'd like it to.

Wells of gravitational pull formed, but didn't quite catch as well as they wanted. They sent their harpoon flying- Yet it crashed against bone so hard it could've been steel.

Not even halfway through the battle If was already breathing heavily. They floated lower to the ground, not quite able to sustain their magic. And in a moment before they could pull themself up into the air again the ground broke open.

Jagged spikes of bone sent them to the ground, unable to get back up during the fight. They watched on as one by one the others of the crew fell.

The rest, until only Bahs and Anne remained standing.

It was an impressive showing. The former always mending Anne's hurts and the latter brilliantly aglow in cosmic power. If watched through blurred vision as they took the salty bastard down.

Eventually, after things had settled, If managed to pick themself back up. They dusted off their cloak. A low hum resounded as gravity lifted them into the air again.

And slowly they made their way to the throne, a blank stare given to Maertock from behind the helm. The young alchemist crossed their arms.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Bahs says, "I'm ready t'keep it movin'.."
 {NARRATION} After the defeat of the Dread Pirate, the magic holding the ruin together begins to break and fall apart. Without one of its two remaining denizens, a hole in a wall begins erupting water inside the place, flooding it and raising the water level. For Sirenians, this would pose no problem. The rising waters continue to rush in and flood until the holy other hole in the cave is revealed - one going upwards for them to climb in.

Should the Company decide to continue on rather than retreat, they find something peculiar at the top. what appears to be a Child’s playroom, with only the small girl on the inside. The girl, however, has massive appendages and claws that are almost the size of her torso, dripping with golden ‘blood’ and is marked, all along her body, with golden tattoos that likewise seem to drip.

This creature at one point may have been an Anguill, but has long since been corrupted and twisted by the powers of the Deep One. What almost appears to be blood constantly dribbles from her mouth and eyes, but shines bright yellow as if she were the sun itself.
[22:00] Bahs says, "... -eesh..."
[22:04] The wall bursts, and Katja does not hesitate to continue moving. She swims, her lower-half returning to her aquatic form as she searches for what lay beyond. Her advance is nigh-unstoppable, until she comes across the playroom of the Anguill.

A place she probably would be able to relate to, with both it's 'ascended' owner and the scenery. At once, her camouflage dissipates, and she approaches the child.

A wave of her left hand, an identifying probe into what this golden blood is. Her mastery over Blood magics should give her at least an inkling of what this substance is, if it's even blood at all.

"What happened to you."

Her voice is lower, and a twinge of concern is within it. She always had a soft spot for children, and perhaps?

Perhaps there is a portion of her that still wants to 'help' this misbegotten being.
(Katja)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Maertock would cackle with baited excitement as he clicked his rows of serrated teeth together. The flooding of the chambers appeared to only further invigorate the shadowy captain that had sapped upon the lifeforce and unlifeforce of the crab and captain in tow. He was feeling like a new man; out on the town and ready for all that came.

As they entered the strange....nursery of the dark child, the captain's breathe would hitch upon taking her in. The warping mutation, the discordic flesh rending and amalgamation of sanity and insanity.

She was a work of art.

Almost breatheless from the beauty of the corrupted spawn of the depths, the captain would admire the golden blood of their quarry for a time with a smooth tapping of his chin, considering just for a bit what would come next as he glanced to Katja and Caddock.

The two blood sorcerors of the crew.

"Come here often?"
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 If was sitting on that damn throne before they moved on.

The moment Maertock left his seat they collapsed onto the marble, resting heavily against the throne. By no means did it seem like a comfortable seat. But the young alchemist didn't give a damn about comfort. This? This was a matter of pride.

It didn't matter to them that the waters were seeping closer. Their magic allowed them to keep those at bay for long enough to enjoy the moment.

Only when the rest had started to move on did If finally leave their seat. It was a simple matter to send themself forward at speed with the help of their gravity magic.

They were the last to see it. Far too bright for something truly of the depths. The young alchemist wasn't outright aggressive, but they brought some amount of water to orbit their form as they hovered near the back of the group.

A low hum of energy built and remained at the ready. Should this thing lash out, they'd be able to slow it down. But until that point they let the others speak. Let the others ask their questions.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 {NARRATION} Come north.

[22:19] "Oh... oh you've finally come?!"

The tiny Anguill - or what was left of her twirls around, both her tail and her lush, pink hair on display.

She stares at the group that had ventured so far into her den with a joyful smile, then slithers forward to smile at the lot of them.

"Finally. I was growing oh-so bored of the play things I had." A tiny hand points to the corpses riddling her room, only to reach for the tiny doll that had been hovering about in the room beside her. A recent arrival.

The token that she had given the dead Captain as a gift for keeping her safe.

"All of them are dead now. My servants. The ones the Deep One gave to me. But now the Deep One has brought me YOU! And each and every one of you will help me, right? So can go back to pillaging and stealing gold and lavish meals for myyyy enjoyment!"

And she does a cute little dance, only to end it by holding up two fingers by her head in the shape of a 'V'.

"So how about it?! You pledge yourselves to me, the appointed goddess of this place, and we'll bring ruin to all in the name of the One True God!"

She slithers around them, decaying head causing her hair to lag and bob behind.

"Take the oath! Become my pretty little pet goldfish!"
(Sedna’nae, the Last of the Sirens)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Sedna’nae, the Last of the Sirens says, "Go on, go on! Make the pledge! Admit that you're my pets, and we'll get to work."
 "Yes, we've finally arrived. A pirate is always fashionably late for a reaving."

The captain of the Deep Company was nothing if not the picture of audacity. Always had been, always would be. This was what made things exciting at the end of the day. His bold arrogance practically pulsated within the thick, inky trails of his cloak of shadows. Ever one to make theater even of nothing in particular.

"You should probably have invested in more sturdy toys."

Drawing his mithril saber slowly with silence from its leather scabbard, the reaver lord would place it into his hand backways not unlike a trident before it would begin to blacken and expand.

"Deep Art: Black Surf"

His cloak of flowing shadows would expand and appear to flow with far more rapidity at that; his relatively short blade extended into a bastard sword of shadows.

"Counter offer. Bend the knee to me, and we won't need to clean up allthat pretty golden blood of yours."
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Fancy that. If narrowed their eyes beneath the helmet they wore as the 'kid' spoke up.

They didn't speak their mind on this particular individual's attitude. Nor what they saw in the fact she danced around so. In the tattoos and the light and.. Pink hair..

The young alchemist observed. They internalized. Then they turned their attention away from her to focus on Anne instead. Anne, and Maertock. And Bahs. Those three they trusted as their compass in this.

If it were up to them alone the Prince's Harpoon would've been launched forward already. She just had that sort of vibe to her. That sort of air that makes you want to punch someone in the face despite their every effort to be kind. There weren't enough words in the common tongue to describe it.

Thankfully it seemed the others were of a similar mind.

And so a pressure started to build over the 'kid' so twisted and warped. A certain gravity leant to the situation by If's magical capabilities.

A simple gift, so that Anne's words might most easily be followed. 'Bow to us or perish.' It wasn't hard to bow when the force of gravity was already dragging one down.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Sedna’nae, the Last of the Sirens says, "What? No, no no. Any who come into MY domain are meant to be MY servants! You're not listening. You are just the same as that last smelly Captain and his stupid pirates. No No. No.No No. No.No No. No.No No. No.No No. No.
 If says, "Repeating ya opinion doesn't make it valid."
 Maertock Reave says, "I am different from him. I am far more handsome."

 "NO! I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU!"

The cuddlefish clutches her head with both hands and begins to scream at the top of her lungs. As she does so, not only does the very foundation of the cave begin to rumble and collapse - she increases in size, dramatically.

"Daddy Deep told me I was the only one. And I won't let you or any other goldfish come between he and I!"

"If you won't serve me, then..."

Beams of light shoot through the walls, threatening to pierce through their very frames.

"You'll die."
(Sedna’nae, the Last of the Sirens)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 The entire battle only served to disrupt and dismantle the cave further.

Rubble begins to fall from the ceiling, and all of the various (and adorable) items that Sedna'nae had accumulated from her long run of servitude to their Lord and Master fell from the walls to shatter.

Even her own frame seemed to be crumbling - eroded from the inside and beaten bloody on the out from the might of the Deep Company.

In her final moments, the tiny anguill slithers away to a corner with her jade eyes as wide as dinner plates belonging to the giants.

"He p-pwomised that I was the one! He said that if I sacrificed everyone I wubbed to him that he would -- that I would become the Princess of the Deep..."

A tiny record player in the corner of the room that had been accidentally set to play a somber theme as she comes to terms with the fact that in the end, she was just another pawn in the grand scheme of the Deep.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvcQWDKiEGM&ab_channel=RobertRussellComposer]

Entirely coincidental.

"That's what I get for not making him pinky pwomise."

Blood pooling around her once perfect frame, a hand reaches out to pull something from a fallen bookshelf.

"Take it. K-killing me doesn't mean anything. If you really want this path... follow this." Blood gushes forth from her mouth as she speaks, entirely ruining her pink pastel apparel.

"But do me a favor. One last wittle pinky pwomise." She crawls towards the feet of If, the helmet-breathed warrior that had defeated her.

"Take me wif you. I want to see him again, one day."

And in the most kawaii means possible, the girl's frame implodes, sending rays of rainbow colored light and blood (can't forget the oddly colored blood) every which way.

All that remained was a treasure map, clearly marked with an X.
And an adorable plushy, which giggled with her voice when held close.

The Last of the Sirens was no more, but a new generation had come to walk the dark path she once had.
(Sedna’nae, the Last of the Sirens)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Maertock would engage in the depths of a life or death struggle fitting of one chosen by the deep one himself. The golden blood did not lie, this siren was nigh an ancient in their technique's potency. Brutal, cleaving slashes of his mithril blade barely made a lasting mark before they'd dissipate away.

But the captain of the Deep Company was a shark first and foremost, and he was used to having to weave in and out to keep digging away at tough hide. He was a predator, and when blood was in the water, no matter how intense or strong it was.

He was there.

As Anne fell back in the end, the Captain would hold his glance upon the ancient siren as he heard her death gasps, his own vitality giving out with a collapse as he was overwhelmed by the occultic sing song nature of the woman.

Only for it to cease in the end, as a mantle of darkness was passed on from a siren that had stolen a crew to a crew that had stolen a siren's golden blood. And the young wanderer If that had joined their crew, and saved the day in this moment of proving.

A worthy poetic message.

"What a dance. Somehow more spicy even than my swing dancing with Getzelle. Impressive, tidecaller. Rest in the depths."

As Anne seized the map, the Captain considered that perhaps it was a good day.

"Toss me that blade Katja. I think I just thought of a use for it."

An undead pirate captain's necromanced bladehand? As a student of necromancy, Maertock realized he hit gold.
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 {Item} You picked up Saltspite's Cutlass. Dropped by Katja..
[23:21] Katja says, "Take it. I don't like sabers."
Maertock would clasp the undead captain's cutlass in his hands, already running his shadows through their depths. Yes, this was a weapon.
(Maertock Reave)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bahs says, "-I'm diggin' th'blade, Cap'."
Bahs says, "It fits th'occupation."
Maertock Reave says, "Aye. It's only a steppin' stone. I've far darker plans for this blade."
 Maertock Reave says, "But for now, it looks good."
Maertock Reave says, "And that's what matters."

 If didn't take the front lines. Through the fight they kept out of the way, making themself a small target. Inconsequential, as they served mainly to slow the siren down. The force of the depths focused solely on her, seeking to make the fight an easier one for the crew.

They smiled under the helm as bolts of Katja's blood stuck into the cheery siren's skin. As Bahs' swift blows left the forsaken follower winded. As Anne's oil-slick cosmic clashed with the vibrance of the 'child's' own. Shadowy claws and that hefty blade Maertock wielded left vicious wounds in her form.

It all went to plan. Until it didn't.

As the battle wore on the ruins started crumbling in more and more. The battlefield grew worse for wear alongside the crew, and If found themself returning to Bahs' healing waters more often than they ought have to.

Anxiety built. They didn't know when Yana went down. They didn't seeAnne fall back. But they were truly starting to sweat when they saw Katja get pushed back.

Their heart dropped when Bahs was taken out of the fight.

Without his healing waters to rely upon If knew they had to end it. The young alchemist glanced across the field. Up to the cracks where waters leaked in. Down again to the siren.

Her sole focus was on them. So they dissipated into mist, traveling straight around the woman and reforming again on her other side. There they raised their hand, the Prince's Harpoon formed within their grasp. In that last moment they brought the weight of the water above down onto the siren to hold her in place.

And the point of their watery spear dug not into her heart, but her guts. If gave her the time to suffer before her death.

With a sharp twist they wrenched the harpoon free, and kicked off away from the abomination. They floated back and to the ground, scanning the field for their allies.

Already they were standing up again. So If let them move forward to take what the siren had to offer. They slowly drifted to the ground. They wavered in place, breathing heavily. The deed was done. By their hand. Them, and the crew that gave them the chance to end it.

If grinned again. "Ain't be seein' ya on th'other side missy. Enjoy ya death."

The only words they said in response to her dying plea. And once they got those out, the young alchemist wavered.. Then splashed down to their knees. That had taken everything out of them.

Yet they were satisfied. They had won.
(If)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 {NARRATION} And so castles made of sand... Fall into the sea eventually..

The crew returns home - but the adventure isn't over?