Check-in! (Check fin?)

[thornsofmalkav]

Okay. Uh. Wow. I did not expect to be Investigating as a mermaid. Selkie. Finvestigating. You know.

I also did not expect to get all kinds of shiny mermaid knowledge dumped in my head the moment I ended up in the water, but that seems to have happened anyway. So if anyone wants to know anything about that shit, please do ask me. The most important thing is that the Thalassian Mermaid Queen, the Dread Empress or whatever, is as scary as fuck and our cover story should probably be that we ran away from her empire because we didn’t want to become cannibal berserkers. Which are a thing. Oh my god.

Anyway, it looks like we’re in the world with the Labyrinthine Shoals? Like, that’s evidently where we are. We’re in the Shoals. And I guess we’re mermaids? Some of us? Can anyone chime in to tell me if there’s anyone around who’s not a mermaid.

Actually, maybe we should make this a general check-in with, like, name and species. I’ll go first: this is Thorne and it looks like I’m a California sea lion selkie.

Comments

[whydoyoushine]

You say that like Kotei paid any attention to the geography.

[awitchdidit]

Ougon Yuki knew a bit more, at least about the True-named Empire and its Bando provinces. I didn't retain all her knowledge, but I can help you sound like you know what you're talking about.

[whydoyoushine]

That stuff, I have a good handle on, yeah. It's anything else where Kotei's knowledge was kind of spotty. He's learning about stuff as he'd go

[thornsofmalkav]

Well, the good thing is that we've got multiple Asian people and people who can pass for at least part-Asian with some light disguising like Bea, so maybe we can claim some of the guys on the boat are from the True-Named Empire.

... no, wait, just say they're from Bando. Given the situation with the guys on the other boat.

[whydoyoushine]

Yeah, a boat full of more war refugees wouldn't attract a whole lot of suspicion. That's probably the safest route.

[someonetocarry]

Might be people on that boat could think they know some of us. I was in Bando as a pirate, with my babe, and Wash was a midwife. Could be me or him or others could get recognized.

Also, best have a good explanation for why nobody on that ship can actually sail. Did y'lose all of your sailin' folk in whatever killed half the crew?

[thornsofmalkav]

That sounds pretty good to me. We'll figure out a reason why Drizzt can even though the rest of us can't.

[someonetocarry]

Bando seems like as good a place as any to be comin' from, since there are those who'll do the recognizin' maybe. Though geographically might be a bit funny, since we're comin' at the island from the wrong side, I think. Maybe more like the war front from the Empire? Could be refugees from there just as easy, and I think the direction's better.

[thornsofmalkav]

That works. I defer in this case to all you guys who were in Bando while I was being a mob wife.

[naturaltwohands]

[In response to both Zoe and Thorne.]

I can be the son of one Captain Deudermont, a dear friend from back home who would have taken refugees out of a sense of duty. He and his crew were the finest I have ever known, and are the source of all my knowledge. I often stood with the Captain—the same place a fictional son would have taken.

I'll be in mourning for his loss, of course.

[someonetocarry]

That'll suit, I think. Explains why the one most comfortable with a ship's sailin' is a teenager, anyroad.

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. That definitely works. Thanks, guys.

[naturaltwohands]

It's one less thing to worry about at the moment, at least, if the others are satisfied with the plan.

[naturaltwohands]

A rather young one, at that, by human standards.

[At least he is a bit amused.]

[someonetocarry]

I would've pegged you at fourteen or fifteen. Guess that counts as younger end of things. Had a girl only a bit older than that from my crew here, for a while.

[naturaltwohands]

Fifteen is more acceptable to my ego than fourteen. This is my mental age that we are speaking of.

Did you? What was her name?

[She probably would have liked Drizzt and his big cat.]

[someonetocarry]

River. She was here, briefly.

[Zoe sighs. She still misses having River around.]

Good kid. Bit odd, but at this point, figure that describes all of us here.

[naturaltwohands]

Considering you are speaking to a drow elf ranger that's now in the body of a human adolescent whose giant panther has been turned into a large house cat... yes. It does.

If she does return, and I discover her first, I will let you and Wash know immediately.

[someonetocarry]

And I'm a human woman who turns into a six-armed, four-faced demon and currently has a fish tail. I think "bit odd" is an understatement.

... thank you, though. If you do find 'er, don't talk in her head. She don't like it much. She'll be right unhappy to find that's all Rose does, so far.

[naturaltwohands]

... I do believe you may be odder than myself. My congratulations?

Duly noted. I will endeavor not to do so. Let us hope that Rose will not bother her too much if she does return.