The flickering lantern light catches the slick, dark ichor pooling around the butchered remains. Captain Halloway steps forward, ignoring the metallic taste of fear in his throat, and places his heavy wrench onto a nearby crate with a sharp, hollow clang.
Captain Halloway
He is terrified, but his duty to his crew outweighs his dread of this unnatural guest.
Captain Halloway
Listen to me. The lad is broken, but he is one of mine. Stand back.
Arion Touvengard
The host's body feels heavy, a clumsy vessel for his ancient intent, but the teal light hums beneath the skin.
Arion Touvengard
I have no quarrel with your cargo, Captain. My duty lies with the rot that leaks through the seams of this reality.
Captain Halloway
You talk of duty while standing there holding a blade that bleeds cold light? You are the reason my ship is screaming. Move aside, or so help me, I will make you.
Arion Touvengard
The mortal is defiant. It is amusing, yet his pulse is a frantic drum of adrenaline that threatens the stability of the host. I must be precise.
“Sensimg the rising tension Arion casts a spell to calm the emotions of those in the room. "There is no more need for violance her captain, I am not your enemy and you have your crew to address before we disembark your vessel"”
SUCCESS (Superb Willpower, rolled +2)
Arion raises a hand, the teal energy bleeding from his skin like mist. The air in the galley grows heavy, humming with a sudden, unnatural stillness as the magical influence washes over the room.
Arion Touvengard
There is no more need for violence here, Captain. I am not your enemy, and you have your crew to address before we disembark your vessel.
Captain Halloway
The rage that was burning a hole in his chest gutters and dies. His hand, white-knuckled around the wrench, slowly relaxes. The oppressive weight of his own anger lifts, leaving him blinking, dazed by the sudden clarity of the silence.
Captain Halloway
My crew... yes. You're right. They're still down there, aren't they?
Captain Halloway
He looks at the blood-slicked deck and then toward the companionway, his initial hostility replaced by a hollow, mourning focus. The immediate threat of the strange man in front of him seems to dissipate into the stagnant air.
The Captain turns away, his gait uneven as he steps over the ichor.
+ Scene Quest Added
Extract the ship's log from Halloway and depart the galley
“"What sort of cargo where you transporting anyway? And are there more of those beasts I should be on lookout for before I attempt to find the rest of your lost crew?" Arion says while attempting to harvest any usuable material from the monsters corpse.”
SUCCESS (Superb Arcana, rolled -2)
Arion Touvengard
What sort of cargo were you transporting, Captain? And tell me, are there more of these beasts I should be on the lookout for before I attempt to find the rest of your lost crew?
Arion kneels beside the butchered carcass, his movements stiff and mechanical. Teal light flows from his fingertips, seeping into the creature's viscera to draw out a glowing, viscous essence. He catalogs the components with practiced, ancient efficiency.
Captain Halloway
Just trade goods... ores and fabrics for the markets in Mesthelia. I don't know what they were, or why they came through the hull. They just appeared out of the void.
Arion Touvengard
The essence is impure, tainted by the reach of those who trapped me, but it will serve to sustain the host's vitality for now. This ship carries the scent of a deeper corruption than mere trade.
Arion rises, the glowing residue absorbed into his skin. The Captain stands paralyzed, staring at the empty space where the creature's heart once rested, his face pale with sudden, chilling realization.
Quest Complete
Extract the ship's log from Halloway and depart the galley