Part 15: The Unending Sea

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Shadowlands

Passing through the portal, the world fades away into a soft blaze of white mist and silver light. A cold chill passes through our heroes as 'though they have passed through a doorway from a warm room to the cold outside. The silvery mist fades and we find ourselves submerged in deep water. Dull light ripples on the waves overhead and our heroic travellers are rising upwards, bouyed up by spme unseen force.

As their heads break the surface of this strange lifeless ocean, they become aware of the dull brooding twilight sky overhead. No land can be seen in any direction. The sea laps lazily, rising and falling sluggishly with no real sense of direction or current and a low mist hangs upon it's surface. In the sky overhead cloud masses are piled up in almost unattural formations, and yet there is a strange grotesque attraction, almost a beauty, to the shapes they make. A dim eerie glow illuminates the sky with no discernible source. It is not sunlight or starlight, but something inbetween.

After a while the faint lapping can be heard of somthing disturbing the water can be heard and a boat appears in the distance - it's white sail rippling in an unseen wind none present can feel. A figure at the tiller, robed in white, turns her head from side to side as if seeking something, a lantern held in her raised hand. As the boat approaches it sometimes seems to shimmer and become translucent, although that could be the mist.

Raoul instantly recognises this as Wynsar, the ghost woman from his vision. He shudders at the memory of her callous murder and yet in his heart, knows it was not he who did the deed.

[Keeper]

"This is so not good." says Raul out loud.  "I'm sure that is the girl in the boat I saw when I became possesed with that vision on the beach."

[Balgin Stondraeg]

"This is so not good." says Raul out loud.  "I'm sure that is the girl in the boat I saw when I became possesed with that vision on the beach."

Some of the others might recognise her from her brief appearance in the infirmary but I'll leave that up to them. I wasn't going to let Raoul forget her due to the more personal and emotional link. There's 2 or 3 pictures of her I can post in the player handouts thread too unless you lal want to try to swim away and hide in the mists or something :p.

[Hawkins]

Al treads water, his hand moving to his weapon a frown apon his face. 'i dont care much for the decore, lets hope the .er day... brightens'

Edited ever so slightly to take into account the fact that he's still in the ocean with everyone else.

I also neglected to mention that this strange sea is also disturbingly dry (so there's no need to go worrying about scrolls and spell books).

[Keeper]

"At least it is someone we sort of know, I'm going to swim towards here, see if she will help.  Anyone with me?" asks Raul.

And with that, he starts to swim in the strange, dry ocean.

[Hawkins]

no but I'll go anyway', Al says tring for a little mirth.

[PaulH]

Ivor looks around confused at his sudden change of location. He looks around for any discernable landmarks.

Or is there any land....?

[Balgin Stondraeg]

There is no land in sight.

As Raoul reaches the edge of the boat the woman reaches over. For a sickening moment he thinks she is about to plunge him down beneath the water to drown but she helps him up into the boat. Up close she is certainly the woman from his vision. Green eyes rest in a plain, if not unattractive, face and as he settles in the seat she ushers him to, she turns, dark brown hair blocking his view of her face, to beckon to the others to come aboard.

[Hawkins]

'my lady' Al says and hes helped aboard.

[Keeper]

Raul is dumbstruck for a while, as he also helps the others on board.  Finally he manages to say "Thankyou m'lady.  This might sound like and odd question in the circumstances, but have we met before?"

[Balgin Stondraeg]

After helping all aboard, she waits for all to be seated comfortably before speaking somewhat formaly. "I am Wynsar Haldin and I welcome you all aboard my vessel." Turning she begins to tend to the boat, turning it around and heading back the way she came across the motionless dry sea beneath that disturbingly unnatural looking sky.

She's not ignoring people. Just getting the boat going. Feel free to interract with her or each other in any way.

[Keeper]

"Anyone got any ideas where we are?"

[Hawkins]

i would not hope to guess. im a lost as you.

[PaulH]

Ivor joins the others on board, stiil looking for clues for orientation.

[Keeper]

"Ms Haldin.  Thank you for picking us up.  May I ask if you know where we all are?"