Gatewalkers- Episode 1, The Naga and the Mermaid’s Tears

Aboard the Mermaid’s Tears

In the aftermath of their battle with the pirates, the group aboard the Mermaids Tears found themselves enveloped in another vision. As if plucked from reality and placed in a dream, they stood within a circle of ominous black monoliths. Sakuachi, their enigmatic ally, was there too, her presence as constant as the stars above.

Through the icy expanse, they witnessed a beast bathed in ethereal blue light, its form obscured by the frigid environment. The ice beneath them creaked, threatening to shatter the illusionary landscape. A sudden, piercing scream shattered the silence, dissolving the hallucination like sugar in water.

Jolted back to reality, Zenith saw Sakuachi descending the stairs, her finger pointed at the heavens. Above, the clouds coalesced into a monstrous form that resembled a whale.

Her voice carried a note of dread as she cried out, “The stars come to punish us!”

Snowflakes fell gently onto the deck of the Mermaids Tears, blanketing it in a layer of white. Suddenly, two serpentine figures slithered onto the deck, their scales reflecting the moonlight. They were Lunar Naga, creatures of legend and lore, their appearance boding ill for the crew.

As the crew prepared to face this new challenge, they couldn’t help but remember their journey thus far. From being paranormal investigators on a distant planet, saving the life of an elf maiden, to battling pirates on the high seas – their adventure had been nothing short of extraordinary. Their ranks had swelled with the addition of Resi, Varg, and Zentih the Gargoyle, each bringing their unique skills to the fore.

Their journey had begun in Skywatch, where they aided Sakuachi and her people in searching for their missing comrades. Now, they found themselves aboard the ghost ship, Mermaids Tears, captained by the spectral Adney Tinhill. A ship that now sailed towards an uncertain future, guided by a crew that had faced countless trials and tribulations.

As the snow continued to fall and the Lunar Naga hissed menacingly, the crew steeled themselves for the battle ahead. They were Gatewalkers, travelers of realms unknown, and they would face whatever the stars threw at them with courage and determination.

As the Lunar Naga slithered menacingly towards them, a sense of dread fell over the crew of the Mermaids Tears. The Naga’s eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, casting eerie shadows on the deck. It turned its gaze on Varg, attempting to ensnare his mind with its mesmerizing power. But Varg was no easy prey. His wolfish instincts kicked in, and he resisted the serpent’s hypnotic lure.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of motion. Casiina, the nimble Alchemist, had whipped out her blowgun. With a swift intake of breath, she sent a dart hurtling towards the Naga. It struck true, embedding itself in the creature’s scales. A sizzling sound filled the air as acid began to eat away at the Naga’s hide, causing it to writhe in pain.

But Casiina wasn’t done. Even as the Naga recoiled from her first attack, she loaded another dart into her blowgun. This one crackled with electricity, lighting up the night sky as it sped towards its target. It hit the Naga with a loud pop, sending sparks flying. The creature convulsed as electric currents coursed through its body, adding to the damage already inflicted by the acid.

The crew watched in awe as Casiina stood her ground, her eyes never leaving the writhing form of the Lunar Naga. The snowflakes falling around her seemed to freeze in time, highlighting the fierce determination etched on her face. She was a storm, relentless and unstoppable, and she would not let her friends fall to this creature of the stars.

As the Lunar Naga writhed in agony, Resi moved into action.

“Draw their ire, Resi!” Casiina called out, her voice slicing through the chaos of battle. Resi nodded, his Nagaji scales shimmering under the ghostly glow of the moonlight. He raised his hands, casting a spell that assaulted the Naga’s mind with a torrent of psychic energy. The creature hissed, its eyes narrowing in fury at Resi.

But instead of attacking, Resi turned his attention to the other Naga. With a swift, fluid motion, he dashed towards it, his Nagaji form a blur against the starlit sky. He was a spectacle of fearlessness, standing face to face with the monstrous Naga.

From the corner of the battlefield, Varg watched as Resi deftly drew the Naga’s attention. A wolfish grin spread across his face. “Time to join the fray,” he muttered, unholstering his dual hatchets. With a grunt, he hurled them at the Naga now engaged with Resi. One hatchet found its mark, embedding itself in the creature’s hide, before returning to his empty hand.

Varg didn’t wait to see the effect of his attack. He dropped his remaining hatchet, the metallic clang echoing in the night. In one swift motion, he unsheathed his short sword, its blade gleaming under the moonlight.

The battle raged on, the crew of the Mermaids Tears pitted against the monstrous Lunar Nagas. Zenith, the gargoyle, found himself staring at the serpentine creatures, his mind racing. He had heard tales of the Naga, stories filled with descriptions of their proud nature, their powerful forms that could shift from human to serpent, and their exotic allure. But standing before them now, he found himself at a loss.

Zenith squinted, trying to glean some insight into their motives. His gaze shifted upwards, to the whale-like form looming in the sky above. A realization dawned on him, chilling him to the bone.

“They want to feed us to that…that thing!” he exclaimed, his usually comical demeanor replaced by sheer terror.

“Oh gods, oh gods,” he muttered, his stone skin pale in the moonlight.

Jagen, hearing Zenith’s frantic exclamations, took a moment to assess the situation. His experienced eyes took in the Nagas’ muscular bodies, their scales gleaming under the starlight. They were aberrations, creatures that defied the natural order. And they were tough, their hide resistant to common attacks.

A sense of calm washed over Jagen as he realized what he needed to do. Raising his hands, he began to chant, his voice steady amidst the chaos. The air around him shimmered as he cast bless, a warm glow enveloping the party. He could feel the spell strengthening their resolve, bolstering their spirits for the fight ahead.

As the battle continued, the crew of the Mermaids Tears fought with renewed vigor, their hearts filled with determination. They were not just facing the Lunar Nagas; they were fighting for their lives, standing tall against the creatures of the stars.

The battle against the Lunar Nagas was a fierce dance of magic and steel. Ekos, Casiina, and Jagen found themselves caught in the spell of one Naga’s enchantment. Their eyes glazed over, their movements slowed, and they were gripped by fascination. Jagen, in particular, seemed to be in a trance, his hands releasing their hold on his weapons.

Meanwhile, the other Naga, its scales still sizzling from the acid, lunged at Resi. Its attempt to bite him missed by a hair’s breadth, and its effort to trip him caused it to lose its own footing. The creature fell to the ground but, in a defiant move, it lunged once more.

This time, its fangs sank into Resi’s flesh. A sharp pain shot through him, followed by a strange sensation that clouded his mind. He stumbled, his thoughts growing hazy. The poison was working, stupefying him and leaving him disoriented.

Amidst the chaos of the battle, a spectral figure emerged – Adney, the Ghost Captain.

With an ethereal shout, he threw a punch at one of the Nagas, but the creature slithered out of reach. Undeterred, Adney returned to the helm of the ship, his ghostly hands guiding it through the turmoil.

On the deck, Casiina drew back her arm and let fly another dart. It hit the Naga with a satisfying thud, the fiery magic within it searing the creature’s hide. Yet, with a shake of its body, the Naga shrugged off the persistent effects of the dart. Unfazed, Casiina tossed a blight bomb, but the explosive fell short of its target.

Resi, locked in combat with the other Naga, looked down at his foe with a smirk. “You picked the wrong snake,” he taunted before launching into a flurry of attacks. His first strike found purchase, but his subsequent swings missed their mark.

Varg, seeing an opportunity, advanced on the prone Naga. He attacked with a double slice, his hatchet swinging through the air but missing its target. His short sword, however, bit into the creature’s tough hide. Now, the Naga was flanked between Varg and Resi, a dangerous position for the beast.

Zenith lunged at the Naga flanked by Resi and Varg, his claw blade biting into its hide. Grinning, he tried to grapple the creature, but his efforts were in vain. Despite his strength, he lacked the finesse needed to subdue such a large opponent.

Varg burst into laughter at the sight. “Zenith, my friend,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re as graceful as a three-legged mule trying to dance!”

Resi, on the other hand, didn’t share Varg’s amusement. He shot Zenith a look of disappointment, his eyes saying more than words ever could.

Jagen, still under the Naga’s spell, wrapped himself in a cloak of shadow. Concealed from view, he cast divine lance. The spell hit the Naga, but instead of piercing through, it bounced off, leaving the creature unscathed.

The other Naga, drawn to Resi, launched itself at him. Its attack was fierce, a critical hit that left Resi reeling. But somehow, he managed to shake off the effects of the venom coursing through his veins. Despite its success, the Naga was not without its own problems. It was still burning from the persistent acid, its scales sizzling and smoking.

As the flanked Naga rose, Zenith and Varg reacted with lightning speed. Varg’s handaxe bit deep into the creature, his critical strike causing it to reel in pain. Zenith’s clawblade added to its woes, leaving fresh wounds on its already battered body. The Naga retaliated, its fangs sinking into Varg twice. The poison left him stupefied, but he hardly noticed – his mind was more focused on the fight than on any intellectual pursuits.

Casiina, meanwhile, launched another volley of darts, her aim off as they whistled past the Naga. Undeterred, she conjured a storm of Crystal Shards that rained down on the area, leaving sharp caltrops scattered about.

Varg stood unyielding even as venom pulsed through his veins. With a fierce determination etched on his face, he lunged at the Naga. His movements were swift and precise, a masterful display of battle-hardened skill that sent the creature sprawling helplessly to the ground.

There was no respite for the creature, no moment to recover. Varg’s weapon descended with an unstoppable force, obliterating the Naga’s skull in a single, decisive blow. The battlefield echoed with the sound of his victory, a grim symphony that marked the end of the Naga.

Zenith’s hands glowed with a soft, golden light as he reached out to Resi. The light flowed from him and into Resi, a warm tide of healing energy that washed away his pain. Zenith’s first attempt at healing was a success, and he couldn’t contain his joy. He wrapped Resi in a tight hug, his laughter echoing around them.

Resi, rejuvenated by Zenith’s healing touch, turned to face the remaining Naga. He tried to intimidate it, his voice a low growl as he said, “Your friend is dead. We are going to kill you.” But his words fell flat, the Naga merely hissing in response.

Undeterred, Zenith stepped behind Resi, ready to stand by his side. Resi was feeling much better now, his wounds mending under the influence of Zenith’s ‘Lay on Hands’ spell. His strength was returning, his resolve unbroken.

With a commanding gesture, Jagen expanded the reach of his Bless spell, a divine aura that bolstered his allies’ resolve. His next move was to cast a healing spell on Resi, a surge of life-giving energy that brought him near to full strength. The magic pulsed through Resi, washing away the lingering pain and fatigue.

Meanwhile, the Naga found itself trapped amidst Casiina’s caltrops. It lunged at Casiina, its fangs sinking into her flesh and injecting a potent venom. Despite its own suffering and the fire consuming it – a consequence of Casiina’s blowgun dart – it held on, the acid in its body ceasing its corrosive work.

“Casiina!” Jagen called out, concern etched on his face. “Hold on!”

Casiina grunted, grimacing from the pain but refusing to let it show. “Don’t worry about me, Jagen,” she retorted. “Just keep that Blessing going.”

Resi, now revitalized, stepped forward, his eyes locked on the flaming Naga. “Your end is near, beast,” he growled, his voice resonating with the promise of a swift and brutal end.

The Naga hissed back, undeterred by the threats.

Charging headlong into the fray, Captain Adney roared, “Alright, you snake!” His fist swung through the air, but his punch missed the Naga by a hair’s breadth. It was a clumsy attempt, but it did not daunt the captain’s spirit.

Casiina, her fingers clenched tightly around the hilt of her poison-tipped blade, made a daring lunge at the Naga. However, her efforts were in vain. The Naga’s agile body evaded her, moving with a serpentine grace that left her strikes cutting through nothing more than the empty air.

Resi, fortified by the warm tendrils of Jagen’s rejuvenating magic, advanced towards the remaining Naga. This confrontation was more than a battle; it was a ballet of serpents, a symphony of conflict that echoed through the battlefield. Resi’s muscles coiled and uncoiled like a spring, releasing a strike that landed with resounding force on the Naga. The energy reverberated around them, a testament to his power. Yet, when he tried to ensnare the Naga in a cunning trip, his plan went awry. The Naga slithered out of his grasp, an elusive wisp in this deadly dance.

Then, like a tempest given form, Varg surged forward. His movements were a blur, a whirlwind of fury and might. With two swift, seamless strikes, he separated the last Naga’s head from its body, the gruesome trophy tumbling to the blood-soaked ground. Rising to his full height, he roared in victorious proclamation, “Now THAT is how you kill a snake!”

However, his triumphant glow quickly morphed into a sheepish grin as he turned to face Resi, the Nagaji amongst them. “No offense,” he added hastily, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The fall of the second Naga was but a pause in their arduous journey. The looming threat of a “Sky Whale” type creature still ominously circled hundreds of feet in the air. Its command over the elements allowed it to hurl gusts of biting winds and shards of ice onto the weary party, fresh from their encounter with the Naga.

Their spectral ship, an entity with a will of its own, denied them refuge from the harsh weather, mysteriously sealing off the lower deck. In a moment of sardonic unity, Jagen and Resi voiced aloud their shared frustration, “The hazards of traveling aboard a Ghost pirate ship,” their words echoing across the frost-laden air.

Surveying his frostbitten comrades, Jagen cast a wide healing spell, a warm glow washing over the top deck, soothing wounds and granting temporary relief. All except for the Ghostly Captain, who, rather than being healed, was harmed by the positive energy. He retorted with a sneer, “Yer best be careful where ye aim that magic of yers, lad, or ye’ll find yerself swimmin’ with the fishes!” His voice, a raspy growl steeped in centuries of salt and sea.

“Haunt!” The Captain’s voice echoed through the icy winds, his spectral eyes wide with recognition.

Amidst this pandemonium, an unlikely duo, Zenith the Gargoyle and Casiina the Fairie Dragon, were deep in strategic conference. Together, they were crafting a plan so brilliant, so foolproof, it held the potential to shift the tides of their dire circumstances.

Their plan was as simple as it was audacious: scale the crow’s nest and launch themselves towards the Sky Whale. Zenith, despite his stone form and substantial weight, possessed surprising agility. His stony fingers could find purchase on the most unwelcoming surfaces, a testament to his alien origins.

Casiina, on the other hand, was a Fey from the First World. Her wings, though not made for sustained flight, could carry her a short distance. In their minds, their plan was foolproof. It was the perfect amalgamation of their unique abilities. The world they found themselves in was far removed from what they knew – Casiina’s first world, Zenith’s alien planet. Yet, their shared innocence and inexperience lent them a certain fearlessness.

To them, their plan was not just plausible, but the only viable course of action.

The Ghostly Captain, his eyes never leaving the duo, called out, “What be ye brewin’, ye wee ones?” His voice was a gruff blend of concern and curiosity. He had seen many a bold venture in his time, yet the audacity of their plan gave him pause. He could only hope that their youthful bravado would not lead them into peril. In the end, it was their decision to make. And in their hearts, they had already chosen their path.

Meanwhile, Resi, the party’s expert in the Arcane, was deep in thought. His mind raced through ancient texts and forgotten lore, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with the weight of his findings.

“It will not cease until we are all dead,” he declared grimly. “Its focus is upon us, and as long as that remains, it will continue its relentless assault.”

His words hung in the air, a chilling prophecy that added a new layer of urgency to their situation.

In a flurry of movement, Zenith clambered up the crow’s nest with the agility of a Mwangi primate, his stone form defying gravity with every swift movement. At the top, he clasped Casiina in his sturdy hands and, with a mighty heave of his stony muscles, launched the fey dragon into the air.

It was a breathtaking sight: Casiina, wings fluttering wildly, soaring through the icy gale towards the monstrous Sky Whale. A combination of Zenith’s brute strength, the height of the crow’s nest, and Casiina’s flight abilities had made the impossible possible. Casiina landed on the whale.

The moment her feet touched the creature, a tidal wave of visions and hallucinations overwhelmed her. The world around her dissolved, replaced by a swirling vortex of images and sensations. The whale beneath her feet, the icy winds around her, all faded into an abyss of darkness. Her consciousness slipped away, and she began to fall back towards the ship.

Zenith, watching from the crow’s nest, saw her descent and acted without thought. He leaped from the nest, his stone body cutting through the icy wind as he aimed to break her fall. But it was too late – Casiina was encased in a block of ice, her form frozen in a moment of unconsciousness.

The impact was brutal, shaking the ship to its core. Zenith crumbled under the force, his stone body cracking from the collision. Casiina lay motionless within her icy prison, her life hanging by a thread.

As the dust settled, the party could only stare in horror at their fallen comrades. Their audacious plan had turned into a disaster, leaving both Zenith and Casiina on the brink of death. Their fight for survival had just become far more desperate.

In the aftermath of the disastrous fall, the spectral Captain soared into the air, his ethereal form defying the biting winds. He cradled the frozen form of Casiina in his arms, his ghostly touch attempting to infuse some semblance of warmth into the unconscious dragon.

Meanwhile, Resi was locked in a battle of wills with the Sky Whale.

His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed in concentration as he navigated the mental labyrinth that was the creature’s consciousness. His hands moved in intricate patterns, tracing arcane symbols in the frost-laden air as he sought to establish a connection.

Captain Adney, his face hardened into a scowl, barked out orders to the ship. But when it remained unresponsive, his frustration boiled over. “Ungrateful little…” he muttered, the rest of his words lost in a string of expletives.

Casiina, though still encased in ice, showed signs of life. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, her heartbeat faint but steady. She was unconscious, but alive.

The storm raged on unabated, icy winds howling around them as shards of ice pelted the ship. The eye of the whale descended, looming a mere twenty feet above the ship. Within its depths, tiny red hands writhed, a chilling sight that sent shivers down their spines.

Resi, undeterred by the escalating situation, attempted a desperate gambit. He drew upon his knowledge of the Arcane, his fingers dancing in the air as he wove a complex web of magic. His intention was clear – dispel the enchantment binding the Sky Whale. But his actions only seemed to anger the creature further, its eye narrowing in what could only be interpreted as rage.

The tension aboard the ship was palpable, each passing second a testament to their determination and resilience. But with each failed attempt to pacify the Sky Whale, their situation grew increasingly dire.

In the midst of the chaos, Jagen, the party’s stalwart cleric, invoked a healing spell. A warm, golden light radiated from his palms, enveloping the entire party. Their wounds began to mend, their strength returning as the healing energy coursed through them.

The spectral Captain, however, recoiled from the positive energy. It seared him, causing his ghostly form to flicker and wane. “By the gods, Jagen!” he roared, his voice echoing across the deck. “If you don’t stop blasting me with that infernal light, I’ll toss you overboard myself!”

Casiina’s eyes fluttered open as the healing energy worked its magic. She was weak, but conscious. The Fairie Dragon turned her gaze towards the Sky Whale, her mind reaching out to it. She tapped into her Occult training, her mental probe gentle yet focused.

As she connected with the creature, a wave of self-loathing washed over her. She realized that her guilt and fear had been feeding the Haunt, amplifying its power. With a deep breath, she forgave herself, her decision echoing across the mental link she had established with the whale.

And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the Sky Whale departed. It rose into the sky, its colossal form disappearing among the clouds. The storm subsided, replaced by a calm that seemed almost surreal in its suddenness.

The party was left in stunned silence. They exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of relief and confusion. The idea that the whale fed on rage was proposed, but it was Casiina’s act of self-forgiveness that had ended the Haunt’s power.

Perhaps it was not rage that the creature fed on, but negative emotions in general? Or was there something more specific about Casiina’s guilt that had fueled its power? They could only speculate, the truth of the matter as elusive as the departed Sky Whale.

But for now, they were safe. They had survived the onslaught, their bonds strengthened by the shared ordeal. And as they began to tend to their wounds and repair the battered ship, they took solace in the fact that they had faced the unknown together – and emerged victorious.

In the eerie calm that followed the Sky Whale’s departure, a new energy stirred within the party.

It was a ripple at first, then a wave, surging through them like a tidal force. An awakening that manifested in ways they could never have anticipated.

Varg, the gruff warrior, was the first to experience the change. A monstrous, troll-like arm burst forth from his body, reaching out with jagged talons towards Zenith. The stone man stepped back, alarm flickering in his eyes, but the arm retracted just as quickly as it had emerged, leaving Varg staring at his own hands in disbelief. “What…?” he stammered, his voice barely more than a growl. “What was that?”

One by one, the others felt the awakening too. Jagen, Casiina, Resi, and Zenith each experienced a different shift, a unique blossoming of power that left them reeling. They didn’t yet understand the nature of these new abilities, but they could feel the raw potential coursing through them.

Jagen’s eyes widened as he felt an unfamiliar strength surge within him, Casiina’s breath hitched as her senses sharpened to an uncanny degree, Resi blinked in surprise as his movements became fluid and agile, and Zenith’s gaze took on a steely resolve as his form hardened further.

Even Ekos, their unicorn companion, underwent a transformation. Her usually soothing voice deepened into a somber growl, her horn darkened, and her eyes turned a fiery red. The change in her was as startling as it was unsettling.

The deck was filled with murmurs of confusion and disbelief. “Did you feel that?” “What happened?” “Are you okay?” Their voices echoed off the ship’s timbers, intertwining with the quiet hum of the sea.

As they grappled with the sudden changes, they couldn’t help but wonder if their encounter with the Sky Whale was responsible. Did the psychic connection it had made with Casiina and Jagen somehow trigger this awakening?

They were left with more questions than answers, their minds teeming with uncertainty. But one thing was clear: they had been irrevocably altered, their powers enhanced in ways they were yet to discover.

As the tumultuous events subsided, a serene calm descended upon them all. The party started to regain their composure, their heartbeats synching with the gentle rhythm of the ship rocking on the waves. They began checking on the other passengers and assessing the ship’s condition, their movements deliberate and thorough.

Jagen, the Fetchling Cleric with a past as shadowy as his complexion, caught sight of Zenith and couldn’t help but laugh lightly. He had just witnessed the Gargoyle Fighter’s surprising display of strength in throwing Casiina. “Zenith,” he called out, a teasing grin on his face, “I always knew you had a strong arm, but launching Casiina like that? I think you’ve missed your calling as a catapult operator.”

Across the deck, Resi, the Nagaji Magus, was holding Casiina. His usually stoic features softened as he cradled the Fairy Dragon Alchemist in his arms. He looked down at her, his eyes brimming with a mix of relief and sadness. “Don’t fly where I can’t follow you,” he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper, laden with an emotional depth that echoed the potential loss they had narrowly avoided.

Casiina, usually full of mischief and energy, seemed oddly vulnerable now. Her wings folded around her, and she curled up against Resi, resembling a child seeking comfort. She mumbled something about a whale and an eye, her words tumbling out in a confused jumble. “I was angry,” she admitted, her voice small, “and maybe we were angry, but mostly me being angry.” It was a confession, an acknowledgment of her part in the turmoil they had all experienced.

Such raw honesty cemented the bond between them even further. As night fell, casting long shadows over the ship, the Gatewalkers found solace in each other’s company. Their shared trials had brought them closer, forging connections that would endure the tests of time.

The day’s adventures had come to an end, but as they looked out at the dark expanse of water around them, they knew that they were just at the beginning of a larger journey. With the stars above as their silent witnesses, they prepared themselves for what lay ahead, ready to face whatever might come their way.