STORY

STORY

GREAT GALE, HOLY GRAIL!
[Sugar Fish Reef]
2024-07-25 12:18:35
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Posted by ID #118
Last edit: 2024-07-25 12:19:19

Outside Naut's ship, a spirited conversation is taking place between what would appear to be two robots: A headless one adorned with a brightly-colored cephalopod, and a hollow-eyed avian.

"You're a right royal champion, lining up this cruise with the Captain Naut!"
"According to the locals, your Captain's one of the best around in the oceanic capture creature business!"
"Which, y'know, with a chassis like yours or mine, is kiiinda essential if I'm looking to catch fish outside the tide pools."
"Yes, he's quite apt at the act of creature capturing! The captain is apt at many things, in fact!"
Pinpin
2024-07-25 12:30:35
Pinpin Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2024-07-25 12:32:03
"I believe he's looking for a creature he says needs aid, so you could not have come at a better time, I say."
"But before I let you onboard, you're not 'suspicious', are you?"
"... should I be?"
"..."
Colress
2024-07-25 12:34:33
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 12:35:31
Having finished up the work from earlier, the Drakon came back over to assist Pinpin at the front.

"Yep, definitely not suspicious."
"I mean, I try to believe the best of people, but if it's like, a boarding requirement for the Captain's ship, then I guess? I can mistrust everyone on board while I'm there?"
"A little suspicion never hurt nobody! Who knows who's lying to you these days?"
"Now let's get you aboard, the captain'll decide if you're fit to work."
Pinpin makes his way up the staircase leading to the main deck, beckoning for the other two to follow with a foot.
"I truly have no idea!" Centuria responds, unaware the Swollow's question was rhetorical.
Colress
2024-07-25 12:40:57
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 12:41:08
Colress follows behind Pinpin, having a small laugh to himself.
Centuria
2024-07-25 12:41:49
Centuria Profile
Posted by ID #118
Last edit: 2024-07-25 13:39:16
Centuria makes their way up the stairs, trying and failing to exercise suspicion.
The Knight of the Ageless Metal zips around the head of Centuria. It pips a few times, alerting its owner and Captain Naut to the guest.
[Head of the Center of the Universe - PW: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies]
"Ah! Welcome to the Great Ship! You're the lad who wanted to seek out a beast today, aren't you?"
"Greetings, Captain! Unsure about ladness, but very sure about beast-seeking! Today, and every day my own captain gives me leave!"
"I happen to have two targets we can pick from. An ex mated pair of galehaut."
"Do you really think a small land legs like you can handle a large thrashing galehaut?"
"Absolutely not."
Cazkade
2024-07-25 12:50:29
Cazkade Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 12:50:51
("Uh oh, captain's going to yell at this newbie....We better duck and cover before we get zapped.")
"That's the kind of match-up that wouldn't end well for either the creature collector, or the creature in question. A terrestrial build like myself, trying to physically overpower an aquatic fauna in its native environment? And specifically, a creature like a galehaut with natural hostility toward unfamiliar creatures within its territory?"
Centuria
2024-07-25 12:54:51
Centuria Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2025-07-17 10:33:33
"I have handled newborn galehaut in the boss's tanks, so I guess I could wrestle one of those into submission even within water... but ex-mated galehaut would have to have at least two seasons of maturity under their belts!"
"Even worse, in physical combat against a large wild animal, most species would fear for their lives and run the risk of taking drastic, violent action regardless of their initial intentions to not harm or injure the animal!"
Thunder strikes the ship floor. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO HEAR, SAILOR!"
"I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY, YES CAPTAIN! WE CAN DO IT CAPTAIN!"
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 12:58:57
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 12:59:20
"IF YOU HAVE ANY FEARS! ANY WORRIES! YOU ASK ME HOW I CAN HELP! WE DO NOT GIVE UP BEFORE WE EVEN START! THERE'S CREATURES WHO NEED OUR HELP AND WE'RE GOING TO HELP EM! NOW LET ME HEAR A YES CAPTAIN!!"
"YES CAPTAIN! WE CAN DO IT CAPTAIN!"
"ahhhhh ok YES CAPTAIN! WE CAN DO IT CAPTAIN!"
Colress
2024-07-25 12:58:57
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 12:59:35
"SIR YES SIR, OOHRAH!! WE CAN DO IT, CAPTAIN!!"
"Good, now that is what I want to hear from my crew!"
"Don't you worry, Ole Captain Naut knows what to do! All I need is a little bit of help. This ship is geared to help capture and save creatures in need!"
"I PROMISE YOU, CAPTAIN SIR NAUT CAPTAIN, I WILL HELP THEM CAPTURE CREATURES! SIR!"
"Just, y'know, maybe with less manhandling is all. If another solution presents itself, captain."
"Good change of mood there, sailor! Now, we got two we can choose to help today."
"The first is what the locals call "Ole Za-zork." He's a tiny male, always has been, but he's friendly, too friendly. This is a problem."
"Locals say he's too used to coming up to their lancelots, eating their hunts. Lancelots and gales are native to this planet, and the locals have kindly relationship with the lances, but not the gales. Lancelots use their long snouts to help the species of this planet move nets into position to catch large swarms of fish."
"But the locals don't eat gales. Ole Za-zork learned that even if he's captured by the nets, he can eat all he wants and the locals will let him go. So it's either we capture him, or the next time he's caught in those nets, he's dead."
"The second is a tad bit trickier. She's a full sized gale, but I assure you, the ship can handle catching her. She's become caught in some, absurdly large trash from the resort. Not sure who is drinking from soda cans that large....."
"She's hurt, and recovery in the wild is likely impossible at this point. Nothing that can be done except move her to a retirement tank. Thankfully, gales are loners and don't need others to be happy."
"Well, if, no, wait, my b Captain, when we capture Ole Za-zork, he'd have a nice big tank of his own on my captain's ship, with all the fish he can eat! Nets if he wants them, I guess, but those we'd introduce slowly to figure out if he's actually a fan of them."
"So, would you like to hunt down Ole Za-zork or the nameless female?"
Centuria
2024-07-25 13:21:27
Centuria Profile
Posted by ID #118
Last edit: 2024-07-25 13:21:45
Centuria is very visibly doing fish math in their head. "Any idea of how long it's been since Ole Za-zork's last raid on a fishing net, Captain?"
"Ole Za-zork is a small gale, and one trained to eat out of the nets of fishermen. The poor thing's diet is all messed up. Eats more frequently than a normal gale should. I would suppose his last feeding was just a few days ago."
"Not great... we feed the gales daily on the Yozora, but in the wild they're habituated to eating large meals infrequently... but Ole Za-zork's not doing that and could well hit another net in the next few days..."
"I choose the female, Captain. They're both in urgent need of help, but I can go to the fisherfolk after this, and hopefully go with them and snag Ole Za-zork next time he targets a net. To help the other galehaut, though, can't be done on a fishing boat."
"Land legs chooses danger!"
"I have other folks who will be assisting me with catching creatures, hopefully one of them will assist with Ole Za-zork. Speaking with the locals is hard. They don't speak a language common to most species. So do not worry. I'm sure we will get Ole Za-zork later."
"But before we begin, I have one question, land legs!!!!!!!"

Nearly as big as the ship itself, is a monument mimicking an iceberg. It has been floating around the ship since Centuria jumped aboard. Monuments are a type of creature that uses a very strange pheromone to cause others to ignore the crab part of the creature. Sometimes even whole cities can be built of these creatures, residents completely unaware.

"What....is....that...? What is that?" The captain points to the monument.
"Isn't that just an iceberg? It just looks like an iceberg."
"................................................."
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 13:42:00
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 13:42:07
"Please explain to me what an iceberg is doing at a tropical island."
"I mean, yeah, it is somewhat odd that it's here in the hot weather. Wouldn't it have melted by now?"
Centuria
2024-07-25 13:43:14
Centuria Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2025-07-17 10:33:09
"Oh, yeah, that's one of my boss's, uh, well he's pretty sure it's a creature, I'm pretty sure it's just a big lump of ice. Albeit, one that does, y'know, go inside a creature cage no probs."
"I'm not the first crew member to tell him he got scammed, but like... he's a good boss. He's allowed to be weird about things, y'know?"
"So you just have total control over an anomalous iceberg?"
"Rad. It's like an ice mech."
Colress
2024-07-25 13:46:25
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 13:46:59
"Yeah, an anomalous, non-melting, gigantic iceberg... that is pretty awesome."
"Your boss totally got a deal of a lifetime!"
"I mean, I guess? It does follow us round if we let it out, but we obviously can't do that on board because of like. The size of the thing."
"The iceberg follows you." It's a statement, but an incredulous one.
Centuria
2024-07-25 13:48:41
Centuria Profile
Posted by ID #118
Last edit: 2024-07-25 13:48:54
"Boss gets sad thinking about it stuck in its cage the whole time as a lounge ornament, even with creature cage stasis and such, so he asks us to take it on walks if we're parked somewhere that we can hire a boat."
"Well, do make sure it doesn't hit the hull of my ship."
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 13:49:50
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 13:50:08
"Or I'll make you pay in your BLOOD, YOU UNDERSTAND, LAND LEGS?"
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 13:50:00
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 13:50:36
"Anyway, let's head out!" Captain Naut swaps back to his chipper tone in an instant.
"YES, CAPTAIN, SIR! UNDERSTOOD!"
Pinpin
2024-07-25 13:51:30
Pinpin Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2024-07-25 13:52:25
Pinpin straightens his hat, bracing for the ship to move.
"ANCHORS UP!!!!! LET'S SAVE US A GALE!!!!!" Without anyone at the helm, the ship starts sailing all by itself out into sea.
Centuria goes to the aft of the ship, and waves to get the iceberg's attention. "glhf buddy, not sure if you heard, but please keep a safe following distance, cool? I don't think I've got enough lymph in me to pay for major hull repairs of a ship this big."
Captain Naut rolls a 20 sided die. A 20 is rolled.
The crew finally spots their target....and something extra.
[Monster Hunter World - Ancient Forest Large Monster Battle]
"Ugh! That treat loving BASTARD is messing with the gale. Pin! To the electro canon, my boy!!"
"YES CAPTAIN! RIGHT AWAY CAPTAIN!" Pin, with his swift kiwi body, darts to his station.

A large osebeing, one the largest creatures in the ocean of this planet grabs on to the plastic around the hurt gale and swings it around, seemly for the enjoyment of it. The tail splashes from the osebeing causes large waves that roll the ship side to side in its current.

"Fire if you got sights on its neck! That home trained beast is going to kill that gale!"
"Wh... what is that thing!?"
"It's so pretty..."
"Holy shit, that thing is HUGE!"
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 14:16:03
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2025-07-17 10:21:10
"It's a female osebeing. Been trying to get her out the water for years!!! Some idiot took her home as a wee pup and threw her back into the waters when she got too big! Osebeings might be natural to this planet, but she doesn't know a damn thing about the rules of the sea!"
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 14:17:40
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 14:17:48
"Been eating things she shouldn't, trampling crops of the locals, and flipping boats for fun! She needs to learn FEAR or she needs to get OUT OF THE WATER!"
"So she's overly used to people... if we can distract her long enough to tend to the Gale, can we hold off on firing at her, Captain?"
"You trust her to let go of that poor thing? No. She's going to throw it at us to "play," land legs! Get your creature in there!"
Centuria stumbles across the deck, and leans over the railing toward the iceberg. "Hey! Makganyene! Go play with that big pink creature!"
At the helm of the cannon with his back facing the crew, a panel opens on Pin's chest, and a pair of surgical arms emerge to operate the controls. He takes aim, but hovers cautiously around the trigger.
Captain Naut rolls a 20 sided die with a modifier of +5. An 18 is rolled.
Osebeing
2024-07-25 14:25:58
Osebeing Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 14:37:50
The monument swims towards the osebing, its [aquapower] giving it the upper hand in movement. The osebing becomes distracted by Makganyene, raising one claw to push on the icy surface. It is without fear to the creature before it.
"She's holding steady! Shoot, Pin!"
Pin makes a trill to Hesitation who flies off towards the osebeing, flying in tight circles around its neck. It's hard to miss with a lightning rod flying so close to the target.
He cocks his head, getting a good view of the osebeing before clamping a surgical claw down on the trigger.
"FIRING!"
Captain Naut rolls a 20 sided die. A 13 is rolled.
2024-07-25 14:35:08
Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2025-07-17 10:24:20

As the electro cannon is fired the eyegret, Hesitation, screeches. It grabs onto the neck of the osebeing as the electricity goes from it, to the other creature.

Osebeing
2024-07-25 14:36:42
Osebeing Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2025-07-17 10:25:51
The osebeing, paralyzed, drops the gale into the water. The gale, weakened and scared, begins to dive downwards.
Captain Naut looks between the two creatures. "Ah, the gale is escaping, but this might be our only chance to catch this bastard osebeing! Land legs! Make the call. Now!"
Pin balances on one leg, balling a foot to perform a 'fist pump' motion.
"Let's catch the osebeing, Captain! I'll try send my iceberg after the gale."
"We need your iceberg on the the osebeing in case we miss. Send someone else down to the gale!"
"Aaaaaaugh alright. Makganyene, great job! Stick with the big guy!"
"Pin! Fire the net at the osebeing, quick!"
Cazkade peers at the endless abyss of the ocean. "Geez, I wish I could remember if I could swim."
Captain Naut grabs Cazkade. "A fine time to see if your memories come back, sailor!"
"Man, overboard!!!" Captain Naut tosses Cazkade off the ship.
"uh,"
Captain Naut flips a 2 sided coin. A 2 is flipped.
Pinpin
2024-07-25 14:45:02
Pinpin Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2024-07-25 14:47:45
"Yes Captain! Firing!" Pin pulls a separate trigger for the net, hardly batting an eye socket as Cazkade tumbles overboard.
Cazkade panics as they hit the water. "I'm gonna drown, I'm gonna drown, I'm gonna drown!"
"Swim, sailor! You're a god loving fish!"
"I'm a fish, I'm a fish...."
"I....can swim!" Cazkade swims downwards towards the gale.
Centuria tears their gaze away from the titanic battle, trying to keep sights on where the galehaut's disappearing to. "Aw grief, someone send a creature to tail that gale!"
Colress
2024-07-25 14:47:59
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 14:48:42
Colress offers that exact idea.
"I could send Masya down there!"
Colress
2024-07-25 14:51:43
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 14:51:55
With a bit of a hassle, as Masya is [Slippery], the Drakon chucks his Fluskal over the side of the boat, barking out an order.
"Go get 'em, lad! Don't let 'em get away!"
Cazkade rolls a 20 sided die with a modifier of +5. An 11 is rolled.
A net is thrown around the osebeing. While an ill-fitting net for such a large creature, it nevertheless gets caught up in it. The ship starts reeling in the creature.
"Captain! Captain look, I did it! I shot the net that caught the osebeing!" He looks rapidly back and forth between his catch and the captain, pointing at it proudly.
"ggwp Pinpin, that was awesome! Grandmaster move with your eyegret, too!"
2024-07-25 14:59:10
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Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 15:00:05

Masya follows its owner's advice. It follows closely with Cazkade with its [Aquapower], who is continuing to tail the gale. Working together, Masya and Cazkade try to grab the plastic around the gale's neck to try to nudge it back to the the surface.

Fortuna rolls a 20 sided die with a modifier of +8. A 20 is rolled.
To their capture creature iceberg, Centuria calls out "you're doing awesome too! Try get underneath and help haul that big fella up, please?"
The weakness of the gale causes it to not fight back. It weakly swims with Cazkade and Masya's pulling, like a blort on a leash. The gale is successfully brought to the surface! "We caught it! We caught it, captain! And none of us got eaten!!"
Colress
2024-07-25 15:03:32
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 15:04:51
Colress had nothing but praise.
"Good stuff, you two! That's quite a catch!"
"Now that's my crew! Two catches in one sailing?"
"We did so well, the hardest part is going to be hauling our loot to shore! Ha!"
The crew careful tie the creatures to drag behind the ship....
[Monster Hunter World - Successful Expedition Theme]
"Land legs, you did an amazing job."
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 15:06:54
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 15:07:18
"Did you lie to me, land legs? This wasn't your first outing on a boat like this, was it? I bet you went on a 100 of these sorts of missions!"
"Yeah land legs! At first you seemed all flimsy and noodle-y, but you really pulled through!"
"That confidence and planning was just killer, man! Good stuff!"
"Awwww, ggwp to y'all as well."
Pinpin
2024-07-25 15:10:57
Pinpin Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2024-07-25 15:15:25
("What are those things they keep saying Captain? 'Gee gee, double you pee'?")
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 15:14:33
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 15:15:29
("I think ggwp is some sort of land curse? Sort of like how we call them land legs?")
("Tit for tat, I suppose!")
"I'm not normally one for boats, no... though I've definitely done my share of capture creature hunting! Like I told Pinpin earlier, though, I'm normally sticking to the coasts and the rock pools."
"I'm really lucky though, I've got steady work and my boss is also a big creature fan! I was honestly excited to just find a creature for myself on this trip, but I think the galehaut should be a gift to my boss. He's the reason I was able to come here, and meet you guys, and also rescue that osebeing!"
"Who knows, maybe I'll make enough pocket money doing tarot readings for folks that I can pay for a trip with you guys again... and get myself an even finer capture creature!"
"Oh, speaking of my boss. He messaged me when I showed him the gale, and he was super duper insistent that y'all get complimentary tickets to his aquarium. So insistent, he told me to make my most serious face."
Pin shakes his head. "No thanks, I don't like fish."
"We would be happy to have you aboard again if you wish."
"I'm not able to go to your aquarium...but I wish you the best." Captain Naut's voice seems stressed talking about this.
Captain Naut
2024-07-25 15:17:41
Captain Naut Profile
Posted by ID #2
Last edit: 2024-07-25 15:29:01
"I'll give my ticket to my boy, Pierre, he loves fish!"
"Ah, right, yeah. My captain's in a similar boat. Literally, maybe? Your business ain't my business, though."
Centuria
2024-07-25 15:20:15
Centuria Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2025-07-17 10:33:59
"I'd love to join you on board again, though! I'll try and photograph everything in Boss's aquarium, so you can enjoy it all as well, Captain."
Colress
2024-07-25 15:23:00
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 15:28:29
The drakon beamed a soft, warm smile.

"Honestly, I'll have to stop by some time. For as much as this has been a 'vacation', it hasn't felt like one."
"By the way...you may want to call your boss to bring a large truck. Transporting this osebeing is going to be a struggle!"
"Uhhhhh Captain? I thought I was getting the galehaut? I'm sure I can call my boss right now and he'd probably be happy to help you organise transport for the osebeing somewhere else, but..."
"Wouldn't you folks, who know the place better, know where to order transport from?"
"It's your first trip out to sea, sailor!"
"That means you don't have to share what you catch! Sailor code!"
"I would ask if you're being for real right now Captain but nothing you have done or said so far would imply you were not, in fact, "being real.""
Colress
2024-07-25 15:25:28
Colress Profile
Posted by ID #155
Last edit: 2024-07-25 15:28:00
"I know some guys that can help out with the transport. It'll take a bit for them to get here, but they owe me one already."
"You really are the best of the best of capture creature masters, Captain! My boss and I will be sure to take great care of the two, thank you!"
Centuria
2024-07-25 15:29:49
Centuria Profile
Posted by ID #107
Last edit: 2025-07-17 10:33:39
"Alright, my fellow fluskal enthusiast! Lead the way to these transporteers! Ggwp again, everyone!"
"'ggwp' yourself!"
End of Expo
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