Ventris, surprised by this turn of events, looks down at the rider and attempts to tend to any injuries. 

Medicine check: 19 (in game log)

"Heroes... sure." Cinder mutters under her breath. "Who exactly are you by the way?" She asks the rider while the elf tends to his injuries. "And why are you looking for help?"

Pag's attention is drawn to the AURYN medallion around the strange warrior's neck. He reveals his bicep to show he has a tattoo of the same pattern. "That is a common symbol among us sailor-folk. For us, it means, "Whatever one aspires to, will be achieved." Or more simply, "Do What You Wish." It is a symbol of our freedom to explore the wind and waves. But I have never seen it as an amulet before. Why do you wear it? You do not look to be a sailor!"

"My name is Atreyu."  The young man says to Cinder as Ventris tends his injuries.  "I am council to the Childlike Empress.  The world is in trouble.  Maybe, in time, I can tell you all our woes...but a terrible evil has killed one of the unicorns, and the last of their kind is now being hunted.  Hylia has fallen and Ganondorf is trying to gain access to the power of the Temple of Time.  The Childlike Empress put out a call for heroes, and they came...but not enough of them.  Our troubles are too many and our own armies are giving ground in northern Fantasia to Lord Vader.  Without heroes...we have no hope."

Atreyu winces as a cut is mended, and tries to sit up.  He still looks rather beat up. 

"AURYN symbolizes the will of the Childlike Empress...where I hail from at least...and her connection to the aura of existence.  Whatever that aura is, I can't say I understand, but she does.  I wear it because it has always brought me fortune, and now as a sign of solidarity with the Empress."   

Pag responds, "Was that the Childlike Empress who just left with the Kraken? I'm no hero. But I am pissed that guy destroyed my ship, killed many of my crew, and devastated this once dead nice port. I'm soaking wet, starving, desperately in need of coffee, and there isn't a tavern left... So yeah, I'd like to stick those guys with the pointy end, if you know what I mean? (Gestures with his rapier). Where do you recommend I start?"

"Don't strain yourself, Atreyu. You are still injured, but I've done what I can to help." Ventris turns back toward the rest of the group. "Sounds like the world requires our help, but we can't do this by ourselves. We will need to work together, at least for now. And we can't just march up to any of these people by ourselves. We need to make allies and become stronger to stand against the villains who plague this land." Ventris stands up. "However, I will not judge if you choose not to help. I understand that some of you probably have zero ties to any of this. Not to mention, we don't who we will be up against. But I will do whatever I can to help, with an army or on my own. So what do you say? Are any of you with me?"

"No, that was Princess Andromeda."  Atreyu said, shaking his head.  "Queen Bavmorda sent Kygrax here to take her back to Nockmaar.  She has her eyes on the two Princesses, Andromeda of Argos and Zelda of Hyrule.  I thought I had more time.  Be patient, brave Gelfling.  There's more to this than the Kraken." 

"I'm not a hero, and I never had any plans to be," Cinder says adjusting a knob and tightening a strap on the apparatus she wore. "But that doesn't mean I'm just going to stand back and watch as people are pushed around by this Bavmorda and the others. So I'm with you. At least for the time being."

Malenia folds her arms beneath her drenched cloak, her brow furrowing as she lingers on Atreyu's mention of one individual in particular. Softly her finger taps on the weathered metal of her prosthetic arm. "Vader..." Softly the name crests her thin lips as it is revealed to them, The land...no the World, Is in need of Heroes. She never thought of herself as a hero, nor believe she could ever aspire to be one. A soft chuckle creeps from her, The Drow's enthusiasm was endearing if a little eager. 

Still knelt in the mud by Atreyu, Stasolya looks up at Ventris. He's the one who dashed into the rain calling for any to follow him. He has a brave heart. "I am with you. My heart is hopeful that the call of the Childlike Empress is still so honored among her people!"

Her expression saddens slightly looking at Pag's tattoo. Such ignorance and misrepresentation of a Holy symbol tied to all the world of Hyboria. Of course he doesn't know. He's not responsible for the blasphemy and heresy. There are great forces of Chaos on the seas. But the Childlike Empress loves sailors too.

The streets around them are coming alive with the woes of the people of Argos.  There are tears, and wailing in the roads.  Fires are spreading from building to building, and bucket lines are forming to put out what they can.  The dissipating storm seems to have at least had one positive effect; the rain prevented the fires from becoming a storm of their own.  There are cries for help, there are cries of pain, there are soldiers calling back and forth as a rescue effort is mounted to free people trapped in the devastation, and to martial a force toward the beach to pull those trapped in flood waters to safety.  

"We should go somewhere else."  Atreyu said as he struggled to stand.  "I don't know here.  We'll need out of Argos soon anyway, though, to head south toward Hyrule."  

Pag says, "Then we have a choice to make. Either we go west through the desert, over the Gordon Range mountains, through the Fire Swamp, and Mirkwood to Hyrule, or we search the coast for a ship and sail directly to Hyrule... The Kraken and the fishmen came from the water, but now that they have what they came for, I doubt they would bother with us. I vote we look for a ship." 

Ventris turns back towards Atreyu and helps him up. "If we need a safe place, I have friends and allies in Hyrule." Ventris looks at the group. "But if anyone has other ideas, now would be the time."

Stasolya pushes up and gets to her feet, planting all four hooves and offering an arm and a (horse) shoulder for Atreyu to lean on as he stands. "I will accompany you to Hyrule, by whatever route," she says. She glances with some misgiving towards the sea, not liking the idea of getting on a boat, but she doesn't object. Then she looks worriedly at the chaos around, the people in need of help, but stays where she is to help Atreyu stand.

"However we travel Hyrule is a long way from here. Would we even be able to find a ship in this mess?" Cinder asks looking over the chaos that was the city. "If not it may be best to walk. If we could get horses the trek may not be as bad but I don't see that being a possibility right now."

Atreyu looks back toward the port as Pag suggests a ship.  He nods, but he doesn't look hopeful.  

"We can look, but I doubt there'll be a ship left in tact after that."  He says softly, looking back at the Gelfling.  "But we can try.  I won't...I won't be going the whole way, though.  An old friend will be coming to get me soon.  I'm sorry.  My place is in Fantasia, for now, at the Childlike Empress's side.  But with the recent unrest in Hyrule...I fear that the first stop could be...dangerous.  And who knows where Zelda is now, or if she may be in the hands of Ganondorf.  We cannot allow that to happen.  And we cannot allow Bavmorda to have her."  

Atreyu takes a few unsteady steps while finding his footing, then starts his way down toward the shore, eventually splashing along through the receding waters, past the rubble and rabble in the streets, where he can see the wreckage of the beach.  

Pags follows after Atreyu looking for signs that any ships might have survived. For example, he looks for other sailors who to interview. He wonders if one of them knows of a ship, or maybe another port nearby? He thinks on how large cities often have multiple ports north/south or east/west of a downtown area. He also looks out at the sea with his spyglass for any sails on the horizon. Though the calamity is barely over, other ships will be coming eventually. 

Perception 15

Investigation 16

Ventris looks around for a boat, a horse, or any form of transportation.

Perception: 27 (in game log)

Stasolya clops solemnly besides Atreyu, grateful for the sun breaking through the clouds and the return of the seawater to the ocean, where she's not having to leap through large amounts of water. Just a little splash now under her hooves. She will help any of the others to look for a boat or other transportation resources.

It seems that all the horses have either fled or are now gainfully employed by the people of the town.  

It doesn't take long to see that the port where Kygrax came ashore is decimated.  All the ships there are destroyed, capsized, or run so far aground that they are useless.  There are plenty of survivors.  Well, perhaps not plenty, but many sailors and shore hands are moving around the wreckage looking for survivors and salvage.  Pag can see sails at sea, but it looked like a vast number of the ships there were disoriented or damaged themselves from the storm.  They moved languidly, some with busted and broken masts.  

Sailors were able to point out to him other docks north of their position, as well as south, as it seemed the entire south eastern / eastern side of the city bordered the Sea of Possibilities.  It was possible, many of them thought, that there would be ships docked there that could assist them.  

Assuming they survived, anyway.  

Even Ventris has trouble locating a horse.  As the Elf looks, it seems anything rideable, horse or landstrider or camel or bantha, are all being used by people who are evacuating or pulling rubble and debris from people trapped in the destruction.