[IRP] Return to the Dread Isle

[Alusq]

Clambering up the deck in search of any possible place where the fog might be broken by land, Renata braced herself as she felt another episode of seasick tumbling rapidly approaching, but it never came. Of course, she was only just getting her sea legs when the voyage was coming to an end.

It was then that Renata noticed the angles of her feet, the ship's floorboards, and the sea were all at odds with one another, just in time for her to catch herself on the rafters of the passageway leading down into the ship's belly. She proceeded to drop unceremoniously into a sloshing mess of green and white, gasping as the seawater swept her off her feet and splashed in her eyes. All at once, she understood what the hype about sea monsters was all about: the ocean itself was a monster, and it had apparently waited until now to decide that the Mermaid's Desire was its dinner. Or breakfast. Or—

"Make way!" A member of the ship's crew nearly tripped over Renata as he hauled a large bucket. "Get to high ground, girly! We've got this under control!" With each passing second, it was clear that the situation was anything but under control. "Hess!" Another crew member's voice called from deeper inside the ship. "We're outta buckets!" Hearing this, the ship-hand abandoned all propriety and jumped over Renata in a mad sprint. "Whattaya mean, 'we're outta buckets'?!?!"

Renata scrambled to her feet: it turned out the water was only ankle-deep for the moment. As long as she could keep a hold on something with each step, she'd be able to struggle her way out— but then she saw her rucksack, formerly stored in the cabins, being carried away by the water into the ship. That man ran through the water just fine. It can't be that difficult as long as I keep some momentum... Still unappreciative of exactly how suicidal it was to contend with the furious waters, Renata launched herself towards her belongings, grabbing hold of the bag as she fell back into the water. Horrified at how quickly the water level had risen since she last assessed it, she hung onto the rucksack for dear life as her legs flailed about in search of solid ground.