Argos: Angler's Spire

[Dr Jackal]

"Friend! Not pirate! NOT pirate!" Tharr shouts in Raka Spit, then turns on Atus. "How hard is it to say, 'Friend, not pirate'? Really, Atus!"

He nocks another web-wrapped arrow, then considers what had happened with the previous shot and unwinds about a third of the silk.

[yxanthymir]

---

Park Stadium | AspectsBloodline: Ardent

- Tough as Nails (4-Track Trait) - You’re a natural survivor. Rolls made to treat or heal an injury you're suffering from treat conflicts as triumphs.

- Ironclad Mind (4-Track Trait) - You are immune to hallucinations, mesmerics and mental compulsions.

Origin: Ridgeback

- Archaeodermis (2-Track Trait) - Your skin (or whatever you have as an outer covering) mimics the mountain you were raised on. You're immune to keen damage, as well as bites and stings from small creatures.

- Shamanic Idol (4-Track Gear) - Holds a sliver of power from a not-quite-god. Deals LR salt damage.

Post: Char

- Taste Test (4-Track Trait) - You're immune to poisons, and can determine their presence and characteristics by taste alone.

- Seasoned Cleaver (2-Track Gear) - As useful on the battlefield as it is in the galley. Deals CQ hewing damage. Increase impact when acquiring dangerous or disruptive specimens. | EdgesGrace, Instinct & Tides | SkillsDelve: 0
Vault: 2
Wavewalk: 0
Hunt: 2
Study: 0
Sense: 3
Harvest: 3
Scavenge: 0
Tend: 2
Concoct: 0
Cook: 3
Rattle: 0
Flourish: 0
Outwit: 0
Sway: 0
Brace: 0
Break: 0
Hack: 0 | LanguagesLow Sour | ResourcesCook Utensils (Salvage)
Bag of Spices (Specimen)
Tonic of Health (Specimen)
Liquid Fire (Specimen)
Carrion Weed (Specimen)

---

 

Now that the immediate danger from the monster passed, and he can catch his breath that he was definitively holding too long, Park looked at the incoming outrider and he yells at the top of his capacity, hoping he is heard. You, dere! On the boat! What you want or I will shoot!

He keeps the weapon pointed at the outrider following the movement and with his hand resting nervously on the trigger. He feels at the moment that he is not well suited to this type of life, with monsters, pirates and whatever else the world plans to throw at him lurking beneath the leaves ready to take his life. He shivers at the thought.

 

Actions

 

 

[Morkskittar]

Cuda Comes: [/]-[/]-[/]-[ ]

---

In the efficient tongue of Raka Spit, the man shouts back to Tharr. "It is good that you are friend." In slower Low Sour, he continues. "The beast we call Cuda, it comes from the deep Tangle. It has followed since Inkspill; its breath is poison and its skin shimmers to match the sea. It holds a grudge from our harpoon scouring its flank."

The man looked out over the sea in front of them; the Argos, Buff, and the harpoon outrider stood between where the Cuda had last been rustling beneath the leaves and the wreck of the ship behind them. "Your lightning is powerful; more powerful perhaps than my iron." He patted the pile of oversized harpoons stacked next to him. "We draw it out, and you shoot, yeah? You have cannons too? Lightning and iron." He revved his engine. "I go down there to draw its ire, and you shoot, or you go down with skiff and we shoot harpoon and storm both at it? Choose fast and save both our hides."

There was a loud rustling in the leaves closer to them; Park swiveled the storm-rail toward it, and then another patch of different leaves, farther away, but on a route circling around the Argos to get to the wreck, also shifted as if something moved below them. Which shifting leaves hid the beast; those circling around their cluster or those approaching them? The faint stench of salt and rot wafted towards them on the breeze.

OOC

One more round of actions; Biff can try to distract the beast, you can tell your harpoonist acquaintance to try and get its attention (and make a guess as to which patch of leaves marks the beast), you can run away, you are close enough to swap ships (mostly applying to Tharr; you could even hop on the harpoonist's ship if you want), or you can surprise me. You can also shoot at one of the two patches of leaves.

 

[CraterShip]

 

Tolliver pulls back the throttle so everyone could be heard. The magnetic drives in the belly of the Argos were surprisingly quiet while providing so much power, but the deadly saw prows were like angry leviathans themselves.

He steers the ship closer to Biff and her passengers in case anyone needs to change locations, while keeping a weary eye on the potential locations of the beast. His fungal skin prickles at not knowing where the enemy lays.

OOC

Watching for any signs of which rustle of leaves hides the Cuda

 

[yxanthymir]

---

Park Stadium | AspectsBloodline: Ardent

- Tough as Nails (4-Track Trait) - You’re a natural survivor. Rolls made to treat or heal an injury you're suffering from treat conflicts as triumphs.

- Ironclad Mind (4-Track Trait) - You are immune to hallucinations, mesmerics and mental compulsions.

Origin: Ridgeback

- Archaeodermis (2-Track Trait) - Your skin (or whatever you have as an outer covering) mimics the mountain you were raised on. You're immune to keen damage, as well as bites and stings from small creatures.

- Shamanic Idol (4-Track Gear) - Holds a sliver of power from a not-quite-god. Deals LR salt damage.

Post: Char

- Taste Test (4-Track Trait) - You're immune to poisons, and can determine their presence and characteristics by taste alone.

- Seasoned Cleaver (2-Track Gear) - As useful on the battlefield as it is in the galley. Deals CQ hewing damage. Increase impact when acquiring dangerous or disruptive specimens. | EdgesGrace, Instinct & Tides | SkillsDelve: 0
Vault: 2
Wavewalk: 0
Hunt: 2
Study: 0
Sense: 3
Harvest: 3
Scavenge: 0
Tend: 2
Concoct: 0
Cook: 3
Rattle: 0
Flourish: 0
Outwit: 0
Sway: 0
Brace: 0
Break: 0
Hack: 0 | LanguagesLow Sour | ResourcesCook Utensils (Salvage)
Bag of Spices (Specimen)
Tonic of Health (Specimen)
Liquid Fire (Specimen)
Carrion Weed (Specimen)

---

 

Park is unsure in which target he should focus. Apparently a third target presents himself now, but he keeps his aim locked at the first monster. He knows it is dangerous. He keeps waiting for the best moment to fire again.

Apparently they reached some sort of truce with the occupant of the menacing boat. Good, one less target to aim, and the plan from the stranger sounds good enough and less risky for him. He likes that.

Go and attract the Cuda! He yells to the stranger. Ill cover you.

He could not stop his mind from wondering, if he does not become Cuda's food in next moments, how he could get some Cuda's flesh for a recipe? Is it good? What type of spice combines better with it?

 

Actions

 

 

[Dr Jackal]

Tharr looks down at the nocked arrow, glistening webs wrapped around the tip. "Of course there is only one thing to do," he mutters. With a silent prayer, he hops onto the other skiff.

"Go! We'll distract the beast," he shouts to Atus. To the other sailor he adds in Raka Spit, "Can slow Cuda down maybe. If have good fate. Make sail fast now, yes?"

Edited December 15, 2023 by Dr Jackal (see edit history)

[Moveslikejagger]

 

There are two suspicious patches which might mark the position of the beast. Atus thought to himself. So I will test one with my lightning and Park can test the other, leaving cannons and harpoons to strike once identified.

As soon as Tharr leaves the skiff, Atus gunned the engines again and sped away in a tight circle, the saws throwing leaves and petals into his wake.

With lightning swirling around his torso Atus aims for the closest patch to his position and unleashes another bolt of lightning into the green.

With fortune I will identify the hiding position of the beast for the others to attack.

He then pours his lightning into Biff and points the skiff at the trapped ship, ideas rolling around inside his head about making the downed ship a lure, or using his lightning to free the ship and attack Cuda from multiple directions.

OOC & Actions

Atus releases another lightning bolt into the closest "suspicious" patch, then speeds away towards the stuck ship using his VI to enhance speed.

Question -

[Morkskittar]

Cuda Surfaces! [/]-[/]-[/]-[/]

---

The harpoonist looks a little saddened by Park's quick acceptance of his offer to risk himself, but he is certainly in no position to complain. "You got it!" he shouts back to Park. "I distract." He looks surprised, and somewhat heartened, when the mothryn leaps from Biff over to his own outrider. He flashes white teeth in response to Tharr. "We head for Cuda when we know which." Tharr is wedged somewhat uncomfortably on the back of the small outrider, but he is secure.

Atus, meanwhile fires yet another shot from his palm into one of the possible spots, and is rewarded with a hissing roar. Stealth gone, the Cuda's passage through the canopy is marked as heading directly for the Argos. With alarm, Tolliver throws the twin longjaws in reverse and backs away.

The harpoonist whoops, a hungry gleam in his eye. "There he is!" He does something with his steering, and then the outrider lurches forward, speeding around both Biff and the Argos up the ridge, closer to where the Cudasign is.

With Tharr riding along with his new friend and the beast revealed, Atus focuses his tempest's energy into Biff. The skiff roars back to life as he turns it around, facing the trapped ship and pondering making a move for it. He can reach it fairly quickly now, he is sure.

The trees off the starboard side of the Argos, and directly in front of the outriderNamed Needle.'s position, erupt as a wicked claw lashesCuda roll: 1,2,4. out at Tharr and his friend. Thankfully, the harpoonist has razor-sharp reflexes, as he steers the outrider away, preventing it from being split in two. Instead, the claws catches the pile of extra harpoons sitting next to the harpoonist, sending them all tumbling into the treeline. Now, all that Needle has left is the loaded harpoon and Tharr's arrows.

The claw is quickly followed by the rest of the beast; it has oily, hairless skin, too many mismatched fangs, and baleful yellow eyes. Its skin is crisscrossed with pale scars, and it seems to shimmer and change color. When it first erupts from beneath the leaves, it is a deep blue color, but above them, exposed to the twilight, it shimmers until it changes to a dark green that matches the rustling waves. Thankfully, the white scars all across its skin make it more visible than it would otherwise have been. It is also accompanied by the strong stench of brine; a unique scent that makes Park wonder about the culinary possibilities.

Park, Tharr, and the harpoonist are all in line to take a shotNormally, this beast would have a cut for camouflage, but its scars negate that, so normal Hunt rolls for ranged attack, with any Edge you think is appropriate and can justify.. Atus is far from it now, but has other options available...

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Morkskittar (see edit history)

[CraterShip]

 

As soon as the Cuda erupts on the starboard side of the Argos, Tolliver slams the throttle into full reverse and cranks the wheel to the left, working to aim the ship's sawprow at the creature, and giving Park an easier shot. Thus far the lightning rail had done seemingly significant damage, and in the back of his mind he knew this would be a fight for their lives. . Either it saw the Firefly as enough of a prize for it to stick around, or it was simply mad - in either case, enraged as the leviathan was, it was not going to back down.

"I'm bringing her around, as soon as you have a clear shot, take it!" he calls to Park from his command seat.

OOC

Steering

 

[Dr Jackal]

Tharr sniffs the air and hisses. "Of course it is salt," he says. He shakes the spiderwebs off his arrow, knowing that the delicate structure is ruined now. The arrow glistens with virulent green sap.

"The scars are the places where it has been injured and lived, yes?" he says to no one in particular. "So the best place to aim would be ... some other part of its body. Let us start with the eyes. Yes, that is probably a safe choice."

 

OOC: Toxin damage for the shot.

Edited December 22, 2023 by Dr Jackal (see edit history)

[Moveslikejagger]

 

As he drove across the gap between the Argos and Firefly, thoughts swirled inside his head and he wasn't sure if it was a whisper that found its way inside, or an epiphany that graced him. What did the Argent say? That it's breath is poison, its skin matches the waves and it holds a grudge against the Firefly. A grudge denotes some kind of intelligence.

The lightning speeding around his chest works into a frenzy of activity as sudden realization strikes. I am immune to Cuda's breath and the seals on the Argus will not stand against such an attack. Nooooo!

All his conscious thought beyond the need to help his friends, seemed to end and pure instinct took over.

"CUDA!" Atus bellowed in anger as he changed direction, "WE ARE NOT AN EASY MEAL. YOU ARE NOT MY PURPOSE. I AM ANGRY!!!"

Atus kicked the sawprow into overdrive and poured his own lightning into the craft. The pulsating roar of the engine, sounding like a rapid beast, caused a shuddering of the frame which told Atus that the skiff could not withstand this speed* for long without shaking the craft apart. But I don't need long.

The ridge of green in front of him would do nicely. With tremendous speed the skiff tore up the ridge and vaulted high into the air behind the Argos. Biff rose like a glittering ball of death as lightning arced violently inside the beetle shell. Atus hoped the additional height would give him the additional range he needed. He looked completely unhinged as he bellowed.

"PARK IS GOING TO MAKE BURGERS OUT OF YOU!" As he let loose with another lightning bolt, intending to distract or hurt Cuda even more.

 

OOC, Actions, & questions

Actions: Atus does his daredevil routine and fires his lightning either at Cuda, or nearby to distract him.

 

I have no idea what I am meant to roll for this. Maybe Study to work out the angles and speed needed to reach the height? Handling?

 

* Biff starts with 2 speed, gains +1 from Atus VI, +1 from overdrive = 4. Biff is MOVING.

 

Here is my tactical thinking:

1) The jump might surprise/distract Cuda. (Yes... lift that head, expose the throat mwahahar)

2) Additional height might give Atus the range for a shot. (Coz jommetry)

3) At the end of the jump, Atus will be in a position to flank Cuda from the other side.

4) Cuda might be intimidated by the crazy lightning bug, What? It could happen. :)

 

Questions:

Would Biff the Skiff fit inside Cuda's mouth? (Yes. I do have an image of ramming the skiff down the Leviathan's throat to block the poison breath and shocking the juicy bits out of him from inside his mouth. I mean, Tempests have a reputation for being a bit crazy right?)

Does Atus think Biff is faster than Cuda? Some kind of relative speed would be good.

 

 

[yxanthymir]

---

Park Stadium | AspectsBloodline: Ardent

- Tough as Nails (4-Track Trait) - You’re a natural survivor. Rolls made to treat or heal an injury you're suffering from treat conflicts as triumphs.

- Ironclad Mind (4-Track Trait) - You are immune to hallucinations, mesmerics and mental compulsions.

Origin: Ridgeback

- Archaeodermis (2-Track Trait) - Your skin (or whatever you have as an outer covering) mimics the mountain you were raised on. You're immune to keen damage, as well as bites and stings from small creatures.

- Shamanic Idol (4-Track Gear) - Holds a sliver of power from a not-quite-god. Deals LR salt damage.

Post: Char

- Taste Test (4-Track Trait) - You're immune to poisons, and can determine their presence and characteristics by taste alone.

- Seasoned Cleaver (2-Track Gear) - As useful on the battlefield as it is in the galley. Deals CQ hewing damage. Increase impact when acquiring dangerous or disruptive specimens. | EdgesGrace, Instinct & Tides | SkillsDelve: 0
Vault: 2
Wavewalk: 0
Hunt: 2
Study: 0
Sense: 3
Harvest: 3
Scavenge: 0
Tend: 2
Concoct: 0
Cook: 3
Rattle: 0
Flourish: 0
Outwit: 0
Sway: 0
Brace: 0
Break: 0
Hack: 0 | LanguagesLow Sour | ResourcesCook Utensils (Salvage)
Bag of Spices (Specimen)
Tonic of Health (Specimen)
Liquid Fire (Specimen)
Carrion Weed (Specimen)

---

 

When his olfactory senses were attacked by the strong stench of brine, Park enters into full salivating mode. It is a powerful and unique smell, and that almost certainly translates into a powerful taste in his experience. Not only that, that oily and sparkling skin with a beautiful shimmer assaults his eyes, like any good tasty food should, be a feast for all the senses.

Empowered by that powerful feeling, Park forgets his cautious and timid behavior, and becomes a hungry beast. Ready to pounce on his prey. Eat or be eaten.

Ai. - He says to Tolliver, preparing the gun for a second shot, with murder intent in his eyes. - Lets kill dat beast. But softly... I want a piece of dat fing.

Actions

Shoot the monster. (Hunt + Instinct).

 

[Morkskittar]

Time slowed down for a moment as everyone converged on the Cuda. Tharr was the first to get their shot off, nocking an arrow dipped in toxin and firing it off. The arrows were also still imbued with the essence of saltspider webs, and it flew straight and true over the rustling waves, through the twilight, and into one of its eyes. The Cuda let out a shrill shriek, and claws at its eye with one claw. The baleful yellow eye was closed, and already oozing pus and some kind of webbingYou gave the poor thing conjunctivitis. :(.

Tharr's arrow was followed by a much larger one; the last harpoon that the outrider had on it. It flew somewhat less true, and ricocheted off one of the beast's scarsRoll: 1, 2 3, 5.. The harpoon then flew directly at the Argos, where it wedged itself perpendicularly in one of the the ship's twin longjaws. Tolliver had just gotten the Argos into a good firing position, and suddenly found that their starboard longjaw was no longer fully functional, courtesy of the large pointed stick wedged into it from the side. Tolliver could no longer do anything but go in circles, unless he pushed the engines to overdrive (which would require a brief trip belowdecks to turn that on for the starboard longjaw), and then he risked damaging the mechanism due to how the harpoon was wedged. Alternatively, he could go over , lower himself down the side, and try to yank the harpoon out himself.

Fortunately, the Argos had already landed Park in a good position to take a shot. The storm-rail fired, thunder echoing as lightning ripped through the air. The bolt slammed into the Cuda with enough forceHigh-impact volt damage! that it actually went airborne for a brief moment, nearly slamming into the outrider Needle. As it scrabbled to regain purchase on the leaves, its tail lashed out, knocking Tharr's harpoonist friend on the head and sending him flying out into the leaves.

Tharr now stood alone on the deck of the harpoon-less outrider, holding his bow. A moment later he realized that the thing's engine was still on, and that no one was driving.

While the Cuda was subjected to attacks from all sides, Atus ran Biff like never before, running up the raised treeline ridge with enough speed to become airborneI like the Study idea, so I went with Study + Instinct and rolled 1, 4, 6. That's more than enough speed to get you up there. itself. In a microcosm of the storm-rail, a second bolt of lightning arcedHunt Roll to Hit in Combat: 5. from Atus and hit the flailing Cuda.

It turned its attention to Atus, and breathed out. A sprayIron + Brace Roll to avoid damage: 2, 2, 3, 4. This inflicts one damage, which has been marked on Tempered Anchor for a very specific reason. of spittle and noxious odors enveloped Biff and Atus, who were both now falling towards the Cuda's head. The toxins in its spray flowed over and through the ironbound, but there was something else in that spray that caused Atus' spirit, that soul that they still did not fully understand yet, to feel distant and detached. Then they actually looked down at themselves, their consciousness quite literally detached from their body. They still controlled themselves, but they had a much better view from ten feet up. They wondered what another spray would do; would their tether to their physical form snap altogether? They hoped they would not find out.

Biff's arc carried them over the Cuda, and he landed on the other side, where Atus promptly began to turn the skiff around.

The Cuda looked somewhere between furious and drunk, and it lashed out at Needle with a clawTilt Roll to Dodge: 2, 2, 3, 3. Nope.. Tharr leapt to the control to try and steer it away, and then saw that the blow was unavoidable and leapt off the side instead. The Cuda's claw broke the outrider in half, and Tharr, thankfully, landed on a a bough sticking above the waves at the edge of the treeline ridge. Their position still afforded them a decent shot at the beast, and it did not seem to notice him there, especially with its bad eye.

OOC

The Cuda is a bit shellshocked at everything that just got thrown at it at once, so all rolls against it get +1 die now. :) On the map, its three health bars are each marking an aspect (much like when you take damage, it is removed from aspects): the top is its Saltmaw, then its Tail, and then its Claws. Calling a shot on an aspect will get the highest die cut from your roll. Note that most encounters will not require you to reduce an enemy to zero health; you merely have to convince it that the fight is no longer worth it (though you know this thing holds a grudge).

The Argos is immobile until something is done about the harpoon the longjaw mechanism, but Park still had a good shot at the beast. Tharr no longer has a ride, but has a good perch on the treetops for shooting. The harpoonist flew away and is out of commission for now. Atus sailed over the thing and has landed on its other side. All of you did damage to it.

I rolled for Atus to keep things moving, but to answer your questions: Biff is too big to fit in the Cuda's mouth; it's big, but not quite that big. Needle, the destroyed outrider, would have. Biff's prow would probably fit in its mouth though, so ramming it to break its head/jaw is still an option. Biff is also much faster than the Cuda; the Cuda does not appear to move with great speed at all.

And a fun fact about this particular beast, the chameleocuda: its primary prey is the literal souls/spirits that inhabit living bodies (not the bodies themselves usually), and its breath and bite can directly damage the spirit, in addition to being highly toxic. :)

Edited January 7 by Morkskittar (see edit history)

[Moveslikejagger]

 

The noisome greenish spit and breath of Cuda coated everything. At the strange shift in viewpoint, time, moving at a once frenetic pace, changed to glacial slowness. As Biff sailed through the air to land upon the green, many things changed for the Tempest. So I am not immune to it's breath after all. Came the dispassionate thought that crossed Atus' mind. The new viewpoint felt like being in two places at once, or being a puppeteer controlling a marionette, only now he could see the strings that connected his soul to his body. The sensation was new and strange. Trippy. Pull yourself together Atus. You cannot die here, you must find your why. What do you know? What can you use? 

The analytical thoughts processed almost by themselves, like a second voice out/inside his head, noting a million things at once*. The harpoon which hampered the Argos' mobility. The Cuda's skin is like armor but the Argos can still bring its guns to bear. The destruction of the outrider and Tharr leaping to a precarious spot upon the green. The Mothryn lives and can snipe from that position if he is not discovered. Distract the beast to give Tharr the killing blow. The condition of the Leviathan, injured but not fleeing, disorientated by the multiple attacks from numerous directions.Weak to further attacks, a slow moving target. A sense of fear in the air, but whether it came from Cuda, the crew, or from within his craven heart he did not know. How high would you aim, how glorious would be your pursuits, if you knew you could not fail Atus? Do not hold yourself back. Do everything until you can do nothing. Maximum effort.

As the skiff landed, the lightning around the form of Atus appeared to reach a new and terrifying level. It crawled over every inch of his body, burning away the spit and making a thin but hellish-smelling smoke that trailed behind the skiff as Atus piloted the craft at speed. The glowing eyes of the Tempest, almost unnoticeable behind the dangerous arcing light show of his body, shone brightly with a purple tone, which seemed to infect the lightning in his body. Biff glowed from within like an incandescent lightbulb, illuminating the green with a white and purple light.

Above the skiff, seven huge and rough orbs of red light appeared before shooting upwards, trailing thin glowing tendrils behind them, looking like a gigantic jellyfish in the evening sky. The huge spectral shape filled the sky but only lasted for less than a heartbeat before disappearing. As Atus drove the skiff at breakneck speed towards a small wave, other enormous shapes of various colored light flashed above him, moving in all directions and disappearing almost before being seen. The ghostly insubstantial shapes were a mute and threatening display of sheer power, as if the spirits consumed by Cuda were amassing to exact their revenge, when Atus drove the skiff into the sky once more.

His intention was clear, he would slam into the Leviathan from above like a huge armored beetle fist and drive the mother of all lightning bolts into his target.

 

 

OOC and a Million thoughts

A million thoughts

If we can keep the Cudaskin alive, with practice and small electrical stimulation we could make the ship (or Biff) change colour. Mwahahar.

Harpoons with spidersilk (at both ends) would make the target fight against the Wildsea itself by entangling it with the green. Try and recover the Harpoon launcher and chat to Tharr.

Cudaspit is like Ironbound LSD. Make sure Park takes lots of samples. (Purely for scientific purposes of course.)

If the multilayer Cudaskin is tough enough to make a sharp harpoon glance off, blunt and heavy is better than sharp.

Stratospheric Perturbation Resulting from Intense Thunderstorm Electrification = SPRITE. (Sprites last between 5 and 300 milliseconds, extend 30-90 km with a main body of about 50-60 km. They are a cold plasma phenomenon like a florescent tube reaction. I took some artistic license and made it tiny)

Emissions of Light and Very Low frequency perturbations due to Electromagnetic pulse Sources = ELVES (Trolls, Pixies, Ghosts and Gnomes) Refer to different shapes and directions of light.

 

Atus rams Cuda with the skiff and shoots off lightning again. (The lightshow is just for flavour, no actual crunch)

 

 

Edited January 8 by Moveslikejagger (see edit history)

[CraterShip]

Grinding to a screeching halt, the starboard sawprow tried to chew through the ricocheted trident, but failed as the shaft buried itself somewhere in the inner workings. Tolliver yanked the throttle back to full stop on that side, and left the port engine turning slowly. Can't leave the Argos at a complete standstill, better to circle slowly than have no movement at all, his mind raced through possible fixes - reverse the sawprow and hope it dislodged on its own? No - if it couldn't move forward, reversing may just make it worse. He was going to have to get down there and free the harpoon manually.

Double checking the engine on that side was disconnected (not wanting to have it suddenly burst to life with him in the teeth), he leaped down from the captain's raised platform, calling to Park.

"Keep that thing away from us if you can! I've got to free the saw or we'll be as dead as her," he points to the wrecked Firefly ship. In a moment, he was at the railing pushing off and over the edge of the starboard bow. His grappling hook secured to the deck, he used the rope to swing down to the lodged harpoon. Then, using the momentum of the fall, he tried to grab at the weapon, hoping his weight would pull it free.

OOC

Rolled Grace + Vault as they seemed to be appropriate - if different thoughts, please feel free to amend

Grappling hook: Treat conflicts as triumphs when climbing or swinging

 

Edited January 8 by CraterShip (see edit history)