It was a dark and stormy night… So really not ideal conditions for airship travel. The evening sky was blanketed with heavy clouds, casting a deep darkness below that limited sight to just a few yards. Worse yet, the air was thick with snowfall, which whipped and blew with the howling winds.

The A.S. Firefly, the aircrew lamented openly, was not meant for such treacherous conditions, but onward it drove with urgency, both to relieve the town and just to land safely. It had to fly low for the navigation spotlights to see anything, but when the winds blew hard enough the ship would drift uncomfortably close to the mountainsides, able to be seen unassisted. With the slippery deck and strong winds, hunters were advised to be very careful if they came up, and most of the aircrew wore safety harnesses.

The tundra was already a frigid land, but under the night sky, with relentless winds and some altitude, it really was cold enough to kill. By contrast, the engine room was sweat-inducingly hot, and the rest of the lower deck was kept warm, save for whenever someone opened the top door. During the journey the supplies had been properly organized, the kitchen prepared some meals, and the hunters got to know each other a little, or did their own things.

The noise of wind came over the pipeline. “Captain speaking! We found the river! Yay~ -Hrrrmph!” The ship rocked and turned. “Now if Nidus’s been reading the map right, we should be arriving in just a few minutes! And if you look out the starboard windows, you’ll see some Anteka! Let's pull closer for a better look…”
“Captain, pr’lease!”
“Just kidding~!” The ship had turned slightly. “All hunters get ready for landing! We’ll see who’s waiting for us when we set down.”
“Ma’am, we can’t see the lighthouse-!.” The noise stopped.

The journey was a few hours, so you probably got each others names, maybe some history, but I’ll leave that to each of you.
There’s a handful of other low rank hunters, I’ll leave the number vague for now, but probably a dozen or less.
Introduce yourselves, get ready to move. Feel free to socialize, don’t worry about posting order.
Any questions, let me know.

"Anteka, huh? I remember having a coat made of one. Pretty warm, though it was a little coarse." Leon mentioned, looking up from one of his medical books. He snapped the book shut and put it away in his pack, actually going over to the starboard window to look. Leon was avoiding the top deck for now. Ambient cold he could handle, the cutting wind was another thing entirely. Just thinking about it made him shiver, despite the warmth inside.

The dangerous swinging of the ship wasn't helping, he had already wrapped up one nigh-broken nose already. Leon made a mental note to replace that little bit of wrapping later, but it wasn't truly concerning at the moment.

Myar couldn't resist a peak upstairs, but after opening the door and being blasted with frigid air, retreated back to the lower deck and its warmth. "It's f-f-fur-eezing out there," he chattered, wiping bits of frost from his whiskers. The fidgety Melynx then scurried starboard as well, trying to squeeze in a glimpse of the foggy sky. Myar's nose twitched as he whimpered, "those meow-tains s-sure look close, huh?"

Even with the window full of treacherous fog and mountainous shadows, the cat's eyes couldn't help but drift. The other hunter sharing his view had a satchel of some sort. Myar instinctively reached out to grab it, before stopping himself midway. Instead, he pointed and asked, "Nya! Hunter! What's in that pack?"

Chibisa clencehed the small ceramic cup in both hands and squeezed so hard she was sure her knuckles were turning white under the black gloves of her kote. Savoring the soft burn that leached through the clay as she focused her attention on the hot tea within. Her hands moving with the sway of the ship to keep the steaming liquid from sloshing out of its container. The trip had been rougher than she imagined and while she wasn’t usually prone to motion sickness, the trip had been sorely testing the limits of her stomach. To keep herself occupied she had taken the time to observe the others around her in the ship’s commons.

She had found a small corner of the ship early in the trip and had kept to herself for the most part, her body wrapped in a traveling cloak she had purchased just before boarding. Her face half obscured by the large brim of her kasa. Leaning against the wall behind her was her glaive, latched down by a bit of rope she had found after the weapon had slid to the ground or bonked her in the head each time the ship lurched. Now that they were close to the destination she felt another set of butterflies flitting around in her stomach. It would be her first official job from the Guild and she was determined to complete the job successfully and build up her rank within the Guild.

Her grip on the cup relaxed slightly after the voice of the captain faded from the pipes. Taking a few deep breaths to subdue her nerves she rose from her small corner bench and edged toward the window. Through the blinding white haze of the storm she could just barely make out the Anteka wandering the ground below. Her violet eyes going wide and all thoughts of nerves and motion sickness forgotten as she pressed her face against the glass for a closer look. The darkness of night and the snowstorm working against her view as the ship moved on and the Anteka were swallowed by the elements once more. Frowning she stepped back from the window, grumbling under her breath how she wished she could see more of the creatures.

"Just a few minutes till landing..." Gaige muttered as he finished mixing some herbs together; the result, a heating salve made from fire herbs. It hadn't been easy mixing the herbs, with the ship's rocking and swaying, but he was able to get it done, albeit quite a bit slower than usual for him. "Here you go, Alca. This'll keep you warm." He called his Kinsect over from it's firm perch on a nearby wall, from where it watched him work. After he carefully spread the salve over it's body, covering everything but the eyes, mouth and wings, he packed up what remained and hung it from his waist, for future use.

As Gaige stood up, Alca climbed onto his arm, and together they started to head towards the starboard side of the ship, figuring that's where most of the other hunters would be. He'd made sure to catch everyone's names, and noted all of their equipment, but aside from that he'd kept to himself making hot drinks and other herbal remedies in preparation for what they might face.

"Any hunters who need them, I have some hot drinks, in a small and convenient pellet format." Gaige announced, hoping it might help those who didn't have the time to properly prepare themselves for the cold.

"Oh, in my pack?" Leon repeated, pointedly ignoring the outstretched paw. "Some medical supplies, a canteen, medical books... Gotta keep the crew together, after all. I've already helped someone with an injury on this ship." He chuckled, now finally looking at the Lynian. "I'm Leon. I don't think I caught your name...?"

Myar lifted his outstretched paw enthusiastically. "Name's Cat A. Myar, infiltrationologist and snipenator extraordinaire! Paw-leasure to meet you!" As the Melynx initiated the handshake, his ears perked up at the announcement of hot drinks. With his left paw, he waved at the offering hunter, "Oh me! I need something to warm the ole whiskers, here! "

Upon hearing the request for Hot Drinks, Gaige made his way over to the Melynx and Giaprey-clad hunter. "Here you go; two Hot Drinks, in a small and convenient pellet format." He said as he handed two red-colored pellets to the lynian. "You can either chew it, or swallow it like a pill. Both ways work." After the quick explanation, Gaige looked between the two hunters. "Cat A. Myar and Leon, right?" He asked as he thought back and recalled their names; at the same time, he realized he'd never actually introduced himself, and that he mainly caught everyone's names as he made his remedies. "I'm Gaige Greenman, both a hunter and an herbalist." He introduced himself. "If you ever need any herbal remedies or poisons, I'm your man."

Her right slightly elongated ear twitched as a conversation nearby rose above the low din of the other hunters and the ship. The conversation catching her attention and causing her head to turn to the right to see the two hunters and the Melynx conversing not far from her location. She didn’t recognize them personally, but then again she had not met any of the hunters or ship personnel before now. As far as she knew she had been the only one from her village to answer the Guild’s call.

A flash of red caught her attention as the pellets were handed over to the Melynx and she vaguely remembered hearing one hunter announcing they had hot drinks in a pellet form. Curiosity piqued and before she knew it she was turning to approach the small group. When she reached the group she paused to give a slight bow and introduced herself to the hunters and Melynx. ”Greetings hunters, my apology for the interruption. I am Chibisa, a new hunter sent from the Guild within the Misty Peaks. I do not mean to pry, but I was curious about those.” She gestured toward the small pellets that had been handed to the Melynx. “How exactly were you able to condense them into such a convenient form?” Her wide violet eyes shone with curiosity as her gaze moved from the pellets in the Melynx paw to the two hunters.

"Hmm? The pellets?" Gaige's eyes lit up at the question. Without any hesitation, he jumped straight into the details. "It's a technique I discovered a while back while I was experimenting with some herbs and mushrooms. I learned that when melted at the right heat, the sap from sap plants will harden into a translucent casing. After some more experimenting and some moldings, I'd created my first pellet-sized Potion. It doesn't hold near as much as a bottle, though, so I did my best to enhance what is in there to make up for that." He paused to take a breath before continuing. "The casing itself isn't that hard; comparable to, say, chocolate, but it does hold up quite well in extreme temperatures without melting or hardening, and you can get the full effect by either chewing it, therefore breaking the casing and releasing the liquid, or swallowing like a pill, whereupon the casing will quickly dissolve in your stomach, granting the same end result."

After finishing his explanation of the pellet casings and how they work, Gaige realized he hadn't returned the introduction; and also that he went on another long-winded rambling about one of his concoctions, when a shorter and simpler explanation would have sufficed. "Sorry... about that." He apologized. "I'm Gaige, and on my arm here is Alca." He introduced both himself and his Kinsect, hoping to draw at least a little attention away from his ramble.

Sayrdon's large frame seemingly took up an entire corner of the airship cabin as he leaned back on his slightly-too-tiny stool. He worried more about the structural integrity of it more than the potential hazards of the weather. With one eye partially squinted, hampered by the need for more sleep, he lazily gazed around the room. Taking stock of the hunters before him, he contemplated getting up and introducing himself, maybe even partaking in the pellets the young hunter had called out about.

A small "Eh." escaped as he stretched his lumbering limbs out, attempting to crack his back. When that proved to be an exercise in futility, Sayrdon once again wrapped into himself.

"I hate the cold...I hate the cold." he muttered as he went back to reading a far too tiny pamphlet discussing a new irrigation method.

”A pleasure to meet both of you, Gaige and Alca.” A friendly smile crossed her lips as she gave a gentle nod of greeting to the other hunter and the kinsect. Her violet eyes shifted back to the pellets in the Melynx paw as a thoughtful expression crossed her young face. “Such an interesting and creative method. Do you think it would work with other elixirs or drinks?”  Curiosity gave way to excitement as the possibility for making a new convenient form for all the possible medicines and boosters raced through her mind.

The sound of a loud crash could be heard as a dense, metal hammer was pressed onto the floorboards of the cabin. From up above on the main deck, the hulking Thandraug paced down toward the cabin, apparently lacking a fair bit of his protective gear. He had left most of his other belongings behind in his quarters and took a trip up onto the main deck to take in the view firsthand.

Upon returning to the ships's cabin, he had let his hammer down and committed himself to a hearty laugh whilst stretching his bare forearms hungrily for space first left and then right.

"HA, HA, HA! Nothing beats Mother Nature's strong left. This cold air is a rare treat. It makes me feel absolutely alive." He cracked his neck and continued working his muscles to pulsate warmth and activity throughout his body. He was absolutely pumped for his first opportunity to step away from the confines of Dondurma and make his mark on a new land.

"'Strong left', indeed. I'm still waiting for the right hook," Leon replied, glancing back out of the window and keeping an eye on the clouds. Looking back at the gathered group, he put one of his hands to his chin as he regarded the Hot Drink in pill form.

"It is very creative, yes. I'm still more concerned with the length and strength of the effects, however. I'd hate for someone to wake up while I'm working on them, after all," the man muttered, lightly patting his medical bag.

"Certainly." Gaige first replied to Chibisa. "I first tested it with Potions, and it can be used with a wide variety; anything liquid, really." He was careful not to jump into another spiel, as natural as it might come. But next, to cover Leon's concern, he knew he'd likely have to. "As for the strength and length of the effects, that is a very viable concern, and one I'm still working on." Gaige took out one of his Potion pellets. "However, I have done my best to strengthen and concentrate the concoction as much as I can, using strengthening agents. For example, I only put Mega Potions into these pellets, but the strength is closer to that of a Potion."

He stowed away the pellet, then continued. "As for your specific concern, however, I actually work with various poisons, as well. That includes sleep inducing agents; since I make them for monsters, if you find yourself needing to operate on someone out in the field, a small dose of my sleeping agents should be enough to keep them asleep for the duration." Gaige reassured. "Aside from that, I only really use pellets for field work, and I always carry enough of an herb and mushroom variety to mix up something stronger, if need be." On his arm, Alca fidgeted slightly, feeling uneasy with the raging winds outside. Unconsciously, Gaige gave Alca a small, comforting pat, and the Kinsect relaxed. Both of them were eager to set foot on solid ground, even if it did mean braving the frigid cold.

Myar's head twitched left, in a futile attempt to flip his right ear upright. The left one, however, perked up to listen to the new, terrifyingly huge hunters enter. His limp ear, the Melynx decided, could listen to the conversing about balls and fluids. Talk of alchemy weren't exactly above his head, but also not something he was interested in; Myar preferred admixtures of a more explosive variety.

While he tried to tune out the nearby conversation to focus on the, frankly, scarier hunters in the room his feline eyes noticed one of the hunters staring at him. Her shifty purple eyes glanced to his newly acquired hot drink pellets. The wandering eyes of a thief, and Myar should know! He began slinking backwards. "Nyah! Well, great talking with mew all, but this one is going to grab a little cat-nap before real work starts!"

Sayr could feel a set of eyes flitting to and away from his corner. He peeked through his brushy hair to catch the culprit as he looked away again.

"Cat." He muttered under his breath, caught between the desire to call the creature over, or just to self identify. "Palico.." he corrected himself. "Theiflynx." He corrected once more, still muttering and searching for the proper term. "Melynx?" He gave up and bellowed out towards Myar. "You. Cat, come here?" Sayr wrestled his words over and over as the sentenced drifted from booming to almost a whisper. Regretting what could possibly be deemed offensive, he pressed on. "Can we talk." His tone struck more as an order than an inquisition.

The truth is, in his travels, Sayrdon had not seen a Lynian up close. He'd heard of their resourcefulness, their trapping skills. If there was one thing to get the mountain of a man to spew a river of words, it'd be talking about applicable skills and crafting.

He pat the side of his leg as if beckoning a house cat. Realizing he was probably seen as demeaning, he quickly stopped that. Frustrated with his inability to navigate the situation, he doubled down back into the too-tiny pamphlet.

Sayrdon was not a people person. He muttered and reminded himself of why he liked working amongst the forests. "Trees don't get upset. Trees listen. I like trees."

She nodded slowly at the explanation and allowed her thoughts to wander briefly. Though her attention was caught by the Melynx suddenly backing away when her gaze had dropped to the pellets in the feline’s paw. A small mischievous streak rose up and she made a playful grab towards the pellets, only to move her hand at the last second to give the melynx’s ear tip a light and playful flick with her finger. “Not to worry hunter-cat, I have no intention of taking anything from you. I was curious is all as such a remarkable task would be good knowledge for later.”

 The impishly playful expression on her face melted to a warm smile at the feline before turning her attention back to Gaige.  “Perhaps one day if you pass by Yukumo Village you would share your findings with the apothecary, I am sure the people and travelers of the village could benefit from such a convenience.”

A sharp howl of the wind had her head turning to glance out the window. Her weight shifting from one foot to the other as a restlessness started to settle from the long flight. “I hope we land soon, I am eager to not be airborne any longer.” She turned her head back to the gathering of hunters, speaking to the group as a whole. ”Were there any details given on what exactly we are going to be facing out there when we get to this place? My guild branch gave me vague details at best.”

"I heard something about a Blangonga attack, but little else. I presume we're going to take care of that." Leon offered, feeling the ship shudder against the wind. "And yeah, not really a fan of heights either, or airships in general. I'll be glad when we're on solid ground."

Myar turned his full attention to the giant that, presumably, was beckoning him. While he tried to find the right balance between pride and cowardice as the man insulted him, the scales were tipped by the purple-eyed hunter. The Lynian rubbed the ear, as if doing so would sooth the wound to his pride.

While he believed the words she said, his unease at being observed by so many parties became overwhelming, and a last second decision sent him scurrying towards Sayr. "Nya! What can I do fur you, fur-iend?" The Melynx shook a little as he raised his hand in an exaggerated salute. By the time the gesture and was finished, his false-confidence was almost completely restored. Knowing he'd regret it, he extended for a paw-shake and tried not to wince in anticipation of crushed claws.

Stone-faced as ever, Sayr looked at Myar. "I would like...if we can to talk. Your kind makes traps right? Survival. Off the land? I like that. I do a bit of that myself." His pride slowly crept through. "I don't care much for people. Don't care for the Loud, but," Sayr reached and grasped the Melynx's outstretched paw between his meaty thumb and index finger, shaking it gently. "You aren't exactly people, are you."

Once again, his words carried the potential for unintended offense. "I've never been 'cross one of your kind before." His face briefly warmed to a smile and snapped back to it's apathetic standard. "Are you a builder cat? What do I call you? Is cat bad?" It was clear this was the most effort he's put into speaking to another sentient thing in quite a while, and it was clear he didn't understand the basic concept of it.

"Quite right, indeed! Cat *is* the name!" he chirped. His predatory instincts began surfacing as he scanned the hulk in front of him. The Melynx snapped back to the conversation, adding, "Cat A. Myar, to be pur-cise! Renowned trap-ifier and snare-icator! A paw-leasure!"

Either this man was capable of destroying Myar without a second thought, or he was slow enough to be an easy mark. The ex-bandit tried to convince himself that, in the latter case the man needed Cat's expert protection. Still, Myar couldn't shake the doubt that maybe, somewhere deep down, he wanted to exploit the mammoth creature holding his paw.

The airship could be felt moving laterally again, then turning into the wind to fight its push… But then there was a very loud snap from the engine room, and the ship turned back the other way. “Dodgast!” The engine crew scrambled, one yelling up the pipes. “The starboard belt snapped!”
“Disengaging propellers! -No good!” There was panic on both decks, and the captain came over all the pipes. “BRAAACE!!!”

The boat crashed against its side hard, causing anything loose to fly across the floor clamorously, including some people... Though it felt longer, it was over just as quick as it had begun. The ship continued to drag across the mountainside, tilting and turning some, but was relatively still, and people cursed as they collected themselves.

“Whoo. Alright, next stop, right here! Beginning descent!” Other than the bumps the gradual fall was barely felt, but could be seen out the windows as the mountain face slowly rose, groaning against the ship. “We should be on flat ground in just a couple minutes. Please remain seated or hold onto something in the meantime.”
“Captain, the balloon is caught! It’s tearing!”
“... Oh Conga crap. Alright, everyone probably heard that! Now, nobody panic. We’re-”
“We’re all gonna die!!!”

The airship began to sink rapidly, sliding down the steep cliff like a giant sideways sled. It bounced madly and leaned heavily downwards, once more jostling everything inside. Then it violently spun, the stern smashing into something, angling the bow downhill and throttling everything more dangerous than before. The boat started to level again as it approached the base of the mountain, then it slowed suddenly but smoothly to the sound of water being parted…

Once again there was an uneasy calmness. The airship rocked gently in the water like a traditional boat, and its occupants again picked themselves up as they came down from the chaos. “Did anyone go overboard?” Light was reduced below deck, as while some of the suspended oil lamps had survived, most had smashed against the floor where they continued to burn, posing a hazard if left unchecked. Much of the cargo had survived, even if spilled and littered across the floor, but some of it, namely liquids, were lost… Among other things, the pleasant smell of some fine ale was in the air.

Topside, the torn and deflated hot air balloon was draped over most of the deck and the right side of the ship. The railings and central burner stack propped it up some so it wasn’t actually on top of people so much, but it cut off visibility on one side. Despite that, it was apparent that the starboard wing and propeller had been smashed to pieces and lost somewhere along the hillside, just a splintered nub remaining.

The weather was still as blinding, cold and noisy as it was up in the air, which disturbed the surface of the river below. Its width was at least double the ships length, which was easy to tell considering the ship was going down the middle of the river sideways, though starting to straighten out. The calmness was disturbed again with a sudden thud against the ship’s side, a chunk of ice larger than some wyverns, trying to float by the ship.

Urgency set itself in again. “We’re taking on water!” Someone called from below deck at the rear. Anyone nearby could hear water pouring in steadily.

For the record, I imagine even with hot drinks, swimming in the water would be dangerous because it's so cold. Though I figure Leon (Coyote) might get some leeway because of his skill.

Leon released his deathgrip from the bar, somewhat shaken from a near miss by a particularly vindictive ale bottle.

"This is why I don't like airships... is anyone seriously hurt?" He asked aloud, before the thudding noise and following announcement drew his attention away. "Even better," he muttered, going downstairs to check on the size and shape of the hole. "Somebody put those fires out, and don't throw water on them!"

Gaige groaned as he picked himself up off the floor, having not been very successful in keeping himself braced. He put a hand to his hand and gently shook, trying to regain his bearings. Alca wasn't on him; likely clinging tightly to a wall somewhere. "Ugh... I'm never getting on another airship ever again." He grumbled as he took in everything that was happening. Upon hearing the announcement over the pipes, he realized they needed a way back to shore if the hole was too big. "Alca!" He called as he headed up to the main deck, quickly popping a Hot Drink pellet while Alca flew back onto his arm and clung tightly.

He held a hand in front of his face as he came up on deck and was buffeted by snow and wind, and tried his best to look out across the river, as well as take in everything that was happening around him. He couldn't help but shiver despite the Hot Drink, and he knew the water could be fatal right now. But for the time being, his top priority was figuring out where land was, and where the chunk of ice was and whether it'd pose a threat to the ship.

Thandraug took a moment to straighten himself, letting his hand free from the table he leaned on during the crash. He hoisted his hammer and strapped it onto his back comfortably and firmly.

"Gotta roll, folks. Find your place and help where you can. The less you move the faster you die."

Thandraug took off to the site of impact to offer a hand with the leak.

Through the turbulence of the storm, the normally reserved Troverian was beaming with child-like elation. Having never actually flown before, and despite the warnings of being on the main deck, Galva maintained a death-grip on the starboard railing as he got a lay of the land below, the occasional glimpse of the tundra’s fauna through the snow amusing the jolly cave dweller. The image of Harth’s chief and daughter sporting helmets adorned with Anteka antlers queued a mighty guffaw from the man’s burly frame. As the ship rocked back and forth, the idea of latching his slinger’s grappling hook to the railing crossed his mind, but he decided to return to the ship’s interior, and not a moment too soon it would seem.

As the lynian’s were calling out the landing procedures, or lack there-of at the time, Galva staggered about as the ship quickened in its descent, eventually losing his footing and bursting through the door leading to where the other hunters were. Albeit a bit winded from his involuntary grand entrance, the embarrassed Troverian quickly made it to his feet, nodding jovially at those inside whilst brushing himself off. Well aware of the predicament the ship was in, Galva wasted no time hustling to the inner workings of the ship upon hearing its structural integrity had been breached.

Seeing a hunter clad in a similar, albeit polar opposite breed of raptor below, Galva too began searching for the extent of the damage done. “First time bein’ airborne... an’ possibly the last.”

No one answered Leon’s call about being seriously hurt… Which wasn’t necessarily a good sign, but no one was screaming out in pain at least. No one looked seriously injured either, just groaning, rubbing and taking things slowly.

“We can use the waterr frrom the brreach to put out the firres!” One Felyne said, following by a paw smacking the back of his head.
“Ti darruk! Use blanket, orrr ve’ll use you instead!” Some blankets and other cloths were quickly dug up and used to beat and smother the fires out, incidentally dimming the area.

The breach in the hull was on the port side of the ship, probably from the collision that caused the whole ship to spin when going downhill. A man and Felyne were trying to plug the cracks with any fabrics on hand, and their own bodies. “Furrick that’s cold!” Their success was minimal though, the frigid water already well up to their ankles and coming in like buckets. “This is why I didn’t join the navy! Rrrrraaaarrr!”

It seemed the impact had partially snapped some of the wall beams, not quite broken off but allowing water to pour in. The boards around them had loosened too, letting water through the cracks between. There had been some simple lumber in the supply room, and nails and tools had to be somewhere in there too. The curvature of the ship's side might have been things difficult, but something was better than nothing.


Topside, the shores of the river could just barely be made out through the blizzard. Trees could be seen as well, small and large. As the ship started to straighten out, the distance from its side to land was probably a good ten yards/meters.

The iceberg didn’t seem to be a threat to the ship, just floating up against it for the time being. Its top was very uneven, but one could probably stand on top of it, provided they were sure of foot.


“Cut the balloon and adjust the sails to turn starboard!” The captain shouted as she put her body into spinning the wheel. The airship did have a rudder, but it didn’t go as low as a traditional boat, providing minimal turn in the water. The ship was turning into the iceberg as well as it tried to float past, the shore on that side being closer. The crew on deck went about getting the sails to help, but it would take time.


While I may have my ideas on how the current problems could be solved, you’re welcome to think up your own solutions.
Similarly, I have a loose idea of what’s available on the ship to use, but you might have other ideas. NPC’s are at your disposal too.
As per usual, just ask.

To those fixing the leak, you can assume you find the boards and stuff mentioned (speed things along).

"Oh, this looks bad." Leon said as he looked around, concern crossing his face as he took in the damage. "Okay, I need someone to run into the rooms, grab as many blankets as you can and bring them down!"

He then turned back behind him, seeing Galva and Thandraug coming down with him.

"Oh, fantastic!" Leon cried in relief, looking at Galva. "I need your nails and hammer, we're going to double-layer those blankets over the cracks and hammer down planks over top of them to slow the flooding. I could use your help too," he mentioned, motioning to Thandraug.

The last thing Cat remembered before he lost consciousness was being tossed around by the plummeting airship like a ball of yarn. Now, coming to, he could see only black, and could feel the icy embrace of rushing water all around him. Myar realized he would be dead in seconds. Would his hunter ever find out, or would this be their reunion? Then he realized something else. His claws, which had a mind of their own sometimes, had dug into something firm. Wood.

Feeling a little foolish, the Melynx removed his head from an overturned barrel. Trying to look like he'd been in control of the situation, he casually strolled away from the hole in the boat, the same hole that had been pouring icy water on him for several moments now. Immediate death off the table, the little creature was still very aware of the dampness of his fur beginning to frost over. "I surrrrrrrrr am glad I met mew, ch-ch-chatty b-bug man." Even Myar wasn't sure if he was purring or shivering on that drawn out "sure," and he didn't really care. He just was glad to have the hot pellets, which he popped into his wet snout.

The warm glow of chemical reactions inside his tiny body gave Myar a new focus, and he brushed his whiskers as he smelled oil and smoke. He could see the bustling hunters in the dim room around him frantically rushing to board up a leak. "Cat A. Myar re-paw-ting for duty! I got two sharp sets of claws, where ya wan't 'em?"

Gaige found himself frantically pacing back and forth on the deck of the ship as he tried to come up with a means of getting everyone to shore. If ropes could be tied around the trees, the ship might be pulled ashore... But that would mean getting to land in the first place. Alca could fly across, but the Kinsect itself couldn't tie rope.

"Come on... Think..." He looked around again, hoping he might see something that would present itself as a solution. "There has to be something..." As his eyes fell on the various felyne crew on the deck of the ship, such a solution did indeed present itself. "That's it!" He suddenly exclaimed before heading below deck.

It only took a few moments for him to locate who he was looking for, despite the dim lighting. He quickly made his way over Cat A. Myar, the Melynx he'd just met what was likely a mere few minutes ago, even though it felt longer with everything that just transpired. "Myar, right? I need your help with something." Without waiting for a response, he quickly dove right into the details. "With the ship sinking, we need to get to land. I could make out some trees ashore; this is where you come in. I know this likely sounds a little crazy, but Alca here should be able to fly you across with some rope. If we can tie the ship to some trees, we might just be able to pull ourselves ashore." Gaige took a second to catch his breath. "So, what do you think? Would you be willing to lend a paw?"

Bug man made some good points, Myar believed. However, the idea of dangling above that icy water froze his blood (or was that just the wetness of his fur?). Swimming wasn't in the repertoire of the average Palico, and Cat was no exception. He'd never learned to freestyle, and for obvious ethical reasons could not doggy-paddle.

Visions of frigid torrents and darkness flooded his mind, and he closed his eyes to steel his resolve. What would a hunter do? The thought repeated in his mind like a mantra. Cat clenched his claws and opened his eyes. He stiffened his back and raised his chin, and brought his right paw up to his face in an exaggerated salute. "Expawt knot-smith Cat A. Myar is ready for insectitudinal de-paw-ture, on yurr command!"

"Thank you." Gaige sighed with relief. Hopefully, at this rate everyone will soon be on solid land again. "First, a few preparations to make..." His voice trailed off as he made his way back to the ship's main deck, collecting some bundles of rope as he went. Almost as if it knew the plan that was about to be put into effect, Alca took to the air once they were topside and started stretching its wings while Gaige tied one end of a rope around the nearest bar or railing on deck, before handing the other end to Myar.

"Alca." Gaige called, and his Kinsect dutifully flew over and landed on his arm, whereupon Gaige walked over to the edge of the ship. "Alright Alca, ready to do some work?" The Kinsect gave a quick flutter of its wings, and Gaige continued. "Here's what you need to do: First, I need you to fly Myar here over to those trees." He pointed towards the shore, to make sure Alca knew where to go. "Once you get him on solid land,
 come back over here, alright?" The Kinsect's wings fluttered once again. "Good boy." Gaige gave it a light pat on the head, and Alca then flew over to Myar and landed on his back, its legs finding a firm grip around the Melynx's body. "Once you're ready, tell Alca to fly and he'll carry you across the river and onto solid land." Gaige instructed. "Once he's dropped you off, Alca will fly back to the ship, collect some rope, and fly it back to you so you can tie it around another tree." Gaige quickly ran the plan through his head one more time, and remembered one other thing. "Oh, and just in case something does go wrong, whether on the way to or while you're there, tug on the any of the ropes. I'll have Alca bring you back, and we'll go from there."

"Don't read nyathing into me closing my eyes! It's for aerodynamics..." Myar's claws sunk reflexively into the piece of hemp Gaige had given him. He filled his tiny lungs slowly, and then exhaled a defeated sight. "Pawlright, bug. Fly!"

"Absolutely" Thandraug replied to Leon.

He scoured the area quickly and drew in plenty of materials from the supply room, offering plenty of planks to get started. He advanced toward the most glaring hole and got the attention of the others present.

"I'm not exactly a craftsman, so I'm gonna need some help here. I'll hold this down as long as you need, just help me get these nails in."

Upon hearing Myar's command, Alca's wings started fluttering, and the Kinsect took to the air. After hovering above the ship for a moment to acclimate itself to the extra weight, it began its flight across the river. The strong winds resulted in some swaying and rocking, and a bit of a rough flight, but soon Alca had reached the shore, and gently let Myar down on the ground. After hovering for a moment to confirm that the Melynx was safe and sound on solid land, the Kinsect began its flight back to the ship, as instructed.

Meanwhile, Gaige was tying the ends of the various ropes he'd collected to railings, bars and poles across the deck of the ship, readying the ropes to be carried across the river to Myar. He just hoped this plan was enough to help get the ship ashore.

I got a stamp of approval from DB for the flight to succeed, to help keep things moving.

"Frankly, neither am I, but the imminent threat of death has brought out things in people before." Leon mentioned to Thandraug, lining up the thick blankets and adjusting the plank to hold it down.

"Craftsmen or not, we just need to at least slow the water down. You, help me with this!" Gesturing to the sailor nearby, Leon handed him the hammer.

"Just put these nails on through, one on each corner. We'll move on until they're all sealed."

Working quickly, the hunters and airmen were able to lay some blankets over the cracks and splits and nail boards over it all. It wasn’t perfect, but the boards were reasonably tight together, and the blankets behind them helped seal and conform to the ship’s curvature. Water was still coming out the sides of the blockage noisily, but they’d bought the ship a lot of time before it sank, hopefully enough to get it ashore first.

Unfortunately, once the rush of the moment passed, the effects of the freezing water became more apparent. It was numbing but painful at the same time, and left the body both shivering and stiff. The two crew members that were on the leak first got the worst of it. They scampered out of the flooded room and into the heated engine room, where they stripped their soaked clothing and huddled. The hunters were a little better off, and the snowy mountain native mostly unfazed. An alchemical hot drink would take the dangerous edge off, but they’d still be moving slow for awhile, especially with the weather outside.

“Firrres extinguished!“ A Felyne hunter shouted up the pipeline, though with his booming voice the rest of the ship probably heard him through the walls. He checked in on the flooding to see how that was going, then opened another pipeline, apparently familiar with where they were placed in the ship. “Flooding stopped! Furr now.”
“Thank you Kotchanka.”
“Pozhaluysta.” He closed the lid and turned to the two shivering airmen, patting them on the back. “Good vorrrk brrratan, you have bought us time. Now rrrest of us must use it.” He nodded to the hunters as well, incidentally causing his heavy visor to shut. With a final couple pats, he made his way up to the upper deck.

The railings might not have structurally been up to the task of mooring the boat, but Gaige was able to tie his rope around a sail beam before handing the other end to Cat. Eventually his kinsect returned from dropping off Cat, noticeably tired out from the haul but still ready to go.

Meanwhile the aircrew cut the tethers of the balloon and moved it out of the way enough so that they could start adjusting the sails. The ship and iceberg were still some distance away from the shore though, barely able to see the little Cat on land. Unfortunately, it seemed he had landed around smaller trees, any larger ones being further down river.

---

Spoiler for Cat: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Through the howling blizzard, Cat noticed some movement further on land, and heard some faint high pitched barks. First one light blue raptor could be seen, walking along as it looked around. Then another came into view, then more. Then there was a deeper bark, and a larger raptor could be made out. The pack of minor predators continued in Cat’s direction, but didn’t seem aware of him, at least not specifically, because they seemed to be searching for something. There were some small mounds of snow the Melynx could hide behind, or the snow covered trees, which were also probably tall enough to keep him out of reach.

---

We don’t need to be super strict about spoilers. I figure once the reveal is out (which should be shortly) you’re welcome to read them.
To anyone I direct a spoiler at, just use some discretion on what you do and don’t spoiler.

Most monsters frightened Myar, but the various "prey" species never did. Maybe it was the helplessness implied by the name, or the canine-like behavior that made them seem like a mere minor nuisance. Even still, he was unarmed, and didn't relish the idea of a fight on these terms.

Myar silently climbed up on a sapling and tied his bug net to the top. He tied a paintball (shiny) and a sonic bomb (noisy) together as best as he could and placed them in the net. Then, using all his might and what little extra gravity would lend him, pulled back the top of the tree. Once his paws were only a few inches from the snow, he silently let go and dropped low.

Regardless of whether the sling-shot successfully launched the shiny-noisy distraction far enough away (or even if the giaprey were interested in chasing it), Myar's next steps had to be the same. He clamped his end of rope in his razor-sharp teeth, and scurried on all fours as fast as he could down-river to taller, safer, and sturdier trees.

More than a little unnerved by the frigid waters drenching him, Galva sighed in relief as he and the makeshift group of repairmen managed to patch the breaches enough to slow the torrential on-pour.

“I’d say the crew could use a hand up top, I’ll save introductions for land.” Staggering about as the ship rocked, he continued. “If we make it!” Moving as quickly as he could through all the unrest, Galva hustled up to the deck. Getting a quick look at what was going on, he moved to assist in adjusting the sail, hoping his stocky frame would make things easier for them.

Having been subject to volcanic temperatures for most of his life, the bitter cold gnawed on him like Astera jerky, until he noticed a biting pain in his boots. It then occurred that he did not have an alchemic hot drink at his disposal. “Gogdammit,” The embarrassed troverian muttered, thinking back to his early years mining in the volcanic hollows of Harth, having succumbed to the immense heat before. “Any of you lot have a spare hot drink!?”

Taking a mental note of the iceberg, Galva pondered if any of his tools would suffice in demolishing it, but he felt the ship would be in danger should an explosion go awry.

"I'm sure Gaige has a few of those hot drink pills on him, if we can find him." Leon mentioned, grunting a bit as the icy water squished inside his boot as he walked up the stairs. While uncomfortable, this certainly wasn't a new sensation to any degree. "I, personally, don't have any on me, sorry."

"Good boy." Gaige praised Alca as the Kinsect came back, and let it rest on his arm for a few moments while he finished tying some more ropes. He sighed a little bit of relief when he heard the announcement that the flooding had been halted for the time being, leaving him confident they'd be able to get every ashore safely.

After tying another two ropes around the sail beam, Gaige heard someone asking for a Hot Drink. "I have some Hot Drinks." He announced, digging into his pouch for a couple Hot Drink pellets. His remedies were jostled from the rough ride down the mountain, but thankfully nothing was lost. "Here you go." He said as he held out the pellets. "They might look small, but they still work as needed."

Depending what munitions for his gunlance he was using, Galva probably could have broken apart the iceberg with some time and well placed shots. Getting good positions (point blank) on the iceberg from the ship’s edge was a bit tough though, especially for the stout troverian. Unless he was careless with heavy ordinance, the ship’s side would probably be okay though.

Luckily the iceberg didn’t seem to be a threat at the moment, being smaller and softer than the ship, just riding up against its side. If and when the ship pulled ashore though, the iceberg would probably get in the way.

There had to be hot drinks somewhere in the supply room, or even on deck, but finding them amongst all the other supplies without prior knowledge would have been difficult, especially with all of the damage done. Some of the crew could have helped locate them, but Gaige already had the hunters covered with his pellets.

---

Spoiler for Cat: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
With the blizzard and being more focused on scurrying away than looking back, Cat didn’t quite see how the giaprey reacted to his plan unfolding. By the sound of it though, his contraption had flung the items as intended, and the giaprey weren’t in... hot pursuit, so that was good.

Cat soon reached a larger tree down the river. It was wider than he was, more than enough to bring the ship ashore, and plenty tall enough to keep him out of reach of any giaprey. Whether the single rope he had could pull the ship in was more subject however.

---

Everyone on the deck heard a sharp PING around where Cat had landed, recognizable as a sonic bomb to those familiar. They could see rope over the river being carried further down stream to a larger tree, barely able to see Cat himself, but otherwise they couldn’t really make out what was going on. The larger tree was probably enough to moor the boat in, but the single rope so far was more questionable.

Note, sound travels over water more easily. The blizzard is still noisy, but shout-talking with Cat I’d say is possible.

"Hmm?" Gaige glanced towards the shoreline where the sonic bomb's sound came from. Considering its location, Myar had to have been the cause. But why? Was there something over there? Not wanting to take the chance in case something had gone wrong, Gaige quickly finished handing out Hot Drink pellets to those who needed them, before grabbing the ends of the two ropes he just tied to the ship. He wrapped them loosely around each other, for easier transport, while Alca, having an idea it might be needed, began hovering. "Here you go, Alca. I need you to take these ropes to the big tree over there." He pointed downriver  to make sure Alca knew where it was heading. "Once you get there, make sure Myar gets these ropes." The Kinsect almost seemed to nod in understanding. "While you're there, help him if he needs aid, alright? I'm counting on you." The Kinsect grabbed the ropes, then began its flight back across the river. "Be careful, Alca." He muttered under his breath.

"You heard it too, huh?" Leon mentioned as he approached Gaige, watching the Kinsect fly off with ropes. "Hope Myar doesn't get himself into too much trouble too quickly..." He muttered, briefly seeing a hint of black fur before it vanished again.

By the time he had finished tying off the safety rope, Alca arrived with more lengths. "You're quickly climbing the rrrranks of my fav-fur-ite bugs, ya know?" Myar took the hemp and put his nimble claws to work. "What are you waiting fur, a tip? Fly away!" Myar half-whispered, half-shouted to Alca as the melynx scaled the tree. Once he'd reached a high point, he cupped his paws around his eyes and scanned for the Giaprey.

The ropes going from the boat masts to the shore went taut suddenly, jerking the vessel enough to cause misstep. Right then the ship began to turn towards the shore, going radially about tree, and pulling the iceberg in closer with it. It would be a minute or so before the ship actually ran aground, but the iceberg and shore weren’t that far apart anymore…

The ropes were tied none too soon for Cat, as the giaprey were closing in on him just as he finished. They saw him go up the snow laden branches and promptly encircled the tree, barking and cawing at one another as they craned their necks upward. One of the raptors tried leaping up to get the melynx, but only succeed in bringing down a pile of snow onto itself. There were six of them all together, including the larger alpha.

Those that were on the ship and watching Cat could see what the trouble was. “Prepare for landing! We need that iceberg out of the way if we’re going to prevent further flooding!” Workers brought up destructive tools and ramp planks while the boat continued towards the riverside.

To clarify, the boat still isn’t ashore yet, but will be soon.

Even though Giaprey surrounded the tall tree Myar was on, Alca obediently flew back to the ship to perch on Gaige's arm. "Giaprey, huh?" Myar looked to be in a bit of a bind, with the pack surrounding the tree like they were, but he also didn't seem to be in any immediate danger. He also noticed that the Giaprey don't seem to have noticed the ship yet. He quickly starting thinking how best to handle the situation.
He could have Alca bring Myar back to ship and out of harm's way... But that in turn would likely alert the pack to their presence, which could potentially endanger the crew. On the other hand, Myar's situation could change at any moment. "If only we could... Of course!" Gaige turned towards the hunters on the deck of the ship. "Does anyone here have any Bows or Bowguns? We may be able to pick off a few Giaprey from here while they're distracted, and maybe even scare them away." He suggested.

"Hopefully you find one, but waiting around like this isn't my style!"

Thandraug had returned to the deck drying his hair over with a small towel he had picked up on the way to obtain his gear. He had no doubts that their time on the Firefly was trickling to but a few grains and thought to quickly grab any necessities on his way out of the belly of the ship. He arrived more or less just in time to catch the felyne's unintentional signal and take in the plight of his small ally.

He saw the effort toward the iceberg as well, but he was far from concerned about the fate of an airship already grounded and close to land. He locked his eyes on the shoreline and the pack of predatory creatures.

'Only one thing to do here' he resolved.

Keeping an eye on the shoreline, Thandraug approached the side rails of the Firefly. He allowed the ship to get as close as was absolutely necessary before first swinging his hammer at full force and allowing it to fly free of his hands toward the shore and then leaping from a running start off the same point. He spread the towel apart overhead and held it at whatever angle he thought was best. He would prepare to plummet toward the ground for a standard tuck and roll to cushion his landing.

OoC: I hope you're happy.
GM: Thandraug clarified he's not hang gliding but slowing descent.
I wasn't clear on distance and time-to-landing of the ship. We'll speed things up and say the ship is coming ashore.

"I thought much the same." Leon said to Gaige, jogging back downstairs to his equipment. A few moments later had him jogging back up, a massive Heavy Bowgun strapped to his back. He unfolded the Obsidian Cannon, placing it on the rail for added stability. Slamming in a magazine of Normal S, he pulled the bolt back, grinning as he heard the satisfying 'click'.

Looking down the sights, he took aim at the Giaprey closest to Myar and pulled the trigger.

The bow of the airship eventually dug into the dirt of the shore, tilting the boat backwards and bringing it mostly to a halt. The iceberg was still stuck between land and the rear of the boat, keeping the vessel at an angle from the shore and the patched up leak submerged. “Monsterrrs spotted! Giaprrrey!” Despite the roaming danger on land, the crew put rope ladders over the railing, tying them off to the deck, and positioned a ramp as best they could with a couple gunners watching over.

Thandraug forwent normal means of disembarking though and threw his hammer then himself overboard. The hammer cracked the frozen earth with a puff of snow, and its wielder landed nearby in a haphazard roll. Between the noise of the ship and his dynamic entry, the raptors’ attention was quickly turning from Cat to the riverside.

An explosive bang rang out as Leon fired his first shot, splattering the snow red behind one of the giaprey. It cried out as its arm dangled from what was suddenly left of its shoulder, terrifying the others. They began to shuffle back, but with a series of deep commanding barks the Giadrome held them together, marching to the front. He approached the stone clad man directly, but moved with caution in his step, while the rest of his able troops began moving for the sides of the lone monster hunter.

Anyone still on on deck is welcome to just disembark and get right into the action.

"Ah, there you are..." Leon mumbled under his breath, aim idly drifting towards the Giadrome instead. "Mm...no, too close to Thandraug."

Instead, Leon's aim swung back towards the Giaprey he had just shot, and he pulled the trigger again.

"Here we go! Come on, Alca!" Gaige climbed over the edge of the ship and slid down a nearby rope as Alca took to the air, readying itself for combat. Gaige readied his dual blades as soon as he hit the ground, quickly moving to back up the large hunter.
He ran towards one of the flanking Giaprey, and Alca, following his lead, dive-bombed the raptor in an attempt to divert its attention from Gaige as he quickly closed the distance and slashed out with both swords. He made sure to keep an eye on the other raptors as well, and was ready to move at a moments notice should any of them turn their attention towards him.

Thandraug pushed himself back onto his feet and briefly stretched his legs after the landing. Taking note of the hammer's location, he moved quickly to reunite with the weapon. He took hold of the weapon's handle and rested the blunt end on the ground before grinning tauntingly at his new prey.

"Bring it on you clawed chicken-shits. If you're gonna pick a fight, pick it with the big guy" he railed while cracking his knuckles.

Thandraug had every intention of drawing some attention away from the little one in the tree, and he was more than pleased that he had succeeded. That said, he wasn't expecting to draw as many as he had, so he knew better than to just charge at them.

He raised his hammer menacingly, but took a moment to size up the raptors.

'If there is one failing strength in numbers, it is their pack mentality.' he reasoned. He knew they were likely to attack in unison, at least if they are anything like Ioprey. Bearing this in mind, the gargantuan hunter stepped forward with his right foot, clenched his weapon and wound himself up with anticipation. He'd wait for a joint leap strike or a charge, then retract his most recent pace forward and take the best swing he could.

Myar had never seen so many people flock to his aid before. Life as a bandit, then as a stray had hardened him to outside sympathy. But with so many hunters in the fray, the giaprey number advantage shrank, as the Melynx's courage grew.

"Myess with the Cat," he growled. He leapt off the tip of his pine as he roared, "get the claws!"

OOC: Goin' for a mount!

There wasn’t another dash of blood when Leon’s second shot erupted, but a hit was evident by the sudden convulsion of the lingering giaprey, and the way it shortly fell to the ground. It laid there quietly, shaking and bleeding out from the chest.

The pack formed up symmetrically as they approached Thandraug, the alpha at the center with two of his subordinates on either side. Consequently when Gaige moved in he caught the attention of two giaprey on one flank. His kinsect above, however, had gone unnoticed.

Alca dove on one of the giaprey with his sharp pincers, making the raptor flail about in surprise as the bug dug into its flesh. Gaige followed up without missing a beat, slashing his swords across the giaprey’s neck from each side. Its blood spurted out onto him as he leapt away just as the other raptor lunged at him, failing to protect its pack mate. The injured raptor stumbled around before toppling over, struggling in the reddening snow.

Thandraug was still left with three raptors focused on him though, who kept only a short distance away while the two minions circled around. Then Cat suddenly landed on the Giadrome’s back, and dug his claws in for the inevitable struggle. The alpha immediately twisted and snapped its fanged beak at him, coming close but not enough. That didn’t stop it from continuing to try though, backing away from Thandraug turning in place, almost chasing its tail.

Thinking it had an opening, one of the giaprey rushed Thandraug from his side, scratching, kicking and biting, but to no avail against his stone armor. While it was pressed up against him, he pivoted his body and swung his hammer around, simply flooring the beast with one heavy and devastating hit. Bones were crushed and organs ruptured, leaving the raptor gasping for air, unable to get back up.

The two remaining minions started moving backwards, glancing at their commander for orders, who was still trying to throw the meylnx. After a moment of thought, they both turned towards their leader and moved in on him.

"C'mon, knock him over..." Leon whispered to himself, ignoring the dying Giaprey he mortally wounded and watching Cat's mounting efforts with interest.

That's when he noticed the remaining two Giaprey closing in to help their leader. "Oh, well we can't have that, can we?" Sighting in on one, he pulled the trigger again.

"Alca!" Gaige quickly called to his kinsect. "Cut them off! Don't let them reach the big one!" Almost instantly obeying his quick command, Alca quickly flew ahead of the Giaprey while Gaige hurried after them from behind. Knowing that Leon was covering them from a range, he waited to make his move until he heard the bang of the bowgun. Once the shot was fired, he quickly called out to Alca. "Now!" Reacting before he even finished, Alca dive-bombed the prey in the lead, aiming to slam hard into its side while Gaige closed the distance and struck.

"Turn your back on me, will ya?"

Thandraug spit to clear his mouth in the direction of the prey he had stricken down. Then he readied his hammer at waist level and moved in after the to preys. Even if he couldn't manage to take another out, he was prepared to do whatever it took to ruin the leader's chances at reinforcements. He approached quickly but cautiously with the intent to pulverize the moment one of the beasts was close or aware of his presence.

"Don't you snap at me!" Cat commanded the giadrome, "I'm trying to rrrangle here!" The melynx pressed his claws hard into the beast, hoping to stick firm and draw some blood. Myar had never mounted a monster before and was unsure what to do next, so he cried out, "I've never meownted a meownster before. I'm not sure what to do... whoa... next!"

One of the giaprey jerked and stumbled with the cue of Leon’s bowgun, falling face first into the frozen earth and snow. The raptor wasn’t quite out though, quickly pushing itself back up and standing once more, if shakily. That was until Thandraug caught up and crushed the beast into the ground, leaving it in a dying heap beneath his hammer.

Alca managed to catch up to the other giaprey and dug its mandibles into its scaly back, which stopped the raptor’s charge but didn’t cause it to fall over. The giaprey stopped quickly and whipped around, dislodging the kinsect, then snapped at the giant bug to fend it off further. The raptor barely avoided Gaige’s swords when he followed up, only catching one across the face as it leapt backwards. It continued to backpedal, eyeing Gaige, Thandraug and the bug, then turned the other away and made a run for it, abandoning its leader.

The Giadrome ran and spun around some, stretching its neck to reach backwards, but Cat was fairly secure on the alpha’s back, holding tight against it. The raptor suddenly fell to the side though, throwing itself down with the intent to roll over the much smaller lynian.

Gaige didn't bother chasing after the Giaprey as it fled the battle, and Alca followed his example. However, as the Giadrome threw itself onto the ground, Gaige quickly seized the opportunity and lunged forward, dropping his swords and grabbing his glaive. As he reached the alpha raptor, he swung his weapon downward towards its neck, with the intent to behead it and bring the battle to a quick conclusion; at the same time, he was wary of Myar's location on its back, and used caution so as to not strike his ally. Should it prove impossible to strike the raptor without harming Myar, Gaige would hold his strike and wait for a better opportunity.

"Take it's eyes out, Cat! Make the bugger angry so it can't use its bird-brain anymore!"

Thandraug turned his head in the direction of the giaprey that was turning tail and running. They may be moronic creatures, but even the most irrational creatures know what a feint is when they are pushed into a corner.

The large hunter turned toward Leon and waved to get his attention. He pointed toward the retreating giaprey and then pointed emphatically toward his left eye with with one of his index fingers.

When he believed the message had been relayed, he brought his full attention onto the giadrome and readied his weapon to standby. He continued to close in and prepared to support Cat should an opportunity to strike the raptor and not both of them appear.

"Hmm..." Leon mumbled, watching Cat wrestle with the Giadrome before catching Thandraug motioning towards him. Figuring that he wouldn't possibly have a good shot on the 'drome anyway with the rest of the crew standing around it, his weapon snapped over towards the retreating Giaprey.

With a small shift of his shoulder for comfort, he pulled the trigger once more, intent on ending the wounded Giaprey before it could get too much further.

Cat yowled as the drome pitched to fling him off. The howling blizzard was drowned by the sound of his pumping blood, and both overwhelmed any sense or focus. Even as he acted, he knew that he was going against all logic and instinct. Regardless, as Myar made to dive off, he flung his pack straps off his shoulders and attempted to loop them around the bird-like neck.

The giaprey was almost lost in the darkness and snow, but one more bolt flew after it through the whipping wind… After a moment, it seemed to have missed, until the distant figure fell to the ground.

The Giadrome did a complete rollover, fortunately not with Cat underneath, and was quickly back on its feet. Cat, meanwhile, was dangling in the air holding onto his pack. He hadn’t managed to rein the raptor, but it had snatched one of the straps in its maw thinking it was one of the feline’s limbs, which it proceeded to gnash its fangs into.

The alpha did not fail to see Gaige rushing in with his glaive though, stepping and turning its head away just as he swung down. It almost got away unscathed, if not for holding the extra weight, but instead got a gash across its neck. Blood quickly flowed down its chest and dripped into the snow, but the Giadrome had life in it yet.

The head raptor continued stepping away as Gaige and Thandraug approached, releasing Cat’s burdensome pack to ready itself to fight. It let out a rallying series of barks into the air, but soon realization dawned on the troopless leader when they went unanswered. Pivoting as it backpedaled, the Giadrome made a sudden run for it as well.

I figure the Giadrome is able to run faster than humans (or lynians), but that’s not to say it’s definitely going to get away.

"You aren't getting away that easily!" Gaige exclaimed as he started running after it at full tilt. "Alca! Intercept it! There's a wound on its neck; strike there!" Almost as if it already knew what he was going to say, Alca flew after the Giadrome as fast as it could, ready to dig its pincers into the gash Gaige left in its neck and either kill it, or slow it down enough so that the others can catch up.

Grinning to himself with his second kill, Leon's gaze came back to the 'Drome. Arching an eyebrow as it fled, he quickly checked his magazine and then focused on it. "Ah ah ah, not getting away so easy..."

He sighted in on one of the Giadrome's leg joints, hoping to slow it down to allow the others to finish it off.

His materialistic passion guiding him, Myar dove for his pack the second it hit snow. His sticky paws worked to excavate his possessions, numb to the cold. The giadrome had begun a retreat by the time Myar found his pack. The adrenaline immediately started to fade, and with it Myar's awareness of his surroundings came back. His black fur was almost completely covered in white crystals, and he was certain were it not for the blinding wind he would see his breath.

"Count me out of this purr-suit, f-f-f-folks," Cat stammered. "You all can handle this fur-ay, I'm g-g-going back to f-fight off hypawthermia!"

The strap of Cat’s pack had been chewed up pretty good, and would likely severe entirely overtime unless repaired. The contents inside had been jostled a bit too.
Heading back to the airship, there were rope ladders off the side and even a plank ramp going to the ground.

The last shot of Leon’s magazine flew out into the elements, chasing down the white raptor through the night blizzard. A moment after the silhouette stumbled and fell, but only briefly.

It was just enough time for the kinsect to barely catch up though, jabbing its mandibles where there was the scent of blood. The Giadrome recoiled from the pain, but then stopped hard and swung its head around, batting away the giant bug and scratching it with its fangs.

The kinsect’s efforts in turn were just enough to allow Gaige to catch up and head off the alpha. The Giadrome looked at the human wearily, panting. Normally it wouldn’t regard the smaller human as very dangerous, but the raptor had left a long trail of blood behind it, and now had a wounded leg. Not having any better options though, the Giadrome checked for the kinsect again then moved in on Gaige, bearing its open jaw and claws.

"Changing mag..." Leon muttered under his breath, out of sheer habit. He ejected it cleanly, putting the empty magazine into his bag for refilling later. Leon then began digging through the bag for another.

"Pierce, no... Crag, that's overkill at this point... ah, there we are." Pulling out another loaded with Normal shells, he slammed it home, pulled the bolt back, and was disappointed when the Giadrome was merely a faint shadow in the distance. "I'm sure they can handle it. Hey, Cat!" Leon called, seeing the nearly frozen Melynx headed towards the ship. "C'mon, there's a nice warm engine room with your name on it!"

Alca recoiled as the Giadrome's fangs scratched it. The Kinsect swiftly put some distance between it and the raptor, before stopping and turning towards Gaige, whom the Giadrome was bearing down on. Reluctant to abandon him, Alca hovered closer to the battle, so it could aid Gaige should he require it.

"Looks like its just you and me." Gaige remarked when he cut off the Giadrome, blocking its escape. He quickly made note that it was tired, and bore a wounded leg in addition to the gash on its neck. He knew it didn't have much left in it; still, he wasn't going to let himself get cocky. A cornered monster is just as dangerous as any other monster. Once he saw the Giadrome move in on him, Gaige quickly took action; he dodged to the side, going for a swift counter strike on the leg not yet wounded, intending to further hinder his foe before closing in for a safer kill.

Gaige evaded the Giadrome with little trouble, sidestepping its initial lunge, slashing across its thigh and avoiding it again when it turned and lurched. The raptor almost collapsed, its legs shaking and its body becoming heavier yet weaker. Still, the Giadrome stood ready for Gaige, watching him through its blurring vision with its claws up.

The two danced just a little longer, the Giadrome more cautious now, before Thandraug came charging in with his hammer. In its haze the raptor only noticed him at the last moment, snapping its attention back before trying to leap away. Its injured legs failed it though, and the hunter’s hammer glanced across its jaw, pushing over the exhausted beast. Laid out, the defeated raptor just moved weakly in the snow, fading from consciousness.

“Hunters! Is it safe to step off yet?” The captain called to those on deck. Much of the crew stood ready to disembark, tools in hand, though were lost in watching the fight ashore unfold.

You can finish the Giadrome however you please. (First come first serve.)
While I have some stuff in mind to keep us moving onto the next thing, we can kind of take things how you guys want now. If that makes any sense.

Looking through the sights of his bowgun, Leon watched the silhouette of the Giadrome fall.

"Yeah, I think it's safe now. I'll keep an eye out while your people do what they need to do."

"Looks like this is it for you." Gaige remarked as he walked up to the Giadrome, glaive in hand. Alca flew over and hovered beside him as Gaige knelt down next to the raptor, resting a hand on its side and muttering a few words. He then stood up, gripped his glaive in both hands, and swung the blade down upon the Giadrome's neck.

"Thanks for the assist." Gaige thanked Thandraug with a nod as he sheathed his weapon. Gaige then walked over to where he dropped his dual blades, picking them up and sheathing them. He then held out his arm, which Alca then landed on. Gaige gave his kinsect a good once-over as he walked back towards the ship, checking for any signs of injury. While Alca seemed fine, he wanted to make sure the Giadrome didn't do any real damage, and if it did, how bad it was.

Cat's first order of business was to make certain that no one had taken his most valuable possession -- his Catspaw and rifle. As he searched the chaos of the ship, he spotted the returning party through the snow.

"Did you guys purr-severe?" Myar called out. "Catpture, or kill?"

There was a new series of parallel scratch marks on Alca’s carapace, and the edge of its wings had been nicked. While probably uncomfortable, the kinsect would be alright and recover in time.

“The coast is clear! Get that iceberg out of there and pull the ship ashore!” The captain announced. “Stay frosty!”
Some of the hunters came down to secure the area, just keeping an eye out in case any other trouble came along. Meanwhile the workers (and some hunters) took whatever destructive tools they had and began working away at the iceberg, breaking off large chunks and throwing them out of the way. Others on deck tied off more ropes and threw them over to eventually pull the ship ashore.

The captain approached Leon (and Cat, and others?). The only part of her face that was visible was her eyes through her goggles, the rest was covered by her scarf and aviator cap. “We should have things handled here, there’s something else we need you to do. The village’s lighthouse wasn’t lit, and Nydis thinks that’s a sign of trouble. Like, burglarizing blangos trouble.” She turned and pointed upstream. “The village shouldn’t be too far, hopefully. If you pass the giant bridge, you’ve gone too far. You’ll need to get past the big gate and wall though. You can take whatever you need from the ship, and some signal flares to let us know how it goes. ‘Kay?”

I’m sort of thinking there’s like a standard flare color-meaning system. Like red might be ‘danger, stay away,’ green might be ‘all clear,’ and others.
I assume it’ll only be the currently active four going to the village (unless others return), just because. If there’s a particular reason to bring some NPC’s though, that’s fine.

Leon nodded, looking towards the direction the captain pointed.

"I'm going down to grab my medical bag. I presume my Charge Blade will be safe in my room until I return?"

Gaige was relieved to see Alca was only scratched, and he gave his kinsect a gentle pat on the head. "Good work out there, Alca." The kinsect fluttered its wings in response, and Gaige turned to the captain. "Sure thing. You can count on us." He replied to the captain. He had already had everything he needed, since he typically travels light, and always keeps his herbs on him. With no need to ready himself for the mission, Gaige leaned against the ship and took the chance to rest for a few moments while Leon grabbed his medical supplies. "The Giadrome was slain." Gaige informed Myar, recalling he inquired into the raptor's fate. "Will you be accompanying us on this mission?"

"Hopefully, someone in this village has a fur-nace," Myar muttered to Gaige, "and that purr-ospect alone is worth leaving this sinking ship." Cat gathered his weapons, and made sure no one had stolen anything from his pouch.

"Anyone got a paw-lan to keep from fur-eezing on the way?"

“Yeah, unless we manage to capsize the ship or something.” The captain joked. “Or a giant monster shows up. Or another hunter mistakes it for theirs…” Her face sank a little as she went on.

“If blangos arrre in village, zen zey prrrobably have niet firrres, to stay hidden.” The helmeted Felyne answered Cat. “Best brrring some hot drrrinks.”

Sorry for the short post. I figure this is the last chance to prepare before we do a small time skip.