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Message: <blockquote data-quote="megamania" data-source="post: 1409340" data-attributes="member: 9255">STRIKEFORCE: MORITURISEGMENT 042“Picking up the Pieces”“How much longer?” asks Jim Addards as Jean walks up to him by the dock.“Don’t pick on Vander.  As I recall, you were next to him retrieving your equipment.”  Jean says as she watches for Vander to resurface.  He has been retrieving pieces of his psionically-empowered armor for the past hour.  He is still missing a few pieces.  “You could be helping him.”“I did.  His left shin guard was in a location his larger frame wouldn’t fit within.”Jean gives a straight tight smile with a nod.  There are times she can not tell if Jim is lying or telling the truth.  This is one of those moments.“Any more luck locating the ring using our equipment?”Jean lets out a long sigh. “No.  This world …this demi-plane is messing with it.  Christina did say that the lords of this plane did not like our being here but we didn’t expect this.”“What did you expect? Godzilla”“God-who?”“A giant dragon that walks on two feet.” Answers Jim without batting an eye.“A ..dragon…yes we expected powerful confrontations.” Jean answers believing Godzilla to be a true Dragon.“That’s why we’re after the shark.” He answers more to himself than to Jean.“Fahhhhhh” bursts out Vander as he surfaces with a hip guard covered in mud and silt.  He slowly dog paddles to shore and climbs onto the dock.  Ignoring the two of them, he begins to carefully and with great care clean his armor.Jim shakes his head in dismay.  “The guy needs a girlfriend.”“And you Jim…?” asks Jean thinking about his one night stand with Christina.“I’m fine.”  He stretches and looks back at Vander.  He is uncertain about this subject.  He has never been yone to stay with a woman for long.  One night stands were common to him.  He honestly had not thought about how Christina would react.  He did not know Jean knew.  Who else knew?In a small warehouse nearby, The Captain, Christina and several officials discuss the prior night’s events.  Sahuagin have always been a concern but they have never attacked a boat tied to a dock.  They have become very bold and daring.  The Captain and Christina disagree.  They came for them.  They had a human mage leading the attack.  The same human was believed to turn into a shark to escape.  Both the Captain and Christina noted the alarm on the local’s faces.  They did not believe them when they suggested it must have been a spell.  The answer came too quick and loud.Uncertain of the possibilities the Captain asks about a shark cult.  The locals are quiet and can not make eye contact.  “No…no shark cult.” One answers quietlyChristina, having a traveled the planes has another guess.  “Are there weresharks here?”  Several men turn away.  The Governor buries his head in his hands looking at the floor.  He sighs and looks up defeated.“There are myths and legends.  Nothing proven.  The myths speak of an alliance between Sahuagin and shark worshippers.  Some of these worshippers went as far as to be cursed with the ability of becoming a shark.  It is only myth but these are strange times.  The Governor looks up at two Champions.  The gleaming armor of Christina and the infinite depths of the magical artifact held by the Captain.  The Governor stares at it and is caught in its spell.  He feels compelled to look at it and say everything he knows about the Shark Cult…and the lost shipments….everything.   The Captain and Christina both note that he stares and answers to the shield held by the Captain…answers as if compelled.  I became aware of the rumors about three months ago.  It was just about when the Jaws of Sorrow began to appear in our waters on a regular basis that the rumors emerged.  A mysterious and monstrous shark sank several ships laden with gold owned by the city or myself.  The crew and cargo were never found.  A sole survivor did escape the carnage.  He died as he retold the story.  A monstrous shark would destroy the craft and Sahuagin would be seen in the area.  He died before saying anymore.  In a separate incident, on a nearby island, a fisherman thought he had seen a shark swim to a grotto then crawl onto shore and become a man.  This man disappeared into the cave.  Later, the city patrol led by my son checked the cave.  Nothing was found.  Sharks are being witnessed more often in our waters.  Normally, our waters are too cool for many sharks to appear but this has not been the deterrent it used to be. The Governor now slowly looks up at the Captain.  Tears rush down his cheeks.  The Captain remains cold and emotionless.  “Thankyou Governor.  We will review this new information and return with our plans.”“Somehow it all relates... I am certain of it” exclaims The Captain to Christina once outside.  “The ring becoming lost, the shark, the sahuagin the shark people ….everything.”“When we go out to sea to hunt this Jaws creature…we have to be ready for anything.”“yes …anything.”</blockquote>

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