Laknas Halesath

Laknas got up before daybreak and headed down to the galley mess as was his custom. The crew would be clamoring in for salted pork and eggs soon enough and there was always a lot to do in The Twilight Shepherd's small kitchen. As Laknas climbed the stairs down from the crew quarters onto the middle deck he scratched his dry, itchy, blue-green scales. The Triton cook was up extra early this morning. He had wanted to take a quick dip before breakfast, but he'd promised Billy Ray that he would make biscuits this morning. 

Rounding the steps and ducking under the beam that led into the mess Laknas stopped suddenly. Behind the closed kitchen door came the sound of scratching followed quickly by the clatter of tin dishware. Laknas was sure he'd locked that door when he'd left last night. A chill ran up his spine, radiating out to the tips of his fins. It was too much noise for rats, he thought, besides Gums had been on quite a crusade recently and he'd be surprised if there was a single rat left on the Shepherd.

As he slowly approached the door Laknas weighed his options. If he went for help whoever it was might be gone when he got back and he didn't want to waste Steady Ned's time if it turned out to be nothing. He certainly didn't want to wake up Captain Akrus or Toby for this. 

Finally, steeling himself for action he felt the old familiar eldritch energies gather in his hands. The magical tingling both sickening and sweet as an arcane purple mist began to coalesce around each fist. With a swift movement he burst through the door and raised his glowing hands outward in order to release the eldritch energy in a mighty blast at whatever enemy he found within.

There on the kitchen floor, surrounded by a disarray of burlap bags and dishes he found Licky Tubbs with his little seabold  hand up to his shoulder in a barrel of preserved fish and his cheeks puffed out around his full mouth. He looked like he must have stuffed half the barrel in there.

Licky froze, his eyes as big as saucers. Laknas froze, the eldritch energy swirling around his hands, unsure what to do.

Then suddenly as if the tension had just become too much, Licky screamed.

Then Laknas screamed. 

Then the fish barrel screamed. 

Laknas was certainly not prepared for that and let out a yelp as he backed out of the room, dropping the eldritch blast he'd been charging. Licky saw his chance and made for the door, still dragging the barrel behind him. Knowing he had no chance to catch Licky, Laknas grabbed for the barrel. You may have gotten a few mouthfuls of fish but you certainly weren't going to make off with the whole thing, he thought. As he braced himself and pulled on the barrel something suddenly gave way with a comical POP! Tumbling out of the barrel onto the deck came Stixl still clutching Licky's hand. The sudden release of tension sent Laknas falling backward hard onto his tailbone, and before he knew it, both the kobold and the goblin were gone.

Alone on the floor of the now empty kitchen, still holding the half empty barrel of salted fish Laknas sat stunned for a moment, then he thought to himself. "Billy Ray can get his biscuits tomorrow. I'm going for a swim."

Laknas is the newest member of The Twilight Shepherd's crew, though he's been with the ship a little over a year now. He serves as the ship's Cook and though he's technically an officer he doesn't concern himself much with the goings-on of the ship. Laknas is a muscular Triton man with a shock of red hair and blue-green scales. He's easygoing for the most part and cultivates an air of mystery about himself. Keeping to himself mostly and focusing on his love of cooking. Their shared love of food have brought him and Billy Ray together however, and the Captain seems to have begun to notice him and his mysterious magical powers as well.