The Sword Coast - Chapter II: Winds of Revenge(IC)

by **ButterCatx** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:02 am

Tiberius went to do as was requested and smirked at the thought of the destruction they would reap. After his necessary duties he returned to his cabin, he went through his arrows and made sure that he had enough, which of course he did. He settled in reading a book about philosophy until he would be called up for watch.

by **Soviet Farm** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 6:22 pm

Tsov paced restlessly. He turned to turned Varian, snarling slightly. "I need to kill something. When do we move to Port Pon?"

by **Perestroikavo** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:33 pm

Soviet Farm wrote:Tsov paced restlessly. "I need to kill something. When do we move to Port Pon?"

E-ryus heard this after watching the beast-man pace relentlessly and immedietly felt concern. The previous battle still left him dazed, and the subsequent meeting for the course charting had left him speechless. His brain was still grinding it's gears on ideas for how to get the fleet back on it's feet and to make those who betrayed them pay the ultimate price. The mages were certainly impressive, and he wouldn't want to contest Varian with a bow. Speaking of the devil, he seemed to have a short conversation with Tiberius, probably the closest on the ship to E-ryus's own strength. He wondered what they were plotting as they both shook their heads in agreement and stalked off, seemingly satisfied. As he sat in silent contemplation, his bicep still throbbed from the arrow recently removed. E-ryus was frustrated that everyone else could only focus on revenge, but not a means to get there.

The crew milled around the deck, and E-ryus noticed that at least two of the other ships had escaped, not that he particularly cared. They were just more assets for helping achieve destruction. Some of his other crewmates seemed to be a bit unstable, and in this line of work, that unstable attitude could get them killed. He got up, and grasped the man's shoulder, turning him around. Towering over Tsov, he spoke forcefully but not spitefully. "You won't be killing anything in Port Pon, that's how we got into this bloody mess in the first place. Get you're head on straight before I have to make it that way." To accentuate the point, he shoved the man backwards onto the deck, and then turned to go back near the bow of the ship, almost lost into his own thoughts again. At the last second though, he took a veer towards the first mate, deciding if Tsov made any moves against him that Varius would see.

by **Saleon** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:44 pm

Alma jumped forth with her shield. The rim of the shield knocked over one of the guards. He wasn't knocked out, but it gave her enough space to formulate a strategy. It is a brief pause, when she comes to see the captain handling a number of soldiers. He seems to be up to his knees in opposition. Some of the crew-mates can help him, but it still seems like a large crowd. She comes in to maybe assist him only form him to motion her off. He seems more concerned about getting the ship out of port, and Alma seemed like the best to do it.

She got the message.

Alma rushes up the stairway that led to the back of the ship. She gets behind the ship's wheel. From aft to stern, she knew it was 'bout time to get out of this less-than-welcome hellhole. She commandeered the wheel and began spouting orders. She told one group to set the sails to half-mast, and then barked for some sad sap to cut the cable tying the ship.

A couple of guards broke off and tried to swarm her at the wheel. They both swung their swords at her, but she twirled fast enough to reflect the swords instantaneously. She followed by twirled around again to sweep their legs. When they were on the ground, she summoned a circle and shattered it on top of one of the guards. The other guard was quick to notice his mate knocked unconscious. He would have hopped back up but she quickly slammed the side of the shield on his stomach. Both were down for the count. "Pronto!" she shouted, "and I thought I said prisoners, not bodies!"

by **Kazarogkai** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:19 pm

Jack Holiday
Drake's Dream
Oath of Vengeance Paladin

With a final jab of my mace into my opponents neck the melee had come to an end. Since the cutting of are ties to the land the primary focus had been on trying to clear the ship of the NN guardsmen, a task which proved quite difficult honestly. In comparison to the other ships in the fleet the "Drakes Dream" had suffered far worse in some regards. Are crew was more disorganized, are response less coordinated, and the enemies far more numerous. Overall a particularly bad situation which with time continued to deteriorate. A few heroes among us had been able to hold their own and risen to the challenge but our enemies had cut down so many of our own that it made the situation quite precarious, so much so that I honestly didn't consider it possible that we would come out on top.

During this dark time I had been successful in gathering a few members of the crew into a sort of security force whose primary task was guarding what remained of the navigation crew so that they may do their job and get us out of this snake pit we had once called home leaving the general clearance duties to my allies. Though enemy archers on shore had taken their toll a few were able to make it up the ship's masts allowing them to start getting what remained of the ship's desiccated sails into operation and following the orders of Alma. It was a long and tedious job which required me and my small few to hold the line against potential adversaries who sought to stop them but it had to be done.

Already I had suffered numerous wounds and my armor was practically falling apart from the relentless assault of enemy forces. Many times I had made use of my martyrdom spell on my allies to prevent their felling but consequently this had begun to take a toll on my body despite my legendary endurance for such things. Though I tried to ignore it my health was beginning to fail. Despite this I remained rather resolute and along with the few that stood with me held are ground. Whether we were victorious was something that would be left to fate but most certainly if the situation remained as precarious as this... well I'd rather not think about it honestly.

With that I continued on into the battle hacking and jabbing with my mace and occasionally knocking an enemy down with a good ole shield bash to the face. Alma would be happy for I wasn't really killing that many people but most certainly was holding them back rather nicely but honestly that is my typical style. My job on this ship had always been the guy to take the punches so that no one else would. If given the opportunity I would most certainly strike down my foes, as has been clearly shown, but it wasn't as much a priority.

by **Jordkloden** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:45 pm

Saqel was a little a taken aback by Tsov and slightly alarmed by the shove E-ryus gave him, but decided against actually doing anything about it. Men will be men. He thought while scratching his scarred face. Then he turned his thoughts to Port Pon. Port Pon was famously a festering pirate-hole of crime and general villainy. And he loved the damned place. Wouldn't be a bad place to get some more sets of hands.
He put aside his thoughts and turned to the captain. Suppose she's lost in thought. He turned away and went down below deck. He wasn't entirely sure what to do at first, but after mulling it over, he decided to go back at his stool and fletch some more bolts for his crossbow.
He sat down at the stool, pulled out his knife and began his work.

by **Shadowwell** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 9:08 pm

Emere

When Alma gave the orders to get the ship sailing, Emere was one of the first to take action. After they got the ship moving, he moved to the stern of the ship. As he did so the wind moved with him, as soon as he reached the stern, he took a position with both of his arms Raised, as if commanding the heavens. The winds gathered around not only him, but the ship itself and the sails as well. The ships started to pick up speed as it was pushed along by Emere's wind. His Eyes and Szuldar glowed brightly as he directed the wind.

by **Cerrania** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 10:41 pm

Chapter II
Winds of Revenge

Captain Tarius Eastoft
The Cassandra
Month of Winter's Edge, 1232 G.D.
~00:40

Tarius supposed he shouldn't be surprised that his new found captaincy was gaining him a lot of questions, but he was already being bombarded. First, turning to Flak, he considered for a moment before smiling devilishly. Flicking his eyes in the direction of the brig, he rubbed his fingers together as if to indicate money.

"We'll keep them. I'm sure that plenty in Port Pon would pay a pretty coin to have six new slaves, especially hardy ones from Neverwinter. Until then, their health should be relatively maintained. A flogging or two mixed with some interrogation won't kill them. Try to see what you can gain about what they know. Doubt it's very much," He said, scratching his head before continuing, "Double rations and rum for every crew member, the deserve it. See to it their bellies are at least full for the next two days." He nodded to her, as if to send her off on her mission. Now, he turned to the dimunitive Pham. He smiled, which almost as quickly faded at the mention of the mess she made below decks. Chuckling, Tarius waved her off, and sent two men to follow her to the corpses of the guards she had made.

Which brought him to Sana. As much as he wanted to stand by those ships that did survive, the Cassndra's well-being is what mattered the most. The Neverwinter Privateer Fleet was now a second priority. Hell, a third. Tarius had to cover his own ass somewhere on that list. Looking back to the other ships, and then to the burning harbor in the far-off distance, he sighed. It was easy enough to pick up that Sana had altered their course for Candlebright Cove, and most Neverwinter Navy ships would overshoot the cove on a chase if the escapees could reach it in two days time.

"No. Stay our course, Sana. Once we make it to Candlebright we can take stock of our situation and address any problems. I'm not risking what remains of our crew to save a ship that actually rammed us because they thought we were still being boarded by the Guard," Tarius said, spitting off of the railing and eyeing the Belisarius. "Also, see me in my quarters once you get us into open waters. There's something we should discuss."

With a glinting smile and one final up-and-down gaze of Sana, Tarius turned and descended from the quarterdeck in the belly of the ship. Out of habit, he descended an extra level and opened the door to the First Mate's cabin. He was momentarily surprised to find the room stark bare of all his effects, and instead replaced with someone else's. It took him a brief moment of anger and confusion, in which he actually placed his hand on the hilt his sword, before he realized that Vario and some crewmates must have moved his items into the Captain's Quarters. Shaking his head, he quickly walked back upstairs and entered the Captain's Quarters. The adrenaline of the battle had long worn off, and Tarius found himself barely conscious as he slipped off his boots and collapsed into bed. He soon fell into a troubling sleep, one which immediately filled itself with visions of blood and screams.

Guard-Captain Garavas Dentas
City of Neverwinter
Winter's Edge, 1232 G.D.
08:00, Morning after the Night of Neverdeath

Garavas still couldn't get the blood to wash from his hands. They were red and pulsing with a dull pain from the angry scrubbing he had subjected them to for the last half hour. Now, he resigned himself to his fate. It would seem he would stand before the Lord Protector and his council with literal blood on his hands. How quaint. As he slipped his greatcoat on and strode out of his house, he recalled the events of last night.

One moment, he had his blade raised, ready to deal the killing blow to the infamous Vario Piscar. The next, he was tumbling through the air. A loud splash, and he suddenly found himself surrounded by freezing water. He had to shed both his cuirass and his gauntlets in order to be able to swim, but he eventually made it back to the surface. Just in time to watch an explosion rock the boat he was just on. It couldn't have possibly been caused by his men, as he gave them no explosives. That meant, as scary as the thought was, that the Cassandra crew members had caused it.

Sputtering for breath as he swam to the docks to rejoin the fight, he watched another ship succumb to an onslaught of the Guard, and slowly go up in flame. Smiling, he hoisted himself from the water, shivering almost uncontrollably. Allowing himself one moment of recovery, he stood quickly and walked off. The assault was nearing its end, and he watched as dozens of pirates were dragged, kicking and screaming, from their vessels and summarily executed. It was both exceedingly brutal and captivatingly beautiful. It was Garavas' firm belief that the Privateer Fleet was a hive of villainy and black mark upon Neverwinter. It gave him nothing but satisfaction to be the one to stamp them out.

He hardly had to wait very long before one of his Lieutenants approached with a grim look. The man had told Garavas that three ships had escaped, and would be nearly two day's sail out before any seaworthy force could be stocked and crewed to give chase. Garavas had replied with a smile. There were only three places that the pirate scum could go that would actually let their ships dock. Two of them were on the way to each other. Two day's chase would be child's play for any competent commander.

And according to Garavas, who was more competent than himself?

Garavas brought himself back into the present as he strode into the Council Chambers. They were a vast, cavernous space filled with ornate pieces of art and historical relics of Neverwinter's ages past. The marble seats of the Council and the Lord Protector were situated in the center, and flanked by a dozen Neverwinter Honor Guard on either side. In those seats were some of the most pompous and aristocratic members of the city. Garavas had never favored the Council, as they had a tradition of not being a friend to the City Guard. Dividing the Council chairs was a larger seat, made of obsidian, that was currently occupied by a close friend of Garavas: Lord Protector Robert Neverember.

Now, Robert was in a very good position to help both himself and Garavas.

"Captain Dentas. We have reviewed your...resumé." Said one of the Council members as Garavas stopped in front of them, standing at attention.

"And we must say, it seems to be quite successful. Your proposed changes are radical, but serve to be effective." Another Councillor stated.

"Neverwinter could use a strong military leader such as yourself. Our enemies surround us, and we must build domestic strength in order to combat it." Piped up a third.

"And so," Boomed the voice of the Lord Protector, "It would be our pleasure to name you, Garavas Dentas, Lord Commander Militant of Neverwinter. There are no ceremonies, no knighting, and no publicity to this job. Yours is a job of death, of violence. Carry it out professionally, effectively, and to the liking of the Council, and you will be rewarded. Should you fail in your endeavors, your punishment will match your mission: death. Your first assignment, as the Council sees it, should be to gather a naval contingent and sail to Korinnia. There, you will meet with a contact of the Council. A trusted adviser of sorts, who has both significant resources and influence in the region. He will help Neverwinter regain its power on the seas, and is an important friend to have. You are dismissed."

The Lord Protector's only sign that his little speech was scripted was a small wink in Garavas' direction. Garavas simply bowed, and nodded to the Council in thanks before turning on his heel and leaving. There was no need to spare words to the lot.

They wouldn't be around much longer anyways.

by **Ularn** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 11:42 pm

Flak chewed her lip uncomfortably as the captain departed, deeply concerned at how their leader retreated almost immediately to his cabin when now should be the time he was most needed to be seen. While Flak and the rest of his officers and crew would toil through the night to escape what fate had befallen their brethren, Tarius went to sleep. Was this the sort of absentee captain the Cassandra could come to expect?
The captain's disappearance was not the only thing that worried Flak. Selling the prisoners as slaves was not the worst idea Tarius could have come up with but it was not the best either. Given the choice, Flak would have given them all a chance to sign the articles, then thrown the rest overboard. Interrogation would grant little, given none of them were officers, and Cassandra was undermanned as she was; they had neither the space or time for useless bellies filling up their brig.
That brought her neatly to her next concern. "Check the hold before doublin' the rations," she advised Sana now that the two officers were alone upon the quarterdeck. "And the coffers an' all. Assumin' the worst and that we might nae find anything o' use at Candlebright, we should be sure we've enough to feed us all the way to Port Pon and gold to buy more provisions there first."
It was better leaving the task of checking the stores to Sana or someone she would choose than for Flak to do it herself. The dwarf quartermaster often struggled with numbers and tended to make mistakes when it came to the ship's records so she tried to delegate administrative tasks whenever she could.
Flak had another reason for saving their stores which she did not voice. Sana and Tarius had both made it clear they were prioritising Cassandra well beyond the rest of the fleet. For them, their ship was their first concern; their charge and their family. That was true for Flak as well but the fleet was her family also. Cassandra carried her brothers and sisters but the fleet was her cousins. She would not abandon them and if they reached Candlebright Cove to find the other ships in a worse state that themselves then Flak planned to do her damnedest to get Tarius to share with them what they needed, whether that was food, sails or manpower.
Assuming any of the other ships made it that far.

by **Relikai** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 7:01 pm

Varian looked on with interest, smirking as E-ryus gave Tsov a shove. The goliath was a strong one, and since ships do not flip over that easily, Varian was appreciative of his presence. Sure, the goliath hurts and wounds as much as the other mortals, but the inner strength of such beings were valuable with ship work, when things jam or foul up, some strength would be useful in clearing things up. Seeing one shove the other, a duel or brawl between the two would be entertaining, just short of the catfights which Varian so enjoyed seeing when the ladies occasionally fought for his purse and attention.

"Right now, we're heading for Candlebright Cove, where we would rendezvous with the other ships. If you two would like to beat each other up, we can always arrange that as entertainment, although I'd reckon that now isn't the best time." Varian said with a firm voice. "I would have allowed you two to smash each others faces, but, not while we're in this stage. Calm down, keep that bloodlust in. If you do not temper that, it would claim you as a victim sooner or later." Varian continued in a firm voice, with an extra emphasis looking at Tsov.

by **Charlia** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 7:24 pm

Relikai wrote:Varian looked on with interest, smirking as E-ryus gave Tsov a shove. The goliath was a strong one, and since ships do not flip over that easily, Varian was appreciative of his presence. Sure, the goliath hurts and wounds as much as the other mortals, but the inner strength of such beings were valuable with ship work, when things jam or foul up, some strength would be useful in clearing things up. Seeing one shove the other, a duel or brawl between the two would be entertaining, just short of the catfights which Varian so enjoyed seeing when the ladies occasionally fought for his purse and attention.

"Right now, we're heading for Candlebright Cove, where we would rendezvous with the other ships. If you two would like to beat each other up, we can always arrange that as entertainment, although I'd reckon that now isn't the best time." Varian said with a firm voice. "I would have allowed you two to smash each others faces, but, not while we're in this stage. Calm down, keep that bloodlust in. If you do not temper that, it would claim you as a victim sooner or later." Varian continued in a firm voice, with an extra emphasis looking at Tsov.

"Agreed," Destiny cut in calmly. "Bloodthirst can be a very useful thing in certain situations, but at the wrong time, it can prove to be disastrous. It's simply a case of weighing its merits against its deficits."

In some cases it would be most definitely bad. In other cases... She unconsciously rubbed three fingers together as if rolling something between them... something like the stem of a rose, perhaps...

Well. In other cases it's the only option, now isn't it?

by **Jordkloden** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 8:40 pm

I've had enough of these damned bolts. Saqel thought. He'd only made five before he grew weary of the tedium. He went back above deck, and did what he always did when he had nothing better to do. He grabbed on to the ropes at the side of the ship. He climbed step-by-step, going from hand-hold to hand-hold. Although he was old, he was a halfling, and a Lightfoot at that. He was glad for it, Humans couldn't say the same at his age. Climbing swiftly, he scaled up to the crow's nest and clambered in. He could see nothing, only the open ocean before him. He inhaled the smell of salt and spray.
Though he couldn't see anything he decided to watch anyways, partly to keep from being idle, and partly to amuse himself. I'll never tire of this view.

by **Kazarogkai** » Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:45 pm

Jack Holiday
Drake's Dream
Oath of Vengeance Paladin

"For my brothers and sisters who have now departed from the bosom of Mother Life herself and entered into the grasp of Father Death and all his friends I pray to thee for safe passage unto your journey into the Evernight where all must go and were we will meet one day once again. From this point on I shall be thinking of you wherever I go on this journey I pray your sorrows may come to an end and that are hearts will blend. I step forward today and forever more to realize this wish on this journey. I pray to you and all the other down trodden bunch who have fallen through time and pay homage unto them: the love long since lost, The old friends forgotten, the new ones neglected, the sisters we could never see, and the brothers we could never be. For all the unfortunate lost souls who have fallen I pray to thee that you may be in peace. End."

The battle was over but the cost was great. In front of me lied the bodies of my fallen brothers and sisters in arms now wrapped in cloth and ready to be given unto the sea. The funeral of sorts was a short and curt one but still I decided add a little prayer, something I hadn't done in a very long time. Though these people were brigands and thieves and various other malcontents by most standards I couldn't help but feel sympathy for many of their plights. We were all bands of outsiders cast away from society at large and sunned by all doing their best to simply survive this harsh world which we lived in.

I rose from my position and after giving a final bow I began to pick up the individual bodies and threw them one by one from the right side of the ship into the dark waters of the sea which resembled a mirror reflecting the stars of the night sky. It was a rather solemn scene quite honestly beautiful in a weird way. No one else had volunteered for the morbid task so it was entirely left to me and so I performed it all in the only way I knew how. Each of the bodies I took their personal effects(clothes, weapons, etc) placing them in a nearby pile to be used in a last act of charity for later distribution to those in need or less fortunate in general and then afterwards wrapped them in cloth. If I was on land the normal way to dispose would be via a mass funeral pyre, but since we are on sea the proper way to be done is via giving them unto the sea. This was the final fate for are lost.

When the sad deed was done I gave one final bow and went onto a far more grim task this being the disposal of are enemies. In my culture the traditional way of dealing with ones enemies after killing them is to mutilate the body and take the head as a trophy, the reason being in the case of the head for prestige and in the case of the mutilation the prevention of being haunted by their spirit and to also prevent the body from being risen by and of use to a practitioner of necromancy like demons and witches. Such was the way of things in my lands but seemed not to be the way of things in these so I chose to respect that to a degree. When I finally gathered up the bodies of are dead enemies I didn't mutilate their bodies but I did make sure to take the heads of those I had killed as it was my right. When this was done I took the bodies and threw them unceremoniously from the left side of the ship into the sea.

When the task was over I went to the nearest barrel of water to wash myself of the blood of my enemies looking into it's mirror like surface at my reflection. I inspected the various new found scars that I had gained from battle and which now joined my already existing ones. All across my body one would find despite my age the many scars and bruises and burns that I had accumulated from a life defined by action. Though most would consider me a young man if one looked upon me they would see my leather like skin and my eyes which displayed a wisdom far above my years. I had suffered for so long and if recent were any indication of the future I would continue to do so far into my future. Was there a light at the end of my tunnel or was there only darkness? I couldn't tell. Whatever the case may be I had duties to perform and needed to get out of my state of self pity, so I left my reflection and joined the rest on the ship and with orders received from my captain I went on with my duties putting my dark thoughts to the back of my mind where they would continue to simmer under the surface.

Life is so very long

by **Relikai** » Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:51 pm

Charlia wrote:
Relikai wrote:Varian looked on with interest, smirking as E-ryus gave Tsov a shove. The goliath was a strong one, and since ships do not flip over that easily, Varian was appreciative of his presence. Sure, the goliath hurts and wounds as much as the other mortals, but the inner strength of such beings were valuable with ship work, when things jam or foul up, some strength would be useful in clearing things up. Seeing one shove the other, a duel or brawl between the two would be entertaining, just short of the catfights which Varian so enjoyed seeing when the ladies occasionally fought for his purse and attention.

"Right now, we're heading for Candlebright Cove, where we would rendezvous with the other ships. If you two would like to beat each other up, we can always arrange that as entertainment, although I'd reckon that now isn't the best time." Varian said with a firm voice. "I would have allowed you two to smash each others faces, but, not while we're in this stage. Calm down, keep that bloodlust in. If you do not temper that, it would claim you as a victim sooner or later." Varian continued in a firm voice, with an extra emphasis looking at Tsov.

"Agreed," Destiny cut in calmly. "Bloodthirst can be a very useful thing in certain situations, but at the wrong time, it can prove to be disastrous. It's simply a case of weighing its merits against its deficits."

In some cases it would be most definitely bad. In other cases... She unconsciously rubbed three fingers together as if rolling something between them... something like the stem of a rose, perhaps...

Well. In other cases it's the only option, now isn't it?

"Ah, feeling better, Captain? The ships are headed for Candlebright Cove... good place to stock up and deal with the wounded." Varian said as the captain came to the three. Seeing Saqel in the Crows Nest brought some comfort, although halflings lack Darkvision. Still, humans have been surviving at sea without such traits, and they have proven to be adept night fighters too. "Seems like the Drake's Dream, the Cassandra and the Belisarius... that boat of foreigners, have all made it out of port."

Looking out at sea, the silhouettes of the other ships glowed in black and grey, as Varian's darkvision took over. "I do hope we find good replacements there, good men and women... I wonder what the other ships have in mind, perhaps we'll head for Mintarn, or Port Pon..."

by **The Templar High Council** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:53 pm

Arana wrote:"Sir, here. Your sword."

Ash awoke with a jolt, having previously been asleep in a deep dream about when he became captain of the Dream. Unbeknownst to him, Aryn had been trying to wake him for the past 10-20 minutes. "What is it?" He mumbled, as he slowly leaned up from his bed. The bed was more comfortable than the crew's cots, but only slightly. Ash never got used to sleeping in expensive bedding, so his bed wasn't much more than everyone else's. It took only 2 minutes for Aryn to explain what had happened, and that he had missed all the fighting. To be fair, he had stayed up all night the previous night in town. Ash planned to use the rest of today to make up for his missing sleep. Regrettably, it seems to have succeeded.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "I'm not blaming you, Kid, but damn it! There was no way to know what was going to happen, but I wish at least I was up to deal with it." Ash took his knife from Aryn and tucked it onto his belt, as well as tying his ironcloth wraps around his hands and wrists, to match the wraps on his feet and ankles. He opened the door gingerly, hearing angry shouts from across the deck. Ash sighed, and reached back for a covered cup he kept in his cabin. He exited into the open air, and threw the cup's contents at the angry Genasi. "Vesaan, catch!" he shouted, as seawater rained down on Vesaan to calm him down. The black night sky only made the burning ships behind them glow brighter, and Ash looked back with a mixture of disdain and regret. Soon, he made his way up to the helm, where he found Alma taking care of the ship in his absence.

"Glad to see everything didn't fall apart without me." Ash said, smiling, as he stood to Alma's right and looked around the Dream. "I don't know what to say, I'd been up since yesterday. I planned to sleep all through the night. Too bad I did. How bad was it?"

by **The Olog-Hai** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 5:43 pm

The Templar High Council wrote:
Arana wrote:"Sir, here. Your sword."

He opened the door gingerly, hearing angry shouts from across the deck. Ash sighed, and reached back for a covered cup he kept in his cabin. He exited into the open air, and threw the cup's contents at the angry Genasi. "Vesaan, catch!" he shouted, as seawater rained down on Vesaan to calm him down.

Vesaan, or at least his insane side had been doing... insane things... for the past few minutes. Yelling at the sky, at birds, and more.
It was a welcome relief when the captain noticed and threw a cup of seawater on him. Yes, a very welcome relief.
Now he was himself again. There were quite a few... issues... to clear up at this point. For instance, he probably had to apologize to the rest of the crew for "his" bloodthirstiness. He couldn't really be blamed, but some people... they just couldn't cope with a half-insane man. It wasn't his fault, really. It was the other guy's fault. Luckily, even though he was more powerful, he didn't really have the willpower to do anything except when he was in control. But Vesaan did. Oh, it had taken effort, but he could communicate a bit while the other was in control. The Other. That had a nice ring to it. Maybe give him a real name, so Vesaan isn't associated with insanity. But the Other would get mad at not choosing his name, and the name he would choose would be something like Dark Lord of the Seas. That probably wouldn't go over well.
Anyways, there was definitely someone who was going to be mad at him. Alma had told everyone to take prisoners. Well, he, or at least the Other, wasn't the only one to not do so, but he was the main culprit. Better had go clear that up.
So, he walked up to Alma, and said, a bit sheepishly, "Uhh... about the 'me' not taking prisoners. That wasn't my fault. I can't be blamed for the actions of my alter ego!"

by **Soviet Farm** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 6:58 am

Charlia wrote:
Relikai wrote:Varian looked on with interest, smirking as E-ryus gave Tsov a shove. The goliath was a strong one, and since ships do not flip over that easily, Varian was appreciative of his presence. Sure, the goliath hurts and wounds as much as the other mortals, but the inner strength of such beings were valuable with ship work, when things jam or foul up, some strength would be useful in clearing things up. Seeing one shove the other, a duel or brawl between the two would be entertaining, just short of the catfights which Varian so enjoyed seeing when the ladies occasionally fought for his purse and attention.

"Right now, we're heading for Candlebright Cove, where we would rendezvous with the other ships. If you two would like to beat each other up, we can always arrange that as entertainment, although I'd reckon that now isn't the best time." Varian said with a firm voice. "I would have allowed you two to smash each others faces, but, not while we're in this stage. Calm down, keep that bloodlust in. If you do not temper that, it would claim you as a victim sooner or later." Varian continued in a firm voice, with an extra emphasis looking at Tsov.

"Agreed," Destiny cut in calmly. "Bloodthirst can be a very useful thing in certain situations, but at the wrong time, it can prove to be disastrous. It's simply a case of weighing its merits against its deficits."

In some cases it would be most definitely bad. In other cases... She unconsciously rubbed three fingers together as if rolling something between them... something like the stem of a rose, perhaps...

Well. In other cases it's the only option, now isn't it?

Tsov nodded. Captain Destiny was one of the few people who he'd actually listen to. If she and Varian told him to calm down, then he would. E-Ryus, on the other hand, would get what's coming to him soon enough.

by **Saleon** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:41 am

Alma pats herself down and places her shield back. Her cloak seemed to stop flowing throughout the battle, as the sea seemed to subside with fury. The battle was over, the ship sailed on, but it wasn't an easy escape. Alma looked down below to see the fight now that it had ended. She saw a ship covered in blood, and she was very concerned with the number of bodies, not prisoners. It caused a slight twitch in her eye and she had a couple of guesses who did it. Something near obvious about it. She planned things for him.

Seems the boy with the split personality had returned to normal. Idiot wasn't good at keeping a calm head; she'd wondered what caused it, but that wasn't a main concern. He was still a good kid... half the time. She gave out a large sigh. "I'm not the one you need to apologize for," she replied, noting his sort of sorrow for what he'd done, "and the dead don't take minds gone to splat as an excuse. The best you can do is give them a proper burial when we get to port. Let their spirits rest easy. It's not like you were the only one to leave a body." She looked over to the other crewmates again, and they knew what she was thinking.

She then noticed the captain had finally showed up. She was a little disheartened that he never showed up when this **** had got down. Reminder: Ash is quite the heavy-sleeper. Either way, it was vital he got up to speed. "Well, I can say we can finally tear down the NN in front of our ship's name. I always wondered why we kept that up there," she said half-heartedly. She then switched to a more serious tone as she walked back to give them the wheel, "Seems Neverwinter has turned. I talked to one of my contacts, it seems the whole government's turned against the privateer class. I'd say this is sign of turmoil, I don't think it was the normal government kooks that cooked this plan up. The whole navy stormed the port, and I had to wade through soldiers just to get on ground. It was a mess, and explosions and fire ran rampant. I don't think many ships got through the barricade. We were one of the lucky ones."

by **The Templar High Council** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 10:47 am

Saleon wrote:
The Templar High Council wrote:Ash awoke with a jolt, having previously been asleep in a deep dream about when he became captain of the Dream. Unbeknownst to him, Aryn had been trying to wake him for the past 10-20 minutes. "What is it?" He mumbled, as he slowly leaned up from his bed. The bed was more comfortable than the crew's cots, but only slightly. Ash never got used to sleeping in expensive bedding, so his bed wasn't much more than everyone else's. It took only 2 minutes for Aryn to explain what had happened, and that he had missed all the fighting. To be fair, he had stayed up all night the previous night in town. Ash planned to use the rest of today to make up for his missing sleep. Regrettably, it seems to have succeeded.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "I'm not blaming you, Kid, but damn it! There was no way to know what was going to happen, but I wish at least I was up to deal with it." Ash took his knife from Aryn and tucked it onto his belt, as well as tying his ironcloth wraps around his hands and wrists, to match the wraps on his feet and ankles. He opened the door gingerly, hearing angry shouts from across the deck. Ash sighed, and reached back for a covered cup he kept in his cabin. He exited into the open air, and threw the cup's contents at the angry Genasi. "Vesaan, catch!" he shouted, as seawater rained down on Vesaan to calm him down. The black night sky only made the burning ships behind them glow brighter, and Ash looked back with a mixture of disdain and regret. Soon, he made his way up to the helm, where he found Alma taking care of the ship in his absence.

"Glad to see everything didn't fall apart without me." Ash said, smiling, as he stood to Alma's right and looked around the Dream. "I don't know what to say, I'd been up since yesterday. I planned to sleep all through the night. Too bad I did. How bad was it?"

She then noticed the captain had finally showed up. She was a little disheartened that he never showed up when this **** had got down. Reminder: Ash is quite the heavy-sleeper. Either way, it was vital he got up to speed. "Well, I can say we can finally tear down the NN in front of our ship's name. I always wondered why we kept that up there," she said half-heartedly. She then switched to a more serious tone as she walked back to give him the wheel, "Seems Neverwinter has turned. I talked to one of my contacts, it seems the whole government's turned against the privateer class. I'd say this is sign of turmoil, I don't think it was the normal government kooks that cooked this plan up. The whole navy stormed the port, and I had to wade through soldiers just to get on ground. It was a mess, and explosions and fire ran rampant. I don't think many ships got through the barricade. We were one of the lucky ones."

"No, hold onto the helm for a bit longer. Somebody get me a free length of rope!" The Dream was like any other sailing ship: it had a name emblazoned on the stern and on both sides of the bow. Ash approached the backside of the ship and awaited someone to hand him the rope. He was going to go scratch off their "title" himself.

"That's a damn shame, though I'm very surprised it didn't happen sooner. Those other chaps, and even some of you lot, cause more problems than we solve. But on the bright side," Ash snapped his fingers, and a lick of flame appeared in his hand. "Now, no more rules. We'll pirate who we want, just like the good ol' days. And if they want to stop us, they'll have hell to pay."

by **Jordkloden** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:34 pm

by **Camicon** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 4:22 pm

Cerrania wrote:[Tarius to Flak:] "We'll keep them. I'm sure that plenty in Port Pon would pay a pretty coin to have six new slaves, especially hardy ones from Neverwinter. Until then, their health should be relatively maintained. A flogging or two mixed with some interrogation won't kill them. Try to see what you can gain about what they know. Doubt it's very much. Double rations and rum for every crew member, the deserve it. See to it their bellies are at least full for the next two days."
[Tarius to Sana:]"No. Stay our course, Sana. Once we make it to Candlebright we can take stock of our situation and address any problems. I'm not risking what remains of our crew to save a ship that actually rammed us because they thought we were still being boarded by the Guard. Also, see me in my quarters once you get us into open waters. There's something we should discuss."

Ularn wrote:[Flak to Sana:] "Check the hold before doublin' the rations. And the coffers an' all. Assumin' the worst and that we might nae find anything o' use at Candlebright, we should be sure we've enough to feed us all the way to Port Pon and gold to buy more provisions there first."

Sana Loren
The N.N. Cassandra
The Month of Winter's Edge, 1232 G.D.
~01:00

Sana bit her lip and kept her mouth shut, when Tarius talked about selling off the captured Neverwinter guards as slave in Port Pon. Interrogation was one thing, a little payback for killing their fellow crew straddled the line, but slavery? She remembered being in that position before, being the lone escapee from a failed breakout, how she had drifted into the Cassandra by pure luck and was given a new lease on life. Captain Vario wasn't the kind of man who made slaves, and up until this moment she had not expected it of Tarius. She found herself questioning how well she knew him, as she focused on feeding a strong breeze into the Cassandra's sails. It wouldn't be long before they passed over the horizon, and already the other three ships to escape the harbour were fading in the distance behind them.

But she had other duties to attend to. Though she ceased her magical manipulations the Cassandra would maintain it's current twenty knots for now, and then slow to a more average fifteen knots in short order; slowly enough for the crew to adjust their lines. Handing off the wheel to one of the more experienced deckhands, Sana grabbed Captain Vario's cabin boy and headed below deck to take stock; kid had a thing for numbers and, while she knew hers well enough, she wasn't exactly fond of bookkeeping.

The belly of the ship was nearly pitch dark, with only a few covered oil lamps peeking through the black. Sana turned her hand up as a fistful of flames sprang into being above it, casting an illuminating orange glow by which they could navigate. While Vario's cabin boy counted and recorded their supplies, Sana tried to recall how many of the Cassandra's crew she had seen fall, and how many she'd seen still walking. It would matter for how long their supplies would last them. She remembered seeing at least five crewmen struck down, and there had been about... fifteen up top when Vario gave the captaincy to Tarius; their crew was normally around thirty, which put their current crew somewhere between that and twenty-five. Probably on the lower end though, which wasn't good.

As they finished their count of the Cassandra's supplies, Sana scrawled three numbers across the bottom corner of the parchment the cabin boy had been recording on. "How many days of food we have," she said, pointing to a '28', "How many days of water we have," she pointed to a '20', "How many gold pieces we have," she pointed to a '9000'. "Now go, get this to Flak." While their food and water stores were respectable enough they had not received their usual payment after arriving in Neverwinter, though the Lord Protector had been quick to unload what goods they had acquired during their latest excursion, and the damage to the Cassandra would cut severely into what little gold they had on hand. Sana sent the boy off with a swat of her hand, before searching out Tarius.

She first checked the First Mate's quarters, and was surprised to find them bare. Clearly, someone had taken it upon themselves to move Tarius into the Captain's quarters the moment after Vario had declared him. She walked a little further on, stopped beside the proper door, and gave it three good strikes with her fist. "Captain!" Sana leaned back against the door frame, propping her battlestaff up against the wall while fiddling absently with it's chain.

by **Saleon** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:39 pm

The Templar High Council wrote:
Saleon wrote:She then noticed the captain had finally showed up. She was a little disheartened that he never showed up when this **** had got down. Reminder: Ash is quite the heavy-sleeper. Either way, it was vital he got up to speed. "Well, I can say we can finally tear down the NN in front of our ship's name. I always wondered why we kept that up there," she said half-heartedly. She then switched to a more serious tone as she walked back to give him the wheel, "Seems Neverwinter has turned. I talked to one of my contacts, it seems the whole government's turned against the privateer class. I'd say this is sign of turmoil, I don't think it was the normal government kooks that cooked this plan up. The whole navy stormed the port, and I had to wade through soldiers just to get on ground. It was a mess, and explosions and fire ran rampant. I don't think many ships got through the barricade. We were one of the lucky ones."

"No, hold onto the helm for a bit longer. Somebody get me a free length of rope!" The Dream was like any other sailing ship: it had a name emblazoned on the stern and on both sides of the bow. Ash approached the backside of the ship and awaited someone to hand him the rope. He was going to go scratch off their "title" himself.

"That's a damn shame, though I'm very surprised it didn't happen sooner. Those other chaps, and even some of you lot, cause more problems than we solve. But on the bright side," Ash snapped his fingers, and a lick of flame appeared in his hand. "Now, no more rules. We'll pirate who we want, just like the good ol' days. And if they want to stop us, they'll have hell to pay."

Alma gave a small smirk as she saw the captain let loose on the old insignia. The dirty ol' mark was nothing more than a burnt stain. The ship is, as it deserved, a dirty pirate's ship with no affiliations-- a rogue of the sea, the bane of any government. She had an amorous feeling thinking of the fun this ship would be having from now on, even if there were harrowing signs. She saw the albatross marking their path, if only for a second. Good omen, definitely.

she grabbed the wheel again and told the crew to set to full mast. She wanted to ride the wind on through now that they were in international waters. The sky was full with an infant-like blue, and the winds were in their favor. It was a number of good things for the bane of authority, Drake's Dream. "Cap," she shouted, "It alright to set course for Port Pon, for supplies? Might be best to also go to a small cove on the way to drop the prisoners and take inventory before we get there! Candlebright, I think."

by **The Templar High Council** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 10:03 pm

Saleon wrote:
The Templar High Council wrote:"No, hold onto the helm for a bit longer. Somebody get me a free length of rope!" The Dream was like any other sailing ship: it had a name emblazoned on the stern and on both sides of the bow. Ash approached the backside of the ship and awaited someone to hand him the rope. He was going to go scratch off their "title" himself.

"That's a damn shame, though I'm very surprised it didn't happen sooner. Those other chaps, and even some of you lot, cause more problems than we solve. But on the bright side," Ash snapped his fingers, and a lick of flame appeared in his hand. "Now, no more rules. We'll pirate who we want, just like the good ol' days. And if they want to stop us, they'll have hell to pay."

Alma gave a small smirk as she saw the captain let loose on the old insignia. The dirty ol' mark was nothing more than a burnt stain. The ship is, as it deserved, a dirty pirate's ship with no affiliations-- a rogue of the sea, the bane of any government. She had an amorous feeling thinking of the fun this ship would be having from now on, even if there were harrowing signs. She saw the albatross marking their path, if only for a second. Good omen, definitely.

She grabbed the wheel again and told the crew to set to full mast. She wanted to ride the wind on through now that they were in international waters. The sky was full with an infant-like blue, and the winds were in their favor. It was a number of good things for the bane of authority, Drake's Dream. "Cap," she shouted, "It alright to set course for Port Pon, for supplies? Might be best to also go to a small cove on the way to drop the prisoners and take inventory before we get there! Candlebright, I think."

After Ash had finished raking his burning hands across the ship's hull, he pulled himself back atop the deck on the port bow. Hearing Alma's request for a heading, he looked out to the few remaining ships sailing away. "That seems like a fine idea. Perhaps stick with the other ships, so we can settle our debts and see our... former allies off." He returned to the helm and looked out onto the ocean. "May as well stay up now. You have a rest if you want to."

by **Caldamor** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 2:53 pm

Malurog
Belisarius

The dragonborn leaned over the railing of his ship and stared out to sea. He was deep in thought, and was greatly troubled. For some reason he'd been betrayed, he was no longer a privateer. Malurog had several fears he was trying to work out, one, why would their license to privateer be revoked? What horrid thing had been done to turn their former buyers against them? Two, now that the Fleet was a band of pirates, with nothing that could control their behavior, what crimes would they commit?

Privateering was one thing, you fought the ships of your enemy, took their goods, split the loot with your country (or the one paying you), ransom the prisoners and send them back home. Simple, basically like being in a well paid navy. But now, after being betrayed, Malurog doubted these rogues would control themselves. The Draconic warrior decided to make a pledge to himself that if his crew harmed innocent life, he'd intervene. Yet intervening would mean his death could be coming. Malurog became a privateer to stop pirates and raiders, yet didn't want to be committed to a Navy.

Malurog shook off his dark thoughts and looked up into the sky. He'd already done his tasks for the afternoon, and was resting off-duty now. He could see Percy driving for fish and chuckled at how simple life was for a bird, eat, sleep, repeat. A bird did not have morals to follow...

by **Shadowwell** » Sun Mar 20, 2016 11:00 am

Emere
Once Emere noticed the captain had finally emerged from his cabin, he waited for the captain to finish with Vesaan and Alma. He walked over to the Captain and said " I have given us what boost i could using the wind, but i wasnt able to make it too strong because some of our sails were damaged in the attack." He paused before continuing " Is there anything else you will need before i head to my quarters, Captain?"

The Sword Coast - Chapter II: Winds of Revenge(IC)

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