Sixth Adventure 01: To Holtburg

Gwydo (Tanht of Rocksalt) wrote:Gwydo grins back at the gnome, "Right, but where do Rocksalts consider home?"

"Oh I imagine the Osteth Republic in general!" The Gnome laughs a bit, thinking you're joking with him. "Or wherever it is your folk tend to call home. Varies from person to person, don't it?"

Gwydo:
You were born in Baishi while passing through but are still a citizen of the Osteth Republic. You have spent the last 12 years in the merchant marines, running freight and cargo along the southern coast.

Sethos decides to go for a stroll into the ships bowels, he comes first to the weapon's deck, where he gets to look at the cannons that were poised and ready to kill him only a short while before, the thought of how much things have changed in such a short time makes him chuckle.

Spoiler:

Sethos/Elkar:
There are about a dozen Deckhands of various species currently keeping the Cannons cleaned and oiled as well as making sure their wheels were properly set, smoothing out the rivets, and whatnot. Any one of them is about as essential as any other.

Sethos turns to his Lugian escort, regarding him with an out of place grin.

"So, how are you doing Mr....? I didn't catch your name did I? Would you by any chance be called Tim? You look like a Tim to me".

The Lugian glares down at you through the dim lighting, and grates his teeth together before answering, shortly, "Tolvak."

"Well I got the T sound, I suppose that's something" He pokes at a cannon as they walk past it, not really knowing what anything on it is or does. "So Tolvak, how long have you been part of the crew?"

Tolvak continues to glare at you. "6 years now."

"Six years? That's a long time, my pap spent some time on a boat when he was younger, apparently he didn't step on dry land for four months then went insane with the cabin fever so they dropped him off on some random beach just south of Eastham". He chuckles a little at the thought before continuing onwards, all the time moving towards the stairs down to the next level. "He reckons he spent about ten hours wandering around talking to sea shells and rocks before he stumbled on the fire temple" He looks back at Tolvak before pointing at the staircase in front of him. "Mind if we move on?"

Tolvak stretches his neck. "I hate to sound rude, but why are you, someone we don't trust, trying to inspect our ship?"

Sethos turns to look at Tolvak surprised.

"Well no offence intended, but staring at the sea has a tendency to get boring quite quickly" He turns to head down the stairs "I'm just doing my best to stave it off til we're out of your hair". And then heads down the stairs.

The Lugian puts a strong arm on your shoulder and bodily drags you back up. "We're going to head back to the topdeck now."

Sethos attempts to protest for a second before giving up with a slight grunt and sigh.

"Do you wanna play I spy?" He says as he pulls his pipe from his pocket and begins to fill it.

Looking around the deck or someone who looks like they're "in charge", Gwydo walks up to the and asks "Are we allowed to climb the rigging to the mast tops? I'd love to get a better view."

Spoiler:

Sethos (Elkar'Vikth) wrote:Sethos attempts to protest for a second before giving up with a slight grunt and sigh.

"Do you wanna play I spy?" He says as he pulls his pipe from his pocket and begins to fill it.

Tolvak gives the smallest of grins. "I spy with my large eye something beginning with... B."

Gwydo (Tanht of Rocksalt) wrote:Looking around the deck or someone who looks like they're "in charge", Gwydo walks up to the and asks "Are we allowed to climb the rigging to the mast tops? I'd love to get a better view."

Spoiler:

Gwydo is allowed by a few of the Deckhands to go up, though not all the way to the mast tops. He can lean off the ropes to get a good view and enjoy the sea air, however.

As they come out on the sun lit deck Sethos lights his pipe and takes a puff before saying.

"Is it Burun?"

Sethos (Elkar'Vikth) wrote:As they come out on the sun lit deck Sethos lights his pipe and takes a puff before saying.

"Is it Burun?"

*Z having followed the duo up the stairs shakes their head at Sethos bumping him with a shoulder right as a large crest of water causes the boat to lurch in an unexpected direction. Z handles the movement with practiced ease, before continuing on as if nothing had happened.*

The Lugian raises an eyebrow. "No."

Sethos scratches his chin for a second before the lightning bolt of realisation noticeably hits him, his eyes get wide and he claps his hand together.

"It's boat!" He shouts looking around and pulling on his pipe victoriously, then Z's nudge hits him, sending him flying towards the starboard side, he hits the deck a few feet from it's edge, letting go of his pipe with the force which leaves it sailing over the edge of the boat and into the sea. Sethos watches as it seems to fly away from him in slow motion, before jumping to his feet and running to the edge peering over in horror at the blue chaotic flow below him.

"Shite it" He says in a dim defeated tone, before trudging off to the back of the ship.

From the rigging Gwydo starts singing.

Sea Shanty:

There is a bit of a blur as Sethos gets brushed aside, and a long, strong arm is grasping his pipe in its hands. The Lugian lowers it down to the Burun's reach. "You need to be more careful on the sea, lest you or yours be claimed by it."

The joy in Sethos' eyes as he looks up at the pipe in the lugians hands is comparable only to a puppy that has just realised it's not going to the vet after all. He slowly plucks it out of Tolvak's hand and gazes at it then looks back at Tolvak.

"I cannot thank you enough" He says before offering his hand for a shake "I'm Sethos by the way".

Several of you notice a tall, strong looking Banderling roam out to the Deck. Several nearby sailors pop a quick salute. He presses his hands behind his back. "Some years ago I was Boatswain on the Coral Hook, one of our finer ships of the time. We had a difficult mission, brutal one, but we were ready for it. All the Sho Admirals wanted was some intelligence on what the Tumerok coastline was like along the Dryreach Zone... any intelligence at all, any information we could get 'em." His face is slowly hardening into a grimace as he talks. "We had it planned out careful like. Waited for fog, crept in under a single mast, lookouts in the nest. The moment, the moment we spotted anything we were to stop, send out rowboats, and after that, swimmers. Try to stay as hidden as we could."

He pauses, and you notice several other nearby crewmen have paused in their work. Those with hats have taken them off and laid them upon their chests.

"We were sailing under Captain Tolmede himself. Good chap, smart folk, always kept his hat on well. When our first crow scout spotted what looked like a Tumerok ship, right on the horizon... miles away... we readied to pull in rope and drop anchor." You notice his fingers are clenching. "A few of us heard the sound, it was... the strangest sound. Like the echo of cannon fire, but with no fire. But Tolmede, told you he was quick, started barkin' orders immediate. Ordered full canvas, started turnin the ship around. Probably saved his life in doin' so, few seconds later a shot ripped through half the stern."

He pauses again to turn and stare at Zeiss. "Mind ye, our ships don't look like much, but this is Glenden Oak, reinforced with Steel, and magically protected. It's about as good as it gets for those like us. But whatever they shot us with tore through it like tinder." His eyes narrowed. "Tolmede already had a plan. Ordered abandoned ship, right to, actually grabbed a few people and flung 'em overboard. And he steered the ship himself, towards the Tumeroks. He was hopin' they'd just see the ship, not the boats."

At this a few people lower their heads nearby. "Ol' Captain Tolmede died that day the best way there is to die; saving his crew, going down with his ship. But I will never forget that sensation, that utter and complete feeling. Do you know what that feeling was, Rogue?" He turns and stares, and without waiting long for an answer, replies. "Powerlessness. Utter, complete powerlessness. I was staring at an enemy that destroyed us without us ever even seeing them. And they did so with no remorse, no hesitation, no basic decency of law or persons. They saw somethin' that wasn't them, and they obliterated it." He spits to his side.

"I'm tellin' you this, little Rogue, so you understand just what kind of threat you're facin'. What kind of risk you're takin'. You need to get out and get stronger, work your way up, or you're going to be dead in the water to an enemy you never even saw. Just like us."

*Z walks up a bit sheepishly.*

"Erm.. sorry.."

*They walk away. You notice their graceful movements match those of the other bandits. In some ways it seems almost as though they can predict the way the ship will pitch and yaw instinctively, while you struggle to keep yourself upright.*

Hanuel turns to look at the Banderling, listening to his speech intently, and making a mental note to make some time to speak with him before reaching Holtsburg.