Mako slowly put the statuette back into his bag, before walking to the cartography room, his face appearing from the twilight of the hall. He heard Mariner muttering, and as he crossed the threshold, found Dolphus standing quite still. "Hey,are you ok?"Mako asked him.
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Rook Andreas had been lounging in his quarters, rather content with life, he focused on the subtle rise and fall motion of the ship. Of the sea. Of the world.
The best, of course was yet to come – he wasn’t here just to appreciate the bobbing of the waves, after all.
Andreas arrives shortly after Mako. He briefly scans the room, before sinking into a chair.
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Dolphus jolted at the sudden interruption and quickly strode to a chair, trying very hard not to make eye contact with anyone in the room as he slid down the back of it. I don’t want to be here I don’t want to be here why can he smell the wing WHY CAN HE SMELL THE WING HE HAS A HELMET ON
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Tharos groans as he drags himself out of bed. He throws his robes over his head as he examines himself in his personal mirror. His gaunt features stared back at him. “Been living in squalor too long, and using too much magic.”
He noticed a slight flutter as he pulls up the hood of his robes, but ignores it. “You two are supposed to stay out of sight you know. That was the deal”
A boring deal, I want to seeee things, and not just through your inefficient eyes the hard voice whines.
Now, now, Tharos has always been good to us the soft voice chided We just honour our deal. Although, when no one is around, I don’t see why he can’t sate his curiosity then
“Because someone could hear you, or walk in and see you” Tharos pulls his hood low leaving his eyes in shadow. “Also there’s the cat”
A hiss from the Hard Voice. Why do you humans keep cats around? Vicious Daemon creatures. I know the truth of their origins. A benevolent Daemon is still a Daemon after all
“So I shouldn’t trust you two?” Tharos says with a wry smile.
We are NOT daemons! They are anathema to us we are the ancient protectors! we are-
SILENCE boomed the soft voice so loud Tharos winced. He’s probing us for information again. That was not part of the deal
“Well you play fast and loose with our arrangement, so do I” Tharos chuckles as he exits his room. Making his way down to the Chart room. As he enters be notices Rook, Mako, and Dolphus seated at the table. Most strangely Mariner has his head halfway out the ship, scanning the air intently.
Tharos chooses the seat on Dolphus’ left, as Mariner withdraws his head.
“Must be an Albatross again, they’ve never forgiven me for that misunderstanding with the crossbow.” He takes a seat at the head of the table, hands folded and staring straight ahead, perfectly content to wait for the rest of the party in total silence.
Tharos clears his throat, “So… Why don’t we tell each other a little about ourselves to pass the time eh?” He tries an open smile, before realizing how sinister it’d look with his traditional robes. “I’ll start, my name is Tharos, and I’m here in the hopes of properly reconnecting with my estranged father. There who’d like to go next”
Too much information Tharos the hard voice warned
actually I agree, they’ll likely think you’re crazy or joking. We shall pray they believe you’re joking the soft voice then actually begins a prayer to some long forgotten god
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Nico had done his best to be productive after his encounter with Dolphus. He had done a closer survey of the arms compartment, the stores, the ballistae on deck. He had been too tired, though. This was actually his first time on the water since-
He had been sitting in his quarters, polishing his club - his cane - when Mariner’s signal had reached him. He sighed, and stood, adjusting his gloves tighter over his long hands. He turned to face the porthole, the closest thing to a mirror, here. He gave his collar a sharp tug, adjusted the laces of his shirt. He reached for his jacket, slinging it over his arm. He paused, to admire his visage, and smiled, showing teeth. His hand drifted to his hip, where his dueling knife rested horizontally along the small of his back.
He threw his cane up and caught it midway down the haft, as turned he on his heel and exited into the corridor. His gait was a casual lope at first, but as he continued he thought better of it. He was to be quartermaster, after all. He must command respect. He straightened his step, shrugging on his jacket as he walked, finishing the fastening of its collar as he arrived in the chart room, arriving just after Tharos.
He stood briefly in the doorway, head slightly cocked to one side. One hand, his right, rested on the head of his cane, and other arm in a somewhat rigid position across his abdomen. He surveyed the room, and smiled in greeting.
Ah yes.
He’d forgotten Mariner was here.
Maybe he was too cynical, but his perception of this expedition’s proprietor was not a good one. He was either clueless or tight-fisted, and neither were connotative of a successful voyage.
He’d arrived just in time to see Mariner extricate himself from the porthole. Nico’s voice was suffuse with innocent and genuine humor, but could be found to be laced with an icy element to the attentive observer.
“Seasick, your honor?”
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Mariner looks up as Nico enters, acknowledges him with a brief nod, then gestures to the table. Indicating he should take a seat. He took note of the tone, and ignored the jibe. Sitting in contemplative silence for a moment longer, before turning his head to look in Tharos’ direction. “I am here… For penance. As such I will as your guide, do everything in my power to make sure you succeed” he turned his head back, staring straight at the door, only the sound of the occasional click emanating from within his armoured shell.
Tharos blinks a few times, of all the people he expected to answer, Mariner had been the last. “well, anyone else?” He kept his tone light and friendly as possible. Trying not to let the uneasy feeling Mariner’s words imparted, show in his voice. He looked across the table at Rook Andreas, “How about you friend?”
(@Atobe_Brick )
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Here we go. Late, just my luck. Jade thought as she rushed down the pier, dark hair streaming, violet cloak fluttering, satchel banging against her thigh as she made it to the end of the dock, only to see the very ship she wanted to be onboard disengage and was about to sail away.
And then what appeared to be a woman flew from the boat and landed on the planks of the dock next to her, startling Jade and causing her to recoil a bit. That was weird, Jade thought, but she shrugged. Magic was a thing in this world. It would do one good to get used to it.
After recovering from the initial shock, she realized that the flying woman had asked her a question, and she sounded like she had all intent to get an answer.
“Er, I’d like to be.” Jade responded, sounding a bit forlorn. “But it looks as if they’re ready to leave.”
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Nico frowned, but only briefly. He didn’t enjoy finding himself at another table in a forced discussion with a proprietor he didn’t particularly like. However, he ceded the point, and sat.
He considered remaining aloof, quiet. It was likely the more intelligent, calculated thing to do. However, the sour taste in his mouth triggered by being around the lack of … noblesse oblige … in respect to the operation of a ship found in this individual was no reason to antagonize the crew.
Nico was nothing if not polite, though, and said nothing, at least until the sword-handed man’s reaction became clear.
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Hethila nods, “I can get you there, but it might be a touch uncomfortable” she then smiles, “Hope you don’t mind a little heat”
Hethila throws back her head, as fire bursts from her eye sockets, her eyes themselves becoming glowing coals. From her shoulders, to her back, more fire, gradually catching the oil on her wings alight. Allowing them to be seen for the first time. She offers Jade her hand, now vaguely resembling a taloned claw. “Take my hand, I’ll fly you there. Don’t worry, I won’t burn you.”
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“Nice trick,” Jade commented as she accepted the talon, looking up into the flaming eyes of the fiery, birdlike woman. Haven’t seen anything like that before, she thought. “And I can take the heat.”
Did I say that out loud? Whatever.
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Dolphus found himself leaning away from Tharos instinctively and corrected his posture to make it not look too obvious that half the people on board made him uncomfortable, and the ones that didn’t actively make him seemed to be getting themselves into circumstances that would make future interaction awkward.
Like the young man who just entered. Dolphus tried to glance at him with feigned interest, but he couldn’t help it. There was danger in his eyes, and it was more likely than not that Nico could and would see it. So Dolphus sat as reservedly as he could, trying badly to look in control of the situation.
The reason Tharos had provided seemed likely enough as either the truth or a fabrication just unique enough to be considered real, but Mariner’s explanation was cold enough and honest enough. It seemed that, for whatever reason, participating in Tharwin’s silly quest seemed to matter a great deal more to him than to the rest of the crew or maybe even to Tharwin himself.
But as a leader, he seemed incapable. He had deferred near-equal authority to Alexis almost instantly, and she likely wouldn’t take advantage of that right off the bat. But Nico’s snide comment hadn’t escaped him; he would need to wrangle his crew soon or face the very real possibility of mutiny.
Although maybe he’s not so concerned. Why would a man with a ghost army care about the opinions of his crew? But then again, why would he NEED a crew?
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Alexis jolted up from her bunk, had she expected a meeting like this to happen eventually? Now wasn’t the time to think about this, she decided as she threw on her coat and affixed her cape to its rightful place. “Of course, this meeting could be something as simple as discussing our first destination.” Alexis contemplated as she entered the chart room. It appeared that Dolphus, The Mummy, Stereotypical pirate, and Nico had all beaten her here… so pretty much everyone.
“There a problem?”
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Hethila grabs her hand, taking a moment to telepathically tell Mariner she was bringing one more. She then lifts off with large beats of her wings, taking care to ensure no undue strain was placed on Jade’s shoulder. The flight time to the ship is greatly reduced, at the cost of a more uncomfortable experience for Jade. Buffeted by intense winds, the flight was at least mercifully short. Still the time it seemed an eternity before Jade’s boots finally hit the deck. Hethila remains hovering in midair for a moment as she speaks her parting words. “The rest of the crew is waiting for you down below, last room at the end of the hall”
Mariner looks up at her.
“Standard crew briefing, please take a seat, we’re only waiting on one more” he gestures to a seat. Then, standing, he strides with quiet grace despite the deck rolling beneath him, towards the Globe in the center of the room.
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The room grew very still for a moment as Alexis entered. Dolphus kept his calm, his mask somehow improving while his gaze was fixed so she stayed permanently in its peripheral vision. To look without looking was something his father had practiced and prided himself on, but Dolphus hadn’t seen much purpose in it before.
He had to know. He had to know just how she perceived him. He had opened his mouth to reply and affirm there was no problem whatsoever, when-
Dolphus’ gaze broke as he counted the number of people he had seen at the shore, all of them present now in the one room and most seated at the one table.
Alexis, the most important,
Nico Markl, the dangerous one,
Mako, with so many bandages,
Rook Andreas, who raised a lot of questions he didn’t want the answers for,
And himself, Dolphus Greylark, Gorov in hiding. Every single one accounted for. And Tharwin had said he was not joining them himself on this voyage - who, then, could it be?
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“Well that was quite the flight.” Jade commented dryly as she brushed her hair out of her eyes. She tapped her boot against the hardwood of the ship’s deck, testing its strength. It seemed suitable, so Jade mumbled a quick thanks to Hethila and gathered her belongings.
Now, it was time to head below deck. I wonder what the other members of the crew will be like, she thought as she made her way to the room at the end of the hall. After a brief bit of trepidation, Jade knocked on the door.
Knock… knock… knock.
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“Enter” Mariner spoke without looking up from the Globe. He was tracing a rather large area with his forefinger. “J thirty six” he mutters before striding off towards one of the shelves against the hull. Finding the one labeled J36 he pulled a map off the shelf and examined it closely
“Jade, I assume” he said, finally looking up towards the door as it opened.
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After the door had swung open, Dolphus immediately sat up in his chair.
The flash had been for naught, as the girl in the doorway was quite unlike his mother had been. She did not possess the same brow, the same soft eyebrows, the same manner or bearing as his mother did. Her manner seemed to indicate she was rebellious and did an awful lot of running, but Dolphus didn’t want to presume anything.
However, there were some traits which seemed eerily Gorov. Her darker hair, while not black, was more than close enough for someone to mistake it, and she had something of the commanding and attentive presence his father had radiated.
Something he didn’t like.
As his eyelids lazily slid over his pupils in a long, exaggerated blink, he gestured for her to enter with a subtle tug of his head, and then turned with his chin slightly raised to watch Mariner. I’m going to have to watch this girl. She could be dangerous. If the daggers are any indicator, she IS dangerous.
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“Yes, that’s me.” Jade responded, cracking a sly grin as she cast her gaze across the room, observing it and the strange-looking figures it contained. Her new crew certainly seemed to be quite the crowd… (@Winterstorm345)
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“Excellent, we can begin”
Mariner walked back to the table, and spread the map in the center, where everyone could see. The map detailed the northern half of Armada Waters, including the Island of Emberhold, and the southern half of Securis. The map stretched as far north as a City called Drift, set firmly in the Kingdom of Iceborn.
“As you may or may not know, Military ships in Armada Waters have to follow very strict paths. This applies to Privateer crews as well. Logically of course, you wouldn’t want a heavily armed ship moving unpredictably, in the middle of your home.”
Mariner retrieved a small leather pouch from the belt at his waist. Inside were a collection of small figurines, Mariner chose a ship and a few X shaped ones. The ship he set at a point on the map just outside of Armada Waters. “From this point the ship will no longer be bound to follow Armada Regulations. You will be free to conduct operations as detailed in your Letters of Marque.”
He then spread the other tokens out over three locations. One on an Island just off the south eastern coast of Securis, one on the western coast, and one token land locked in the middle of a large area labeled on the map as a desert. Stepping back he looked up at the crew.
“These are areas of interest our information has revealed.” He pointed at the island, “I have a contact located here, should be able to provide some useful information.” He indicated the mark on the west coast. “Our spies and informants have informed us there was quite a stir in the Cliff city of Granitepeak. Not a huge amount of information, but supposedly involved Armada loyal fire mages.” Lastly he pointed to the desert. “This is least precise, the Yohurian desert, it was featured prominently in Tharwyn’s visions. Although no information to narrow that down any” Mariner sighed. “I recommend we investigate that one last.”
“Now, since you’ve now had all the information laid bare. There’s but one step before we begin the quest in earnest. You must choose a captain from amongst yourselves. Apparently I was too… Impatient, on the docks. Tharwyn has informed me the matter will likely be delicate. So you will choose your leader.” He pointed to the boat figurine again. “You will have until we reach this point to make your decision.”
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Dolphus watched the map movements from the bottom of his eyes, barely moving his head to track Mariner’s hand as he positioned the boat. Speed will likely pick up at that point, where I am it will be difficult to track exactly how fast we are going, but from what I can tell it won’t be very long until we reach that marker.
The island seemed inconsequential. Dolphus remembered having seen it on a map in years past, but with no significance attached. Granitepeak also stirred some vague memory, but it was too minimal to grasp anything from - mentioned in passing, perhaps. And the Yohurian desert brought up no recollection, but the idea of traveling through a desert at all made his feathers itch.
The mask slid and slid until it practically hit the floor.
Alexis’ position as the default captain was no longer secure. It was dependent now on the consensus of the group, a group that was conflicted, possibly volatile, and would undoubtedly be working against each other in the immediate and distant future. Dolphus himself was already working against them all.
Alexis’ position had to be defended. It had to succeed. She was the least derisive person on the entire vessel, and she was the only one he could ever consider relenting anything to. And yet he could not appear partisan. He would need to steer the thoughts of the group in a way that would lead, without anyone the wiser, to the intended goal. But he lacked the valuable experience necessary to accomplish this.
Best to just wing-
I really do hate myself.
“How would we go about deciding that?” Dolphus asked, looking around the room as the mask crawled back up his face. “Everyone in this room might make a good captain, but who would make the best one?” The bait was laid, and it was time to see which of the rats aboard would plunge at it.
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