All Hands on Deck! [Flashback, Kale, Gabrielle, Trident]

[Kvar Driftweaver]

All Hands on Deck! Day 79, Season of Spring, 508 AV Afternoon, the Faleyk Gulf, Heading for the Suvan Bar Crashing against choppy ocean waves, it was an overcast day, with light rain hitting the deck. The spray of the sea roared up against the side of the Serrated Surrender, knocking the occasional unprepared sailor off of his feet. Neither of the two ships locked in this battle of wills and seamanship was holding the wind much, sailing largely against it. A Cromster class pirate ship of some renown, the Serrated Surrender, carrying almost sixty hands aboard, cut the waves, parting their drag on the hull with precision, and uncanny ability. It was the lighter of the two in this chase, and so should be handling going against the sea worse than the heavier, hundred and twenty hand Brigantine trader it chased, but it had an ace or two up its sleeve. Born a red haired fiery Inarta Dek, with an equally distinguishing red moustache, and now a grizzled veteran of these waters, Captain Braten stood on the middle of his ship barking orders at the crew. Cutlass in one hand, hand crossbow at his hip, he stood tall, with authoritative bearing, glaring at his men, and always firmly in control. One Light Bombard, Two Ballistas, and a line of experienced, rough looking crossbowmen stood ready, positioned behind several men with thick tower shields. There was a reason Braten was gaining a fearsome reputation on the sea, and it was all on show right here in how ruthless and prepared the cutthroats he commanded were, but that was nothing compared to the captain himself. “The hull won’t take much more of this speed,” called one of the pirates, holding onto the rigging for his life. A throwing axe span free from captain’s hand and imbedded itself in the speaker’s chest, sending the upstart malcontent overboard. “Any more opinions? No? Then get on with your jobs, and you Svefra I am not paying you to put holes in my hull, see to it or you’re next.” Braten suffered no challenge, no matter how small. Concentrating his ocean blue eyes to be yet more focused, Kvar reached into the Djed he reserved for sea journeys, the soul layer of substance, but not him, not what made the Svefra who he was. Projecting a small push of current, his res, around the hull; the twenty year old Driftweaver redoubled his efforts to part the surging waves in time around the ship; doing what the hull did, only before it had to, and freeing some of the drag on the surface of the pirate’s vessel. He could do nothing for the bow and stern waves created by the ship, three were too many to manage for his ability, but holding the ocean’s added drag at bay was enough to get the ship a step closer to its hull speed. If they could maintain this obvious advantage largely against the wind, it would mean the pirates were coming right up on the stern of their victims! They would be sitting ducks. Trained in this trade since birth, he knew his limits. Breaking every third wave coming at them with as little effort as possible to exert, Kvar rested as the next two waves hit the Serrated Surrender head on, spraying the crew with the effects of the sea. Braten was dangerously resourceful, when he had learned Kvar was the reason a vessel from the Tempest fleet had evaded him, rather than seek revenge he sort out the advantage, and paid the Driftweavers handsomely for the twenty year old's service. Biting into another soaked bread roll, Kvar was keeping his energy up, and his head clear. Onboard the Brigantine, the panicked crew of The Moguel were coming into view, but wherever they turned, further into the wind or instead using it, the smaller, more nimble Cromster matched their course! OOC : Hope that sets the scene as promised. Written to the aforementioned Pirate Metal, and Kvars new War Song!

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Behind the group of crossbowmen, a young girl with much determination stood confidently. She had a worn-out hat that covered most of her face, as she knew that while she was a Svefra like most others onboard, she would be judged for her youth. Her clothes were dirty, her face covered in grime. But she was here because she had to be, because she needed to prove her worth as a pirate. Her sisters were all seasoned from battle, and she yearned to join their ranks. The Serrated Surrender could carry sixty, or even more. Gabrielle had experienced pirate attacks before, but she had never been in a battle this grand. There were bellowing shouts all over the deck, and the captain continued to walk back and forth as he yelled orders. Just a moment ago he had quickly silenced one man who had dared to contradict him -- nobody had followed. "We're catching up...!" hissed Gabrielle, her voice expectant. Unknown to most, a man somewhere else on the ship had quickened their pace by making use of Reimancy. There were so many things happening at once. There were maybe two or three Svefra pods onboard, one of them being the Seawinds. The voices of the sisters and brothers of the Seawinds were mixed in with everyone else's. Sea water splashed on Gabrielle's face, and she wiped it away and saw in her hands the grime that came with it. The ship of the pirates was now dangerously close to the The Moguel. The men onboard seemed much more the numbers of the pirates, but they also seemed inexperienced, and the fearful expressions they had stated this perfectly. However, the Svefra knew that they would still face obstacles. That was one of the things one looked forward to in a sea battle: the unpredictability. Many of those onboard were probably there for the heat of the fight. Arrows wrapped in cloth and soaked in oil were lit on fire. Gabrielle, one of the archers, followed in the stride of the other men. Arrows went into the air. Some fell right into the sea, and a very few on the men of the other ship -- but the men were not their targets. The arrows were being aimed at The Moguel's sails in an attempt to set it on fire. A ship with sails that don't work were a useless one. This was a common tactic of the Seawinds, and the idea was forced by one of the Seawind sisters. The other ship was getting much closer! Many of the pirates took hold of what they could because of the impending crash. The Serrated Surrender was soon going to collide with the Moguel. Captain Braten's loud laughter rang through the decks, and numbers got ready for combat.

[Kale]

The ship rocked violently back and forth. It was clear that the sea was not being friendly to the seafaring vessel. Yet on ward it pushed. Born by the wind and the crashing waves the merchant vessel fought to pull away from its pursuers. The merchant ship was large and cumbersome, its hull built to hold cargo not flee pirates. The ship that pursued them so was of far different design. It was built for one thing and one thing only, to chase down other ships for boarding. The chase had been going for hours. It had begun when the spotter on the mast of the larger ship had spotted another ship on the horizon. At first the officers of the ship had thought nothing of it. After all they were sailing along a known trade route. It was rare but not unheard of to spot another ship in such a shipping lane. Time past and the two ships got closer. Soon it was clear to everyone, the passengers included, that it was no mere merchant ship that was closing in on them. The captain had decided to turn them into the storm that had been off their bow for quite some time. Normally a ship so much smaller would not have followed the larger ship. This one did not seem to have any such reservations. Kale was not accustomed to traveling by ship. In fact he normally would have chosen to keep his feet firmly set on the ground. This time however he had decided to forego a long journey across land and take the easier route. The blue eyed warrior had been awoken abruptly from his slumber by the ship rocking back and forth in the violent waves. He had made his way to the deck of the ship to discover the source of the ship's unease. The warrior had kept his cloak clutched to his body as he stepped into the spattering rainfall. In most cases such a larger ship would have had the advantage over a smaller vessel in situation such as this. Yet somehow the smaller ship was still gaining. The captain began to bellow orders for his quartermaster to begin distributing weapons to repel the boarders. Mizahar was a world of harshness. It was not surprising when not only the seamen of the ship but also the majority of the passengers stepped forward to be issued weapons to repel the pirates. Most of those being issued with weapons were green. You could tell it by the look on their face and the fear in their eyes. Hope was not lost though. Here and there one could make out a passenger similar to Kale, men and women that were versed in the ways of combat. Fear did not show on their faces as they readied their weapons. Kale stood off to the side with a small group of such people. Less than a half a dozen strong, his little group nonetheless looked like a fearsome lot. The gladiator let his cloak fall to the deck of the ship. Around him the other members of his group began their final preparations. His fellows looked at his lack of an appearant weapon curiously but they seemed to sense a kinship in him and refrained from making any statements about his lack of a weapon. The rain began to fall harder on the ship, going from a mild rainfall to a heavy downpour. The gladiator did not notice the rain. He felt the water slide down his bare chest and fall to the deck of the ship. The approaching ship held all of his attention. Kale relaxed his body. Reaching deep within himself he began to coax forward the primal energies imprisoned within. Slowly his djed answered his call. He coaxed funneled that djed into his arms and his legs. He felt his limbs fill with energy. Some of the passengers that were being lead below decks gasped as they caught sight of him. The veins covering his exposed arms and his exposed legs were beginning to darken and turn black. It looked almost painful yet caused him no harm. It was simply a reaction his body had to his use of flux. Kale could not keep a smile from tugging at his lips as the pirate vessel closed in on its prey. For him, someone who loved to fight above all else, this was going to be quite entertaining. OOCSorry if this post was a bit dull. I was half asleep when I wrote it. Many apologies.

[Trident]

Kvar Driftweaver and Gabrielle Seawind

Long shadows dwelt on Braten's weather-beaten face and behind his tall frame, accentuating the scars of a thousand past battles. He stood at the helm of the Serrated Surrender with purpose, eyes locked on the brigantine that was his target. He had a history as long as his shadow, and just as dark. Death and destruction had followed the pirate from the snowy slops of Mount Skyinarta to the rough tides of the Suvan Sea where the onetime dek had finally made him home. Hated by many, respected by all, the eagle that was the prow of his infamous cromster had come to be recognized by many who rode the Suvan's waves. He had robbed the ships of merchants, soldiers, and svefra alike; none could escape Braten when his fickle greed turned onto them. Just like the ship in front of him now.

"Keep it up, ye petching Svefra!" The man might have a long-standing agreement with the Seawind, Driftweaver, and Bluewater pods, but it was obvious Braten did not like their kind. He'd suffered too much from the whalekin for that, the majority of whom resented Braten for moving in on their turf. He could respect the tactics the Seawinds was using, however, trying to burn up the sails of The Moguel with burning arrows, though none had caught fire yet. Braten suspected the reason was more than just luck.

The other svefra, the one with the Driftweavers, also had a good idea in using reimancy to propel the Surrender forward. In fact, Braten had devoted several of his own mages to the task, two, to be in fact. Both were only about as skilled as Kvar, but the magics worked was helpful nonetheless. At this rate, they would catch up with The Moguel in no time.

"Cap'n!" Reluctantly Braten drew his eyes away from his prey to focus in on one of his pirates tugging on his cuffs.

"What is it?" The Inartan captain snapped, hand bringing up his cutlass as a warning. If this was another complaint...

"The bombard is ready. We're waiting for your command."

The sword's tip dropped. Captain Braten smiled, but there was no happiness or joy behind his grin. Only victory. "Prepare the boarding crew. We're going to overtake them."

The man nodded and scurried away. Still grinning, Braten made his way to the crossbowmen, a pronounced limp appearing every time he took a step with his right leg. Many had taken hold of something, convinced that they were going to crash into the larger brigantine. Braten laughed. He was crazy, but not that crazy.

"Let go, you worthless shyke-eaters, and prepare to fire again." He snarled. "After we hit them with a few more missiles, we're going to draw close enough to board, and you're going to need to cover. Can you handle that?" Braten blatantly looked at the hired Svefra who stood among the men, of whom they were many.

Svefra were many things, warriors among them. They had done well so far with slowing down their prey, but could they protect Braten's men in the upcoming battle?

Kale

The quartermaster, a robust woman missing three fingers on her left hand, hailed Kale over. She clearly recognized him as a fellow fighter. "Hail, brother." She said, her voice wearied yet strong. None of the fear in any of the other crew members was apparent in her eyes, instead filled with strength borne of faith. While she had calming words for the traders, one that told them of little combat and quick fights, she didn't waste any breath on him. He knew the truth of the situation as well as her. This was going to be a long, bloodied fight, one which those on the Moguel might not survive.

"User of the Flux, are you?" She said, eyes on his blackened veins. "Don't worry, I don't judge. Flux is a warrior's magic. Some of the best fighters I know have been Flux practitioners. Never used it myself, but I've seen some of the things I could do. I'm glad to have it for what's coming up ahead." The woman's grip tightened on her own weapon, a wickedly sharp flamberge that hung from her waist.

"We're moving all armed men and women onto the deck to fight those blasted pirates off. All others are being moved below decks, into the cabins. Gather up those who've been armed and take them to the back of the ship, marshal all the archers as well. They're firing flaming arrows." She pointed a mirthless finger to one of the sails, in which a implanted arrow was already starting to burn. She spoke a word and the gust suddenly increased, blowing out the fire.

The woman turned back to Kale as if nothing had happened. "I'll try to put out the flames before they can spread, and I'll get the ballistas - we have three onboard - going as well, but I need those archers taking care of. I've a bad feeling these pirates are going to board." The woman's face was grim. "Don't let them."

OoCHey guys, sorry my reply took so long. It won't take as much time for my next replies, I promise. I might not have given you much to work off in this post either, but the battle is just starting to wind up. Don't worry - it'll be off and running soon.

[Kvar Driftweaver]

Arrow tips like fireflies soaring high, burning their image into the battle‘s memories and with luck the enemies sails. On deck nearby they stood eager, ready for the moment, cheers raised into the air with every volley, of every weapon. Kvar felt that restless spirit pulling, in the middle of it all the thrill seeker grinned, he was home, what a story this would make for the next party! Closer came the clash, he could almost taste the excitement. The other mages had the drift handled well enough, and as he had no intent of dying here today, it was time to even the odds against the bigger boat. It didn’t take any great tactician to know that the first contact meant everything to the day going well. Finishing the food in his hands, Kvar reached forward over the deck and held his hand out toward the ocean, becoming closer to what the sea was in both distance and manner. Water over the falls, fluid and everlasting. Holding fast, facing the churning water spray against the skin, his eyes were a darker stormy blue, fluid themselves, and displaying the rock of the waves in their reflection. The sea journey part of the venture coming to a close, the Svefra connected with the remaining Djed reserve he held back, funnelling, and expelling a fair portion of res. Taking the wave their ship made when it broke the ocean’s surface and merely enlarging it, the existing wave turned into something greater. The trick was, always using what was already there naturally if possible, and shaping it, so to spare himself the effects of too much creation. Created by the Serrated Surrender, the sea became the pirate's own weapon, as the Moguel faced a lurching wave, aimed to go right across their deck. Kvar hoped on target, big enough to sweep or cast aside their prepared defences on deck but not bother the boat too much. As with any reimancy, when expelled, the flow of the water was out of his hands now! Reaching his hand and body back, Kvar leaned against the forward most sail, watching his work. Easily distracted amidst the chaos, he took a long swig of his waterskin to recover some of the energy he had just used in shaping water. All his life was water... One day Yshul, I am going to steal the seas. Overconfident and with an over active imagination as usual he joked, but it was to a certain intriguing goddess he had always carried a fascination for, in those idle hours when the mind drifted, as his all too often did. Shouts and calls from all around him, adrenaline ran through every one of his veins, every single muscle tensing to readiness. Squatting back down, sheltered by crates and wood, Kvar drew two throwing axes. Holding one weapon in either hand, poised and ready, he gripped the hilts expectantly, tensing a meaty grip, his knuckles were going white. The Driftweaver prepared by resting his body and mind, in his own way meditating by listening to the ocean hitting the deck, and the thrill of the coming battle circulating through the air, pumping through him. Self preservation was high on his list of priorities, but how long he could rest to recover for the fight, depended on nobody in charge barking another order his way...

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Gabrielle gave a sigh of relief when she saw that the captain was not going to crash his ship against the other. That would have been a waste, the consequences probably too irreversible. Instead, the Captain needed the archers to forge an easier path for those who were going to board the other ship. "Aye!" the pirates yelled in reply. The expressions in their eyes were vast. Some were excited, while others were fearful. Gabrielle could see her pod mates yelling in anticipation. Arrows were still flying in the air, but after realizing that causing the sails to set fire wasn't working, a number of archers were now aiming for those onboard the other ship. Those on the other ship used whatever they could to cover themselves. The ship was catching up with great time, and the tension was obvious. Many cheered as a wave swept across The Moguel's deck, sweeping many unaware and inexperienced men to their feet. That was when the archers decided to bring about another flurry of arrows, hopefully catching the men off guard as they struggled back to their feet. "Laviku is with us!" screamed a pirate, raising his blade to the air. "No, foolish man, it was the Driftweavers..." muttered someone from the side, but he didn't dare raise his voice any louder than that. Gabrielle could see this man was correct -- a man she was not familiar with, one of the Driftweavers, had led the wave to crash across the other ship's deck. 'Reimancy...' thought Gabrielle. She wondered if there were mages on the other ship as well. That may have been the reason their arrows weren't spreading fire, just as they had hoped. She thought it had been because of the surging storm, but she realized they had been having a difficult time even when the rain was still light. If there were mages on the other ship, hidden from their view, then this battle might just take another turn. Gabrielle shot her eyes back to the other ship, scanning over the deck as quick as she could. And there, she found a small group of people; they were too far to really judge, but she could see that most were seasoned enough not to be taken down by the wave like the inexperienced men. Gabrielle raised her long bow and aimed for these men, and saw that a few around her had realized what she had locked her eyes on. They aimed for these men as well – they were the ones who counted. The other archers concentrated their arrows on the rest of the deck, attempting to keep them down as much as possible and giving those who will board an easier time.

[Kale]

Kale's eyes continued to be locked on the deck of the smaller ship as it got close. The warrior was no sailor but even he could have guessed that they would to the side before ramming into the larger ship. These were seasoned pirates that they were going to have to deal with. They would not make such an inexperienced mistake as to purposely collide with a larger and sturdier built ship then their own. The muscled man did not move his eyes from the deck of the enemy ship as their archers began to fire volleys of fire wreathed arrows. Yet again his experience of battles dictated his actions. They would not be using lit arrows to kill enemies with. Such arrows were easy to see and there for easier to avoid. No, these arrows would be meant to catch fire to parts of the ship. "Hail, brother." He heard the words clearly over the spattering of rain and crashing of the waves. He recognized the voice of the speaker. He had heard her every few hours for a while now. The quartermaster was always giving orders to the crew. A chuckle escaped his lips when he realized she sounded as she always did when giving orders. She seemed as though their situation with these pirates were as ordinary as the choppy waves their ship was sailing through. The cries of fear from the non-combatant portions of the passengers had finally faded from Kale's hearing. He finally peeled his gaze away from the other ship to peer at the sailor that was commanding the defense of the ship. "User of the Flux, are you?" he heard her ask him. He nodded in response to her question, his gaze more fixated on the large weapon she wielded then her pre-battle speech. Had he not been looking at her he would not have seen one of the arrows take hold in the larger ship's sail. To his amazement the fire began to spread despite the rain falling from the sky. He was not well versed in magic. He knew simple things about it such as its ability to control the elements. Watching the quartermaster's hand raise and then the fire get snuffed out like a candle struck him more as a coincidence then the use of magic. He felt hunger stir subtly inside him. It would not be long before he would be overwhelmed by the need to eat. It was a good thing that these pirates had come along when they had. The gladiator's eyes moved back to the other ship. It had gotten even closer than it had been but a few moments before. "I've a bad feeling these pirates are going to board." He agreed with the quartermaster's words. They had gotten much too close to do anything else. Kale held onto the energies filling his arms and legs. It was a constant battle. Always this power tried to seduce him into using more. He fought the urge. "Don't let them." Those words caused Kale's world to snap into clarity. He had begun to move towards the edge of the ship when a large wave rose to meet him. Once again his instinct took over. The energy in his made his movements much faster than they had been but moments before. His arm moved up with frightening speed. In the space of a breath Kale had drawn the short sword that had been sheathed at his side. The warrior dropped to one knee as he plunged the blade into the deck of ship, his magically fueled strength causing the blade to sink deeply into the wood. Kale's grip on the sword's hilt tightened as the wave of water crashed into the deck of the ship. Everything slowed down for a moment as Kale fought to keep his grip on the small sword. Then it was over and the wave had passed over the ship's deck. He did not need to turn around to know that many of the defenders had been swept from the deck of the ship. He heard movement behind him and guessed that it must have been more of his little group that had not gotten flung from the ship. The gladiator let his hand fall away from the sword as he stood. He heard a shrill whistling a split second before the arrow buried itself in his stomach. Kale let his eyes drop to the arrow. A grin spread across his face as he looked at where the arrow had come from. A group of archers met his gaze with more arrows. Most of the arrows aimed for him fell short or were caused to go off course due to the strength of the wind. Kale ripped the arrow from his body as he broke into a run. The new ships were now only a couple of dozen feet away from each other. Kale reached the edge of the ship that was bearing him and bent his legs. Reaching into himself he caused the energy filling his leg muscles intensify as he pushed off and launched himself into the air. Kale felt exhilaration as he flew through the air. He should have fell short of the enemy ship's deck but luck was with him. As the warrior had jumped from the ship a wave had sent the other ship sliding closer to his. The gladiator collided with a couple of the archers as he hit the ship's deck. It was that turn of fate, more than anything else kept him from getting seriously injured. Kale was on his feet again before most of the pirates realized that they had been boarded. He made good use of the surprised archers. A magically fueled kick caused one of them to go sliding across the wet deck and off the side of the ship. He had already moved to his next opponent. This one had already begun to draw his weapon when Kale's elbow impacted his stomach. The blow caused the archer to bend forward. The gladiator kept his elbow pressed into the man's gut as his arm pivoted and his fist crashed into the man's face. The archer fell away as blow sprayed from the cave in his face that had once been his nose. By now however, those closest to the intruder had had time to throw down their bows and ready their close combat weapons.

[Trident]

As magic dripped from Kvar's fingers and into the great and frothy sea beneath him, he would feel a change come from within him. Tiredness settled over his limbs like iron shackles, and an ominous feeling welled up deep inside his stomach. The water he drank helped alleviate the symptoms, but it wasn't enough. He had gone too far, he knew. He hadn't overgiven, not yet...but he stood at a knifepoint, sanity one way, overgiving the other. Casting any other magic might set him toppling in a way he didn't want to go.

But he had done what he could. The wave, made huge by Kvar's magics, crashed against the Moguel with the ferocity of a sea god brought to bear. Shouts raised in alarm did their owners no good as they were swept off their feet, some on the far end even being knocked off the boat completely. A flurry of Braten's fiery arrows followed, and in their disarray the soldiers, or more precisely the twice-marked Stormwarden who masqueraded as a quartermaster, was unable to stop the arrows. A sail caught alight, and then another. The Serrated Surrender was winning...

But then, something flew at them and landed on the deck of the pirate's ship. Braten's grizzled face widened in surprise as he saw that a man had somehow managed to jump the distance between the two ships and...was proceeding to cut down his crossbowmen.

"Kill him!" Braten's howl was lost in the wind, but others were already coming at Kale.

An archer dropped his bow and pulled a sword from his belt, and swung sideways at the undead man with a battle screech. Two more came swiftly behind him, naked blades clear in their hand. Three enemies. Kale could handle that. But there was a dozen more men on this deck who had not noted his presence, but surely would in a matter of moments...and that was too much for one man, even a Chained One, to take care of by himself. Kale was going to have to find someway to retreat...after he dealt with the man swinging a blade in his face.

From behind her, a hand settled on Gabrielle's shoulder for a minute, followed by a shapely face and windswept blond hair. "Keep sharp, little sister!" Her podmate gleefully cried before leaping into the fray that was swiftly forming around Kale, who was only a rock-throw away from Gabrielle's position...

[Trident]

Gabrielle Seawind Skills: +2 Weapon (Longbow) +1 Observation Lores: The Heat of a Fight The Driftweaver Pod: Reimancy Skill The Battle between the Moguel and the Serrated Surrender Comments: Kale, Kvar, if either of you come back, PM me and I'll give you your ruling. Until then, I'm only grading Gabrielle's part in this thread. If you have any questions about my ruling, feel free to PM me!