Zeru watches as the captain lowers the lifeboat preparing to head down to meet the Solar Captain. Zeru stands on the prow over the bowsprit with his chain holding him to the formast. His eyes were open and looking across at the other boat, the second ship the Skullstone Fleet had to offer and tried to stay vigilant.

"My lady does the Dryad send word" He mutters quietly. In a more full bodied answer, he smiles back at Cinna. "It appears our services have no need to be rendered in this rondevouz so if you could please keep the men ready we'll be on watch in case things go south."

Kareth nods.  He knows that when dealing with Skullstone, he would be able to counter their necromancers.  He thumbs the jade cord hanging from his belt.  "One moment Captain."  He walks over to Jadira and hands her the Libram.  "I don't think it will be good to have it that close to Skullstone troops. You might have it placed in the chest that the chalice was in."  He then walks over to life boat and signals he's ready to go.

The Captain did have other strategic plans than Kiana, so at least on that front she had been correct.  Retreat was a fair option, though Kiana had automatically tried to figure out the best way to assure victory for the Alliance.  Were it to come to escape, Akihiro would more than be able to surface in time for a quick escape, and for that matter, provide an unerring escape route beneath the waves, for that matter.

She was proud that Captain Lasuri had faith in her abilities, and that he would happily have her accompany him--though he would be silly not to.  Kiana had already proven herself a very powerful force in the ways of combat, and if things were to get messy, it would be beneficial to have her around...especially since Morray was a Solar, the most powerful of the Exalts (to her knowledge, at least.)

Once she stepped onto the smaller vessel, she looked to the Captain.  "Captain, if you introduce us, it might be wise to refrain from referring to me as a Captain.  Morray would likely wonder why I was not with my vessel."  And, if he wondered that, then Akihiro would lose the element of surprise, and Kiana would have them retain as many advantages as they could.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:39, Sun 15 Nov 2009.

"Good consideration, Mister Kareth." Lasuri says, as the engineer gets rid of the Libram for the duration of the talk, at least. "We're not yet sure what Darktide wants. Until he tells it to us, we should play it safe and not reveal anything. It might be for something unrelated, but I'd rather not risk giving him any info he might not already have by babbling."

When Kiana speaks of her plan, the Captain nods, obviously agreeing with her views. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought as well, Miss White-Fist. We'll keep as much info as we can hold. The less Darktide knows, the better for us. And if things do turn sour, the Akihiro will be pretty important for us, since that little rowboat we're going in is going to be smack dab in the middle of the warzone."

With one final nod to Kareth and Kiana, Lasuri turns towards the rest of his crew, and gesture towards the rowboat. "Allright people... The sooner we get there the sooner we can figure out what this is all about, and the sooner we can get this done. Let's get this thing on the road."

Black Marlena

"We can't instantly communicate with just a thought, it either takes power or I must leave the ship," Marlena snaps back, not angry at Zeru but too tense to be kinder. "We're not in any position for me to be wandering about, since you may need my power. But I've heard nothing from her except that we stay on standby while Lasuri goes to talk to Moray."

She doesn't seem happy about the situation, mumbling about consorting with the dead, and unsanitary necrotech, and other such complaints. "Next we'll be partnering with pelagials... and I'll never get my floorboards clean!"

Skullstone/Alliance Meeting

The rowboat descends onto the water, propelled toward the position of Moray and his delegation with Rowe and Cray at the oars. Slight movement from the Skullstone ships indicate that some of those watching from the decks have shifted their attention from the Alliance ships to the boat carrying Lasuri, Kiana and Kareth. They include several war ghost archers, and at least a couple of those that Kareth mentioned are Ghost-Blooded.

No one else moves, though, not even Moray, who remains upright with arms crossed, keeping his balance perfectly despite the sway of the small vessel he stands on. The blonde woman next to him watches pensively, her lovely face very serious, while the undead aboard sit still -- the silver-masked one calmly, the war ghosts now and then twitching with restlessness, like caged dogs.

Finally, the rowboats face one another, aligned almost perfectly keel to keel. "I'm glad we could meet peacefully, Cobalt Alliance," says Moray approvingly. "I'll cut to the chase here. We, and by that I mean myself, representing Skullstone, and my lovely ally, Miss Shell," the blonde lifts her head when Moray draws attention to her. Clearly, then, Moray is confirming she is not of Skullstone, though obviously not an enemy of his nation, either. "We are aware that you have caused significant trouble to a certain faction of the Lintha. The Dara-Said, even now, are devastated for their loss, I hear."

Silver Shell continues from there, not even waiting for a glance from Moray. When she speaks, she radiates a pleasant tone and appearance; compared to the Dread Pirate and his undead cronies, it's easy to feel more comfortable trusting her. "Specifically, we have reason to believe you hold in your possession an artifact of great power to the Lintha. I and my colleagues have been searching for this Chalice for a few years now."

She meets Lasuri's eyes, then Kiana and Kareth's, pinpointing them as his nearest allies. "We would like to help you destroy it."

"Now now, Shell. We haven't even confirmed they have it yet. Show it to us," Moray insists, "And then we can deal." He doesn't say what might happen should they refuse to, but a misstep with both sides aiming weapons at one another would not be ideal.

---

OOC: Even if you're not directly involved, let's assume you can hear the whole conversation, just for simplicity's sake. So you could try to read Moray and Shell's intent (Perception+Investigation or Socialize) even from 250 yards away if you want. [Private to Lasuri Leomaris; Kiana White-Fist; Isole Kareth: Silver Shell has App 5. She's obviously much better spoken than Moray, who quite honestly is not good at much besides sailing and swashbuckling. ;) Anyway, please give me, privately, a short statement that describes your basic motivations in entering this particular conversation. She's using a charm on you, which succeeded.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:35, Mon 16 Nov 2009.

Tageru's eyes stay focused on the girl with Moray, seemingly ignoring the rest of the unusual crew. "That girl", he says, "The one that travels with Darktide. She is also Ana... A Solar. One of the Zenith, I believe she calls herself. Blasphemous, some would call her kind, but I know her personally, and I don't believe she is wicked. She is an honorable person, or at least she was a year ago, so if you can let the Captain know that she can be trusted, that could be good for the negotiations." Tageru says quietly to those around him aboard the Dryad.
Holding his bow closely to his side, the ex-monk keeps watching, and painful memories return. "why is she here now?" he thinks to himself. "It must be a sign from the Dragons."

Though Kiana had learned to be much more charismatic and influential over the last few months, that did not mean that she had suddenly became a chatterbox.  She looked at both Morray and his ally, Shell, with eyes that could pierce almost any illusion, ears that could hear practically hear their heartbeats, and a nose that could detect even the faintest trace of poison within a well prepared meal.  Her face remained stoic and neutral as Morray and Shell spoke, and she would remain silent until she was bade to speak, instead leaving the negotiations to Lasuri.

[Private to Storyteller: Kiana's motivation for entering into the conversation?  Well, she actually has no real intention of speaking unless she is needed, but the whole reason she came with the boat to meet with Morray is to protect the Cobalt Alliance if things come to a head.  She has grown incredibly fond of the Cobalt Alliance, even loves it, and Kiana is incredibly protective over those precious few things that she can actually claim to love.]

Kareth stood stoically behind Lasuri keeping his eyes open for signs of an ambush.  He had heard that Darktide kept his parley's but a little caution never hurt anyone. At the mention of the Chalice, Kareth secretly rackled.  He had spent the past 3 months working to ensure the cursed tableware had been placed somewhere where no one but the Captain could get to it.  Simply removing it from Elsewhere would be a significant power drain on Lasuri and place them at a definite disadvantage.  Plus it would expose the Chalice to capture.  The demand to produce it disturbed the engineer.  However, this was the captain's decision.

From his place at the helm of the Hammerhead, Treon watched the proceedings with a weather eye.  Whilst most of his attention was on the pair of vessels which had borne the Skullstone party to the meeting, not entirely trusting that this wasn't a ruse on Moray's part, he knew that what was decided on the boat could be as dangerous to the Alliance--or more so--than any pair of ships.  So he watched Moray and his companion too.
[Private to GM: 16:18, Today: Cathak Garel Treon rolled 3 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6,9,1,10,1,4. Per+Soc. ]

Lasuri does his best to remain calm and collected as he and his skeleton group float towards Moray and his people. His lips purse slightly as he approaches, and he maintains a look of focused professionalism as the small rowboat finally reaches its destination. From there, Lasuri listens, remaining as still and unreadable as he can manage.

When the topic of the Chalice is brought up, however, the Captain raises his chin, a curious expression playing on his features. "News have indeed traveled far, although that in no way was in our intention, Captain Darktide." Lasuri does not look to his allies - he knows they will remain on the lookout, and trust that they will maintain their vigilance even further now that the subject of this little chat has been finally revealed. Taking a step back, Lasuri observes the going-ons carefully, his expression shifting slightly.

"Listen, Captain Darktide. We're aware of your animosity towards the Lintha. We don't know your reasons for doing so, but well, those are yours to have. But there is one thing you have to understand here. That Chalice is not something I can just pull off and show you. The reason is beyond trust and mistrust - after all, I respect parlays as much as you're said to. The reason is much more insidious: it's because this thing is dangerous. For my men and yours, and for you and I. I don't know everything about it, but I know enough to be certain that only a touch is sufficient for it to possess people. Sometimes, it seems like touch isn't even required, even. I could pull this thing out right here and corroborate our claims, but sadly, doing so might mean one of us here would become its slave, and I've see what that thing can do when possessing another. That's not a risk I can take, in good conscience."

"I'm not beyond hearing what you want to say, though. The one thing you need to know, however, is that I'm not the king of these people you see here. I'm the Captain of the flagship, and I'm expected to take decisions when required, but on matters as important as what we do with this thing, I'm afraid I can't take that decision alone. The Alliance works in a more democratic way, Captain Darktide. So I'm afraid if you just ask me here, I'll have to decline. Not because I don't want to hear your proposal, but because I can't accept without the approval of the majority of the Alliance's representative."

"So here's what I propose, Captain. If you have goodwill, and if you're willing to see this talk through seriously, I'm willing to show the same. We can hold a meeting with me and all the important people in the Alliance and you and all the people you wish to be present. Obviously, neutral ground is not so much an option in the middle of the sea, so we'll have to invoke the code - no one will be harmed on either side during the parlays. If you agree, we'll both state our agreement right here, thus cementing the terms according to the Code. We'll then proceed to one of the ships - I suggest the Spring Dryad II, because it has enough space to accommodate everyone, but you're free to make another suggestion if you will - and all weapons will be kept tucked in."

"If you agree with these terms, and are willing to accept that I can't just pull out the Chalice easily, but that I am not lying in that I do have it... Then the Alliance will hear what you and your people have to say, in peace."

[Private to GM: Lasuri's motivations, of course, are to figure out what Moray wants out of this talk, and to keep his own people safe from troubles. When the topic of the Chalice is breached, he immediately becomes even more protective; he wants to keep both the item safe, and to prevent other parties to possibly get their hands on it. He's curious as to Moray's true intentions, but also highly suspicious of anyone wanting to get their hands on the chalice. Lasuri is completely honest, however - not a thing he said is a lie.]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:18, Tue 17 Nov 2009.

Kiana finds Moray and Shell surprisingly difficult to read ulterior motives from, especially the latter. On the other hand, Shell presents a demeanor of being trustworthy, dependable, even kind, a foil to Moray's dashing bravado. It doesn't necessarily mean she HAS any other motives. She could very well be a genuinely honest person. And Kiana does have some precedent for that; after all, Lasuri and Jadira were much the same way to her when she first met them, and they've done nothing so far to change her mind about their sincerity.

Treon, watching the pair, feels very similarly about the beautiful Silver Shell, though from where he's standing it's perhaps not nearly as dazzling an impression as Kiana has up close. Used to sizing up other captains, Treon feels much more confident in his impression of Moray as a Skullstone loyalist and Lintha-hater -- it's all but written in his face and posture. [Private to Cathak Garel Treon: Moray is utterly loyal to Skullstone. He opposes the Lintha because he considers them a dangerous enemy of his homeland and would delight in seeing them destroyed. Thus you can be confident that his desire to be involved with the Chalice is purely for the sake of disadvantaging the Lintha. Unfortunately, what that does NOT make certain for you is whether he agrees with Shell wanting to destroy it, versus wanting (likely foolishly) to claim the Chalice for himself as a means to control the Lintha. On the other hand, you believe Shell is completely honest about wanting to bring an end to the Chalice. And you're certain Moray trusts her implicitly, as well.]

Moray frowns pensively, listening to Lasuri speak, while Shell remains contrastingly serene. He is quick to reply once Lasuri gives him a chance to. "News travels far when one has eyes and ears in many places. Particularly those interested in the demise of the Lintha. They are quite restless now that the Kri Kiamo returned to Lintha waters, a few loose tongues have seen to that." The Kri Kiamo being Lintha Dara-Said Father Hazhain Sul's spirit flagship, which managed to escape the last battle between him and the Alliance, if only with dead bodies aboard. "As for your 'proposal', Leomaris..."

The Skullstone captain's eyes flick toward the seated blonde woman, who nods firmly. Whatever passes between them elicits a small flicker of annoyance on Moray's face, which quickly resolves into a more decisive expression. He can't help but flourish just a bit, though, jerking his chin up and folding his arms again as he stares at Lasuri, as if to assert he does not quite consider the Water Aspect deserving of trust.

"Fine. If you require a safer environment than this for your captains and mine to discuss the fate of the Chalice, so be it. We are now acting within the precepts of parlay." Moray raises his voice commandingly so that it might reach the Testament and the Bride of Ashes. "Skullstone, stand down."

As the war ghosts, Ghost-bloods and other myriad beings on the Skullstone ships release Essence and lower their bows, Captain Darktide smirks at those gathered on the Alliance rowboat. "You should be thankful to Miss Shell. She generously vouches for you where I do not. That said, since you've yet to present me with the object of our discussion, I suggest we meet on the Testament. Just as you ask me to trust you, so you must trust MY intentions as well. Assemble those you will bring to our meeting aboard my warship, and we'll continue. However, if you use this opportunity to run off from us, we'll be inclined to give chase." Here his deep blue eyes show a hint of menace, but only that.

Silver Shell shakes her head slightly, and offers a smile to Lasuri, Kiana and Kareth. "Moray, as ever, you lack tact and grace. Cobalt Alliance, you may not believe it now, but we are on the same side. You'll find no harm comes to you on the Last Will and Testament."

---

OOC: After some reactions, I'll hopefully be in a position to continue with a scene change. This way everyone can be in the same place and can contribute to the discussion. Of course, it's up to the PCs to decide whether to join in (particularly if they mistrust Moray...) Those who don't may have some waiting to do, though, unless they come up with mini scenes of their own.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:29, Tue 17 Nov 2009.

Kareth maintains his cold stony face.  He did not like where this was going, but he saw little that he could do now.  Instead he focused on trying to ascertain as much as he could about Darktide, Shell, and their crew.

To Kiana, it was a reasonable request, if only from a tactical standpoint.  It negotiations did turn sour, and the parlay dishonored, then having the meat of the Cobalt Alliance as a sort of hostage certainly had its appeal.  On the other hand, a certain amount of caution would be needed as well, as the officers of the Cobalt Alliance were far from helpless...individually, many of them were considered great threats, but together, they were ever a force to be reckoned with...even to someone such as Darktide.

Kiana couldn't help but like Shell, despite herself.  The woman was pleasing to the eyes, a trait that Kiana could appreciate as much as any man could, but Kiana did not sense any malice or foul play from the woman.  She seemed noble, kind, and assured, not the traits of a fiend.  So Kiana, for her part, agreed with the course of action.

Seeing as she was a voice of the Cobalt Alliance, however, and a Captain no less, Kiana felt a definite urge to speak.  "It seems a reasonable request to me, Captain Lasuri."  She said, giving her support to the course of action.  And, really, it was the only course of action, at least in terms of avoiding blood shed.

Kiana did not, however, tell Akihiro to stand down.  The Elemental crew she held in command would not tired nearly as easily as the humans of the other ships.  She would alleviate their concern, however.

It appears our guests are not overly hostile, Akihiro.  Tell Akuj and Calliope to keep my people at the ready, for the worse.  However, I do not anticipate a battle should ensue.

Treon looked about his ship.  "I think there should be a representative from the Hammerhead onboard the Testament.  Both to offer our opinion on Darktide's offer, and incase things should go wrong."

"Does anyone wish to volunteer?"

Lasuri takes a moment to consider Moray's offer, furrowing his brow slightly as he does so. After a few seconds of consideration, during which Kiana states her approval of the terms. He nods to her then, before returning his gaze towards the Skullstone Captain and his companion. Considering that the Alliance has the Chalice and Lasuri has refused to show it, they do have an advantage - thus, meeting on Moray's ship only makes sense if one is trying to even the field. "... Alright, Captain Darktide. We'll meet on the Last Will and Testament and discuss what you want from there."

The Captain nods his head politely to Silver Shell's intervention, choosing not to worsen the situation by addressing Moray's barbs. Instead, he straightens, then announces his intentions out loud. "I'll need some time to get word to the other Alliance ships, and to prepare the delegation that will go and meet you. We'll send word over as soon as we're ready and see you then, provided you're ready to receive us."

With that, the Captain bows, then orders the boat returned to the Dryad, where he will prepare for the meeting ahead...

OOC: Thought I'd make it easier on the ST with this - people should still feel free to post reactions as desired, but it gives an easy cut out point for everyone who wants to participate in the talks to move on to the Testament for a scene change.

"I would like to go, if it's not a problem...", the monk says quietly. "If there is trouble, I believe I am more than capable of helping our defense. Not that I think there will be any trouble, but still, it pays to be careful.", he says, cracking his fingers loudly, his muscles tensing. "Also... I know that woman, Shell, from before... If I'm there, I think our chances for friendly negotiations will be greater. And I would like to talk to my old acquaintance."

Skullstone/Alliance Meeting

Kareth finds nothing more to be suspicious of on the outside, besides the fact that Skullstone is not necessarily the most savory of nations. He too feels that Shell is a woman of a kind, sincere heart, and that Moray simply wishes to help hasten the doom of the Lintha.

As for the nearby undead crewmen, they appear completely loyal to their captain and nation, meaning that as long as Moray deems the Alliance friendly, they will heed his commands not to do them harm.

"We'll be ready," says Moray promptly, "but we won't wait forever." He then signals his boat to return to the Testament as well, mirroring Lasuri, Kareth and Kiana's return to the Dryad.

Hammerhead

When no one else speaks up to answer Treon, Tethia abruptly breaks the silence. "I could go if no one else wishes to. Though I do not know if I count as a representative," her lips quirk slightly as she says this, "and again, I am the only one aboard able to operate our heaviest weapon with adequate skill."

Akihiro

I will pass your message on, says Akihiro, his voice a comforting rumble in Kiana's mind. Though I am concerned, friend Kiana. You say the people in the dark ship are not overly hostile, yet they require additional caution. If they are neither friend nor foe, then can we not simply be on our way? Social nuances are clearly something Akihiro needs some getting used to, still.

In any case, please be careful. We've just barely begun traveling together, I would like to see much, much more of this world, and more people than these dead ones. Again the touch of petulance, but it can't be helped; large as he is, the island ship is only about 3 months old.

Black Marlena

"And what about us?" Marlena demands when it becomes obvious the Alliance members will meet Moray and others on the Last Will and Testament. "Surely you won't let these proceeds go by without one or more of us involved, Zeru?"

Melusine sighs pensively, still facing the direction of the Skullstone ships. "Their stench rots on the wind, yet they speak carefully and politely. Why do they want the chalice? I do not think this man, Moray Darktide, should be allowed to touch it." The blind nymph shudders at the very memory of being under its thrall.

"And Silver Shell does not belong with them. Is she a flower in the jaws of a beast? Or herself a crafty siren, bidding Moray to dance to her song?" She does not seem to expect an answer, content to meditate on the riddle the humans present.

Last Will and Testament

As they are rowed back toward their flagship, Moray and Shell seem to be deep in discussion, the Skullstone captain shaking his head sharply now and then while she speaks quietly. Once the Solars are lifted back aboard with their undead escort, though, Captain Darktide is once again firmly in command, very likely making preparations for the arrival of the Cobalt Alliance delegation.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:52, Thu 19 Nov 2009.

"I'd rather not put you all in danger, as I do not know the extent of the situation my lady." He puts on a grin despite the tensions and the serious air. "Besides getting any closer makes the smell stronger." He sighs and looks up at the sky.

"I suppose I should aide the Captain but I get the feeling we'd be more effective here, in case things go wrong we can aide Miss Thornbloom in rallying the rest of us." He shakes his head. "I just don't know on this one. My lady bring us closer to the Dryad I'll have a word with Captain Lasuri, see if I can come to a decision."

Jadira has by now ceased aiming her cannon, cutting the power as soon as she sees the Skullstone side lower their weapons. She orders the gunnery crew to remain alert, but passively armed, and hurries toward Lasuri as he, Kiana and Kareth are lifted up with the four Dryad crewmen that accompanied them.

"I'd like to come as well, Lasuri, but I don't know if we should leave the Dryad without at least one of us aboard..." Jadira visibly winces, as she realizes how close that sounds to the last time they parted, before that terrible battle with the Dara-Said. She'd not let those Skullstone pirates get the jump on her, though, not while she has them in her sights. "And Tageru, if you know Darktide's... 'negotiator', I think he said, then we might as well use all the advantages we've got."

"It's sad how paranoid we've had to become, though," the Dryad's first mate remarks with chagrin. "The last thing we'll want to assume is that they're just plain telling the truth."

"Though we do have the advantage of knowing they're Solars. I, personally, could care less if they're 'Anathema' or not, but they might be equally paranoid about dealing with us. In case we might report them to the motherland, so to speak." Jadira is clearly amused by this prospect, given that said motherland had exiled her many years ago.

Black Marlena

"Well... you may be right," says Marlena grumpily, then more sharply, "Certainly about the smell. I've never understood how anyone could rationalize living side by side with corpses." Zeru can almost imagine the smirk on her face, but she is still dematerialized.

He cannot see her nod, either, but the fact the courier ship starts to position herself alongside the Dryad is enough indication of compliance. "Go talk to Captain Lasuri, and I'll amuse myself plotting how I'll sail circles around that woman with the ridiculous name. Bittersea Blackfalcon? Sounds like something a teenage girl would make up to sound more menacing."

It isn't long before the Marlena is close enough to the Alliance flagship for Zeru to easily swing aboard.

"You have my deepest thanks my lady" Zeru says as he flips his chain off his his shoulders. "I'll be back with news." Zeru tells his crew as he hooks his chain onto some outstanding rigging and swings aboard the dryad. Bidding a good evening to the spirit herself, he goes and searches for Lasuri and Jadira.

"I presume that I could represent the Hammerhead," Darel said, shaken from his thoughts by Tethia's intervention. "Tethia can stay on board to man the heavy armament if things get really ugly. But I am no practiced negociator."

As soon as Kareth arrives back on the Dryad, he begins to make preparations for the trip over.  After double checking that the libram was secure in the jade chest originally designed to hold chalice, he gathered his belongings and prepped for the meeting.

"You are perhaps better placed on the Implosion Bow, should things go wrong Tethia," Treon says.  Though it's clear he would trust her to go.

He turns then to Darel, "You could speak for the Hammerhead, yes.  I'm sure Lasuri and Kiana are quite capable of diplomacy, Darel, but I feel the ship should have a representative there, so that Captain Darktide knows that all in the Alliance are behind the decision Captain Lasuri makes."
Edit: For more sense and/or grammar.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:29, Fri 20 Nov 2009.