3rd Day of Ascending Water, RY 768
Mid-Afternoon

The combination of Zeru's skillful navigation and Lasuri's tried-and-true experience at the wheel brings the Spring Dryad II and its crew towards Dove's coordinates in good time. Most of what they sail through is not purely unbroken blue -- there are many small islands dotting the way there, some of them too small to even be called livable.

Breaking past the bulk of the island chain, the Dryad sees smooth sailing for about a day. The sun has passed its zenith when the lookout spies something worthy of reporting.

"Looks to be a battle on ahead, sirs," calls out the plucky young man from his vantage point topsail, lowering his telescope briefly. "Dead ahead, but a ways away. Maybe 10 minutes at our current speed. I can make out four ships, maybe five... it's hard to tell from here."

Zeru, having plotted the course personally, is pretty certain that what they want to find ought to be quite close to where that battle is currently raging.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:21, Mon 24 Nov 2008.

"Hmm..." Zeru says thoughtfully. "If there are several ships, then there are at least two factions. Hopefully more." He adds with a grin "If we wait until the battle is over, the remaining forces should be weak and we can strike and catch them off guard. Captain, any thoughts"

[Private to Storyteller: How much experience are we currently at? I'm saving up for the first DB sailing charm, it'll let me tell the weather and whatnot.]

"Would you like me to take a quick look ahead?"  Dove asks, coming up onto the deck with a slight yawn.  "I can likely outdistance the ship quickly, and I should be able to manage long enough to get a good look at what's going on...  Besides, my eyes..."  She tapped the side of her head.  "--Are a bit better then average to begin with, the eyewear's mostly for something unrelated to my actual physical perceptive abilities..."

"Mister Donnegal, take the wheel please. Crew! Slow down the ship for now, and prepare for engagement! We don't know what's out there, so stay on your toes! And stay in battle positions until I lift the order!" Lasuri calls, watching ahead while furrowing his brow. He listens to both the opinions, clearly pondering carefully before rubbing his chin with one gloved hand.

"If you could do that, miss Dove, that'd be highly appreciated. I'd like to know what are the makes of those ships ahead, if possible, before I make a decision on how to approach this." He turns to Zeru, and nods.

"There's a reason why I want to know who's out there before I let them slaughter each other - there's not only enemies in these waters. There's potential friendlies as well. If we're serious about starting our own surviving nation, we'll need allies. No way around it, and no way it should be avoided. So if we can avoid being lone wolves and can actually gain strength from other people that also believe in building a better West, then we'll do that." He smiles, then turns back to Platinum Dove.

"So I'd ask you to check it out for us, Miss Dove, and report the results as soon as possible. I'm sure I don't need to tell you but... Be careful out there. We don't know yet what sort of heat they pack in there."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:56, Mon 27 Oct 2008.

"Aye aye, cap'n," says Donnegal spiritedly. The older man takes Lasuri's place at the helm, while several limber crewmembers start climbing up the rigging to reef the sails. The ship is still moving forward, but at around a fourth of its top speed. (OOC - 7 miles/hour. You would rendezvous with the battle ahead in about 40-45 minutes.)

Even winged as she is it would still take Dove 20 minutes in normal conditions to get close enough to the ships to identify them. Faster if she tries to push herself.

[Private to Platinum Dove: Ok, here's how we'll roll. I'll give you a couple ways to speed up the journey if you wish. 1. Roll Stam+Res. If you succeed at this roll I'll let you double your speed without gaining fatigue from it. 2. Roll Dex+Ath, high amount of success means you use the winds and currents to your advantage and get there faster. 3. you could potentially do both! But keep in mind if you fail the Stamina you will get dice penalties for the scene.]

[Private to Peleps Zeru: You can see your experience in the "Experience!!" thread :) but you currently have 6 xp, so not enough for a charm yet.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:08, Mon 27 Oct 2008.

"You heard 'im, battle stations!" Jadira barks to the crew manning the catapults. "Those of you with hands free, ready longbows!"

She herself is armed to the teeth: besides the twin flame pieces at her belt, a portable Essence cannon rests heavily between her feet. It is well polished and maintained, and she stands over it protectively, obviously claiming it as her own property. Since the cannon is not made for long distances, the armswoman compliments her firepower with a monster of a composite bow, its complex array of pulleys and cords maximizing both range and power.

While the gunnery crew scurries to take their positions, Jadira has settled into an almost meditative state, checking each and every joint of the strongbow, testing its formidable pull. She draws it with enviable ease -- the weapon looks unwieldy, but in her hands, very nearly a masterpiece.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:26, Mon 27 Oct 2008.

"Well, if we are going to talk I would quite like to be there for it," Treon interjects into the command discussion after Platinum Dove has started to wing her way onwards.  "Of course," he remarks as he puts the heavy and heat blackened overcoat back on.  "If it does come down to fighting, I'll be helping as well."

He had no bow to ready, though he did make sure that the daiklave he wore was buckled in a position for easy drawing.

"I'll get started immediately then"  Dove replied, removing the spectacles, tucking them into a pocket on her robes, then taking a moment to untie them, tossing the slightly clunkier outfit to the side...  Admittedly, the form-fitting silken underlayer was a bit embarassing to wear--but she didn't intend on sticking around terribly long, and the usual outfit would simply slow her down.

Taking a few tentative steps forward, then breaking off into a full run, taking off from the ship's deck, and skimming across the waves for a moment before rising to a slightly higher altitude, Dove made her way as quickly as reasonably possible, to get a first look at the battle and whatnot...

[Private to Storyteller:

08:37, Today: Platinum Dove rolled 1 success using 3d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. Sta + res.

08:37, Today: Platinum Dove rolled 4 successes using 8d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. Dex + Ath.

Success on the Sta + Res, and 4 successes on Dex + Ath, this all before any potential stunt bonuses come in...  Additionally, does Dove's Enhanced Eyesight help reduce the distance she needs to get to see what's going on?]

"Ah, a battle already?" Tageru says, appearing at the deck already in his resplendant jade armor and with his powerbow in hand. There is a menacing glow coming from the bow, a small oval stone that pulses green and red.

"I didn't expect it this soon, but then again, one doesn't need to expect battle for it to happen, right? So, who are we fighting? And are we fighting at all, or just getting ready, just in case?"

He flexes his muscles and readies himself quickly.

"Ah, captain... There is... one thing I forgot to mention... I was blessed by the Dragons more than is usual, which can be seen in my hair and eyes, but the blessing came with a curse. I cannot prevent my anima from tearing up my environment. If I use the slightest bit of Essence, My anima starts raging. Now that I think of it, I probably should have mentioned it earlier, but then again, this is a sturdy First Age ship, it should take it well. Also, as long as no one comes too close, they will be alright."

"My work gets started as people board." Zeru says, a firey grin creeping onto half his face. "If you need me yell, I'll be in the rigging." He whistles, and the white cat appears silently at the door to the hold. "Keep inside, do your job and watch out for cannonballs you hear me?"

"Mau!"

"Good. Go ahead coral, I'll whistle when we're done." As the cat turns around and stalks back into the hold Zeru flicks the end of his chain. It unwraps around his as he spins in a complete circle catching the middle of the chain and setting it spinning. "I'll see you when they start to board." With that he throws the end of the chain into the air. As it flies it seems to stretch beyond it's length before wrapping around a spot in the rigging about 15 feet up. He leaps into the air and it seems to draw him closer. Pulling him to it. He clambers up the rest of the way with amazing speed and disappears amongst the sails, ropes, and masts.

Toc walked forward with a shrug, emerging from below decks while clasping the deep black weapons to his forearms. He inhaled deeply as the cool metal slid against his skin, almost reveling in the chance to arm himself.

"Allies are overrated. They'll only help if it's in their best interest and won't help if the odds are even slightly unfavorable."

With his weapons on he moved toward the middle of the deck to look back at the Captain, ignoring the soft hum of the pitch metal.

"But, Captain, if you want to gain allies, I think it'd be smart to approach both while they're still fighting. A third opponent will balance out the battle between the two and slim down needless casualties. When they realize they have to defend themselves on two sides they'll be willing to talk, and you'll find your allies."

[Private to Platinum Dove: I've taken the distance issue for sight into account already. I'm actually being kinda generous, considering the distance you'd actually have to fly. :) There are currently miles between you and the ships in combat.]

Dove is, of course, a natural flyer. Pushing herself takes a little exertion, but with the aid of her aspect element, she comes within sight of the battle in a little more than 5 minutes.

What she sees is a desperate one-sided struggle. Three ships versus one, and the loser -- in a two masted merchant ship -- has been surrounded and very nearly boarded. The beleaguered vessel's flag flies colors Dove knows are associated with the Tya, a society of tattooed women who choose to live as men (as Western culture typically does not allow women to sail).

The aggressors in the battle are all sailing ships built for speed. Two fast corsairs and a sleek, larger ship--obviously a prize vessel, a large yacht customized with superior armor and weaponry. They do not bear any flag Dove recognizes, but the color is a crimson red.

[Private to Platinum Dove: Now give me Perception+Awareness. This is to see if you will be able to glimpse any further details than that. Once you roll that you can fly back, I won't make you roll for the flight twice.]

"That... Would be a problem..." Dove observed to herself after taking an assessing look at the ships, then with a quick diving turn, made her way back to the other ship at all reasonable level of speed...  Another five minutes at least to get back, then ten minutes until arrival--an awfully long time to be caught in a boarding action...

Upon arriving, Dove didn't precisely take the time to slow down overly much, landing rather hard on the deck, and maintaining her balance just barely, she took a second to catch her breath.

"Band of corsairs, taking on a Tya Merchantman" She reported a bit haltingly.  "Corsairs are 'Extremely' well armed, apparently Siakal worshippers from what I had managed to observe, and the lead ship of the corsairs--custom designed yacht, heavily armored and armed, as well as sporting  what is quite possibly one of the largest Essence Cannons I've ever seen fitted to the bow--it's bad odds, no matter how you look at it--but if we close in quickly, we should be able to turn the tables somewhat...  The other two ships are fairly speedy though, ideally designed to chase down targets...  Personally, I reccomend getting involved, it seems a terribly one-sided sort of affair..."

"I agree" comes Zeru's voice from the rigging. "This is just the noble sort of affair we should get involved in. Right Tageru? Also if you don't want to beat up the dryad with your anima I can get you across to one of the vessels." If the group cares to look up they can see Zeru hanging upside down. on a connecting rope. Looking across at the battle.

Listening to the report intently, Lasuri takes a moment to ponder the new information, taking a deep breath before nodding towards Dove. "Great work, miss Dove. Thanks for the info, even though that's kind of a troubled situation..."

"Allright, listen up." He calls out, to try to get people's attention. "The Tya are actually our allies. They share the same sort of ideals we do, at the core - to be free to live their lives like they intend, without being held back by other people's beliefs. They're stout and fierce, and they're a good lot to have by our side. They're in trouble... And we're gonna help them get rid of those corsairs. Bonus points if we manage to capture some of those seadogs' vessels and cargo. Those Siaka worshipers are a chaotic lot, and the more we confiscate from them the better."

He turns towards Chihultoc, and smiles slightly as he nods. "I hear you, mister Thafur. That's certainly a way to see things. But if you would - bear with me a bit, and see for yourself how the Tya fight their battles. You might find that they are stouter allies than you might think. Just give them a chance to prove themselves, it's all I ask."

Raising his voice, he calls on to everyone again. "Allright, we're going to speed up and attempt an approach, while being mindful of that nasty piece of artillery they got. We don't know much about the thing, so best bet's going to be to use our speed to get up close, where they won't be able to target us. The rest... We'll have to do by hand." He grins, then gestures for the crew to start preparing both for ranged battle and for boarding when in range.

"Oh, and mister Tageru, before I forget... Thanks for the heads up about the power surge and all that. I appreciate it. Though our enemies might not appreciate if say, you let that loose while on one of their decks. Just stating." He nods and smiles, then looks around one more time. "Allright, get ready! And don't forget - the Tya consider themselves men, so treat them as such. Would be bad form to actually piss off our friends, there. All right now, enough talk, get ready for action!"

"Yes, that sounds like a battle we should be involved in," he nods to Platinum Dove, before offering her his flask with a smile, to refresh her after the impressive flight he had just seen.  The one with water, not more potent drinks, as he tried to consider how many crew such vessels would likely boast, compared to the Dryad

He otherwise waited for the response he hoped would come from Lasuri.
[Private to GM: Today: Secret Roll: Cathak Garel Treon rolled 3 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. Int+Sail, to estimate crew sizes and so. ]
This message was last edited by the player at 00:22, Tue 28 Oct 2008.

Treon has faced such rabble in his years in the Imperial Navy. Their fastest ships are probably based on courier ships, which he figures could not hold more than 5-10 each -- terribly cramped. The yacht would have a crew of at least 10, and could hold up to 50 in reserve. He has no way from here of knowing how much of the yacht's hold would be cargo or extra combatants, though, but Dove's report suggests it's more towards the latter.

The Tya merchant ship, he'd expect, would have about a scale of personnel. And the Dryad has about 40. Of course, they have a large Dragon-blooded presence -- that plays to their favor, assuming they can get close enough to board.

---

OOC: I may post only once or not at all tomorrow -- got a request from one of the players to slow things a bit while he catches up.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:53, Tue 28 Oct 2008.

Jadira looks askance at 'Toc's cynicism, though she supposes it can't be helped -- some people have reason to be mistrusting. And he likely has several, considering where he came from.

Dove's return and Lasuri's words put her right back into a battle-ready mood, though, as she calls back, "Gunnery's as ready as we can be, Captain!" She holds the strongbow carefully in her hands, relaxed until their opponents come into range. "We'll support the Tya whichever way we can."

"Will you need the winds called again, to speed our approach?"

"That would certainly be expedient, I believe, Lady Thornbloom, as long as it will not adversely affect your own ability to fight in the coming conflict." Treon offers his opinion.  He turns then to the Captain and the rest of the Outcaste's gathered around him.  "If I might make a few observations..."

"We can expect the pirates, whoever they may be, to have have at least forty men, perhaps up to eighty, depending on how close they are to their home base--The bulk will be on the main vessel, with lesser numbers in the two couriers.  The Tya merchantman, on the other hand, will boast a scale at best, and they are unlikely to be trained fighters, unlike many of the pirate crew.  The faster we can get to their aid the better."

"I assume our priority here is to rescue the Merchantman, rather than to wipe out the pirates, the two goals being not as closely aligned as might be expected.  If this is the case, we should be careful not to cripple the larger vessel, although securing it long enough to capture the essence cannon would of course be good---pushing the pirates into a corner by destroying their only means of survival will only ensure that they fight all the more ferociously, since they will have nothing left to lose, and I suspect it is the Tya who would bear the brunt of such ferocity.  We can always run the vessel down later, or even track them back to their base when they flee.  If they flee."

"I would suggest, therefore, Mister Tageru, that you focus your efforts on the larger vessel.  Your scouring anima, whilst it will foul their rigging and make the vessel much less suited to life as a corsair's vessel, will not actually destroy it's ability to fuction as a ship."

"Those would be my suggestions, at least, Captain Lasuri.  I am not sure we have the fighters to kill them before they inflict grievous casualties on the Tya if we push for that, and so that is why I suggest a policy of allowing them an escape route."

"Can I at least nab one of the courier ships if possible?" Zeru asks from his perch. "I think I can take one of the helmsmen out. Then maybe with some help could remove the rest of the crew." He's still surveying the battlefield, keeping an eye out from something that could be sneaking up on them. You never know with siaka worshippers.

Treon grinned up at the man "Certainly," he says and then goes on to clarify.  "I think it is best if we capture or sink both of the smaller vessels.  If the pirates flee, they will probably be able to outstrip us and bring aid to the pirates.  If they don't flee, then instead they will be able to harry us, making it harder to fight their brethren effectively."

"Point entirely taken, mister Treon. Thanks for the in-depth analysis, and you're perfectly right in your assumption. We're here to help out the Tya first and foremost. " He turns back to the crew, and nods sharply.

"Okay, people, you all heard the man - we'll follow through with mister Treon's assessment of the situation. We'll focus on roping one of the smaller vessels first, and keep it from flanking either us or the Tya's ships. At the same time, a strong force is going to help secure the Tya's ship, and from there on we'll move on to neutralize the rest of the enemy force."

"Here's how I see it. Mister Zeru, you take five of the crew members , and you go take care of one of the smaller vessels. We'll maneuver close enough for you to board, and from then, everything's up to you. Better even if you can capture the ship rather than destroy it, but I leave all of that up to you."

"Mister Treon, you take command of another five. Myself, miss Dove, and mister Treon and his group will move out to the Tya's ship, to secure their position immediately. Miss Thornbloom, Mister Tageru, since you have our long range support, you'll remain here for the time being, and support the relief operation with precise shots. Your long range support is going to be crucial to our success, so give it everything you've got. The Tya won't hold forever, so we should concentrate all of our firepower to saving their lives first and foremost."

"Mister Treon, you're going to be responsible to liberate the Tya ship from invaders. We'll help you out while we're there, but you're going to be in command once we reach that point. I trust in your tactical knowledge and your ability to direct men in battle, so use your small team to the best of your abilities, and repel the invaders from the Tya's ship. I leave all decisions as to the 'how' up to you."

"Miss Dove, I trust you'd be able to deactivate that big bad nasty piece of a canon if given the time, right? When we reach that moment, we risk the enemy trying to fire the damn thing, since they might try to sink us both at the same time if they find themselves losing. So you and me will move out to their main ship - I might actually have to ask you to carry me, if that's not too forward - and you'll start working on the device. I'll stay with you myself, and cover you in the meantime, to buy you the time you need."

"Miss Thornbloom, Mister Treon is right - you should speed up the vessel for us to get the time to catch up to the combat zone. After that, you'll take your position among the gunnery crew and go on with the combat."

"Is everyone clear on what they'll have to do? If so, get in position, it's gonna be one damn bumpy ride!"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:03, Wed 29 Oct 2008.

"One thing, captain" Tageru says.
"Why don't we send one of our Water Aspects down there to punch a few holes in their hull. Below water level, of course. That would slow their ship down and force them to repair it or sink. And since they can't repair it and fight, they might surrender more easily. Less lives lost, less trouble for us. What do you think?"

Dove winced at the implication she might have to 'Carry' someone.  "Oh sure--for a couple metres maybe, but I'm not really 'That strong, it'd be more like a boosted jump then anything else.  I can probably shut the cannon down if I'm given a couple minutes to work at it--but worst comes to worst, I can probably break it with a few bolts of lightning or something.  Don't think I'm completely fragile, I can probably take a 'little' negative attention...  Just don't go expecting me to pull out miracles from nowhere."

Zeru nods down from his perch. "Aye sir, show me the men you would like me to lead aboard one of the enemy vessels." He flips down to the deck, his chain falling about his chest. "I would not trust my life to someone I hadn't met and thus I feel obligated to meet them."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:53, Wed 29 Oct 2008.

"They do actually have another option if we do that, Mister Tageru, rather than surrender or sink.  Surge across to the Tya vessel and capture that along with several of the Tya to be hostages.  We certainly won't get there fast enough to make that impractical from the description Miss Dove has given of the situation," Treon says.

"There is also the possibility of Siaka in the water, given who they worship," he continues, "Although once the Tya are out of the equation, it does become a more attractive prospect."

"That's actually a really smart tactic there, Mister Tageru, and we're gonna make sure to use that eventually - but Mister Treon's right, there's a lot of elements we don't know about, and sadly we don't have much time to scout ahead and check it out." He turns towards Platinum Dove, then, and smiles as he nods slowly.

"It's allright, just might need a little help to cross over. Do your best and don't worry about the rest, I'll handle myself. If I end up messing up my part of the bargain, move out to the canon immediately, and don't worry about me - I'll catch up to you. Also... Don't worry, I don't think you're that fragile, Miss Dove. Just want to keep the other side form distracting you too much, is all. Far from me to think you're worth less than you are, as you're a valued member of the Alliance. Don't forget that." He smiles, then peers back at Zeru, his voice raising slightly.

"That's fair enough!" he starts, turning his head slightly towards the deck. "Mister Brogan! Mister Curran! Mister Argall! Mister Sunden! Mister Antov! You're going to be placed under Mister Zeru's command for this operation! Step forward and greet the man - quickly, if possible, as we don't have much time!" He nods, then calls again.

"Mister Alves! Mister Saari! Mister Madigan! Mister Quinn! Mister Rowe! You're assigned to Mister Treon, and are to follow his express commands for the whole duration of this operation. Don't disappoint me, now!"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:33, Wed 29 Oct 2008.

Zeru looks over his assigned group. He felt obligated to give them a kind of pep talk or at least go over strategy. "I'm Zeru and our job is to take that courier ship. He points to the ship. We are going to be fighting the people on board and taking it over if possible. I wanted to meet you, so I'm going to tell you straight out. I'm going to be in the rigging, my first course of action is to remove the helmsman from the equation." He points to all of the men. "And your jobs are going to be to start taking care of the crew. If you get into a state just holler, I'll come to help. Stick together, a group of two and three should work fine. Focus fire, and keep your group healthy. Any objections?"

The aforementioned men hurry over as they're called, with echoes of "Yes sir" and "Aye captain!" At least one is apparently a woman, or certainly sounds like one. But they're all dressed for battle.

Each of the five present themselves to the man assigned as their commander for the moment. They're all well-equipped and hardy -- even 'Mister Argall', whose dark red hair (partly visible underneath her broad-brimmed hat) looks curiously familiar to Zeru. Brogan and Curran look like they could be brothers, tall and broad, while the shortest is a stocky Northerner, Antov, tattooed up either arm. Sunden -- a lithe olive-skinned man -- does not speak at all, but he gives Zeru a firm, assuring nod while the others shout "No sir!" at the call for objections.

Among Treon's assigned men are a dark, limber Southerner (Saari); a pair of sturdy battle-scarred Westerners (Alves, Rowe); a sandy blond with oddly mismatched blue and green eyes (Quinn); and a mustachioed young man who might have been minor nobility, if not for his company (Madigan).

The remaining crew stays at their posts, unfurling the sails once more for Jadira's summoned winds to catch. As the Spring Dryad II speeds toward its destination, the details of the battle Dove recounted become clearer to the eyes of the Outcastes. The yacht with the cannon fixed to its bow is currently pointed the Dryad's way at a slight angle, parallel and opposite in facing to the Tya merchant ship. The Tya, led by a tall blue haired woman with a cleaving sword, are still fighting desperately on the deck, outnumbered about 2 to 3. One of the couriers carries five longbowmen with fire-tipped arrows, the other a gleaming weapon that all strongly suspect is an implosion bow.

The bearded, auburn haired captain standing with the cannon shouts something to the latter courier, and its crew turn the compact ship about, the smaller artifact weapon on board swiveling to face the Dryad. They fire a warning shot, the blast fizzling just short of the Dryad's bow.

---

OOC: Okay. Dryad is 500 yards from the courier headed towards them. Probably 700-800 yards from the main battle.

Since none of the Dryad's weapons are in range yet, I won't ask for a Join Battle just yet (300 is range for Tageru and the ballistas, we'll get there very soon though). But first I'll need Lasuri to give me some sail stunting. ;)
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:09, Wed 29 Oct 2008.

OOC:
No, the range is actually much more, but with penalties.

I don't mind, I still think I can hit. ^^ I start shooting at 500 yards (-2 penalty)

OOC: I thought there were rules for shooting out of range! But where are they? Exalted books have terrible indices. :P I was trying to find that before I posted the last post.

"Excellent," He says with a smile. "And no need to call me sir..." He says sheepishly his hand on the back of his head. "I'm just another crew-member. Save the formalities for your Captain and First mate... But seeing as the captain put you under my command, I'll expect my orders to be followed. That clear?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:19, Wed 29 Oct 2008.

"Allright... Everyone prepare and take cover - least until we manage to break through and get in range to fire ourselves. Everyone prepare for impact, in case I fail at dodging the shots!"

Standing at the helm, the Captain starts immediately concentrating on the task at hand. Out on the open sea, without a chance for cover and out of range of the enemy, there is not much chance for someone to dodge. Swaying the ship in a snake-line might actually give more trouble to the gunner on the enemy ship, but in the end, all it does is slowing down the approach and expose the ships for even more shots. So what does one do, when one cannot step aside of blows easily?

Why, one tries to make the opponent move.

Spinning the wheel sharply, Lasuri counts on the speed boost from Jadira's spell and the natural speed of the Dryad to help in his endeavor. Aiming the bow of the vessel directly at the enemy ship, he speeds right ahead, cutting straight for the enemy position and clearly ignoring the warning shot. His intention is not veiled - in the present course, The Spring Dryad II is going to ram the enemy ship, likely tearing through it pretty badly in the process.

Standing proudly at the helm, Captain Lasuri makes his stand, the ship speeding steadily towards its intended target. Like the ideals it represents, it is unrelenting, unstopping, and unwavering. The Captain stays vigilant, ready to veer slightly to port or starboard in case of a particularly well-placed shot... But otherwise, he keeps the ship on course, displaying the Alliance's resolve for the other side to see.

Of course, Lasuri has no intention to actually ram the enemy ship - he only wants to get close enough to give Zeru and his men a chance to leap on board. But the enemy do not know that fact, and that is a point that the Captain intends to exploit to its limit. With a little luck, the enemy captain will take the bait, and change the ship's heading to prevent being rammed...

And when that happens, Lasuri will be ready.

Seeing the ship getting closer to being within range. He gives one last wink towards his unit. "Like I Said I'll be around..." with that he clambers up into the rigging. Waiting for his chance to get to the enemy ship.

Tageru looks at the ship as the Dryad approaches, and takes a couple of arrows into his hand. He steadies his breathing as much as possible, just as he was taught at the Cloister, and draws the two arrows at the same time. He can see the trails of Essence that show him the perfect path, two curved parallel lines connecting his bow and his target, and he releases the arrows. They fly in a perfect arc, almost beautifully and strike at the ballistae, severing the strings and demolishing the wooden part of the ballista's bow.

[Private to GM: OOC: I attack the ballistae, I split the action, use two broadhead arrows and shoot from afar-I have a -2 penalty from that and a penalty for two actions (-2, -3) If it's ok, then add the stunt bonuses (if any) to the dice pool and roll! Oh, and my bow's damage is +5, with my strength and the arrow bonus it's +10L]

[Private to GM: Edit: I tried to find the rules, but the book is so badly written, I can't now. I know for sure that they're there, and it also says under the Flamepiece that it has no long range, while the bows do. The long range penalties are -2 and -4, but I can't now remember where it says so.

Edit 2: I found it, but it's in Exalted 1e. HAHA! The rule is the same, but for some reason they didn't write it in the second ed. book, they just refer to it and mention it, without actually writing it! :D]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Wed 29 Oct 2008.

"You got it," says the redhead, Cinna Argall, winking under the brim of her hat. Followed by various affirmative yells from the men, and another nod from Sunden.

Any further words are quickly cut off at Lasuri's call for cover. Crewmembers start diving for the deck or hiding wherever they can wedge themselves out of easy sight of the enemy's weapons.

Lasuri keeps his heading true, but the courier does not take the feint right away, keeping its course for the time being. The corsair at the implosion bow still manages to get a single shot off before Tageru's arrows hit -- the crackling energy roars across the great distance in a spherical shape, impacting starboard.

Tageru is nearly caught in the shot but manages to sidestep just outside the diameter. The Dryad itself is barely even scratched, but the gunners at the starboard catapult have to leap for greater cover not to get roasted by the blast, leaving the onager to take the bulk. It is damaged, but still barely functional.

The Wood Immaculate's returning shots find their mark -- and accurately so. Unfortunately, the implosion bow appears to be made of stronger stuff than Tageru had anticipated, but the damage is still severe enough that crew appears to be alarmed. Now the pilot starts veering off course, intent on using the courier's mobility to try and avoid any further attacks.

---

OOC - Actually, the long range rule in Ex2 is on page 148. And it subtracts 1 success (aka, diff +1) at double range, 2 successes at up to triple range.

Edit - Tageru told me he meant to shoot other ballistae on the courier; unfortunately there are no other weapons on the ship. So I defaulted to shooting the implosion bow... which still took 11L damage, but it definitely is functioning as normal.

Also, Dryad took 1L damage. (Hardly anything!) The onager is just an ordinary item and took 9L. But no one got hurt.

Courier is starting to turn away to lead the others back to the battle. But there's still time for another ranged shot. Anyone who's going to do it, post!
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:16, Thu 30 Oct 2008.

"Damn -- those couriers are faster than the Dryad..." Jadira mutters.

"Tageru, you might be a better shot than even me. Aim for the pilot, we've got to slow them down! But try not to cripple the ship... not if Zeru's gonna get any use out of it. Gunners, don't waste your shots till we're close enough!"

She nocks an arrow in the strongbow anyway, the pulleys shifting smoothly as she draws the bow cables to their full extension. Aiming from a distance at the pilot is a risky shot, but she whispers a short prayer to Sextes Jylis and lets the arrow fly!

Jadira's Essence-touched shot is true, piercing the pilot straight through his buff jacket. He staggers and falls away from the helm. It looks like he wouldn't even be able to take another shot, if this one doesn't kill him outright.

While the crew starts loses its cohesion -- some trying to figure out who will replace the pilot, others just ducking for hard cover -- the advance of the courier starts to slow. It's moving at about half speed at this point, and slowing; the Dryad will definitely catch up.

The man at the implosion bow, startled at the continued advance of the Dryad, lets loose one more shot before scrambling to shield himself from the archers' deadly arrows. It's a weaker attempt than the last, and just barely grazes the side of the ship as Lasuri's quick sailing reflexes ruin the shot.

---

OOC: ok, scratch what I wrote previously... since only ranged people can act till the Dryad is close to board, let's speed things up. There are 3 actions before then for the archers/gunners. Those applicable can post what they'll do with those 3 actions, whether it's attacking, or waiting. However, keep in mind that the crew now has at least 75% cover so trying to shoot at them will actually wreck part of the courier itself.

also, anyone on board the Dryad who will use a Charm to boost DV just in case, should say so in their next post too.

At this point Dryad is at about 300 yards from the courier. Dryad still has negligible damage (1L).
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:35, Fri 31 Oct 2008.

Treon looked over the five crewmen assigned to him.  A more varied lot than he had been used to in his prior official commands, but just the kind of group he was used to working with since then.  "Good day, all," he said.  He didn't feel the need for formality.  People tended to obey him anyway.  "Once we get close enough, it's going to be our job to take care of the pirates on the decks of the Merchantman.  This means we're going to be thrown into the thick of the battle.  But that's okay, you won't be alone.  Once we get there, you should stay tight, don't let them get in between you.  I'm going to try to avoid flaring too badly, especially when we're with the Tya, but don't press in too close to me.  Okay?"

Then the arrows started to fall.  "Until then though, lets stay down!"

Tageru starts shooting, a spray of arrows flies toward the corsair ship, decimating the pirate crew, killing anyone foolish enough to even raise his head. The pirates fire back, but Tageru simply snatches their arrows mid-flight with his right hand and shoots them right back at them. A light green glow appears around him, and there is a strong smell of pine and flowers in the air.

The pirates try their best to retaliate but are grossly outclassed. The archers simply miss the ship altogether -- one of them even snaps his bow in two in the attempt.

Almost as soon as they fire, Tageru's deadly arrows bring them down, though one shot drops right off the side of the ship and a second tears through part of the courier ship's deck, ripping an entire section apart. The ship can still sail, but part of the space below deck is now open to the elements.

Jadira commands the gunnery crew to continue holding fire to avoid any further damage to the ship itself. She concentrates her fire on the man at the implosion bow. Though partially shielded, she too is a more than decent shot. One of her arrows hit him in the shoulder, another right in the chest. Gravely injured, he attempts to drag himself back to shelter, helped by the few men left to cover for him.

The Dryad is now nearly parallel with the courier. Zeru's boarding action can now begin. About 250 yards away is the rest of the battle, and the yacht's main cannon is now being powered up to fire at the Dryad. The Tya's forces are starting to weaken, and the merchantman's sails have caught fire from the barrages of the second courier.

[Private to Lasuri Leomaris; Peleps Zeru: You'll have one chance at boarding the first courier before you'll have to go back around, since Dryad is currently at top speed. Lasuri should roll a Wits+Sail to get close enough. Zeru + men will roll Dex+Athletics to leap across. Boarders will be able to add Lasuri's sail successes to their roll.]

---

OOC: Again I'll be trying to speed things up until Dryad can board the Tya ship. So. Post me a summary of what you think you'll do up till that point, in what priority, and what charms you may use. I'll roll and apply stunts if I see fit.

Current forces: Tya, 20 + leader. Pirates fighting Tya, 35. First courier, 5 (Tageru's arrows did a lot of work). Second courier, 10 + lieutenant. Yacht, 10 + captain and first mate.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:31, Fri 31 Oct 2008.

The initial rounds of combat have been a bolstering affair, but Lasuri knows full well that the most difficult part is yet to come. The Tya are certainly not yet safe, and the whole maneuver might become a complete fluke unless he manages to give Zeru a clear shot at boarding the courier. And at the speed the Dryad reached, he would very much have to give the man and his team every chance he can.

While the crew takes cover, Lasuri himself stands at the helm, focused and serene despite the cacophony of combat and the raising sense of urgency in both ships' crews. He keeps his senses sharp and alert, highly attentive despite the danger. He lets every little detail permeate him - the subtle changes in the wind, the slow and sinuous currents twisting around his ship, the creaking of the ropes and sails as the Dryad speeds forwards its objective, undaunted in its advance.

He keeps particularly attentive to the rolling depths below, keeping himself attuned to its subtle motions and movements. This is the element he has the strongest collection to, and years of sailing have taught him how to understand its language - not with his eyes of ears, but with his whole body. By feeling the slight changes in the deck's orientation, he can sense what the sea is 'telling' him. Her intentions, her whims, and her desires - all elements he can use to try to help his maneuver.

"Your window is coming, Mister Zeru... Be sure not to miss it!" He calls out, over the tumult, as he sees the enemy ship coming closer. And then, slightly softer, "Danaa'd be with you, my friend."

And then, the moment comes. The Dryad, parallel to its opponent, will speed very quickly by its side, a situation that will make Zeru's boarding action quite difficult. The least the captain can do is at least give him the best shot he can provide. Waiting for just the right shift in the undercurrents, just the right push in just the right direction, Lasuri suddenly pushes the wheel strongly towards the enemy ship - bridging the gap between the two even more and bringing the ships dangerously close to each other. Just enough to make the distance much more manageable, and perhaps give an extra boost to the men's jump.

Trusting Zeru will handle the rest, he pushes the wheel equally strongly in the other direction, to avoid an collision with the enemy ship. Once again, he rides the waves almost as if he could speak with them, the Dryad's movements an extension of the sea's will.

The rest is up to you, Mister Zeru.

As the ship nears the Courier, Zeru notices the window. "Now!" He screams from his perch and jumps to the rigging of the Courier. He summons all of his strength to his legs and leaps for the enemy vessel, the last boost of the Dryad Carrying him further than he could have hoped. His jump was impeded when his foot slips slightly on a splash of seawater. He refuses to give up and lashes out with his chain fully extended. hoping to wrap around some piece of the rigging and swing aboard the enemy vessel.

[Private to GM: 15:10, Today: Peleps Zeru rolled 3 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. Dex + Martial Arts, Chain swinging!.
15:10, Today: Peleps Zeru rolled 2 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. Strength + Athletics. ]

Despite some awkward moments, Lasuri's expert sailing brings the Dryad and courier so close that they are practically touching, but not colliding. Even the least limber of Zeru's assigned crewmembers manages to make it aboard while their commander for the moment swings boldly across.

What they find waiting for them are four pirates dead from arrows and the dying pilot. The heavily wounded man who had controlled the implosion bow -- likely one of the corsairs' lieutenants -- is now somewhere below deck. Five healthy men remain, brandishing cutlasses and shields in an attempt to block the way from whatever it is the lieutenant is attempting to reach.

The threshold passes, then, and the Dryad continues speeding with the wind in its sails toward the heart of the battle...

[Private to Peleps Zeru: There, you're on board! You can summarize now what you'll do to take control of the ship.]

Zeru in the rigging of the ship decides to tip the odds in the favor of his team. He pulls one of the ropes used for hoisting sails upwards. He grabs the end of it and sets his chain spinning. He swings down into the battle, grabbing one of the men with shield and cutlass and brings them up into the rigging. Making it 5 on 4 in his teams favor. Zeru stands on the beams that line the mast with relative ease setting his chain spinning once again. "Hi there... It's either duel me or hop into the water... Pick one, and quickly."

His crew sets to work in a team of 3 and a team of two each attacking one person. Just like I told them to. This should let them decimate the crew in no time.

Edit:PM
[Private to GM: Apoliges Madam, I did indeed roll the activation of my charm. It is now of course gone in the flurry of rolls. But I believe the result was 6 successes. It may be five, but I am 77% sure it was six. If you have the capabilities to look back please do so. Otherwise My deepest apologies.]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:12, Sun 02 Nov 2008.

Tageru calmly moves to the side of the ship, and takes a few arrows out of his quiver. He puts one foot on the edge of the Dryad, and looks carefully at the other ship, the one aiming the essence cannon at the Dryad. Again, his breathing slows, and comes to almost a stop, necessary for the perfect concentration he needs to fire the perfect shot. His eyes glow shortly and he releases an arrow. It flies quickly like a raptor to the kill, and a soft barely visible trail of green light follows in its' wake. The man operating the cannon realizes he's the target too late, and takes an arrow straight to the chest. There is a backlash of essence, along the line the arrow left, back to Tageru's receiving hand.

[Private to Storyteller: Aim, 3 ticks, aim for the guy operating the cannon aiming at us, shoot, use the supplemental Charm Soul-Marking Strike, if I hit, I regain 1 essence and he loses 1 mote (of course, if he's an Essence user). I also use 1 WP for 1 success. if I hit, and he lives, the next attack has a +1 automatic success from the soul-marking strike. Depending on his armor, I use either broadhead or target arrows.(my character would know what's better when he sees his armor, so I'll leave that up to you.)

In total, attack pool of 20+stunt, 1 automatic success from WP, regain 1 essence if hit.]
This message was last edited by the player at 13:21, Sat 01 Nov 2008.

Treon had his men stay out of the exchanges of arrows on the decks, having no need to expose them to the risk.  He himself remained up on the decks, mostly to watch how Zeru handled the start of the boarding.  He seemed satisfied with how it had started at least.

"Right, it's almost our turn now, we'll be with the Merchantman in a short while.  When we get there, stay focused, stay tight and we'll beat those pirate scum," he said with a smile down at the crew.  "Looks like we're a little outnumbered, but they're pirates and you're crew of the Cobalt Alliance, so it's not that unfair to them." As he spoke, Treon wrapped himself in the essence of flame, giving himself an aura of invulnerability which defied the pirates to harm him.

Tageru attempts to aim, but the yacht captain doesn't wait. With a roar of laughter and a battle cry for Siakal, he lets loose with the Essence cannon. Lasuri just can't maneuver in time, still pulling out of the boarding action on the first courier. The beam clips the Dryad enough to blow a dent in its crystalline hull, dealing 7B damage -- not enough to affect the vessel's performance, but definitely a worthy show of the cannon's power.

The blast strikes hard enough to rock the Dryad significantly, and everyone aboard scrambles to maintain footing. Lasuri's crew remains nimble and sure, while Jadira's gunners maintain their footing by sheer force of will. Dove uses her wings to avoid the need to keep balance altogether. The only one among the Dryad crew to fall is Tageru, who is briefly knocked prone and loses his aim. [Private to Cynis Tageru: 19:20, Today: Storyteller, on behalf of Cynis Tageru, botched using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. You botched the Dex+Ath, and if I were meaner I'd have give you 2 misc actions to get up and ready bow again, but I'll assume you spent a WP NOT to botch it and only used 1 misc action.]

Meanwhile the crew of the yacht have loaded their two sail-cutters and attempt to tangle the Dryad's sails, but miss. The yacht's first mate, though, is a skilled archer -- perhaps a Dragon-blood herself. She aims and fires two [Private to Cynis Tageru: if you peeked at the rolls, it was 3 originally but I toned it down] target arrows at Tageru while he is struggling to his feet. One misses its mark, but the other pierces past the Immaculate's armor, dealing 3L damage.

On the deck of the Tya ship, the merchant crew and the corsairs fight hard and bitterly. Before Jadira or her gunnery crew can react, they watch as the hardy pirates let out a jubilant shout at the successful cannon blast, and surge at their opponents with renewed gusto. Four Tya lose their lives.

Determined to help the merchants' desperate battle, Jadira lets out a flurry of shots at the corsairs, taking three of them down neatly. She shouts for the artillerists and archers under her command to take on the second courier harrying the Tya with bow attacks. One of the Dryad's ballistas tear a hole into the hull of the second courier, slowing it down. Jadira's archers let loose a volley of arrows at the courier's crew, taking two enemy archers down before they retaliate, wounding one of the Dryad's own. Now it's the Tya's turn to be encouraged; between the merchant crew and their brave captain, five more corsairs fall. There are 16 Tya, and 27 corsairs remaining on the merchantman deck.

Only then does Tageru find the opportunity to renew his aim. The enemy captain holds off on a second cannon shot -- for now. But he snarls at his first mate to renew her attack on the man who is obviously the most dangerous archer on the Dryad. Without the opportunity to line up her shots properly, she misses him, and Tageru gets one remarkably clear shot at the captain. Just as anticipated, the arrow penetrates his jade reinforced breastplate, but does only 2L damage. [Private to Cynis Tageru: Tageru suspects the Captain used a Charm to bolster his soak, basically. Also, I forgot to count your -1 wound penalty in your attack roll, but it'll come into play next time. You did hit the captain, though, so get an extra 1 sux if you attack him again.]

---

OOC: Zeru's actions on the first courier are coming up next. I also need Lasuri to post the maneuver to board the merchantman; any stunt from that will also be used to dodge more fire from the yacht. By tomorrow should be able to get Treon and Dove something more to do, sorry for the wait.

P.S. Please do not post the results of your action before it's been rolled. Thanks.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:29, Sun 02 Nov 2008.

Zeru swings his 'catch' into the rigging with an enviable ease. The corsair looks anything but happy to be up there against his will, and brandishes a cutlass in an attempt to defend himself. He takes one swing, and misses embarrassingly, only for Zeru to lash back with his dire chain, slamming him hard enough to break bones. The momentum throws the corsair off the beam and into the water with a dull splash. He doesn't come up.

Meanwhile the better-equipped Dryad crew tussles with the courier crew. Unfortunately, the latter gets the jump on the former, and Antov takes a slash on the arm. He still looks in fighting shape though, as the five separate into small groups as ordered. Brogan and Curran take on a corsair that folds easily to their combined onslaught. Cinna, Antov and Sunden surround an unlucky second crewman. The fiery redhead spits a curse as she strikes but misses, then plays it off as a feint as Antov and Sunden use the opportunity to cut the surrounded man down.

Zeru watches from his vantage point as the wounded lieutenant drags himself back up the stairs leading to the deck. "You won't... take us... you'll die first and sate Her hunger..." he rasps. He carries in his arms what looks to be a rather flat, round artifact device that gives off a very alarming hum.

The two remaining courier crewmembers let out a shout of alarm and immediately dive off the side of the ship.

[Private to Peleps Zeru: well, Zeru has an action at this point, stunt something to deal with the situation, 'cause that artifact doesn't look very stable!]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:50, Sun 02 Nov 2008.

Zeru is going to climb through the rigging to get a better shot at the lietanant and his humming object. Then He'll grab a rope and swing down to dropkick him, hopefully off the boat, or at least make him drop the artifact.

[Private to Storyteller: Activating Full Stroked Ramming Kick...
20:21, Today: Peleps Zeru rolled 9 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. FULL STOKED RAMMING KICK.
20:21, Today: Peleps Zeru rolled 2 successes using 11d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,5,3,8,1,9,6,6,5,1,1. Kick Damage.  GRRR!!!
Feel free to add or subtract damage as necessary for soak. If possible I'd like to land on the deck rather than swing down.]

Zeru swings down and kicks the wounded lieutenant in the chest, sending him and the artifact flying off the boat and into the water several yards away.

There's a pause...

...the Dryad crew peers uncertainly at the spot where the man sank...

...then a muted FWOOOMM comes up from underwater! Shockwaves from a submerged explosion, no doubt, and the courier is caught very, very close to the blast. While it takes no heavy damage, the courier is rocking as hard as it would be in a heavy storm, and it's not quite built for such tumultuous conditions! A wave kicked up by the blast splashes hard onto the deck, as the crew is forced to keep steady or hold on for dear life.

Fortunately the Dryad is far enough away now not to be impacted by the blast, but everyone on deck hears and sees the results from afar.

[Private to Peleps Zeru: First a reflexive Dex+Ath to keep from getting tossed off. Diff 3. If you make it, also roll a good Wits+Sail to keep the courier from capsizing. feel free to use WP, virtue channels, whatever you wish, if you use virtue I'll let it count for both rolls. :)]

The explosion rocks the ship and tosses Zeru who backflips to catch himself. With a laugh loud enough to be heard on the Dryad. He calls to his unit. "C'mon lads we wont let a little splash do us in will we?" He leaps to the Helm and steers the ship clear of the blast. "WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE COBALT ALLIANCE!" He shouts to his crew. "AND WE WILL STAND STRONG!"

With this he steers the ship to follow the Dryad. "Keep the sails open, we don't want to miss the fun now do we"

[Private to GM: I'm channeling Valor.
21:03, Today: Peleps Zeru rolled 9 successes using 11d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. Wits+Sail.
21:02, Today: Peleps Zeru rolled 7 successes using 12d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7. Dex+Athletics. I'll roll if I need to follow the Dryad.]

Teeth clenched tightly, Lasuri struggles to remain on his feet, the Dryad shaken to its foundation by the canon blast he could not avoid. His first reflex is to survey the state of his crew - and with a relieved nod, he realizes none of them have come to serious harm. They have been shaken, yes, but that is nothing they cannot overcome.

A smile plays on his lips as he catches Zeru's triumphant speech in the corner of his eye - followed by a short, but approving nod at the man's success. The moment of triumph is short lived however. Four more Tya have fallen, and the Captain's expression once gain turns to a grim mask as he witnesses their fall. The proud crew of the merchantman are falling fast, and thus the Cobalt Alliance is failing in its duties.

"Men!" He calls out, letting his voice fill in the void left by the loud canon blast. "It's too early to be punching out yet! Our fellow sailors need us - now, more than ever. Get back to your positions, and hold your ground! Show those dirty scavengers what true mariners are made of! Show them what it means to fly the colors of the Cobalt Alliance!"

With that, he turns the wheel sharply to Starboard, this time headed for the besieged merchantman and its constantly dwindling crew. The message the flagship of the corsairs gave was clear - keep away from our prey. But Lasuri would not be intimidated by such a weak threat. As long as the Tya are dying, he would not yield, nor would he falter in his duties. "Mister Treon, your turn next." He utters, calmly and with strong certainty, as he keeps his eyes on the merchantman. "Our long-range crew will support your effort - but the hardest part's up to you. Save their lives, Mister Treon. And Danaa'd watch your steps."

With that, he pulls closer to the Merchantman, his eyes still affixed on the enemy flagship in the meantime. Mentally, he traces the path he will have to make - one fluid, boundless path, just like the element that awoke in him years ago. Watching the nearby waters carefully, he builds an imaginary itinerary, once again taking currents and movements into consideration as he plans the finer aspects of his move. As he did with Zeru's advance, he tries to bring the Dryad at an angle that will facilitate Treon and his group's boarding, pushing the side of the ship towards their target to narrow the gap between the two vessels, and trusting that Treon will take the opportunity to jump out. And then, for a moment, he waits.

As the ships approach one another, the waves lap outwards around the Dryad, until they reach the merchantman itself, splashing against its hull and returning towards their point of origin. And that is the moment he waits for. Once the wave returns, he pulls the wheel sharply at precisely the same moment it hist the ship, using the shift's momentum to push the Spring Dryad away from the merchantman once more...

And towards the enemy's flagship.

"Prepare to take the wheel, mister Donnegal." He announces, solemnly, as the Dryad starts headed towards the vessel that earlier shook it so badly. "Heads up, Miss Dove... Our entrance is coming next."

The watery explosion still knocks three of five of Zeru's crew right off the ship. Cinna and the mute Sunden are the ones remaining aboard; the former grins fiercely Zeru's way before tossing ropes down for the others to climb back up. Almost as soon as that's done, Sunden and Cinna climb up the mast to mind the sails while the stronger armed men start bailing water from the opening Tageru's arrow had poked into the deck.

Soaked to the bone or not, though, they're all in good spirits now, and shout in affirmative unison at Zeru's rousing cry. "The Alliance stands strong!" Zeru has succeeded at capturing the first courier and implosion bow!

[Private to Peleps Zeru: All right, if you're wanting to board one of the other ships, roll a Wits+Sail. the diff is 3 or 2, depending on if you'll approach at speed, or slow as you approach for boarding. Also post which ship you'll get onto... I'd recommend joining Treon, though the merchant and yacht are parallel to each other so if you landed on one, you'd be able to swing from one to the other.]

About 150 yards away, the enemy captain manages to launch a second blistering cannon shot at the Dryad as Lasuri starts to veer towards the merchantman. This time, Lasuri is deeply in tune with the currents of the sea and the capabilities of the Dryad and his crew, and the Essence beam fizzles uselessly off starboard stern. While the captain works his jaws in irritation, the Dryad plows ahead full speed toward the merchantman starboard, and gives Treon and his group the window of opportunity to board. [Private to Cathak Garel Treon: The gap between the two ships is wider than what Lasuri managed with the courier, but you still get +1 sux on Dex+Ath to jump aboard.] As they do so they see one more enemy fall, making the numbers 16 Tya vs. 26 corsairs.

Then as the Dryad gains distance from the Tya ship, Lasuri spins the wheel in what can only be a truly inspired moment by an expert sailor. He feels the presence of the Dryad herself awaken, her fragrant breeze surrounding and warming him. The rudder, the sails, everything moves as smoothly as water as the ship and her master are for a brief and amazing moment bound as one. Together they pull the Dryad around in a sharp U-turn that ought to be impossible with a ship that large, a space that small, on WATER!

But it happens, and the Dryad is briefly parallel to the yacht's port side, giving Lasuri and Dove a chance to drop off [Private to Lasuri Leomaris; Platinum Dove: note: Lasuri rolled so well that you won't need to roll Dex+Ath to board, just get on the yacht and post what you'll try to do there.] before Donnegal takes over. The enemy flagship is now between the merchantman and the Cobalt Alliance's ship, though at the Dryad's current speed that won't last long!

---

 M    Y    D
/|\   |    |   M - merchantman

		Y - yacht
\	/  \	/  D - Dryad

(arrows point toward ship's bow)

The second courier is a short distance from the merchantman's port side, and the first courier manned by Zeru is now about 100 yards away from the other ships (5 ticks).

Give me your next actions and I'll summarize again. Current order is:
(tick 12) Jadira + Dryad gunnery, 2nd courier
(tick 13) Yacht first mate, Tya's opponents
(tick 14) Yacht captain
(tick 15) Lasuri, Treon
(tick 16) Tageru, Treon's men, Yacht crew, Tya crew
(tick 17) Dove, Zeru's courier reaches main battle.

Don't have to actually post in that order, just keep in mind who's before you. Also, you can give a summary of up to 3 full actions you'll potentially take. Dove: if you actually have some way to increase your JB apply that, you can't move sooner than tick 12 though.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:23, Sun 02 Nov 2008.

First of all-activate the Wood Dragon's form. Then, depends... Fire at any Essence-user available (that is not on our team, of course) and kill them. Then, kill the pirate crew members if there are any... :)

Jadira directs her gunnery crew to focus their attacks on the second courier as the Dryad starts to pull away from the yacht. If the courier stops being a threat she'd tell them to aim at the corsairs attacking the Tya.

"Understand this, men... and women... our priority is to protect the Tya merchant crew. Not for some self-serving glory, not to capture the enemy's loot first. If that means we'll have to take some shots on their behalf, be prepared!"

She concentrates her fire on thinning out the ranks of anyone who threatens the Tya, or potentially Lasuri and Dove's attempt to stop the cannon fire. Arrow after arrow flies from her strongbow, sometimes trailing glimmers of green, sometimes propelled simply by the strength of her arms and her mettle.

As her unrelenting barrage continues, her anima ripples into being -- a spiral of thorny vines bearing bright red tropical blossoms. The display is nowhere strong enough to hurt the ship, but the phantasmal thorns visibly warp and impede arrows or other missiles that try to arc her way.

"Get ready to duck if that cannon shoots again!"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:54, Sun 02 Nov 2008.

Treon watched as the ship drew closer, biding his time for the right moment to start ... and then.

"Now! With me!" he shouted, a little before the time of closest approach, so that as the ships were reaching that point, he and his men would be about to leap.  As he leapt, he gathered flame around himself, pushing off from the first age deck and landing in a run.  As he ran, he drew his Daiklave, the Warm Caress, a strange weapon apparently not a blade at all, but constructed from a number of entwined strands of jade in red and black.  As he ran, he lowered the weapon to point at the leader of the assault, brilliant motes of flame coiling between the strands before bursting out of the end as an Elemental Bolt shaped like a dragon of flame.  Time seemed to stop as it raced forward, Treon barely stopping after launching it.
----
Effortlessly Rising Flame on the leap (1m), then 2m (+1 surcharge) on an Elemental Bolt attack targeting the leader of the assault.  Then just moving to close.  If it takes me more than 5 ticks to get there, then launch another bolt.

"Wonderful" Dove deadpanned, having ducked for cover at the first sign of fire coming their way, and only poking her head out when the initial barrage died off.  "... Well, at least I can safely say that they probably weren't expecting that to happen...  Nonetheless though..."  Reaching to one of the bracers she was wearing, and channeling a bit of Essence into it, a brief shimmering blue field snapped into being around her.  "... In any case, we should be arriving at the flagship soon, right?"

"Yeah - as in now." Lasuri says, nodding at Platinum Dove for a moment. "Mister Donnegal! The wheel is all yours. Make sure the Dryad trails off to safety, will you?"

Quickly, the Captain hands over the wheel, and jumps down to the deck, swiftly walking over to the ship's side. From there, he closes his eyes for only a fraction of second, and for only a moment a thin mist the color of the deepest depths seems to rise and coil about him. The illusion is gone rather quickly, however, and Lasuri immediately springs back into motion. Quickly, he flips the edges of his long coat away, and pulls out two weapons from the sheath and harness attached to his belt.

One of them is a Wavecleaver Daiklave, pitch black with the hint of waves rolling in, colored by what appears to be faint moonlight. The other seems to be a boarding axe, with a wickedly sharp edge and a razored backbite in the shape of long talon. Three feathers - one black, one white, and one cobalt - adorn the point where the axe head meets the shaft, and along with some white patterns engraved into the side of the blade, these confer the weapon a certain tribal look.

"Miss Dove, if you would?" he asks, gesturing towards the yacht. "Let's move out before the chance passes!" He turns to step towards the enemy ship, then suddenly stops and turns back towards the gunnery crew of the Dryad, and grants a smile to Jadira. "Keep the other Dryad safe, Woodwitch." He says, simply, before turning back towards the yacht.

And with that, he crosses over to the yacht, ready to face any opposition people give him.

---
Activating Deck Striding Technique first, then boarding the yacht - the rest of the actions, if need be, will be spent covering Dove as she makes her way to the canon and starts her work there.

Jadira's arrows fly toward the attacking corsairs, dropping two of them instantly. In tandem, the gunnery crew fires their weapons at the second courier. One ballista shot gets through, blasting another hole in the courier's stern that leaves it stranded in the water. The wave of arrows from Jadira's archer team takes four more men down.

It's looking very bleak for courier number two, but the second lieutenant orders the counter offensive anyway. The four remaining healthy archers aim and fire at Jadira's crew, killing one of them. Then the last of the courier crew prepares themselves to escape the wrecked ship and swim to join the yacht.

On the yacht, the first mate aims her bow at Tageru. The enemy captain shouts for the men on the yacht to repel Lasuri and Dove while he musters one last cannon blast. This time his anima flares fully to life, a flaming aura in the shape of a shark's open maw, but the yacht seems oddly unharmed by the display. Donnegal puts his heart and bravery into maneuvering the Dryad, but the blistering Essence beam still sears the ship's stern as it pulls away! (7B)

As the blast rocks the Dryad, nearly half of its mortal crew is thrown off their feet or scramble to hold onto something. Two of Lasuri's men in the rigging fall from above and onto the deck. They're not dead, but they've definitely broken bones. Jadira and Donnegal manage to stay upright, but Tageru's balance looks precarious. [Private to Cynis Tageru: blah, the dice hate you :) Cause I don't want to screw you twice, I'll let you post a stunt to get you the 2 extra successes you need not to fall. You could also add a virtue channel to that! or you can stunt + add a WP. choose which you'll do and post it before I post again.] While Tageru draws the essence of life through his Wood Dragon Form, the enemy archer lets loose two more shots. She's obviously quite unwilling to give the martial artist any respite! The first arrow misses, but the second will hit if Tageru can't gain his footing in time.

Lasuri leaps nimbly onto the deck of the yacht, the landing made easy by his Charm. At their captain's orders, four men surround and attack him with cutlasses in hand. One of them gets a lucky shot through, but is deflected by Lasuri's breastplate. Dove sees at least two more men beside the captain who might get in her way when she boards.

On the merchantman, the battle rages on. Two more Tya have been cut down. Treon hurls his elemental fire at the only person he can identify as the assault leader -- the man with the best armor. It doesn't save him, though: the dragon of flame washes over his body and literally roasts him alive (6L). He falls over an inch away from death, screaming and twitching as his men start to hesitate, afraid for the first time in the battle.

Treon's five men draw steel and sweep through the attackers, killing two coursairs and wounding two more. The Tya and their captain finish off three and wound another, bringing the count to 14 Tya, 19 corsairs (including 3 wounded and 1 leader nearly dead). With Treon and his group aboard, the odds have tipped toward the defenders' side, and the tall Tya carrying a large blade -- a black jade reaper daiklave -- gives Treon a terse, thankful nod. "Captain Tya Rothalga," she introduces gruffly, before readying herself for more!

---

OOC: Paused at tick 17... Dove, Zeru, what are you going to be doing now? Zeru's courier is close enough to board, or support, or whatever else now. Dove is on the yacht now though she still has some goons in the way. Once I get your responses I will continue the narration.

also if any of you want to adjust your next actions or add to them before I continue narrating, go ahead.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:32, Mon 03 Nov 2008.

As the blast rocks the ship, Tageru slips for a moment, and starts to fall. Not thinking about it, he uses his Immaculate training, and instead of trying to stay on his feet, dives to his left, and tumbles. He springs up just as quickly, and aims the bow in the enemy archer's direction. As the arrow flies toward him he rotates his powerbow incredibly fast, and catches it on his bow's string. He catches the arrow's head, and with a flick of the wrist gives it a strange momentum, he shoots the arrow right back at the enemy and the arrow straightens its path mid-flight, going for the archer's heart head-first.

[Private to Storyteller: ok, so I stunt, I use 1 wp to make sure I stay on my feet, and  1 on my DV (it's not the same roll, so I can use WP on both, I just stunted it all at once to make it cooler...) I will also use the Supplemental Charm to ensure more future successes on the archer if I hit her this time...]

"Treon Fireblade, Cobalt Alliance, at your service," he said with a smile and a sweep of a bow, almost no more than a nod, all that was really suitable in this hostile environment.  And then he had reached the press of the melee, and it became very obvious as to why Warm Caress had its name.  It appeared that he wasn't wielding it as one might with a normal blade, instead drawing it almost leisurely over the bodies of the men he faced, completely at odds with the racing power of the bolt he had launched and yet ... the blood still blossomed beneath their armour as he cut once, twice, thrice.
[Private to GM: Three way split.  My PDV and DDV are now 3, and my pools are 10 9 8 + stunt.  Not spending motes yet.]

It does not take long for Lasuri to find conflict... Or rather, for conflict to find him. No sooner has he put a foot on board of the enemy vessel that four of the yacht's crew fall upon him, ready to take him on. A bit too close for comfort - But hey, if I manage to attract attention here, then Miss Dove can actually get some of her work done...

And at that, the first moment of danger, something seems to change in the Captain.

Still recoiling from the effect of the previous attack, Lasuri seems to fall to one knee, almost as if he had lost balance. Faltering so soon after the first strike would be a telltale sign of weakness - but soon after his 'collapse' the Captain rises again... Different. His back arches in an almost unnatural angle, his motions  fluid like that of a stream flowing past rocks in a riverbed - continuous and mercurial.

His right foot plants firmly upon the deck as he remains half crouched, his left leg bent at the knee with his toes barely brushing the deck. He raises his right hand above his head, the curve of his black jade Wavecleaver facing upwards with its point straight ahead, almost at the Captain's eye level. The axe in his other hand remains low, its shaft parallel to the ground as its wicked edge shifting slightly in an unknown rhythm. As the sea breeze shifts, sending droplets around his form, it almost seems, for only a fraction of a second, like another form is about him - a serpentine shape, coiling about his body, slithering around his torso and limbs while its elongated face rests just above his shoulder...

The Sea Drake.

And then, just as suddenly as his stance and attitude shifted... He strikes. It is an odd sight, his footing changing in a strange and unusual cadence, gliding across the deck without so much as a worry about the shifting of the ship on the wave. Indeed, it is almost as if, in that instant, he has become the waves, and his movement have become akin to rhythmic, heated dance. But it is not like the graceful and demure dances practiced in the courts of high societies and prestigious receptions. It is an involved, feverish dance, like that of the tribal nations of the far reaches of the Threshold - primal, and uncompromised.

The strikes themselves come, and they are just as unusual as the dance itself. In fact, they are very much part of it, each fall of the twin weapons an extension of Lasuri's body. One, two, three, four... Once for each of the men surrounding him, each strike coming at an odd and jarring timing, coming at a rhythm only the Captain himself can figure out. And with each strike, his dark eyes almost seem to flare, sending a clear message to each and every one of his opponents...

I will not be defeated.

[Private to GM: 4 attacks, one on each sailor, with the melee excellency powering each one with two motes (adding 4 to each). Also channeling Conviction, for an added +3 to each attack.]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:35, Wed 05 Nov 2008.

Jadira notes with satisfaction the ruin of the second corsair. It will take time for the crew to even reach the yacht, and so she does not pick them out of the water as they swim. Seeing that Treon is already taking matters well in hand on the merchantman, she concentrates her shots on the men attempting to block Lasuri and Dove from reaching the enemy captain and his cannon.

"To your posts!" she shouts, rousing the men who fell in the last cannon wave to pick themselves up and renew their positions. "Artillerists, aim for the sailcutters! Archers, support fire on the merchantman! We can't rest until our mission is done and dealt with!"

Three more arrows are propelled from the armswoman's massive strongbow, rippling with verdant tendrils as they fly toward the elite crewmen surrounding Lasuri and Dove. Sharp enough to sunder armor, they would penetrate those flimsy defenses, burying their thorns in the hearts of lesser men.

Tageru's quick thinking keeps him on his feet, and the enemy archer's arrow shaves close but misses. He snatches the projectile nimbly, and while he prepares to fire...

The Dryad pulls away from the cannon's projectory, its path arcing back toward the merchantman. Aiming at an angle to the yacht's bow, Jadira and the gunnery crew let loose their next volley. All but one of Jadira's arrows miss, but the corsair she hits howls in pain as her dragon graced target arrow tears into his insides. One of the ballistae score a hit on the yacht's starboard sailcutter, damaging but not destroying it. The fang or so of her bowmen still upright coordinate their shots in pairs, sending two corsairs to their deaths.

The attacking corsairs, as their once-certain victory dwindles into a blistering defeat, very nearly falter and run. They make one last desperate surge to beat back the Tya: one tattooed woman falls dead, gutted by three blades at once, and two more are struck and wounded before Treon and his men can press the offensive.

The touch of Warm Caress is deceptively gentle. The tip of the twined jade tendrils that make up the blade trace nimbly the flesh and armor of three healthy men. A second later, all three of them collapse, blood streaming from fatal wounds. The five Dryad crewmen accompanying Treon push through in the wake of his artful carnage -- "For Cobalt!!" they cry boldly as they cut down two more corsairs with ease.

Lasuri is in his element, assuming the signature style of the Sea Drake: mercurial and insurmountable, the fluidness of water and the force of a tsunami. An opportune thrust of his wavecleaver plunges deep into the ribcage of one, driving him back. His boarding axe bites into a second man, leaving a nasty wound. The other two get away with relative scratches, but by no means are they taking the Cobalt captain lightly.

Tageru and the enemy archer fire at almost exactly the same time. His well-placed shot digs into a weak spot in her armor, piercing through for 2L damage. She glows with pulsing blue-black Essence, her aura like a driving rain as she looses her arrows, desperate now for even a slight advantage. But even her best effort only barely harms Tageru, nicking him for 1L. The wound heals almost as soon as it's made, mended by the Wood Dragon Form.

"So, the Sea Drake," growls the enemy captain to Lasuri. "Yer more bloodthirsty than they say. If Cobalt would have our blood, it's no different than we preying on our lessers. Retreat or die!" he calls to his men, letting out a raucous, half-mad laugh before leveling his red, bloodshot gaze at Lasuri. "Mark my words, ye'll regret our meeting. Siakal rewards those who feed her -- even you."

The 12 corsairs remaining on the merchantship are now fighting to flee and rejoin the yacht, some of them attempting to drag their scorched, stunned lieutenant with them. The men in the yacht rigging prepare the sails to catch the wind and flee, while the 5 crewmen still standing and bearing weapons crowd in to support and defend their captain.

"I'm Captain Char Kossuth... Bloodeye to some, but that don't matter now, do it?" The bearded man leaves the cannon untended, drawing his daiklave of incandescent red jade and a firearm: not a flame piece, but a rarer prize, a plasma tongue repeater. "Your trigger happy bowman there will get me first, eh? Or will you be the one, o noble Captain Blue?"

"Y'see... there's only room for one captain on this here ship."

---

OOC: Going to start abstracting things more. There's 13 Tya left + leader, 5 Dryad men + Treon on the merchantman. They pretty much have the ship safe and secure, and can either decimate the fleeing men, or let them run. (Even without help from the Tya or Jadira, Treon and co. would slay the 12 remaining corsairs down in two turn cycles or less.) Merchantman and yacht are still adjacent to each other at this point.

Kossuth would duel Lasuri, but if he accepts the duel right away he'd leave Dove to fend against 5 men... on the other hand, Dove will have cover fire from Jadira and her crew. Dove can still attempt to mess with the cannon, of course.

Zeru and his courier can pretty much do what he wants at this point. :P Tageru's soulmarked both the Essence users on the yacht so he can shoot either one.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:05, Wed 05 Nov 2008.

Tageru feels the quick sting of the arrow, but he laughs it off as soon as it hits. A monk knows better than to let such a small thing as injury impede him in combat! He fires two more arrows at the glowing Essence-user, and his anima flares into a great green tree, with beautiful thorny flowers flying around him like they were caught up in a whirlwind. The arrows shoot out of that brilliant green cloud of flowers and fly toward the enemy archer, leaving trails of purple petals behind them. The first arrow hits her in the thigh, and she bends over from the pain, and then the second arrow hits her straight on the forehead, knocking her out.

[Private to Storyteller: The first arrow is lethal, the second is a fowling arrow that does bashing damage-Tageru is a compassionate man, he would rather capture her than kill her. I use soul-marking on both the attacks, and 1 wp on the first for 1 success. So, to sum it up: that's 2 attacks, the first one has +2 automatic successes, and the second one has 1 automatic succ., but it will be 2 if he hits with the first...

Also, you didn't tell me what armor she is wearing, whether Tageru thinks it would be better to use target arrows or broadhead arrows... :) ]
This message was last edited by the player at 12:03, Wed 05 Nov 2008.

Treon nods to the Tya Captain, "You don't need any more help here?" he asked.  He was referring to martial aid, since he was no doctor.  When she nodded he looked around to his five men.  "You did well, all of you.  Now let's make sure they don't have any delusions of rallying," he says to the men and then runs with them, chasing the pirates off the vessel and onto their own.  He isn't particularly bothered about cutting any more of them down, but if they do anything other than run, they will feel his Caress.

He made a momentary assessment of the situation on the pirate deck.  "The sanctity of a duel is an important thing," he notes.  "Make sure they don't get any ideas about violating it," he gestures to the men which look like they might mob the Captain.  Not that they should attack immediately, but definitely get ready to defend against them.  "I will help miss Dove," and then with a leap which washed the deck momentarily in flame, scorching but not firing it, he leaps over the assembled mass of pirates to place himself between them and the Air Aspect.

"Miss Dove," he says with another combat bow.  "Please, do what you will do, and don't concern yourself overmuch with the pirates.  Though it occurs to me that we have the advantage.  Instead of sabotaging it, would it be possible to take it?"

Anyone looking at the Essence cannon fixed to the yacht realizes two things: one, it will take quite a bit of effort to actually remove it; two, it's much too heavy to be carried without a team of lifters or a couple exceptionally strong individuals (equivelant of Str+Ath = 12).

(Just a quick post so Dove can have a better idea of what to do. I'll post the results of the next actions when I get back home!)

[Private to Cynis Tageru: Oh, sorry. She has a jade breastplate (it's 6L). I assumed you'd do target... unless you think differently.]

The arrival of the enemy captain so soon worries him, for sure - with Platinum Dove uncovered, it is likely she would not be able to properly take care of the canon for some time, after all. The situation happens quickly, bit for a split second, Lasuri hesitates.

The hesitation, however, is cut short by Treon's arrival, and the man's statement brings a faint smile to his lips. He sends a short, sharp nod Treon's way, and turns back to regard the enemy Captain.

"Thirst for blood's not the only reason to fight. Though I don't expect that to make much sense to you, Captain." He takes a step forward, then lowers his weapons slightly. "You and I've different beliefs, but if we're gonna do this, we'll do it by the rules. You and me, and no one else, as it's custom. No henchmen, no allies, no interferences. If you can agree to that, then we can settle this." There is a certain seriousness in Lasuri's voice and mannerism as he speaks the words, and he readies his weapons as he waits to hear his adversary's response.

"The answer's yours, Bloodeye. Then we can figure out how to get rid of that excess of Captains we have here."

Zeru eases the ship to a stop... and heads below deck, to check on what they may have missed. Moving easily to try to avoid notice by any strays.

After dipping below deck he comes back out and faces his group.

"Alright men, we have only what is on this deck to help us in the coming battle. We did our job and I'll leave it to you. Do you want to help the merchantman, or help Miss Dove take on the essence cannon."

"Ha ha..." Bloodeye replies, "ye think I would want it any other way? Siakal hungers, and we feed her. But my pride be mine to uphold!

"Ye hear that men? FIGHT! If they'll not let us be, we'll go down with bloody sword in hand! Blood and meat for Siakal, my friend!" As he lunges blade-first for Lasuri, commencing their duel, the crew continue their retreat from the merchantman -- almost herded there by the five men accompanying Treon, who leap not nearly so spectacularly as he onto the deck of the yacht.

Beside the captain and his archer, there are now about 15 combat-ready men left on board the yacht (5 of which are elites), and 5 more being hauled up by other crew members (the remains of Courier 2 crew). The elite crew face Treon and Dove, while the 5 Dryad men tangle with the remaining who still dare fight, leaving Lasuri and Kossuth alone. Even Jadira and her crew hold their fire, though with her bow at the ready she makes it clear that she will shoot anyone on the enemy side who intervenes.

Cinna speaks up at Zeru's question, shrugging; "Looks like they're finishing it up without us eh? But we can go meet the Tya, make sure they stay safe if those bad boys over there got any more tricks up their sleeves."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:27, Thu 06 Nov 2008.

And the battle on the yacht continues!

Dove leaps onto the yacht deck hurling bolts of ice wind at the elite crewmembers in her way. She misses the first, but after Treon joins her on the boat she blasts a second, sending the man reeling with an unnatural chill. He is still standing, but barely (3L, this last fang of elites is slightly sturdier than most extras).

The men try to retaliate -- even the chilled man. Three attack Treon, while two face Dove. All miss, though some just barely, and they are now desperate to at least save the ship from being robbed. Dove takes the next opportunity to start tinkering with the cannon, while Treon has an opportunity to attack!

The enemy archer pours more Essence into her attacks, watery tendrils rippling around her slender form, but the arrows fall short of Tageru's flourishing anima. She musters another flare of Essence to defend against his shots, but it isn't enough -- he hits her with both. She staggers, but does not fall as he'd anticipated (2L, 1B more damage for a total of 5 HLs down).

Captain Kossuth strikes at Lasuri, two strong jabs with the daiklave followed by a blast by his firearm. The first attack misses, while the second collides in a shower of Essence sparks with Lasuri's wavecleaver, forcefully shoved away. The shot from the plasma repeater just barely misses clipping the Cobalt captain's left ear, and Bloodeye swears at his shoddy aim!

---

OOC: OK, next action everyone. The mortals are going to start channeling virtues, they're fighting for their lives and their loot, after all. BTW, while Dove or Treon mess with the cannon they will have -2 to DV for that action on top of any other actions they take.

The Water aspect archer is definitely low on both ess and HL now. You still notice that the yacht, though not First Age material, does not seem to get damaged by animas.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:35, Thu 06 Nov 2008.

"Better surrender now, while you still have the chance, child!" Tageru shouts at the water aspect. "I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to!"
He walks toward the wounded archer and quickly, but casually, fires two more arrows with blunt tips to knock his opponent out, his arrows guided by his knowledge of her soul. As several arrows fly toward him he merely grabs them mid-air and throws them to the floor, without even looking at them.


[Private to GM: So, since both previous arrows hit, I have automatic +3 successes on attacking her, and I regained some motes! :) I use soul's mark on the first attack, as well as 1 wp for 1 success, and nothing on the second, unless the first one misses (in which case, I use the Charm again)

So, in total, 2 attacks, split action, +4 successes on first attack, +3 or +4 on second, depending on whether I hit with the first. I won't attack the second time if I KNOCK HER OUT the first time (this was edited). I also won't attack at all if she surrenders and drops her weapons, I'll just grapple her and tie her up.]
This message was last edited by the player at 00:27, Fri 07 Nov 2008.

"Don't you know it is the height of rudeness to attempt to stab someone as they're working on something?" he remarks to the quintet of men around him, before the blade strokes over one who had attacked Dove previously, moving as he drew the weapon along to place himself between the pirates and the Air Aspect.  As he strokes the blade, the red jade strands of the Caress glow with the essence he channels through them, taking on the appearance of embers from a fire.

The blade continues to glow, and to move, drawn over the next of those who had attacked Dove, the smell of burnt metal filling the air as the blade glows ever hotter, before finally he turns to the injured man and simply pressed the Daiklave forward in one perfect stroke, stopping as it touches but barely, over his heart.

Treon nods his head as the wounds he inflicted on the three men suddenly manifest themselves simultaneously.
[Private to GM: 3 attacks, 1 m on each, for 12 11 10 before stunt.  My DV is now 3.  I'm willing to spend a mote on each attack, unless I've taken 2L or more, in which case, spend 2.  Delaying damage for a few instants, just so they all damage simultaneously ]

"Shame." Kossuth is fast, and his attacks force Lasuri to take a step back in order to retain his footing. His left ear still rings, testament to how close the last shot was. But even through the bleakest of the onslaught, the fluid dance has not been broken, mercurial steps still flowing seamlessly into one another, even with Lasuri on the defensive.

"You would expect blood-crazed freaks to actually put more value on what it is they're trying to take, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, all that blood's not yours to spill, nor is it Siakal's to claim. Someone taught me that much, a while ago - your blood's not your own, it's only passed down to you."

He flows back into his initial stance, shifting slightly in circular motions, seemingly refusing to stand still. Like the tides that are so reminiscent of his current state, he continues to alter his motions and actions, two otherwise similar stances never truly remaining the same.

And then, as he switches his footing and crouches low, the Sea Drake lunges forward once more. The strikes that follow are savage, gritty, and unrelenting. And yet, even though some might dismiss them as 'crude' at first glance... They are far from it. There is a strong sense of rhythm in them, and there is a deadly grace and assurance that permeates each and every motion that Lasuri undertakes.

The axe comes down once, aimed at the enemy's shoulder - and yet, it is little less than a destabilizing attack, aimed to push the enemy captain off-balance. Lasuri keeps the axe forward, using the weight of the blade to push the man backwards, while his other arms arcs gracefully - three times, it aims at cutting the man called Bloodeye, the last cut sweeping low as the Sea Drak crouches close to the ground...

[Private to GM: Four attacks, one with the axe first, then three with the sword. Again, channeling Valor (for +3) and using 2 motes to gain +4 on each attack (for a total of 8 motes spent on this attack).]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:51, Thu 06 Nov 2008.

Treon's blade languidly traces the three men with deceptive gentleness... and brutal results. As soon as the Fire Aspect nods, the first man staggers back in a spray of blood, torn open from shoulder to hip; the second man looks down in shock at the gaping wound on his torso. The third, perhaps more mercifully than the others, falls instantly dead as his heart is neatly pierced.

On their respective vessels, Tageru and the enemy archer trade one last round of arrows. "N...never..." the Water aspect replies to him from a distance, seeming to speak through her anima, so her voice amplifies but sounds distorted by the roar of rushing water. "I won't give up... as long as my Captain still fights!"

Despite the agony she is in, she is still faster than Tageru is. She pours her entire will and determination into one more shot that pierces Tageru's defenses. [Private to Cynis Tageru: your DV with anima is 8, but you're at -2 from last actions and she rolled 8 sux.] Again, the arrow just barely nicks him for 1L, but once more the wound is immediately regenerated!

Tageru's returning shot is swift and would have been brutal, if he had been going for a kill. Instead the fowling arrow slams hard into the enemy archer's forehead and she collapses, spent of Essence and endurance.

The crewmen still fighting on the yacht realize this is their last stand. The two that Treon injured use the last of their strength to strike at Dove. Rather than be gutted, she interrupts her work, spreading her black wings and launching into the air to avoid them. The two healthy men team on Treon, but their blades cannot penetrate his blackened buff jacket.

"Foolish girl..." Tageru says quietly and turns on the rest of the pirates.

"STOP!" his voice booms like thunder. "SURRENDER NOW OR YOU WILL ALL DIE! THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS AND YOU MIGHT YET LIVE TO BREATHE ANOTHER DAY! YOU'RE OUTNUMBERED AND BEATEN! DON'T THROW YOUR LIVES AWAY FOOLISHLY!" His anima glows a brilliant emerald, and his eyes burn like two green suns. He looks terrifying and, for a moment, fear passes through the hearts of all the pirates as they waver for a second.
[Private to GM: I want to intimidate them, so roll some  charisma+performance to look scary or something :) Tageru sees no point in further bloodshed so he wants to spare the lives of those that surrender.]

And the pirates do falter, but the duel still rages: a last ditch struggle for survival.

Captain Kossuth takes a nasty bite on the shoulder from Lasuri's axe, and musters the Essence to deflect the wavecleaver's path -- but only for an instant. Lasuri's primal dance sends blow after blow after the enemy captain, and two more nimble cuts slice him open on the arm, on his side. Straightening despite the pain, his crimson eyes regard Lasuri grimly. "I know how this'll be, Sea Drake. I'm going to die here. A son of Siakal I'll always be, and I'll die at sea a fighter."

And Bloodeye lurches forward again, haloed by an incandescent aura, the shark's maw rising behind him in rolling sheets of flame as he attacks Lasuri with all the fury of a cornered man. His daiklave sears two paths, seeking Lasuri's throat and chest, and the final shot from his repeater aims recklessly, point blank at his opponent's head. "But I'll take you with me!" he roars.

---

OOC: Gee, the dice were REALLY not nice on the ping for Bloodeye. But Lasuri's second attack actually missed -- since it only got in with 1 he used an Excellency to fend it off.

Anyway, I just need Lasuri to defend against the Captain's last ditch attack. I more or less believe this battle is all but won, just remains to be seen if Cobalt has a crispy scorched captain or a healthy one ;)

[Private to Cynis Tageru: I rolled for you, +1 stunt.. you botched the first time, but I just rerolled it, mostly because at this point the pirates already ARE thinking surrender might save their lives. So a botch wouldn't have any effect anyway.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:20, Fri 07 Nov 2008.

The attack had been strong and swift, but Bloodeye is no ordinary opponent - even in the wake of the blows that have rained upon him, he still musters enough strength to strike back in full force. With more force even it would seem, judging from the powerful display the Siakal worshiper manages in what might be his final hour.

In a brilliant display of roars and flames, his opponent comes for him... And for a single moment, it almost seems like Lasuri will falter, swallowed in by the enemy captain's last attempt at burying him. A fluid sidestep, and he raises both of his weapons at once, facing the dangerous onslaught with a grim look on his features. Droplets of seawater continue to gather around him, and as his eyes meet that of his opponent, and what once seemed like a spectral shape around him finally takes form.

With a burst of highly concentrated Essence, the dark shape of the Sea Drake manifests itself physically, its almost black body seemingly made of a long coil of flowing water. On the beast's back, cobalt scales briefly reflect ambient light. Around the mythical creature, mists seem to coalesce, tinting the surroundings in a dark grey fog heavily tinted with the blue-green of the oceans. The leviathan-like beast opens its mouth in defiance, while its pure black eyes watch intently at the coming danger, its roar the thunderous clash of waves during a violent storm...

It is a display to match Kossuth's fiery anger, and in but an instant the two clash with crimson and cobalt sparks.

"You've lived your life a fighter, and that's how you'll die... But you've wasted your existence." He grits his teeth, and as he matches the attacks with his weapons, he feels his limbs numb from the constant efforts this combat required, and the continuous Essence discharges he had to weather. And yet, despite the tiredness, despite also being almost at his limits, despite the protests his body makes... Lasuri does not yield. The Sea Drake about him roars and coils with each of the Captain's movement, almost as if the great creature is not only a manifestation of Lasuri's power, but also his very will.

The surge fills his body, and he pushes himself beyond his own limits, suddenly dashing out of the way of the repeater with inhuman speed. He crouches and strafes to one side, then regains his footing almost immediately, the flowing motion bringing Lasuri on the offensive once more. His dark eyes meet with Kossuth's and when he speaks again the rolling of great waves seem to punctuate his speech.

"You'll take no one with you. Not 'cause I'm so superior to you. But because I have something to defend and protect, a dream to see realized. Because of that... I won't die."

The Sea Drake roars, a sound not unlike a tremendous waterfall. Despite his weary features, Lasuri's eyes shine with indomitable purpose.

"... No matter how hard you try."

[Private to GM: Channeling Conviction another time, spending 6 motes to get 5 dice to parry for the two first attacks, and then using second dodge excellency to nullify the third attack - for a total of 10 motes spent on this attack. I've got 6 motes left, outside of those regained form this stunt, if applicable.]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:34, Fri 07 Nov 2008.

Lasuri meets Bloodeye's attack and withstands it, fierce flames crashing over malleable water. But will and determination are not enough to avoid harm altogether. He feels the twin sting of his opponent's daiklave, nicking just short of severing his throat, stabbing past his breastplate to bury between his ribs.

The wounds are immediately cauterized by searing flame as his body is engulfed by Bloodeye's blazing anima. As the agony tears through him, Lasuri realizes just how close he has brushed with death. He finds himself recalling everyone and everything that brought him to this day. His childhood in the Realm, his dream to sail the high seas... the fateful adventure that severed his ties with his home and left him a fugitive... the old and new faces that make up his intrepid crew... and Jadira, for whom he promised he would build a new life and home in the Threshold. She, most of all, is his reason for defying even death.

But Bloodeye is also engulfed, in turn, as the Leviathan in Lasuri's anima surges in defiance at the flames. Water Essence ripples outward from the Cobalt captain, forcing Bloodeye to take the brunt of the anima flux as he futilely crosses his arms before his face. It smothers him, nearly drowning him as he struggles to remain upright.

When the clash of elements settles down, the two combatants face one another, dripping blood, sweat and sea water... and Bloodeye, drained of even a single spark of Essence, falls heavily to one knee. "Go on then. Finish it. Ye may say my life is empty, but I've enjoyed it all. I'm a killer. I've no regrets."

He grins, spitting blood. "Do ye?"

---

OOC: Lasuri's taken a total of 5L, but unlike Bloodeye he still has Essence left. :P Honestly, Bloodeye can probably still fight. But Lasuri has the next action and I'm pretty sure he can take him out.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:55, Fri 07 Nov 2008.

"You know..."  Dove muttered, settling down carefully on a rail, and bringing one hand forward as she looked at the two attackers.  "I'm not a violent woman by any means...  But attempting to stab me in the back?  That's highly inappropriate for you--though I suppose rabble like yourselves can't quite help it..."

She sighed, and held one hand up, Air Aspected Essence crackling above her outstretched palm as she leveled it between the two attackers.  "I'd appreciate it if you'd take a nap then and leave me in peace... Please?"

Then with a sudden blur of motion as she leapt off from her position, wings flapping to help her spin out of the way of a stray arrow, she gained a few yards of altitude in a hurry...

Then suddenly dropped back down on the two still giving trouble at the cannon, firing off a pair of focused lightning bolts, hammering down into the two attackers, as she gracefully set down on the main weapon's barrel.

"Now will you permit me to work in peace?" she concludes, as the two lightning bolts--seemingly frozen in position for a moment, suddenly detonated in a certain degree of force--she didn't think she threw in enough power to kill them...  But sadly to say, if they couldn't take the heat, then they had no business being on this boat to begin with...

----------------------------------------------------

OOC: Two Elemental Bolts on my two attackers, before adding stunts, I got 5 and 8 successes respectively--spent 3m on each, so base damage should be 12L

The two harrying Dove are blasted by lightning. One of them stumbles back, stunned by the blast, while the second one is electrocuted so severely he cooks in his armor and slumps over, his heart stilled.

By now the rest of the pirates have dropped their weapons, their hands raised in surrender. There's twenty rank-and-file, three elites remaining in various states of injury, and the unconscious first mate. The rest have been picked off in the meantime by the men that accompanied Treon, or Jadira and her archers.

Nonetheless, there are still casualties among the Dryad crew. Alves is dead, and the other four that fought with him are at least minorly injured. On the deck of the Dryad, Jadira has lost one artillerist, Gatti, and 4 more crewmembers are injured. Antov (one of the men with Zeru) is injured as well.

The pirate crew has lost a total of 46 men (ouch).
Of 40 Dryad crewmembers, 9 are injured, 2 are dead.
Of 25 Tya, 12 are dead (not counting the leader).

The fate of Pirate Captain "Bloodeye" Kossuth and his ship is in Lasuri's hands.

"Antov get yourself looked at... we are going to see about the Tya." Zeru tells the wounded man. "You've done a good job sir" Zeru salutes him, before turning around. "Remember what the captain said. These sailors fancy themselves men, so treat them as such..."

"No... I don't." Lasuri speaks, and for a moment the weight of his fatigue and wounds shows both in his expression and his demeanor. He raises his chin only slightly, looking back towards the man who faced him with such fury.

"I've ensured I wouldn't. I've still things to do, and promises to keep... But if it became completely unavoidable, if I just couldn't wiggle my way out of death's grip anymore... Then I'd rest knowing there's people around to carry on the fight. That's how I chose to live my life, and I've no regrets. No matter what - the Alliance will live, because it's carried on by people with good, strong hearts."

He casts a glance aside, watching the scene of their victory - and the reason for such a victory. What he sees are good, hardy people, each willing to push forward even when the odds are bleak, and fight for a future that is, at this point, uncertain. In that moment, the Captain cannot help but feel a great pride at what was accomplished, and a great sense of approval for those that keep the banner of the Cobalt Alliance alive.

"As for me finishing it... That's not really my place. You'll receive judgment, but not at my hand. You'll face judgment at the hand of those you preyed on - they're going to be the ones who decide your fate, Seashark." The sentence is only barely finished that the wavecleaver strikes again, this time with the flat of the blade - a sharp and powerful hit that knocks the enemy captain unconscious with a sound like the pounding of waves on a great cliff.

He lets out a breath, then turns towards Treon and Dove. "Splendid work, both of you." He grants them a weary smile, then nods towards Treon. "You're used to military vessels, aren't you? I was under the impression that was your specialty. So this ship is yours to commandeer, if you want it. It's fate's up to you, I leave that in your hands." He nods, then straightens his shoulders slightly. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I have to announce our victory to the other ships."

He bows his head slightly, then grabs the prostrate form of the enemy captain by the collar of his shirt, lifting it from the ground just enough for those on the other ships to see. Quietly, he raises his Daiklave upwards, standing in this position for a moment. And then, with a sudden burst of enemy, he shouts.

"The Alliance prevails!"
And his voice, as it echoes over the vast expanses of the Western Seas, carries all the strength and hardships of their struggle.

OOC: Thread end. +5 xp for all.