"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!