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.]