3rd Day of Ascending Water, RY 768
Towards Evening

Zeru pilots his courier (which he has discovered is named Black Marlena) to join the the Tya merchantman. Captain Tya Rothalga welcomes him and all crewmembers aboard the Dryad, and extends her deep thanks for the Cobalt Alliance's aid. As soon as Rothalga is handed over former Captain Kossuth, she does not hesitate: she has him swiftly beheaded, his body tossed out to sea. She takes his daiklave, stating that Bloodeye was a notorious criminal that had been hounding Wavecrest for some time and had a sizable bounty on his head, which she intends to claim for her troubles. His other artifacts have been stripped and left on the deck.

The Tya that are healthy and able to move have already begun to busy themselves dispassionately stripping the dead corsairs on their ship of what useful equipment they might have, and dumping them into the ocean to join their broken Captain. Their own dead have been set aside, most likely for more respectable rites.

At Jadira's urging, Donnegal maneuvers the Spring Dryad toward the corsairs' -- and now Treon's -- custom yacht, the Hammerhead. As soon as the two vessels are close enough, Jadira leaps aboard the latter to join her Captain. She looks relieved but worried, looking over the wounds and burns on his body.

Unfortunately, it is not yet time to rest. There are a few important things to be done: deal with the corsairs still alive on the Hammerhead, take care of the dead, distribute the spoils, and communicate with the Tya Captain. There is also the matter of the now unconscious first mate, whom Tageru decided to spare. As the crews busy themselves with the tasks at hand, the sea immediately surrounding the four remaining vessels turns dark with blood. A group of ravenous sharks has come to feast on the fallen corsairs -- perhaps an omen by Siakal herself.

(Spoils are posted in the OOC game talk thread.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:21, Mon 24 Nov 2008.

"I think you can stop trying to disconnect the cannon now, Miss Dove" he quipped, half-jokingly as the men around them surrender.  Oh damnit, Alvers, he thought, the humour of the previous statement draining from his face as he looked around, noticing the body of the sturdy Westerner being laid out by Rowe and Quinn.  He murmured a short prayer for the Immaculate Dragons to watch over his soul, to guide it onwards to its next cycle of existence.

A command again, so soon? he looked around as Lasuri addressed him.  That was not something I expected. He nodded sharply though, to the question.  "Thank you, Captain," he says, formally.  And wonders what to do with the corsairs and their ship.

Tageru disarms his captive archer and strips her into simple garments, making sure she's got no weapons or hidden tricks up her sleeve. He ties her hands and feet behind her back with manacles found on the corsair's ship, and ties her to the mast, covering her eyes with a blindfold so that she can't see what's going on.

"She'll regain consciousness soon. When she does, call me. She is my prisoner, and she is not to be harmed unless she tries to escape. Anyone who hurts her will answer to me.", he says to one of the crew members and then goes off immediately and starts patching up the wounded and helping however he can. He's actually a great doctor, and he manages the lighter wounds without a bother, and even some more serious ones. He first helps those that need him the most, and heals even the wounded corsairs that they took captive.

"Damn Siakal-worshiping fools! I don't know why I bother patching you up!"

Jadira busies herself looking over Lasuri's injuries, stubbornly providing him at least basic care before she relinquishes him to meet formally with Captain Rothalga, or any other task.

While Lasuri takes a moment to recover from the battle with Bloodeye, she orders all available hands of the Dryad crew to help with stripping the other corsairs of equipment and binding them securely. Then she has them assembled, bound and kneeling, on the deck of the Hammerhead for either Treon or Lasuri to deal with personally. "I don't know if you'd prefer to send them away, but if so... the second courier could still function with a little bit of repair," she suggests to them quietly.

The armswoman leaves the enemy archer to Tageru, but takes her time examining the woman's powerbow, quite fascinated with the prospect of a new 'toy'. The strange shards found in one of the other vessels interest her as well... these 'capacitors', she's seen before in the construction of other First Age weapons. So she pockets one, and also diverts a smaller subset of her men to claim some of the reinforced buff jackets for the Dryad crew.

Lastly, the dead men. Jadira has Alves' body brought back to the Dryad to join Gatti. She believes that to be the Captain's right to send them off... but in the meantime she has their bodies placed somewhere away from the crew, so they may concentrate more on victory than loss. Having a decent measure of knowledge about spirits and prayer, she has attended to the funereal rites before, but if anyone else is better qualified she will defer to them.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:43, Sun 09 Nov 2008.

Zeru joins the crew of the Dryad. "There are a number of small wonders in the Captains quarters of the captured courier." He mentions to the captain. To the fallen crewmembers of Both the Tya and the Dryad Zeru offers a solemn nod and a quick prayer to Da'naad accompanied with the removal of his hat. With that he replaces his hat and salutes the fallen warriors.

Once all the immediate tasks are dealt with or delegated, Tya Rothalga will invite the captains and trusted crew members of the Dryad, Hammerhead, and Marlena to join her for a somber dinner meeting.

In the meantime, Tageru provides medical care for the wounded. He cannot heal their wounds directly, but he is at the very least able to staunch bleeding, and ensure their wounds are clean. Unfortunately, the man that Treon burned is much too injured to be saved by anything short of a miracle, and he dies before the sun sets.

The corsairs (including the wounded, within reason) are tied up and presented, as Jadira orders. Around then, the woman Tageru tied to the mast of the Hammerhead begins to struggle weakly in her bonds. "Cobalt dogs! Release me immediately!" she calls out, despite the obvious exhaustion in her voice and her heavily injured state.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:41, Sun 09 Nov 2008.

Properly bandaged, and with his left arm in a wrap tied carefully around his neck, Lasuri surveys the situation with a serious, focused look. His coat is draped over his shoulders, swaying softly in the wind as he surveys the situation with an appraising look in his eyes - the aftermath that occurs when the elation and adrenaline of battle finally dies down.

He nods towards Zeru, smiling at him as he inclines his head slightly. "Good work out there, Mister Zeru. As for the items... Well, arrange for them to all be brought in the same spot, and we'll decide together what to do with them. I'm sure one of your crewmen can arrange that." He smiles, hinting at the fact that his assigned team would remain with him on his new ship. "Congratulations on your promotion by the way, Captain." He nods and smiles again, then turns towards the Tya Captain with a polite bow.

"Lasuri Leomaris." He introduces himself, without pomp or fanfare. "Sorry for being so late, Captain." He pauses, casting a glance to the fallen. "Your troops were brave even in the face of tremendous adversity, and I think you should be proud of them. It might not be much, but I've got a Chaplain on board, if you'd like your fallen properly sent off. We can move our own fallen over and give them the proper blessings."

"I thankee kindly Captain, but I'd prefer you keep the title until I'm sure she'll have me. I'm not bringing men out in a boat that don't love me." Zeru says with a warm smile, his hand brushing the hair on the back of his head. "I'll have them move it all except for the bombs... I'm not too trusting of them."

Zeru meanders to Cinna and the others. "Alright lads we're to haul the spoils from the ship. Leave the Ballista and the plates. The rest we can bring out." He goes with them and helps move the things, after all being captain does not excuse one from work, and he hasn't even accepted the position.

Tageru sits cross-legged in front of the archer he captured and removes her blinfold.
"Hello. My name is Cynis Tageru, Immaculate warrior following the way of Sextes Jylis. I am the man who captured you. I also am the man who intentionally spared your life when I could have easily killed you. You're very injured, so I'd suggest not struggling too much, or you'll open your wounds. I'd also suggest some manners, or else I'll have to knock you out. Are we clear on that? Good. Now...", he turns and brings a cup of water to her mouth. "here, you must be thirsty, you lost a lot of blood. So, what is your name, corsair?"

"That is an excellent suggestion, Lady Thornbloom," Treon says softly, looking up from the railing of the ship, where he had been contemplating the fate of the corsairs, and other, perhaps less relevant things.  "It seems a better suggestion that leaving them this ship, or attempting to keep them prisoner."

"I will have to talk to them though.  Perhaps some of them are salvageable," he nods, and then with a final glance to the eastern horizon, he turns and strides towards the captured crew.  He makes sure he is still wrapped in the Aura of Invulnerability as he strides over to them.

"I am Treon," he begins.  "I am trying to decide if you should live or die, but the question is: How many of you want to die?  To be cast into the arms of your goddess?" he gestures out to the churning sea.  "Or perhaps I should ask things a different way.  How many of you are willing to change?  How many of you are willing to put aside your life of cruelty and murder and work for something bigger, something better?"

"I'm going to be talking to you.  I expect honest answers."

On the merchantman Sea's Bounty:

Up close, Captain Tya Rothalga cuts an impressive figure. She is a couple inches taller than Lasuri is, muscular with strong, hardened features and short-cropped dark blue hair with streaks of silver. Her chest is bound tight with a bandeau of dark leather, knotted at her back, and she wears sturdy, side-laced leather breeches and boots. The traditional whorled tattoos of her people cover the entirety of her left cheek like some sort of stylized waterfall, looping down around her neck, splitting to grace her shoulders and sides to meet in a circular pattern around her navel.

"I appreciate your kind words, and the assistance of you and your crew, Captain Leomaris," she replies to Lasuri, steel-grey eyes regarding him with genuine respect. The daiklave Rothalga had used to great effect in battle is sheathed across her back, while Bloodeye's daiklave has been buckled to her belt. "Without you we would surely not have outlasted Kossuth and his men. Our thaumaturge perished in the battle, so the services of a Chaplain would be much appreciated. We have lost half our men... it is a tragedy, but they fought with pride."

On the Hammerhead:

When the blindfold is freed from the woman's eyes, Tageru can see they are a dark aquamarine. Her black hair is shoulder-length and mussed, but even in her disheveled state, she is attractive.

She very nearly looks like she would spit in the cup Tageru offers her, but thinks better of it. Perhaps she has wised up, recognizing her currently helpless state and the reputation of the Immaculates as peerless combatants. Very grudgingly she accepts a sip to wet her mouth, but little more. "I am Tethia," she answers coolly, though her gaze is anything but subdued. "So why does an Immaculate monk travel with pirates? And what would you do with me? I did not think monks could... have such pleasures."

At the same time, Treon addresses the captured corsair crew. Given a chance between death and cooperation, few sane men would refuse the latter. However, the 'change' the Fire Aspect is suggesting is not one easily embraced by men who have been gathered together under the same ideology. These are men who have likely lived cruel lives from a young age -- whether truly sociopathic or pushed to a murderous lifestyle by circumstance, thrust early into a reality of "kill or be killed."

They murmur amongst each other as they consider Treon's words. There is an undertone of derision from those who find a lifestyle change preposterous. Another man calls out, "For the right price!" followed by a few cackles. One man, one of the surviving elites, gives Treon a considering glance and says, "Explain what you mean by 'better'."

[Private to Cathak Garel Treon: I'll need a couple rolls from you. First, Perception+Socialize to sense motive/emotion and determine the salvageable among them. Then a Charisma+Presence to try and convince them of the benefits of the Alliance. If you want to you can stunt both in the same post!]

On the Spring Dryad II / Black Marlena:

The crew continues to gather the various minor artifacts and equipment from the other ships, bringing them to the Dryad for anyone who may wish to examine them. Soon the Marlena is all but empty but for the implosion bow, the odd disc shaped explosives Zeru found, the navigator's maps, a few musty provisions and basic supplies.

[Private to Peleps Zeru: Still may take a post or two to finish what the others are trying to do. If you want you could start trying to communicate with the Marlena now... or wait till after the upcoming meeting.]

Zeru notices an oddly shaped and well decorated bracelet among the items counted as the spoils of this battle. He picks it up gingerly and starts looking it over. It appeared to be a time-piece or a compass of some sort, either of which would help his navigating greatly. Intrigued Zeru glides over towards their most knowledgeable member Miss Dove. "Pardon me Miss Dove, would you happen to know what this trinket is, and if it works?" His half-grin falling warmly upon her. "It has caught my curiosity, and is holding fast."

"Well, Tethia, I never said I was an Immaculate monk, I said I was an Immaculate warrior..." He laughs at that and continues. "And you obviously don't know much about what a monk of Sextes Jylis is allowed to do. I was a monk, but I gave up that life for my own reasons. Enough to say that I think I could do more good like this. As for what I'm going to do with you, that depends on what kind of person you are like. No, don't worry, I will not rape you. No one here will. I'll make sure you're treated well as long as you behave well."
Tageru takes another cup of water and gives it to her to drink.
"Now, I can see that you are a faithful, loyal person. That is good when that loyalty is well-directed. Not so good when your loyalty lies with a ruthless murderer like Bloodeye. But, for now, what I want from you is to rest and heal. I stitched your wounds, so you should recover. You will not be allowed to escape, and if you try to do so, I will take it as a sign of your unwillingness to change and cooperate and I will surrender you to the authorities. Are we clear on that? Also, if you promise to behave, I'll try to provide you with a better place to rest, below deck. If not, it's being tied to the mast for you."

"That thing there?"  Dove noted, looking at the device he handed her.  "Looks like a Resplendant Personal Assistant to me...  Basically acts as a handy little timekeeper--as well as being able to help you determine where we are in relation to the Pole of Earth, and how far above or below normal sea level we are--the last one might not sound too useful, but it does have a certain amount of utility when you're dealing with vessels that can maneuver underwater...  aside from that, it's capable of precisely keeping time, and determining when the next sunrise and sunset are... More or less."

On the Hammerhead

"For the right price, eh?" he asks of the assembled prisoners.  "Not the worst of reasons."

Treon looked out over the assembled men, his black eyes apparently looking deep into the heart of all of them, burning away all the barriers that were set in his place, seeing right to the core, judging.  He took note of those who flinched and those who did not, those who had murmured and those who had been silent.  And then he started to speak, and as he spoke, his eyes started to glow, dimly at first, and then like coals in the heart of the fire.

"'Better'?" he questions.  "That is a good question.  Just what do I mean by better?  Tell me, how many people have you killed?" The answers came back to him, at least in a few cases.  "Tell me, how many lives have you saved?  What, none?  You would not even lift arms to save the man next to you?" Treon shook his head, sadly.

"I'm sure you must have, at least once.  So, which one felt better?  Sticking a sword in a boy half your years as he tried to defend his family, those he loved?  Or defeating someone, a true warrior, who threatened the man beside you?" his eyes, glowing from within, rake over the crowd, trying to catch each person's eyes in turn.

"What does stabbing a young boy prove?  What does stabbing a fat merchant prove?  What does forcing yourself on a woman and then stabbing them prove?  That you can prey on the weak?  A mighty achievement," his voice full of scorn.

"What does standing firm with those who care for you prove?" He smiles.  "That is that is the sort of change for the better I am talking about.  Working together with your compatriots.  Working not for your own selfish desires, but for those who need protecting.  Working for a future, instead of a trip into the wine dark sea filled with teeth."

"Who wants to take hold of their future and change?"
[Private to GM: Sorry, post took a bit of writing.  Per+Soc is 6 dice + stunt +wp, Cha+Pres is 16 dice + stunt, spending 3m on 1st Presence Excellency]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:41, Mon 10 Nov 2008.

"Interesting trinket indeed..." Zeru says thoughtfully. "Can you tell if it works or is it damaged?"

Tethia glares balefully as Tageru speaks, though she gives all of his words a fair listen. "You did not know Kossuth as I did. Despite what even he said about himself... he was not always the kind of man you saw today. I loved him before the madness overtook him. The curse of Siakal -- he ran afoul of her, and in retaliation awoke the fires of bloodlust in him."

"I will be honest. If Cobalt will execute my men, I would rather die with them than stay with you. If you will send them away, I would rather join them than join you." Then she sighs, bowing her shoulders in what looks more like resignation than a genuine desire to agree. "But if you will not allow me to accompany them, I will at least cooperate until I am healed. That much I can promise."

"After that, though..." Tethia shakes her head vehemently, a motion she soon regrets as her wounds twinge. "I would ask to disembark at the next major port the Cobalt Alliance will dock."

Addressing the men bound on the deck of the Hammerhead, Treon gives a speech that would have moved the hearts of many decent men. However, Bloodeye's men were deeply loyal to him -- for whatever reason -- and some appear unaffected. The group looks split about half at this point between those who would join with Treon and those who would rather not.

"Can't speak for the others, sir," speaks up the same elite who questioned Treon previously. "But I'll say the life of a lowly criminal is a tiring one. If sticking with the Alliance'll keep me from gettin' hunted down like a dog, I'm willing to give it a shot." Jeers and catcalls and the expected 'traitor!' come from his peers, but several actually nod and murmur assent with the senior crewman's words. Even some of the previous naysayers start to listen to Treon with renewed interest.

"We're ready for something different," another crewman announces, and another: "We don't wanna die!"

[Private to Cathak Garel Treon: Of the 23 corsairs present, Treon feels sure of 12 of them, including the elite. Including Treon himself, that would make a crew of thirteen. It'll take some work to earn their respect completely, but it's a start.]

[Private to Platinum Dove: To check Zeru's artifact, you can roll Int+Craft. If you get 2 or more success you'll be able to tell that the timekeeper is off by several hours, and needs to be recalibrated. Now and then the jade display is a bit unreliable, too. It would take maybe four hours of work to get it into full working order.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:23, Tue 11 Nov 2008.

"Alright, then. You will sleep in my bed in my cabin." Tageru says and starts to unlock her chains. "And, no, it won't be like that. I'm sleeping on the floor. You're still chained to the bedpost, but at least it's a bed. And don't try anything, you're unarmed and hurt, and I'm just as good with my hands and feet as with my bow. We'll talk some more when you've rested. I suggest you do a lot of that. I'll come visit you every now and then, so you can ask me for food and water, and... when I need to untie you..." He unlocks the chains and practically lifts her up in his arms like a feather and carries her to his cabin.

Treon smiles at those who accepted his offer, nodding approvingly of their choice in turn.  "Well done, each of you for having the courage to accept something new.  I'm not promising you will have an easy life in the Cobalt Alliance, and I am not saying that you won't be put into danger, but you will not face such dangers alone.  You will not have to work without hope."

"As for the rest of you ..." he looks over those who had stayed loyal to their captain, however misplaced that loyalty might be.  "I, certainly, am not going to have you put to the sword and thrown to the sharks, nor marooned on a lonely isle for showing loyalty to one who lead you, even if you could not make the harder choice.  The second courier will be repaired, and you will be given supplies, water and a compass.  I hope that we will not cross paths again, I will be less forgiving a second time."

He turns, then, to look at the twelve who had given their assent.  "Now that you know you do not face swift death, I make the same offer to you.  If you leave with them, I will not think less of you, but I think you would be better staying."

He waited until they made up their minds, and then turned to the assembled men.  "You will each of you have my trust, which is not given lightly," he says, solemnly.  He didn't feel had to say the other half of that sentence.

"It's a bit off"  Dove notes after few minutes of looking it over.  "Give me a couple hours though and I should be able to fix it though, it's not an overly complicated device."

"I would appreciate it greatly." Zeru says with a bow.

"That they did, Captain. I've heard a lot of tales about your people, when I first sailed these waters. A lot of them seemed embellished and exaggerated - you know as well as me how reliable some sailor tales are. But then, as I managed to see some of the tales first hand - I realized that all of them were true." He smiles, then nods towards his fellow Captain, a touch of deep respect in his dark eyes.

"Don't worry about thanks, Captain Rothalga. The Alliance defends those who would decide to exercise their right to freedom - you and I might have drastically different stories, but at the core, our goals're pretty similar. You also fight for your ideals of freedom and choice, and I can only have deep respect for that."

"Mister Donnegal's a good chaplain. You can leave the fallen to him without worry - he'll do what's right for them." He pauses, letting silence fill the air a moment - traces of a superstition saying that when talking about the fallen, one must give them time to speak, should they desire to make their voice known to mortal ears.

"How's the ship holding up? You think you can make it back to where you were headed, or would you like to have an escort? No pressure or anything, of course. But if you need anything else, feel free to ask, Captain."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:38, Tue 11 Nov 2008.

On the Hammerhead:

Tethia does not struggle or protest as she is carried off. But her dour expression shows her far from pleased with her predicament. "A strange Alliance yours is," she observes to Tageru bitterly. "Your comrade in the coat there offers men lowlier than I the chance for freedom, and I am to be a prisoner in your bed. Rape or not, it is injustice."

Several crewmembers, both Alliance and corsair, poorly hide their surprise (and in some cases consternation) at Tageru's actions. They have not heard the entirety of his conversation with Tethia, and can only speculate amongst themselves what the disturbing Wood Aspect will do with her.

In the end, the twelve that expressed favor for Treon's words do not change their mind, preferring a chance with the Alliance. "Some of these men'll need work," says their spokesperson, who finally introduces himself as Black Reed. "They're used to a heavier hand. But we'll stay with the Hammerhead, and we'll see for ourselves how you folk live and thrive. We've served on this vessel for years... even with a new captain, it's still home. Maybe now a new life too." Then Reed lowers his voice for Treon alone. [Private to Cathak Garel Treon: "But I sure hope your archer knows what he's doing, putting Miss Tethia in chains like that. Hers is a slow-burning revenge, and her heart was ever our Captain's."]

On the Sea's Bounty:

"You're a good man, Leomaris," Rothalga says with a smile that almost looks warm despite her severe features. "For many of us it's not even choice, but simply truth. The sea called to us, despite odds, despite expectation. So we answered her, and took her as bride."

"What a life, eh? And yet sometimes it is such a short one." Her grey eyes gaze down at the broken bodies of her compatriots with a heavy sigh. "I'll admit, Captain Leomaris, the Bounty is woefully short-handed now. I'd dare not ask more than you've already given out of free will and generosity, but it'd ease my heart if we at least had a escort back to Wavecrest."

"There's time to discuss, though. We've another matter to deal with in these waters, and it may be of interest to you and yours. If you would... after the ceremony, let your men know they are invited to my table for an evening meal." The tall Tya nods, tersely but respectfully, and leaves Lasuri to his own duties for a time while she continues coordinating the cleanup and arrangement of the deceased on her deck.

While Dove takes a couple hours to fiddle with Zeru's Resplendant Assistant, Donnegal assembles with much of the crew of both the Dryad and the Sea's Bounty to preside over the funereal rites. Several boxes used to store ammunition and weapons have been made into crude coffins, and the twelve Tya and two Cobalt members that lost their lives have been laid in them.

With a few short and poignant words, he closes each of their eyes and presses a coin to each of their eyelids, crossing their arms in front of their chests. In his sermon he speaks of the bravery of the fallen in their last moments, and beseeches both the Ocean Father and the Lady of Souls -- the former to accept the bodies of the deceased peacefully into his domain, the latter to ask that they be peacefully reincarnated into a safer and healthier future.

---

OOC: Anyone else who would like to add anything to this ceremony may do so, then I will skip to the dinner/meeting with Rothalga.

"Heh! Those lowlier men aren't as dangerous as you, even wounded as you are." Tageru says and laughs, looking at Tethia. "That's why. Also, I never said there would be no chance for freedom for you. But for now, it's for your own good, as well as ours, that you just stay in bed for a couple of days. We'll discuss everything in time, worry not. Life at sea is mostly boring for a former monk, so you'll find me quite talkative, you'll see." He puts her down on the bed and takes her wrists and feet and binds her with manacles. "There. I hope you're not too uncomfortable. I'll be back to check up on you soon. Oh, and, I've marked you with my Charms while you were knocked out, so I'll know if you leave and where you left, so please, spare us both the trouble of chasing you down. Just lie down and rest, you'll feel much better in a couple of days." With those words and a pretty disturbing smile, he leaves the cabin.


[Private to Storyteller: I used Soul-marking strike on her, and one of the effects is that I can locate her for the next 24 hours. It's magic! :) And the disturbing smile is unintentional, Tageru is actually trying to be nice. :D]
This message was last edited by the player at 00:33, Wed 12 Nov 2008.

"I hear you." He smiles, and his nod speaks volume about his understanding of the woman's words, even though their fates were very different. "Wasn't a choice for me either - well, at least not all of it was. Kinda got a lot of the initial choices taken away, if that makes any senses. Of course... I'm like you. I have no regrets." He smiles to her, then nods at her request.

"Well... I can say that it would be pretty bad for us to help you out with a threat and then leaving you undermanned and stranded in the same spot. I'll speak with my people, they've got as much of a say in this as I do, but if it comes to it, I'll escort you to port myself." He smiles and extends a hand, a gesture meant to seal the deal before the captain leaves. Once she does, he watches in her direction for a moment, then turns back to the deceased.

He listens and watches Donnegal's service, making certain to acknowledge each and every fallen in turn. He nods approvingly to Donnegal's choice of words, and grants the man with a thankful nod and a clap on the arm as he steps closer to the bodies, pulling out a bottle of liquor from inside his coat.

"Not much to say that Mister Donnegal hasn't... And I'm not as good with words, so I'll be brief. Like any sailor worth its salt, I have my array of superstition and charms and beliefs - and that's one." With his teeth, he pulls the cork open then walks to the first body in line.

"No one should be sent back to the Great Blue without one last sip of good liquor, and a bottle for the road. Cheers, mates. You've all fought bravely to the end. If we're lucky, we'll all go as proud and dignified as all of you when it's our time." With that, he starts pouring a small amount of liquor above each and everyone's head, making certain everyone, including those not of the alliance, has its share. When that is done, he raises the bottle, takes a swig himself, then nods. "One last sip..." He puts the bottle down next to the last body, instructing one of the crewmen to send it under when they send the bodies at sea. "...And a bottle for the road. Rest easy, folks"

With that, he turns back, letting the personal acquaintances of the fallen step forward to say their last goodbyes.