Prelude - Helkar's Folly
8th Day of Ascending Water, RY 768
Late Morning
On the deck of the Helkar's Folly, the lush, idyllic sight of the Wavecrest island of Abalone looms ever closer as the yacht sails on a favorable wind toward its destination. From here, one can make out the patches of flat, tilled land that produce food the majority of the West, and the (albiet smaller, at this distance) sprawl of low, colorful buildings that make up the bustling port city of Seahaven. Looming behind the city is the mighty Mount Hamoji, the volcano that dominates Abalone island, claiming hundreds of sacrifices from the populace whenever it threatens to erupt.
The harbor of Seahaven is naturally full of life and activity at this time of day. Ships of all shapes and sizes are docked there, from large three-masted foreign merchant ships to the faster, fleeter vessels of the Western Trade Alliance, interspersed with multitudes of single-masted fishing ships and pleasure craft. An inner harbor segregated from the public ports houses tens of vessels from Wavecrest's famed navy, seen from a distance as a forest of bireme and trireme masts.
For Captain Amonth Blackblade, the sight of Wavecrest represents adventure and opportunity. Though he is not at all lacking in wealth, he is lacking in raw power and knowledge -- the sort that might restore Cherak's ancient arsenal, and allow his homeland to stand strong against its enemies and develop into a world leader. Research has indicated several sites around Wavecrest that may be worth exploring: underwater pelagial cities, ancient, hidden workshops, and the sunken jewel any artifact hunter worth his salt has heard of: Luthe.
For Darel Arwan, the sight is a familiar one, a stirring reminder of the path he has chosen in life. Here, during a historic meeting four years past, the former Sea Lord of Coral called a meeting of major powers in the West to unite and achieve independence from entities such as the Realm and the Guild. It was during the following slaughter that he Exalted, and thereafter sought to ally himself with the Emissaries of Perfect Water, continuing to seek support for the cause of independence.
For Kiana Makohgn, escaped princess of the Crimson Isle, Wavecrest is a reprieve from a long and harrowing flight. For some weeks now she has been serving as an assistant crafter to Captain Blackblade, striving to make herself useful and secure her position on the crew. For now, there are thousands of miles of water between her and her black-hearted mother. She has allies to count on (so she hopes) and a luxurious ship in which to build her strength -- so that one day, she can finally stop running.
OOC: The Helkar's Folly is currently sailing toward Seahaven for resupplying, as well as for Amonth (and others?) to possibly do some research / recruiting / asking around. [Private to Amonth Blackblade: I'm pretty open right now about what you might look into first in terms of excavation sites, so I'll let you decide.] I'll have your ship dock in a moment, right now this is mostly an opportunity for you to intro your charas and the ship and all that.
The fourth new guy is already in Wavecrest, so he gets to be solo for a bit, but you guys will meet him soon! Also, you *will* meet the Cobalt Alliance before leaving Wavecrest. So you may be here a lil' while till the other threads finish up.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:35, Tue 25 Nov 2008.