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.

Darel stood on the deck, lost in his memories - shock, fear, flight, exultation, triumph - as he gazed on the place where had stood the meeting organized by Admiral DiBernardo, a few years back...

Breaking the spell, he took his gaze from the scene, and turned to his travelling companions. "I don't feel quite comfortable here, this isle brings back too many mixed feelings... I hope we will not tarry here long."

[OOC: will I have to make invocation ceremonies, or can I have one or two demon asssistants? Something like a neomah or an eristrufa would suit the setting well... Though in the first case I'd seldom leave my cabin ;)]

Looking out over the water it was all Amonth could do not to sigh. So many things to do, so many leads to follow, and the water never looked more inviting.
"It is hard to say how long we will be here my friend. I would guess at least a few weeks. We will need to resupply and stock the ship. While she is in fine shape  it pays to take the opportunity to  do a little preventative maintenance, better now than out at sea. I know the crew has been a bit tight packed as well and will appreciate the chance to streech and take a shore leave. Not to mention  tracking down the rumors we came to look into."
Sighing out loud and looking at the sparking water, he thought for a few seconds.
"I also need to take a few days and do some summoning, I want to reinforce the sails and that ritual is bothersome to cast without someone to keep watch. Still, with all we have to do, I am hoping we can be done in a week or two."

[Private to Amonth Blackblade; Darel Arwan: I'll let you guys have summoned one elemental / demon already, just one. If you want others then you'll have to actually roll it.]

As the Helkar's Folly eases into Seahaven port, the Exalts can see a crew of several burly dockworkers gathering at the empty pier they are approaching. With them is a better dressed figure in blue and white -- an official of some sort -- holding a logbook in hand, waiting stoically for the docking maneuver to complete.

There are also, it seems, an inordinate amount of spectators, their eyes on the beautiful foreign vessel. The Folly is definitely a cut above most of the vessels visiting here, and many of the islanders watching from the harbor must be wondering if it's a visiting lord, or a merchant with rare goods, or both. The foremen overseeing the pier shout at their workers to pay attention to their tasks, but there are other citizens that linger: mostly stout women and young men with hair dark, or blue or green, sometimes purple, carrying baskets of goods or young children in their arms.

Finally the gangplank is put down. The well-dressed official waits on the pier expectantly, flanked by his assistants and a pair of Seahaven guards with reinforced armor and chopping swords. "Hail, Helkar's Folly. Your arrival appears to be a popular one. I assume this is your first time in Seahaven?"

"I am the Harbormaster, Jathin. Let us dispense with the pleasantries and commence the dreary paperwork, yes?" He opens up his logbook to a fresh page, and nods to both Amonth and Darel, whom he seems to have picked out as the ship's officers. He isn't really sure what to make of Kiana, and thus skips over her, for now. "Your intentions for entering Seahaven, please. You will also be required to declare all crewmembers and cargo, even if the cargo will remain on board."

Then Jathin waits, gauging the reactions of the men onboard the Folly before proceeding further. Very likely he and his men will examine the cargo personally, but it's customary for the captain to grant them permission to board.

[Private to Kiana Makohgn: Among the spectators, you can pick out someone unusual: a man of average height with dark blue hair and a silver sheen to his skin. He seems to be trying to remain inconspicuous, but you definitely see him asking a dockworker some questions and glancing toward the Helkar's Folly.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:52, Wed 26 Nov 2008.

Kiana remained quiet, as was expected of an assistant.  Her skills were proficient enough to ensure her value and position on the ship, but beyond that she held no real will to chat or socialize...at least, not as of yet.

Once they had made port, her slate-gray eyes wandered about, absorbing every detail like an obsidian stone gathering heat in the sun.  Her eyes landed on one individual who was acting a little too hard to go unnoticed, and so a simple tug on the Captain's sleeve, and then a nod toward a certain man of average height, with dark blue hair and silvery sheen to his skin.  He was obviously asking a dockworker about the ship that just made port (to her eyes, anyway) and her simple nod made the captain aware of it as well.

As Kiana watches, the blue-haired man she saw moves closer, enough to be in earshot of the conversation with the harbormaster. He hesitates for a moment, as if noticing her attention, then steps forward boldly, pausing just short of the pier and waiting for the conversation to complete.

Whoever he is, doesn't seem to be a threatening man in the slightest. More a curious one -- enough so that he'll risk standing out for the others to notice. Though his hair and coloration are slightly unusual, it is quite common in the West, and he wears the garb and equipment of a craftsman of modest skill.

---

OOC: Sorry, had to alter it slightly. Xander posts in this thread now, since all the other PCs can see him clearly. Though no one else knows who he is yet, of course!
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:14, Thu 27 Nov 2008.

As the Folley moves closer to the dock and lines are tosed across the gap between dock and ship the crew expertly binds the ship to the dock. "Put out the gangplank and put everything in order, we have fresh food and firm ground tonight."
As the official with his guards and assistants aproaches the gangplank Amonth almost winces inside. The paperwork already? Ah well...
Doing his best to put a smile on his face Amonth cals out to them, "Greatings Harbormaster Jathin! Come aboard! Your paperwork should be fairly easy for once, not much to do. The Folley is a pleasure Yacht as you can see, not much room for cargo. Please, come aboard! Have a cup of tea, inspect and we will fill out that paperwork."
As Kiana tugs on his sleeve, Amonth follows the direction of her nod and sees the man with dark blue hair. Nodding back he acknowledges what she has pointed out. "Check on what he wants if you don't mind. I'll see if I can get the formalities done so we can go ashore."


OOC I would assune the ship might have a small cargo, perhaps ironwork or spices. Small luxuries that don't take up a lot of room but that is entirely open for the game needs. Being mostly a passenger craft I would not think it would be large.

"Do I need to include Kathleen in the manifest?" Darel murmured to Amonth with a smile, Kathleen being the nickname of his neomah demon, who spent most of her time immaterial anyway.

Kiana nodded softly at the orders given.  She was not the most diplomatic of the crew, true enough, but she was pleasant to the eyes of men, and so her approach would no doubt attract the stranger's attention.

She began to walk toward this stranger, separating from the crew naturally enough and certainly without remorse--it was a slow process learning to trust others after the torment her mother had put her through.  It was happening, however.  The fact that she was apprenticing was proof enough, or the simple fact that she was obeying an order as she was.  It was required for her passage, after all--and the orders were not so strange or difficult most of the time.  Certainly not as demeaning as those previously forced upon her.

She wore simple clothing, certainly not the dress and jewels befitting of a princess, but then, her status was not worn in a crown.  It was carved into her heart, and somewhat evident in her stature.  She stood up straight and walked with a certain grace that only royalty had time and patience to perfect--or so it seemed.  Perhaps she was simply trying to impress this man who had such interest in the recently harbored ship?  She wore a simple tunic colored of the earth, a ruddy red and brown that smacked of the mountains of the Crimson Isle, but a pleasant color none the less.  Leggings of the same color adorned her legs, somewhat baggy and certainly not hugging the young curves that no doubt lurked beneath the sea of earthen tones.

The only articles of clothing or real note on the girl was the strange white boots she wore, which were mostly hidden by the leggings, but were still noticeably large for the girl.  A brown satchel hung from her shoulder, looking heavy and, if carefully listened to, sounding with metal of some sort.  Her hair was long, to her shoulders or longer, and a slightly rough hand came to part that black sea so her neutral (yet beautiful) features confronted the man, a somewhat confrontational 6 inches between them.

"What do you want?"   She asked.  It was exactly what she was asked to do, and was simply the most efficient way to ask.  Her eyes were hard, despite their rich gray (almost blue) color, which bore holes into this stranger's own.  Though she was a young woman, easily no older than 17, she was certainly no timid thing to be doted over or cared for.

Not this one.

Xander stood quietly as she walked towards him. He noticed the way she was holding herself and placed her as probobly a disgraced or run away noble and around the rank of a lieutenant on the boat.  Still he was a little surprised at her frankness and seeming aggression but hid it well. He shrugged "I would like to talk to your captain Miss ..." He pauses for her name.

"Thank you, Captain," Jathin replies, and gestures for his guards and assistants to board the Folly and begin the cursory inspection of the cargo hold. They wouldn't dally too long, either, not unless they found some suspicious reason to stay long. "I do not have the time to sit and relax, unfortunately, so we shall make this quick. I am sure that will be satisfactory to both of you."

Jathin makes no comment about Kiana walking off on her own, though one of the harbor guards keeps a sharp eye on her and Xander's conversation, making sure no untoward disturbances occur.

The harbormaster settles into business mode almost immediately. "Again, may I ask your name, my lord, and where you hail from? Your ship is not one I readily recognize, nor does it bear the mark of a Dynastic House, so I will need to fill a new record for you." Out comes his quill pen, and an assistant to hold the ink.

"As you say, your ship is a pleasure craft. That is certainly not unusual, Seahaven is a popular destination. Am I to understand you are visiting on vacation? And if so, for how long?"

The questions just keep coming, and Jathin's patience in extracting answers is both tedious and impressive.

---

OOC: If you're not going to hide anything about your identity and such, we can just fast forward through the boring bureaucracy stuff. Just answer all of Jathin's questions or he'll probably keep pressing and get more insistent. ;) Of course if you want to omit some things go right ahead, depending on how you do it a roll may be needed. But probably not.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:41, Wed 03 Dec 2008.

Kiana turned as soon as the words entered her ears, and looked at the Captain.  He was busy being assaulted (verbally) by the port authorities concerning their port.  Not unusual, honestly.  She would have been happy to speak for him in his stead, but alas, she was not privy to the sort of information Xander no doubt wanted.

"Then wait here.  He will be done shortly."    She said.  Then, without any other words, she simply turned around and walked toward the captain.  She would take her place beside him (she was an assistant, after all) and when there was a break in the prodding authority figure's line of questions, she would relate that Xander requested an audience.

Doing his best to avoid sighing and wincing at the barrage of questions Amonth smiles and does his best to answer. "Ah , my appologies good Harbormaster. This fine ship is Helkar's Folley originally out of Cherak. I am her owner and captain. I am Feren Amonth, called Blackblade by some. As for our reasons for coming, there are several. Mostly it would be pleasure, with some research into the history of the area. A hobby of mine that I am lucky enough to be able to indulge in. As a minor part of the trip, while it is far from Cherak, if I were to find business interests that might benifit my family I would of course let them know of the possibilities."

As soon as the answers start coming, Jathin is fairly amenable and efficient, filling out the needed information and requesting the Captain's signature. Of the individuals on board, the name 'Kathleen' is assumed to be a concubine of some sort and passes without comment. He does not list Kiana as crew, either, and nods approvingly when she is pointed out as a crafter's assistant. For women in Wavecrest, blacksmithing is a viable profession -- as is the service of pleasure -- but sailing is definitely not.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Captain Amonth. Indeed I am familiar with the ruling family of Cherak, though we do not receive many visitors from House Ferem in the West. I hope you find what you seek in our fine city."

That said, he begins to rattle off some destinations of interest. "You may be interested to visit the Realm Embassy building in the governmental district -- presided over by Satrap Mnemon Dithrem." Jathin's face is impassive, though Amonth and Darel can catch a slight hint of unhappiness in the tone. Very, very slight. "Perhaps you may offer petition to the Feathered One, in his grand palace at the foot of Mount Hamoji, as well." He omits the temples of the volcano priestesses, something Darel finds odd, but probably because Jathin is unsure whether Amonth is an Immaculate believer.

"As for trade, lord of Cherak, you may find the most potential within metallurgy -- ores, as well as precious metals." The harbormaster gives a few names: master shipbuilders, blacksmiths and jewelers in the area. Local reputable factors and traders, associates of the Western Trade Alliance. Many potential paths there, though it would be more difficult to strike a bargain without product to show. "And research, I recommend the libraries of the Mariner's Academy or the Seahaven Explorer's League."

Lastly Jathin demands a small docking fee as well as a 1% tax on the spices and other luxuries the Helkar's Folly carries, if Amonth is bringing them for sale. (These fees hardly dent the Fire Aspect's extensive wealth, though.) He stamps and signs a last series of documents, hands Amonth a copy and inclines his head in welcome.

"If that would be all, Captain, you and your crew and passengers are free to enter Seahaven. Good day." The harbormaster begins to gather his men to accost the next docking vessel, leaving Amonth and Darel free to acknowledge Kiana and the stranger she has met.

---

OOC: you don't have to pursue every one of Jathin's suggestions, just giving you some possibilities. You've all got the entire day, so... can find lodging, visit market, start on research or more diplomatic ventures or whatnot. Just gimme a direction once you're all together and ready and we'll do something with it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:38, Sat 06 Dec 2008.