As Zeru gathers his Essence and assumes the Seafaring Hero Form, the battle continues all around him.

The two wounded Lintha decide to strike at the targets they deem 'lesser'. One slashes at Curran, and with a lucky shot etches another gash into the burly man's side. The more severely wounded one attempts to finish off Cinna, but is so uncoordinated he manages to trip himself up, striking himself on the forehead. He sags down, unconscious.

Brogan stands protectively before his brother, his axe held aloft as he growls in a rare show of anger. The hatchet lashes out and nicks the side of the other Lintha's neck. Curran, despite his heavily wounded state, refuses to be counted out, burying his axe in the demon-spawn's back. The impact forces the Lintha down to his knees, where he crumples to the deck.

The two approaching Lintha reach their fallen comrades and step over them with hardly a look. Moving in tandem, they slash at Sunden and Brogan. The mute man is slashed hard across the ribs, and stumbles back, coughing blood! But Brogan manages to fend off the attack on him, retaliating with another axe-chop at his attacker that cuts shallowly across the chest.

Antov faces off with the Lintha that struck Sunden, skinning part of his arm with his chopping sword. Cinna jabs at Brogan's opponent with her straight sword, poking the sharp tip of her blade into the Lintha's ribcage. Sunden and Curran take a breather to tend to their wounds.

Only then does Zeru's chain attack slam into the chin of one of the two Lintha remaining--but disappointingly inflicts only minimal damage.

---

OOC: Cinna wounded 3L(-1), Curran wounded 5L(-2), Sunden wounded 4L(-2). Man, they're going to be in trouble... *sigh* Kizil and 2 Lintha remain unscathed (and something like 20 yards away from Zeru). 1 Lintha close by is at 2L damage (-1), the other at 3L damage (-1). 4 Lintha are now unconscious or dying.

[Private to Peleps Zeru: As for the DV for reducing damage thing, this is something you can do voluntarily as a free reflexive, so it takes no action or further cost (beyond the 5m you just spent) to do. At any time while the form is up, you could decide to lower your DV against a single attack by up to 3, and negate anywhere from 3 to 9 dice of damage before soak applies.

Lastly I should mention that you don't get to attack in the same round you use a simple charm, activating that charm uses your entire action (it's a 6 tick action). So I had you attack in your next turn instead. I rolled extra dice for you for +2 stunt, also you should have had 10 dice on that attack not 7, so I rolled 3 more for that. The dice really hate you though :/ you got NO extra successes, and only got 1 damage because I mercifully rerolled your 0 damage.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:53, Thu 12 Feb 2009.

"You are all talk and no bite," purrs Kizil at Zeru, her eyes flashing in irritation. She steps forward from her place at the stern of the ship, motioning the last pair of Lintha to follow. "Your men are weakened, or do you not care with them? I understand such a sentiment. A man who cannot defend himself is not worth the effort to save."

She strides forward -- then stops, grimacing at the new group that emerges from below deck, stepping in between Zeru's group and Kizil's. A rather short, stout, ruddy faced man with a black greased mustache moves to the forefront of his five men, pointing a fire-steel cutlass toward the female Lintha subofficer as he wheezes slightly. "It is with the utmost pleasure that I say, GET THE BLOODY HELLS OFF MY SHIP."

Xander is with this group as well, and finds himself between Lintha on both sides. Toward the bow of the ship is a pair of demon-spawn fighting a blue-haired man he finds quite familiar [Private to Xander Lucian: in fact it's the same one that was hanging around when you got that artifact from the puzzle game] and five other people, three of whom are wounded. One of the wounded is a woman that he remembers was the blue-haired man's companion. [Private to Peleps Zeru: You'd recognize Xander too, from back in Seahaven when you tried the puzzle game. This fellow was the one that won!]

Toward the stern is a Lintha female with a hooked auhzian blade and a thorn-whip, and another pair of Lintha. They are the closest of the two groups of demon-spawn, though his chakram would reach any one of them.

---

OOC: actions
tick 20 - Hirdu+crew and Xander, Antov/Brogan
tick 21 - Sunden
tick 22 - Kizil + Lintha (2), Wounded Lintha (2)
tick 23 - Curran/Cinna
tick 24 - Zeru
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:52, Thu 12 Feb 2009.

As Kizil taunts him Zeru's eyes grow cold and dark, the merciless nature of sea shining in them. Before Hirdu's men have a chance to act Zeru calls out to them. "Captain, if you would stay your blade. This woman has impugned my honor and I would be hard spent to locate her in the afterlife, I would duel her. If you and your men could assist mine in cleaning up this rabble I would be in your debt, they have been fighting hard and their enemy has gotten slightly lucky." Although he's addressing the captain his eyes never leave Kizil's they just stare into her, and should she stare beck she'd find herself looking into the abyss of blue that swallows ships. "Well Dara-Said sister Kizil, now that I have warmed myself up with your men what say you to fighting a real challenge?"

[Private to Storyteller: Ahh... my apologies.]

"W-who are you?" Loukan Hirdu lowers his blade, bewildered and scandalized by Zeru's audacity. He almost looks ready to snap at the man who thinks to steal his vengeance from him -- to duel the very demon-wench who commandeered his beloved Ambition!

But Hirdu has not survived as long as he has just by pure luck. He is a wise enough man to know his body is older, and wounded at that, and this young upstart Dragon-blood may very well have a much better chance to take on Kizil. "Well," the mustachioed captain says grudgingly, breathing with difficulty (he appears to have been hurt in the chest), "go on then, man. Be my champion, defend your honor and mine! Men, we'll cleanse the last of these cursed demon-spawn from my Ambition's fair deck!"

As Hirdu and his group charge in, supporting the wounded Marlena crew, Kizil raises her eyebrows with mild interest at Zeru's offer. She leaps down from the poop deck as she saunters over to meet him, and croons silkily between grotesquely fanged teeth, "Give me your worst, Zeru son of Kaizoku." Accepting the challenge, she lifts the hooked auhzian blade in an offensive stance, her whip-hand held behind her back so that the thorny weapon trails like a second tail.

---

OOC: Well, to speed things up here, I am going to abstract the battle between the crewmen (both Zeru's and Hirdu's) and the lesser Lintha now. The Lintha are outnumbered anyway, so it's duel time Zeru and Kizil :)

Xander if you like you can step in and help the combat against the other Lintha, too. There's 4 of them left, and at least one is pretty wounded.

Zeru steps forward slowly looking to close the gap between him and Kizil just enough to give him the advantage. Tempest spinning once more in a predictable pattern. "I hope by worst you don't mean that you expect me to lose." he says with a confident grin.

"Just don't waste my time," Kizil shoots back wrathfully, pressing the offensive with her wickedly hooked blade. The auhzian sword slashes at Zeru's throat, then plunges toward his chest.

At the last moment she points her blade downward and leaps back several feet, lashing out with the thorn-whip instead. The barbed, serrated weapon threatens to wrap around the Marlena captain's arms and torso, and pin him into a painful clinch.

[Private to Peleps Zeru: Kizil rolled poorly, poor her. She got 5, 3 and 4. All miss. I'll let you describe and gloat and whatnot and try to strike her back.]

At the same time, the battle between the remaining Lintha and the Hirdu crew continues. Antov and Brogan refuse to be counted out of the fight, either, and step in to help! Blades and axes, swords and shields cross, some yielding, others not. It is mostly Lintha blood that falls.

Zeru stands calmly, as the Lintha woman charges him, the lopsided smile never faltering never revealing more than a slight excitement. As she swings to tear out his throat as any animal would do, Zeru lazily leans back and lets the blade miss him by less than an inch. He lets go of the chain with his left hand placing it in front of him, palm towards Kizil before moving it in a tight circle and letting the bracer guide the blow away from him. In letting go Zeru changes the direction of the chain's spin, from a lazy swing that hangs off of his right side to a swing that crosses his body. The woman lashes out with her thorn studded whip, and Zeru more so than most opponents understands the deadly consequences of complacency against a soft weapon such as that. He takes a quick step backwards, and it looks like he just slid back when the ship rocked. With a flash of his eyes, Zeru advances, but more than than he uses his step to speed up the speed of the jade ball on the end of the chain. Tempest extends as it rains down upon her, cutting off her retreat, and using her own attempts to parry against her.

[Private to GM: 08:44, Today: Peleps Zeru rolled 3 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,5,9,5,10,1,1,6,1,2. Pouring Rain.
Dodge Parry Dodge
I don't know what her armor is so I'll let you handle the damage. Also I'm going to assume she has a whip excellency... I hope...]

Kizil scowls as Zeru easily evades her strikes, his movements as mercurial as water. As his jade chain extends to strike her, she lifts her blade to deflect or at least divert it from a direct path. Catching the chain in the hook of her weapon, she yanks it downward, rendering the attack all but worthless.

This time she lashes out with the whip first, attempting to wrap it around Zeru's legs and knock him down. Failing that, she lunges at him wrathfully, unleashing a pair of slashes at his chest, attempting to bury the hooked end into his flesh and tear rough, bloody gashes out of him.

[Private to Peleps Zeru: Her parry DV was 5-3=2 and she added a WP to defend. So, missed. :( She missed too, though, the dice are being pretty stingy. 5, 1 and then 5 sux, that last slash nearly hit but you had 5 DV still. (8 -2 onslaught -1 for attacking)

And yes, she does have an excellency. Lintha apparently get the Attribute+Ability limit, too (in CoTD:The West). On the flip side, she has less motes than Celestials would have and less than many Dragonblooded too, probably.

Next turn Kizil will start expending Valor though, trying to hit 8 DV is hard ;)]

Zeru leaps over the incoming whip, ducks his body into a roll, and lets his chain extend to keep from breaking his rhythm. As he comes back to his feet slaps Kizil's first attack away with his bracers, and then pirouettes around the Lintha to avoid the second. As Zeru spins the chain wraps around his waist. And when he finishes a quick tug has it unraveling around from his waist to Kizil's waist trapping her arms at her sides.

[Private to Storyteller: 09:49, Today: Peleps Zeru rolled 6 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,10,9,7,2,9,2,5,5,7. Clinch attempt. ]

Kizil realizes a second too late that she has overextended herself. Tendrils of dark essence surround her sword arm as she attempts to deflect the chain, but rather than bouncing it off, it wraps the blade along with her, holding her arms fast.

Hirdu and his men, Antov and Brogan have slain or subdued the remaining Lintha. The Lintha flagship -- following a strange ripple of Essence that Zeru could see even from here, the result of a powerful attack -- appears to be pulling away from the Dryad now. Even the Navy has made significant progress, and sends off a warning shot at the enemy flagship, hastening what appears to be the beginnings of a Lintha retreat.

The Black Marlena is coming close as well, wheeling back now that the danger appears to have lessened.

Kizil, now Zeru's captive, glares at the Marlena's captain with baleful, slitted eyes. "Dragonet, you won't hold me for long. I would rather die than help you in any way, or be privy to your laws!" She spits on the ground, her saliva actually sizzling slightly as it strikes the deck near Zeru's foot.

Captain Hirdu, breathing heavily with another slash on his arm to go with the crushed ribs, starts to approach the captive Lintha. "No mercy..." he growls. "You don't deserve it."

[Private to Peleps Zeru: Well, you succeeded at the clinch, and I'm trying to bring the main battle to an end. She still has a chance to escape, though, you'll have to roll Dex+MA to keep the clinch. If you don't stop Hirdu he may just kill her himself though.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:11, Fri 20 Feb 2009.

"See... I don't need to kill you." Zeru says spitefully. "I'm the obvious victor of our duel, and your men are finished. Your death doesn't serve me in any way. Of course there's the captain to deal with in this matter." He looks towards Hirdu. "It's up to you sir,"

Xander watched the battle going on trying to decided if he should reveal more about himself and his style in such an open enviroment. It went against his nature to fight with so many witnessess and the crew seemed to have them handled nicly. He turns his attention back to the duel figuring he would attack if the man even seemed to be losing but it seemed once again that he wasn't needed. HE wondered who he was and why fate had seen fit to bring them together again.

He slips up next to Zeru and the captian. "It is indeed your decision Captian but it seems she wants to die and so such is not a fitting punishment for her crimes."

Rage flashes in Loukan Hirdu's dark eyes as he comes up behind the Lintha woman, raising his fire-enchanted blade.

Kizil does not cower -- never that. Nor does she growl any more. Instead, when the demon-spawn sees it is Hirdu who has come to finish her, she smiles. "Anger becomes you, puny human. When I die, I will join my forebears in defending our sister island, and I will remember you and your dragonet friend well. No matter what you do, I will live on. You cannot defeat us."

But Hirdu stays his blade, if briefly, at Xander's words. He looks straight at the assassin and says, "So, what do you think is worthy for her? The crimes of Kizil and the Lintha are many. They stole, defaced my ship, devoured over half my crew. You saw that for yourself. What could possibly be a fitting end for this one? Perhaps we shall give her over to the Wavecrest Navy as a prize?"

Kizil grits her teeth, struggling futilely against Zeru's chain. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Or will you tell us what Hazhain Sul sought here in Nevermoor? I'd be willing not to shame your cursed name, for that!"

---

OOC: Well, she couldn't break free. Zeru and/or Xander could try to see if they can intimidate or manipulate Kizil into talking.

Over toward the other end of the ship, Cinna, Curran and Sunden nurse their wounds wearily, while Antov, Brogan and the other men under Hirdu's command set about dealing with the other defeated Lintha. Those that look like they are breathing are soon trussed up much as Hirdu himself once was, to await the Captain's judgment. The crew of the Ambition is not in much of a mood for mercy: they make it painful, and they keep their blades at the Lintha's throats.

The Marlena is starting to pull even with the Ambition now. Zeru feels a sense of impatience from her, and a little bit of smugness; she clearly thinks herself the more attractive ship.

"Antov, Brogan help our friends onto the Marlena, she wants to stretch a bit. I'll be there shortly." He turns to regard the other man with the Captain. "Hey I remember you, you won the puzzle box. You're part of this crew then?" He seems to be completely ignoring the ties up Lintha at his feet.

"Na." Xander replied. "I just took up with her for awile. Fancy meeting you here though."

"You got it, cap'n," Antov calls over to Zeru. Brogan's response is more a grunt than words, but no less heartfelt.

By the time the Marlena comes to a stop, allowing her partly wounded crew to board, the black wings that had manifested alongside her hull are gone. She appears a mundane courier again, though anyone who dares call her 'mundane' might well feel her wrath!

Lintha Sister Kizil does not appear ready or willing to give Hirdu any information at all. "Nevermoor is ours," she says quietly, seething. "You need know nothing more." She knows that by now her flagship, the Kri Kiamo, has already departed. Kizil may as well be no better than a filthy human, now, for no respectable Lintha would take her back once she has fallen into human possession. So she speaks with no concern for her life. "I personally savored the man you called brother, Captain Hirdu. His flesh was most refreshing. You'll not spare me to the Navy... you'll keep me, or you'll kill me. I know your hateful little heart will be satisfied with nothing less!"

"ENOUGH!" Hirdu roars, though his bruised ribs pain him. Again his blade looks ready to cut her down, and her eyes dance with bitter triumph. "...Enough. That is all from you." He brings down the pommel of his blade to knock the Lintha woman out cold. That done, he motions to two of his own crewmen to tie her up and gag her so that Zeru can reclaim his chain.

Then the Ambition's captain nods toward Zeru and Xander. "Thank you again for your help. Both of you. Zeru--that's your name, eh fellow? I'd very much like to meet the captain of that splendid warship flying the Cobalt colors, if you could help me arrange that." From the direction he points, Hirdu clearly means the Spring Dryad II. Xander would remember that ship as well, he had seen it docked at Seahaven the day before he left. "Of course if you want some compensation... anything... feel free to ask, from the armory or the coffers. Can't put a price on saving our lives, but it's the least I can do."
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:13, Sun 22 Feb 2009.

"Aye sir Peleps Zeru, at your service." Zeru says with a bow, flicking his wrist and letting his chain wrap around his body. He starts walking towards the side of the ship, "I'll see what I can do. As for compensation we don't really need anything. Seeing the demon spawn relinquish their grip on your wonderful ship is enough. As for you my friend," He turns around ,standing on the banister of the ship as though the rocking had nothing to do with him, and addresses Xander. "You might well speak to the Captain yerself, the Alliance is a safe haven for us without direction, and it provides a purpose, to me at least."

With that he steps off the side of the ship and onto the waiting Marlena. Plucking up Coral and taking his place at the helm he smiles. "You have been avenged my lady, most of the crew is dead, and their captain likely suffering a fate she finds worse than death. I thank you for your aid." He looks at Coral, "Did you fancy being the captain for a while?"

On the Hirdu's Ambition:

"Fair fortunes to you, Captain Zeru." Loukan Hirdu seems to pause slightly at the mention of Zeru's family name, which is obviously a Great House of the Realm. But he waves him off with a friendly gesture.

With the few men he has left to him, he orders a pair to watch Kizil, and the rest to deal with the other boarders. The Lintha on deck stripped of their possessions and killed, should any of the wretches be breathing. "Toss 'em to the sea men. Right back to the demon-mother's breast!" He kicks one of the bodies off personally, seeming to relish the act.

"We'll need to purify the entire ship. Gods, I lost so many good men..."

Hirdu shakes his head agitatedly, then seems to remember Xander's presence there. "Xander, what'll it be for you? Are you continuing with us or joining with the Cobalt Alliance? Either way, we're going in the same direction, for now -- assuming their leader will speak with us."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:46, Mon 23 Feb 2009.

On the Black Marlena:

Lucky Coral greets Zeru with an energetic "Mau!" Obviously, being the leader is natural for a feline.

Marlena's reply conveys a tone of smug satisfaction. "Good, good. I am pleased our intervention was worth the trouble. Some of my crew is injured, though. Let them rest for a few days." Surprising generosity from a normally temperamental spirit. But it seems even Marlena has started to think of Antov, Brogan, Curran, Cinna and Sunden as 'hers'.

All five crewmen are back on board the Marlena now, though the three who were wounded will not be up to working for a while. Particularly Curran and Sunden, who took the most injury. Cinna is hurt as well, though she's being quite stubborn and insisting "Oh, it's just a flesh wound!" It'll probably be quite a trial to get her to rest properly.

"So where we headed now, back to the flagship?" asks Antov.

[Private to Peleps Zeru: Once you reply to this you can go back to the Isles of Nevermoor thread.]

Zeru puts Coral affectionately into his pocket. "Thank you my lady," He says with a bow. He sets them on course for the Dryad.

"Aye Antov we're headed to the Dryad. If Master Tageru isn't too busy he may be able to help speed up the healing process. I'm sure that we aren't the only ones who have wounded so I'll ask you men. Do you think you need the supernatural healing?" After the battle he seemed drawn, almost tired although he had energy enough. "I must also ask Captain Lasuri to meet with the Captain of the Ambition, and possibly that young man who solved the puzzle box."

He looks at the wounds, "These are deep," he mentions to Sunden and Curran. "I may ask Tageru to see to you to ensure your continued health." He picks up Cinna's arm, looking at it intently. "While this may not be as deep as theirs yours will also require a moderate amount of rest. But as the Marlena needs some slight repairs and the chores still need doing you'll be in charge of assigning them among Antov, Brogan and myself. Curran, Sunden, you will rest and have Tageru look at you incrementally until you are fit for work. The Marlena thanks you all and asks that you rest to regain your strength. That goes for you too missy." He teases Cinna, "You wouldn't want to make her mad would you?"

Sunden, lacking a tongue to speak, bows his head while Curran replies. "Took some pretty hard hits sir, I'd welcome the help should mister Tageru spare it. Sunden's not much better off... though I'm tougher. If only one of us gets help it ought to be him." The mute man shrugs and turns his head, less of a refusal than a fine, if you think so...

"All right, all right," Cinna smiles to reassure Zeru. "No need to upset the lady Marlena. But I'll start assessing repairs right away!" She stands up too quickly, knees wobbling, then immediately sits back down with a grimace. "Ugh... okay... or maybe I'll rest a bit first..." she amends sheepishly.

With Antov and Brogan manning the sails, the Marlena makes its way back toward the Dryad.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:35, Wed 25 Feb 2009.

Xander was about to answer as Zeru walked off to see to his ship. He turns to the captian and gives a nod of his head. "Well If you don't mind I'll do as our friend suggested and talk to the Alliance."

Hirdu chuckles and pats Xander on the shoulder, "Of course not! You're a free man, after all, and you more than deserve the choice after your help."

The Ambition does not follow immediately behind the Marlena, but keeps some distance in case the Dryad still sees their approach as hostile. Hirdu does order the artillery to be disarmed and covered up, though, once he sees the Lintha are in full retreat.

"If anything, I can speak on your behalf. Here's hoping they're a friendly sort!"

---

OOC: Thread end :) There should be a new thread by tomorrow night (or early Friday with how things are currently going)
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:42, Thu 26 Feb 2009.