Over the past few days, Kiana had been doing her best to get used to her new surroundings.  She and Jadira had shared a few talks, and Kiana was starting to grow fond of the wood aspect.  Her sparring match with Tageru had went fairly well.  The man was an amazing fighter, and was the more skilled between the two of them, though it wasn't by a margin that the layman would be able to discern.  She had learned quiet a bit through the combat alone, and looked forward to training with him further.

As she leaned against the railing, she ran her hand over the smooth wooden surface, the white jade Smashfist on her hands while outside her cabin.  She was under no illusions that their journey would be peaceful, and those ideas were unfortunately true as Tageru started to shout.  Even during the sparring match, she had not heard such noise from the monk.  Clenching her fists, she quickly turned and found herself near the others, peering into the mists and trying to see what Tageru did.

And what she saw indeed!  "Captain, this mists hides a battle ahead!  In the mist itself!"  She says, pointing a white-Jade finger towards the obscuring manifestation.  "I can't tell how many, but there are several ships at the very least."  Would they believe the youngest member of the crew?  Kiana had not been lying when she spoke to Jaira about her senses--Kiana was not a prideful person in the least, and utterly truthful to a fault.  She knew her senses were keen, especially her sight.

"That isn't a warship, is it?"  She said as she jumped up on the rail to give herself just a little more clarity to the scene in front of them.  The mist itself wasn't a physical threat, though the emotional and mental ramification wouldn't be pretty, Kiana knew from her studies...but would this boat try to board them?  Or was it simply sending for help, like she thought?  If she were being attacked, and had the ability to hold off eventual defeat for any amount of time, that would be her course of action--send for back-up!
This message was last edited by the player at 17:08, Mon 19 Jan 2009.

From the Marlena Zeru heard Tageru's shout about Lintha in the mist. His face broke out into a sly grin as he fingered the end of his chain. "Be on your guard" He said to his crew. "There are Lintha in the mist, and we're taking whatever course the Drayd is." Then he shouts to the Dryad. "Our course sir?"

Lasuri had been busy with a lot of the more boring aspects of his position - planning the ships' course, updating the Alliance roster, keeping current with the finances, acquisitions and bookkeeping (someone has to do it), etc. His work had kept him away from the deck much more than he usually is, and so he comes a little belatedly when the commotion comes and shouts come from the deck of the two boats.

He surveys the horizon, but his recent arrival and sudden plunge into the situation keep him from actually seeing the details the others speak of. The details reach him, one by one, and that is when he decides to take a step forward, standing in the middle of the Dryad's deck. And in this moment, the aloof, laid back man that is Lasuri shows why he is called 'the Sea Drake'. Even among the danger and panic, he is as calm as can be, an oasis of stability in an ocean of madness. His expression is much more serious than many have ever seen him, grim and determined.

"Mister Donnegal." He calls out, his tone difficult to ignore. "You will slow your approach and start heading at an angle. We are not changing our heading until we have a better understanding of the situation. Be ready to change the heading at the second I order it, however, and to step aside should I claim the bar."

"Miss Thornbloom, you will prepare your gunners and stay at the ready. We might be entering battle soon, or step into hostile situation. You have only seconds to be ready - but be ready." He nods sharply towards Jadira, trusting that even though it is short notice, she will be ready even before the time limit elapses.

"Mister Zeru!" He calls out to the Marlena, his voice having no problem reaching over. "Keep your crew and the Marlena in flanking position. Once we have a better assessment of what they're capable of, I'll relay it to you so you can adjust accordingly. Don't be worried about letting the Dryad taking a hit if you need to, and move to keep to the enemy's side and back. I'm counting on you!"

He turns back, resting a hand on the Dryad's mast, and speaking slightly lower now. "Be ready for a tussle, Dryad my old friend. Just like always, I'll have your back, and trust you with mine. east to West, North to South, no prison nor lad will hold us down." He makes a short gesture, akin to that of a prayer, then calls out loud.

"Miss Kiana. You are now officially the eyes and ears of the Dryad. I want you to watch and give updated reports regularly, no matter how this situation turns. Mister Crawford. Mister Dunn. You will assist Miss Kiana, and relay messages as she sees fit if the situation gets too chaotic for her voice alone." He turns to Kiana, and nods encouragingly to her. "I trust in your abilities, Miss Kiana. Keep us enlightened."

The captain takes another step forward, then calls out to both the crew of the Marlena and the Dryad at once while drawing the WAcleaver Daiklave in his sheath. "Men and women of the Alliance! Keep your wits to yourselves, and raise your heads proudly! We've come here to investigate, and we won't leave until we've done what we've come to do! You are a brotherhood! You won't be intimidated out of our mother the Sea, brushed aside and made to cower! Not by the Lintha, not by the forces of Skullstone, not by the very mouth of Malfeas were it to open under our feet to swallow what we fight for!"

"We're the Cobalt Alliance! Now show all who don't know our name what it means!"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:40, Mon 19 Jan 2009.

"Aye, sir!"  Kiana said quickly.  She turned away from the railing and began to clamber up the rigging, towards the crow's nest.  It wasn't her destination, however, as she stopped half-way up the mast and turned to get a better vantage point.  She didn't want to get situation that far up when the battle started--that would keep her from the altercation.  No, sharp as her eyes might be, she belonged on the battlefield, small a girl she might be.  She had surprised Tageru with her vigilance in the martial arts...and she would happily surprise every last one of the Lintha as well.

Though her heart was pounding due to the sudden burst of excitement the mist, and the ships within it had caused, she was silently beaming from the faith that the captain was putting in her.  She was the official eyes and ears of the Dryad, wasn't that what he said?  That certainly sounded important, and his brave words warmed her and fed the adrenaline even more.

A fight was coming, and for once she wasn't afraid of the outcome.

No, as Kiana leaned out, hand over her eyes in attempt to further her view just a bit, Kiana realized she was eager.  Eager to prove herself, and eager to show Lasuri that she was worthy of such trust.

Kareth took note that he had not been given any orders yet.  As such he assumed that his duty would be to stay on deck and help repel any attempt to board.  He kept his eyes open, alternating between looking at the approaching battle and  into the water which had seemed to disturb Tageru.  He did make it a point to stay within earshot of the Captain though.  Just because the boats were close enough to shout now, didn't mean that would be the case in the battle.  However, despite his best attempts at looking ready for conflict, Kareth still looked to be something of a sulking shadow on the deck.

Walking towards the sullen figure on the deck, Lasuri gives a sharp, knowing nod. "Mister Kareth." He says, in a tone that carries only to the man standing next to him, and no one else. "I didn't want to make a big show of it, since it might demoralize some of the sailors... But the truth of the matter is that we're a lot more sturdy than the Marlena is. That means that we're likely to be taking some hits if the situation gets ugly. I'll need you to stay on board and help with any combat that might take place here... But also to keep an eye on the damage we take, and be prepared to deal with damage assessment and to direct some emergency repairs if need be. I'll give you to working hands you need, don't worry about that. I trust you with the ship's integrity, so do what you think is best."

He nods, then a faint smile crosses his lips. "Don't worry though. The ship's spirit is damn obstinate, and I'm also too hard headed to let them do too much damage to this ship." He nods again, and takes a step away while pointing some directions at some of the sailors, perhaps telling them to stay close to Kareth and be ready to follow his commands.

"Allright, people... Go about your assigned positions and stay at the ready. I want no one acting until Miss Kiana gives us her word and we understand the situation. Is that clear?"

Tageru's arrows fall well short of whatever it is he sees in the mist, even with the tremendous distance potential he can manage with his bow. They just aren't close enough for an attack yet.

Lasuri's stirring speech is answered by enthusiastic shouts by his crewmen as they scurry to fulfill his orders. Mister Donnegal is the first to respond, with a rousing "Aye!" as he turns the ship's wheel at an angle to port, then hollers to the topsmen to trim the sails and get ready for some tight sailing. The nimblest of the Dryad's crew climb up the mast and manipulate the rigging and generally seem to have a good, singsong time of it despite the danger Tageru had made quite apparent.

The deck of the Spring Dryad is bustling with activity, as well. The gunnery crew takes their positions at the ballistae and catapults, and any other hand without their hands full of sail or rope readies blade, hatchet or bow, depending on preference and specialty. Crawford and Dunn flank Kiana uncomplainingly -- they are used enough to working alongside Jadira, and any other concern they may have of Kiana's age or relative newness at sea is swallowed by the trust their Captain puts in her.

As for Dryad herself... only Lasuri really knows her response to his prayer, whispered to him in a warm, fragrant breeze meant for him.

Not to be outdone, the smaller crew of the Marlena get right to it as soon as their heading is sure. Antov and Sunden clamber up to manage the sails from above, with the twin brother strongmen prepared for any eventuality from repelling boarders or bailing water or quick-fix repairs. Cinna aids Zeru in the steering, keeping an eye on the rigging and angle of the sails from her vantage point on the deck.

Meanwhile, the mists loom closer, as the Dryad and Marlena start veering to skirt their edge. No other ships have emerged from within yet, but the distant flash of cannon fire can be seen now from within, and the small hazy shapes of what could be ships circling one another. The Cobalt ships can continue on course, or pause to rendezvous with the vessel coming toward them. [Private to Kiana Makohgn: Kiana is the first to see the approaching ship in any detail: a single-masted cutter, little more than a messenger. But it looks as if it has sustained heavy damage already, and the surviving crew have hoisted a white flag, waving their arms and calling out a mayday.]

---

OOC: Sorry to give the wrong impression--you're still a good amount of distance away, not enough yet for a Join Battle.

If you'll just pass the smaller ship by, the pilots of the Dryad and Marlena should roll their Wits+Sail to maneuver around the mists. Kiana and anyone else paying attention can roll Perc+Awareness to make out additional details.

If you want to ready weapons, activate scenelong charms or any other additional prep, do so in your next post!
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:41, Tue 20 Jan 2009.

"Captain, it appears to be a messenger vessel!"  Kiana shouted, not putting to use her two 'assistants' just yet.  Her voice was the high octave of youth, though it carried very, very clearly and right into the Captain's ear, or so it seemed.  "She has sustained heavy damage, and they've hoisted a white flag."  She paused for a moment, her eyes looking over the poor souls as they waved their arms desperately.  "They look like they've survived dinner with the Abyss..." She said, still loudly, though not with the same conviction she relayed the other bits of information.

She saw the cannon fire of course, and did her best to see what more she could fathom.  The winds carried words as well, sometimes, and she made sure to use her other senses as well, especially in the mist.  Though she didn't have much trouble seeing through it, dependence on one sense alone was a recipe for disaster.

[Private to Storyteller: You rolled 3 successes using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 ((3,10,1,4,6,8,3,3,2)).]

Jadira does her part, shouting commands to the catapult crews, distributing armaments where needed. Besides the short daiklave and plasma tongue repeater at her belt, she carries with her a massive bow of pulleys and joints that Kareth (if he's indeed from Lookshy) would recognize immediately as a Lookshy strongbow.

For now she keeps the strongbow nearby but ready, giving her attention to the Dryad's large foredeck cannon. These weapons are rarely just point and shoot -- there are adjustments to make, panels to keep an eye on, and of course the question of proper power output. Drawing from her experience with the cannon's smaller cousin, she runs through some quick diagnostic tasks to ensure all is in order. The Hearthstone she'd placed in it ought to be enough.

"Ready for anything, Captain," the armswoman announces, grinning fiercely. She looks... rather enthusiastic to give the large cannon a try. But Jadira is not reckless -- simply a 'ranged weapon enthusiast.' She certainly carries, or has access to enough unusual armaments to make such a claim.

When Kiana announces the ship's approach, she instructs the ballista operators to ready ammo, but NOT fire at the messenger ship until given further direction.

Kareth listens intently on what the Captain says, and promptly channels his Essence into his bracers to activate them.  No point in finding himself short handed later.  "Aye Aye, Captain," he replies and resumes his watch.  He does take note of two things, however... the first being the presence of some of the crew who had helped him with the earlier repairs.  He knew he could count on them, so he planned on taking them with him if emergency repairs could be done.  Secondly, he took note of Jadira's Lookshy Strong bow.  He smiled a disturbing smile.  That's the second strong connection to Lookshy that the two officers of the crew have shown since he's been on board.

His expression hardens considerably once Kiana makes her report, and almost immediately starts to head towards the middle of the deck. "You've heard the lady!" He shouts, signaling to people around him and pointing towards the Mist and the ship Kiana saw in there. Of course, he cannot see the ship himself, but he trusts what the girl sees, relying on her senses for the coming strategies he makes.

"Wounded ship coming ahead, flying a white flag! We're not going to just stand by and let it be gutted, people!" He moves ahead of the ship, and although not able to see what transpires then, he already starts making calculations.

"Miss Kiana, give me the approximate position of the endangered ship, if you can determine this. If you can give an estimate of its heading, that'd help a lot too. I you can't do it right away, keep a sharp eye out until you can and let me know as soon as you manage it. If there's any way you can pierce through the mist and give us an account of what the attackers' ship and crew are like, then let us know as well."

"Mister Donnegal... Prepare to cut in and buy some time for the ship to escape its pursuit. That means we'll likely be taking hits, people - keep your heads down and your wits about you, and prepare for combat situation! Miss Thornbloom, have your gunners ready to provide cover fire. The rest, prepare your weapons and stand at the ready - we might get boarded, or might have to do some boarding ourselves. Keep steady... I'll be among you as well."

With that, the Sea Drake draws his second weapon, a hand axe adorned with long, beautiful feathers, and keeps his gaze on the horizon, ready for anything that might come out of the unnatural mist.

Kiana strives to see through the mist.

[Private to Kiana Makohgn: There's at least half a dozen ships within. You count two troop transport vessels... triremes, you think, from the three masts. They appear to be fighting a flagship of a trimaran design, accompanied by a pair of merchantmen or biremes, and one or two smaller ships. It's hard to confirm details in the misty haze, exacerbated by cannon fire smoke and fires.

Though the triremes are large, they are outnumbered. Your sensitive ears can hear voices crying out in confusion and agony, the sound of drowning men thrashing in the waves, the roar of an inhuman beast relishing in bloodlust. The temper of the sea, roiling against the ships' hulls if almost... alive. The creak of wood straining until fit to burst.

There is no particular heading for Kiana to report, as the ships appear preoccupied with combating one another.]

But nothing appears to be emerging from the perimeter of the mist to pursue the messenger ship. Apparently it is too small to merit a pursuit.

The damaged courier slows, attempting to flank the Dryad, if only long enough for their loudest voice to deliver a message. "This is the exploratory vessel Hirdu's Promise. The Lintha have overtaken us, captured our captain. The Wavecrest Navy has intercepted, but the mists...!" The voice is already fading into the distance, as the window of opportunity passes, and the two ships move past one another. The Promise makes a wide half-circle turn, apparently maneuvering to meet up with the Dryad again on port side, putting the larger ship between it and the mists.

If the Cobalt Alliance does not wish to enter the mist directly... perhaps they may draw attention to themselves, disrupt the battle somehow...

---

OOC: Join battle if you're a pilot, captain or ranged weapon wielder, or otherwise want to be included in combat time (miscellaneous actions count as well).
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:55, Sat 24 Jan 2009.

Kiana's crystal blue eyes peered into the swirling mists ahead, and after a few moments she turned her head toward the captain and let her voice carry quickly after the white flagged ship passed.  "At least half a dozen ships ahead, Captain!  Two for transporting troops, one flagship, two merchant vessels, and one or two smaller ships. I can't make them out completely, but the flagship and its cousins have the size, but are outnumbered.  No heading to report, sir--they're fighting amongst themselves and don't seem too interested in anything else."  She paused for a moment as her sensitive ears picked sounds off of the wind.

"Men are dying, sir.  Drowning and bleeding...and something else is in that mist, Captain.  Some inhuman beast the Lintha must be using.  It's roar is deafening..." She said, her voice trailing off ever so slightly at the last bit.

"Good work, Miss Kiana. We'll work with that." He pauses, looking towards the mists, then turns back and shout.

"Did you hear that, people? These folks need our assistance! We'll go and give it to them! But not brashly - we can't afford to charge in there, or we'll be just as much in need of rescuing as the people we're trying to help."

"We'll disrupt the combat from afar first! Miss Thornbloom, direct your gunners to cut the attack pattern of the aggressors. We'll need to lure them out of this mist, and towards us, so we can engage them on our terms. It's going to be difficult for our gunners to see where they're firing - so you'll have to do it with coordinates only. Miss Thornbloom, you'll coordinate your firing according to miss Kiana's directions. Make sure you coordinate your assault with her."

"Everyone else, prepare for battle immediately. Raise the cobalt flag, and make a lot of noise - enough to wake a sea devil if you must. We need to make them notice us. Once they do, and we can engage them on our terms, it'll be up to us and the Marlena to rope up these bastards and take them down."

"Chin up, people, the real deal's coming! I'm counting on each and everyone of you - Give me your worst!"

"You've got it, captain," Jadira replies affirmatively, then nods at Kiana. "Your eyes will help us aim, all right? The catapults don't have the range, but the ballistae do. And so does this beauty." Her fingers stroke the foredeck cannon lovingly.

"We'll have to face the mists and full stop for me to shoot it into the fray. That's right, I ought to let you all know--that mist there is susceptible to fire. So if you've got some convenient means of producing it, be liberal with it! Just make sure you're tossing it away from us," she cautions, chuckling.

The armswoman raises her voice then, leading the gunnery crew in a rousing, high spirited and improvised chant about the men of Cobalt triumphing over the mist-demons. They stomp their feet on the deck, shouting their defiance as they finish cranking back the bowstrings and swivel the ballistae into position. Taking heed of Jadira's advice, they ready the next wave ammunition by wrapping oil soaked rags around the head, lighting them only when ready to fire.

[Private to GM, Kiana Makohgn: Don't know of any actual Exalted rules that let someone else aim for you. Maybe Jadira and her crew will all do standard aiming, and Kiana helping out would put a +1 to the aim for teamwork.]

Jadira and the ballistae aim before firing, choosing their targets with Kiana's aid. [Private to Jadira Thornbloom, Kiana Makohgn: Jadira, aim with +1 die from Kiana, but get a -2 external penalty for the mists.] In the meantime, Donnegal (or Lasuri if he deigns to take the helm) must maneuver the Dryad, skirting close enough to see without entering the strange, chilling mist. Zeru, if he wishes to follow, may follow suit with the Marlena. [Private to Lasuri Leomaris; Peleps Zeru: Roll Wits+Sail for your respective ships.]

The Cobalt Alliance and crew start to see the outline of ships in the mist, though not individual people. The two large troop transports Kiana mentioned are beleaguered by Lintha boarders. The Navy has cannons aboard, and have blasted a few good holes into their enemies. But the Lintha simply have more ships... and who knows what else in their midst.

Of the Lintha ships, two are in too close proximity to the Navy to make a clear shot for the cannon, but the vessel Kiana points out as the Lintha flagship is not directly engaged, as well as a couple of two-masted vessels, and a single-mast. It's difficult to tell the allegiances of these other ships from here, but one of them does appear to fly Lintha colors. [Private to Kiana Makohgn: Your catch a few more details. Aboard the Lintha flagship is a strange multilimbed creature with weapons on all arms. You can see the sea roiling with tentacles, and Lintha actually walking on the waves, while ordinary men drown around them. You think another ship must have sunk here recently.]

The Promise completes its turn, flanking the Dryad close enough for their herald to shout. "Watch out for our Captain... he'd be on the Hirdu's Ambition, captured by the foul demon-spawns! We are too damaged to help -- but we will seek reinforcements!" Again the smaller ship pulls away, getting out of the way of the battle.

---

OOC: actions
tick 0 - Lintha ship 1, Navy ship 1
tick 1 - Kareth, Tageru, Hirdu's Promise, Lintha ship 2, Navy ship 2
tick 2 - Lasuri + Dryad, Lintha flagship, Mist-demon, Lintha ship 3, Unknown ship 1
tick 3 - Jadira + Kiana + ballistae, Unknown ship 2
tick 4 - ???
tick 5 - Zeru + Marlena
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:02, Tue 27 Jan 2009.

Kareth realized that his Essence cannon would do no good at this distance decided to take a different approach.  He charges his essence and with a flick of his wrist he sends a bolt of fire into the mist.

[Private to GM: charging with 3m so that's 10L for the attack.]
This message was last edited by the player at 17:46, Wed 28 Jan 2009.

"The creature is on the flag-ship, sir!  I can't count how many arms it has, and a weapon in each grip.  The Lintha...Dragons protect us, the Lintha can walk on the water, sir!  They could board us without warning, crawling right up the hull!"  She said, though not exactly frantically.  Though she was loath to admit it under such circumstances, it felt damned good to be needed like this.  Who would have guessed that a small earth aspect like her would have such sharp senses?

"I think they've already lost a ship, sir, judging by the men struggling in the water."  She leaned out on the rigging, though as they got closer, and combat more of an option, she would gladly leap down to the deck--and put those boots of her to good use.

Lasuri and Zeru, guiding their respective vessels, skirt the mist edge masterfully. They come so close to the edge that a strong wind could blow them right into it, yet maintain a course along the perimeter.

They've not yet been noticed, but it's certainly a matter of time, as the chanting of the Dryad crew reaches a crescendo!

The main battle is close enough for long range weapons to fire upon, now. The Navy men fight desperately against the Lintha attackers, heard more than seen by the Cobalt crew. Those humans that fall are consumed by the pirates, fed to their blood apes or the tentacles writhing in the sea. Or the monstrosity on the flagship, many-limbed and indistinct.

But there are Lintha, too, that fall dead to navy cutlass and flame piece. No one touches them.

---

OOC: ok, long-range folks (that'd be Jadira and Tageru :P) give me your targets and we'll get this started in earnest. ;) which ship (or large demon, you can at least make out those) you'll fire on is enough.

Kareth, you could still actually toss flame at the mist itself, if you wanted. It IS miles wide, hard to miss. :D
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:12, Tue 27 Jan 2009.

(OOC: sorry for the delay.)

Relying on Kiana's sharp eyes and Lasuri's piloting skill, Jadira keeps the Dryad's large cannon trained on the Lintha flagship until her confidence in the trajectory is assured.

The crew manning the ballistae follow her lead. They've no supernatural ability to aid them, but firing in the right vicinity would be enough, for now. Enough to draw some of the Lintha ships away from the navy.

"Right into the demon's jaws..." one of them mutters, and another quips, "Are we paid enough for this?"

But when Jadira yells "FIRE!" they don't hesitate to oblige. The cannon belches a beam of pure, blazing Essence toward the enemy flagship, and the crew lights the ammo at the last moment, sending two flaming javelins in the wake of that unmistakable show of force.

[Private to GM: Pouring the max into my 1st Archery Excellency for this shot. I suppose the gunners could put either a WP or virtue (valor) into it too (ST's decision)]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:32, Wed 28 Jan 2009.

Tageru opens the attack with a flurry of arrows, bathed in verdant light from his Wood Dragon Form. One arrow falls short, but the second strikes its mark so cleanly and silently no one on board notices their comrade fall at first.

Then Kareth's fire bolt burns through the mist in front of him. Sensing the presence of its weakness, the living mist writhes and splits to avoid it. But his Essence is just too strong, singing and harming the gaseous form as it howls in defiance, the sound seeming to come from everywhere at once. Angered, the mist starts to encroach upon the Cobalt ships, lashing back with a mental attack on the firebearer. [Private to Isole Kareth: You are now confused, though Exalted is typically vague as to how this affects anything. Let's just go with a -2 overall internal penalty, which, unfortunately, stacks with the external penalty I mention below.]

In Jadira's able hands, the Dryad cannon roars its defiance, fed energy by the Air Hearthstone serving as its battery. The blast crackles like lightning, streaking across the battlefield! The mist is not harmed, but blows back where the blast ripples through it... stopping disappointingly short of reaching the flagship. On the other hand, the ballistae fire sears through the mist, poking two more distinct holes into it as the mist parts to avoid it, provoking another disembodied roar. Only one of the flaming missiles reaches the flagship, colliding with the hull and guttering out.

Tageru lets loose a second flurry of arrows, but the Lintha are paying attention now. One target leaps clear away, but another gets struck hard on the shoulder, staggering back.

Needless to say, the gauntlet has been thrown. Two vessels split away from the battle with the Navy to support the flagship. They approach the Dryad and the Marlena while the flagship crew takes cover and prepares to evade fire. One is a two-masted war galley, the other of the bluewater merchant class, armed with artillery. The latter does not fly Lintha colors... yet it is clearly supporting them.

---

OOC: All actions requiring sight are at -2 external penalty. If you'll attack tell me which ship or creature you'll hit. With the mists about, you won't be able to choose a specific target on a ship (or even know what those specifics are) unless you first take an action to aim. Otherwise I will choose the specific target for you.

actions (trimmed to only include enemies you're directly confronting)
tick 6 - Kareth, Tageru
tick 7 - Lasuri + Dryad crew, Lintha flagship (at 500 yards), Lintha war galley (approaching at 500 yards), Mist-demon
tick 8 - Unknown Lintha ally (approaching at 600 yards)
tick 9 - Jadira + Dryad weapons, Kiana [Private to Kiana Makohgn: I'd recommend activating Earth Dragon Form!]
tick 10 - Zeru + Marlena

[Private to GM: keeping track of abstracted actions
tick 5 - Lintha/Navy ship 1 (combating one another)
tick 6 - Hirdu's Promise (moving away), Lintha/Navy ship 2 (combating one another), Mist-demon (in physical form, attacking Navy ships), Hirdu's Grace (longbow fire on the Navy)
Xander, Loukan Hirdu and 5 crewmen are on the Ambition (Unknown Lintha ally).
Mist-demon has taken 3L damage.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:08, Sat 31 Jan 2009.

The situation on the Black Marlena is much the same. Visibility down, and the crew rattled from the idea of being enveloped in the mists, while taking on the demon scourge of the sea.

"This is absolutely... terrifyingly... CRAZY!" Cinna shouts over the crew making noise to draw the demons this way. She and Sunden are both equipped with bows, not that they can see much at all in the mists. Antov has his cutlass brandished and the twins a pair of boarding axes. "I can't believe we're even doing this!"

"Ha ha ha," chortles Antov, "now this is how the blood quickens."

I sense a great battle, Marlena speaks, not showing her form, but addressing Zeru directly. Let us show our mettle! Suddenly the boat flares with a pale purple light, a beacon the Dryad and its crew can also see. Phantasmal black feathers begin to rain down onto the hull and deck of the Marlena, seeping into the wood and strengthening it.

"...Whoa. What was THAT?" Cinna exclaims. To which the brothers provide, "She is blessing us."

[Private to Peleps Zeru: On your turn Marlena will also have a turn. I will control her, but she now has spirit charms! Over time you'll get some idea of what she is capable of.]

One of the fondest memories that Kiana had was that of her father--and more importantly, of the time they spent together.  Some of the most cherished of those moments was the training that he instilled within her, and the sparring sessions they had shared.  The order of conflict, the act of hurting or of being hurt, these things she loathed with her entire being.  But having the opportunity to share with the world that which her father had taught her?  The very skills in which she could honor him, and prove him immortal?  Those moments she loved very, very much.  And this becoming such a time!

Kiana leaped from the rigging that she had hung by, her light frame making a surprisingly solid sound as she landed in a crouch.  From that crouch, as the ships began to close the distance between them, her slate-gray eyes narrowed as her legs spread out in a low stance.  Her knees bent achingly close to the deck, and her left hand formed a knife-edge just above her knee, and the other formed a half-fist just above her forehead, both arms slightly bent at the elbow.  For those with any appreciation for the martial arts, it was easily one of the most solid stances they had every seen.  Her entire visage seem to change and shift as essence flowed into her, making the small girl seem more like a mountain than even the biggest brute.

"Let them come taste the teeth of the Earth Dragon!"

Had the crew not been preoccupied with the battle, they might have noticed their morose engineer acting out of character.  In fact, he looked as though he had trouble figuring out what was going on exactly, much the same way someone who had been drinking heavily gets confused easily.  Truth be told, under different circumstances, this would have presented a most comical scene.  However, now was not the time for laughter on anyone's part

Kareth looked around dazed for several moments and then decided to try burning the fog again.  His Essence flared and lashed out again in a second burning arc.

[Private to GM: 3m to Elemental Bolt again. 6L+4L bonus from the fire effect.
14:12, Today: Isole Kareth rolled 1 success using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 3,2,7,5,5,2,4,3,1,3. Elem Bolt Dmg.
14:09, Today: Isole Kareth rolled 5 successes using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 9,6,4,10,6,9,6,7,4. Elem Bolt.]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:13, Thu 29 Jan 2009.

As the two ships break away from their current assault to chase the Dryad, Lasuri knows that their first goal has been achieved - they were noticed, and acknowledged as a threat. And if they can keep this impression - and escalate it by showing they are even more of a threat than the Lintha first thought - they can shift the course of this battle.

The Captain steps up, and climbs on the railing - a move that effectively puts him directly into the enemy's sights. Despite this, he stands on the edge of the Dryad, in plain view of the enemy, almost as if handing them a silent, irrefutable challenge. Strands of sea mist start to coalesce around him, forming snake like patterns that coil around his standing form. He holds his Wavecleaver and Axe in a relaxed but firm fashion, ready to meet any opposition thrown his way.

"Mister Donnegal." He calls out, eyes still affixed on the enemy. "The enemy is likely to try to outmaneuver us, and try to catch us in a ship sandwich. Try to... not let that happen. We need to maneuver where we're going to deny the fire of at least one ship, by putting one of them between us and the other at all times." With that, he gestures to the Marlena and to Captain Zeru, trusting that he would use the best of his abilities to complement to Dryad's strategy.

With that out of the way, Lasuri lifts his chin slightly, then continues. "You've got sharp senses, miss Kiana. Let us know if anyone gets on board that we didn't catch immediately. Now more than ever, you're the Dryad's senses." He turns towards her, and smiles at the display when she takes her stance, turning towards the rest of the crew.

"You've heard the lady! Don't let her do all the work here, and follow her example! Let no one get in here, and sunder anyone who tries!"[Private to GM: Activating Deck Striding Technique.]
This message was last edited by the player at 00:17, Fri 30 Jan 2009.