Kiana comes out of the Lintha attack unscathed and triumphant, but the Lintha slashing at Tageru and Kareth are much luckier. Both the Wood Immaculate and the engineer feel the sting of demon-spawn steel on their flesh, drawing blood from wounds on the arm (2L for Tageru) and torso (3L for Kareth), respectively.

Kareth's retaliating shot is disrupted as the Lintha he singles out uses his blade to slash right through the essence blast, partially dispersing it. The blast still strikes, though, impacting through his buff jacket as hard as if he'd just been knuckle-punched in the abdomen. (2B)

Jadira gets a much clearer shot, not caught in the thick of things like Kareth. Her two alchemically fueled shots belch projectiles of flame at Kareth's other opponent, roasting the demon-spawn alive. Blackened and blistered, he falls to the ground unconscious and dying. (7L total)

The Dryad crew continue to work in teams. Half of the archers hold their fire, keeping an eye out on the waters below. The other half work together to focus arrow shots on the weaker Lintha, taking out the one Kiana had stomped. The melee combatants swoop in to swarm the Lintha that tried to surround Kiana, preoccupying them so she might concentrate her effort on her next plan. Between them, Kiana's crewmen wound several and take out one more boarder, leaving but 5 wounded Lintha aboard.

The Lintha still in the water have managed to deal with the trap Lasuri and Kareth set. They don't surface just yet, but they are bound to at the next opportunity they can gain an an advantage.

---

OOC: just need confirmation from Lasuri and Kiana can do her thing. I'm holding the Lintha's next turn until after she does. Tageru can also attack. [Private to Cynis Tageru: PM me if you use your initiation charms for spirit-sight, I'll let you know what Kiana already saw. But if you don't get to it before I resolve Kiana's next action, you'll miss the opportunity to see anything.]

boarders status
killed: 15
on the Dryad: 5 [1 5hl, 4 3hl]
underwater, done with nets: 6 [2 5hl, 3 4hl, 1 3hl]
underwater, unaccounted for: 15
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:18, Thu 19 Feb 2009.

The Sea Drake takes only a short moment to listen to what Kiana has to say, then nods sharply. There is not much time to consider and ponder things, really. All that matters is that something is done.

"Got it!" He shouts, to Kiana's attention. He does not question her, or interrogate her about what she has found out or seen - he simply nods, and immediately gets to work on adjusting the heading of the Dryad to precisely where the Lintha flagship used to be.

"Don't know what you have in mind, miss, but we'll work it up as it goes. I'll give you the best damn chance I can give you, so make sure that whatever you do, you take that chance and give them your worst." He smiles, then focuses on piloting the Dryad towards their destination.

He does not seem to drive the ship almost as commune with it. As soon as he gets to the task, all of his senses are focused together as one, and his face becomes a mask of placid concentration. He makes minute adjustments to the wheel, as if making really precise change in course - changes too small or minute to even look like it would matter, and yet he makes certain he handles every one of them carefully and precisely. He might not know what Kiana's plan is, but he would trust her instincts, and give her exactly the opportunity she had been requesting.

Right then... Do your best.

As the ship sailed toward the spot the flagship was last scene, Kiana trusted her crew to keep the remaining Lintha off of her back as she headed toward the front of the Dryad.  With the first wave more or less obliterated, and the Lintha ship currently frozen in the spirit world, there was precious little to distract her from the task at hand.  That Sorcerer on deck had already proven to be a problem--and the demon on board might well prove to be more of a problem, if things turned sour.

As the boat approached, she took deeper breaths, channeling the essence she would need for what was to come only shortly.  It wasn't hard, even this far from her mother element--the gifts of her father made sure of that.  The slow surge of essence began to build and build, until finally her anima flared without her consent, sending an ethereal sand storm whirling around the girl, with small bits of bright colored ghost gems swirling in the chaotic mix.  It was a strange aura to be seen on a member of such a solid element (and immaculate art) but Kiana's life was far from stable, and the emotional turmoil the anima betrayed was almost as tragic as it was beautiful.

Legs bent low, they began to merge into the space the ghost-ship occupied, and there Kiana saw her prey.  The woman had two body-guards close at all times, it seemed, though all of them were frozen--or, to the eyes of the rest of the crew, completely invisible.  It was now or never.

Though she had been almost completely still as the ship approached, she had been preparing herself--precisely aligning her mind with her body, imagining the thousands of strikes available to her.  Only when she was sure of her strikes, and that they were the most damaging she could inflict did she strike.  Though on deck it looked like she was merely practicing a violent Kata, the implications of those strong movements was impressive.

She stepped through toward one of the still body guard, coming up from her low stance and sending her right foot high into the air and bringing it down it down in a devastating ax-handle kick across the back of his head.  Her foot landed on the deck with a thunderous shake.  It rested only long enough for her to transfer her weight to it, and she brought her left foot up into a front snap-kick into the midsection of the other, going through with the motion and landing far on the foot, landing far forward into a traditional low bow stance.  She turned her upper body slowly, facing the frozen Sorceress.  The two kicks had set her in front of the woman, just as she had planned.

With her left hand in a open-palmed block just above her head, her other was chambered low at her waist, and it was glowing through the White-Jade Smashfist she wore.  Through the gauntlet there seemed to be cracks of reddish-black energy forming, originating from her open palm and pulsing all the way to her elbow.

Kiana said nothing.  No witty remark or insight.  Her other hand chambered to her waist at the same time the glowing one shot out, her waist turning precise momentum.  The open palm landed just into the woman's stomach, resonating into large red-black ripples at the impact.  The ripples of essence resonated so powerfully that, for a split second, the entire crew could see the the entire Lintha crew, and the three Kiana had struck.

As suddenly it had happened it was gone, the images gone in the same blink they were produced, leaving Kiana standing firm in her strike, her eyes still glowing brightly from the charms she had used to see and strike at them.

"Vile, Demon-spawned wretches!" Tageru shouts as the Lintha cuts his shoulder, and even though the power of the Wood Dragon is already working on healing him, the wound hurts and the Immaculate clenches his teeth so as not to cry out in pain.

The big monk stands up straight in front of the Lintha, as tall as the inhuman pirate, and he pulls his bow. There's nothing subtle about the aim, it seems completely without grace and brutal, but when he looses it, the arrow flies straight into the Lintha's chest, and flies out the other side of his torso, leaving a gaping wound. The Immaculate glows with fury and turns to face the other Lintha at his side, his bow ready to inflict violence. As the pirate swings at him, he twists and catches his sword between his jade bow and his palm, rips it out of the pirate's grip and shoots it back into his face.

[Private to Storyteller: OOC: I'm so sorry for not posting more often, I'm having some RL problems-nothing huge, but still time-taking. :( I'll try to post more regularly, but I apologize nonetheless...
As for the actions, if I think there's something incorporeal I should see, then I'd turn on the Charm, but if not, then I'm perfectly happy with conserving Essence.
I use 1 WP on attacking the Lintha, then I wait, and parry with my hands the next time. (this is actually just one attack, and a connected stunt for the next action's parry and attack)
:)]

In the instant that the ripple from Kiana's essence penetrates the realm of Creation and spirit, the entire crew of the Spring Dryad II sees exactly what has happened -- and what she has done.

The ethereal image of the demonic ship is superimposed upon that of the solid, physically manifested Dryad, as the Cobalt flagship passes right through the space it occupies. Kiana stands right in front of where the sorceress had thrown her first spell, her palm strike going right through the Lintha woman's stomach -- strangely, without blood -- and briefly out the lower back before snapping back. On either side are the two Lintha struck by her kicks, still motionless, but one with his head at an odd angle (4B), and the other with his breastplate cracked at the midsection. (3B)

Then... the moment passes. The images are gone, time flows right again, and the Dryad sails past the area the Kri Kiamo dematerialized. Tageru sends another arrow right through a Lintha, killing him instantly just before the enemy flagship re-enters the physical realm. It and the Dryad face back-to-back in that moment, moving away from one another.

The Lintha regain their mobility, immediately readying arrows and turning to fire another volley at the Cobalt crew. But the sorceress near the foredeck remains utterly still and unmoving, her feet rooted in place by Kiana's Earth-powered, halting strike. Temporarily freed of control, the many-limbed demon on board moas wrathfully and lashes out at the wounded Lintha nearest it, piercing them with sword and spear!

"Fire, you fools, FIRE!" shouts the Lintha Captain furiously. Arrows fall amidst the Dryad crew, missing the fighters but nicking a few of the archers. The rest aim for the Cobalt Dragon-blooded, firing in coordinated groups of three. Two arrows poke ineffectually at Tageru's lamellar and break uselessly off Kiana's skin, while the rest blows off-course from Lasuri's wind shield.

[Private to Cynis Tageru: 3 sux, 3 sux, 1 sux, at -3 DV for you. Hrm, since your parry stunt was assuming  you're hit by enemies on board, I'll save it for next. Your DV for the arrows is 2, it'd be 3 but -1 for your attack. Two arrows hit, but your soak gives you 0 damage.]
[Private to Lasuri Leomaris: 1 sux, 1 sux, 1 sux, at -5 DV for you. Your wind shield lets you avoid them all.]
[Private to Kiana Makohgn: 1 sux, 2 sux, 6 sux, at -3 DV for you. Your best DV is 7-3 for your attack, -3 for enemy coordination, so you only have... 1 DV! I rolled damage already, but even though the arrows hit you, they did no damage. You could still stunt if you want ("ha! can't hurt me with your puny arrows!" or something :D)]
[Private to Jadira Thornbloom: 2 sux, 3 sux and a botch, at -3 DV for you. With all the ranged protection effects stacking on you, all miss.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:44, Fri 20 Feb 2009.

While the Dryad and the Kri Kiamo faced off, the Wavecrest Navy progressed in its own battle, achieving a narrow and hard-won victory. With one Lintha ship sunk, and the embattled navy picking off the stragglers (mimicking, Lasuri and Kareth might be pleased to see, the burning net tactic they employed before), the Wavecrest trireme freed from battle now turns about to approach the enemy flagship.

The trireme, battered and undermanned as it is, is no lightweight. Its foredeck cannon belches out a fiery stream -- a warning shot, at this distance, but enough to make clear the Lintha's increasingly desperate situation.

At the helm of the Kri Kiamo, the towering figure of the enemy Captain turns to face Lasuri at the stern. Taller than any normal human, with dark ruddy skin, his partially bald head is patterned with horns and a long topknot at the crown. "I am Lintha Dara-Said Father Hazhain Sul, Captain of the Kri Kiamo. Heed my oath: You are now marked! Ever after shall Lintha Dara-Said be your enemy!!" He grits his teeth, then spits out his command -- "WE DEPART!"

Beside the flagship there are only two remaining Lintha vessels: a galley now escaping the Navy ships, and a captured courier. The artillery ship appears to have been dealt with handily by Zeru's crew, and now remains still in the water. The demons in the sea can easily follow from underwater, but the four wounded Lintha left on board know their lives will soon be forfeit.

Preferring death over capture, the remaining boarders burn with infernal energy to power a last ditch assault.

One leaps for Tageru, who blocks his attack and sends him flying to the ground, his face split in two by an arrow. (7L)

Another charges straight for Kiana in a frontal assault, his hooked auhzian blade slashing at her arms to weaken her defenses with pure, unthinking brute force before lunging in for the kill. [Private to Kiana Makohgn: Ok... this time 3 attacks from the same target, which means onslaught penalties. Your DV against this starts at 4, the enemy got 6 successes for each attack. One attack hits with 2 successes, the next with 3, and the last with 4. In this case you could stunt to block the first two but the third will hit, unless you spend a WP to avoid it (WP is another +1 DV).]

A third rushes Lasuri, leading in with a pair of bewildering feints before thrusting his sword toward his throat: "The captain's head is mine!!" [Private to Lasuri Leomaris: Only the last attack will hit you, it's 9 successes, and you're at -2 DV. Defend if you can!]

The last finds himself caught in the midst of the mortal crew, and fights futilely to free himself, wounding one of them shallowly.

---

OOC: Remember that right now the Dryad is now facing opposite the Kri Kiamo. As for the (now 3) remaining boarders they are damaged 5L, 3L and 3L. You could easily capture them at this point or kill them.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:44, Sun 22 Feb 2009.

From the deck of the Dryad, Lasuri salutes the rival Captain with his Wavecleaver, visibly unperturbed by the proclamation. "Good to know we've made the list, Captain. Hope you remember what happened here before you plan out that sort of thing around these parts again. Oh, and my best regards to your superiors. I'm sure the story of your exploits here will be glorious to recount to them."

The last words are almost cut off by the Lintha's death threat - the attacks forcing Lasuri to defend or die. He regards his opponent as the slices come, trying to seize him up through his desperate attack. The Captain's response time is incredibly fast, and with the first steps it is apparent that his movements are... peculiar. They are not regular swordsman, that is for certain. The way he moves across the deck as he evades attack is reminiscent of a circular pattern, more akin to a tribal dance than a usual combat style.

And yet, there is something terribly effective to this pattern. It is disorienting, almost mesmerizing. It follows a rhythm only the Sea Drake can hear. Whenever one might think they have a grasp of it, it halts and pushes in a different direction, throwing off the timing and creating a new pattern. What's more, the patterns of steps, halts, half movements and retreats seem to follow the movements of the boat perfectly; Lasuri's quick motions use momentum when necessary and even go against the ship's rolling to keep his opponent off balance.

"By all means, it's right here." The Captain says, eyes dangerously predatory as he breaks one step and quickly shifts his direction once more. "Careful not to get bitten, though."

[Private to GM: Going to put 8 motes into second dodge excellency to put my dodge at 8, and hope I can rack up at least a +1 stunt for the last point I need to beat that attack :o]

Seeing that the battle on the Dryad was mostly in hand, Kareth sets about staunching the rather nasty wound he received from the demon-blood.  After the bleeding gets under control he takes those of his repair team who aren't involved in subduing the few remaining pirates and begins to assess the damage to the ship.

[Private to GM: Today: Isole Kareth rolled 4 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6,7,9,5,9,7. Perc + Craft(Magitech): recognize repair. ]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:02, Sat 21 Feb 2009.

Deep breaths followed the strikes to the ethereal plane, and as she remained in the striking pose she didn't even notice the ripples that tore through the physical realm, nor that the others got a brief glimpse of the implications of her blows.  Only the yell of the Lintha captain seemed to move her, so hard was her concentration.

Then, without warning, three arrows picked her as their next home and came sailing at her through the air!  They were too fast for her to simply avoid, so instead of darting out of their path, she brought her arms up in a whirling motion, both appendages swirling in front of her in two separate waves.  All three arrows bounced off of her White-Jade Gauntlets like toothpicks against a mountain, sending the wicked heads splintered off and into the depths below.  She snorted in annoyance at the ranged attack--such things were hardly honorable combat, at least in a skirmish this close.  On the field of battle proper, such tactics were commonplace, but-

She had little time to continue her thought as one of the Lintha was suddenly upon her, releasing a barrage of bottled rage!  Kiana was quick to react, sliding her read foot back in a retreated slide as her right hand snaked in front of her face and slapped the first strike away.  Clang!  The sword barely missed her face as it was forced off-course, her hands stinging somewhat within the gauntlets due to the sheer force of the blow she re-directed.  Clang!  Taking another low sliding step back, the same hand as before came out wide and deflected yet another bladed attack, the side of the blade actually grazing her shoulder and slicing the sleeve of her right arm neatly off, exposing her slightly pale skin as a result.

Off-balance as she was, Kiana was dismayed to find she had backed herself against the railing of the ship--she had no where else to go.  The raging pirate was quick to celebrate his cornered prey, and lunged toward her.  Kiana, however, was still processing this strange not-having-a-place-to-move happenstance.  She saw the Lintha coming at the last moment, and saw the murderous intent in his eyes.

Kiana thought of her Father--of her studies and the time they had spent together.  She thought of her Mother, how cruel and malicious she had been.  Most of all, however, she thought of all the things she had left to do--she would not die here, not by this pathetic whelps blade!  "No!" She said between clenched teeth as her Anima flared yet brighter still, the sand-storm effect swirling around her faster still, making her appear even more-stone like than before.  The last blow, surely set to slit her throat (and remove her head entirely!) sliced over her neck in a flashing slice.  Instead of bleeding, however, Kiana simply stood defiant, glaring at the foolish Pirate.  "I will not fall.  Not today...and not to you."

Jadira stalks forward with her plasma repeater in hand. "Captain!" she shouts, starting to cross the distance between herself and Lasuri.

Green tendrils swarm up her arm to embrace the fingers of her trigger-hand. Not even breaking her stride, she aims and fires a precise shot at the Lintha that had attacked him. The weapon belches alchemical fire, propelling a small pearl-like bullet toward the back of the demonic being's head.

"Archers," she says sternly, "we've got the demons pulling back. But it might be a trick! If you so much as see them twitch towards firing at us again, don't hesitate to bury an arrow into their treacherous hearts!"

The armswoman keeps her eyes on the situation on the deck, ready to fire off another shot at Lasuri's attacker if need be--or support Kiana or her crew should they prove unable to fend off the remaining two.

[Private to GM: OK, I'll split twice, spend 2m each on two attacks. The first will go toward the Lintha attacking Lasuri. The second will go towards finishing off that Lintha, or (if it's alread dead) helping Kiana's crew with the other two.]
This message was last edited by the player at 07:16, Sun 22 Feb 2009.

The Lintha attacking the Cobalt captain finds his blade narrowly slicing at air. Lasuri is just not quite in the place where he expects him to be, unpredictable and confident as he is in his mastery of combat at sea. It doesn't matter to the demon-spawn in the next moment, since by that time his head has been burst open by Jadira's alchemical bullet blasting through his skull.

Kiana's attacker fails at penetrating her formidable defenses. Her smashfists fend off his blows with such force that his shoulders nearly dislocate, and when his last blow looks almost certain to split the girl in two, it impacts ineffectually with her supernaturally hardened skin. His weapon actually cracks against her neck, the hooked part of the blade snapping right off and clattering to the ground.

While the Lintha looks at his partially broken weapon, a mix of rage and surprise on his darkened features, the crew assigned to her rallies to overwhelm him. "Come on men, let's not let Miss Kiana do all the work," shouts Saari, directing one group to surround the one that had attacked the Earth Aspect. "Let's show 'em what it means to trespass on our lady Dryad's deck!" Leeds proclaims, rousing another four to take on the other Lintha still standing.

They swarm their respective targets, and the last pair of Lintha boarders go down with blades piercing their bodies on all sides. (Jadira retains her last shot after all!)

Captain Hazhain Sul narrows his eyes at Lasuri's barbs, unconcerned at the loss of his crewmen. He is rather more agitated at his defeat -- temporary, of course -- than concerned about individuals whom, to his mind, had died as much from their weak blood as from an impossible situation to survive.

"Do not be so hasty to think you have won this easily, dragon-blood," utters the Lintha Father. Though the distance between him and Lasuri continues to grow, the message comes to the Water Aspect as easily as if he had been speaking right in his ear. "If either you or the Wavecrest men had faced us alone, you would be on a slave ship or at the bottom of the sea!"

Then his voice rises, amplified by some unknown magic so that all ships in the vicinity hear him speak: "We WILL be back. Nevermoor is ours, and it will never respond to your blood! NEVER!"

The archers on the Kri Kiamo continue to fire shots to cover their retreat, reduced in number now as the other crewmen manipulate rigging lines and sails, maneuvering the ship into a full retreat. The Dryad archers retaliates as best it can, kneeling to make themselves smaller targets. They are better matched, now, trading shots less to kill than to deter any attempts at a more concentrated attack. But the Dryad crew still take more arrows than the Kiamo does.

The enemy flagship is soon joined by its remaining accompanying galley and courier. They are moving out of range but for the most skilled of archers, at this point.

With the battle dying down, Kareth and his repair team have the opportunity to stamp out the flames from the sorcery spell. The spell has only penetrated the wooden material of the deck, and could be repaired with Second Age techniques, but would require some extra lumber to do so. [Private to Isole Kareth: The Dryad has taken about 6 health levels of fire damage. For the Dryad this is pretty minor and it'll be able to sail on fine with such damage. Of course all those little damages add up, so, probably shouldn't go too long without doing something about it.]

At the helm, Lasuri hears the voice of the Spring Dryad fill his mind... [Private to Lasuri Leomaris: "The Kri Kiamo is not a ghost. She is a powerful demon-spirit in the shape of a three-tailed siren. I have seen her true form, and I would recognize her instantly. It is the same for her -- she looked straight through to me, Lasuri. When they return, they will want to kill us. It may take them years to build up the strength, but such a heartfelt desire for revenge holds the power of an oath. Be wary!"]

Donnegal's report is much more down to earth: "Well, we're still alive, old friend." He kicks in disgust at the dead Lintha that lay sprawled between him and Lasuri. "What now, captain?"

---

OOC: Combat's over, unless Jadira and Tageru fire some last moment shots. But feel free to post any other reactions you have. There'll be a new thread soon (with Zeru and Xander included) unless Lasuri orders a pursuit.

With a smile, he salutes Jadira gratefully, bowing theatrically to her once his opponent has been downed. He says nothing - there is no need for words. No matter what he has to say, he knows the Armswoman will already understand. Gazing back for but a second, he turns his attention back to the Lintha captain, and nods at the challenge.

"Weak men speak in ifs, Captain. Those who lose find excuses in circumstances. The strong don't need excuses - they see their own role in their defeat, and man up to it." He nods, then lifts his wavecleaver, to signal Jadira and her crew to hold their fire. "We'll meet again, Captain. You won't need to stalk us... As long as you keep thinking these waters and those on it are yours for the taking, we'll never be far. I'll be waiting."

The Captain suddenly closes his eyes, seemingly listening to something, and then, after a moment, nods slowly. "I hear your warning, Loyal Friend. Their ambitions or our ideals... Only one will find strength to survive. I guess it's going to be about who's strongest in the end - dedication or revenge." He pauses, then lays a hand on the wheel reverently, eyes still closed. "You've got my thanks as always, swift one. I'll be mindful, I promise. And we'll see how we can use that burning desire for revenge against its owner - there's not quite anything as malleable as a man who's got something to prove. Most of all... I believe in you, and in my people."

The Sea Drake finally opens his eyes, and claps Donengal on the shoulder, nodding in appreciation to his crewman and friend. In answer to his question, he turns towards the crew, and lets his voice carry onwards.

"The enemy is routed! Let them be - there's been enough blood spilled for today. Let them cling to their lives, we've already won what we sought to win, and that's because of all of your hard work and dedication!" He smiles, raising his sword in a graceful salute to all of them. "This victory is yours! Savor it, men and women of the Cobalt Alliance!"
This message was last edited by the player at 09:40, Sun 22 Feb 2009.

The anima that so fiercely defended Kiana started to settle and dim as the last of the Lintha were both dispatched and retreated from them.  She hoped some of them were still alive, however, if only to be able to question them, and perhaps be able to find where this Father-Captain held port.  Information like that would be more than useful in the days and weeks to come as they sailed these seas.  The demon mist would always be a good indicator of trouble coming their way, if their tactics were any indication.

Kiana smiled at the Captain's pronouncement of victory, though she didn't yell or scream along with the countless others that did.  The fight was over, and that being the case, Kiana withdrew quite a bit.  She was comfortable in such instances because she was sure of herself, and knew of what she was capable.  Outside of such things, with a few exceptions, she lacked such confidence.

She looked around the deck as she stepped away from the rail she was forced against, and was happy to see that each face assigned to her was still in one piece!  That caused a slightly larger smile to form across her face, and one could hardly imagine that such an angelic (melancholy) face had kicked a demon-blood several hundred yards away and onto another vessel entirely.  She reached into a hidden pocket on the inside ripped shirt she now wore, and produced a swatch of white cloth--several swaths, as a matter of fact.  She walked up to Saari and gently pressed one of the sheets of cloth against a long but shallow cut that grazed some of her shoulder and upwards to her neck.  "Honor Guard indeed!  The Captain is fortunate to have such people as his crew.  Each one of you preformed magnificently."  She said to them.  She gave the bandages to who could use them, and went to work bandaging the ones who could not, where the wounds were too deep, or perhaps too awkward.  She turned to Leeds as she observed a somewhat-serious looking gash on  Blythe.  "Leeds, I'm unfamiliar with what we have stocked, but surely a needle and some mending threads are on hand?"

For a moment the men and women of the Dryad savor their triumph. For Cobalt it was more hard-won than most, and may have been disastrous, should they have entered the battle without allies for backup. But the crew trusts in Lasuri, that he would not lead them to a certain defeat, or sacrifice their lives needlessly.

There are quite a few cheers for Kiana, as well, who surprised many of them with her strength, tenacity and leadership skills. Even more surprised are they when she thereafter takes on medical duties as well. "Miss Kiana, you shouldn't trouble yourself patching us up," says Leeds, smiling. "But if you insist... I will show you some of our supplies."

The Spring Dryad has a sickbay, in fact, located below the quarterdeck. Until now Tageru has taken on the role of medic, supplemented by Jadira when she can get away from her usual duties as first mate and keeper of the armory. There are beds and stretchers, some already occupied by the wounded Jadira had ordered her men to bring there. Among the wounded archers are burn victims, some with arrows still buried in their bodies. A couple unlucky men were pierced by ballista ammunition; their fellows have snapped off enough of the large shaft so they could lie back, but have not dared remove the rest without medical training.

There are superior tools, as well, surgical knives and needles, scissors and saws, bandages and thread. Kiana easily finds what she is needing there. [Private to Kiana Makohgn: Since you've got great medicine we'll assume you can pretty much do basic first aid things without any problems. If you end up wanting to help some of Jadira's archers, though, they got more heavily wounded; that'll need medicine rolls.]

By now Jadira has tucked her repeater away. She holds the Lookshy strongbow in her hands, her eyes trained on the Kri Kiamo and its accompanying ships until they have moved well past long range fire.

Only then does she relax--slightly, her stance and expression ragged and weary. "We are victorious," she nods, moving among her crew and touching an arm, a shoulder here and there. They nod and lower their weapons. "And it's thanks to every one of you. We lost another of ours, but he will be remembered ever more. A moment of silence for Nikanor."

The cheers quiet down briefly as they offer a silent prayer for their comrade who took the enemy's fireball in Jadira's place.

"All right, men," Jadira breaks the silence several seconds later, not wishing for the crew to dwell on loss for too long. "If you're wounded, make sure you take care of that first. If you're not sure how, get it looked at in sickbay. Otherwise, let's get organized. Amon and Sorrel, start gathering up spare ammunition on the deck. River, Aquila, Carmine and Triste. Have a look at the artillery, make sure we're still in working order. The rest of you, start checking the Lintha boarders. Bring the dead ones over here, and start searching them." She points to one spot of the deck out of the way of the usual traffic. "Unpleasant, I know, but necessary. If you think you've got a live one, tie 'em up fast and bring 'em to the brig."

Then the Wood Aspect picks up the case for her strongbow, and walks over to join Lasuri and Donnegal. [Private to Lasuri Leomaris: Lasuri can tell that Jadira looks quite a bit more troubled than she is letting on. She's just keeping a stern attitude so it looks less obvious.] "You feeling all right? Quite a battle, wasn't it. I was going to join Kiana in sickbay, unless you've anything else for me."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:50, Mon 23 Feb 2009.

Most of the wounds suffered by her honor guard were shallow and without real danger to their lives, if not all of them.  These poor souls below deck were the ones that needed the help.  She frowned deeply after realizing the damage that had been done.  In the heat of battle she had not noticed the losses, as they were not under her command.  Sometimes focus was required, and her focus on her own men and the situation on hand had prevented her from noticing this--perhaps that was for the best for everyone, though.  They had won, and though she would argue otherwise, Kiana had played no small part in that victory.

"...Earth-Dragon preserve us..." She mumbled, going through the supplies and finding what she was looking for.  She handed Leeds more bandages and and handed him a small vial of crushed herbs that she recognized instantly.  "Here.  Take these to the others.  Just sprinkle this on the deeper cuts, only a little is needed, and simply wrap the wound to protect it."  After a moments hesitation, she also managed to grab a flask of fresh water (precious!) and handed to him as well.  "Have them rinse the wound first, of course.  Can you handle that, Leeds?"  She asked, careful to impress upon him the directions, and their importance.  If he didn't reject the (orders) request, she turned her attention to the others in the sick bay and began to appraise who was in the most need.  She began to gather the tools needed, turning to look over her shoulder before Leeds scampered off.  "Who acts as the ships doctor?  Jadira, maybe?  Whoever it is, please send them down here--I'd hate to begin without their approval, but some of these wounds can't wait for such formalities."

"That it was." Lasuri nods, smiling towards the Armswoman, and touching her arm briefly. "You and your crew did admirably. As always, you prove to be reliable in every way, 'Dira." He smiles once more. It is not often that he drops the usual honorifics in presence of the crew, but in that moment, he feels it is necessary. He knows the woman is not feeling as well as she might try to portray, and thus feels compelled to make it better, somewhat.

"I'll have Mister Donnegal do the honors for Nikanor. That's not a sacrifice that will ever be forgot - freedom is bought with the efforts and lives of many, and I always feel saddened to see the price... But if it was their choice to fight by our side, then the best we can do is honor their life's wishes." He tilts his head towards the woman, then brushes her cheek with a gloved hand, for only a moment.

"You should head down to help Miss Kiana. Me, Mister Donnegal and Mister Kareth will handle all the dirty business up-deck. We'll contact Mister Zeru and arrange a formal meeting for later on tonight, at dinner. Until then, you girls check out the wounded then get some rest. You've deserved it. I spent most of my time shouting and waving my arms around while you guys did the hard work, so I'll handle the rest of the work form here on end."

Kareth finally managed to get the bleeding to stop from his wound and decided to let the girls treat him after the more serious injuries were taken care of.  At the very least, he intended to get it bandaged and disinfected.  "Aye, Aye, Captain," he says stoically.  He tries his hardest not to show how much he's been weakened from his flesh wound, but the blood on his shirt, cloak, and breastplate make it somewhat obvious.  While he was certainly hardier than the mortals, he did allow himself a bit of envy at that moment for the Kiana and her sturdiness.  This was but a brief spark of emotion which he wrote off as being a sign of his own dragon's grace... a product of his own nature.  Despite his pain, this brought an amused smile to his face and the image of the dark engineer, covered in his own blood, with a smirk did nothing to make him seem more heroic in the eyes of the crew.

[Private to GM: 20:49,

This comes out to roughly 35 seconds for the bleeding to stop which should keep me from taking more damage... except for that botch... do what you want with that.

Today: Isole Kareth rolled 4 successes using 3d10 ...stamina + resistance: stop bleeding.

Today: Isole Kareth failed (no successes) using 3d10...stamina + resistance: stop bleeding.

Today: Isole Kareth failed (no successes) using 3d10... stamina + resistance: stop bleeding.

Today: Isole Kareth failed (no successes) using 3d10... stamina + resistance: stop bleeding.

Today: Isole Kareth rolled 1 success using 3d10... 4,4,7. stamina + resistance: stop bleeding.

Today: Isole Kareth botched using 3d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6,6,1. stamina + resistance: stop bleeding.

Today: Isole Kareth failed (no successes) using 3d10... stamina + resistance: stop bleeding. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:37, Wed 25 Feb 2009.

Tageru fires a couple of arrows at the retreating Lintha, but eventually stops and sits down to meditate for a moment. His wounds close quickly and he gets up and starts helping the others that were hurt in the battle as best as he can. There will be a time for celebration, but for now, it's best to stay alert, so the monk keeps his bow ready and his muscles tensed so he could react if the need arises.

Leeds nods at Kiana, "Don't worry, ma'am. I'll do my best to pass on your directions." The blond man dashes back to the main deck with the herb flask, bandages and water. Before he goes to help the other crewmen with first aid, though, he steps toward Jadira and the Captain. "Captain, excuse the interruption. Kiana would like your assistance in sickbay, Lady Thornbloom."

He doesn't linger after passing the message, seeing how close Lasuri and Jadira are standing together. Instead Leeds goes on to distribute bandages, measures of water and medicine to the wounded. Seeing the grumpy-looking engineer and his bloody wound, he stops to hand him a portion of the medical supplies, too. "Er, sir, just in case, I was told you give you this." He leaves the sterilized bandages with a pinch of herbs and a damp towel nearby, not quite wanting to get too close to the man with the dour smirk. "Might want to clean yourself up. Could get infected." [Private to Isole Kareth: Normally I would just let it go, but the botch means you'll have to roll to resist infection. With the bandages, you need to roll 2 sux, but you only get one roll per day. If you fail it, though, don't worry; there's more than one skilled with medicine aboard.]

Tageru's arrows, even at a great distance, manage to strike one of the archers on the retreating Kri Kiamo, bringing him to his knees. The unexpected arrow, shot despite Lasuri's orders, seems to cause a stir on the distant vessel. Perhaps arguing on a last-minute retaliation? It's increasingly unlikely, though, as they continue toward a course of escape.

Below in sickbay, Kiana works on treating the two shot by ballista. She disinfects the area with alcohol (prompting some wincing and groaning from the patients), then gives the men a wadded up towel to bite into when she pulls out the broken shaft. The process goes fairly smoothly with the first man, but the second requires some careful manipulation, as the shaft had partly splintered on impact. By the time she's done with the second patient, he's passed out from the pain. Probably better for him, overall.

After that is more disinfectant, then wrapping the wounds, which are both elementary tasks for Kiana.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:17, Wed 25 Feb 2009.

"All right, Las... thank you." Jadira's expression brightens slightly when the Captain's hand touches her cheek. "Though you shouldn't underestimate what you do for all of us. You and the Dryad are the heart and soul of this operation. Don't forget it."

She leans forward and kisses Lasuri, ignoring the nearby snickers of crew and likely Donnegal as well (that old codger!) Then she heads over to sickbay, seeing that Kiana has already gotten started with treating the patients. She just watches, for a moment, smiling to herself. She's at least as skilled as I am, even without the blessing of Sextes Jylis.

Jadira clears her throat when she thinks Kiana is done working for the moment. "Hello, Kiana. Leeds sent me here. I'm impressed, though... you know what you're doing. In fact, you've done a great deal of impressive feats so far, and I'm proud to have you aboard." The first mate's eyes sweep over the groups of wounded, assessing their condition, and how she might be able to aid them. "Let's see... I'll help with the arrow wounds, I am better dealing with wood. The burn victims I'll leave to you; be liberal with the disinfectant. We'll use the alcohol stores if we have to."

Jadira chuckles at the fresh chorus of groans that arises from that comment.

It was bloody work, dealing with the blows that the ballista, and the girl had already removed her Smashfist and placed them safely on her person so not to agitate the wounds further with the intrusion of more foreign materials.  Though Kiana's father had taught her much about combat, he had also been very stern about her learning a good deal of the non-magical healing arts.  When you fight hard, your men fight hard.  But they will not always be as strong as they need be, my daughter.  That is why you must learn all there is to know about the human body, and what makes it tick.  You know how to destroy--now you must learn how to repair.

After the worst of the messy work was done, she finished the wraps and made sure they were tight.  She placed the somewhat clean back of her hand against one of the sailors foreheads, a small frown on her face as she felt for fever.  It was too soon to check for it, maybe, but her senses were keen, and even a hint could caught early, if one was especially sensitive.  She felt nothing, though, and that was a blessing.

Kiana turned when Jadira spoke, and gave a ghost of a smile at the compliment.  "I only did what I was made to do, Jadira."  She said, a few flecks of blood splattered across her pale cheek from the messier part of procuring the shrapnel from the men.  Was she being humble?  She was an Earth Dragon, of course she was humble!  But something else was hinted in the words--made to do?  Was she only speaking of her father's training?  Or perhaps of the abuse she had suffered?  A combination thereof?  It was a sad thought, though, to think that your purpose in life was to cause pain, wasn't it?

She nodded quickly as Jadira took command of the sick bay, and why not?  It was much easier to follow than it was to lead, and she was especially grateful since Jadira was obviously older and wiser in such things.  She went to the first set of burn victims and began to administer first soothing cold water, and then the disinfectant.  She then went to work at the unpleasant task of cutting away what flesh was ruined, so that the new could begin to heal over.  She whispered calming words of comfort as some of the men winced and groaned, and some even screaming, from the pain.  She was kind and gentle, but almost robotic in the efficiency that she went from wound-to-wound, and then patient-to-patient.