The captain immediately takes up the cue, and steps in to keep the tone of the meeting cordial and inviting.

"Oh please, gentlemen, I'm not so important that you need to clamor my name all at once." Lasuri says, standing up at the laughing cue.

Once again, the Captain has dropped his usual dress to wear his 'proper' outfit - a black captain's coat with silver clasps and trimmings, with matching black trousers and polished boots. His dark blue hair is tied back in a neat ponytail, keeping it away from his face.

"It warms the heart of this sailor to see that even through the hardships, our people kept their good spirits. That keeps me from having to act more solemn that needs be." He smiles warmly, nodding slightly towards all of his trusted comrades before turning to the newcomers. "As I was so impeccably - and quite undeservingly - announced, I'm Captain Lasuri Leomaris of the Cobalt Alliance, and those seated at this table are the heart and soul of the Alliance themselves. In their name and mine, I want to bid you welcome aboard the Spring Dryad II."

"Given the current situation and the events we all just went through, I don't want to make this long and boring. I'm not one for long winded speeches, and I'm too scared I'll trip myself up in my own recitations if I tried to pretend... So I suppose now that the welcome is past, the logical continuation is..." He looks over the ship's captains as well as the young man accompanying them, and smiles.

"What is it I can do for you, gentlemen?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:15, Sun 01 Mar 2009.

It was starting to get tense at the table, or so Kiana sensed, before the captains tried to take command of the situation.  The fact that both of them tried at the same time, and failing considerably each attempt was certainly entertaining, however!  Unlike Zeru, she didn't laugh, but merely hid her bit of mirth behind a pale hand, hiding the smile so as to not anyone at the table.

She bowed her head the slightest bit, as to hide the smile a bit better, and met Jadira's gaze.  The corners of her mouth betrayed a larger smile growing, but despite it all she was able to keep any wild giggles to herself.

She knew they didn't care for women sailors, as most of the civilized world felt the same, but she knew her birth-right shed such restrictions, and was a little more comfortable for it.

Xander sat quietly fingering a strange pendent he keeps around his neck. He looks around studying the different figures. A couple he knew some of but most of them were complete strangers. Though he's amused by the captains' outbursts he doesn't show it. As Lasuri makes his statement Xander looks to see who will be the first to talk and what they would say.

Captain Irongall frowns deeply in Zeru's direction, obviously offended at being made a laughingstock of. (Fairwind's reaction is more of an incredulous eyebrow-arch.) But whatever retort Irongall might have spoken is lost in Lasuri's initial speech, and once again the chance to speak his mind is dangled in front of him.

He opens his mouth again... then clamps it shut, crossing his arms at Hirdu. It is a rather amusing sight, seeing grown men vie for the attention of the Cobalt Captain. But this time Hirdu just waves his hand nonchalantly at the Navy man, letting him speak.

"As you know, Captain Leomaris," says Irongall severely, rising from his seat once he has secured the attention of the room, "I am Captain Irongall of the Wavecrest Navy Ship Shieldwarden. There are several points I would like to make, but I should remind you that you were the one to invite us to your table. In any case..."

"I suppose the gentlemanly thing to do would be to thank you and your crew for your intervention. Truth be told, we are... unused... to Lintha activity so close to Wavecrest waters. There must be some specific reason they are overextending themselves, rather than tangling with the vile pirates of the Coral Archipelago." Irongall emphasizes those words, his gaze sweeping over the seated Cobalt members, as if he could determine simply from their faces whether they are pirate-friends or not. "I have a difficult time believing they have simply ...run out of targets in their usual lanes, that they would come as far out as the Wavecrest Islets."

Captain Fairwind stands to join his superior. His expression is much less dour but he seems... unhappy, nonetheless. "Roche Fairwind, Captain of the Falchion," he announces to all present, as if simply to get it over with. "What we're wondering, actually, is whether you had any prior knowledge of the Lintha attack, or about what they might be looking for."

---

OOC: In case you forgot, Cobalt has a letter of marque from the Coral Archipelago. But that doesn't mean they condone everything Coral does, just that they can buy and sell on Coral's black market.

Also if anyone would like to try to read the guests' various motivations/emotional states, you can roll Perc+Investigation or Socialize.

"That I did. I figured, since you had expressed the desire to actually speak with us, that it'd be the best course of action. Bad for a Captain to actually invite himself aboard other Captains' ships, right? " The Sea Drake responds to Irongall's words. He pauses and listens to their words carefully when they speak them, nodding here and there to punctuate his understanding.

"The Lintha so far from their usual doghouse is a worrying thing, that much I'll agree with wholeheartedly. And sadly, we don't know more than you do - we'd only heard rumors that they'd been spotted around further than they usually are, and came to do a little investigating of our own. It was by chance that we happened to run into this particular battle - and once we saw it, we just decided to help out."

Lasuri pauses, as if thinking of something else before speaking. "The only hint I've got as to what they might be actually looking for is something their leader said just before leaving - that 'it' would not respond to those not of Lintha blood. I'm not sure if that has any meaning to you, but it doesn't to me. In any case though, I figure it's not something anybody with common sense would want the Lintha to have. If they're risking straying that much for it, it must be pretty powerful or useful to them. And what's useful to them might become a bane for everybody else around."

Again Loukan Hirdu clears his throat, raising his hand from his corner of the table. "If I may speak? Thank you," he says, as if he'd already been invited to do so. "I may be able to help, should you bullheaded folk listen," he says to the Navy men in particular; Irongall, predictably, bristles at the words, while Fairwind seats himself to hear the man out. "I didn't take a kick from the boot of Hazhain Sul himself because I had any love for the barnacled bastard. Rather I was seeking information. And so was he."

"So the Lintha Father took an interest in you, sir?" says Captain Irongall, staring down at Hirdu. The mustachioed man made no move to rise from his chair, obviously pained enough by his wounds that sitting is more comfortable. "And here I thought they killed and plundered, and took men only to sell as slaves --"

"I'm gettin' to that, Navy Captain, sir," Hirdu pronounces, his tone rising. "Don't get prickly with me! I know you lost men, and I'm sure they were right fine men at that. Doesn't mean you have to go suspecting everyone outside yer crew as pirates or Lintha-friends. I assure you, Hazhain Sul and his spawn showed my men much less mercy. They ate them alive."

Once that had silenced the room enough, Hirdu glances around the table, addressing everyone except the Navy officers. "Now, may I?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:38, Mon 02 Mar 2009.

"Please." Kiana said softly, nodding to the man to continue.  He had her attention, rapt as the rest of them at the 'Ate them alive' comment.  Inwardly, Kiana considered that perhaps she had been on the wrong boat.  The casualties on the Dryad had been small, in no small part thanks to the offense the ship brought with it.  She was a pivotal part of that offense, but perhaps she could have been useful elsewhere?  She flushes it from her mind, and instead focuses on Hirdu.

Jadira, having gotten her urge for laughter out of her system, purses her lips in slight displeasure at the face-off between the captains. She had hoped they would not be so disdainful of one another after winning a major conflict together. Of course that would be too much to ask, wouldn't it? Even among allies people find ways to disagree, and the more insular they are, the more paranoid they are.

Wavecrest just happens to be that kind of insular. Especially against pirates. Well, let's see if we can salvage this situation.

"We're all on the same side here, aren't we? The Lintha are enemies of us all." The armswoman nods emphatically. "So Captain Hirdu, if you have information about why they are acting up so close to Wavecrest then I think all of us would like to know."

Xander's piercing gaze floated from person to person settling on to each of the captians one at a time. He gave each of them a strange look almost like he was looking around them more than at them exactly. First was Captain Fairwind. He got a nod of almost aproval as Xander's gaze passed him. Captian Hirudu Xander already knew much about and only got a passing glance though he paused long enough to note something that anyone watching him couold only guess at. Captain Leomaris got a small smile that was eaisily hidden and a nod of his own. Last was Captian Irongull and he got got a long look and a flash of disgust and wariness appeared on Xanders face before quickly being wiped away.

Of course most of this was done quickly and the emotions only lasted for a fraction of a second but anyone watching Xander qould notice some of it. Xander himself wasn't used to the pendant and the new insights it gave him caused him to not be as caregul as he could have been. Though at the mention of THe crew being eaten Xanders face went blank. The screams of the men had been horrible to hear and he hated the fact that he couldn't have done anything to help them.

Seemingly oblivious of Xander's scrutiny, Captain Irongall makes some sort of grunt of assent, and sits back down.

"To most people the islands surrounding this area are known as the 'Wavecrest Islets'," Loukan Hirdu begins the explanation he was so eager to give. The short, somewhat rotund man finally rises from his chair with a bit of a lurch, leaning on the edge of the table. "But to the Lintha they are called the Isles of Nevermoor."

"More accurately, Nevermoor is a subset of the Wavecrest Islets: A circle of six small islands, between which a seventh surfaces at random, but most often on a Saturnday, or the last week of a month. Some consider it a live behemoth, others a Wyld island, cursed or bewitched in some fashion; nonetheless it is the source of much legend and superstition." Hirdu falters briefly, wheezing as if he'd spoken too much without remembering to breathe.

"In Wavecrest we call it the Seven-Day Island," Captain Fairwind contributes, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and ignoring the look his colleague gives him. "But it's just a sailor's fable -- or are you saying it's been found?"

"Legends like these are my bread and butter, Navy Captain," says Hirdu, finally catching his breath again. "And Nevermoor is one I have sought for some time. I have only discovered quite recently (and RATHER unfortunately) that the Lintha, or at least this Dara-Said Hazhain Sul, are also interested in it. They seek a relic at the heart of Nevermoor, one that if fully assembled would 'revive the blood of Kimbery'." He pauses to stroke his mustache, comically theatrical in his desire for dramatic effect. "With this relic, the Lintha may well return to a level of power unheard of since the previous Age!"

---

OOC: Figured I should at least give the start of the explanation so people won't just repeat 'please go on'. Hopefully gives something to discuss before I can post again :) (and I'll remember to intro Xander properly by my next post, too)
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:50, Mon 02 Mar 2009.

Kareth looked somewhat perplexed and disturbed for a moment.  Then the dark individual's eyes almost seemed to gleam eerily in the lamp light of the cabin as his normal disinterest faded from his face.  "Revive the blood of Kimberly?  From my knowledge of the Lintha, were they wiped out in a war with the Dragons, except for 100 survors.  Since then, they used rape to increase their numbers, thus thinning their blood.  This device could possibly be a means to increase the power in their bloodline."  With this, Kareth stops and ponders for a minute, "Forgive my interruption Captain, I am merely conjecturing.  I do wonder if anyone here might be able to tell me, is this the first time a group, Lintha or not, have tried to find this device?  Specifically, anyone hailing from the Threshold in the past 30 to 50 years."  Kareth made no attempt at hiding the fact that he had other reasons to be enraptured by this tale other than the excitement of it.  It involved a strange device, and a chance to get information which would be personally valuable:  this tale was right up his ally.


[Private to GM:

I'm guessing 4 sux is good enough to know that kind of knowledge.  I figured anything Kareth knew would be a revised history written through the eyes of the Shogunate so I made the war with the Dragons and not the Anathema.

Today: Isole Kareth rolled 4 successes using 8d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,9,2,8,3,3,10,5. Int + Lore. ]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:20, Mon 02 Mar 2009.

Lasuri listens intently when the man speaks, as he visibly endured much in order to bring out this tale. There is a hint of respect when the Captain watches his guest relate the events, and his brow furrows as the worrying news. "As a fellow Captain, I want to extend my sympathies for your loss, Captain. I'll have my ship's chaplain available at your request if you need it, to make sure those brave souls are sent properly to the other side." He nods to Hirdu, letting Kareth speak before saying anything else. The Sea Drake shakes his head as the engineer apologizes.

"Mister Kareth. You sail under the Cobalt flag, which means there are no such things as 'interruptions' from you. Your opinion is valued, as is the opinion of any of those sitting at this table. And you do well to talk about the things you're knowledgeable in." The Sea Drake's expression is much darker than it was before, however, turned somber by the new Captain Hirdu brings them.

"I'm not really that knowledgeable in artifacts and objects of wonder as a whole, and I'll admit to it readily. I'm not a savant, though I like to think I'm imaginative enough to at least understand the consequences that come from the use of such objects." He looks at the other captains, and shakes his head softly.

"I'm not really much into reviling groups usually, since everyone has their reasons for doing what they do, I suppose. But the Lintha are a conglomerate I've seen and heard enough of to know there's something sinister lurking under the surface. They're the example of the kind of thing any of us could become - so concerned with ourselves and our own profit that everything and anyone else becomes expendable. If the words of Mister Kareth and Mister Hirdu are true, and I believe they are... Then that means that this can't be something that can be allowed. If we stand by and do nothing, we'll be just as guilty when more people go through what Mister Hirdu did."

[Private to Isole Kareth: Sure, I think your roll suffices. :)]

Hirdu waits respectfully for Lasuri to finish speaking before answering Kareth. "Aye, no need for apologies, sir," he replies to the engineer. "The device, I am not completely certain. We explorer-savants don't always keep tabs with one another, as we're... competing, in some fashion." His chuckling ends in an undignified 'ow' as he presses a hand to his bandages. "But I'll admit I didn't know much about it either until my painful encounter with the Lintha. I'd only been hunting the Seven-Day Island, and they thought I knew something about their precious chalice!"

"We don't often keep current on the treasure hunter sort." adds Captain Fairwind. "More likely that the Navy's called on to clean up when they get stranded or beset by unforeseen circumstances." He glances pointedly at the portly, dark-haired Captain of the Ambition.

Hirdu blithely ignores the attention, continuing to address Kareth. "Why, is there something in particular you are looking for?" He eyes the Fire Aspect appraisingly. "Or a someone. Hmmmph. I do have colleagues among various societies of explorer-savants and artifact-collectors in the Threshold. Name a name and I might be able to tell you something."

"More importantly," cuts in Captain Irongall, more interested in Lasuri's words than Kareth's, "are you insinuating that we involve ourselves in the affairs of the Lintha -- or be no better than the demons themselves? May I remind you, Captain Leomaris, that these are Wavecrest waters, not yours. It is not your purview to decide or judge how we handle this situation."

"All evil need do to prevail is for good men to do nothing."  Kiana said softly, her eyes cast at the table as she did.  Her hands were clasped together gently as they rested on the table, and one might see that it wasn't the table she was rightly looking at, but her hands.  She did not speak with the same candor and bravado as the others--on the contrary, she was meek and fair in comparison.

"If you know the Lintha are a threat, and yet you do not act against them, then you are just as responsible for the damage they deal as they are.  Would we have been any better had we simply ignored the battle that ended not but a short while ago?"  She paused, looking to Lasuri and Jadira for a brief moment before focusing her eyes not on her hands, but on Captain Irongall.

"With all due respect, Captain Irongall, this is not a question of ownership.  The Cobalt Alliance doesn't care for possessions, sir, but freedom.  Freedom that the Lintha try to subvert, and that cannot be allowed.  As long as a breath is shared among us, we will defy them.  With or without your support."

She was quiet then, having said her piece.  One would think she was a member of the Alliance for years, the way she spoke.  But no.  She spoke from experience.  How many people had simply watched the young girl as she was tormented by her mother?  How many could have stopped it?  Too many to count, and yet none lifted a finger to help her.  No, she wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else, not if she could help it.  She could endure, but not everyone had that same strength.  But with their help, one day, they could.

"I agree with her. Standing there and doing nothing with the evil that surrounds you is a detestable act." Zeru says, his relaxed stance unwavering.

"My words are my own, and you may take them as you will. Involving yourself in Lintha affairs is only good when you are stopping them from evil. And not involving yourself when they commit evil acts is evil as well." His eyes carry the crushing weight of the dark sea. "If you think this means that I," he motions towards Kiana. "Or she, is calling you evil it would indicate to me that you have something weighing heavily on your conscience."

"Again, these words are mine and take them as you will."

Listening to the words of both Kiana and Zeru, Lasuri cannot help but smile slightly, shaking his head softly. "Well, there you have it, Captain. Hard to say anything better than this, really." He nods towards his brethren, before taking on a slightly more serious expression.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do with your ships and your people in your waters. But I can tell you one thing, my fellow Captains. If the Lintha get their hands on something like what mister Kareth spoke of... I can guarantee you that it won't be a problem that'll affect Wavecrest only. It'll spill elsewhere, and potentially might envelop the whole of the West. The Lintha are ambitious. They're also shrewd, which ironically is the reason why we don't see much of them up North. They advance carefully, because they don't want to risk losing their advantages."

"If something of power allows them to act without that fear... Then you can bet they'll try to spread their borders and influence. And as you've seen, they don't care which waters they're in. If they want something, they work to take it, borders be damned."

"Everyone's free to make their own decisions, of course. That's a staple of our Alliance, and that also means I can't dictate your conduct in good conscience. But I know full well what we're gonna do. Also, we're the ones with a brand new Lintha blood feud on our heads. Whether we want it or not, they're going to want to off us, so there's no avoiding this, even if we want to."

"They've set their sight on getting this... thing, already. They'll come back knocking at your door sooner or later. In the end, it's only a matter of whether you'll choose to get ready before then or not."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:37, Tue 03 Mar 2009.

Kareth nodded his head to Lasuri after the Captain assured him of his freedom to speak.  While he was thankful for the reassurance of the Captain, Kareth was, ultimately, a Dragon-Blood from Lookshy.  This meant that he gave deference to his officers.  While he was no longer a member of the Seventh Legion for all practical purposes, the training of a soldier does not die easily.

Captain Hirdu's questions into what he was looking for put a quick cap on Kareth's excitement although he remained very interested in the conversation.  Quite frankly, he did not know how much about himself that he should tell this man.  However, he came here to look for answers and he wouldn't find them by being overly vauge with his inquiries.  "I'm looking to find out what happened to an expedition sent from Lookshy roughly 30 years ago, Captain.  I know that a man named Fading Tiger Shadow had contact with at least one member of the group.  This is a matter of personal interest, but the information delivered by the sole survivor of the expedition was classified and she herself is dead.  I would appreciate any resources you could make available to me to gather this information."  Kareth figured that this would be sufficient to get a reliable answer from the captain.   As he saw it, the old sailor had no need to know what Kareth's interest in event was.  As it stood, Kareth's behavior at the meeting was not normal for him and all the Dryad's crew could tell.  Where he normally isolated himself and did not talk much with others, he was now fully engaged in the conversation.

As the other members of the Alliance made their speeches on the evil of 'doing nothing', Kareth sat there and added nothing on the subject.  Instead he reflected on these statements and their application to his life.  Had he done nothing to save his squad, then he might not have been exiled.  Knowing that, would he do it again?  He wished the answer came to him easily as it did to the rest of crew.

Irongall does not quite scowl, but his lips tighten under his salt-and-pepper beard. Do-gooders rarely put a thought toward outside repercussions, he thinks, and sometimes do more harm than good in the process. Even so, he cannot deny the danger the Lintha would pose to anyone that sails through the Islets, should they return to seek their artifact again.

"Enough," the older Navy Captain says gruffly, his hard gaze shifting from Kiana to Zeru before settling on the Cobalt Captain, Lasuri. Pride stiffens his spine, and he raises his chin slightly. "I said nothing of not acting against the Lintha. Only that you lack the authority to act without our permission. The Navy will most certainly assign heavier armed patrols to these islands, in the case the Lintha return with hostile force, that much you need not question!"

"In any case, what is it you intend to do? Surely not join Captain Hirdu in his flights of fancy, and look for an unknown device in a living island that might not exist?"

The name Kareth speaks to Hirdu sparks recognition in the mustachioed man's eyes. "From Lookshy? The ones who sought the Librum... oh, boy. Fading Tiger Shadow is one of the Silver Prince's men, sir. They ran afoul of Skullstone, they did, for they sought the same sort of secrets that built Skullstone's forbidding black ships. Or so it is told. I cannot say there is anyone alive who knows exactly what happened to that expedition... now that the sole survivor has died." He looks troubled at the very thought, and mutters a superstitious prayer under his breath, as if to shield himself from further misfortune.

"You Cobalt folk seem right strong-hearted stuff, though... I wonder if you'd reckon taking on an old captain, eh? If you 'fancy' yourselves some treasure-hunting, more company's better than less!" Hirdu's worried look becomes a jovial smile as he pats the young man beside him on the shoulder. "Got you another interested party, too. This fellow's Xander Lucian. He's been helpin' on the Ambition a short while."

---

OOC: Nearly got sidetracked from introducing Xander. Oops!
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:12, Wed 04 Mar 2009.

Xander had been sitting quietly listening to all thats been said. He hadn't had anything to add to the conversation much more interested in hearing what the others had to say and judging the situation on his own. Being called out by Hirdu Xander smiles a little chagrined and stands up. He bows to each of the captians before introducing himself. "As the essteemed captian has told you. I am Xander Lucian. I was aboard Captian Hirdu's ship when it was attack and managed to hide from the Lintha until I could free the prisoners and lead a revolt. Still I am quite grateful to both the Navy and the Alliance as I fear we would have been overrun quickly if you hadn't showed up." He bows again slightly deeper before sitting back down.

"Personally, I'm inclined to think Hirdu wouldn't speak lightly of a treasure he discovered the existence of after his crew became food for the Lintha," Jadira says firmly, her emerald eyes regarding Captain Irongall steadily. "If I were him, I'd want to take this device of theirs and destroy it with my own hands, so they could never find or use it."

Turning her attention away from Irongall, Jadira acknowledges Hirdu and Xander with a nod, smiling in greeting to the latter. "It's good to meet you, Xander. I'm glad there were survivors. Every one of you we could help save from the Lintha is a blessing."

"Captain Hirdu, if you've got the means to find this 'chalice', then I for one think we ought to work together. The only problem is... between your crew taking losses, and ours taking a lot of injury, I don't know if we'd be able to move out right away. Everyone needs rest."

(OOC - whoops! edited to incorporate a reply to Xander.)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Wed 04 Mar 2009.

At the mention of the Silver Prince, Kareth looked notably crestfallen.  In his short stint in the west, he had heard tales of the power ruler.  Someone with that much power would be a person who the Alliance would want to avoid crossing.  Even so, Fading Tiger Shadow might have answers that Kareth wanted... no... needed to get. Still, there was more to this puzzle.

While all of these thoughts played in his head, Kareth's face betrayed each one in its own unique way.  However, his face changed so quickly from depression to desperation to resolve, that to most people it appeared that the engineer had been struck by a seizure.  After his face had finished its contortions, Kareth asked Captain Hirdu another question "The Librum?  What is that?"

Lasuri listens intently as words are exchanged, keeping a respectful silence when others voice their own opinions and beliefs. Finally, after a moment of consideration, he finally addresses the Navy captains once more.

"Perhaps that's one way to look at it, Captain. But there's also the fact that we're in no way threatening the peace or security of Wavecrest - which means, in that case, that you would lack the authority to keep us from doing what we're doing. 'Course, that's all semantics, and I would much prefer we come to a civil and cordial arrangement than muttering at each other while pointing out differences in lawbooks and dictionaries. That's why we're here, after all. Not to see who's right, but to try to reach an understanding. We don't want anything bad happening to your people or land, Captain. I hope you understand at least that much, it nothing else."

"As for what we intend to do... Well, that one island might seem like myth to you, but here we've got a man whose crew was devoured alive by the Lintha who are pursuing that 'fairy tale', Captain. That was done by the usually careful and cunning Lintha, those who don't risk anything unless they know there's something to be gained, for fear of losing status and position." He pauses, and his smile darkens for a moment, his whole expression turning sadder. "Some of our own people were killed by the unusually aggressive Lintha as well. If you go to the deck and meet the crew, you'll see it immediately on their faces - that ordeal was very much real.

He looks over to Kareth then, and nods to the man."Mister Kareth is our lorekeeper of sorts, and if he believes this thing might exist, then I'll trust it does until proven otherwise." He looks over to Jadira, Zeru and Kiana, and smiles at them all in turn. "When I introduced the people around me as 'the heart of the Alliance', it wasn't just pretty words meant to awe the crowd. It was truth. And you've heard their words. As their Captain, I'll take them where they believe we should go. And if that means protecting both my crew and Captain Hirdu so we can all fight for what we believe in... Then by the Nine Sea Gods, I'll take them to the very Mouth of Malfeas and fight to protect each and every one of them as long as there's even a trickle of life left in this body." He nods resolutely, and gazes back towards Captain Hirdu. Obviously, he is being included in that oath.

Finally, Lasuri smiles at the man introduced as Xander Lucian, and inclines his head amiably at him. "Seems like it was a blessing that you found yourself aboard this ship, Mister Xander. Congratulations on a job well done - I have an appreciation for those who fight even when the odds are tipped strongly against them. It's a great pleasure to meet you."

Hirdu replies first to Kareth: "The Librum of Adamant Artifice. Again, this is just hearsay, but it supposedly holds knowledge of First Age engineering and construction. The sort of thing any growing nation would want its hands on..." The short, squat captain shuts his mouth suddenly, not quite eying the Wavecrest men listening on.

"But like any rumor," Hirdu shrugs -- and winces, when the shrug pulls at his wound, "it's hard to prove without seeing it with one's own eyes, right?"

Turning to Lasuri, he bumbles an attempt at bowing that ends in a grimace of pain. Nonetheless, his expression is grateful. "I'm prepared to lend the Hirdu's Ambition, my expertise and my crew to preventing a surge of Lintha power. And in return, well, you're stuck with me long as you can stomach my presence, sirs and madams. O'course, this isn't all just altruistic..." He scratches at his greasy head of hair. "Seeing as they captured one of my ships, and the other deserted. With my crew down to barely a dozen, I'd be in a bind without you. But my heart's in the right place. If y'like I can tell you more of what I'm capable of. A proper sales pitch, if you will!"

Captain Irongall mostly ignores Hirdu's rambling, crossing his arms and waiting until he's quieted down. "Hmph. You are mostly correct, Captain Leomaris. It is the business of you and your men should you wish to pursue this course of action. However, since you are so certain of the existence of this device, I will insist that my colleague join you on this endeavor. Captain Fairwind will ensure that should you find this legendary chalice, you will either dispose of it or bring it to Wavecrest custody."

Fairwind, at this proclamation, looks stunned. It seems Irongall hadn't consulted with him until this very moment. "Garesh, you've got to be ki--no, you're serious--I can't believe--" Finally, stifling a groan of frustration, the purple-haired man squares his shoulders and looks to the others gathered. "Well, you heard 'im. I'm tailing you whether you like it or not." Or whether he likes it or not, apparently.

[Private to Lasuri Leomaris: You might be able to social your way out of having to bring Fairwind, the difficulty will be pretty high though. :P Or you could try talking to Fairwind separately at a different time.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:22, Wed 30 Sept 2009.

"I suppose if you think we need a babysitter, Captain, we have nothing to hide," Jadira remarks with an outward, almost cloying innocence, tilting her head to one side. "The sitter does not appear too happy at the prospect, though."

Shrugging, she gazes down the table to the other assembled Cobalt members.

"But let's not be too hasty. Cobalt Alliance, are we all in agreement about assisting Captain Hirdu in securing the Lintha Artifact? If you've got any concerns at all you'd best speak them now."

Kiana looked paid attention to Xander as he spoke, and those she offered him a nod in greeting, she offered little else.  Given her spirited speech earlier, she seemed rightly silent--those who knew who (as well as they could, given the time spent together) knew this to ring true.  Especially when in the company of strange men, Kiana usually kept to herself.  The heat of battle changed things considerably, but this wasn't a battle, so she sat resolutely, posture excellent, hands folded in her lap, displaying the image she was responsible for so many years ago with aged perfection.