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Welcome to the world of Fortuna, a land of fantastic proportions. This is an original fantasy roleplay that takes place in a world developed over nearly a decade of work and collaboration. We aim to encourage all participants to have a hand in the stories of the characters here, and the world around them. Your choices are key - so make them with pride. You decide who wins the wars, you decide who becomes King, the world is ours, and together we will bring it to life!
Post by Leigh Haskell on Feb 3, 2017 15:46:25 GMT -7
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[attr="class","underwavesheader"]The 14th of the Scales
[attr="class","waveshsubtitle"]Late Afternoon on the West Acheron Sea The Defiled Grail - Captain's Quarters
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[attr="class","wavesundtext"] Being back on the ship was like coming home. It wasn't just the way the crew was happy to see her, and it wasn't just because it was better than rotting in a jail cell. No, it was because this was everything for Leigh. The slow rocking of the ship beneath her feet made her gait more natural, her hips far more used to the unbalance of the water than the stillness of land. The gasp of seabreeze that filled her lung was the feeling of spotting an oasis in the desert, and filled her with life. Even the dark, musky scent of the lower decks chilled her with familiarity... And though she wouldn't admit it, the people were damn good, too. They'd come and saved her - hadn't they?
Saved her... And Nicole. Nicole who Leigh - in a moment of excitement - had offered to bring along. Sure, the girl hated Woodrow... But she wasn't a sailor, and she certainly wasn't a pirate. Not really. During their escape Leigh had been almost certain the girl would go her own way once Mal had helped them out - the furrowing of her brow was the only sign of shock when Nicole had asked where the ship was from there. Which meant that now Leigh had to explain to the Captain. It wasn't really her place to recruit, after all.
So instead of accepting the exuberance of the moment, instead of taking her tankard and filling into the brim, instead of finding out about this 'rough and tumble satyr chick that she'd just love' she grabbed the collar of Nicole's uniform and manhandled her to the Captain's quarters. He approved their entry, and Leigh pushed Nicole into the room, not showing her nerves on her beaten and bruised face.
"Captain," She nodded, her speech only slightly stunted as she sorted through the best way to deal with the situation. There Nicole was in a military uniform standing before the last living pirate captain. She hadn't thought this far ahead when she'd invited Nicole along. Truth be told, she'd been thinking about someone to share a bunk with, not someone to share in battles with. Damned impulse control. She pushed Nicole forward a little bit more as she continued, "Found this one... Helped us get out of Magei. Might be... Useful."
With her piece said, she wanted to turn right around and walk back out the door... But she'd wait until she was dismissed. She'd hope she was dismissed. She had a couple of itching bullet wounds to get treated and she was starving, and she knew if she hadn't plucked Nicole up that she wouldn't have to be standing here... Moann's piss - had she been dismissed yet?
Post by Merlyn Astra on Feb 5, 2017 21:05:58 GMT -7
The sharp point of a knife was pressing into Merlyn’s finger as he was attempting to balance the blade. There was not much happening right now, especially since they were attempting to lay low. That is why the Captain of the Defiled Grail was doing whatever he could to entertain himself. The ship was sitting on the edge of a shipping lane. The sails were all up and the ship was simply rolling on the waves. There were some other smaller ships belonging to the Defiled Fleet surrounding the flagship. Merlyn, along with the rest of the ships, would occasionally sit along these lanes for any rendezvous with their supporters. This was also how they got more supplies and traded away what they got from raiding.
A map was on a wall that marked all of this information down. All the various routes that they were aware of. Merlyn’s attention was on the wall of the map, but there was another sheet of paper that was pinned up. The sheet was one of the flyers that he had “commandeered” from a vessel. There was a drawing of some noble pointing out from the flyer, with the words “Lord Woodrow wants you for the SSPB!”. There were already several knives thrown into it, all fitting nicely on the Lord’s body. Just as the Captain nimbly rotated the knife around to prepare to throw it, he heard a knock on the door.
“Come in!” he called to let whoever was outside know that they should come in. As soon as the door opened and he saw who it was, he returned to his “game”. He loosed the knife at the flyer, the weapon striking the forehead of the “Lord”. Once that was done he turned to face a crew member, as well as, whatever this other person was. As he started to realize who this person was, he lost any sense of joy from his boredom as he recognized that this new person was wearing a military uniform.
You have got to be kidding…right? he thought while thinking of anything that could cause a soldier to come aboard his ship, especially with no one having swords at their throat. “Useful, eh? I hope you’re right, piracy is not for those weak of will, also you can go,’ Merlyn saluted mockingly, ‘oh, and welcome back.”
The Captain of the Defiled Grail turned to face the new recruit. “So since I take it you must already know who I am, would you mind introducing yourself and why I should trust any soldier with joining my fleet?” _____________ Tags: Leigh HaskellNicole Vanros Notes: Sorry for being so slow on this!
Post by Leigh Haskell on Feb 7, 2017 10:55:01 GMT -7
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[attr="class","wavesundtext"] She had to give it to the Captain. Merlyn could have easily launched another blade at Nicole (she was dressed as a soldier, Leigh hadn't even forced her to change into some rags first, dammit), or at Leigh (who in the Ephil was she to recruit someone?), but he didn't. It flew directly at the poster of Markus Woodrow, slamming perfectly into the Lord's forehead. If Leigh hadn't been so concerned about her head being next, she might have smirked.
Thankfully - or perhaps, not so thankfully - the Captain dealt with her quickly. She was a no one, mate of the Sailing Master and that was it. His words were dismissive if not a warning, and Leigh ought to have let her shoulders fall with relief. But they didn't. If she was wrong, she'd stop being a nobody. She'd be a somebody who had quite royally crapped up.
"Thank you, Captain," She spoke lowly, offering him a far more serious salute before turning to leave. She stopped for a half a second, thinking of whispering some words of encouragement to Nicole, but deciding she ought to wash her hands of it. If it worked, it worked. If it didn't - she wasn't going to let it be any more her fault than it was. So she left, shutting the door quietly behind her. She wondered on what would be said in the room for a touch, but as she got far enough away that even the soft murmurs were a pile of nothing, it was 'out of sight, out of mind'... And she needed a damn drink.
Post by Nicole Vanros on Feb 9, 2017 9:16:15 GMT -7
Was it wrong to be excited about choosing to step on a pirate ship? Wight called it The Defiled Grail, and that might have been true. Some pieces of the ship looked like they didn't belong together, but the ship was massive, and no doubt sturdy. The perfect resistance to Markus Woodrow. Even as Leigh dragged Nicole towards the captain's quarters, Nicole couldn't wait to meet the captain. Admittedly, it was also rather terrifying. If Merlyn Astra wanted it, he could have her thrown overboard. That's what pirate captains do, wasn't it?
As Leigh brought Nicole in, the captain threw a knife at a poster on the wall. Nicole stepped back at the sound of the knife's impact; being startled must have been embarrassing, and would hurt Leigh's suggestion that she could be useful. Astra was right, this couldn't be for someone weak. The poster depicted Markus Woodrow, his body covered in various knives the captain had probably already thrown. It made Nicole's performance of what she would do to Woodrow look like a child's make-believe. She admired that, but that was not enough for him. “So since I take it you must already know who I am, would you mind introducing yourself and why I should trust any soldier with joining my fleet?”
If Leigh hadn't left, Nicole could use her advice. No, that was for the best. Nicole had to plead her own case, not leave it to Leigh to handle it for her. "My name is Nicole Vanros, but… I'm not a soldier. Not anymore." It would be humiliating to have to tell the story every time, but she couldn't pretend that none of it had happened. Nicole nodded over to the poster of Woodrow. "I had a run-in with Markus Woodrow in Magei. He was asking me out on a date, but he was being a creep, so I turned him down. He was… boasting about how he was superior to more or whatever, and that I was beneath him. So, I pulled a rifle on him, but before I could shoot him, some of his lackeys and some of the local officers arrested me. I met Leigh in prison, and she and Wight busted me out. If they hadn't, I would probably be on my way back to Dirys right now to stand trial for a court-martial. To be honest, I'm here because I have nowhere else to go, but I'm not expecting you to be a charity. Leigh, Wight… you, I imagine all of you have your own reasons to hate Woodrow. Honestly, I could just turn you all in with the local authorities, have you all arrested because I think they'll pardon me as a reward."
Nicole closed her eyes. When the captain hadn't thrown a knife in her eyes for that suggestion, she continued. "But… the only way that would help me is if Woodrow forgave me and dropped all charges, and the last thing I want is his forgiveness. I'm not asking you to pretend that I was never a soldier. If I'm asking you to trust me, believe when I say that…" She couldn't say it. Even after saying Leigh and Wight from one of the guards, killing someone for revenge should have been something she was better than. The only thing the captain would see was a coward talking too big about something she could only pretend to understand. "I want to kill Markus Woodrow. Even if I have to start from the bottom on this crew, I'll do anything I can to help your crew."
She was also a princess. Technically. At least, she could be. Though if she mentioned that her father was planning an expedition, they could just dump her into the ocean and try to loot whatever treasure her father would find. Though if Astra wouldn't trust a soldier, then he'd have even less of a reason to trust a would-be noble. At best, it would look like she was using the crew to get back at Woodrow. That would be so typical of a noble, and a typical noble was the last thing this crew would need. Nicole stared at the captain and held her hands at her side. She stood at the ready, just as she would for a commanding officer. Even if this was the exact opposite of the army, Astra would still be her commander. The least she could hope for was that he didn't cut out her tongue for her rambling.
Last Edit: Feb 9, 2017 9:17:50 GMT -7 by Nicole Vanros
Post by Merlyn Astra on Feb 14, 2017 13:05:28 GMT -7
The Captain of the Defiled Grail kept his seat as he listened to the story of Nicole Vanros. On the outside he maintained his composure. He kept a straight face and paid attention to the detail, observing the girl for any language that she was not speaking verbally. Merlyn knew that most of what she would be saying was true, or at least she was being honest. Soldiers were not the types to lie, especially one that was still showing off their colors while aboard a pirate vessel. If the woman were to be a spy she would not be a very good one. It was always the ones that looked too much like pirates that would be trouble, they were the ones that had to be constantly watched to make sure there was no double crossing occurring.
A smile crossed Merlyn’s face as she described turning them in for the reward. Now that is thinking like a pirate. Once her story was finished, Merlyn believed that it was time for him to give his say. This began with him giving a large, loud laugh.
“To think that the great Lord Markus Woodrow would have a rifle pulled on him and by a woman no less,’ he continued to laugh, ‘not that your sex matters to me, but to him I bet it does, and that must mean that his pride must’ve taken a massive shot and began to sink.”
The Captain took a second before he could stop the humor of what happened to Woodrow from taking over from his processing of information. When he finally forced the laughter to stop, he stood up from his desk and picked up a knife that was lying on it. He brought it over and stood next to Nicole.
“I can respect anyone that follows their own choices, that is freedom after all. Woodrow is not at fault for that. I have no problem with him making choices, but I do have a problem with his wanting to force everyone to adopt his ideals. That is enough for me to wish him dead, because that is the only way people like him will stop, words and gold do not work,” Merlyn spoke while bringing the knife up, holding the blade between his thumb and forefinger and began to reminisce about and older time. “I walked the plank once,’ he said while remembering the first time he started on the path of climbing to the top, ‘an old Captain I used to sail under did not like that the crew respected me more than him, so he forced me off the ship. I was left in the ocean with nothing and had to find a way back. It was that thirst for vengeance that pushed me to seek out that Captain, and once I did, he was nothing more than a mark on my back.
“Anyways, I’m rambling. We of the Defiled Grail are fighting to maintain our freedom from Woodrow and his SSPB. It does not matter what your reasons are for joining, as long as you can carry out your duties to eliminate the SSPB and more importantly, Woodrow. Ah, before I forget, care to take a shot?” Merlyn offered the knife he was holding to Nicole, and then gave a glance over to the poster he had on the wall. ______ Tags: Nicole Vanros Notes: I'm sorry if this got rambling or if I said something wrong. If you want something added/modified just let me know! Basically Merlyn loves the fact of her pulling a gun on Markus and is fine with her joining
Post by Nicole Vanros on Feb 17, 2017 10:19:56 GMT -7
The captain was incredibly happy to laugh at Woodrow's expense. Woodrow was a misogynistic pig, and the captain knew that. Nicole wanted to disagree about Woodrow not being at fault for following his choices, but the captain did understand that Woodrow was forcing everyone to do as he said. The captain desired vengeance just as well. The Sumish Sea Peacekeeping Brigade was… no, "They were just following orders" wasn't enough in Magei. They would have to work through the Brigade before they could get to Woodrow. As the captain offered his knife to Nicole, she took her time the poster of Woodrow. She aimed the knife low, then raised her hand again. Her options were either getting back at him for hitting on her, or outright breaking his heart. Nicole threw the knife, and it pierce through Woodrow's chest. "So… does this mean you'll let me join?"
Maybe she could trust the captain. The Diryn military knew that her father and her brother working for Kornelius Kross, and that was good enough to them, but few people knew that their family was descended from royalty. "Well, there's something else I should tell you. My father works for the Kross Mining Company in Dirys. We don't have kings anymore, but we used to. When we did, there were several branches of the royal family, and my family is descended from one of those. My father… he thinks we could be royalty again. I'm not just a soldier, but also some wannabe noble." Her family's history shouldn't have meant much. It was just trivia that didn't mean much anymore, even Edgar and their father liked to think they could still make something of that possibility. "Not that people would like me having a title after trying to kill Woodrow, but my father might think that being a noble would clear my name."
Post by Merlyn Astra on Feb 26, 2017 8:55:37 GMT -7
The experienced eyes of the pirate narrowed into a more serious look as he turned to Nicole after seeing her hit her mark. Merlyn could already feel the excitement from the situation. He was feeling motivated to push harder against the SSPB, after all, he would not obtain his freedom until the pirate hunters were fully destroyed. “If you choose to sail under our flag then by all means, you may join us,” the Captain said as he walked back towards the desk. Once he got back to the other side of it he leaned down over and then looked up to Nicole and listened to her explaining her heritage. “More nobles…” he muttered while thinking about the troubles that he must have found himself in. It was after a few seconds of putting her family’s history together that a grin grew. It mattered not the trouble having another noble on board would do. The girl’s connections were able to balance that out. A noble of Rielcia, and now a noble of Dirys, and both have paid their dues for the trouble of associating with them. A kingdom’s treasury and now a connection to a mining company, there is bound to be more profits to be had.
“Ah, by the way,’ he started, looking up from his desk, ‘I can’t promise that you will be the one to kill Woodrow.”
This warning was given with a very serious look from the Captain. If she had a reason for killing Woodrow then they would eventually come at odds, for the Captain of the Defiled Grail had every intent of making the final blow himself, and it was not something that he would let be taken from him.
“Do you have any further questions or concerns about joining us? If not you can return to Leigh and she’ll show you the ropes.” ______ Tags: Nicole Vanros Notes: Sorry for the delay!
Last Edit: Feb 26, 2017 10:38:38 GMT -7 by Merlyn Astra
Post by Nicole Vanros on Feb 26, 2017 15:08:21 GMT -7
Despite the captain's griping about taking on "more nobles" - apparently, Nicole was not the only one - he was letting her join the crew. Nicole sighed in relief, even chuckling as the captain said that she Nicole might not be the one to kill Woodrow. "I think I know just enough. Even if I'm not the one who will kill Woodrow, as long as someone does it, that's good enough for me." She had only met Woodrow a few days ago, while this crew had been evading him for years. They had scores to settle, grudges that probably ran deeper that Nicole would ever want to imagine. It would be ridiculous to call "dibs" on who would kill Woodrow, but Nicole could let someone else take the chance. He would die, no matter who made sure of that.
"Thank you again, sir… I mean, captain." Nicole saluted. Even if Merlyn Astra was a pirate and no soldier, he deserved a show of respect. Without another word, Nicole left the cabin. Leigh wasn't outside, but some random pirates on the ship glanced towards Nicole, only to immediately return to swabbing the deck, paying her no mind as she raced around the ship. Nicole wasn't just going to learn the ropes. There was something she had to say. Nicole found Leigh, and tapped her shoulder. "Leigh. I… the captain said I can join the crew. Thank you for bringing me here, for trusting me back in Magei. I promise that you won't regret this."
Post by Leigh Haskell on Feb 26, 2017 15:42:00 GMT -7
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[attr="class","wavesundtext"] After dropping over her ginger-tailed puppy dog with the Captain, Leigh had determined it was time to settle some scores. She wasn't the kind of person who liked owing anyone anything. The Captain could ask her to do just about anything -- outside of that, her debts were clean. She was going to make sure it stayed that way.
Returning to her lane of the bunks with a sigh, Leigh was pleased to find her shit mostly untouched. She knew Colossus always kept a good eye on it while she was "away" - whether away meant on a mission, or 'enjoying the sights' - the orc was a pretty damn good friend. Particularly since she always paid him pretty handsomely. She grabbed for chest under her bed and dug out the key she kept hidden on her person (don't ask where) before popping the thing open.
The chest was filled with mostly utilitarian items - bullets for her pistol (in short supply, so they needed to be locked away), lengths of leather for fixing up her clothes, her mess kit, a selection of monogrammed handkerchiefs from some of her more memorable 'sightseeing' trips... But there was treasure, too. A modest satchel of gold, and a couple of magic items. A lot of the crew avoided them - they were usually more trouble than they were worth, and you'd have to shore up and find a wizard willing to help you out on the cheap to find out what they did - so Leigh was usually able to grab the occasional one that appeared in her shares. She already knew what she'd give to Mal. Guy would love it.
She snagged a small silver mirror, big enough to see one's face in, but small enough to hide. She's slip it under his pillow with a leather strip tied round the handle, and he'd know what it was for. As she pulled it out, she barely caught sight of herself and the mirror spoke softly to her: "You've wonderfully high cheekbones." She rolled her eyes. Mirror of Random Compliments, the wizard had decided to call it. Yeah, narcissistic Mal would get a kick out of this.
She wrapped some cloth around the mirror to keep the thing quiet, and then began to tie it off with some leather when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Her instinct had her quickly kick the chest closed and wheel around on the person - but she froze when she saw the bright blue eyes of Nicole. She shook her head, smirked and tossed the mirror onto her hammock, "You can be sure as shit I'll hold you to that, Princess."
Leigh raised her hook to Nicole's chest, nudging the collar of her uniform with mild distaste. Uniforms just reminded her of guards, and SSPB agents, and other worthless, conformist bullshit. It didn't suit Nicole. Nicole who could have just gone along with Woodrow, accepted his date and whatever the fuck he'd do to her, and probably gotten a promotion out of it. She wasn't like the women she met while 'sightseeing'. Those women enjoyed Leigh for the experience of the life they didn't choose, the distraction from their dreadful lives as wives to nobles. Nicole made the opposite choice. She wasn't someone's wife, and she wasn't someone's pet. The uniform looked damn wrong, and Leigh would say as much: "We gotta get you a change of clothes," She removed her hook from the uniform's collar and turned back to her chest, opening it and pulling two gold pieces out before slamming it shut and locking it.
Post by Nicole Vanros on Mar 8, 2017 22:44:34 GMT -7
Nicole stepped back as Leigh spun around, but Leigh had stopped herself, and quickly tossed something on a hammock beside her. Leigh brushed her hook against Nicole's uniform. Even if it was a hook, it still seemed almost friendly. Princess. Nicole hadn't wanted to be a part of her father's power play, but just the mere possibility that she could was what she had to rely on now. Not that it made a difference to Leigh. Nicole being a "Princess" was more an inside joke than anything else. A nickname, really. It was actually fun.
"I get to pick, right? Maybe I should get something that makes me feel like a real princess." The scene she had performed for Leigh, when Markus Woodrow would beg for mercy, evolved. Nicole would be wearing a tricorn hat, dueling blade against blade. Her crimson tailcoats would trail behind her as the captain gave her the honors. He couldn't promise that Nicole would be the one to kill Woodrow, but she would earn that privilege. She had saved Leigh and Wight from that guard in Magei. Nicole still had some guilt for taking that man's life, because for all he knew, Nicole and Leigh deserved to be in a cell. Nicole would have to work her way past many people "just doing their jobs", but Woodrow didn't have the same excuse. She didn't need to bend over backwards to defend him. She would gladly hear everyone's story, everyone on the Defiled Grail who would want nothing more than to see him dead.
"Though maybe nothing too extravagant." Nicole tugged on her collar. No one on the ship liked seeing her in a soldier's uniform, and it would do nothing to prove that she was committed to the crew if she looked like she was still expecting the military to take her back. "I want something that says I can stop being a soldier and start being a…" She still couldn't say it. She turned on Woodrow, followed Leigh and Wight out of a prison, killed a man along the way, and even impressed the captain of the ship. "A pirate. I'm a pirate now. The least I can do is look the part."
Last Edit: Mar 8, 2017 22:45:07 GMT -7 by Nicole Vanros
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