Fantasy Plundering Chirea

[Anaxileah]

The Beginning
The world of Chirea was originally one enormous land mass amidst an entire body of poisonous water. The land was barren and the skies red, with not a soul in sight. The planet was not originally intended to house any living beings, but one of the seven Celestial Beings decided otherwise. These Celestial Beings choose a planet to make into a host of whatever life they create, and the youngest of the seven hadn't made her decision as of yet. When she set her sights on this planet, Chirea, the other Celestial Beings urged her to choose a different one, telling her that this one had no future and was not suitable enough as a host planet. The seventh Celestial Being chose to stubbornly stand by her decision, much to the others' dismay, and proceeded to change the planet into what she pictured life should be.

The seventh Celestial Being was quite the organized one, and chose to make the islands according to what we now refer to as a compass. The biggest island would be in the middle, while the next biggest islands would be at North, South, East, and West. Smaller islands would be in between each of the four, making nine total. The creatures she made varied, and no creature would be made to live alone. She made twenty six species in total, all of them different in multiple ways. Some of them had powers, and some of them didn't. Some were more complex, and some were simple - which was just how the Celestial Being liked it. Once she finished creating the world, and all of the people, she made a shrine in each of the four medium-sized mainlands. They help to keep the islands staying the way they are - the Wisp Isles float, the Ember Islands burn, Sapientia has clean water, and Agnarach has its sunlight.

Once the Celestial Being finished making her planet healthy and inhabited, she left the planet to go join the other Celestial Beings in her realm, since she had much to learn, allowing the world she created to flourish on its own, just like the other Celestial Beings had done with their worlds. Little did she know that the islands would soon find faults in one another.

Since she had created all of the species to be entirely different, they fought all the time, unsure of how to behave with one another. For years these species fought, advancing as a whole rather quickly due to their battles - armor was made from wood and leaves at first to protect skin, but other materials were soon discovered, and weapons were fashioned because fists were not as efficient in fights as sharp sticks or rocks. Fulgor Ferri remained neutral, since the gremlins were the only inhabitants of the island, but they helped everyone nearby once the different species found ways to cross the waters. These attacks continued until everyone became tired of the death surrounding them. The Celestial Being of Chirea had given each species intelligence, since that is her own best trait, allowing the creatures of Chirea to create some sort of truce and build upon the relationships they chose to establish. Some places are still tense, but the wars were over.

After the Wars
Life became so much more important when the wars ended. It was valued, as was nature, and it advanced incredibly over the next couple thousand years. Fulgor Ferri had an unlimited supply of metals, while Counolux had incredibly talented blacksmiths. Better ships were crafted over the years, as were new types of clothing, and the present currencies of the world - gold and silver. Once the money of the world was fashioned by the gremlins, humans became greedy for the coins. Being larger and better equipped than the gremlins, they forced the smaller creatures into a deal that they couldn't refuse, resulting in a trade setup. The gremlins would send the humans on Regina Royale a large shipment of gold every week, and the humans would send tools and supplies in return. One particular male was significantly larger and more dominant than the others of the island, and took control of the island, building cities and setting up the three walls that are there now. After that, he deemed himself King Silicarth, and was questioned by no one.

Over time, the new King of Regina Royale became more and more corrupt, enjoying the power he had over the island and the wealth he was gaining. Alas, he was growing old and had little time to change anything in the kingdom. Instead of dying and letting the land go to peace, he taught his son his corrupt ways and told the boy of his aspirations for the island, which the son deemed his new dreams to follow. After the King's death, the tyrannical rule only grew worse. His son and many other generations continued his rule, up until a female Silicarth was born. The kingdom thought that she would not be able to rule as cruelly as the others had, but she proved herself through her rules and her expansive military, determined to outshine her past and get all of the gold in the world.

However, soon after she became Queen, a pirate challenged her, or so legend says, by raiding her ships. This angered the queen, causing her to have an intense hatred for pirates that continued through the next few generations of queens, up until the present one. He stole her gold, but after the first queen sent an armada after him, following him into Tempestas, her armada and the pirate did not return. This intense hatred for pirates caused them to be evil in the queen's mind, so she made laws against them that stand to this day, plus some of Anadria's.

To the Present
Now, Queen Anadrai Silicarth rules both Regina Royale and the sea (as much as she can). Pirates are against the law, and will always be unwelcome on Regina Royale. Her ships are constantly watching for pirates as they go through their trade runs, but the seas have been mostly quiet for the past few years, until one year ago. During this past year, Captain Judith Lee Johnson assembled a crew made of people who were sick of Queen Silicarth's rule and wanted a life of excitement and change. They've been stealing from the Queen and her shipments, causing her fury to grow. Ready to piss her off even more?​

 

[Anaxileah]

Her grin said it all. Excitement, anticipation, eagerness.

Bright, sky blue eyes matched with the very horizons gazed across the dark blue waters, assessing the distance between her ship and the shore, along with the steadiness of her beautiful vessel, the Black Rose. It was enormous and could carry a thousand men if she stacked a few on top of one another. A chuckle escaped her soft, plush lips as the thought passed through her mind. Her darkly lined eyes flickered between the waters that separated the Black Rose from Regina Royale to the ongoings of her ship, her gaze occasionally resting on each of her crew members. There were eleven in total, and while that was an unrealistically low number of crew members, she knew they could handle her monster of a ship better than any other group of perfectly able-bodied people daring enough to face the daunting challenge. Her crew could handle anything thrown their way. That being said, she was about to bring a large pack of very different creatures and beings to the most racist lands in all of Chirea. Wonderful.

Normally, the crew would steer clear of Queen Bitchface's home base devoid of any racial or ethnic diversity within the second wall. However, Captain Judith Lee Johnson of the Black Rose had been offered a job that was worth too much money and riches to turn down. It was the perfect job: it had the adventure, danger, risks, and best of all, promised more money than she could imagine. She knew her crew would be fully on board, possibly a little doubtful towards her decision-making skills, but overall ready to face whatever she was willing to put her crew through. This was the sole reason for bringing her bountiful ship and its intriguing crew to the most treacherous location a pirate could go to. But, they were not unprepared: the ship's sail was hidden securely, the name of the ship disguised with decorative cloth similar to the ships merchants use to decorate their ships and make them more appealing to oncoming buyers. Her people have dressed appropriately in manners that disguised them as merchants and those that stood out - the demons, the imp, draconians, elf, and the angel - would all stay outside the second wall, where other races were permitted to interact with the inhabitants of Regina Royale, while those more easily disguised as humans - the shape-shifter, faerie, and the actual humans - would accompany Jude to the mysterious being offering the job, in case something awful were to happen. The latter group will be dressed as nobles, including the Captain, using clothes they had stolen in the past to smuggle their way into the area within the second wall of the enormous city.

This was the plan, but the Captain was always prepared for things to turn sour and kept her weapons on her in a particularly clever fashion. She was already dressed for the plotted scheme and had just emerged from her Captain's quarters, walking up the nearby steps to the stern deck to gain a better view of her ship. She was clothed in a long-sleeved, emerald green dress from the era (1700s for those who need an era to google outfits), which of course made her chest more prominent than usual, her waist so thin she could barely breathe, and her appearance so noble-like that she vomited multiple times before leaving her quarters. Her long, curly brown hair was twirled up into a pinned hairstyle that left her with a couple curls framing her face on either side and some sticking out of the bun on the back of her head, tickling the hairs of her neck as she walked across the deck, her infamous pirate boots making their usual click-clack noise across the deck, indicating that she kept some degree of her piracy on her body. Her flintlock pistols were held in thigh holsters on both legs, while her cutlasses were to remain behind. This saddened her, but in order for their mission to succeed, she had to appear to be a noble of Regina Royale and that meant leaving her beloved swords behind.

"Alright you bloody rascals!" The Captain's voice boomed out over the ship, hushing those on it with a single shout. Her lopsided grin grew. "You slackers better be ready for this damn trip! We are going in undercover as the merchant ship Serenity, and we are restocking our ship before traveling to Fulgor Ferri with our goods. Of course, this is only mostly false - we do need to restock, so those of you sticking to the third and outermost part of the city, work on that! We've got less than an hour before the Queen's imbecile soldiers discover us, possibly less than that if we break cover. Koda, Jaune, Dai Son, and Mercury, you sexy lads are with me. Make sure you're dressed in your finest because we have to make the nobles on that damned island believe we're important folks. Maybe one of you can even stand in as my escort," Jude winked at them before continuing. "The rest of you lovely people, get to work as soon as you can! We need those supplies, and we need them NOW!" Jude shouted, raising her finely manicured fist into the air. The ship was sailing into the harbor in less than ten minutes, and then the plan would be in effect.

Go.
ADDRESSED: Obi-Wan Kenobi SmolKitten ZiggyZig Ridge Federoff Ookami-sama The Shadow Realm Kalin Scarlet Shotgunpenguin SweetRose
MENTIONED: All crew.
STATUS: Addressing the crew.
MOOD: Excited, mildly concerned, light-headed.
LOCATION: Captain's Quarters -> Sterncastle Deck
INVENTORY: Two flintlock pistols, jewelry across her neck and on her ears.
NOTES: FUCKING FINALLY WE BEGIN.​

 

[Federoff]

The Carpenter

• 01
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• Post

  
  

  
  A tall, orange, figure leaned against the railings of the stern deck, gazing out towards the horizon. The starry sky of the ocean. It was still at least an hour or two before the first signs of dawn. He inhaled. He enjoyed being up at this time. It was quiet without all other crew members running around and jabbering away. Peaceful, almost. The cool sea breeze blew against the revealed scales of the man. A beefy tail rested before him, barely touching the ground. In his one hand gyrated a simple steel dagger with a polished-wooden handle. He shifted his gaze to the knife in his hand. It had lost its shine from all those years ago, but never once had it failed him. Never had this blade lost its edge. He chuckled to himself. The blade was the first piece of treasure that he earned while aboard his old boat. A commodity that he took for granted sometimes. A simple piece for a simple man. A blade he never had to sharpen? Great for his work. Ja'akuul shifted the blade once again. His crimson eyes stared down the blade and his gaze soon dilated. His first adventure under Barbarossa.
  
  Agnarach. A vast wasteland filled to the brim with frightful monsters that rivaled even that of the ocean. From dragons to orcs, to death worms and snakes, to poisonous spiders and scorpions. Danger plagued every corner of the barren deserts of Agnarach. If one were not careful they could find themselves dead in more ways then he could count. Poison, venom, sandstorms, quicksand, eaten or burned alive, death by dehydration, ammonia. If you were lucky you'd just have your head removed and placed on a spike by the orcs. What few oasis's their was were guarded day and night by those who had settled near them.
  
  A sharp exhale. He remembered it like it was yesterday. They had just pulled into port when they were offered a job to clear out an encampment or orcs that were pillaging nearby villages. Go in, kill some orcs, get out. Sounded simple enough, yeah? Well what was suppose to be a one time expedition ended up being a week long excursion against an entire horde. Orc bodies littered the desert for weeks. When they were done the vultures blotted out the sun in some spots of the desert.
  
  The killing blow upon the war chief was one of the first true testaments of strength Ja'akuul had seen from his captain. Standing a foot over the chief Orc, Barbarossa brought down his giant greataxe upon the chief and cleaved right through him with the greatest of ease. Watching the old man it was like watching a butcher. His blows never staggered nor caught, they only powered right through the bodies.
  
  
  Once it was all over they began to loot the dead bodies that surrounded them and divvy up the treasure that they had found. That was another good thing about the old man. He was fair with how he divvied up the rewards, generous even. Looking from the outside his portion seemed bigger, but looking closer would reveal that he only took a small portion and gave the rest to the crew below him. Part of his reward for his own contributions was this knife they had found in the hut of the chieftain. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was the first thing he had made while under the old man. And he treasured it. Just like a dragon that treasured its gold. What were his own contributions for that excursion? Well...
  
  "Alright you bloody rascals!"
  
  His eyes flickered. The ocean was before him once again. The sky was bright and the sun had risen once again. Seagulls flocked in the winds. Waves were getting stronger. That could only mean one thing.
  
  Landfall.
  He continued to remain perched against the railings as he continued to listen to the orders of Judith; captain of the Black Rose ship. After orders were given, Ja'akuul would take a few more minutes before finally pushing off the railings and straightening up. He sheathed the knife back onto his belt and shifted to face the front of he ship. Nearby he could see the women dressed up similarly to the people of Regina Royale. He scowled at the thought of this place. Too many memories attached to this place. Both good and bad.
  
  They had their orders. The others would be coming topside shortly. You were either resupplying or going with Judith. A small grunt caught in his throat as he leaned back against the railings. With his arms crossed and one foot pressed up against the railings behind him, he fixed his crimson gaze upon the ever closer port. His orange tail lay limp in between the space of the railings. He would restock his own supplies and continue working on what he had drawn up for Judith months ago.
  
  He felt her draw closer to him. Without moving his gaze he spoke. His words, much like the draconic language, rough and from the back of his throat. He continued onward with the conversation from yesterday
  "Rough estimate? Another month tops, three-weeks if your lucky"
  
  
  ​

  
  
  empty
• Tags

  
  
  

  
  Mentioned:
  Judith Anaxileah
  
  Status:
  Dreamwalking -> Speaking with Judith
  
  Mood:
  Ennui
  
  Location:
  Sterncastle Deck
  
  
  
  ​

  
  
  
  
  
  
  empty
• Notes

  
  
  

  
  Notes:
  N/A
  
  ​

  
  
  
  
  empty
• Inventory

  
  

  
  Weapons:
  N/A
  
  Armor:
  N/A
  
  Magic Items:
  Steel Knife
  
  Consumables:
  N/A
  
  Clothing:
  Normal
  
  Misc:
  Written Orders
  
  
  ​

  
  
  
  
  
  
  empty

NOTHING

Health

100

Skills

Dragon's Breath

Fangs of the Fire Snake

Sweeping Cinder Strike

Flames of the Phoenix

River of Hungry Flames

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

JAUNE WHITE

Jaune White sighed as his arms stretched out above him towards the ceiling of his quarters. The wooden ceiling swayed side to side as he rolled himself out of his bed. He was never an early riser on the best of days, but today was a special occasion. The captain had mentioned that they were making a stop in Regina Royal, home of non other than Queen Bitchface herself. Normally he would meet that statement with psychotic glee and take it as a sign that they would sail in and cause all sorts of chaos. Unfortunately the nature of their mission was less on the chaos side and more on the sneaky side of things. "Well I'd best be getting up then, have to run maintenance of the cannons before we dock." Bare feet plopped onto the wooden floor as he opened his cabin door and onto the quarter deck. A salty sea breeze greeted him as plodded his way over to the first cannon.

He knelt down and began to inspect it for any signs of cracks or abnormalities. Once he was certain that nothing was out of the ordinary he began the cleaning process using the bucket of water and sponge he had prepared the night before. As he was cleaning the breach of the cannon his mind wandered before a familiar voice greeted him as it did every morning. "Good morning Jaune, maintenance as usual?" It already knew the answer but he replied just the same, "Yep. Need to make sure nothing goes wrong if we get into a firefight. Only thing worse than not having a cannon is having one that doesn't work." He finished cleaning the first cannon and moved onto the second, repeating the process as he spoke to himself. The conversation went it's usual way with his other half inquiring to how their research was going and him answering with what little progress was made. This continued until it brought up a new question. "So Regina Royal, home of the Queen and all of her little pawns. Think we can keep it together long enough?"

Jaune's arm stopped on the cannon before he stood up and looked towards the stars. It was a question that he had asked himself a few times before but for some reason hearing it from someone other than himself caused him to pause. Well technically it was still himself but the fact remained that he was still unsure himself. "I can keep myself in check if that's what you're asking. But if we run into any soldiers....." He trailed off as the sponge in his hand fell into the bucket giving enough of a shock to shake him out of his daze. With another sigh be turned in time to catch sight of the captain herself, Judith Lee Johnson emerged from her quarters dressed just like the nobles that inhabited the Royal. She addressed the crew who were scattered around the ship and informed them of the plan. The sun had risen without Jaune realizing as he looked down to his own attire. He was clothed in baggy cloth trousers and a loose cloth shirt, hardly the attire of someone who lived under the queen.

Returning to his quarters he emerged wearing his disguise, a grey vest under a blue justacorp, a white necktie and red breeches. Strapped to his left hip were two flintlock pistols with a saber on his right. It was mostly for show though as he was horrible enough in close range, let alone with a weapon he had no experience with. As he stepped onto the stern deck he walked up in front of the captain and bowed at the waist, "Your loyal bodyguard Lucas Sureshire at your service milady." He straightened himself up and scowled like he had just been fed a lemon, "I really hope that we can make this quick, every time I have to talk like that I feel like punching myself in the gut." Still if what she had said was true than the payout would be well worth the risk. "I'd offer to carry your cutlasses with me since I am acting as your guard but I think that would raise a lot of suspicion to why I'd carry weapons like that for guarding royals." He nodded his head as a greeting towards their carpenter/repair man Ja'akuul who was leaning against the rail before turning his attention back to Judith.

INVENTORY
-Two flintlock pistols
-A saber
-A small pouch with a shrapnel bomb

STATUS
-Awaiting to dock at port

MOOD
-Anxious

LOCATION
-Sterncastle Deck

NOTES
Outfit:

Spoiler: Clothing

LET IT BEGIN!​

 

[The Shadow Realm]

​

​

Ander awoke to the sound of cannon fire breaching the ships hull, and in an act filled by terror swiftly hopped out of bed onto the splintered wooden paneling below. This world he awakened into seemed to be a polar opposite of what he saw the other day, and instead of liveliness, there was only the stench of decay. The entire surroundings were off in fact, not just the atmosphere, with blood covering every inch of the jagged wood like it was a form of crude paint put on by a dying craftsman. As he carried onwards, each step Ander took seemed to zap the energy out of him, and each passing breath was more shallow than the last. Whatever the hell was happening here, it wasn't adding up at all. In no way was this real, these images must just be his mind playing tricks on him is all! Ah, and those decayed corpses littering the deck mustn't be his crewmate but his twisted head! Yes, that must be it, no-no it isn't it at all! What was Ander fooling himself for? He knew exactly what was going on inside this fucked up little world. It was the embodiment of his rage, all clustered into one fuck-mare of a dream - trying to consume him. He had to wake up, to get out before it was too late to escape. The only problem is that he couldn't wake up, and this factor soon caused worry to cloud Ander's mind instead of a solid plan. "I need to get the fuck outta here before "It" comes out to play.", Ander muttered weakly under his breath. Collecting his clusterfuck-awe surroundings, he noted that he was on the top deck of the corrupted ship. Using this variable he concluded the best way out was to end his own life, just as he did many years before. With that, he made a dash for the Crowsnest with what little energy remained in his body.

As he grasped weakly at the rope, Ander felt a slippery slap on his leg and immediately knew what it must be - himself. Glancing down at his ankles, he was met by a mess of tentacles shaped into his outline, with its tendrils hooked desperately onto his flesh. Beating its grotesque frame down with utmost effort, Ander clambered to the top and paused in victory to gaze out at the haunting blood red horizon in the distance. There in the far-off oceanic skyline laid an island swamped by a mass of tentacles, and deep in Ander's gullet he felt a pang of fear ring out from the deepest reaches of his soul. Shaking his head erratically to get out of the views trance, he finally clambered onto the top edge of the mast and lept into the corroded deck below. Instead of simply dying due to the fall however, he had the pleasure to land on a corroded piece of scrap, leaving his insides strewn out like a lowered flag on the surface of the ship.

Then there was black...

With the sharp crackle of his neck popping, Ander snapped awake only to find himself on the top deck of the ship. Upon waking, his mind was in a fog due to the sudden and volatile head jolt he committed. To add to those shitty factors, he also added another by snoozing through most of the Captain's meeting - properly boning himself in the long run. Despite that though, he managed to make it through the final bits of the planning. It seemed that they were docking in the Province of Queen Bitchland and Racism, which was going to be a jolly time for a sexy beast like him. To add to that factor, the inhuman monsters had to be fetch-doggies and had to restock. "Man this day is going to be FUCKING fantastic.", Ander grumbled to himself.


(Sorry if the post is awful, I'm pretty bad at first posts in roleplays.)​

 

[ZiggyZig]

Mercury Oakleaf
​

A heavy yawn erupted from the young fairy as he began to rise from his tiny self made hammock made from the cloth of the softest material used in most noble uniforms. Using several pieces string he was able to knit a perfectly sized hammock to use as his bed as using a normal bed was quite uncomfortable as they were quite large and dirty. Lifting himself out of his hammock Mercury began to stretch out his back as another heavy yawn escaped his lips. His beautiful wings began flap sending bits of dust flying around as their bright colors began to give off such a beautiful aura. A small piece of glass from a broken mirror was placed right next to the hammock allowing Merc to instantly freshen up before attending to his duties. Mercury was one that tended to isolate himself from his fellow crew mates as he preferred to have his own personal space when sleeping. That and he preferred to sleep in the nude and he doubted anyone wanted to see the naked fairy streaking around. A smirk overcame his face as he began to check himself out proudly placing his hands on his hips and buffing out his chest a bit. "As handsome as always. Thank the maker for blessing me with such charm" he said before sliding his fingers through his hair striking somewhat of a pose before turning around to see his perfectly folded clothes that laid right next to his hammock.

After dressing himself Mercury tended to his duties as normal. Though most of the hard labor duties had already been taken care of prior allowing Mercury to enjoy an easy day before docking to the human colonies. While not a fan of how the humans treated the fairies he found himself in awe towards their many traditions and customs. Plus there were a few items he was hopping his fellow crew members could pick up for him as he did not want to travel across the nation himself. It wasn't due to fear but more of not wanting to access his more human looking form. Suddenly Mercury's ears began to twitch to the sound of the captain’s shouting as his head turned to meet an unusual site. While he had been attending to his duties it seemed that the captain had been developing an infiltration scheme to meet with their client. Then again Mercury didn't bother to listen to the details of her speech as he continued to stare at her dress in a seemingly hypnotic trance. The dress reminded Mercury of home and the numerous parties that were thrown for only the most noble of fairy families. Dancing, laughing, and courting the most beautiful of women and the most handsome of men were all part of the Mercury's casual routine when it came to such events. The taste of fancy wine and to smell of the most delecious foods overtook his senses as if he was reliving those beautiful moments among his own people. If it hadn't had been for his little falling out with the elders he would probably have stayed being treated as a spoiled rich little fairy just like all the other nobles.

He was indeed a pampered pretty boy who basically had everything handed to him since birth. His name back home held power and authority and his word was almost gospel to his people. Due to his talent in Alchemy this was enhanced even further when he created numerous healing medicines to help cure sickness that flocked among his people. He was respected as he was seen as kind man unlike most of the other spoiled brats that would cry if their feet weren't properly rubbed. His words were able to rally just about anyone behind his many causes in the past as long as the elders supported them. This eventually earned him his nickname The Butterfly Prince due to his ability to lead and his charming looks. Such as lifestyle was missed dearly, but even till today he hasn't regretted his choice on leaving his people. Discovering new ingredients, new recipes, and even being part of a band of misfits was truly a wonderful experience. He didn't want what happened to his mother to happen to anyone else. Once he left this ship to return home he would spread his knowledge among his peers, but of course leaving this crew was going to be the hard part in this journey. Even if he didn't want to admit it he found himself growing fond of the crew with every passing day.


Eventually snapping out of his trance he began to study the Captain's dress finding her looking incredibly lovely. It had been a good while since such class was brought onto the ship, but knowing the captain there was a reason behind her sudden change in attire as she would never willingly wear something so fancy without a specific reason. As Mercury continued to hear her out a small frown overcame his face as she spoke out his name to accompany her on her little undercover mission. Which could only mean one thing....he would have to change into his more human like appearance. "Oh what joy this will be. I've always loved going into my less glamorous form" he said sarcastically but not too loud to where the captain could make out what he was saying. "By the captains orders....I guess" Mercury said slightly louder before flying of back into his quarters to change for this oh so lovely mission. He began to undress himself as his once joyful mood was turned mildly sour by the fact he would have to change into his less preferred form. The plan was to have someone fetch his ingredients for him while he remained on the ship, but of course he might as well fetch them himself since he would be accompanying them on their little meeting. As he stood nude once more he began to once again perfectly fold his clothes before setting them neatly next to his little hammock.

Giving himself plenty of room to grow a mere snap of the fingers was all that was needed. Large amounts of pink dust began to from his wings as it began to surround the young fairy in a seemingly violent and rapid motion. Mercury's body began to give off a pink aura as his skin began to grow ever so brightly. As he began to grow in size his wings steadily grew smaller until completely nonexistent. His skin slowly returned to it's original color as the dust disappeared revealing a nude Mercury who still had a annoyed frown from the mere fact he was having to turn into such a form, but he simply couldn't go against the Captain's orders as he had learned the hard way about telling her no in the past. While he wasn't particularly a fan of human fashion he still admired their unique designs that presented its own kind of beauty, but then again they couldn't compare to the elegant and luscious attire that the fairies commonly presented themselves. He began to dress himself in a lovely black and white ball uniform with bits of gold highlighting it's beautiful designs. It went perfectly with his hair and eyes making him look like a prince compared to most human nobles he had seen. Two small daggers coated in poison to cause temporary paralysis were hidden under his coat as well as a tiny vial containing a new experimental reactive liquid he had been wanting to test out. Returning to the deck he witnessed that he was not the first to dress himself. Seeing Jaune in his uniform a smirk overcame Mercury's face as he began to scan his body from his dress shoes all the face to the human's face. "My my Jaune. I must say you look stunning in that uniform, if you dressed like that more often all the young noble women might even beg for you to take them as your lover" he said chuckling at his own words. "And captain might I say you're looking as lovely as ever. Though I assume dressing like this was not something you enjoyed" he said chuckling once more. "But enough flattery as business must take priority. I have a request. There are certain ingredients here that are needed for my experiments. What exactly I can't say as of now, but with your permission I would like to purchase these items on the way back from our little visit" he said hoping the captain would grant his request.


MENTIONED: Shotgunpenguin Anaxileah
STATUS: Requesting to acquire his needed ingredients
MOOD: Slightly irritated, intrigued
LOCATION: Sterncastle Deck
INVENTORY: Two poison covered daggers, a vial containing experimental liquid
NOTES: Outfit

Spoiler: clothing

 

[Anaxileah]

Addressed: Anaxileah
Mentioned: ZiggyZig The Shadow Realm Shotgunpenguin Federoff
Status: Having a flashback -> Approaching the Captain
Mood: ???
Location: Sterncastle Deck
Inventory: Slave Cloth

Collab with CassWW & Anaxileah

Shiarra stood on the stern deck of the boat, in a shadowed corner, as stock still as she ever got. Her tail twitched steadily back and forth, playing precise metronome to some unknown rhythm. She wore a strange outfit, strips of brightly colored cloth arranged at various point, as well as a metal collar carved with strange symbols. Her scales also stuck out, although the members of the crew that had been around for a while would recognize the combat formation without the usual helmet. She had been waiting for the captain to show up, having been unable to sleep the prior night. When the captain did show up she watched her saunter up the stairs clad in the necessary disguise for the mission. She walked the walk well enough, but Shiarra knew her well enough by now to see her discomfort in the green dress. She was caught in a strange mixture of sympathy, fellow-feeling, and a little tinge of bitter enjoyment. At least she wasn't going to be the only one discomfited by this outing. She thought back to the previous night when she had first made her offer.

As she lay back in her hammock listening to the snoring of the other pirates as most of them soundly slept, she thought. As she did her finger rubbed a box which she held on her stomach, feeling out its ornate patterns and carvings. For a moment as she lay there she considered doing the safe thing, staying on the boat and whiling away the hours fishing whilst the rest of the crew went out to complete this stage of the mission. She sighed then, knowing even as she considered it that she had not been any meaningful distance from the captain for almost all of the last ten years, and she was not ready to break that streak. She slid sideways to her hooves with the ease of long practice, taking the box with her. As she stalked out of the crew quarters she took some care to not make too much noise, which was somewhat difficult as she usually walked with a slight clop. The crew were heavy sleepers for the most part but she did not want to have to answer any questions about what she was doing or what was in the box that had been collecting dust all the years prior to now. A few times less intelligent crew members had tried to find out what was inside, but thanks to an equally ornate key they could never get it open before being taught the error of their ways.

As she approached the captain's quarters she deliberately let her steps fall somewhat heavier, knowing that surprising the captain was mostly only good as a way to get shot. As she approached the door she read the familiar 'do not disturb' sign on the door with a certain amount of concern. It was carved there, and in keeping with the Captain's stylings, it also had a semi-ornate dragon carved around it, enameled in red and gold. As she steeled herself to knock the sound of the waves that she had grown so used to broke through again and she pondered whether it would be better to throw herself into the depths, or have this conversation and deal with the fallout and subsequent task. As she knocked she came to the conclusion that the choice was a close one. Her scales shifted almost reflexively into a more armored position over vital organs and key weak points. She didn't think she would need them but it made her feel better.

Jude glared at the door from where she lounged, her legs propped up on her desk as she cleaned one of her dual flintlock pistols. It was simply something she did in her spare time that relaxed her, which was important before a large mission. Her legs were bare and she was barefoot, revealing the lightly tanned skin normally hidden beneath her usual garb. She was dressed only in undergarments as she was seated in her ornate wooden chair and had just finished cleaning the beautiful pistol when the knock sounded and reverberated throughout the silent room. Jude stood from her Captain's chair and walked over to the door with as brisk a pace as usual, undeterred by the rocking of the ship or the cold feeling of the wood beneath her feet. She loaded the flintlock pistol and glanced down at herself, swearing silently that it better be one of her female crewmates knocking or she'd never hear the end of it. Her torso was covered by a smooth, silky, black material that draped down to her upper thighs and beneath that she wore nothing, making her even more irritated with whoever was disturbing her peace. As she reached the door she swung it open with one hand, pistol in the other pointed directly in the face of the perpetrator. Jude blinked rapidly for a mere moment before speaking softly.

'Shiarra?"

Shiarra's face shifted through several intense emotions in a brief instant. First a flash of engrained subservience that disappeared almost as soon as it appeared. Next, a moment of lethal anger, accompanied by her scales shifting slightly on her arms. That too faded, wrenched back under control as she looked past the gun to see Jude's face. Then when she widened her attention, taking in the room beyond as well as what the captain was wearing, she froze. For a second or two, even her tail was still, poking out to her right. When she unfroze her eyes snapped to a point slightly above and to the right of Jude's ahead. Her skin went slightly purplish on her cheeks and when she spoke there was a strange mix of emotions in her voice, "Captain!" She seemed to adjust right after, although her eyes stayed in the same position and her tail curled slightly around her lower torso. When she spoke again it was in a practiced near-monotone, giving away little emotion, "Apologies Captain, but I needed to talk to you. I have an idea for the trip tomorrow." She waited for the captain's response, with a pink-knuckled grip on the box she carried, and her tail twitching slightly behind her, scratching a little spot on her lower back, although the movement of her tail was visible from the front.

Jude eyed Shiarra with suspicion, watching her movements and responses with a careful eye. She noticed the anger and the movement of the scales, then the complete and utter shock of her Striker as she noticed the captain's clothes or lack thereof not a moment later. The blush was rather amusing to the captain, and in response to this, the captain lowered her weapon to her side, nodding to the enormously tall demoness. "What is it, Shiarra? You caught me when I was in the middle of cleaning my weapons. And, of course, as I was preparing for bed." Jude's eyes momentarily averted to the demoness' tail, which was partially wrapped around her and also moving behind her back. "Something the matter?" Jude asked before glancing at the box held in Shiarra's hands, a slender eyebrow raised in question to it. She moved from the doorway to the side, gesturing for Shiarra to enter.

Shiarra remained still until the captains gun dropped, at which point she relaxed slightly. As she listened to the captain speak she remained mostly still, although when the Captain indicated the box in her hands she flinched slightly. It was the one thing she had kept when she came off the slave ship, a simple, ornately carved, wooden box, with a strange metal keyhole. Over the years almost all of the crew except for the captain had asked after its contents and she had refused to tell. Unfortunately, to even suggest this plan she would have to explain what the box contained, and to execute it she would have to use it. She followed the captain into the room and walked past her, setting the box on the table. She then extended a single finger, extending a claw from it. With a look of concentration on her face, her claw began to twist and move, taking on in a strange ornate shape. After a moment its purpose became clear, as she fit the claw to the lock of the box and opened it. Inside lay a metal collar with potent, but dormant, magic within, surrounded by bright cloth in some strange patterns. She gingerly took it from the box and dropped it onto the table, seeming to want to spend as little time as possible in contact with it. When she spoke her voice was flat and icy cold, seeming half lost in memory, "High ranking human nobles, especially those who travel, do not travel alone. They are usually accompanied by warrior slaves as bodyguards, with these slaves being amongst the few non-humans allowed within the walls, albeit only if properly collared and clothed in a certain coded way." As she spoke she also pulled the cloth from the bag, showing some of its nature. It was constructed in such a way as to be clothes without clothing much or giving its wearer much dignity. She spoke again her voice still rather devoid of emotion, "To make the disguise complete you should also be accompanied by one."

Jude narrowed her eyes at the six foot two demon female, understanding what she was insinuating. "You want me to use you as my own slave in this undercover operation?" Jude's lips pressed together firmly, her mind going through the process of analyzing the plan along with Shiarra's new proposition. "While I do agree that it would work, why are you offering this? Being a slave is not something anyone would enjoy, nor should you go through that again." Jude frowned deeply before continuing. "I do not want to see you in pain."

As she listened to Jude's words a strange and twisted smile crossed Shiarra's face for a moment. When she spoke again her voice remained emotionless, although there was a note of strain, "Most nobles are given a protective slave when they become an adult and move out into the world. Those who don't are almost always given them if they leave the country. To arrive without one would be seen as anomalous, and either a mark of suspicion or a mark of low class. You cannot buy these. The collar is enchanted to contain the will and power of the specific creature it is made for, and the humans trained to enchant this way are kept contained. These collars can be easily recognized by another trained human enchanter, and are essentially impossible to fake. Any non-human slave will have their collar checked whenever anyone with the required training sees them, and must by law. The cloth is also very difficult to fake. It is a color and shape code developed and maintained by the guard forces of the kingdom. In each guard unit, there is at least one officer trained to read the code. Very occasionally one of these guards defect, and they are usually hunted down before too long. Each set of cloth specifically refers to the creature it was made for and certain markings or traits about them. Again any guard that sees the cloth will check the code if they know. If either of these are detected to be fake or inaccurate you will be seized and tortured for information as to why and how they were faked. This is the only way for it to work."

Jude's expression turned to that of anger in an instant. "Are you deaf? I have told you already that I understand the benefits of such a plan, but I do not wish to see what effect it will have on you. You should stop acting so distant and emotionally cold, Shiarra, because if there's anything I've learned in the ten years I've known you, you are anything but cold. So quit acting like it and tell me the fucking truth. Are you truly comfortable doing something like this? Why are you offering this choice if it involves a painful part of your past? You aren't an imbecile - there must be a reason. So tell me. If I have to pull rank, I will." Jude glared up at the demoness, her bright blue eyes as furious as she.

Shiarra froze for a moment, utterly still again. She closed her eyes and her face remained briefly impassive. There was too much here for her to retain equilibrium and she knew it. Digging up the contents of this box, and digging up her own history with it, was going to be a problem for her treasured stability, however little she might have of it. When she spoke her voice contained bitter anger, although it seemed to be internal rather than directed at the Captain, "I could tell a thousand lies to anyone else, but you demand honesty. Fine. Of course, it's not comfortable, of course, it's painful. I could not say I wanted to do it, but I also could not honestly say that I could not do it. Ten years we have known each other. In that time I have never been more than a ship's length from you, even on the few on-land occasions when you might have thought otherwise. That is not changing now, and I am especially not letting you walk into that hellhole of a country alone. The only choice here is yours and as much as it pains me, I know it has to be yours. If we do this I will have to reactivate the collar. Otherwise, any enchanters that see it will instantly be able to tell. Luckily I can, because it is made to be activated by anyone with even a scrap of magic. It will bind us together. I will be bound from harming you even more so than I already am. More relevantly our magic will be connected, and my will shall be yours if you give any direct commands. I will also be incapable of using any of my fire magic or additional forms unless specifically commanded. You will also have to be the one to remove it, as once it is placed it cannot be removed by whomever it binds. This choice is yours because I will not force you to this, or take away your autonomy here." With that she opened her eyes, regarding Jude with a sad, tired look.

The female pirate Captain watched her Striker with a thoughtful gaze as she listened to her words, nodding occasionally in understanding. She was mildly surprised at this sudden monologue of honesty and her glare softened as Shiarra said that it pained her to be unable to make this decision. Jude looked away as she continued to listen, walking over to the table in the center of the room to grab a crystalline pitcher of brandy and pour it into two separate glasses, both equally as decorated. She poured the sweet alcohol into the transparent dishes and handed one to Shiarra when she finished, looking her in the eyes. "I understand." Jude sipped the alcohol from her glass, pressing her lips to the hard material to take in the fruity flavor of the beverage. "We will go through with your plan. But I will not ask you to do anything you do not wish to do - you control your fate, and I will NEVER take that from you." Jude spoke firmly but maintained her calm tone, simply emphasizing her unwillingness to treat Shiarra as anything other than her equal. It was one of Jude's traits - always treat those you respect as your equals, for it is worse to create enemies from one's own disrespectful behavior. Jude nodded at Shiarra with acknowledgment before speaking once more. "I appreciate your concern for me, Shiarra." Jude moved closer to the towering demoness, smiling up at her. "We will succeed, so do not worry. You will not have to wear that dastardly collar for long."

Shiarra took the glass and sighed, sounding almost relieved, although her face remained somewhat tense. When she spoke her voice was quiet, "Thank you, for what it's worth. We should do it now. The ritual has certain small side effects, which I would prefer to not experience publicly." She held the glass steady in her left hand as she drew one last thing from the box, hissing with pain as she lifted the silver needle. She dropped it on the table as soon as she could. She stepped aside, taking the cloth with her. As she began to arrange it on her body she gestured to the needle on the table and spoke, "Wet that needle with a bit of your blood and we can be done with this soon." She put on the last length of cloth, and looked down at herself, remembering why she didn't wear cloth anymore. It covered all the bits that she usually relied on her scales to cover, and while designed not to cover much more, they did stay in place fairly reliably. WIth that Shiarra tossed the glass full of brandy back, reveling in the burn she could taste, even if it did not affect her in much of any other way. She looked at Jude, ignoring her state of dress now that she expected it, looking at her face instead, that was by now distinctly more familiar than her own, remembering the past ten years. It wasn't much time at this point in her lifespan, but it was perhaps the most stable period in her life. The fact that it was aboard a pirate ship probably said more about her life up to that point than it did about the ship itself. Shiarra hadn't changed much or been especially honest for most, although not all, of those years. Now things were shifting, and she wasn't sure she wanted to break the illusion of some strange normalcy.

Jude's eyes never left Shiarra as she examined her every move, making sure to be aware of everything that was going on with the female demon. She was still tense, especially when handling the sharpened needle made of pure silver. The pirate captain glanced between the needle and Shiarra as she spoke, listening intently to the instructions given to her. Jude nodded silently, grabbed the needle without hesitation, and pricked her left index finger with it immediately while Shiarra downed her brandy. Bright red blood budded at the fresh wound, leaving a small bubble of the thick, red liquid to sit on her finger as she held it out to Shiarra, prepared for what was to happen next.

Shiarra murmured, "One moment." With a look caught somewhere between concentration, despair, and determination, she picked up the collar. She reached inside, tripped some subtle button. It opened with a sickly gleam, a bear trap in all but name. Then she placed it on her neck and closed it, although there was no click, and still there remained a subtle crack. She squeezed her eyes shut, and reached over to take the needle, relying on her memory as well as her awareness of the Captain. Some small part of her almost hoped she missed and had to clean the needle, but no, she grabbed it perfectly, softly tugging it from the Captain's hand. In one swift movement, before she could lose even her formidable nerve, she stabbed it into a certain point on the collar, and every muscle in her body went tense with concentration. With that something pulsed and the trap sprung, the collar closing tight. For a moment everything was still, save for the rocking of the ship and the sub-aural hum of magic. Then the collar clicked, locking tight. Another heartbeat of stillness and then the hum of magic kicked up a note and the collar clicked again. This time something shifted internally and Shiarra let out a long quiet hiss and turned her head slightly to the right towards the Captain. As she did her scales seemed to shift and flow like wind-blown sand, before vanishing beneath the surface of her skin. Revealed as her scales left her were six rather vicious scars. One each to her ankles and wrists, bands of thin scar tissue. Then around the center of her torso was an oddly shaped scar that seemed to have the pattern of a chain. The last scar revealed was the thick scar around her neck. Then one last click, and the magic went quiet, retreating to a slight background hum. Shiarra gasped, a drawn out, cruel noise, seeming to contain a hundred screams. Then she promptly fell as if pole-axed, and the intent behind the turn of the face became clear as she began to drop, with her face turned towards Jude, thereby slightly safer from the effects of smashing her horns as well as her nose into the ground.

Jude dropped her brandy on the floor and leaped forward in response to Shiarra's sudden drop to the ground, wrapping her arms around the tall demoness' torso, struggling to lift the female farther than a couple feet from the ground, since she weighed so much (400 fuckin pounds m8). Jude grunted softly before lowering Shiarra to the ground before rubbing her knees, sore from hitting the ground so suddenly. She swore under her breath for a moment or two, thinking about what the collar had done to the demoness. What the bloody hell DID it do? Jude thought to herself with worry, focusing on the demon woman's face.

"Shiarra?" Jude looked at the red-skinned woman with concern, noting that nothing else had occurred other than the shifting of her scales in response to the collar's administration.

In the orange-lit darkness of her mind, Shiarra felt the part of herself that was old, inherited and angry rise, dragging the rest of her self to the surface with it. The wild angry part of herself tore around the edges of her mind, scraping against the edges of the towering metal structure sealing them in. Externally her face was the frightful snarl of a beast clawing its way from a snare. For a moment her body strained upwards, bowing out, and little nibs of scale poked through her skin in numerous places. Then she collapsed bonelessly to the ground, utterly and completely still for just long enough to be a concern. Then she seemed to come alive, taking in a ragged breath. Her eyes snapped open and flicked around, and for a moment there was a strange mixture of panic and relief in her eyes. Then her face went flat and she wordlessly rolled half over, scraping the floor slightly with her horns, and rested the side of her head against Jude's bare leg, her breathing still rough.

Jude frowned down at the rather ancient demoness, concern, worry, and anger flitting across her face in a myriad of expressions. She was concerned for her crew mate's well-being. She was worried that this decision was a mistake. Most of all, she was angry at those in the past who had wronged Shiarra by forcing her into slavery and making her commit horrifying acts. Maybe, just maybe, they would happen to those people during their next voyage and release the unrelenting force that is the new Shiarra upon them. That would be wonderful. Subconsciously, Jude reached a hand up to Shiarra's head and placed it there gently, reminding her that she was not an enemy, only an ally. That she should not panic or worry or feel uneasy in her presence. Jude was not some slave-owner who would make her do the unspeakable.

Shiarra lay still as her breathing smoothed out, although it hitched again briefly when Jude's hand came to rest on her head. When she spoke her voice was rough and quiet, "Apologies for the lack of warning Captain. I didn't want the side effects to alter your decision nor worry you too much." She went silent for a beat, considering her next words, "I guess this is the part where that explanation needs to happen. That was the process of my magic being locked away. I cannot currently use any of my magic unless directly commanded. You can give standing permission for me to manipulate my scales, but because of the nature of the kind of slave I was the use of magic must be specifically ordered." She rubbed her cheek against the captain's leg before falling still again. She then moved away, as she lifted herself up and away from Jude's leg, standing halfway up before falling back into a sitting position and wrapping her arms around her knees. Her tail curled around her back into her hand and she grabbed it, rubbing between the spikes with a thumb. When she spoke her voice was almost hesitant, "I wan- Need my scales back, badly. I hate using this foul cloth for clothing, and while I will for the sake of this mess, I need my scales."

Jude smiled softly, mildly surprised with herself for being so gentle and kind for such a long time (even though it had been less than an hour since Shiarra entered the room) as she retracted her hand from Shiarra, allowing her to move away as she wished. Shiarra's meekness was a surprise to her, but she understood the need for what was comfortable. Jude nodded, "Use your scales however much you please. I won't force you to be lack confidence and be bare." Jude's voice was soft and gentle, despite her slight irritation with her dropping of the brandy before preventing Shiarra's fall. She eyed the spilled liquid with a look of remorse before rising from where she knelt, her knees red from hitting the wood so hard. Jude lifted the glass from the ground (which was surprisingly durable and had only cracked), then placed it on the table with the intent of filling it again.

"I suppose we should get on with the night. Tomorrow will start early, and that is not something I am looking forward to, for you know how I enjoy my slumber." Jude chuckled softly, pouring herself another cup of brandy as she did so. She sipped it whilst her eyes remained focused on the seated demoness, watchful of her next actions.

Shiarra regarded Jude with her orange-lit gaze as she spoke. Some part of her screamed at her to trust nobody and that this was a mistake, but she had already made her choice when she had entered this room. She smirked slightly at the Captain's mention of her sleeping habits. After ten years she was indeed familiar with the captain's dislike of interrupted sleep. Her own sleep had a tendency to be intermittent and with half an eye open, the habit formed by her time as a gladiator. She had long ago mastered the cat-nap, sleeping whenever an opportunity arose. She hadn't slept more than an hour or two in decades. Shaking her head, exasperated with herself for delaying, she stood up, closing her eyes and concentrating as she did so on drawing her scales back out. What she intended would require concentration even without her scales having been temporarily locked away. As it was, drawing her scales into a full armor configuration took rather more effort than her usual formation which acted more as clothing than true armor. This formation's intent became obvious as her scales flowed out over her body. First from just above her hooves scales began to harden and form a protective layer moving up her legs. Then on her hands, a thin layer of flexible scales flowed, thickening slightly as it moved back up her arm and over the scars there. These scales moved inwards, stirring under the cloth she wore covering the large band of scar tissue around the center of her torso. The last scales to harden were the ones around her throat, covering the last of her scars. She left the top of her head uncovered for the moment, giving into vanity and letting her hair stay loose. Her eyes fluttered as she started to speak, "Aye Captain. See you in the morning for the departure."

The Captain finished her brandy, downing the glass before letting out a contented sigh and smiling once more at the demoness before heading to her bed. "Goodnight, Shiarra. Feel free to let me know what you need whenever a command is necessary tomorrow. However, I am exhausted and must rest before tomorrow's plans are in action." Jude smiled once more at Shiarra before crawling into her bed, the silky material riding up her skin and being somewhat revealing as she did so. The material hugged her curves and left little room for imagination, but she was soon under the covers and drifting off to sleep.

Shiarra's eyes stayed on the Captain as she moved away, and she nodded as Jude spoke. She had mostly adjusted to the captain's clothing or lack thereof, up until it shifted as the Captain climbed into bed. That caught her more than slightly off-guard and she twitched slightly, before going distinctly still. Her cheeks also went distinctly purple and she turned away abruptly. She coughed slightly and then hurried out the door, closing it gently behind her.

She snapped out of her reverie as the captain began to speak. She listened expressionlessly as the captain gave her commands, and watched as she approached the Draconian afterward. She suspected that the two were cooking something up, but that was their business. Next Jaune approached her, taking up his position as part of the human or human-seeming party. Next Mercury approached in his human form, taking his position. She watched him gesture and speak for a moment before she stepped away from her shadowed corner, approaching as he finished speaking. When she spoke her voice was flat and brief, "Also here Captain. Ready for departure." With that, she took up a post behind and to the left of the captain.​

 

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

You Know Who I Am


Hanging upside down by his feet from some of the rigging near the top of the mizzenmast, Oqdan was, quite frankly, having a ball. It was one of the few things that held his attention for significant periods of time, these days. Watching the skies and the clouds hanging there, that was. Not hanging by his feet from rigging. Though that could be fun too, given the right circumstances. But no, right now, cloudgazing was Oqdan's game. Was that a real word? Oqdan shrugged, a strange motion for an imp hanging by his feet from some rigging high in the air to make. Fortunately for his appearances, nobody could see him. Well, Judith could, but he strongly doubted she was looking up near the top of the mizzenmast right now. The point was irrelevant, and what was relevant was that cloudgazing was now a word, and nobody could stop him.

In his vivid imagination, the clouds did not simply drift lazily across the skies, they told stories. His imagination shaped a delightful puff of suspended water vapour into a vicious tempest, sweeping up the comparatively tiny ships that were originally the smaller flecks of cloud and sending them thrashing around in the ocean, tipping and lurching nauseatingly as the storm tossed them like so many pebbles.

The scene twisted as a new cloud drifted into his immediate sightline. Immediately, he saw it painting the image of a bold pirate captain, braids blowing in the storm, bellowing orders to the sailors on deck. He could see the way the captain's fearless stance served as a lighthouse for the sailors to look up to, to point to and say, "There. There is hope". The captain's voice seemed to drown out the gale, the crashing waves, the rolling thunder. This would be the ship that survived the storm, guided by the captain's able instruction.

Oqdan grimaced at where his imagination had wandered. At least the storm hadn't contained any sea serpents, but stripping away ships and leaving them adrift was practically the previous step to being eaten by one. Unbidden, the image of a huge, scaly form surfacing in the middle of a starless night, towering up above his wooden sanctuary to blot out the moon, not just in front but-

Oqdan blinked, and the vision was gone. That was not a part of his imagination that he particularly enjoyed visiting. He wanted to let off some steam, go pester someone. As casually as stepping down a stair, Oqdan kicked his feet free from the rigging, wind rushing in his ears as he came closer and closer to the hard wooden deck below. Oqdan's heart thundered in his chest, the raw exhilaration still as fresh as the first fall, and a grin cracked his face wide open as the ship grew to encompass the entirety of his vision, his fall accelerating.

A mere second from hitting the deck head-first, Oqdan's mind and body expanded to cover the entire ship. He saw everything. He heard everything. He was everywhere. His previous location was shrouded with a cloud of smoke, with a burning red fire making the whole cloud glow slightly with a dim light. For a moment, the totality of his perception of the cloud captivated him. He saw it from every angle possible, capturing it from the most breathtaking of perspectives side by side with the most mundane. For just a moment, Oqdan wished he could paint the sight, for a sketch could not properly capture the colours he saw. He decided there and then that his new pet project would be refining his painting ability. He'd picked up some small ability in other artistic pursuits than sketching, but not nearly enough to capture what he saw. Not good enough.

Activity caught his attention, and he watched and heard from everywhere at once as Judith laid out her orders, and everyone else assented in one way or another. Well, some people. Not all yet. Well, he was fine with staying on the ship. He didn't particularly care to go near Regina Royale's damned walls. He was more than happy to stay outside. If he could, he'd stay on the ship entirely, managing the stocks and sending out whoever was available to go fetch the required materials for sailing. Oqdan cast his metaphorical gaze across the ship, which is a redundant phrase because he already saw the whole ship. If they could find some extra crew to sail this huge ship, that'd be amazing too. As it was, twelve people very much were not enough to do much more than absorb cannon fire in a proper naval engagement, assuming the more powerful and mobile crew members—himself, mostly—saw fit to not migrate to another ship and set about taking or sinking the ship. And even if they did, they were a pitiful few. Against any opposing force greater than 'mildly significant' there was simply too much work.

He cast that thought aside as unhelpful and set about silently looking through the ship's stores in his expanded form, noting it all down and marking out what he would need more of. Drudgery, but necessary for the running of a ship, so he did it all the same. If the Captain had any presence of mind, which he believed she did, then she'd probably realise that the reason he wasn't bothering anyone right now was because he was doing his job. The time to irritate people could come later.​

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

Venalean
​

Venalean wasn't pleased, today. No, not happy in the least. Not that his usual disposition recently could be considered anything close to happy. As he pulled the ship into harbor, all that Ven could think about was his first and only visit to Regina Royale. In a matter of days, he got an intimate view of its xenophobic citizens. He learned of its biased legal system, and its many, many advancements into the science and art of torture. He hadn't been there for long, but Ven found himself impressed by their ability to make a man feel like he was freezing solid and burning to ashes at the same time. The simple thought made his eye patch tingle.

Clearly, after only escaping the place months ago, Ven was not excited at the prospect of returning there. However, it is where his captain wished to go. It didn't seem to occur to her that his feelings on the matter might be negative, but then again, she hadn't asked, so it was possible she might not have considered him having an opinion about it at all. Regardless of how lacking in forethought the idea was, Ven didn't bother speaking up. He had decided long ago to follow his captain, and wasn't about to buck the trend today. After all, Shiarra would kill him. The dark elf watched as the others gathered on the deck, and like clockwork, she stuck to the captain like glue.

Ven couldnt help but smile softly to himself. The demon girl seemed to have a particular fondness for the captain, that others might consider bordered on obsession. Ven didn't judge, believing that feelings so strong only worked to improve one's ability to perform their duties. Unfortunately, that also meant that if he ever looked at the captain the wrong way in sight of her, his head wold end up as a decoration on her wall. Lucky, then, that Venalean at least believed in repaying his debts. Thinking about where he'd been, and the way in which the captain had saved him, however unintentional it may have been, was worth his loyalty...and perhaps worth dropping anchor in this terrible, gilded pile of-

Looking up towards the blue skies above, Ven sighed. There wasn't any more time to agonize over things. It would be for the best if he simply hoped the trip was over and done with quickly. He looked back towards the deck. "Captain! We're...docked. It would be best if you speak with the harbormaster and handle the paperwork. However, I can...deal with it myself, if you're in a hurry."

 

[Anaxileah]

Judith grimaced as she looked down at herself, half-tempted to rip the fabric from her skin so that she could just fucking breathe. But no. She had to look as pompous and stuck-up as the inhabitants of the inner circles of Regina Royale. The female captain sighed, turning her face towards her carpenter, the sunlight reflecting off of her chocolate-colored hair as she did so. He spoke abruptly and briefly, momentarily confusing the captain regarding what he was speaking of. It took her but a moment to realize he was talking about his latest project, and she nodded in understanding to the Draconian. The next person to interact with her was Shiarra, who caused Jude to blush lightly as the demoness approached her. "Also here Captain. Ready for departure." Jude frowned at this, still uncomfortable with the whole slave-appearance Shiarra had put herself in, literally binding herself to Judith in a bloody (literally) ritual. She sighed and nodded, acknowledging Shiarra's presence and words just as she had done to Ja'akuul. She swore she could sense her quartermaster somewhere nearby, so she spoke out loud for a couple seconds, appearing to address the air.

"Make sure no one gets into trouble, you hear me?" She finished just before her navigator, Venalean told her that they had docked. She knew how much every single one of her crew hated being on this godsforsaken island, but it was a must in order to get their next job, and it was going to pay exceedingly well. Venalean told her that it would be best if she handled the harbormaster, but the look she gave him made him quickly offer to handle it if she was in a hurry. She wanted to get away from there just as much as he did. With that, she spoke tersely before marching down the steps to the quarterdeck and then the main deck, watching as a couple other ship aides laid down the wide board with rungs in it for them to walk down to the port. "I am just as ready to leave as you. The faster we get everything done, the faster we get away from Queen Bitchface." With that, she marched down the board, her only accompaniment her 'slave,' Shiarra.

"Get the supplies as quick as you can, Venalean, Oqdan, Ander, and Ja'akuul!"
ADDRESSED: Ja'akuul Federoff , Shiarra SweetRose , Venalean Kalin Scarlet , Oqdan Obi-Wan Kenobi , Anderian The Shadow Realm
MENTIONED: Current Crew (let's consider the open spaces and any extras to be NPCs until others join if that ends up happening)
STATUS: Getting Off the Ship -> Heading Into 3rd Ring
MOOD: Irritated/Anxious
LOCATION: Sterncastle Deck -> Quarterdeck -> Main Deck -> Port
INVENTORY: Two flintlock pistols, jewelry across her neck and on her ears.
NOTES: Sorry for the wait ;-;​