Reprisal
First Post
It was a bleak day on the grand docks of the Atealian city of Lucia, situated on the Civilized Continent's finest natural harbour. Though the weather was terrible, the people there were in a happy mood. It was the day of departure. With starry eyes, they simply called it "The New World." There were all manner of people standing in the lines along the great docks: Askaran merchants, Meyarin pilgrims, hobgoblin soldiers, elven bureaucrats, gnomish scholars, not to mention halfling and goblins.
The crowd was split into three distinct lines. The first comprised mainly of the Askaran and Pale Elven elites -- the merchant aristocracy and the bureaucrats. With their servants standing in the bitter cold rain, they sat in comfort under the protection of specially-made structures of wood and cloth. To many in the other lines, they symbolized true power in the Vanarian Empire. With Askaran gold and elven governance, the Empire shows no sign of weakness -- and many hate them for it. The second line, unlike the first, is comprised mainly of humans and hobgoblins of all creeds. They are the soldiers of the Empire. Loyal, brutal, and efficient, these warriors are paid well for their upkeep of the Imperial Order at almost any cost.
To be certain, nearly everyone in the third line could attest to the prowess of the Imperial Legions of Vanaria to some degree: the Meyarins, the gnomes, the halflings, and the goblins have all been touched by the nigh-irresistable force of the Imperial Fist. You're in this line; in the cold and wet late winter weather, you stand with your meager possessions waiting for the ship that will take you to your new life -- just like everyone else.
Fortunately for you, the front of the line has a nice view of the grand Imperial galleons docked mere yards away. Truly huge, these galleons have dwarfed nearly everything else on the oceans around Vanaria. Originally, they were war transports. Used in the War of the Unending Tide, they are indeed quite aged, but one wouldn't think so just looking at them. Painted in a brilliant purple hue laced with golden highlights, the three Galleons majestically stand before you like mountains to be scaled.
After what seems like forever, several well-dressed crewmen approach the lines in order of importance: the elites, the soldiers, and then "the rest of the rabble." The others behind you watch anxiously as the elites and their possessions board the first vessel, called The Unity. After they're finished, the officers of the Imperial Legions order their troops to gather their sacks and get on board. It might be rather surprising if you've never seen it, but there are at least as many soldiers boarding the Victory as there are about to board your ship, the Illumina. The striking difference, of course, is the makeup of the soldiers, mostly human and hobgoblin; and the makeup of your line, mostly halfling and goblin.
Finally, two crewmen, a half-elf and an Askaran, from your ship approach the line and relieve the two mean-looking bugbears guarding it. The human stepped atop a wooden box and called out, "All right, we'll be boarding those of you who've already paid the fare. Gather your things and be ready to board. Once you're aboard, follow my compatriot to the desk near the bow of the vessel."
His comrade smiled and added, "That's the front for you gobbos out there!"
The first one glanced at his friend with a grim look on his face and shook his head in disappointment.
The half-elf shrugged unapologetically and started to walk toward the Illumina, "Let's get going already!"
- - - - -
The clerk was sat behind the table with a stack of papers, a ledger, and an abacus. It didn't take you long to get your payment and papers in order, and soon you were sent with an attendant to your cabin.
The galleon was truly huge, and finding cabin twelve would have been quite difficult had it not been for the assistance of Ensign Cyrus Wellborne, the Askaran human who had originally called out the boarding order.
"We won't be serving any food for today, there's too much to do," he explained politely. "You should probably work on securing your things and figuring out who's gonna sleep where." He clapped his hands together and pointed to a room a few feet down the corridor, "Here it is, cabin twelve. I'm sorry to say that we're horribly overbooked, so you'll have to figure out who's where and all that."
Looking inside, you note that there are already people stowing their things away in cabin twelve. In total there are already five halflings, a gnome, and a goblin -- all of which seem to be well-acquainted with each other. They stop what they're doing and greet you casually -- although somewhat confused, thinking that the cabin was already full.
Aside from its inhabitants, cabin twelve seems rather large. There are eight bunks in total, four on each side with four more above them. They seem to be fitted for humans, but there's already a lot of things on the ones that aren't being used... It looks like a tight fit, especially with the two halfling women, but you might be able to manage something.
"What's going on, Cyrus?" A curiously bald halfling youth steps foward, "I thought we had a deal."
A rather cute halfling brunette pouts with her hands on her hips, "Yeah, I thought we were gonna have this cabin all to ourselves!"
Ensign Wellborne raises his hands and addresses the bald one, "Look, Mischa, I'm sorry, but the Captain said we have to accomodate more people -- the Unity just purged most of the second tier passengers on the request of the new Governor."
The bald halfling sighs in frustration, "Well, if we have no choice..."
The goblin grunts angrily and throws a small pouch against the wall, scattering many small white stones on the floor. In response, the gnome gasps in horror and starts to pick them up hurriedly, "Tweek! Contain your rage!"
The ensign turns to you and shrugs apologetically, "Well, here we are... Sorry about the inconvenience, but orders are orders."
After he leaves, the one named Mischa waves you inside. Stepping over Tweek and the gnome, he smiles cordially and says, "Welcome to cabin twelve, I'm Mischa."
He points to a halfling girl with her black hair tied up with a nice ribbon, "This is my fiancée, Moira."
The only other female in the cabin smiles and waves with one hand and plays with her long brown curls with the other, "I'm Haley!"
Mischa points at the goblin and the gnome, "That's Tweek, and that's Kennewick."
Tweek looks up and nods in Mongrés' direction while Kennewick starts putting the white stones back into its pouch.
"Those two over there," Mischa points, "those are the Blackwater brothers, Nolan and Kelly."
The two brothers are playing a game of cards. From the looks of it, the eldest brother, Nolan, is winning. He glances up from the cards and nods in your general direction.
Kelly, on the other hand, steals a wary glance at both Marec and Brenodan. He leans in close and whispers something to his elder brother, who frowns and looks at his little brother's hand.
"Well," Mischa says as he walks over to one of the bunks and sits down, "That's us. Who are you?"
- - - - -
OOC: For the sake of clarity, I'll include NPC details below. I know it's a lot of characters to introduce this early, but trust me, it's necessary. Like your characters, the denizens of Cabin 12 are all fairly young for their races. It seems that they too are looking for a new life in the New World.
Mischa: He looks to be in his mid-twenties, despite his baldness. He looks perpetually serious, and somewhat preoccupied most of the time. Other than that, there's nothing especially outstanding about him. The only thing that seems to get a rise out of him is his fiancée...
Moira: If Mischa looks perpetually serious, Moira appears to be quite calm -- serene even. She has black hair worn up, but it looks to be at least shoulder length; and bright blue eyes. She seems accomodating, and treats everyone politely.
Haley: Where Moira is calm, Haley is boisterous and forthright. Conscious of her looks, it seems that Haley likes to tease poor Ensign Wellborne simply because she knows he likes her. With her long and curly brown hair and warm brown eyes, she is quite cute.
Nolan: The eldest of the Blackwater Brothers, Nolan seems to be a something of a gambler. It looks and smells like he uses wax to control his short black hair to go with his slick black leather coat. He can shuffle cards like a machine, and he makes it look like it doesn't take much effort to beat his little brother.
Kelly: As the youngest of the Blackwater boys, it seems that Kelly thinks he has something to prove. He's quite competitive with his brother, and it seems that he just can't win. What really makes him mad is the fact that it seems like Nolan doesn't even need to try to beat him. He frustrated to say the least, and his discomfort at the "intrusion" of Brenodan and Marec is quite evident. Like his brother, Kelly has short black hair, but it seems that that's the end of the two siblings' similarities.
Tweek: Tweek looks to be the "odd gobbo out" in terms of his company. Upon sight of Mongrés, you could see a flush of relief go over his face. Tweek's excitable, but he seems fine -- as goblins go.
Kennewick: In all honest, it appears that the gnome Kennewick is perpetually bewildered by his surroundings. He seems obsessed with his things: a stack of books, a square wooden board with a grid of squares burned into it, and a pair of leather pouches containing black and white round and polished stones. Kennewick wears glasses, and like Mischa, he's bald, although it looks to be from stress. He's rather quiet, and once things settle down, it looks like he'll start reading one of his many books.
- - - - -
I suppose you guys can just introduce yourselves to the denizens and each other. Please include your names, a short description, and maybe which people you tend to gravitate toward... Oh yes, depending on how things work out, Tonguez' character will be included when he is moved from another cabin, or he's in Port Opal itself -- depending on if he's still playing or not. (Hint hint!)
By the way, you were right, Krug, that took longer than I thought!
The crowd was split into three distinct lines. The first comprised mainly of the Askaran and Pale Elven elites -- the merchant aristocracy and the bureaucrats. With their servants standing in the bitter cold rain, they sat in comfort under the protection of specially-made structures of wood and cloth. To many in the other lines, they symbolized true power in the Vanarian Empire. With Askaran gold and elven governance, the Empire shows no sign of weakness -- and many hate them for it. The second line, unlike the first, is comprised mainly of humans and hobgoblins of all creeds. They are the soldiers of the Empire. Loyal, brutal, and efficient, these warriors are paid well for their upkeep of the Imperial Order at almost any cost.
To be certain, nearly everyone in the third line could attest to the prowess of the Imperial Legions of Vanaria to some degree: the Meyarins, the gnomes, the halflings, and the goblins have all been touched by the nigh-irresistable force of the Imperial Fist. You're in this line; in the cold and wet late winter weather, you stand with your meager possessions waiting for the ship that will take you to your new life -- just like everyone else.
Fortunately for you, the front of the line has a nice view of the grand Imperial galleons docked mere yards away. Truly huge, these galleons have dwarfed nearly everything else on the oceans around Vanaria. Originally, they were war transports. Used in the War of the Unending Tide, they are indeed quite aged, but one wouldn't think so just looking at them. Painted in a brilliant purple hue laced with golden highlights, the three Galleons majestically stand before you like mountains to be scaled.
After what seems like forever, several well-dressed crewmen approach the lines in order of importance: the elites, the soldiers, and then "the rest of the rabble." The others behind you watch anxiously as the elites and their possessions board the first vessel, called The Unity. After they're finished, the officers of the Imperial Legions order their troops to gather their sacks and get on board. It might be rather surprising if you've never seen it, but there are at least as many soldiers boarding the Victory as there are about to board your ship, the Illumina. The striking difference, of course, is the makeup of the soldiers, mostly human and hobgoblin; and the makeup of your line, mostly halfling and goblin.
Finally, two crewmen, a half-elf and an Askaran, from your ship approach the line and relieve the two mean-looking bugbears guarding it. The human stepped atop a wooden box and called out, "All right, we'll be boarding those of you who've already paid the fare. Gather your things and be ready to board. Once you're aboard, follow my compatriot to the desk near the bow of the vessel."
His comrade smiled and added, "That's the front for you gobbos out there!"
The first one glanced at his friend with a grim look on his face and shook his head in disappointment.
The half-elf shrugged unapologetically and started to walk toward the Illumina, "Let's get going already!"
- - - - -
The clerk was sat behind the table with a stack of papers, a ledger, and an abacus. It didn't take you long to get your payment and papers in order, and soon you were sent with an attendant to your cabin.
The galleon was truly huge, and finding cabin twelve would have been quite difficult had it not been for the assistance of Ensign Cyrus Wellborne, the Askaran human who had originally called out the boarding order.
"We won't be serving any food for today, there's too much to do," he explained politely. "You should probably work on securing your things and figuring out who's gonna sleep where." He clapped his hands together and pointed to a room a few feet down the corridor, "Here it is, cabin twelve. I'm sorry to say that we're horribly overbooked, so you'll have to figure out who's where and all that."
Looking inside, you note that there are already people stowing their things away in cabin twelve. In total there are already five halflings, a gnome, and a goblin -- all of which seem to be well-acquainted with each other. They stop what they're doing and greet you casually -- although somewhat confused, thinking that the cabin was already full.
Aside from its inhabitants, cabin twelve seems rather large. There are eight bunks in total, four on each side with four more above them. They seem to be fitted for humans, but there's already a lot of things on the ones that aren't being used... It looks like a tight fit, especially with the two halfling women, but you might be able to manage something.
"What's going on, Cyrus?" A curiously bald halfling youth steps foward, "I thought we had a deal."
A rather cute halfling brunette pouts with her hands on her hips, "Yeah, I thought we were gonna have this cabin all to ourselves!"
Ensign Wellborne raises his hands and addresses the bald one, "Look, Mischa, I'm sorry, but the Captain said we have to accomodate more people -- the Unity just purged most of the second tier passengers on the request of the new Governor."
The bald halfling sighs in frustration, "Well, if we have no choice..."
The goblin grunts angrily and throws a small pouch against the wall, scattering many small white stones on the floor. In response, the gnome gasps in horror and starts to pick them up hurriedly, "Tweek! Contain your rage!"
The ensign turns to you and shrugs apologetically, "Well, here we are... Sorry about the inconvenience, but orders are orders."
After he leaves, the one named Mischa waves you inside. Stepping over Tweek and the gnome, he smiles cordially and says, "Welcome to cabin twelve, I'm Mischa."
He points to a halfling girl with her black hair tied up with a nice ribbon, "This is my fiancée, Moira."
The only other female in the cabin smiles and waves with one hand and plays with her long brown curls with the other, "I'm Haley!"
Mischa points at the goblin and the gnome, "That's Tweek, and that's Kennewick."
Tweek looks up and nods in Mongrés' direction while Kennewick starts putting the white stones back into its pouch.
"Those two over there," Mischa points, "those are the Blackwater brothers, Nolan and Kelly."
The two brothers are playing a game of cards. From the looks of it, the eldest brother, Nolan, is winning. He glances up from the cards and nods in your general direction.
Kelly, on the other hand, steals a wary glance at both Marec and Brenodan. He leans in close and whispers something to his elder brother, who frowns and looks at his little brother's hand.
"Well," Mischa says as he walks over to one of the bunks and sits down, "That's us. Who are you?"
- - - - -
OOC: For the sake of clarity, I'll include NPC details below. I know it's a lot of characters to introduce this early, but trust me, it's necessary. Like your characters, the denizens of Cabin 12 are all fairly young for their races. It seems that they too are looking for a new life in the New World.
Mischa: He looks to be in his mid-twenties, despite his baldness. He looks perpetually serious, and somewhat preoccupied most of the time. Other than that, there's nothing especially outstanding about him. The only thing that seems to get a rise out of him is his fiancée...
Moira: If Mischa looks perpetually serious, Moira appears to be quite calm -- serene even. She has black hair worn up, but it looks to be at least shoulder length; and bright blue eyes. She seems accomodating, and treats everyone politely.
Haley: Where Moira is calm, Haley is boisterous and forthright. Conscious of her looks, it seems that Haley likes to tease poor Ensign Wellborne simply because she knows he likes her. With her long and curly brown hair and warm brown eyes, she is quite cute.
Nolan: The eldest of the Blackwater Brothers, Nolan seems to be a something of a gambler. It looks and smells like he uses wax to control his short black hair to go with his slick black leather coat. He can shuffle cards like a machine, and he makes it look like it doesn't take much effort to beat his little brother.
Kelly: As the youngest of the Blackwater boys, it seems that Kelly thinks he has something to prove. He's quite competitive with his brother, and it seems that he just can't win. What really makes him mad is the fact that it seems like Nolan doesn't even need to try to beat him. He frustrated to say the least, and his discomfort at the "intrusion" of Brenodan and Marec is quite evident. Like his brother, Kelly has short black hair, but it seems that that's the end of the two siblings' similarities.
Tweek: Tweek looks to be the "odd gobbo out" in terms of his company. Upon sight of Mongrés, you could see a flush of relief go over his face. Tweek's excitable, but he seems fine -- as goblins go.
Kennewick: In all honest, it appears that the gnome Kennewick is perpetually bewildered by his surroundings. He seems obsessed with his things: a stack of books, a square wooden board with a grid of squares burned into it, and a pair of leather pouches containing black and white round and polished stones. Kennewick wears glasses, and like Mischa, he's bald, although it looks to be from stress. He's rather quiet, and once things settle down, it looks like he'll start reading one of his many books.
- - - - -
I suppose you guys can just introduce yourselves to the denizens and each other. Please include your names, a short description, and maybe which people you tend to gravitate toward... Oh yes, depending on how things work out, Tonguez' character will be included when he is moved from another cabin, or he's in Port Opal itself -- depending on if he's still playing or not. (Hint hint!)
By the way, you were right, Krug, that took longer than I thought!
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