POOHEAD189

Damned to the Depths

Markus raised an eyebrow and looked upwards, giving a smile that momentarily revealed his youth, as if to ask the Gods how he fell in with such a crew. The Gnome woman held herself up defensively, her big blue eyes darting around with a wary edge. Markus was glad the Gnome did not see the Gnoll behind her, as he had a look that spoke of unbridaled hunger, and how much of a delicacy he considered this newcomer.

Markus took a step forward, measuring Grimey. He already knew the answer to his question, but he needed to be skeptical for appearances sake. "You know how to handle a gun?"

"Ha! I know my way around a gun better than you know your way around your-"

"Jim, escort our new lady crew member to the deck and introduce her to the crew. Make sure you tell Sketti how she got here and let him tell her where to go." He ordered the younger boy. Jim gave a quick look around the room, the monster, the short gunner, and the dangerous vixen all made him equally uncomfortable. "Aye sir," he said, and pulled on Grimey's blouse lightly. She smacked his hand. "Oi, you should know better than to touch a lady!" Yet she followed him, thankfully.

"I'm not sure if I brought a blessing or a curse." Calliope remarked.

"You can go now, Sron." Markus said, heading back to his desk.

The ship rocked lightly, and a faint yell was heard from on deck. No doubt the crew was now getting along swimmingly with their new crewmember. The Gnoll gave a rough reply, the first time it had spoken since it's introduction in the Buggered Whale. "Aye Captain." It said the words very slowly and deliberately, its voice sounding far too menacing and bestial to ever be taken lightly, and he turned to leave, his humped back nearly bumping into the top of the door.

"Oh and Sron? Don't eat the newcomer."

"...Aye sir."

With that, the door closed. Markus breathed a bit easier as soon as it did, looking a bit more like the lost swordsman that had found her in the dungeons in what seemed far longer ago than it was. "Our first port and you managed to get us a new gunner after we left it. That's impressive." he said with a smirk. She gave him a sly look that oozed with an 'of course I did.' Markus replied with a wicked smile that showed his teeth.

"But if we want to keep the crew," he said, heading over to the other side of his desk. "We need a good haul. Did you get our bearings?"

The words of Sketti rang in his ears.

Markus was no fool. He was never the negotiator or the ambassador for his father's court or estate, but he did serve and dwell there long enough to know more than his fair share of politics. He at least knew enough to know that to trust anyone blindly, particularly a recent tyrant, was a bad risk. But there was mutual gain here, and even past that, he felt he knew her kind of anger at the world hidden beneath the surface. He could relate, and maybe after they cashed in on this hunt, he'd let his guard down...a bit.

The ship rocked due to the swell of a wave, and an opened rum bottle slid across the desk. Markus somehow caught it without even giving it a glance, picking it up and taking a swig. He felt like a light buzz.
@Penny

Takanis - A Historically Inspired Fantasy NRP

In a hurry, but posting mostly for the land.

WIP

Name of Nation:The Holy Kingdom of Andred

Species: Men

Culture and Society: Andred is an elective monarchy. A tough and redoubtable folk, with traditional values of an old warrior society that has had to get used to a technological and economical revolution the past few centuries. There have been three different families that have ruled from the Capital, though as fate would have it, the founding family of Connerad has returned, its youngest son having been elected nigh on fifteen years ago. King Kraygar Connerad the first, of Burtswik. Below him are the Dukes and Earls, who vote for the new King when it is time. The highest class of warriors and statesmen are the Thanes, though unlike the Dukes and Earls, Thanes are warriors first and statesmen second, and are the personal bodyguard of the King. Most Thanes are of the Kavaleri class, a group of heavily mounted warriors.

History:

Territorial Claims:
Far right territory!


Economy: The country of Andred has a myriad of different exports. For starters the coastline and the Isle of Mandori has fish aplenty, and the norther shores even have whales and the occasional walrus for Ivory. The majority of Andred is not made for crops, the forests being too thick and the mountains looming over much of the country, but near the river valley, there is rich soil where apples, wheat, rye, barley, oats, strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, and cherries are grown and harvested. These cash crops would make the river valley the richest region, though the mountain zones have gold, tin, iron, and copper, and the coastlines have far more trade exports than any other location. All in all, The Andred economy is healthy and fairly balanced.

Army:

Navy:

Traits:

Foreign Relations:

Rolls: (Rolled by GM in the Discord Server. Just ping me, and I’ll roll as soon as I’m able.)

Other:

NCQuest - A Mecha RP: The Defense of Darwin (BeeNCQuest)

@XxRachel x You can't make a second account. I did not ban you, but if you did get banned, yeah a second account is not allowed. PM me if you did get banned, and if you give me your word you won't spam because "bored" later on, I'll do my best to see your original unbanned.

Damned to the Depths

"Up!" Markus called, his voice falling on deaf ears as the new crew hung limply in their new hammocks. The sun had risen, and thank the Gods it was a fine day to sail. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the wind was with them. If only his crew was. Markus had lead men before, and he knew how to wake sleeping mercenaries. With a quick swipe of his sword, Jax's hammock fell head first. The fey touched hit the ground with a thud, and he arose with a myriad of curses.

"Ack, who the bloody-...oh, marning Captain." he replied, far more jovially when he realized who had cut the rope.

"Up, ye scabrous dogs!" Sketti roared and clanked his metal appendage to a hammer, and soon the crew was stirring and hopping out of their hammocks.

Minutes later, Markus stepped out onto the deck. He cut the figure of a warrior prince in all but attire, though he had changed out of the rags. He wore full, dark breeches contrasted by a white linen shirt. The brown frock coat he wore had its sleeves rolled up, and on his chest was a baldric where four knives hung, as well as a brace of pistols Sketti had gifted him. On his hip, his backsword hung ready.

He was simply out here for appearances sake. Soon he'd steer the ship's wheel out of the bay, but for the moment the whole party wasn't on board the ship. Sketti called for the mainmast to be risen, and the triplets scurried to do just that, bringing the lad Jim along. Sketti then began his ascent to the helm, unscrewing the brass head of his arm stump for a reason Markus couldn't guess.

Sron had begun to pull up the anchor with their muscled bodies, though the mooring line was still in place. The Gnoll yanked it up in short order, growling as he did so. Markus remembered how much of an ordeal it was for himself to do it. The beast made it look far too easy. Then again, everything seemed to move slow when he was running for his life. Meanwhile, Corsica and Halvar, along with the Elven Scholar had begun to transport the items they had requisitioned from the marketplace onto the ship. The red headed woman looked nearly as strong as the Norgard Viking, and the Elf helped where he could.

Sketti had been dubbed Quartermaster the night before, and the Dwarf, with typical perfectionist Dwarf tendancies, made sure they were accounted for with food, water, and rum for two weeks, even with a Gnoll on board. That, coupled with six barrels of shot & powder, backup weaponry, oil, and various other crafting materials and even witchery equipment. Once Sketti made it to the helm, he gave Markus a grin. "Everything looks good, Captain."

"Now we just need to wait for the first mate." He replied, a hint of criticism in his voice. Still, he gave an acerbic smile. He didn't know what Calliope would be up to, but no doubt it would cause a stir. Her fierceness was one reason he had made her First Mate and not Quartermaster. Typically, pirate crews did not have First Mates, the title usually going to the Quartermaster, as he was the crew's representative and second in command. But the title of First Mate was often given to one who was not responsible for the crew, instead simply having near the power of the Captain.

"I been meaning to talk to ye about that." Sketti said, taking a hook and screwing it onto his forearm. Markus thought it was a bit on the nose, but he supposed hook hands had practical value. "How long have ye known her?"

"A week, give or take. Why?" His tone showed the swordsman was wanting Sketti to get to the point.

"And ye trust her? I don't need to remind ye she went home with that bastard."

"Not particularly." Markus replied. He trusted that she was angry enough at the world to stick around while Markus cut through it. She wouldn't deter them, at least. A call from Jax in the crow's nest signalled that Calliope was arrive via carriage. The Half Elf also gave a suggestive whistle that carried on the wind as she sauntered up the plank.

"Don't get me wrong, I like her so far. But she's a viper, mark me words." Sketti said. Markus chuckle. "Just make sure the crew is ready to sail."

It took them less than an hour to get out of the bay and onto the open ocean. The wind had them moving at 7 knots due north east, as Markus had some sense of where they needed to go. Calliope would provide the precise bearings however. Aeltheron kept their mileage. They would need to use Dead Reckoning for a time. As Calliope left her quarters, she would be greeted by Jim, the lad. He obviously did his best not to give a dumbfounded gaze at her voluptuos charms, simply telling her the Captain wished to see her in his quarters.

"Thirty fathoms!" Phil the deckhand called, and Sketti gave him the thumbs up. The crew moved to and fro, keeping the sails with the wind and the ship from cresting the waves too quickly. She would approach Markus' cabin, to the passably carved oak doors that led to his joint office and bedroom. Inside the Captain's cabin, there was a Queen sized bed on the bottom left corner of the room, and a lantern hanging over it. There was a work desk at the back center of the room, and behind that was the view of thew open sea. Framing the desk was various bookshelves, and to the right was a weapon's rack. Above the center of the room was a lamp chandelier, and below that was a fine table for dining.

Markus was now pouring over the map, and he did not bother to look up as she entered, instead tracing his finger along a path through the north eastern ocean. "So, did you have fun?" he asked her. He then looked up at her after her next reply, his eyes examining her before meeting her own gaze. "What did he want?"
@Penny

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

Neil was not unused to space flight (obviously), but jumping in and out of the RIP so many times made him feel as if his soul was taken out and stretched. His skin still crawled and he gripped the handle on the Highlander tightly with the unconscious nerves he had in his head. Leaving the RIP multiple times was something he wouldn't wish on anyone. Ok, maybe Aiden. But other than him.

Once everyone was seat and they were shot out into orbit, Neil release the stabilizers and placed in the 3.19 Algorithm, the freely spinning ship now catching itself in the void and speeding towards the planet amid a hailstorm of lasfire. Once Neil put on the display of the planet, he saw what everyone else saw. A sea of fire and ground upheaval across the belt of the planet. "Well, I wasn't expecting that." Neil said, then turned to York.

"Where the hell do you get your intel anyway?"

"Agents on the ground and satellite ships."

"Well they were not doing their job, this time." Neil replied, cranking up the sub-light engines and increasing the energy payload in the thrusters. Taya gripped the arms of her seat in anticipation, one of the laser coming perilously close to the Highlander. She and Sayeeda had seen Neil at work enough to know what was coming.

"Thank you for flying with Firestorm airlines. If you need to go to the restroom it's already too late, sit down and shut up." Neil said, as if reciting a written statement. The Highlander burst out of outer area and sped into orbit, Neil furiously placing in algorithms and steering freehandedly as the ship display spun and jerked.

"Multiple projectiles in sectors alpha, beta-!" Lonney called.

"I know!" Neil replied, and pulled back on a lever that looked suspiciously like a terrestrial ground vehicle's parking brake, and sure enough the Highlander jerked suddenly, causing everyone to get pulled forward before laying back in their seats. An explosion rocked the void in what was probably kilometers away, but seemed as if it was just next to them. Neil pulled a line down and power surged further into the Highlander. "I need more of the Auxiliary, Lonney. Oh and, give me some music too."

A background noise that sounded like a grating pipe suddenly turned into a guitar riff, and Neil grinned as the Highlander arced over a Chalcedon frigate. Even over the song, a loud beeping was evident. Neil looked at the radar and realized there were missiles on their tail.

"Is that classical music?" Woods asked over the comm, bemused.

"Everyone keeps saying that. This shit is new on Fortus." He replied touchily, and the troopers that now manned the lower guns of the Highlander shot down the initial missile barrage before Neil had to duck and weave past two others. The planet Saavran now loomed before them. Neil turned the ship downward, and sped straight forward into the equatorial firestorm. "Neil!" Taya screeched. Even York seemed a bit perturbed.

"They are not heat seeking missiles." York said to him.

It was too late. Neil had plunged into the flames at 10,000 kilomters per second, only to shoot up before engulfing the ship in magma. Even the void shields were nearly destroyed. But luckily once they crested the fire, the missiles were now confirmed gone. "No, but the plasma used in the mass drivers that accumulate in the fire should do the trick."
@Penny

Damned to the Depths

"That's very kind of you," Markus said, betraying no emotion. He sipped his cup with an air of familiarity, as if he had such meetings often. He had gathered that Calliope and the man might know one another, but their sardonic tones tipped him off that they had either been lovers, or business partners. It didn't matter, really. What Markus was curious on was what he was doing here. "Your reputation proceeds you, though I admit I wouldn't have taken you for a whoreson."

"Thank you.," the man said, inclining his head.

"I'm one as well. Might you tell me where I can collect my city and personal guard?" Markus asked. Rodrick looked from Calliope to Markus with a swiftly deteriorating mood. The men had arrayed themselves before the northern wall, watching with interest and practiced stances, where they could grab their guns or swords without delay.

"One needs a form of...noble destiny, to garner such things. Calliope can attest." he said, gesturing towards her with a knowing smirk. "If I were to order my men to kill you, your blood would no doubt be found to be common. My blood is noble." there was a dark edge to his voice. He wasn't a fool who thought noble lineages were important. He simply believed he was one of the few men to command a free city. "I could never be a commoner no more than you could be a lord."

"Let's spill it and find out." Markus replied dangerously. It was a regrettable flaw he had. He truly hated entitled nobility. The tension in the room was cut when a 'click' was heard. It wasn't Markus' doing. If the swordsman had to guess, Sketti had drawn a pistol under the table. Rodrick betrayed no emotion, though he cleared his throat. Calliope glanced a warning at Markus and cursed Sketti, before turning to Rodrick, tiring of this.

"What is it that you want, Rodrick?"

"Killing a Lord is quite the offense." He replied slyly, ignoring Calliope for the moment. "It seems you have a choice. Die here, or be given a lucrative job."

Markus went from tense to confused, taking Rodrick's measure. "And what task would a Lord of Stormsrest have for a...ship of commerce?"

Rodrick stood up at that moment, preferring to slowly pace as he began to think aloud, reciting his predicament. "There is a marriage that will occur a few tendays from now. Svetlanna von Gilderoy shall wed Clarion De Velmone'. The daughter of an Andredian Duke and a posh Count of southern Vrettonia.-" Markus smiled to himself. He'd seen Clarion De Velmone fight before. No doubt this marriage was due to the fact he couldn't conquer lands to save his line. "and the dowry is, from what I hear, a lush find from the Southland jungles. Gold mined in the Dragonteeth mountains."

"And you want us to collect this Gold for you?" Markus asked incredulously. Rodrick laughed at that wickedly. "Heaven's no! I wouldn't trust you to return the Gold to me in a minute, even with my dear Calliope here. I simply wish for the transport to disappear. Their union would disrupt certain trade arrangements I have and would like them to remain untouched..."

Sketti seemed less than convinced, or at least less than happy at working for someone so pompous. Markus wasn't thrilled either, but he decided that this man had no reason to lie. "If you provide the shipping lane, then we shall see it done."

"Excellent." Rodrick said, smiling through his neatly trimmed goatee. He turned to Calliope. "My dear Calli, would you wish to dine with me tonight? I simply wish to see how you are. Do me this kindness, for an old friend?"
@Penny

Dark Streets - Urban Fantasy Noir

@POOHEAD189 as an information trader would you work with Thaum? Being as a summoner he likely enslaves demons and your brethren fae?

Or a limited trade relationship for example: trading for location of a vampire hide out is fine, but not the true name of another creature for summoning?

Mostly because information and planning are the only reason he gets anything done lol.

@Sophrus

I think the limited trade relationship works great! Sorry it took me a bit to reply!

Current Mood in One Gif

Into The Dark: Tales of Maroleth

Sorry for that long as hell wait! Now, since it's the holidays and you all deserve the same courtesy that you've shown me, you have until January 5th to post! Of course I am hoping you post sooner, but as you will all likely be celebrating, and I work at Fedex and I will be swamped, we all get a little extra time!

Into The Dark: Tales of Maroleth

Argon surged forward, attempting to strike at the beast, though his blade was turned aside by a massive horn. Argon did not let that stop him, however, and he dropped his flying blade to grab the Mantiraus by the horns, using his intense reptilian strength to keep the bucking beast at bay. The creature breathed in, and suddenly unleashed a bolt of lightning, but Alice's electrical shield held! The Lizardfolk bit the beast on the nose as he held it from bestial instinct on his part.

Now, the fight was at an end. The large bolt shot by An-Hasst hit the Mantiraus in the neck, weakening it considerably now that his aim was true. Calanon landed on the opposite side of the clearing, an arrow flying into the beast's neck on the other side, peircing its hide and causing it to wheeze out lightning, before Nicadimus finished it with a valdium blow that sliced through its flank like a knife through butter.

The spawn of the jungle spasmed and contorted, before whipping its head and then hitting the ground heavily. The dust billowed out into the brush, and they all had a minute or two to breathe. Calanon walked over to the fallen beast to retrieve the arrow he had shot. "I saw its tracks up ahead. I nearly did not get back in time." he said.

Argon let go of the thing, and hissed. "I have never ssssseen its likessss before."

"The Mantiraus doesn't go near swamps usually. They prefer hills and forests. But, if we're satisfied, should we go back or continue?"

---

The barkeep smiled, setting down a freshly cleaned glass. "He didn't, but judging from the commotion and what I've heard of you and your companions, I believe you." He said, and nodded toward Geradin who was just now sitting down and giving a jovial wave at Settionne and the barkeep. "You and your friends, we're indebted to you. Not only for the baby, but protecting the town. EverGod willing, you came at a good time. High summer is when it's most dangerous."

"Hey, I'm not out. I'm not out!" a man yelled, though it wasn't with malice. A few drinking buddies were playing card drinking games, an odd activity where it looked like if you received the right card and threw it in the right cup, you'd win. More than a few of the lads had shirts stained with ale and beer.

Beren came out of the crowd and grabbed two drinks, one for he and Geradin, and greeted Settione. "Grab yourself something and sit with us." He offered to him, and then headed back to their seat. As he did, his monk reflexes helped him in keeping the drinks in the cup even as he dodged a thrown knife, ducking at the right time as if he was nonchalantly ducking an overhead branch. The tavern was warm, but the drinks were cold and kept them cooled off in the shade.

Beren turned the corner just in time to see Aeryn attempting to sip her drink, and then curling her lip in disgust before pouting. He had to admit it was girlishly cute. He never thought he'd see someone being stingy and spoiled as attractive, but it worked for her, for some reason.

"Oi, lad! So tell me, what have you and the she thief been doing while we were creating life?" Geradin joked, grabbing the drink Beren had gotten him and greedily gulping the mug's contents, staining his beard. Beren laughed and sat beside Aeryn. "Digging holes and making stakes." He replied casually, before seeing Aeryn's still dissatisfied look with her drink. Beren blinked, and held out his mug to her. "You want this? It's ice water."

As they conversed, they could hear singing from outside, and it was quite the merry tune.
@Mortarion@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@Fetzen@Stormflyx@The Fated Fallen