Fantasy &nbsp; Are you tired of sipping Crab Coladas? (Pirate RP) (Always Open)

Lefic · May 10, 2020

When Elaera felt a point of pressure on her back, she came to an abrupt stop, peering back to find that, to her surprise, it was Chen who’d poked her. She didn’t know what she was expecting—perhaps some pirate spoiling for a fight. “They? Attention?” Elaera followed Chen’s gaze to the flare. “Oh... Maybe treasure found already...” she agreed, her stomach dropping. But, listening to the captain speak, it seemed that that wasn’t the case! She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. How would they be chosen for the ship’s crew, then.

Watching Galdurr’s display of violence—a clear message of how he thought the crew should be chosen—made Elaera flinch. Sure, fighting was a way of life for most pirates, but Elaera always tried to avoid it unless necessary. Maybe if the chest shows up, bloodshed can be avoided, she thought. Even if it means I can’t go.

Short Round · May 10, 2020

Chen had already been looking for a comfy patch of sand to sit on while waiting for the captain's decision when he saw Galdurr draw his cutlass out of the corner of his eye. Things moved in slow motion as he saw Galdurr violently gut a pirate who had been walking away from the assembly. There was complete silence as Galdurr flourished his blade, then flicked it, spraying the sand with droplets of crimson blood as he delivered his wordless challenge of combat to Captain Adonis and all those present.

Chen broke the silence by laughing nervously, nudging the dead man with his big toe. No, it wasn't a joke, it looked like Galdurr was serious. Looking around, he saw that several of the pirates, especially a group who looked like they had been friends with the man Galdurr had killed, were slowly grasping pikes, knives, and swords. He sighed. Well, nothing wrong with a straight fight. I've no problem with us proving our worth by climbing out of this bloodbath alive.

With a large grin plastered on his face, Chen drew his broadsword with a rasp of steel, stepping forward to stand by Galdurr.

Kylesar1 · May 13, 2020

Asmund Adonis
Bermuda Island Coast

"Errrr....... This wasn't what I had in mind," Captain Adonis stammered out aloud, completely caught off guard by this whole thing. He didn't want them to fight, but this devolved quickly. If someone touches his crew, he'd shell this entire island into oblivion for the gods to rebuild. In the meantime, he had to get the hell out of dodge.

Now it was a storm of blades, as a bunch of malnourished semi weaklings fought for now a way off this island. With a pep in his step, he retreated into the island. That idiot earned his way onto his ship, but turned it from him guaranteeing his way onto the ship into a fight for his life for a chance on the Basenji Ship. Whatever, he pulled out a his demonic flintlock pistol and it started to glow red. The blood from around that didn't soak in the sand made its way towards his pistol and into the eyes of the demon skull at the business end of it. He was NOT about to die here. His entire crew surrounded him, swords and guns at the ready for anyone dumb enough to come close.
"They're monkeys," the spirit mage said to him with an exasperated expression on her face. "Blood-lusting monkeys."
"Agreed. A shame I gave my word to take some of them off this island," Adonis responded with a defeated sigh.

The duo of Chen and Galdurr were charged by a big orc man with less of a sword and more of a giant club fashioned out of a downed tree. It was like he dropped a tree, stripped it of the branches, and then wittled down a part of it until it could function as a handle. In other words, good luck blocking such a massive weapon even with a shield unless one could compete with Orc Strength. Hulk was about to smack them over the horizon and into Valhalla with a tree.

He charged forward and raised the tree-club, bringing it down and aimed right at Galdurr, ready to turn him into tomato paste

Tulik · May 13, 2020

Galdurr watched the chaos ensue. It would of happened whether or not he instigated it, most likely. Their only chance at freedom? Anyone who was picked would of been made a target by the jealous and angry pirates. It’s not like they were known to be the most civil of people. Galdurr simply sped the process along. He watched the captain retreat with this crew, and while he didn’t expect them to fight, he also didn’t expect them to stay THIS close to the action.

Galdurr heard the heavy grunts of the orc’s approach as he took his attention away from Adonis and his crew. He took him in in under a second. Big, most likely dumb. Especially when he raised the giant log to stake Galdurr into the ground with it. Can’t change trajectory of that. He gave Chen a side glance and then Elaera. One strike, give them one. He moved forward, his blade was in his right hand, so he tossed it to his left as Galdurr moved along the length of the log barreling down on him. He had moved completely out of harms way, but for some asinine reason he threw his right arm blatantly back into harm way, letting the base of the log come crashing down on his shoulder. A loud crunch, and the sound of popping shoulder from socket as the log struck sand finally. Galdurr’s response? A grin as pain ripped through him, and his blade ramming up into the orcs ribs, aiming straight for the fellow’s heart. He gave the man his one strike, now it was Galdurr’s turn to return the favor.

Kylesar1

Short Round · May 13, 2020

In the blink of an eye, the assembly turned into an orgy of violence. Chen smiled, casually flicking away a couple of hostile sword slashes and thrusts from a desperate looking wretch dressed in the tattered remains of what looked like a navy officer's coat. With a satisfied grin, Chen crushed the man's knee with a downwards kick, then lazily killed him with a desultory, one handed blow from his sword.

A beast-like roar got his attention, as the crowd around him parted. Chen had thought Elaera had been big, but the gigantic orc that crashed through the pirates towards him and Galdurr was something else altogether. As the other man went one way, Chen went the other. His eyes widened as he saw Galdurr's shoulder get leveled by the huge wooden club, but apparently, Galdurr was unfazed by the crippling injury, ramming his blade into the huge orc's ribs. Unfortunately, the wound seemed to do nothing but enrage the orc, who bellowed and grabbed Galdurr's cutlass by the blade, trying to stop it from puncturing his heart.

Bringing his broadsword to bear, Chen charged forward. With a heavy, two handed slash, he crippled the orc with a slash to the back of the knee, then plunged his blade into the other side of the orc's abdomen. Even then, the orc refused to go down, still trying to raise its club.

Still trying to push his blade through the orc's chest, Chen yelled at Elaera.

"Elaera! Finish him up!"

Lefic

Lefic · May 14, 2020

Elaera stood still in the middle of the action as a tempest of cutlasses, flintlocks, fists, and blood swirled around her, dappling her skin with crimson specs. Her fists clenched, her teeth ground; she was focusing. Like a dying lightbulb, her eyes flickered red, and fine vermilion veins snaked towards her irises, shrinking back each time her eyes returned to their regular colour. Her eyes settled their usual black. She loosed a sigh. Not today, it seems, she thought. What's wrong with magic on this island? Reaching into the hammer-holster at her side, Elaera hoisted out her mallet and gripped it in her hand, her fingers sinking into the indents on the leather grip.

Turning around in a circle, Elaera took in the carnage all around her. Adrenaline flew through her body, setting off sparks in her blood that set it ablaze. Left and right she swung, mowing down pirates that launched themselves at her, leaving them crumpled on the sand like washed-up jellyfish, some of their limbs being so shattered that they might've well as been made of jelly. As she turned, looking for more opponents, she heard a familiar voice shout, "Elaera! Finish him up!" Wheeling towards the source of the voice, Elaera's eyes landed on Chen and Galdurr, battling with an Orc. Bounding over, Elaera leapt into the other Orc's line of sight, giving him a look that said, I'm your new challenger. Throwing Chen a quick look, she ordered, "Go take on someone else; I've got this," and glancing at an injured-looking Galdurr, she added, "Or... Maybe make sure Galdurr's alright with that arm." Her voice was uncharacteristically confident and cool, not a single word stuttered or muttered.

With impressive tenacity, the other Orc pressed on towards Elaera, blood spurting out of his chest in vigorous pulses that painted the sand. He towered at least a foot above her. This didn't surpise Elaera; though she was tall to humans, she was a daintily short height for an Orc, being both a woman and a Half-Elf. His skin was bursting at the seams with excessive muscle to a gross extent, and, snarling, hot saliva leaked out of his lips around his mammoth tusks. Normally, she would have stood only a slim chance, but he was injured, and with his strength flowing out of him, he was reduced to her level. As she dodged the swings of his club, Elaera thought, No use going for the skull - too thick. As she ducked under a swing to her head, she smashed her mallet into his knee, and as he staggered back, the other, eliciting a sickening crunch of bone as he crumpled to the ground. Muttering, "Sorry," in Orcish, she wrenched out his tusk and used her mallet to hammer it into his heart like a stake.

Her hair was plastered to her face and neck, and Elaera looked more red than green. "Anyone else?"

Tulik · May 14, 2020

Galdurr had withdrew the blade when Chen joined the fray, his mind now focusing on the tenacity of his Comrades rather than the multiple outcomes that could of just happened when the Orc grabbed his weapon. Thankfully the two stepped in, and with them dealing with the large bestial man he turned his attention to the rest of the pirate group who had joined the fray due to Galdurr murdering their companion. He had a one useless arm, but that hardly mattered to the red clad pirate.

Galdurr danced into the fray of a group of three washed up ruffians wielding their blades with anger. For their friend? For fuel to get off the island? He didn’t know. All he did know was when the first came in with his blade above his head to cleave Galdurr in two he would be met with quite the surprise. Galdurr caught the blade with the shoulder of his dismantled arm from the previous skirmish. It sunk deep, black blood soaking into the coat and pooling outwards through the fabric. Galdurr’s response was his own cutlass impaling the man all the way through, twisting it through his entrails and kicking him back. The pirate’s grip fell away from the blade still lodged deep in Galdurr’s clavicle as the man twisted towards the two others.

a fist cracked hard into the second approaching pirate, knocking him off kilter as their blade bloomed black blood across Galdurr’s chest with a slice that opened his shirt and flesh beneath. As his black blood mingled with the red in the sand below he heard Elaera’s question of more challenge just as Galdurr ripped the blade from his shoulder and rammed it down into the third pirate’s shoulder, the tip driving down the length of the man’s torso and killing him instantly as it pierced through his heart. Turning to the man who had regained his balance Galdurr closed the distance between the two, the pain ripping through him, nor the blood loss slowing him down. The man slashed at him again, this time aiming for his neck. Galdurr caught the blade barehanded, having enough of the pirates as he pushed himself close enough so the opponent could not rip the blade away. Galdurr then rammed his face into the man’s throat and bit through the man’s flesh, tearing out his jugular with a vicious bite that sent the man stumbling backward, releasing his weapon to hold at the gaping wound in his throat before collapsing to the ground.

as Galdurr spat the man’s flesh from his teeth he turned to face Adonis and his crew, still holding the weapon by the blade as he painted the sand below him black with his own blood. He reveled in it. The battle. The pain. Whatever sluggishness had gripped him before had faded completely. He tossed the blade towards the captain of the ship harmlessly as he walked over to the man with his own weapon still lodged into his gut and withdrew it with a rough motion to splatter blood across the beach battlefield.

Short Round · May 14, 2020

As Chen detached himself from the writhing orc, he quickly started to run over to assist Galdurr. However, a flood of enemies soon checked his progress, blocking his path.

Chen had fun carving his way through the hordes of pirates that threw themselves at him. As with his previous opponent, none of them posed an actual threat. Most of them were nothing more than muscle brains, hacking away in the hopes of overpowering their victims. They lacked finesse, and he pushed that weakness mercilessly. He didn't even need his magic, not that he'd have been able to use it if he wanted to; after arriving at the island, his favorite self-defense spell, the one that changed his skin into an impenetrable suit of stone, had ceased to work. No matter; he'd outfight these fools with nothing more than casual swings and the occasional gongfu strike. One after another, he beat them to their knees with ease.

At last, Chen found himself standing across from a different kind of opponent. The man he faced had obviously been on the island for quite some time, but carried himself with an air of dignity and self-respect that most of the others lacked. His emerald green coat, although worn, was clean, and his face was shaved and his hair groomed. He wore a gold songbird pin in his lapel. Chen tilted his head inquisitively as his opponent expertly drew an immaculately maintained saber and assumed a confident fighting stance. Chen's eyes flashed with mirth as he wiped some blood from his face and grinned. Finally, a challenge.

Steel clashed on steel as Chen and his opponent pressed each other back and forth across the bloodstained sand. Quickly retracting his neck backwards, Chen dodged a lightning quick horizontal slash that would have split his face in half. Switching to a two handed grip for more power and control, he blocked a vicious downwards chop. The two blades grated as Chen pushed himself in closer towards his opponent. With a quick strike from his knee, he aimed for the man's ribs, feeling several of them crack. The mans eye twitched, then he drew his fist back and slammed it into Chen's cheek, knocking the pirate backwards a few paces. Scrambling to his feet, Chen could feel a bruise forming as he stared down his adversary.

Chen went on the offensive, forcing his opponent to adopt a defensive position. Wearing him down, Chen finally saw an opening. With blinding speed, he swung his sword with his right hand while reaching for his cleaver with his left. As the man blocked the blow from the broadsword, Chen buried his meat cleaver in the man's leg with brutal power. As his opponent reeled backwards, Chen administered a killing blow, severing the mans head from his body. Quickly squatting down, he retrieved the cleaver with a splash of blood and removed the man's lapel pin as a trophy. He looked up just in time to see the impossible.

His eyes widened as he saw Galdurr, covered with mortal wounds and dripping black blood, casually walking up to Captain Adonis. For the first time in the fight, Chen felt fear; not at the prospect of losing his life, but rather at the idea that he had been sharing food with a demon.

Kylesar1 · May 15, 2020

Asmund Adonis
Bermuda Island Coast

As the violence unfolded, Adonis lit up a cigar and began smoking it while watching the pandemonium unfold. "Sir, should we help that orc? You were interested in him, right?" Looking at the orc, Asmund knew that this orc was a berserker, but the malnourishment ultimately caused its downfall

"I suppose, but those 3 are the only ones seemingly working together, despite that idiot instigating all this." Still, such battle-lust could prove useful on the ship and the woman there, Elaera, was hesitant to partake. Maybe she was the voice of reason of the 3.

"Maybe I should save the orc from death at least to let him fight on?"
"Nah. He's gone from the island and that's what he wanted, right?"
"How morbid........"

"I'll put an end to this. Protect the crew, will ya?" All the blood coming from the orc made its way into Adonis's gun. He had had enough of all this fighting. This island was about to stink of death for the next month or two, and it already smelled like a thick mist of blood was infiltrating his lungs. "Semala, wake the fuck up and use Blood Spike."
The gun's eyes glowed red and it spoke. "I'm not a little pocket monster for you to order around, you low-life mutt." it retorted, its eyes flashing a bit with every word it said.
"Just use it, damn it! I didn't bother you until I gave you blood." He said and smacked the gun.
He put his gun into the ground pulled the trigger.

A massive red magic circle conjured around the area, centered on Adonis and his crew (protected by a spell) and spikes made from blood erupted from the ground. Everyone inside had 2 options:

Leave the circle
Stay and get impaled in the foot........or if they're on the ground, impaled throughout their entire body.

Many many pirates died. Others got their foot pierced. Regardless, it was GONNA stop this fighting. "Who's not dead?" he called out after the blood spikes finally rescinded. "Sound off and you can come with me off this island if you can walk."

Tulik · May 15, 2020

Galdurr watched the blood snake it’s way past him to the gun that Adonis held. A strange looking weapon for sure, but it wasn’t like Galdurr knew anything about normalcy. He watched the magical red circle form, and noted that their magic didn’t seem to be hindered by this place in any fashion, whether it was whomever brought them floating over to the island or the captains ability to conjure the magical circle. When the spikes began to erupt from the ground Galdurr was already wiped the blood from his blade on his ruined coat and sheathing it. He stepped up onto the dead man whose throat he had bitten out. Pushing his head into one of the blood spikes as the corpse was impaled gruesomely by them.

Galdurr stood atop the corpse until the blood spikes receded, and despite the wounds he had endured haphazardly? His plan had succeeded. Many of the pirates were dead, leaving nothing to chance about them getting off the island. He cared little of the pussyfooted methods of consultation and delegation. Given the choice? Galdurr will take the straightforward path, even if it’s laden with the most resistance. If this captain had hoped for more than the few that would have survived? He shouldn’t have minced words and simply chosen from the beginning.

Obviously Galdurr couldn’t sound off, but it was pretty obvious the man was still alive despite the face that he had been cut and smashed to hell. He attempted to move his destroyed arm. Only his fingers twitched in response, and pain rocketed through the limb now that the adrenaline of the moment was simmering. In a few hours, maybe. His whole body burned with the angry curse, filling him with the deep bile of pain so extreme that if he could of passed out he would of. Too bad for Galdurr he would be awake for every mind blistering moment of that agony until his body stitched itself back together.

He turned and looked at his companions, a small distance away. His eyes fell on Elaera. “I’m sorry.” He said softly. “I said I would avoid placing you in unwanted harms way. I failed in that. I let my own....please forgive me.” Galdurr gave a weak smile. He had the soft tempered woman fight a battle she did not want to. “I’ll endeavor to show restraint in the future. Are you both alright?”

Galdurr turned back to Adonis, finally approaching the crew fully. They could shoot him if they wanted. He came to stand in front of the captain whose name escaped him at the moment due to the pain belligerently berating him. He frowned at the man, his eyes moving across the crew. He wanted off this island.

Kylesar1

Lefic · May 16, 2020

Elaera noticed a red circle form around the Captain, including her within its border. Red is not a good colour, she decided, starting to jog outside of the circle, before a thought occurred to her. Wait... Red means 'stop', right? Stop moving? Should I only be moving if the circle's green? she pondered, chewing on her lip as she went through countless different possibilities in her mind, now probably not being the time to entertain so many thoughts. Suddenly, pain lanced through her foot as a blood-spike erupted through it, its blood mingling with her own, leaving an intense throbbing in her foot. Holding back an incredibly rude expletive, Elaera just grunted in her throat and flinched violently. Screwing up her face, she muttered to herself, "Red definitely did not mean 'stop'." Having endured many injuries in her past, the thing that hurt most to Elaera was her own stupidity.

Hearing Galdurr in her head once again, Elaera looked around her until her eyes fell upon him, and made her way towards the other pirate, waving to Chen as she went. Every step on her injured foot made Elaera wince, but she tried her best to hide it as she walked, forcefully putting weight on her bloody left foot to avoid the appearance of a limp. Shaking her head furiously at the same time, Elaera waved off his apology to say, it's fine, it's fine. Raising her head towards the direction of Chen, Elaera muttered, "He asks if we're both alright." Elaera didn't answer the question herself, but jumped as soon as she noticed the state of Galdurr's arm - it was much worse than she'd recalled it being. "B-but you!" she stammered, pointing a finger at his arm. "You shouldn't be asking us if we're alright! Your arm!" After looking all around her like a confused meerkat, not being able to immediately find something to bandage the wound with, Elaera tore off the sleeve of her shirt as easily as paper, and tied it around the wound, grimacing at the black blood that soaked it. "S-sorry if that hurt!" She wasn't good at all when it came to helping the wounded - the closest she'd come to being a doctor on her old ship was holding crewmates down as they'd gotten an infected limb sawed off.

Short Round · May 16, 2020

Chen didn't have long to stare at Galdurr's horrific wounds. All around him, the melee was interrupted as a veritable forest of magical spears erupted out of the sand. The sound of clashing weapons gave way to frantic screams as dozens of pirates and unfortunate seafarers were impaled. Sensing he didn't have long, Chen pulled out his blood stained meat cleaver and stood on it, the wide flat blade parallel to the ground. A few seconds later, he felt an unstoppable force propelling him upwards. Flailing his arms, the pirate desperately balanced on the cleaver as it was pushed into the sky by a questing, crimson spear that thirsted for his blood.

After a few more tense moments, the spears receded, and Chen fell to the sand in a pile of blood stained black clothing. Gasping for air, he didn't dare move, listening to the wails of the wounded. Thank heavens. All those years I spent balancing smuggled goods on my back while running across rooftops finally paid off. Rolling over onto his stomach, Chen pushed himself into a kneeling position just in time to see Eleara limping by him with a genial wave. Breathing hard through his mouth, Chen, gave an unenthusiastic wave in return and clambered to his feet. Finding his broadsword and cleaver, he sheathed both and scrambled after her, coming to a stop in front of Adonis and his crew. Chen observed as Elaera hurriedly attempted to bandage Galdurr's arm. Leaning around her to look at the man's wounds, Chen gulped as he realized that his previous conclusion had been correct; every single one of Galdurr's wound's should have killed him, but the white haired pirate seemed relatively unfazed. Treading carefully, Chen waved at Adonis to signal his "alive" status before tapping Elaera on her shoulder.

"Ah, Elaera? I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I don't think Galdurr requires our aid."

He cringed as another piece of gore, stained red and black with blood, detached from Galdurr's stubble and hit the ground with a wet thud. Chen whispered to Elaera.

"Looks like magic to me. The bad kind, if I had to guess."

Tulik · May 17, 2020

Galdurr did his best not to wince as the large woman came to aid him. As she wrapped his arm he smiled up at her kindly. She truly was a gentle giant, in her own way. He let her patch him up, and when she finished he let his attention fall on the pallid expression of Chen as he examined Galdurr. The friendly foreigner seemed to be bewildered, perhaps even trepidatious of Galdurr. That was fair. He didn’t know him, though he didn’t know why he would be so wary. Galdurr looked up at Elaera, putting a hand on her forearm gingerly.

“Thank you. I dragged you both into trouble and yet here you are tending to my wounds. You are very kind, Elaera.”

He watched Chen lean close to their Orcish companion and whisper something to her. He cocked his head curiously, but made no note of it other than that. Instead he took off his coat, albeit slowly due to his ruined arm, and held it aloft with sadness in his eyes. It was already tattered when he washed up here, but it was redeemable. Now? Now it was ruined. It wasn’t just his favorite coat...it was...special. Normally his crew was his voice of reason when he tried to jump into the fray like that. Cause them all a headache. They kept him balanced. Now? Galdurr looked back at Chen and Elaera. He could of gotten them seriously hurt. With a silent sigh he dropped the coat to the ground and checked the flintlocks, the holsters tucked against his ribs. Neither were damaged. The only thing that was beyond saving was the coat.

Kylesar1 · May 19, 2020

Asmund Adonis
Bermuda Island Coast

"Excellent." Adonis said, as some of the other pirates also sounded off, dusting themselves off. They stood up to signal that they could at least move, even if moving would be painful. Anything would be better than staying on this island. Standing on an pierced foot was temporary, but leaving this island made it worth it.

Adonis's eyes flashed red and he spoke. "Bring the ship." Within a few minutes, the ship was moving towards the island. Whatever it was, he was obviously speaking to the crew back at the ship. "I already pointed to who's NOT going, regardless of this fight," he said, all business, "Those of you who are going, I will choose some of you to fill my crew. The rest of you will unload at the dock and go do whatever it is you do. I don't care." Soon, the ship made it to land and it opened up to allow entrance. "All aboard."

While the captain welcomed them to the ship, they were still being pointed at with firearms. Just in case someone did something funny. While malnourished pirates could easily fight other malnourished pirates, this crew was hearty, fully healthy, and very very well armed. "Sir, where do we go from here?"
Adonis answered aloud. "The nearest town will take until evening to arrive." He wanted the dead weight off his ship as soon as possible, so he could get back to the normal life.

Short Round · May 22, 2020

Seeing that they were being allowed into the ship, Chen quickly remembered that most of the possessions he had salvaged were a good way's down the beach, in a large disorganized jumble inside his improvised shelter. A couple of trinkets, some weapons; nothing he couldn't live without. He would've loved to bring his wok on board, but he didn't think that he'd have a lot of room to be doing independent cooking. A shame, but looking at the crew members he could already see? They seemed healthy and well-fed, which was enough for him. All in all, he was immensely excited to be leaving the island. Even his hesitation and slight fear concerning Galdurr faded. Crabs and Coconuts were nice, but it was time to move on. Giddy with excitement, Chen couldn't wait for new adventures, new chances for good deeds, and new enemies to fight. Also, he wanted to find his brothers, and boarding the ship was the start for all of those things.

Slapping Galdurr and Elaera on the shoulders, he stepped out first to plant a foot on the gangplank. Although he would've helped support Galdurr, it looked like the white haired pirate didn't really need the help. Turning, he shook some of Galdurr's black blood off of his hand and gestured for them to follow him. "Come on you two; what are you waiting for?" The smiling pirate continued his path up the boarding plank.

With each step, he rose above the blood stained sand. Looking over the edge, he saw a stretch of gently lapping waves before he reached the deck. Finally stepping over the railing and landing gracefully on the balls of his feet, the pirate straightened up to see the rest of the ship's crew, who seemed to be gazing at him with a mixture of contempt and disgust while thumbing their well-maintained weapons. Chen realized that he probably didn't look his best; sunburned, sandy, and covered in blood. Well, so much for first impressions; at least the pressure was off. Reaching out with his hands, the pirate slapped his right fist into his left palm, curling his fingers around it. In the tradition of his homeland, he respectfully greeted the assembled crew and turned, waiting for the others to board.

Tulik · May 25, 2020

Galdurr didn’t have much thought to give on the Captain of this ship, or his crew. Whatever they wanted here was clearly derailed by him, and the white haired pirate couldn’t help but smile at the previous thought of the man huddled behind his crew as the chaos ensued. There was a quiet bit of joy that came from that. He felt Chen pat him on the shoulder and looked to the man as he boarded the ship. All things considered, he was glad that the only one who was injured was himself.

“We’re getting off the desolate rock, friend.” He said to Elaera without looking at her. “You’re a strong fighter, hm? Good with those muscles you’re gifted with. Glad I didn’t drag you into anything you couldn’t handle. If we continue to be companions after boarding this ship? I’ll do my best not to drag you two into any more trouble.”

He smiled and touched the poorly wrapped wound she had seen to. The woman had a kind heart, as did Chen. If this was his ship they would of fit in well on The Black Serpent. Galdurr began up onto the ship, landing on the deck just in time to see Chen salute the crew. Galdurr considered giving thanks of his own, but then disregarded that. These were pirates. He was sure that they didn’t do this out of the kindness of their hearts. Instead Galdurr looked to the bow of the ship and headed there after giving Chen a nod, looking out to the blue waters with a soft smile before lamenting a little more ok the loss of his coat. Ah well. It lasted the past sixty years. A good run.

Lefic · May 26, 2020

"Ah! Y-yes!" Elaera disjointedly responded to Galdurr, nodding her head tremulously. As the others started boarding the ship, Elaera hopped after them, before drawing herself back in a lurch, having just remembered something she left behind. Sucking in her breath in an attempt to rain in any pain, Elaera sprinted across the sand to where she was lying down before the ship arrived, picked up a lute, and sprinted back, leaving behind blood that rusted the sand.

Elaera boarded the ship, cradling in her arms a broken lute with abnormally wide spaces between the strings, with a face so sheepish that one would've thought she was holding smut. She knew she shouldn't be sentimental, but she couldn't help it - this was the instrument her father had made for her and taught her to play. It reminded her of him. Her weapon, she was less sentimental about. Sure, it had been a gift from her mother, but it was for fighting. Fighting came naturally to her, it was Orcish instinct - one didn't get sentimental about the air they breathe, or the water they drink, so Elaera wasn't sentimental about her battlehammer.

Elaera felt too shy to explore so she stood rooted to the spot.

WayfaringWaaksian · May 27, 2020

For all these years, she'd thought it had been little more than an illusion. Through pillars of flame and smoke billowing from the deck of a sinking ship, Death himself emerging, gleaming scythe held high above his hood in preparation of the great reaping that was about to commence... all just to give her one passing look and a message of, "Yeah, no, looks like your name's way down the list, see you in a few decades"? Stupid. She'd seen her fair share of weird spiritual shit-- ghoulish bastards of all sorts had this weird obsession with the high seas-- but also more than enough near-death hallucinations for twice-fold the long life that cloaked weirdo had offered.

Naturally, she would have ended that thought with "if it hadn't been mind-fuckery at its finest", but that was just the thing. After getting capsized in a wind-whipped gale and tossed into churning waters, smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, she'd expected to have woken up sealed away in ol' Davy Jones' Locker, in the fashion of many unfortunate sailors. Not sprawled across jagged rocks, cradled between rotted boxes and barrels. Not with coconuts rolling about her tide-swept boots, and crabs scuttling over her sunburned face.

Not on godsdamned Dead Man's Isle.

Yes, despite the name, Fergie was starting to question her doubt of that spiritual experience.

The month that followed was about as monotonous as anyone would expect life on a desolate island to be. Gathering the isle's two most abundant food sources in the morn'-- both of which had quickly gotten really old-- squabbling for decent shade from the blaring sun with fellow refugees after noon, contemplating how her life choices had brought her to this trash heap at night. Repeat ad nauseam.

The only things that were keeping her mind from imploding from sheer boredom were the scavenging trips through the island's refuse, and the occasional attempt to fight the waves on a makeshift raft. Each crate and box pried open, at best, held assorted trinkets of little to no worth. Each attempt to escape the damned place, at worst, had her and her means flipping back onto the beach, with passers by laughing at her humiliation because they didn't have anything better to do themselves. They all knew by now that whatever sadistic bastard of a host overseeing this island never let its "guests" take their leave so easily.

But what of those who came of their own free will? Fergie was soon to find out, as billowing sails over the horizon drew out the marooned from their jungle shelters.

Although she wouldn't be finding out much regarding the "why" and "how" behind the island's workings. But she wasn't pressed to give a damn about technicalities, when all she needed to know was plain for all to see: get on that ship, and get the hell out of there.

Right, easy enough?

As easy as it was tripping on her bad leg, faceplanting, and somehow rolling out of the way of a barrage of ground spikes before they could impale her. No problem. Piece o' cake. Easy-peasy.

And staring down at her two feet as they laid inches apart from one of the demonic-looking things definitely wasn't making her silently freak out.

"Dear Nature," was about what anyone would have said in her predicament, give or take on the chosen deity to take the name in vain of. And she was tempted to say it again, after rising to a wobbly stand and taking in the aftermath of the battle, but instead settled for something decidedly more morbid. "Gulls be eatin' good tonight."

Deeming it better to not think about how she used to fight over lounging spots with the folks now resting in crumpled heaps over red-stained sand, she brushed herself off, straightened her hat, and put a fraction of her weight on her fake limb. Conveniently, it decided not to act up this time, remaining still and straight even as she leaned onto it. Confident that it wasn't about to have her plummet onto the beach again, Fergie turned her keen gaze towards the line of survivors boarding the vessel. In that moment, she almost had to pinch herself. Were they actually getting off this hellhole? Honest to gods? She knew a month couldn't compare to the extended vacation a number of other sailors had spent here, but it had been long enough for her to start wondering what she could be spending the rest of her life doing on an island. Could one make a living out of whittling little sea animals out of driftwood and broken planks? The gods must have been smiling on her that day, because now she didn't have to find out. Adventure across the high seas awaited once again.

A gap-toothed grin on her face, she began trudging forwards, but in her pervading thoughts of cool ocean winds and some damn civilization, she forgot that her prosthetic was shit. Conveniently, it decided to act up this time, trembling underneath and making her faceplant into the sand again.

She tried to pretend that didn't happen as she limped up the gangplank, but her avoidant eyes made sure no one would forget.

Short Round · May 27, 2020

Leaning up against a mast with his arms crossed, Chen waited for the others to board the vessel.

Galdurr didn't really pause much before heading to the bow, stopping by Chen only long enough to share a small nod. Chen watched as Galdurr took a thoughtful stance, looking over the shimmering blue waves that gently ebbed endlessly towards the horizon. Surely, the man must've been pondering the riddles of identity; the question of how he had arrived in his current position. Maybe he was thinking about family, friends, or enemies. There was no way that Galdurr could be doing something silly, like mourning a coat or some nonsense. Right? Chen followed him over but assumed a position a respectful distance away from the man. Leaning against the railings and taking in as much of the island as he could before it'd be gone, he crossed his arms and waited for Elaera.

Feeling a powerful weight hit the deck behind him, Chen turned to see Elaera straightening, holding a broken instrument in one hand and her warhammer in the other. With most everything he had encountered during his stay at the island, the stringed instrument in question was foreign to him. Although it was in poor condition, Chen could see that no small amount of expert craftsmanship had gone into the process of constructing it. In structure, it resembled a strange Guqin. No, a pipa, that was what it looked like. His people's equivalent of a lute. In any case, Elaera held the instrument with a great deal of care and reverence. Chen blinked. Must be a sentimental thing. He could relate to that. He smiled as she stood stock still, apparently unwilling to move. She almost looked like a child on their first day of school, not wanting to mingle with the other kids. A very large child, with an impressive amount of strength and combat prowess. He beckoned for her to come join them at the bow.

As he waited for the trio to be completed, he reached into a small pouch on the inside of his black vest and pulled out a little red velvet sack. Undoing the drawstring, he held it open with one hand while reaching into his pocket with the other. Taking out the bloodstained songbird lapel pin he had taken from the notable opponent he had faced on the beach, he gazed at it for a moment. Blood had seeped into the detailed engraving of the bird, spiking it with red color. The pin was surely made of gold, and was probably worth quite a bit. But that wasn't why Chen was interested in it. To him, it meant something else; Respect. Buffing the drying blood off of it, he dropped the pin into the pouch with a clink. Another memento. Suddenly, he was distracted by the sound of scuffling coming from the gangplank.

A gangling figure about as tall as Layla clumsily stepped over the railing, boarding the vessel. The first thing Chen noticed was the comically large mushroom the individual seemed to wear for a hat. Was it a man? A woman? Were they human? He couldn't really tell. The green skin, yellow eyes, and blunt fangs soon revealed themselves to him as the figure stood up straight, before quickly slouching back down. Another orc? Quickly looking between the new arrival and Elaera, Chen quickly drew the conclusion that the two were not of the same species. Well, human or not, being friendly was always Chen's go-to. When the opportunity arose, he tried to smile reassuringly and raised a hand in greeting.

WayfaringWaaksian

Tulik · May 27, 2020

Galdurr heard the approach of Chen, giving the man a slight glance as his head turned towards him. As the captain of his own ship Galdurr almost had a supernatural awareness of the things that happened aboard his vessel. It wasn’t, of course. The only thing supernatural on the Black Serpent were the afflicted and their connection with their Silent Captain. That awareness just seemed to come from the familiarity of the ship and Galdurr. While this ship was not his own, The silent white haired man had already began to take in the things that made it her own. The sound of the wood beneath ones feet’s, how that sound changed as a person carried their weight over a greater distance of the vessels surface just happened to be the first thing. In time he would come to know everyone on this ship by the sound of their footfalls...if he stayed here.

As the ship gave a subtle rock that wasn’t an effect of the waves Galdurr turned to look at Elaera. She had an innocent look about her, almost fearful. Galdurr cocked his head curiously at that, and though he was at the bow of the ship when he spoke to her? His voice was in her mind as if the two shared a quiet room in an inn.

“A musician, Elaera? You are more than meets the eye, aren’t you? Would love to hear you play! When we hit land how about I see to getting it repaired for you? As an apology for making you shed blood on my account. I can see you cherish that instrument greatly.”

Galdurr’s eye was drawn to movement by Chen, and he watched curiously as the man rubbed away at something, though it happened so quickly that he didn’t get a good chance to see what it was. Something of sentimental value for him as well? Galdurr wondered if he should of left his coat, seeing how Elaera cling to her lute. He contemplated going back for it, possibly salvaging it. A silent and heavy sigh later dispelled that idea. He would have another made. Clothes don’t last forever, even when kept in the best repair.

Finally, Galdurr noticed the tall lanky pirate board the ship. They were almost a polar opposite of Elaera in physique, where heavy muscle was replaced with the lithe type. He attempted to take the woman in, though he couldn’t tell her gender from the glance. She seemed to have a fearful look about her by the way she was avoiding the direct eye contact of those around her. Galdurr hadn’t seen the fumble, so he initially thought someone had possibly threatened her. He furrowed his brow, before turning to see Chen raising a hand in greeting. It wasn’t his business if one of the pirates on this ship was threatening the new ones they were bringing on board, but Galdurr felt a stirring in him that told him another bout of blood probably wouldn’t be avoided if they treated him or his companions that way. The thin and tall pirate might not of been an ally yet, but even when he wasn’t on the Black Serpent? Galdurr would adhere to his own code of pirating. A slip in judgement on the beach would prove to be outlier in the situations, and they would learn soon enough that pirating to him didn’t mean the same as it did to the typical swashbuckling ruffian.

Galdurr gave his own wave to the stranger, albeit a short and less obvious one as he crossed his arms, taking a few strides to come to stand beside Chen.

“If these pirates give you a hard time, Elaera, don’t hesitate to let me know.” Galdurr said with a small smile, letting his inner feelings become outward. “I won’t let anyone bully my companions. That goes for Chen too. Don’t yell in response, yes? Might spook some of the pirates on board. I wouldn’t want to get myself thrown off the ship for killing a few of them over a misunderstanding should they draw weapons on you.”

WayfaringWaaksian

Lefic · May 27, 2020

The boards of the boat creaked as Elaera shuffled on the spot, constantly glancing around as though she were scared of being seen to be looking at the same thing for too long. Movement caught her coal-coloured eyes, and as she focused upon it, she was surprised to realise that Chen was... beckoning her? Bewildered, she looked left, then right, left again, and then craned her head back to see if someone behind her was aligned with his gaze. But it didn't seem that way. She knew, logically, she was the most likely candidate, but her confidence made this hard to believe. Hesitantly, the Orc wandered towards the bow. She weakly raised a hand in greeting, before jumping in horror at the blood-trail her injured foot had left. I've bled everywhere! she thought in alarm, glancing about her in panic before ripping off her other sleeve as though it had been tissue-paper and using it as a makeshift bandage, more out of embarrassment for having made a mess than attentiveness to her own body. Trying to draw attention away from that little spectacle, Elaera locked her eyes onto Chen's with the burning intensity of grim determination, thinking, Conversation!, and with the exaggerated mouth movements of one speaking to the deaf, for she didn't want to mumble her words this time, half-shouted, "NICE SACK." Eyes staring ahead glassily, looking as though she'd been winded, Elaera internally screamed, NOT GOOD CONVERSATION! NOT GOOD CONVERSATION! She resigned herself to once more staring at the ground, greener than the murky depths.

She used Galdurr's question, which she'd been reluctant to answer before, as an excuse to talk about anything else - an attempt to bury words with more words until those first words were 6 feet under. "M-musician? Ah. Guess so.." As soon as he mentioned getting the instrument mended, she pricked with excitement, before abashedly turning her face away and combing her thick fingers through her hair. "That would be.... Nice... Cherished, yes..." The woman figured that he wouldn't have wanted to hear her drone on about her talk on and on about her father... Though, her father was far more interesting than she was, so maybe? she supposed. Shaking her head, she responded to another aspect of what the white-haired pirate had said. "You can hear me play," she said less-than-enthusiastically - she couldn't deny him since he would be getting her lute fixed, if he upheld his word - "But only if you... Uhm... Close your eyes... And not say anything... And if I'm facing away from you..." she compromised. She'd only ever played for her parents before. When her father had tried to showcase her abilities in a concert, she cried on stage, shaking like a leaf in a storm. Reliving the memory, Elaera had her eyes fixed on the ground, and fell back into her usual taciturn nature, not noticing the person walking on board.

Kylesar1 · May 28, 2020

Asmund Adonis
Basenji Ship- Leaving Bermuda Island Waters

Asmund watched them board the ship, smoking his cigar, before he himself boarded. The gangplank was pulled up and the ship set sail. No issues from the island or the waters around it. It let the pirate ship go without a fight, a far cry from what happens if someone tried to fashion a raft from a couple of planks and thought that would get them off. No, no, no. "Alright, we are heading to the nearest dock, so I can unload the lot of you. Those interested in joining my crew, you can approach me, Captain Asmund Adonis, when we land. If you aren't, you can say your farewells at port and move on with your life. I offer most of you the chance to join. Obviously I can't take all of you, so first come, first served in terms of positions."

Offering a chance to actually join the crew was really fairly generous. A pirate crew really wasn't open to just anyone. Yeah, recruiting was abundant, but joining a GOOD crew wasn't easy. There were plenty of selfish captains sailing around on a lifeboat thinking they were gonna find the fountain of youth, who had crazy stipulations like 100% of the cut of loot, as if a blanket on a plank and stale bread qualified as room and board on a ship. For those who were natives of neither country that immediately bordered the waters that took them to Bermuda Island, it could be a chance to get back HOME instead of getting dropped off on some port in Tacrof to fend for themselves otherwise.

His original plan was to find his treasure and only to those who helped him, offer them salvation from Dead Man's Isle by getting them off in exchange for them giving him their blade as a member of his crew. However, Orc Fighter had to start the brawl to ruin his plan. Now he had to lax his standards. "I offer a cut of the loot, worldwide travel by sea, air, snow, AND sand, 2 man rooms for grunts and personal rooms for leadership, always fresh food, laundry, and ACTUAL FUCKING SHOWERS." His face contorted into a mixture of irritation and disgust. "You all stink. I'll give you all a freebie shower and laundry if you promise to NOT come out smelling like Fire Dragon anus."

WayfaringWaaksian · May 28, 2020

By the time she'd clambered onto the deck with all the grace of a one-legged loon, Fergie found herself sweeping her gaze over every man and woman aboard, despite her previous resolve to... do the opposite. Relief that she was finally leaving Nature's Landfill behind, excitement for the journey that would lie ahead; frankly, the fleeting embarrassment over her blunder on the beach was just a minor distraction. After all, everyone from the beach already looked ridiculous-- bold take from a fungus-adorned green bean-- covered in sand and blood, clad in tattered clothes and sporting hairdos popular among hermits and hobos worldwide. Shit, when's the last time she herself touched a razor? The feeling of sandpaper under her fingers as she rubbed her face reminded her to count each time someone used "he" around her.

Soon enough, her wandering gaze caught those of the others. Two men looking towards her. Waving...?

Shit, they saw!

But then why weren't they laughing? Or at the very least, holding back snorts behind a hand or a strained face of nonchalance?

Then... sympathy?

But that snowy-haired pirate... he was the one to gut that first jack on a whim, wasn't he? That didn't exactly ring "sympathy" in her ears.

Fear...?

Of her? As much as the thought of it pleased her, there was no way. She saw how those two had fought. The one in black had no fear in his eyes as he stuck them down with ease, his skill with the sword setting him far ahead of the rest. The one in red... dear gods, there was some immortality shit going on there. Those tattoos on his arm struck her as familiar, but no names came to mind. Perhaps she'd seen them in an old fable? A legend about a great pirate who's feats put all others to shame?

Ah, of course. Pity.

... Oh, who fucking cared? They were all leaving that island behind, as well as whatever had transpired back there. Fergie offered a sparing wave of her own, albeit a rather late one, managing something that wasn't quite a smile to match the one she was being given.

A pressing notion that urged her to try better than that was pushed to the back of her mind as the vessel's captain addressed all the new faces. Quite straight-forward, the given choices. To stay, or to leave? Her immediate thought was that of leaving this ship behind and continuing her journey on her lonesome, but... well, she remembered how well that had worked out for her. Capsizing in a storm in her little boat and waking up on the damned island she'd wasted away a month on wasn't an experience she was keen on repeating. And where would she find a crew of her own to manage a ship more structured for the roughs of the ocean? By pulling them from out of her ass? Huh, she remembered a fable about that, too. Probably one that was also pulled out of someone's ass... and probably not literally. Hopefully.

With that out of the question, a quick look-around only confirmed what the captain was already offering. The size, the crew, the polish up and down; this wasn't just some run-of-the mill pirate ship. This was the real deal. Vagabonds like these didn't get this fancy without government supplementary-- that wasn't stolen, that is-- unless they were good at what they did. Hell, even the last vessel she worked for wasn't this accommodating, and that was unarguably the best crew she had ever been a part of. It was a shame that she had to leave.

And dear gods, ACTUAL FUCKING SHOWERS? Who could say no to that?

Throughout the duration of the captain's speech, Fergie had been slowly pacing backwards towards the bow, not entirely forgetting those two who had greeted her. Pleasantries and such were never her strong suit, but there were many ways to break the ice that went beyond stuffy hello's and how-are-you-doing's. She only had to get closer... a bit closer... not too close-- there.

... Shit, should she? That orc lady standing by them had already ribbed the place, nearly bellowing "NICE SHACK"-- she thought? That's what it sounded like from where she had been standing, anyway-- just after being invited on board, and she was already acting skittish and avoidant of everyone. Fergie presumed that she'd been scolded for it already, and if that joke was unwelcome, what's to say that she wouldn't get a bad reaction herself? But she wasn't planning on announcing it to every person within a mile radius.

Fuck it, she was doing it.

Unable to fight off a grin from her face, she leaned towards the little group as she muttered to them, offhandedly, "Ye think we should be worried he knows what a dragon's arse smells like?"

Tulik · May 28, 2020

Galdurr would have a long and interpersonal think about what he wanted to do when it came to pertaining to leaving or staying on the ship. For now he was just happy to be leaving the island, even if it was under the prim and proper looking crew beneath the flags Captain Asumund Adonis, especially with the comment that seemed to say that bathing was incredibly important to them. Not pirates. Nobles with a taste of blood. No doubt grime under their nails made them squirm uncomfortably.

Galdurr grinned at Elaera’s clumsy approach. He adored her behavior. It was a warm sight, to not fit the mold her appearance would bring out in assumptions. “A shy one?” Galdurr asked Elaera. “I would love to hear you play. I’ll be sure to respect your wishes of not making intense eye contact with you during your performance.”

He looked at her with a warm and playful smile before pulling back his torn shirt, the tattered cloth falling off his alabaster form almost immediately under the purchase of duress. His wounds had begun to stitch themselves together now that they were off the island. He hadn’t even thought about the curses magic being dampened by whatever that accursed island was doing. It was slow, still, as always, but by morning he would be good as new again. The pain was receding, slowly, as well. Which meant the drowsiness and lethargy of his curse would soon find purchase in his mind again. Great. Galdurr tossed the tattered shirt overboard into the waters. His body was pristine in all manners except those new wounds that seemed to be closing themselves ever since slowly, and three large jagged scars across the entirety of his torso as if a large beast had swiped a devilish claw across his body. His skin was almost an alabaster color, just shy of missing his hairs color. It was a stark contrast to the black blood that now stained his body around the wounds and where it had trailed down his for. A shower suddenly didn’t seem so prim and proper now that he thought about it.

The approach of the new lankier pirate drew his attention from the corner of his eye, and as he turned to examine them at their approach he took in her appearance now that they drew closer. Her features, his features? THEIR features would of fit well in his afflicted crew. There was a sense of delicate movement towards them as they approached, as if they were afraid to get to close to the group. When they finally did approach Galdurr gave them a nod and another wave before resting his hand on the basket of his weapon, only too late realizing the uncomfortableness of the leather holsters strapped across his bare chest now that he had pulled his demolished shirt away. Hopefully the captain might have an extra set of clothes for him, and perhaps Elaera, seeing as the woman kept tearing her clothes to make bandages out of them. Her words made him smile, and a silent chuckle escaped Galdurr as the new pirate finally came to stand with them.

“Seems we weren’t the only civil beings on that island, Elaera. Though I’m sure Chen is the friendliest of the bunch here, it’s good to know not everyone who was marooned didn’t fall under the opinion that blades talk first.” Galdurr’s smile fled quickly as he realized that was him on the beach however. “...though I have no room to talk. Would you please introduce me to our new friend?”

Galdurr looked to Chen, and if the few encounters he had with the man were evidence of his behavior he would make this new pirate feel welcome in their rag tag band of misfits. He wanted to find his crew, and The Black Serpent. He wanted his revenge against Renagog. ...it would seem that would take a backseat for now. Perhaps riding with this Captain Adonis would lead him to them, or to Renagog. Or both. The only thing Galdurr knew for certain was that he felt at home with the only thing between him and the waves was a few planks of a vessel. With that thought noted and tucked away into the back of his mind Galdurr looked up at their new companion and gave her a small bow.