Almund is a thriving township with a dark side. With houses made from the wooden bodies of decommissioned ships, there are many opportunities here, coupled with many dangers.
The snow fell gently that night, lightly dusting the roofs of the nearby houses and the ground with a pale white blanket. Down at Port Diablo the cold night’s air had caused a thin layer of ice to form on the surface of the ocean where it met the beach, and the layer of snow piling on top of it made it impossible to tell where exactly it was that the sand ended and the water began.
Although it was undeniably cold, Tio didn't feel it so keenly as he'd used to. The night’s breeze that carried the chilling effect pulled it's punches ever so slightly against him ever since he received the spark of defiance, taking that edge off of it and making the temperature bearable for the Yludih. Teddie however, the ex-element soldier who he'd met whilst stealing from the Element headquarters a few seasons ago, didn't have the same resistance, and shivered slightly with every gust of wind that blew past them. He was a tough man, but sea breezes were already cold enough when it wasn't the middle of the night in Zi'da.
“What? Can't a guy just want to meet his buddy for a midnight stroll on the beach?” Tio asked innocently, flashing him an overly-angelic smile. When Teddie replied with a look that said he didn't believe him for one second, Tio raised his hands in a gesture of mock-surrender. “Alright alright I admit it, I do have another motive. But it's nothing bad I promise you, in fact it's very good news! How's your search for new employment going?”
Teddie frowned. “Not as well as I'd have liked. I'm not a smart man Tio, and the few jobs available for hired muscle that haven't built up a reputation are either low paid or ask you to do… shady stuff. The way things are going I may end up becoming a career thief after all.”
Remembering how loud and unsubtle Teddie had been in his last robbery, Tio couldn't help but chuckle to himself. “Spirits help you with that bud. But you know, if you're willing to look outside the law anyway I might have the perfect job opportunity for you anyway.”
“Oh yeah? And what would that be?”
Tio shot him a wide grin; the kind that always seemed to herald some imminent disaster. “Come be a pirate with me.”
Teddie laughed out loud, taking the offer as a joke. But when Tio didn't laugh along with him the laughter faded, to be replaced by surprise. “By the Immortals, you're not serious are you?”
“Oh but I am.” Tio replied. “I'm putting together a crew, with myself as captain of course, and I want you to be first mate.”
Teddie sighed heavily, looking out at the sea. “Of all the crazy… well I suppose I should have expected this from you. But tell me Tio, do you really have what it takes to lead your own crew? There's a lot of money in it sure, but there's a lot of responsibility too. And becoming a pirate captain on this island is basically painting a target on your back. Are you sure you can handle this?”
Tio followed his gaze out across the ocean, a wide grin on his face. “Well, I'm nothing if not confident am I? I intend to start off small, with a crew I can manage and tactics I'm more familiar with. But as I learn the ropes I'll expand. And who knows, perhaps one day I'll be good enough to become a notorious name all across the world? A living legend!”
“Sounds like you have quite the ambition there.” Teddie replied, smirking slightly. “Well why not? If you're so set on fame and fortune then why shouldn't I ride your coattails there too? Alright I'll join you, but where are you gonna find the rest of your crew?”
“Oh don't worry my friend. I know just the person."
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word count: 712
Fast Facts
Noticeable quirks your character can see when threading with Tio.
Floats
Tio floats in the air, usually just a foot off the ground.
Explodeibur
Tio wears a scary looking gauntlet on his right hand that is clearly magical. It creates explosions.
“So tell me Mr Jonis, have you ever actually sailed a ship before?”
“Well… no.”
“Have you ever fought with a weapon before?”
“... No.”
“...”
“...”
“... Is the only qualification you have for being a pirate the fact that you have a wooden leg?”
“... Yes.”
“Thank you Mr Jonis, you can go now.”
The Scalvoris Sapphire Inn was no stranger to having a host of weird characters within its walls. Tonight though the crowd seemed to be even larger and weirder than usual. In order to find himself a crew, Tio had begged the help of Ceressa Reyes to get the word out among the pirate community, in exchange for a favour to be repaid at a later date. Unfortunately during the seasons he'd been staying at the inn Ceressa had come to know him a little too well for his own good, and when he'd asked her to find him a crew that would suit him had gone around recruiting the strangest and most foolhardy pirates she knew.
Interviewing them all was a job that had taken him all night so far, but thankfully Tio had been able to sort out ten capable crewmembers from the crowd. There was space for one more person in his crew, but so far none of the candidates had been good enough to impress him. Mr Jonis was just one more in the long list of people who hadn't been good enough, and at this point Tio was seriously considering packing it in for the night.
“You're Silver, correct?”
Tio looked around at the sound of the voice, and his eyes settled on a young Eidisi woman taking a seat at his table. She had nice features, but her stern expression and plain clothing did a remarkably good job of hiding it. She didn't seem very happy to be in the tavern, nor impressed by the sight of Tio, yet still she kept up a formal posture and gestured politely to the chair in a wordless request for permission before sitting.
“You're looking to join my crew I take it?” Tio asked, curious as to who this non-weirdo was. “What's your name?”
“Grace Gallilago.” She replied with perfect annunciation, a clear sign of a highly educated upbringing. “Let me be clear of my intentions here. I'm not a fighter, nor do I have any intention of putting myself in danger, but I am business woman, and a good one at that. You'll need someone to run the numbers on your ship: keep a ledger of the loot, purchase the right amount of supplies, all of that sort of thing. I can do that for you, for a good wage.”
“Aha! An accounting mercenary is it? Exactly the kind of person I need!” Tio replied, shooting her a wild grin. “Your terms seem fair to me, though I'll expect you to do good work for the high wage I pay you. Does that seem fair to you?”
Grace nodded quickly and politely. “Yes, those terms are fair.”
“Alrighty then, we have an accord!” Tio extended a hand towards her, which she took at shook. “Welcome to the crew Grace. We meet tomorrow at noon. I look forward to seeing you there.”
[/align]
word count: 555
Fast Facts
Noticeable quirks your character can see when threading with Tio.
Floats
Tio floats in the air, usually just a foot off the ground.
Explodeibur
Tio wears a scary looking gauntlet on his right hand that is clearly magical. It creates explosions.
Thirteen people stood together at the docks of Port Diablo, watching as the gentle tide rocked the schooner in front of them. It was a sturdy looking little ship, newly built with the traditional techniques of the Scalvoran shipwrights, and despite its size looked like a fine vessel to sail in. Although no different from other schooners the assembled gang all swore they could sense an air of mischievous spirit clinging to it, though perhaps that was merely their imaginations responding to the knowledge of what this ship represented.
Tio took a step forward and turned to face the group, a wide grin split across his face. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming one and all. To the rest of the world, the thirteen of us may not look like anything special. They see nothing but mere cooks, doctors and sailors, ordinary additions to a never ending sea of faces. But I do not see that. What I see here, tonight, is something very different, something very special indeed.”
He paced from one side of the group to the other, making eye contact with each individual in turn. “I see a beginning! A beginning to something truly special! Take a look around at the others besides you, because from this moment on these people will no longer be strangers to you, but brothers and sisters bound by something stronger than blood: a purpose! Our world is defined by people banding together to form armies, religions, and even nations! And from now of the thirteen of us are part of our own group; a brotherhood designed for the sole purpose of watching each others backs, and taking whatever we please from the rest of the world.”
“Some may call us criminals. In their eyes they'd be right to do so, but what is a criminal other than a person who realises that laws are just a construct of rich men to keep the poor men below them? What is a criminal but a person who decides to live life their own way? I do not know what the future holds, nor can I say for certain what our beginning will grow to be, but I do know this! Our group of thirteen is going to grow, in numbers, in wealth and in power! And one day everyone from Oscillus to Uthraldia is going to know our names! So tell me-…” He extended his arms out, as if to embrace the crowd. “Who's ready to do sone piracy?!”
As one the assembled crew of the Skylance Pirates bellowed a war cry of “AYE!” into the night.
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word count: 444
Fast Facts
Noticeable quirks your character can see when threading with Tio.
Floats
Tio floats in the air, usually just a foot off the ground.
Explodeibur
Tio wears a scary looking gauntlet on his right hand that is clearly magical. It creates explosions.
Requested Rewards:
Knowledge: Business Management: Hiring employees
Business Management: Recruiting a right hand man
Business Management: The importance of an accountant
Business Management: Having.contacts in the right places
Business Management: A business philosophy
Leadership: Inspiring speeches to bring a group together
Comments: Pretty straightforward recruitment thread here, but I love Tio. The dude is so cheeky and he deserves these guys. I am hyped to read their stuff.
