A Man of War

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.

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Balthazar Black
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Posts: 2107
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 1:15 am
Race: Human
Profession: Leader of The Black Cats
Renown: 1815
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A Man of War


16 Cylus 722
Two Flame Troopers stood side by side on the Almund docks, looking out into the dark of the night at the ships on the black horizon. When they heard what was happening, they had come as quickly as they could. It was not the fully company he had to train but one who was the most invested in it. Balthazar had brought Cedric with him because he knew the young trooper craved action and despised pirates. Lydia and Lunden remained back at the Element Hall where they were supposed to be going through the exercises that Balthazar had shown them. All of the Elements needed some level of weapon training before they could join but Balthazar thought hand to hand combat had more value than any of the weapons that you could pick up. When you were the weapon, you never had to worry about walking into a room unarmed. He was not trying to teach them unarmed to make them into weapons, but he was trying to teach them unarmed combat so that they could not be caught unaware as easily.

All the same Cedric's passions would have driven him mad if Balthazar forced him through the training drills and sparring matches again after they had heard that the pirates were showing off at the docks. 'Showing off' seemed to be an inaccurate report of what was happening but Balthazar and Cedric didn't find that out until they arrived and saw the many ships gathered on the horizon. The ships belonged to pirates. That much was clear from the make of their flags and the decorations hanging from the hulls of their ships. Some of the flags were familiar to Balthazar from reports he'd read while investigating cases, others were familiar because they were homages to the Pirate Lords who had once ruled.

The strangest thing was that the ships weren't doing anything. They weren't attacking, they weren't fighting each other, they were just floating off in the dark distance. There were three smaller ships and a large one behind them. The three smaller ships had different flags but the large ship had taken its flag down. As Balthazar began to figure out the distance he would have to bridge in order to open a scrying portal and get them a closer look, he heard a clearly aggravated exhale from the recruit beside him. A small glance to the side and he saw his recruit's hands were balled into fists of rage.

"I can hear you breathing." Balthazar said in a low voice to the recruit beside him. "Save your anger."

"Why aren't we going to get more Elements?" Cedric asked, "We need to put a stop to them." Cedric said with a gesture out towards the ships.

"What laws have we seen them break?" Balthazar asked, "We know they are pirates, but we need evidence to arrest someone. They're making themselves seen but they aren't doing anything wrong." He tried to explain but he could see that it wasn't quite getting through to Cedric.

"So you're just going to ignore them?" Cedric asked.

"Ignore them? No, I don't like pirates either." Balthazar said, "So we are going to find out what they are doing."
word count: 552

Visible Mutations/ Marks

Mutations
Defiance: Skin always glows faintly and he is warm to the touch. His is also the center of a field of static electricity so people get shocked touching him on occasion.
Rupturing: Orange etheric cracks spider-web up his arms to his elbows. His eyes and the glowing cracks going down his cheeks glow dark blue.
Transmutation: He has a series of emerald, glowing cracks on his right pectoral.
Marks
Bellinos: His fingernails are always black. The color fades into his fingers.
Celarion: A dim glowing ring surrounds his left forearm.
Palenon: A silver lightning shaped mark about the size of a hand stretching up towards his torso.

Scars

  • Oops, Oops, Ouch: Balthazar Black has twenty scars across his back from a lashing as well as scars on his hands and arms from jagged rocks on Faldrass. There are two scars on the sides of his abdomen from being stabbed and a slash across his back which blends in with the whip scars.
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Balthazar Black
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Posts: 2107
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 1:15 am
Race: Human
Profession: Leader of The Black Cats
Renown: 1815
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Wealth Tier: Tier 5

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Re: A Man of War


16 Cylus 722
The difficult part of working among the Elements was that you were not often encouraged to go into situations alone and Balthazar often only had one of each magical item he would want to use to enact a plan. He could put on the necklace in his black bag, walk under the sea using the air bubble it provided, get himself to the surface with defiance, and get himself all the way back to the docks in a pinch using the strange ball of yarn he had. However that would only transport him back to the docks and the air bubble necklace would only help him get beneath the boat. It wouldn't help Cedric and he knew the recruit wouldn't be content to sit and wait while Balthazar investigated. It would be more difficult for the two of them to get onto the ship and travel around unseen, but not impossible.

It would be dangerous though. Two of them alone might not have been enough. "Go back to the Element Hall. Get Lydia and Lunden and bring them back here. I'll figure out how to get us onto the ship while you are away." Balthazar decided. It was safer to move in numbers and he was confident that he could help his recruits step a little more quietly than they normally did. Lydia and Lunden were good enough with their weapons that he felt the numbers would keep them safe alone.

"Why do I feel like you're going to go by yourself the bit that I leave?" Cedric asked without budging from his spot.

"Go get them." Balthazar said in a slightly more stern tone. He had to remember that he was not Cedric's friend. If he was questioning Balthazar now, who was to say he would not question Balthazar as soon as they were on the pirate ship? Lydia and Lunden would help reign him in. Cedric nodded and turned to leave but he lingered for a few trills before finally committing. It would take some time for him to get them and return so Balthazar was going to use the time to prepare.

He sat down at the edge of the dock and looked up towards the ships. They were less than a mile out into the water and while Balthazar could tell the exact distance due to his spark, the distance was always changing. The ships were not moving but he was looking at different places and points for him to open a whisper of a portal. Three small ships, one large one. He would have to check the surface of each one for guards. A direct portal would not be quiet, but they might have been able to cover the sound by putting them a good distance from where the pirates actually were.

His work began. With a swipe of his hand through the air his ether burned open a quiet portal- no larger than the porthole of a ship. In the sky above the four boats, an identical portal burned open and hovered. The mage peered through the ingress in front of him. The edges were not stable but they didn't need to be. It was a gentle portal, not like the true tearing of space. Only light and sound passed through and while the dark of Cylus might have limited the light passing through, Balthazar could see in the dark.

From what he could see through his bird-eye portal view, the three smaller ships were sitting empty and the fourth only had a light number of guards walking around the surface. He had no doubt that there would have been more pirates inside the larger ship but he was curious where the rest of the crews were. His brow furrowed and his dispelled the portal by swinging his hand through the edge and collapsing it. Then he cast another scrying portal that was focused on the ship furthest to the left. Its anchor was down and there was a boarding plank connecting it to the larger ship (as there was with all the small ship) but it seemed to have drifted a little further than the other two. The plank was askew and the pirate at the helm seemed to be having a good time drinking.

He would make a good entry point. Portal behind him, knock him out, cross onto the larger ship and try to get to the bottom of what was going on. He dispelled the scrying portal and swung his feet gently over the edge of the dock. He had a plan, now he just needed his team.
word count: 778

Visible Mutations/ Marks

Mutations
Defiance: Skin always glows faintly and he is warm to the touch. His is also the center of a field of static electricity so people get shocked touching him on occasion.
Rupturing: Orange etheric cracks spider-web up his arms to his elbows. His eyes and the glowing cracks going down his cheeks glow dark blue.
Transmutation: He has a series of emerald, glowing cracks on his right pectoral.
Marks
Bellinos: His fingernails are always black. The color fades into his fingers.
Celarion: A dim glowing ring surrounds his left forearm.
Palenon: A silver lightning shaped mark about the size of a hand stretching up towards his torso.

Scars

  • Oops, Oops, Ouch: Balthazar Black has twenty scars across his back from a lashing as well as scars on his hands and arms from jagged rocks on Faldrass. There are two scars on the sides of his abdomen from being stabbed and a slash across his back which blends in with the whip scars.
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Balthazar Black
Approved Character
Posts: 2107
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 1:15 am
Race: Human
Profession: Leader of The Black Cats
Renown: 1815
Character Sheet
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Wealth Tier: Tier 5

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Re: A Man of War


16 Cylus 722
The break had arrived. Cedric returned with Lunden and Lydia a short time after Balthazar finished scouting with portals and he filled them in on the plan. Cedric liked it and Lydia seemed a little apprehensive which gave Balthazar pause. Lydia was always apprehensive but maybe she was right. It wasn't exactly an assault on a pirate ship, it was just... investigating? If they uncovered something, it would be worth it. If they uncovered nothing, it was important that the footprint they left remain small. Stealth was the name of the game and they were all going to play whether they wanted to or not. Balthazar designated Lunden and Cedric as the lookouts. When they board the first ship they would be the one to stay up top and ensure they could return to where Balthazar first conjured the portal.

Lydia was to proceed into the larger ship with Balthazar to look for signs of criminal activity or to find out why the ships had gathered. Cedric wasn't happy to be relegated to a lookout, but he was content to take a shot at any pirates who showed up on the ship. Balthazar had to remind him a few times that baring the first one they had to knock out, they did not want to get into a fight. Lunden assured Balthazar that they wouldn't get into any unnecessary conflict but the mage still felt a little apprehensive about Cedric. Hopefully his allies could keep him in check. When everyone understood the plan and their roles in it, they stood again at the edge of the docks and Balthazar prepared to open a portal onto the drifting ship.

He stood just in front of the tree recruits with his arm raised and he began spinning it in a small circle. He could feel the distance close before his hand and a few trills later a ring of fire blazed to life at the end of the docks. It burned into existence with a loud sear and Balthazar pushed immediately through it, though all of his recruits were surprised by the portal and lingered a trill longer than he wanted them too. He did not let their inaction translate into his own.

When the ring of fire opened at the docks, a twin opened at the back of the pirate ship where Balthazar had scouted. Balthazar came through and seized the pirate at the helm before he could call out or sound any alarms. He squeezed hard on the man's neck to keep him from getting any air and a few trills later the man seemed to lose consciousness. Balthazar lowered him slowly onto the deck and turned to find his recruits only then passing through the portal.

"Stay focused." Balthazar said sternly before swiping his hand through the portal to collapse it more silently than it had been formed. He gestured for Cedric and Lunden to stay where they were and watch the unconscious pirate. Then motioned for Lydia to follow him as the moved down the helm and across the deck towards the boarding plank connecting the ship to the larger one. He stepped more quietly than she did but she was following his example and lead well. He could feel the uncertainty in her steps when her weight caused the boarding plank to shift but they made it across and onto the deck of the larger ship without incident.

It was only there that Balthazar began to get a good sense of what was happening. He could hear voices coming from below them, many voices. The pirates were celebrating or perhaps trying to organize something which had taken the majority of their focus. Still, Balthazar and Lydia moved low along the ship so that they would not be spotted by the helmsman of the large ship, or one of the helmsmen from the two smaller ships. The railing gave them the cover they needed to avoid being seen by anyone who was out and about on the smaller ship as soon as they'd crossed the boarding plank. The duo moved along the railing towards the stern side of the ship where a trap door was hanging open outwards. It lead down a small flight of stairs into ships hold where Balthazar could immediately see the backs of a few pirates who were facing inward and listening to someone talking.

As he and Lydia grew closer to the trap door, they began to make out the voice behind the words a little more clearly. They'd stumbled into the middle of a speech it seemed "- a business venture. Guided by my hand you and your crews will live better than the Pirate Lords of old ever did- and better yet the Elements will not be able to do a thing about it." Balthazar gestured for Lydia to stop outside the trap door when he noticed she was trying to get closer. They could hear just fine from where they were and there was no one around to see them yet. The voice continued, "All I ask is that when I call on your aid or when I ask you to bring your ship to some portion of Scalvoris, you obey. Work with me and we will become the most elusive, and more importantly the richest sailors on the Hollow Sea."

So someone was trying to curry favor with other pirates? Balthazar didn't like the implication but he still wasn't sure bargaining in an arresting everyone there was going to be the solution. He tapped Lydia's shoulder and she looked at him nervously. He pointed back down the boarding ramp and she seemed to get the message that he wanted her to go back to Lunden and Cedric. He turned to go with her when he heard another pirate, presumably a captain, speaking up. "And what if we tell you to chew sand? We've done fine on our own and I see more than a few necks in this room I already want to slit." Balthazar paused because he was curious how this 'uniter of pirates' would respond to his opposition.

There was silence for a long time. Long enough that Balthazar turned back and moved a little bit down the steps into the hold to get a glimpse of what was happening. Lydia didn't notice that he'd fallen behind, having been so preoccupied with maintaining cover and silence. He didn't go down the steps too far, only ever really willing to risk his legs being seen by someone peering over at the entrance. It couldn't have been the whole of four pirate crews in the ship, but the number was certainly staggering. Balthazar quickly deduced that the ship captains had brought their more trusted crew members aboard for protection. That meant there were still pirates to be concerned about on the other ships. Less, but pirates all the same.

There was a man with a large hat and rather decent looking clothing for someone in his line of work standing across from another man wearing much dirtier and bloodstained clothing. The man in the nice hat said, "If that is your decision, you will not step off this ship alive." That sent a fair uproar through the crews but there were level headed individuals among them for sure. The captains themselves seemed to respect the answer more than the crew members did. They saw it as a challenge, which it was, but it was not a challenge that the other captains seemed to want to answer.

The faces among the crowd were not familiar to Balthazar for the most part but one stood out among all the others. One who did not belong. One who lurked in the background of the room like Balthazar lurked at the entry. Lucas Mallory. Balthazar had gone with him into the Scaloth jungle to recover the remains of Vri's followers not long ago and now the adventurer was here on a suspect pirate ship in the middle of Cylus? Something was afoot. Mallory had seemed a good man at the time but his presence in the meeting was disconcerting. "You wouldn't make it out of the fight." The captain in a bloodstained shirt said with a smug look.

"You have been enjoying my wine, my food, and my company ever since you set foot on my ship." The captain in the hat said, "Anyone who does not accept my offer died the moment you drank my wine. Isn't that right, Mallory?" Well that answered one question Balthazar had. The assassin stepped forward from his well hidden spot on the wall as the outcry became almost too loud for even Balthazar to make out what was being said. The pirates were furious, some were afraid but most were angry and wanted answers. Two of the captains sat in silence while the third in the bloodstained shirt shouted all manner of profanity at the captain in the nice hat.

"You have all been given a small portion of a poison derived from the iocane bloom." It was not true but Balthazar and the pirates would not know that. "Within the break your bodies will begin shutting down unless I am instructed by Captain Vane to treat you." Mallory certainly knew how to strong arm people. Or perhaps this 'Captain Vane' was the mastermind. Either way Balthazar had seen enough. He began to back out knowing they needed a more thorough investigation of who this captain and assassin were.

"Bend the knee and be saved, or keep your pride and die." Was the last thing Balthazar heard from the captain before he'd made it back out onto the deck. He moved faster and with more ease when Lydia was not there but that was, in part, because he could see torches on the smaller ship. The recruits had woken the crew but he didn't hear any alarms sounding. The boarding plank was floating down in the sea so Balthazar took a running jump off the edge of one ship and used a blink portal to get him across to the other. He appeared in a small puff of flames and landed on the smaller deck, finding Lydia, Lunden, and Cedric in the middle of tying up pirates.

"That was fast, what did you find?" Cedric asked as if nothing had gone wrong on their end.

"I'll tell you later, what happened here?" Balthazar asked as he opened another portal back to the docks. It was easier to bridge the distance the second time than it was the first time but it still took a few trills.

"Cedric." Lunden said definitively. Balthazar looked over at Lunden for further explanation but none came so he turned an irritated eye on Cedric as Lydia and Lunden moved through the portal.

"What? Someone saw us. It was easier to knock them all out." He said as he moved through the portal. Balthazar stepped through and sealed the portal behind him. He gave a single motion for the trio of recruits to keep walking and they began making their way towards the Element Hall to fill out the report.

"You're lucky they had bigger things to deal with." Balthazar said, "You could have gotten your entire team hurt."

"Maybe it was luck, but it worked." Cedric said, causing Balthazar to almost stop in his tracks.

Was this what it was like working with him when he was greener? He took a deep breath. It was going to be a long night.
word count: 1943

Visible Mutations/ Marks

Mutations
Defiance: Skin always glows faintly and he is warm to the touch. His is also the center of a field of static electricity so people get shocked touching him on occasion.
Rupturing: Orange etheric cracks spider-web up his arms to his elbows. His eyes and the glowing cracks going down his cheeks glow dark blue.
Transmutation: He has a series of emerald, glowing cracks on his right pectoral.
Marks
Bellinos: His fingernails are always black. The color fades into his fingers.
Celarion: A dim glowing ring surrounds his left forearm.
Palenon: A silver lightning shaped mark about the size of a hand stretching up towards his torso.

Scars

  • Oops, Oops, Ouch: Balthazar Black has twenty scars across his back from a lashing as well as scars on his hands and arms from jagged rocks on Faldrass. There are two scars on the sides of his abdomen from being stabbed and a slash across his back which blends in with the whip scars.
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Re: A Man of War

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Player Name: Balthazar Black

Points awarded: 10
Magic xp: yes for rupturing

Knowledge:

Stealth - Sneaking onto a pirate ship
Stealth - Railings are good for obscuring yourself from view
Leadership - If your presence makes the team better, don't leave the team

Renown: 0 He wasn't seen or caught by the pirates, thankfully.
Loot: Nada, see consequence below.
Injuries/Overstepping: N/a
Wealth Points: n/a
Consequences: Sometime, after the 18th of Cylus 722, one of the Elements in the Hall of Almund sees Balthazar passing through, and takes him aside. "I hear Rand is looking for you. Better not keep him waiting, he looks pissed."

Upon arriving at Rand's office, if he decides to entertain the Militant, he sees Rand, indeed red-faced and fuming. Barely a word is escaped from Balthazar before Rand raises his voice, sucking all of the oxygen out of the room. "I could have you hanged, you know. What were you thinking? No, don't answer. I don't want my air polluted with whatever stupid notion got into your head, or made you think you could search a private vessel without so much as a warrant or even probable cause."

Rand sneered, his lips curling into a snarl, "Do you know what a pirate is, Black? It's someone who illegally seizes or moves goods or property, at the very least."

"Did you see them stealing or moving illegal goods? Did you see anything besides some mummer's show of poorly dressed cretins on that so-called, 'pirate ship'?"

Rand didn't let him cut in yet, "You illegally entered that vessel. I don't care what they were doing. You didn't follow the proper procedures. And this outfit doesn't need rogue cannons, liable to fire off at the slightest sign of trouble. Discipline, Black! You may have courage and a nose for finding trouble, but you lack a soldier's discipline!"

"That's why, I'm sorry to say... Oh wait, no I'm not. I'm most pleased and delighted to say that you are no longer a part of this outfit, you are stripped of your rank and position. Turn in your badge, and leave this Hall. You're lucky I don't convince the Albarech to have you charged, I'm sure she'd love the chance to cover her arse as well by burying your sorry carcass."

"Get out!"

Balthazar has been fired from the Elements. He can appeal this decision if he sends a letter to the council house. His appeal will be heard no earlier, however, than the first of the Hot Cycle 722. Please if you intend to appeal this decision IC, post by the 15th of April 2022, and IC by the 100th of Ashan, to give people time to prepare/react. Also, if you need any dates switched or fixed between teh 1st-15th of Cylus please let us know and we'll help you out with that.

Skill Review: All Skills used appropriately to PC's level
Notes: Well... that was awkward. Despite the outcome of illegally searching a private vessel, this was a very well written thread. Balthazar played to his skills throughout, and magic play was perfectly lore-friendly. I almost thought that you overplayed the NPC's medicine skill at first with the iocane bloom poison, but then noticed that it was a bluff, and the NPC has expert deception, so that's okay.

But as I said, this was a well written romp, trespassing on a vessel and uncovering some shady doings. I wonder what Mallory and Vane are up to by recruiting folk. Are they part of some shadowy organization? Or just looking to expand whatever operation they have going?

I wonder if Balthazar will use the free time to investigate on his own? Will be interesting to see.

Great writing!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this review, feel free to PM.
word count: 662
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