• Graded • A Pirate At Port (Open)

[Nauta F'mos Geey]

Pirates and thieves, they were all the same and yet so very much different. At least that was the case for the former guard which saw them as nothing more than opportunists. Ironically he was on their side of things the line now and when the opportunity presented itself, he ended up as one of those which looked to take advantage of it. That would be how it seemed to anyone not privy to the arrangement when the Aukari trailed behind another member of The Fence. While of completely different organisations, the shore leave of the pirates was a rare enough occasion that The Fence would be dumb to not take advantage of, with all the information and ill-gotten goods available.

Or so the Aukari was told when he was dragged to the event by Raellen Charone. He had worked with her enough times over the seasons to figure he was just at the Curly Hare at the wrong time. As one of the many lookouts overlooked by the organisation, F'mos thought to take advantage of its resources to find out the viability of another opportunity he learned of. He reasoned if it was worth it, he may as well take it up for himself and if not, he could just deliver the information to the higher ups to add to his value in the organisation.

However as he seemed too free in his inquiries and was known as an available lookout, Raellen decided to instead be the one to make use of him for her own purposes. Her brief, which was made on the way so F'mos could not even leave, was simple enough. As simple as look out for trouble, look out for opportunities, don't let anyone know who he was with unless necessary. Simple enough for F'mos whose activities in Etzos could be summed up as the same although, that was not information he would share with any member of The Fence either which instead, got a neat acknowledgement of her orders.

There was a little more discussion among the two, but nothing so important to change what F'mos had to do. Immediately as soon as he had reached the cave and split with Raellen, F'mos scanned for any signs of trouble and any method of escape should trouble find him as it always did. Of course being a cave, there were not many ways to escape unless he could hold his breath for a long time but he did find something else of importance. Something which he was not pleased to find that he actually considered if it would be worth it to piss off Raellen if he left there and then.

It was that fucking crow!

Although when they last met, the Aukari had been in disguise so the crow would not recognise him now. Not even if Nightshade had decided to expose the Aukari to her feathered mate. However, F'mos would not take the chance being close to the crow which would so easily attack anyone. Instead after he had a feel of the pirate's cave, he went to the other without the Avriel and got to his business. It was easy enough as the inebriated pirates had no reservation to boast about their accomplishments after F'mos had asked them about "the bounty of the sea." Something about trade ships from somewhere and the now dead navy which accompanied them.

Which of course eventually led up to F'mos being able to ask about something else he had learned of recently. Something about a treasure-laden ship of statues and figures which had sunk recently. No doubt the Aukari which was more than aware of how he came upon this information, made sure there was no one to hear of it other than the tanked pirates which would soon forget. Especially if the one to overhear it would be his own superior in The Fence, which would question him about his motives for keeping it to himself.

Much information was traded over the tables which would otherwise be overwhelmed by the high-spirited atmosphere of the celebrations, had F'mos not already taken the precaution of being at its borders which offered some privacy and space. While the tales of the pirates of their own experiences had unexpectedly fascinated him like those which involved the Mer and their sea beasts, his interests remained on the vessel he asked of which he learned could be quite the lucrative venture indeed. He would have wanted to learn more, but that plan was ruined when he heard the yell of Mers and snakes.

While he had kept an eye on the Avriel for the duration, it was nothing more than to confirm its continued nuisance, and that he would not be any trouble. Other than his goal and his superior which he kept tabs on as much as she did him, the Crow was the only other thing he had to consider which F'mos had marked as something his superior should avoid as well. However, F'mos did nothing to interfere with the affair and instead chose to watch in amusement like many of the others present.

But the entire thing was pitiful to watch for the Aukari who recalled his old training. As much as he would have loved to take a stab at that damned crow as well, he knew it would be unfavourable had he been in the same situation as the girl. It was too small a weapon for too small a weapon in an actual fight. He had a quick thought that he should at least once he returned home, supplement his charge's instruction in defending herself. That in the same situation, instead of a hard manoeuvre like a stab, the girl should slash wide to ward off a potential attacker and after that... Well, that was something F'mos had more than enough time to think about for Lizzie's next lesson.

A luxury which the girl now caught by the Avriel and his companions did not have, not that it was any of the Aukari's business.

[Noth]

There was no semblance of stealth or subterfuge present in the actions of the Ratty man and his companion. Their arms had latched onto the young girl like a lamprey attaches itself to a fish, and there had been an immediate yanking towards the exit of the cave as soon as their grubby fingers had attached themselves to her. The quietest metal ping sounded throughout the relatively quiet cavern as a knife was wrenched free of the raging girl’s hand. Her screams of murderous fancy were dreadful to listen to, and had utterly ruined any cheerful demeanor worn by the pirates, but it was soon lost to the wind as she was removed from their presence. Drinking and merrymaking paused for no tragedy, and Noth observed that only three trills after her kidnapping, the pirates returned to their festivities.

The twilight hybrid followed the pair of scavengers outside of the cavern, losing sight of them for an instant as his eyes readjusted to the blinding light of the suns. Warmth prickled his skin, and the Avriel wondered when it had vanished from his presence. Had the cavern truly been so devoid of heat? Had he drank so much that he had not noticed its absence? No, it seemed unlikely. The monstrous being rapidly reacquainted himself with familiar surroundings, casting an exasperated glance towards the now slumbering snake who kept a gentle guard by way of his vicious snoring.

The group generally ignored his presence, and Noth found himself surprised that the snake had managed to slumber throughout the fairly harsh struggling going on nearby. With another shake of his head, he continued stalking after the rat-like fellow and his somewhat less dastardly compatriot. They didn’t go terribly far from the cave entrance, apparently choosing to remain nearby so as not to become lost within the woods, though they were certainly out of sight in a matter of moments. The nefarious deeds they thought within their heads still required some semblance of privacy, and they would certainly rather not invite the scoffing eyes and irritated glares of their fellow pirates remaining within the cove.

They might also not enjoy his presence, he realized as one of the pair glanced backwards with a vaguely confused tilt to his eyebrow.

“Oi, we took ‘er.” He spoke, apparently attempting to make an unspoken argument with their meagre and utterly meaningless words. Thankfully, it was a subtly that the hybrid understood fairly well, and he acquiesced possession of the young woman with a simple nod and accompanying sentence,

“Indeed, she is yours.”

A sick grin curled its way across his face, and Noth immediately questioned whether or not his rotten molars would burst free of his disgusting face if he stretched the smile any further. That expression was quickly removed from his visage when he considered the presence of the hybrid, questioning it immediately,

“If she’s ours, why are you ‘ere?”

It seemed a valid point to the burly dull fellow, and that was why the twilight hybrid had considered his answer for the entirety of their short journey. Sadly, it was such a valid point that he simply could not deceive his way out of revealing his purpose, especially not without endangering himself to a potentially offensive answer. Honesty left a vile taste in his mouth, as if though he had stuck some bitter tasting herb into it or applied some manner of stinking poultice to his throat, but it seemed the best policy.

“I wish to ask you a few questions.”

The two fellows struggled with the girl, attempting to force her upon the ground with far more roughness than was truly necessary for the ordeal, though calmness and gentleness seemed lost on their barbaric minds. Ratty simply grunted at the idea of receiving questions, having turned into a savage with the promise of fleshy vice. His companion shook his head, signing forth an unrepeatable epithet and giving a harsh statement to support it.

“Screw off, Flapper.”

Noth felt his hand fall roughly to his side, and a dejected stance seemed to overtake him. It was the same stance of someone who had been excluded from playing with a group of friends at a schoolyard, and he played it off well, at least within his own mind. The adamantite mace beckoned to be touched, called to him like a forbidden fruit; the grapes of wrath, and he gave in to the temptation, taking hold of it a moment later.

The men returned to their vicious activities, both focused entirely upon keeping the girl downwards, and the twilight hybrid felt his blood boil, contemplating how best to defang the scavengers.

[Danielle Tobelle]

Under the friendly exchange were the tones of Danielle's rage. Mangled screams that her assailants did not seem all too disturbed by at first, her mouth was promptly covered as their full attention returned her. Of course, the girl felt more rage than fear when they spoke with the Avian, though it was steadily being replaced as her prospects of escape dwindled. She thrashed about more ferociously, screamed a little louder. She was verging on a vocal assault that might make a banshee weep.

The remaining anger that lived within her was in equal parts directed at ratman and his companion, and the feathered asshole that watched the proceedings. How pathetic. This was his display of power? In what she could see of the Avriel, through the eager, groping hands of her assailant, was a mace. Was he sad he couldn't have his way? Poor Birdie. But, perhaps not as bad off as the man whose fingers came much to close to her mouth.

It was like biting into a carrot. No, two carrots. They were the crunchy, hard kind of carrots that required some effort, but not as much. It was easier than she had thought it would be. That, and she was sure she would need to scrub her mouth clean for trials onward. She spit the offending digits in her mouth out as Rat wailed in surprise. One moment his hand had a full set of fingers, the next he was missing two. His companion would soon know a similar sensation.

The man lunged for her while his comrade gaped down at the place his fingers had once been. He had gone farther in his...preparations for the main event, and it left him vulnerable. Enough so that all she had to do was kick out as his crotch for him to drop hold of her arms to protect manhood. He grinned up at her with crooked teeth and she did not see whether the grin left his face as she took her turn to lunge at him.

She had not been quick enough to search for a rock, but her teeth had been sufficient only a moment ago. She, in this moment, did not look like the distinguish lady of the merchant house Tobelle. No, she was much more inclined to see herself locked in a madhouse with the furious gleam in her eyes, the weak barrage of badly formed punches hitting or missing their mark as teeth sought to bury themselves in the flesh of the man's ear.

The next screams to be heard were not her own. At least, that was what she thought. Rat had come to his senses and threw her back off his comrade, leaving her back where she had started.

Common | Other

[Noth]

Hateful and guttural noises seemed to burst forth from the girl’s mouth as she was forcibly laid upon the ground by the pair of scavengers. If she had been in a city square or marketplace then there would be little doubt that her calls would summon forth assistance in the form of concerned citizens or guardsmen. Sadly, such individuals would unlikely to be found so close to a pirate cove, especially whilst the gangs of sea raiders were celebrating, and certainly they would be unable to intervene even if they were nearby.

The twilight hybrid observed, watching in anger as they turned away from him, apparently denying him the opportunity to rack their brains over the location of their ill-gotten gains. That was terribly unfortunate for them, because it meant that he would have to escalate matters, and likely deprive them of their prized possession. He had all the time in the world to plan out his actions and the sequence of events that would follow, because the girl still struggled against the would-be scum. There was a cry of pain that erupted out of Ratty as he backed away, and the twilight hybrid struggled to see what had occurred, finally taking notice of the stumps upon the man’s hand where once his fingers had lain.

Good play, girl.

The other scavenger seemed content with picking up the slack, and he quickly rushed to combat the girl. She feigned a kick towards him, and then leapt forward, snapping into the fleshy part of his earlobe whilst he was distracted. It seemed a vicious, but altogether ineffective assault, because a moment later Ratty had forced her back to the ground. The twilight hybrid observed as Ratty pulled his leg backwards, and attempted to deliver a harsh kick to the side of the girl’s stomach, shouting obscenities at her, and screaming that she would pay for what she’d done.

Focus had been laid upon the girl, and in that moment, the predatory Avriel pounced. His right hand had taken a firm hold of his adamantite mace, and it drew back now before releasing horizontally into the knee of Ratty’s companion. He hadn’t stricken nearly as hard as he could, but there was still a slight pop and a dull thud that sounded off from the blow, and immediately the fellow stumbled to the ground, yelling in pain at the blow. It certainly wasn’t a crippling wound, but Noth imagined it would be quite difficult for the man to walk for several trials following their encounter. An apt punishment for the fellow and his transgressions against both he, and the young girl.

Ratty glanced sideways to see his friend fall, and turned just in time to duck under a left hook from the Avriel. He drew a knife, spraying spittle as he screamed and stabbed at the bird. Noth made no effort to stop the blow, choosing instead to wrap his right arm around the man’s shoulder. The blade made contact with his chest, stopping fully at the hauberk which encased it, and the hybrid twisted, forcing Ratty to face his victim.

It was a quick maneuver, something that he had practiced several times, and that he had used throughout the Battle for Treid’s Heart. The talons on one foot lifted upwards, and slashed horizontally along the Ratty’s heels, dropping him to his knees in a heartbeat. He stabbed upwards again, but the knife was forcefully wrenched from his grasp, and a choke-hold placed upon his neck with the crook of his right arm. Blood trickled steadily from the heel wounds, and a soft groan of pain escaped the criminal’s lips as he looked over at his ailing companion.

“What’ya want?”

“I told you. Information. You’re back on shore. That means you were paid. Where is your payment?” He hissed harshly into the man’s ear, his voice like a growling beast, his warm breath threatening his cheek with every exhalation.

“Back pocket. We ‘adn’t gotta spend it yet.” It seemed the fight had gone out of the scavenger, for he sat their limply, having determined that his best choice was to comply with the hybrid.

“Good. And the rest”

“I don’t know! Cap’n doesn’t let us along for the burial.” That was believable, especially given the pathetic fight the two had just performed.

The hybrid simply nodded, crimson eyes looking past his captive and towards the girl upon the ground. They pierced into her soul, questioning whether or not she would survive if she continued along associating with such vile types as the pirates. It seemed unlikely, because clearly she lacked the skills to keep herself safe. Realization dawned on the dark bird as a malicious thought blossomed into mind.

“Girl. Look at me.” He spoke to her, changing the pace of the interrogation and causing the Ratty fellow in his grasp to look upwards in confusion.

“If ever you are captured again, this is what you do. You get behind them. You wrap your arm around their neck, about the crook of the arm should do.” He tightened the pressure on Ratty’s neck to demonstrate the pose he was holding.

“You tighten around the apple, or mid-throat. And then you pull up and to the side. One swift motion.” Understanding dawned on Ratty, and the fight entered his body once more, he shuffled forward on his knees, attempting to rise up on shredded heels, but it was to no avail. The hybrid held him fast to his body, using the additional weight of his hauberk to plant him firmly into the ground. He tightened as Ratty began to plea, his cries for help cut off and turned into spittle spewing nonsense as he struggled. The first pull was unsuccessful, not having gone far enough, and Ratty kicked at his shins, striking the greaves there uselessly as he tried to get free. Meanwhile, his companion looked on in terror, calling for the hybrid to stop.

“The pleas of the wicked are of no avail to the executioner.” He growled at him, and yanked once more.

It was like stepping upon a branch. Were the situation different, Noth might have imagined that a squirrel was wandering through the woods, or that a boot had fallen upon a stick.

He had never actually performed the maneuver, but it was something that had been taught to him as a young boy, albeit for use against feral dogs. Nicholas hadn’t been a violent sort, but he had informed a youthful Noth of the threat that wild dogs posed, and had taught him how to kill a dog should it ever attack him. He had never quite questioned why Nicholas had known such things, though he imagined it might be due to some prior experience in combat that he was simply unaware of, or which had never been shared.

The weight in his hand went limp, Ratty’s eyes lolling about pathetically as a light trickle of blood left his mouth, his entire head jerked sideways at an uneven angle. The hybrid released the form, allowing it to drop to the ground, and promptly began searching through his back pockets for the promised treasure.

All the while, the knee-capped man grieved for his friend.

[Danielle Tobelle]

Her mouth tasted of blood, an overwhelming metallic taste over her tongue. Whether it was Rat’s and his companion’s or hers, she was no longer sure as the man kicked out at her stomach. Danielle curled up to protect her stomach from the impact. This was not how she had planned for this whole adventure to go, but there she was on the ground being kicked at by a man with two fingers missing. An achievement, to be sure.

There was a shout of pain that wasn’t her own, and both she and Rat looked to the source. His companion lay injured, clutching his knee. The Avriel engaged in a fairly short bout of combat, swinging his mace and missing. There was a short exchange of violence and Rat was facing her once more. A knife, one she assumed he’d pulled, had burrowed into the Avriel’s armor and for a moment she considered lunging for it. She didn’t have the strength to force it all the way through, though and instead she found her gaze on the Avriel’s face at his direction.

Was he considering robbing this man? She’d thought they’d been working together. Or was this just a display of power? That he could do what he’d done in the tavern and whatever he was going to do to Rat to her as well a thousand times over. Her lips curled back in a snarl, but she did not move.

He demonstrated as he spoke, wrapping an arm around Rat’s throat. His words were clear and his intentions made clearer still. It took him more than one try to do it, but he finalized the deed with a decisive twist and Rat was no more. It was an efficient teaching, both a threat and a learning experience. Rat’s companion wailed, the sound faded into the background of focus as Danielle stared the Avriel down.

He thought himself an executioner, but he was truly no different than the cur he’d just murdered. He had allowed them passage to assault her and gave them equal permissions to ignore him. He should have known that a feasting rat paid no mind to those that fed them.

”If you’re the executioner, where’s the judge and jury,” she questioned weakly, the mirthless smile on her face marred by blood, grime, and spit. Just like Rat’s companion and his grieving, the silent message chanted vehemently still remained. Kill them kill them. She knew already that the Avriel would be a difficult one to deal with, but the other of her assailants was vulnerable and injured.

She stood, once more entering the feathered man’s space to pull the knife from his hauberk. It was a struggle, her knuckles white with effort. She stumbled back after a few trills of this. Maybe it was the height of his own fear that allowed Rat to wedge it in so far, but now it was free and to be turned against his companion.

Danielle did not need a fancy technique to deal with this man. No, just the anger boiling through her and the knife in her hand.

Common | Other

[Nauta F'mos Geey]

The events at the cave were strange, stranger because the crow went along with the pirates and the woman they captured. F'mos may not know the crow personally but he knew enough to recognise he was no pirate; which meant he also had no authority over the two seamen and yet not only did he hand the woman off to them, he also followed them out of the cave. The Aukari had no doubts the crow lusted blood and that would be the last he would see of that woman but as he was no longer a guard, he was not obligated to do anything about it and decided to leave things as they were.

It was the same for the other pirates which went back to their merrymaking. Perhaps there were those more astute to realise the event was not as it appeared to be but with no profit in it for them, no one cared except maybe one person. It was not F'mos because he was busy in conversation until he was peppered by something... Nuts by the look of those which fell from his hair on top of the table. He found it was Raellen who threw them and she motioned for the Aukari to tail the group. It blatantly went against their previous arrangement but it was the privilege of Raellen who was above him within the Fence.

Of course, F'mos tried to decline because he did not want to get mixed up with the crow's machinations. His last time with the Avriel ended with him accused of murder and then ousted as a false guard which set his belief that the crow was more trouble than he was worth. However being so far apart, the Aukari was unable to express his reluctance to his superior and she only gave a smile and thumbs up before she waved along. He wanted to tell her to go herself and perhaps finally have the crow's other wing clipped but, he could only politely excuse himself from the men he was with before he left.

With the daylight still out, there were not many which would leave and F'mos thought he could use the guard to point him after the group. Instead, he caught the man deep in slumber which further proved to him that pirates were an undisciplined bunch. There was no way to get anything out of the slug and F'mos continued by himself and searched for a sign or trail he could follow. He ended up close to the border of the woods and briefly considered if he should cross it but luckily, it was then when he heard the screams.

He realised the group was not in the woods and headed towards the sounds. More screams and cries gave him second thoughts but he knew if he had nothing to report, Raellen would have a less pleasant task ready for next time. Still, there was no reason for him to not approach in safety and he used the woods to hide him. The lack of any cumbersome armour made it easier from when he last had to sneak through the woods during the Aukari incursions, although he would have preferred if it was darker as well.

While he ended up too late to watch the execution, he was just in time to witness the woman's disagreement with the avriel. Judge, jury and executioner, no doubt the role the crow decided to play with the broken pirate beneath his feet. It could just be a mistake as it had been with Nightshade, but F'mos saw enough of the bird's bloodthirsty ways that even if he was far from the corpse and there was no conversation to point to him, he would have still blamed the crow. That said, it appeared the crow was not content with doing his own killings as he tried to tempt the woman into his perverted brand of justice.

Just like the scene in the cave, F'mos did not have to interfere with the current situation but he decided the woman did not need to be influenced by the Avriel. With or without a mob of pirates, he believed he could take action as long as he did not make it physical. As the woman closed in on her target, the Aukari crept towards the cave and took a deep breath. It probably would not even wake up the guard, but it would be enough to add some confusion to the group and hopefully, prevent the woman from murdering the other pirate under the avriel's influence.

"Capt'n! I think they wen' dat way!"

"Then what are you scum waiting for? Find those slackers!"

Yes Captain, yes!

He would not make a convincing pirate let alone a few, but his message was sent and he skulked back towards the cavern. Caution would probably foil his plans but F'mos was convinced the crow had none in him, or he would not have shot the hunter as quick as he did and in front of a guard! As much as he wanted to see if he succeeded, the Aukari knew it was best if he waited until both the avriel and the woman returned to the cavern, if they did at all.

[Noth]

Crimson eyes curiously lay upon the young woman, conceiving different imaginations as to how she would react to the brutal teaching he had demonstrated. Admittedly, part of him had determined to accomplish the violent task due to the disrespectful and unhelpful nature of the scavengers, especially after he had already assisted them in dragging away their prize. Another piece of him had decided that it would accept the challenge given by the girl, and thus he had proved his worth in a deliberate manner by snapping Ratty’s neck. Perhaps hidden underneath a mask of cruelty and ambition there was a final piece of himself which had seen how easily the girl had been taken, how quickly others had turned upon her and removed her free will, and which had decided to assist her so that she would never be quite as weak again.

Kindness was not an emotion that Noth could foster, because it went directly contrary to his overall goals and schemes, and it would no doubt interfere drastically with any activity deemed even remotely cruel by his ailing conscious. The feeling was snapped down upon, and he continued rifling through the pockets of Ratty, removing anything he perceived to be remotely valuable. A dramatic notion writ through his mind, and he considered etching the word ‘Disobedient’ into the fellow’s flesh, but decided against it. He would gain very little from defiling the corpse any further, and thus he picked himself up from the still warm body, and paid careful attention to the girl.

Her voice sounded pitiful as she questioned where the judge and jury were if he were the executioner. Clearly, she misinterpreted his judicial system, because mentally there was little requirement for a jury. Would not a person’s peers undoubtedly attempt to free them from their guilt? To abolish their punishment? He would act as a judge, at least for this instant, and an executioner as well so that his justice might be swiftly brought upon the condemned.

Weakness was not something often brought up around predators, and though the girl no doubt didn’t mean to display such a quality, it had carried with her voice, and shown as she attempted to drag the knife free from his hauberk. It was strange that it had managed to attach itself to it, especially given that the chain coat was undamaged, but instead had managed to coil somewhat around the blade in an unnatural angle. There was something said for desperation when it came to fights. The hybrid had no pity, his emotions having been crushed down by the violent Hawk in his head. He knew that if he so desired, he could have his way with the girl, and likely suffer no consequence from it, but even he had standards to uphold, and there were lines even the most dreary and dreadful of monsters would not cross.

He observed as she retrieved the blade, considering for a moment that she might attempt to stab him and retreat. If she did attempt such a thing, then she would be heartily dispatched just like the Rat-like fellow, though it would be a shame for his teaching lesson to be wasted so rapidly. Instead, she tore the blade free, and seemed intent on exacting justice upon the wailing assistant of the Rat. Noth had no reason to stop her from the desired slaughter, and instead watched with curious eyes, wondering whether or not he might rifle through his pockets once the deed was done.

His feathers stood on end immediately as a nearby bush rustled, and he felt his entire body tense with sudden awareness. It could very well have been a squirrel or a rabbit bursting through the bush, but with the wailing man nearby, it was also fairly likely that a pirate was scouring the forest in search of the sound of his crewmate. Pirates were a remarkably close-knitted bunch since they needed to rely so heavily upon one another throughout their sea-side escapades, and the hybrid had no desire whatsoever to face an entire gang of them. Thankfully, his positioning for the entire ordeal had been fairly camouflaged, and the surrounding forest would provide fair cover for his escape.

He considered warning the girl who was likely still busy with the other fellow, but decided against it. He had provided enough assistance for one trial.

Without a word, he crept away, and then quickly sprinted through the forest, using his intimate knowledge of the shortcuts and pathways throughout it to make his way away from the cove. He hadn’t gained nearly as much information as he had desired, but the slight jingle of coins upon his side was testament enough to the fact that he had gained enough for his services.

[Danielle Tobelle]

The mixed blood girl considered a number of ways that might quell her anger, the different manners of assault she could use. The knife, a rock, a barrage of attacks that wouldn’t let up; each more satisfying than the last. Danielle found, though that she would only have time to for one of those things. She’d managed to turn the pirate belly up and still shocked by the turn of events thus far, poised and ready to inflict some degree of pain to begin. The merchant’s daughter turned the knife against the pirate like a fumbling child. Truthfully, that was the case considering this was the epitome of the ultimate tantrum.

The first stab was the easiest, and then it got harder as she went. Or, she thought it was that way. The handle of the blade was soon slick with the splash of blood and her grip slipped repeatedly. ( Mind you, this was only three times into what she intended to be a stabbing worthy of satisfying the rage both the Avriel and Ratman had encouraged ). But her limbs, already tired from her previous struggles and exertion, soon stopped cooperating. Her arms felt like gelatinous, quivering things as she raised them a final time.

A call went up, tearing her attention away from her task. Danielle failed to see to exit of the Avriel, who didn’t seem to find it necessary to warn her. Rather, he’d just left her with two corpses and went on his way. Delightful. Dropping the knife for the moment, she went through the dead pirate’s pockets faster than she thought she could, pulling out strange bits and bobbles that might or might not have had worth. Regardless, they were hers now. She shoved them into her own pockets to go through later.

Picking the knife up once more, she fled. Not a pleasing thing to think about, fleeing, but it wasn’t like she had time to complain. A flash of feathers almost had her thinking she might be face to beak with the Avriel again, but alas, it was only Maximus. Wherever he had gone to had not been appealing enough for him not to go looking, but soon he was perched on Danielle’s shoulder as she went, unwanted weight bearing down on her tired frame.

She didn’t see herself coming back any time soon.

Common | Other

[Maltruism]

Come and get your Loot!

(There's plenty more where that came from)

NOTH:

Rewards:

• Story: +5
• Collaboration: +5
• Structure: +5

These points can Not be used for magic.

Knowledges:

• Acting: Let Your Real Emotions Guide Your Performance
• Acting: Pretending That You Belong There
• Bludgeon: Kneecapping Strike
• Deception: When There are Many Pirate Crews, Infiltration is Easier
• Detection: The Difference Between Exaggerated Tales and Real Ones
• Discipline: Keeping Your Cool in the Face of Such Insolence
• Field Craft: All Senses are Useful for Tracking in the Wild
• Intelligence: Pirate Camps Are Always Eventually Found
• Intelligence: Pirates Camps are Dangerous Sources of Good Information
• Intimidation: Predator vs. Scavenger
• Location: Site of Landward Pirate Rendezvous Point
• Logistics: Best to Have a Guard at the Door Who is Awake
• Logistics: Pirates Have Many Advantages Over Thieves and Bandits
• PC: Danielle Tobelle: Pirate Victim: Whose Name You Didn't Catch
• Politics: There are Rarely Any "Innocents" in a Pirate Camp
• Sociology: Endless Bluster in the Company of Pirates
• Tactics: An Accusation that Affects Everyone Present
• Tactics: Don't Kill a Man You Intend to Question
• Teaching: Showing a Young lady a Neck-Snapping Move

Loot, Loss, Injuries, Fame, Devotion:

10gn from Ratty's pockets (it WAS Ratty, wasn't it?)
Sorry, no treasure maps.
-3 Fame for making a scene.

___________________________________________________________

DANIELLE:

Rewards:

• Story: +5
• Collaboration: +5
• Structure: +5

These points can Not be used for magic.

Knowledges:

• Acting: False Bravado
• Acting: Let Your Real Emotions Guide Your Performance
• Acting: Pretending That You Belong There
• Blades (Dagger): Stabbing is Actually Hard Work
• Blades (Dagger): The Hilt Gets Slippery With Blood
• Deception: When There are Many Pirate Crews, Infiltration is Easier
• Detection: The Difference Between Exaggerated Tales and Real Ones
• Intelligence: Pirate Camps Are Always Eventually Found
• Intelligence: Pirates Camps are Dangerous Sources of Good Information
• Location: Site of Landward Pirate Rendezvous Point
• Logistics: Best to Have a Guard at the Door Who is Awake
• Noth: Saved Your Life, But Still Not a Friend
• PC: Noth: Bird-Man Masquerading as a Pirate
• Politics: There are Rarely Any "Innocents" in a Pirate Camp
• Sociology: Endless Bluster in the Company of Pirates
• Tactics: "Challenging" Someone to Prove They Can Help You
• Unarmed Combat: Bite Anything You Can Get Your Teeth On
• Unarmed Combat: Leverage Hold to Snap a Neck

Loot, Loss, Injuries, Fame, Devotion:

10gn looted from the other guy's pockets.
They didn't know where the treasure was buried.
-3 fame for making a scene.

___________________________________________________________

NAUTA:

Rewards:

• Story: +5
• Collaboration: +3 (two posts)
• Structure: +5

These points can Not be used for magic.

Knowledges:

• Acting: Pretending That You Belong There
• Deception: When There are Many Pirate Crews, Infiltration is Easier
• Detection: The Difference Between Exaggerated Tales and Real Ones
• Intelligence: 'The Fence' and Local Pirates Have Connections
• Intelligence: Pirate Camps Are Always Eventually Found
• Intelligence: Pirates Camps are Dangerous Sources of Good Information
• Location: Site of Landward Pirate Rendezvous Point
• Logistics: Best to Have a Guard at the Door Who is Awake
• Noth: Not a Pirate, But up to Something in Their Camp
• Noth: Saved the Young Girl From Death and More
• PC: Danielle Tobelle: Pirate Victim Whose Name You Didn't Catch
• Politics: There are Rarely Any "Innocents" in a Pirate Camp
• Tactics: A Warning That Affects Everyone Present

Loot, Loss, Fame, Injuries Devotion:

Don't really see anything.
No bodies to loot.
Fame wise, you were not wanting to be identified as yourself.
So your actions would not bring you any.

Comments:

This was genuinely funny and gave a decent feel of genuine atmosphere.
Reminded me of some biker parties I've attended.
And right when it began to get that "Okay, how do we end this?" point, Nauta gave the perfect means.
Very well done. Sorry you only had two posts.
PM me with any comments or concerns