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An inland sea created by Ivak's cataclismic fury during the Valterrian, the Suvan Sea is a major trade route and the foremost hub for piracy in Mizahar. [lore]
The Anchorage Flotilla is one of the strangest yet most accepted sights on the Suvan Sea. Many a sailor has told the tale of the first time he laid eyes on the legendary boat town of the Svefra people, though it never fails to awe newcomers. Made up of many seafaring vessels tied or otherwise joined together, the town is reckoned to support tens if not thousands of ships that tie up with it regularly. The oldest ships, the ones nearest the "heart" of the ship, are huge, ancient ships that never leave the Flotilla and in essence form it's backbone, while the outermost ships come and go as their captains decree. The Flotilla, therefore, grows and dwindles as ships tie up with them and add to the maze of ships.
The Anchorage Flotilla, of course, actually travels around the sea, albeit as a slow pace due to the advanced age of some of the ships. They travel as a singular entity, moving from tying-up posts on islands as time (or angry land-dwellers) dictates. Anyone can join up with the Flotilla, provided they follow one rule: the Flotilla's ship decks are their streets, so all ships tying up with the Flotilla must allow people to freely cross over. This is done via gangplanks, rope bridges, and even zip lines. Ships captains may prohibit people from going belowdecks, however.
Tying up with the Flotilla has a number of benefits. First off, it functions as a small town; a place where people come to meet and socialize. And where there are people, there is commerce; many a ship you will find belonging to a trader, who will then go and try to sell his wares among the denizens of the Flotilla. The Anchorage Flotilla is one of the largest trading posts on the Suvan Sea, though the coming-and-going means you never know what you are going to find. Food, clothing, and other necessities are a given, however. Ship captains oftentimes go the Flotilla when they are looking for extra deckhands as well, making the Flotilla a good place to find a job.
The Flotilla was formed many years ago, out of a joint venture between several of the largest Svefra Pods in the all of the Suvan Sea. They formed it as a neutral place for Svefra to come and trade with each, but in recent times the restrictions on all non-Svefra people have been lifted and all seafarers are allowed to tie up there. A constant flow of information from the Flotilla means every sailor worth his salt will know where the Flotilla is at any given time. The Flotilla is ruled by a person known as the Sesatvi, an old Fratava word that roughly translates to "admiral" or "captain of many ships". The position harkens back to the Svefran days of the Flotilla's history, though now a council of the oldest ships in the Flotilla (not all of which are Svefra-operated) has also been formed to help advise the Sesatvi, and thus the rulers of the Flotilla are no longer exclusively Svefra. Despite this change, it is a well-known fact that the Sesatvi has only been held by a Svefra, though the reason for that is simple: they know the Suvan Sea the best.
Roughly, the route of the Anchorage Flotilla is as follows:
NPC List :
Name: Ceona Whitewave Race: Human, Svefra Description: A fiery Svefra woman in her mid-thirties, Ceona took her position as Sesatvi early in life. A well-known pirate and marauder before she became Sesatvi, she took to her new job as admiral surprisingly well: her efforts have made the Anchorage Flotilla the primary trading post it is today. Nonetheless, she maintains a bit of her old spunk, which can be evidenced on the days she dances with her Podsisters on the deck of her palivar, the Maiden of the Seas. Gnosis: 2 Marks of Laviku (Oceanus) 1 Mark of Wysar (Evantia) Skills: Sailing: 98 Navigation: 93 Business: 85 Weapon (Cutlass): 56 Negotiation: 53 Swimming: 49 Dance: 42 Auristics: 51 Shipbuilding: 21
Name: Valeria Whitewave Race: Human, Svefra Description: Adopted by the Whitewave pod at a very young age, Valeria has grown into an intelligent and witty woman. She is known by the Anchorage’s residents and visitors to be the person to go to if you need something or someone. Those who need people for odd jobs go to her for help, and she passes these jobs on to any interested individuals. Basically, she is the middle man between employers and mercenaries. Valeria seems to know almost everything that is currently happening in the Anchorage and is rumored to know a person’s skills and abilities just by looking at them. Gnosis: 1 Mark of Laviku (Oceanus) Skills: Observation 73 Negotiation 48 Politics 45 Sailing 22
As well as various ship captains and merchants.
Note: Players can moderate buying from merchants if they are selling food, clothing, or the like. Anything out of the ordinary you need a storyteller for. Acquiring a job with any of the NPCs also needs moderation. If self-moderated, the price for the goods you buy will be decided by the storyteller grading your thread.
Message birds arrived, sent from Svefra that were in the port of Riverfall when Nevar Chivan had summoned them and passed on a message outlined by the Champion of Avalis in Konti, Lady V’nessi. The same message had been flying across the Suvan from pod to pod to pod as quick as the visitors to Riverfall could pass it on. It ended up, as all things eventually did, arriving at the Anchorage Flotilla.
"Greetings Lias. I send this message in hopes you will heed it. It comes from Lady V'nessi, Champion of Avalis, who's had a vision of the world and dangerous times to come. The message is as follows..." The wording went.
Storms ripping apart the lands transforming it into shadows of what it once was. Poisoning fields, killing everything that lives and transforming all that survives the onslaught. The land will go infertile unable to bear any fruits or support any life. Vibrant colors illuminating the sky, blinding those that look at it. Buildings crumble into the sea and the pawn becomes a king. The Kings will change the lands forever and the caged beast rattles his cage. The bars are near breaking. The storm ventures on nothing can stand in its path, nothing can stop it. For it is divine it its creation. It will start in the mountains, Windreach.
"Riverfall wishes to extend its hospitality if necessary, for this event which will begin at the cusp of the new year. We urge the svefra of the Suvan to take to beneath ground, caves, or even beneath the sea if at all possible. Your memory of the world after the Valterrian is short lived. But we remember well the storms that followed and how deadly they were. We survived because we all went below ground and only emerged when the skies cleared and the storms stopped. We obviously cant take all the Svefra in, but we can shelter the ones who are close to Riverfall and would like to be take shelter or whom need supplies. Good luck and may the Gods protect you. -Nevar Chivan." The writing was neat, tiny, and signed by the Lord of Riverfall's own hands.
It was clearly a warning, and a means to help aid one of Riverfall's valuable supply lines.
The letter, clutched within tanned fingers, crinkled as the hands balled to fists around it. Light blue eyes read the portentous letter over again, a mouth below them hanging open with surprise.
Even after reading it for a third time, Ceona Whitewave still couldn't believe the news the letter was giving her.
Syna's rays had barely extended nimble fingers out into the sky by the time she was reading that message. It had arrived early that morning, dropped by white-feathered avikki to the sunkissed deck of her palivar, bound in a quaint little bow. It had been Kala that found it originally, and she had brought it to Ceona with but a question: "Momma, who is 'V'nessi'?"
At that moment, Ceona had a feeling that if V'nessi, Avalis's champion, had found something to be so important - a vision? - it had been sent to her, that it was going to be important. And important it was indeed.
A soft cry caught in Ceona's throat, which she choked down. With iron resolve she fought down the rest of her disbelief and horror. A determined countenance overcame her face and she moved, long swimmer's legs moving to take her from the crumpled bed from which she had been seated. She moved to the table at the far end of the cabin, next to the door, where a quill and a fresh sheaf of paper awaited.
As she wrote, the plans for what she had to do began to form in her mind. She would have to evacuate the Flotilla onto the outermost ships. The centralized ones had to be left behind, there was no time to separate them...and besides, most of them weren't fast enough. And from there, Ceona realized, she would have to take them to Riverfall. Either that or Alvadas.
Goddamn, land-dwellers?!
She grimaced, and continued on. She would have to help circulate the news to the rest of the Pods, of course. She knew the Lias would help send the message around, but nothing could be left to chance. She had to make sure to tell as many Pods she could. But Ceona feared for the Pods who didn't receive the message in time. The thrice-marked ones would make it, the priests could flee downwards, but the others?...
A note was jotted down to have Tyvic send an avikki out to all the Pods they knew, as well as to make sure to get in contact with the rest of the Whitewave Pod. Last she had heard, Lia Taliss and the rest of Ceona's podkin were resting up near Caiyha's Fist. Ceona only hoped her mother would do the sensible thing and come and join her in Riverfall, or at least take the Pod somewhere safe.
After she was finished writing, Ceona stared down at the notice she had written to be passed around the Flotilla. Her plan would cause panic, she knew that. But the consequences for doing otherwise would be disastrous.
She only hoped they would make it out in time.
Muttering a quick prayer to Laviku, Ceona gathered up her notes and rushed out the door.
The festivities of the Ansayia the day before had largely died down, the Flotilla settling back to its usual level of commotion as traders from all over came to share their wares and Svefra of many different pods came and went. On one side of the floating circle however, some Svefra weren't leaving, instead congregating in a little extension on the edge of the usual Anchorage. They were tied to each other and loosely connected to the main mass of boats, but they were gathering for a more focused and decidedly more serious one than the others on the Anchorage. The sound of wooden practice weapons beating against each other, and in some cases even the ring of metal, could be heard echoing from the little protrusion, and though chatter was still a favored past time there was a noticeable tension belying every word.
As the days passed more pods began to join, numbers increasing by small but noticeable increments. The mass movement of Svefra was reminiscent of a Nal'lyeo, though much less lively and light-hearted. Of course, as the number of people increased so too did the noise of preparation and the murmur of suppressed anger. It was only a matter of time before something set them off, and they were all waiting for it. They were ready for war; they were ready to hunt the blaspheming pirate and end him once and for all.
Quest OOC :
This is just a formality really for anyone who wishes to join at this gathering point. Posting here is not necessary to partake in the quest, but if you want to be introduced and taken to some training then make a quick post and make an OOC note and I'll make sure you're taken care of. Please post IC, and timestamp your entries. Looking forward to threading with everybody!
Last edited by Anchor on March 14th, 2013, 7:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Will be gone for a couple days, grades need lifting
Ralira had enjoyed the festival the day before. So much laughter, dancing, singing, and joy was spread out amongst the Svefra. But so were whispers of the Svefra gathering to take down a pirate whom had caused a lot of problems. Ralira did not know all the details of who this pirate was, or what he really did. All she really knew was that they were gathering and needed help to bring the man to justice. This was something that Ralira was searching for, bringing pirates to justice.
With the little information she had gathered through ease dropping, she knew that people would be gathering at the Flotilla on the second, and would continue gathering for a couple more days. They were going to train and plan, to take the lowly pirate down. Ralira was worried that they would not let a Benshira, Svefra mix join in the battle. She never let people know she wasn’t full Svefra, she was not yet ready to accept her Benshira heritage.
Ralira made her way over to the small group that had formed, sailing her Catamaran over to the group. Once she was close enough she joined in with the people who were discussing the Pirate. The sound of wooden practice weapons could be heard, ringing in the calm air of the Suvan Sea. The chatter amongst the other Svefra was pleasant, but tense at the same time. Ralira was not sure if she was walking in on trouble or not, but she was ready to help in any way they would let her. She was ready for a new adventure in the New Year, ready to do something worthwhile with her life. Ready to get her story started.
The people that Ralira had drawn up alongside were a gruff-looking bunch who looked to have seen their fair share of battles. Both men and women stood tall and proud, wearing only simple shirts or none at all as opposed to the decorative articles that were present the day before. In their hands were real metal weapons, bearing a few knicks in their blades showing that they had seen some use already. The Svefra sat around the edge of a palivar, taking swigs from held wooden mugs and talking in lively but tense voices.
One looked back over his large shoulder and saw Ralira drawing near, then set down his mug to greet her. "Good day sea sister," he called out, his shoulder-length golden hair framing a serious expression. Apparently he hadn't guessed at her non-Svefra blood yet, though the catamaran would draw some questions later most likely. "Here to join the attack force? We have plans to move on Braten as soon as we hear of his location, and we must be battle-ready for when the time comes. Which pod do you hail from?"
by Trident on December 26th, 2011, 9:10 pm 
