PM to join An Unexpected Shipment

[Alexander Faircroft]

63rd Winter 515AV
15:25
Syliras Docks

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Alex returned from the mythrin outpost. Events weighing heavily on his mind. He’d tried his damnedest to save as many people as he could. He’d tried. He’d pushed and scraped and clawed open as many pathways to get people out as he could. Still he had a deep sinking feeling for the ones he’d not been able to get too in time. Alex’s fingers clasped tightly around the small sapling at his throat. The wooden carving a symbol of kihala. I’m sorry. I couldn’t get to them in time. I hope you can forgive me. He closed his eyes as the horse beneath him trotted on its own path through the gates of syliras once again. As he made his way into the city a guard spoke up and told him that his patron needed him. He slipped off of the horse and told the guard he’d head straight there. Asking one of them to walk the horse back to the stables. Alex pressed thought he city the thick snows on the ground reminding him of the tragedy that had struck.

He pressed on spiriting through the streets and almost a half bell, a personal best. He’d arrived at the office of his patron. Pushing in the doors he came face to face with his patron looking a little grim. “Hello Alex…How was mythrin?” Alex didn’t say a word and just looked down. His expression and mannerisms more than tell enough for Greyheart to get the gist. “That bad? Well sadly it doesn’t look like you’re done yet.” Greyheart picked up a folder and tossed it across his desk to Alex. “Ship came into port this morning. A Saique, no papers and not scheduled. It might be just a routine stop to pick up supplies however there have been reports of screaming in the port at night. Only they weren’t there till three days ago. When the ship docked. I want you to go and investigate. You’re one of the stealthier quires we have and I feel that you could get in and out without much of a hassle. Once you know what is on board report to me.”

Alex nodded lightly, he was tired, sore, cold, and disparaged. But still if His patron had a duty for him to do he would see it through. Alex flexed his fingers picking up the file and walking out of the room trying to shake the cold from his bones. Flipping through the file he spotted a few irregularities. Nothing too abundant but enough that he’d have to do something. His patron was right as always. He marched through the castle to his bunk in the barracks slipping his larger blades beneath the bed for safe storage he held onto the short sword, dagger and bastard sword of his. Not to mention the hidden daggers, his great and double bladed swords had been slipped beneath the bed for safety of storage along with his bow and quiver. Logical sense told him to be quiet.

He stepped out into the docks giving one of the knights in the area a glance. The nodded and he headed out into the docks ready to try and sneak aboard the vessel. This would require him being very quiet and no nuisances. He hoped.

[Baelin Holt]

OOCI’m not too sure how you want this thread to play out, you left things pretty mysterious in your PM, so I just tried to play it safe. Please do let me know if you need certain things to happen or not happen for plot development.

Baelin blinked furiously as snow continued to land near his eyes. The half-Dhani truly hated snow. Maybe a nice, light blanket every now and then was alright. Charming, even. But this veritable blizzard has been going on for well over ten days now and Baelin was beyond done with it. He loathed his walks to and from Stormhold and the Ironworks with the packed snow and concealed ice making foul his steps. And, if he was smart, he’d keep well away from the docks.

But as Baelin would prove to himself again and again, he was not smart. He watched a deckhand expeditiously working his way down the planks of one of the Harbor’s docks as he brushed newly fallen snow into the water. Occasionally the man would bend down and work an ice pick into what Baelin assumed was a sheet of ice he uncovered. It was hard to tell with the fat, white flakes obstructing his view.

He certainly did not envy the man, it was far from the list of things the half-Dhani would ever want to do. In fact, being outside right now was far from something he wanted to do. But one of the merchants who came into the Ironworks the other day mentioned an unfamiliar boat had docked. The native of Black Rock had been trying to get a letter to the island for some time now. It wasn’t much, just a few words he had learned scrawled in dreadfully bad handwriting. But it was a message. One he intended to send. Mizas weighed uncomfortably in his pocket. He didn’t know how much he would be charged, so he had just grabbed a handful. More than he would normally carry out and about, and it did make him uneasy.

Unfortunately, very few ships intended to trade with the fog hidden island with limited natural resources. And so Baelin had waited with his “letter.”

The opportunity to inquire on the trade destinations of an unfamiliar ship was too much pass up on, even with snow swirling around and making it difficult to both see and place his footing. He didn’t want to have to wait until the next Nal’lyeo to get word of how his family and friends were doing.

Baelin tried to spot all the nearby ships and was chagrined to see that more than a few were foreign to him. The half-Dhani carefully made his way to the working deckhand and, once close enough, spoke up, “Do you know of any ssshipss heading to Black Rock?”

The deckhand looked up momentarily from his work and shrugged, “None of the ships I’ve worked for.” He continued to sweep snow into the water, back to Baelin. The half-Dhani could take the clue.

Baelin hissed through his teeth, turning around to see if anyone else might have an idea. He was confident the weapons merchant said there was an unfamiliar ship about. He just had to find it, learn it wasn’t heading to the isle of death, and then go back to Stormhold and get as close to his fire as possible without burning himself.

The half-Dhani scanned the docks for anyone who looked to have some authority. He caught sight of a man who looked to be carrying two short swords. He couldn’t make it out too clearly from here, but his mizas were on the man being a knight or squire. He didn’t know too many civilians who carried two swords around.

On an average day, Baelin would give anyone he suspected as being with the order a wide berth. But the sooner he could get back to Stormhold, the better, and he was willing to wager a knight would know best.

Pulling his cloak tighter around himself to stave off the chill, Baelin stepped carefully towards the newcomer.

[Tillie Brewer]

It was an interesting evening for Tillie, as she peered through the lens of her spyglass. Sliding the metallic object back and forth until she could make out the person with some level of accuracy. He seemed to be a thief trying to steal from a ship, of course the steel he carried told another story it wasnt thief like to be armed with nay but three blades a bastard sword that should have dubbed the man opener a short sword and if all that cutlery failed him a dagger. But something unexpected happened while Tillie tried to process the visual information she was witnessing. And from the corner of her zoomed view she could make out another person haphazardly creeping in.

Her eyes were crying for relief from her eyelids but there pleas fell on deaf ears as she continued her surveillance of the second individual, his cloak his uncomfortable demeanor she was memorizing his attire while drinking on his visage to tell the guard if he was a creeper creeping in to ambush and slay the dubiously armed man.

Part of her wished she could have the visualization of the spyglass coupled with the ability to react with her weapon and it had spawned a ureka moment that she'd dabble around with another day.

For now she would tag along from the shadowy pitch cast by one of one the buildings.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Alex flexed his torso he felt a lot lighter without the constraints of the plate. He’d forsaken it in favour of mobility but the leather armour and the hood helped him blend in. The thick coat over top of it helped him seem like a regular person. Despite the here visible blades. He crept ever closer to the ship, out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone. A Simply dressed man and what was rarer was the fact that he was the same height as Alex himself. He watched him creep closer. Friend or foe? Or just an innocent bystander looking for a hand? Alex then felt a second presence nearby. His years of hunting and staying in cities where even the smallest glance could spell doom or death was serving him well. Well, aint that a kick in the head?

He was pinned. Trapped between two points, one from behind and one ahead. The obvious man ahead of him in the thick cloak and someone, hidden in the shadows. He took a small step to the side masking his movements. A hard glance into the darkness and he caught a flash of brown hair and the whites of eyes. Right…I’m pinned…great. Alex put on a smile and stepped closer to the cloaked one. “Yes sir? What can I help you with?” he put an emphasis on help as he spoke in the calmest manner he could muster. Not quite the unnerving calm, but calm. He flicked his gaze behind him sharply at that point. “Don’t think I don’t see you over there. You’ve got five ticks to show yourself.” He held his gaze on where he thought she was in the darkness.

“So are you two working together? For the guys on the ship? How’d you find out about me?” He flicked his eyes back and forth, between the two of them. His hand resting on the hilt of his dagger. His free hand up in a calming manner. He wasn’t going to escalate the situation but he was on edge.

And then it happened. The scream. One of many that had been heard over prior nights. Loud ear-piercing but full of sorrow and emanating from the ship. Alex closed his eyes briefly with the sheer sound. It was hard to bear. He paused a moment and looked the man before him over. He wasn’t a sailor. And the one behind him he had no idea about. He took a calculated risk and darted for the ship. His foot falls quiet as he ran. He was controlling his steps but he was still running. The moment he reached the pier in front of it he slowed to a crawl. Torch light within.

They weren’t off the ship…Oh that just makes things harder. He grumbled over in his mind. If the two had followed him, he’d check behind himself and give them a “keep quiet” sign, universal for all. He then took to creeping around the bow and along the port side. His breaths slow, controlled, quiet. His hand reached up to the loop of sigils beneath his shirt, caressing the black triangle and watch tower, hoping for guidance and quiet. Praying they didn’t know he was there.

[Baelin Holt]

The knight/squire smiled with a “Yes sir? What can I help you with?” He spoke with a calmness and self-assuredness that Baelin had come to associate with the Order.

The half-Dhani licked his lips, wondering how he should word it. While admitting that his destination was Black Rock to a deckhand seemed of little consequence, saying so to a knight suddenly seemed like a different matter. The isle of death tended to have a bad reputation among those who were unfamiliar with its inner workings. Strangers sometimes had the tendency to think that all Black Rock natives were cultists or something absurd.

Baelin had no intention to be taken to the Tank for a misunderstanding.

He was about to speak up and say something vaguer than he had told the deckhand. Something along the lines of ‘Hey, any chance you know of some strange ship and whereabouts it’ll be heading?’ Hopefully said a little less suspiciously than that. But just as Baelin was beginning to form the words into a reasonable sentence, the Order member moved his gaze to somewhere behind himself and spoke into the vacant space, “Don’t think I don’t see you over there.’

Baelin blinked in surprise, trying to follow his gaze. The knight – Baelin was now sure it was a knight, what with the eyes in the back of his head and all – seemed to be looking at nothing in particular. Either he was paranoid or he had the senses of a hawk.

Things turned decidedly more uncomfortable when the knight looked back at Baelin, then back to the shadows, and asked, “So are you two working together?” Baelin’s eyes flew wide open, his eyebrows raced up behind his thick hair, and he rose his hands in a placating gesture, palms held out and towards the knight.

Whatever was going on, the smith definitely wanted no part of it. So stupid, he reprimanded himself, This is why you stay well away from knights. It was fitting that this was how his day was going to go. All he had wanted to do was send a damned letter. It wasn’t even a good letter. Hardly even worth the effort, never mind the mess Baelin was apparently getting himself into.

But before Baelin could placate the man’s suspicions, he immediately jumped in with, “For the guys on the ship? How’d you find out about me?”

The half-Dhani blinked in confusion, the situation rapidly escalating above his understanding.

The knight rested his hand on his dagger and Baelin instinctively took a step back, not at all prepared for this shyke. The stranger’s hand was held up in what Baelin guessed was supposed to calm him, but Baelin was too busy wondering what kind of godsforsaken spells a mage knight could do with an outstretched palm.

Baelin was so petched.

He was busy trying to surreptitiously slide his heels back on the iced-over planks in an effort to put distance between himself and the paranoid knight when an ear-splitting scream resonated through the air.

The half-Dhani whirled to the sound, eyes even wider than before and mouth agape. The knight ran to the sound, footfalls relatively quiet on the packed snow. Baelin rose his hand to his chest and gripped his cloak tightly in his disquiet.

He should take this opportunity to bail. Run back to Stormhold. Back to his apartment. Huddle up close to his fire. And forget any of this ever happened.

That would be smart.

Yet the scream still curdled in his mind, abrasively working against his nerves with an achingly palpable sorrow.

And damn it all, he couldn’t just forget that.

Baelin snarled angrily and swore under his breath with more vehemence than even the quick tempered man was accustomed to using, “Petching ssssshyke of a vagik. Have to be a sshyky kotakbil to petching messss with godsssss damned deyhanssssss.” It was barely more than a mumble, hissed through clenched teeth, but it made him feel a bit better as he grudgingly followed the knight.

This has to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, he swore to himself. What if it was a trap? It was probably a trap. No, it was definitely a trap. See? he reasoned with himself, All the more reason to leave it alone.

But that scream still pierced his soul and godsdamn it all, he couldn’t just leave it alone.

You’re not a knight, he tried to reason with himself, still trailing behind the Order member, He’s a knight. He knows what he’s doing. You don’t. Leave it to the experts.

And that was a better reason! Baelin felt himself slow and finally stop, feeling a bit better with his excuse. He wasn’t an expert. He really should just get out of the knight’s way. Shyke, he’d probably just make things worst.

But then the knight dropped into a crawl and gave a sign that Baelin had to interpret as “don’t make a sound.”

Which wasn’t “go away.” Close, but not quite.

Baelin hissed quietly through clenched teeth and rubbed his face roughly with his hand, indecisiveness rooting him to the spot. Get out of the way, go home, and be smart. Or do something about that soul haunting scream and be the dumbest Eiyon on the face of Mizahar.

Well, he was pretty sure he already had the mantle of dumbest Eiyon locked down.

Damn it all.

Baelin dropped to a crouch, figuring if the knight was doing it then he better as well. He didn’t move though, instead opting to hover close to the bow. If this was a trap, as every fiber in his being was telling him it was, then the half-Dhani was perfectly happy letting the knight fall into it first.

[Ball]

OOCI poked Alex and Tillie about joining. Hope that's okay Bae! =D

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

“You know… Spyglasses stick out much further than you would think… Making them really easy to spot around a corner when you stand three inches tall young lady.” His rather gravelly voice broke the silence for Tillie as Ball whispered into her ear. Placing his small hand against the spyglass he held it in place. “Don't lower it now dear. Because you lowering it means you will be freeing your hands and reach for that huge massive crossbow of yours… And I… I can't let you do that.”

Ball paused in his speaking for just a few ticks before he spoke again, “I am going to remove my hand from the spyglass. You are going to close it with both hands and set it and your hands where I can see them. Else I am going to break the bone that your arm attaches to your torso.” To give emphasis on what he meant Ball pressed his other hand against the clavicle for the girl. “When you get over the initial shock I want you to tell me exactly what you think you are doing.”

He stopped talking again, allowing the girl to take in the person who caught her. Ball was by no means an intimidating being, his fluffy mount stood a few feet away, in clear view of any that looked up from the boat. Ball's coloration was a solid grey-brown color of mud, but he had a hint of something else that ran current beneath that clay – confidence maybe? No… It was something a bit darker… It was violence.

“I also want to know what you saw down on that boat.” If Ser Greyheart was of any truth his squire is down there and he is going to need backup. Ball studied the girl though before him. She wasn't exactly a perfect specimen of the other races, but she has spunk and a knack with things. She could use some training… Maybe I can pull her into the Order, if she already isn't… The massive weapon beside her was heavy and Ball was not sure how she was able to carry that around and not be stopped by the Order's patrols. Maybe she is already part of the Order... His face became a stony expression of thought, passive analysis… Clearly a look he was not normally seen with. Ball's right hand twitched at the fingers, his left hand clenched into a fist for a tick before released. There was one thing for sure about this Pycon, he was clearly action oriented.

Credit :

Created goes to Raus for aiding in the photo manipulation, Myself for color and transparency manipulation as well as box code. Character is accredited below

[Tillie Brewer]

Tillie seemed to have a decision to make, she could stay and hide or come out. Normally she would have preferred to keep her distance but unlike the wilderness her surroundings would not allow her the necessary vantage points to properly engage hostile combatants. Even worse the shear size and magnitude of her crossbow would make her stick out like a sore thumb. So it was best if she came out her spy glass was about to be tucked away until a gravelly voice spoke in her ear. Yea she was gonna listen and do exactly as asked.

Still watching the two from afar with telescopic vision she could make out the knight and his companion. Or the cloaked man was a thwarted nefarious villain on the other hand it appeared he was just talking but then suddenly had this I'm so screwed look on his face when the knight appeared hostile and agitated. Although the cloaked one certainly had a guilty look about him but what was it? Couldn't place her finger on it but something about that cloak wearing individual irked her. Made her skin crawl and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end like a cold chill.

And then boom a sudden shock of pain in her clavicle. It really almost made her loose her bearing and control of her feet as she wobbled a fair bit trying to reel back from the surging sharp throb.

"Hey listen listen, I saw this guy right he's armed to the teeth. Like three friggin blades and he was sort of stalking his way towards the ship. But then there was this other guy right he's in a cloak acting pretty creepy anyway this creeper be creepin on what I think was a knight and then they chatted a fair bit.

You can ease up a little ya know

Anyway I planning to go to the guard if the creepy cloak guy tried to harm the knight or follow them to investigate."

She smiled as warm pulses of vapor ploomed from lips when she finally drew enough courage to pry her eyes away from the spy glass she took in ball and tried to feel him out visually.
Before confusing him with an automaton and squueeeeing with delight.

"Oh my gods are you an automaton ?
Where's your gear box ?
Do you need anything oiled or recalibrated I can give you a tune up?
How are you so quiet? What do you run on? No wheels huh impressive ?
What kind of gear box do you use for your arms?"

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Alex sunk down low, apparently the cloaked individual had followed him. He glanced back to see the figure behind him crouching as low as he was. His usually soft voice was but a whisper. “Sorry about that…I figured bot you and the one in the distance were working with each other. The ship had twelve crew. I wrongly now it appears, assumed that they’d be off the boat. However.” He paused a moment pointing at the light piercing from within the wooden planks of the ship. “That they’re all on board. Now I don’t know if that person who was watching me from the shadows was with you or not but either way this was supposed to be a simple sneak in check and sneak out. If you can keep quiet follow me.” He turned back to the way he was walking. The creaking of the ship masking the sound of his foot falls against the sodden wood. He ran his hand lightly against the haul of the ship. Peering over the edge of the railing he looked aboard. One scout it seemed atop the ships deck.

He paused. Held. Another emerged from the shadows. If he’d have gone up then he’d have had a problem. His licked the edge of his lips lightly holding. Waiting. His instincts would tell him when the best time was. He hoped the other man would follow. If he did, the Alex would speak in a voice barely above silence. “Right there’s two guards. Grab the one on the right and put him out of commission.” He glanced at him, and then back at the two sailor scouts. If he was better with his stealth he would have ghosted past them and slipped into the hold. As it stood he could try and sneak past but this would be a better option to eliminate the threat without violence. His eyes swung over the ship. His left hand up slightly as a pause. And then Alex booked it with light footsteps, he hooked his right arm around behind the neck of one of the sailors facing out to sea. Bracing the arm with his left he pressed on the man’s neck to knock them out. The clawing at his leather armour did nothing and within five ticks the man was unconscious.

If the cloaked figure had followed and silenced the other man then he was in the clear, if not then he’d have to take some time to dispatch the other. Alex moved the lump of a man to the cabin at the back of the ship dumping his unconscious body in a heap and leaving him out of sight. Another scream rang out. A different voice to the first. Loud, piercing, and so very soul crushing. He grit his teeth. He just wanted to burst in and go hai for leather. But he couldn’t her had to be slow and cautious. He wasn’t there was a saviours he was there for the saviours. He exhaled slowly and stepped over to the hold trapdoor.

[Baelin Holt]

When the knight turned back to him, Baelin was completely ready to bolt out of there. One little gesture from the knight that would look anything like ‘What the petch are you still doing here?’ was all he needed.

But the knight didn’t grant him with that kind of look. Instead he went on about the “one in the distance.” The half-Dhani grimaced and looked behind himself to try and see who the other was. He still didn’t see anyone. Shaking his head, Baelin turned back as the knight explained that there were twelve crewmen on the boat.

“If you can keep quiet, follow me.”

The half-Dhani huffed. Staying quiet was a lifestyle for him, he was pretty sure that wouldn’t be a problem. Everything else that went with whatever was happening here would be the problem. He was unarmed and untrained going into an apparently hostile situation, Dira help him.

The knight looked over the edge and seemed to freeze. He licked his lips, then whispered so quietly that Baelin had to strain his ears to hear him, “Right, there’s two guards. Grab the one on the right and put him out of commission.”

Baelin shook his head and huffed, the absurdity of the situation striking a funny bone. Put him out of commission? Oh sure. Sounded entirely reasonable. He knew exactly how to do that. The half-Dhani peeked his head over the railing as far as he dared and saw two sailors.

Alright. This was alright. The one on the right. Just grab him and…put him out of commission. What did that even mean? Baelin tried to run through as many scenarios as he could. He tried to think of something smart to do. But before he could come up with whatever might be a somewhat decent solution, the knight swung onto the ship and had his arm around the other sailor, doing something that kept the sailor quiet as he went down.

Baelin scrambled (albeit relatively quietly) up onto the deck, panic fueling his decision making more than any of the half-made plans he had though of in the seconds on the dock. He grabbed the man on the right’s shirt and dragged him towards himself. The smaller man stumbled backwards, Baelin caught him, and then firmly grasped one hand over the sailor’s mouth and the other around his stomach. He felt teeth dig into his callouses and spit smear into his palm, but the armorer held fast onto his mouth.

The sailor kicked back and Baelin grunted as it hit his shin. Hard. And again. Harder. Baelin ground his teeth together and tightened his arm around the man’s belly, holding him fast as the sailor continued to kick back onto his legs. The man started to shout so he clamped his hand even tighter over the man’s mouth and muffled his shouts as best he could.

The armorer gave a helpless look to the knight, not sure in the least how to get out of this situation. But the smith was busy moving the other sailor, now unconscious, around to the back of the ship. Baelin shook his head and stared up to the sky, asking Dira for help once more as the sailor he was supposed to “put out of commission” landed another good kick in his shin.

If he made it out of here alive, he was going to be so sore.

Another scream pierced the air and Baelin’s gut wrenched. It was…unpleasant to hear someone scream like that. The smith corrected his earlier thought: if he made it out of here, he was going to be sore and have nightmares.

The knight stepped over a trapdoor and Baelin hissed through his teeth, trying to get his attention. The sailor gave a particularly vicious bite and Baelin could feel skin break.

This was fine. He could hold him. Didn’t know the first thing about knocking him out like the knight had his man, but he could hold him.

[Ball]

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

Alex made it down to the ship, that much is clear. Who is the second person though? Cloaked? “No no, don’t go to the guards. That wouldn’t do well.” Damn it Greyheart, did you tell other knights at all? Ball grimaced and looked at the girl when she lowered the spyglass and suddenly let out a squeal of excitement before rambling on about things.

“Gear box? Automaton? Do I look like a damn bloody toy to you? Damn it no. Shyke girl you are going to throw all sorts of things into the kinks.” Whatever those things were I never really found out. Greyheart I hope your squire knows what he is doing. Ball turned his attention to the boat, it appeared that the shipmates were busy below deck or something but two had come forth to reveal themselves and Ball watched. Damn you Alex. Bringing along a second person you don’t even know. Sylir’s good graces be glad I don’t come down there and slap you silly. the pycon’s mouth screwed itself up into a tight line.

Ball looked back at Tillie, “You… need to shut your mouth and just keep quiet. I am not some kind of you. And if I hear another word about gears, or wheels, or whatever I am going to slap you.” Ball grumbled it was getting annoying hearing others talk to him like he was some sort of man made item.

Credit :

Created goes to Raus for aiding in the photo manipulation, Myself for color and transparency manipulation as well as box code. Character is accredited below