[IC] Gaelach Basm: Kal' Enendral

[Kurotsune]

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As you approach the dock, you can't help but notice Iain, Asgall and his crew seem to have arrived hours before you did. Despite the task ahead, an air of merriment surrounds the harbor, the air being filled with the shanties of Asgall's crew as they work the boats into shape.

As Iain notices your approach, he smiles at you and beckons you to approach him and Asgall.

"Good! Good! You're here. We've been waiting for you." He motions to the boats. "We're nearly ready for set off. When it's time, we will explain the plan in more detail in each of our ships. It's imperative we set sail as quickly as we can." With this, he nods towards the smaller boat of the two, seemingly ready, with the final crates of supply being loaded into it. "Go and help with the supplies. Once we're all ready, me and Asgall will call everyone to their respective ships."

With a wave of his hand, Iain dismisses you, and resumes his discussion with Asgall.

(( I know it's taken me too long to write such a short post, but writer's block's been hitting me hard. Sorry! ))

[Jory]

Roland nodded wordlessly and moved toward the crates, looking at the ships. Certainly better equipped than the ones we used in Sigeto. But will they be enough? he wondered as he picked up a heavy crate and carried it onto Asgall's ship. He walked back down the gangplank and grabbed another crate, preparing for the journey ahead.

[Sutoratosu]

Maya nodded at Iain, seemingly the first of her party to arrive at the docks she headed over to help the ship hands load supplies onto the smaller vessel. Without a word she picked up one of the lighter crates and made her way up the boarding plank, all the while keeping a weary eye on the water far below as she finally stepped onto the deck and place it down, heading back for another soon afterwards.

[Yash]

As Karn approached the dock he had a quick word with the lordling and set off towards the crates, helping the crew load them.. He saw Roland and Maya already there.. He said a hello to each and set about the task.. On his way he chatted with the deckhands asking about the journey.. Being close to the ocean he felt using his ability would help speed things along and used the water to move the crates along faster.. He knew he shouldn't spend his energy on loading the crates, but he was restless and he knew he could rest till they reached the other continent.. He would be able to handle the strain.. It also helped serve as training.. He needed his powers to be under his control and this seemed a good way to do so.. Sure he almost lost control once in a while, but overall he seemed pleased with his work.. Then the idea struck him to help the others in their task as well.. He stayed near the ship, helping lift the crates over to the deck using the water, rather than manually carrying them..

Edited January 17, 2015 by Yash

[Aurorix]

Kryst walked with his hands behind his head as he walked off to help load the boat. Not really saying much but looking for all the boxes that looked the heaviest and taking them to the boat to test how strong he is.

[Ragnar]

Raven waited at the docks and didn't bother to help the others with the ship's luggage. He didn't feel like straining himself in such labor. They have enough manpower to get the crates on board, so why should he help? and besides Karn seems to be doing just fine; using his power in lifting the cargo. Raven simply just stood there, leaning his back against the boxes as he waits for the others to finish and waited for their departure..

[Red'sCharizard]

Richter took the crates that were left one by one and set them down on the ship. Everyone else seemed to be doing fine, so he didn't pay much mind to them. His mind was set on the upcoming journey and what would become of the group that he was assigned to.

[Kurotsune]

After all crates were loaded, Asgall took a final swig of his mug of grog, and chortled merrily to the rhytm of his crewmate's songs.

"Ahoy! We be ready to set sail, men! Get to yer positions! It is high time our boss explains how we plan on getting past that nasty beastie!"

With a large wave of his hand, his crewmen immediately cease their singing, all gathering in the portside of the larger vessel, sitting onto the ground and waiting patiently.

"Well. They certainly don't lack for discipline." Iain's amused remark invoked another chuckle out of the pirate by his side as they made their way to the starboard directly opposite of where the crewmen - and you - waited.

"Alright men, I will only explain myself once so pay attention."

"As you well know, the Leviathan is a fearsome creature. Too many men have tried to down it. Tried and failed. Yet a wealth of knowledge has been acquired from these failures. We have learned how the Leviathan attacks. How it behaves. What it does - And we have tested it. We've been conducting experiments with the Leviathan in secret during the last three months - All thanks to the aid of Asgall and his crew. Many good men and women have died to give the information we've acquired, so honor their sacrifice by listening, and doing as you are told. If you fail to do so, do not find yourself suprised to find yourself at the bottom of the sea... Or the Leviathan's stomach.

We have discovered the creature moves with a purpose. It targets the larger vessels first, and goes after the smaller vessels second. It's likely it follows the simple logic of causing as many victims as possible, eating the largest meal it can or simply targetting the largest threat. Why it does this is irrelevant, however, what is important is that it does so consistently.

And so this is our plan - My crew and I, who will be going to Sigeto, will take the larger vessel. We will sail during the storm, which makes this trip especially dangerous, but this is vital to our success. The Leviathan sees by sensing the water vibration as well as using it's eyes, and so by sailing during the tempest we partially blind it to us. The waves will be in too much turmoil for him to read our position.

The storm will strike a few days from now for sure, as we will conjure it ourselves. We're working in a clock here - The mages of Eachann will conjure the storm over the Morzengeri sea at roughly three days from now. That's when, assuming we sail at the correct time, we should be arriving near the Leviathan's territory.

At that time, the larger vessel will engage the beast. - Calm yourselves." Iain says in a commanding tone as murmurs of turmoil begin to form within the crew. "You will be in no danger if you do things correctly. The crates you have loaded in your ship contain not just supplies. They contain a more important weapon. Dry ice."

Barely containing his excitement, Asgall jumps in "Aye! Dry ice, lads! Magical, at that. When it touches water, that thing's gonna brew up a cloud of mist that no one can see through! And when that happens, we'll deceive the Leviathan. We weill trick it into believing we're moving towards the tower to attack it by sending out smaller boats in the tower's direction. Unmanned, of course! We will use special torches that will emit a bright light that will make those ships seem larger than they are in the clouds... The beast oughta be fooled by 'em, and move towards the tower to protect it's master, while we will be moving in the completely opposite direction!"

Iain nods. "And we will be long gone from it's territory by the time it realizes anything is amiss. Assuming everything goes to plan, that's also when the storm will cease. At that moment our smaller vessel - Which will be rowed by hand up to that point - Will unfurl it's sails, and I will use my magic to guarantee our distance over the beast. If everything goes fine, we should do the three-week voyage to Sigeto in less than one. As for Asgall's crew, your game plan is to take refuge in the nearest island to Éire, the island called Cás Dullahan. Once there, their objective will be to travel from island to island, gathering all information you can on the Leviathan's weaknesses... The people of those islands know much, and should not be underestimated. When you are confident enough in your knowledge, your mission is to kill the beast.

Do not worry, however. Should you not succeed before me and Ailos do, we will meet you at Cás Dullahan and aid you in your efforts. That is all.

Crewsmen, prepate to sail. All others, go to your ships and train, converse or rest. We will discuss our individual plans in more detail at our own times." As usual, Iain dismisses all with a wave of his hand, and as the crew begin dispersing, you can overhear him and Asgall exchanging farewells. Soon after, the Lord is in his own vessel, awaiting for your arrival.

It's time so set sail.

((Please, check the OOC))

[Sutoratosu]

Mayanna stepped foot onto the vessel after the initial talks were finished, leaving her party mates behind on the docks. The sight of hundreds upon hundreds of miles of ocean lying ahead of them is what greeted her as she gazed out over the prow, sighing as she smothered a small, dim white flame in her palm. Her abilities were already weakened enough as it is; being surrounded by a vastly ope expanse of water only served to be a constant reminder of the eclipse's effects... like it was mocking her almost, as the Leviathan and the water's under it's control grow strong the fires of the Lord Ryder and his servants wane under this perpetual moonlight....

"Could be worse though," She thought to herself. "we could've been the group who decided to take on the task of killing that beast... not like we'll be any safer fending off weres constantly in Segieto or anything, but still, I honestly prefer this over that lot's job." She cast a glance at Asgall's larger and better equip ship across the way, letting it linger for a moment before staring back out at the sea. "At least on dry land I won't have to be constantly reminded everywhere I look of the fact that I can barely get a decent blaze going without constantly holding my damn cudgel...oh, wait...that's right, there's still him...the man with Hydromancy..."

[Jory]

Twang-thump. Another arrow thudded into the hastily painted target on the crate. At the other end of the ship, several of the pirates in Asgall's crew groaned as coins exchanged hands. Roland grinned lightly and lowered his bow, putting his hand out to collect his share of the earnings. Could worse, he thought to himself as he looked at the target in pride. Five arrows were stuck into the bull's eye, scarcely any space between them. One of the pirates clapped the ranger on the shoulder. He was a rugged man who had clearly been at sea for some time and would be happier once they were away from the shore. "Aye, yer a good shot, that's to be sure. But can ye hit yer mark whilst this here vessel be a-bobbin' and a-swayin' in the swell of a storm?" he asked Roland, challenging the marksman.

"I see no reason why I should not be able to. Come that time I suppose we will have to place another wager. How does that sound to you, Stig?" he asked the seafarer. The pirate nodded and smiled broadly.

"Aye, I do believe I'll be takin' some o' my coin back from ye," he said happily. "I'll be goin' to check the riggin' afore we set sail. Good day to ye, Master Roland," he said jovially. He then walked away, looking up to the yardarms. "Oi! Get yer arses in gear, laddies! We'll be settin' sail soon and I won't have any o' ye bilge rats' lazy knots slowin' us down!"

Roland chuckled at the brash seafarer's berating and turned toward the aft of the ship, walking to the railing and learning his arms heavily on it. Hopefully we'll be better equipped this time. I'd hate to have to drift all the way back here on just a piece of this ship, he thought morbidly.

[Aurorix]

After the meet up with everyone was over Kryst headed towards his respective ship. He decided to lay against the bottom of the mast of the ship looking ahead as they ventured out into the sea. He layed his black blade besides him and put his hands behind his head. He didn't like the fact they were going to be on the boat for about a month but what were they to do. At least for a while it'd be easy sailing, hopefully.

[Yash]

Karn was a little tired, cursing himself for using his magick in such a menial task. After listening to the Lord speak he followed the priestess Mayanna and Kryst onto the ship. He could see her deep in thought, and he wondered what it was she pondered. He made up his mind to go talk with her. As he came closer, he noticed the white flame she held in her palm. It was dim and faint. It made Karn wonder if he should approach her now. "It is obvious her power is waning while the proximity to the sea and the lunamancer have made me stronger." He did not want to appear to show off his abilities and was about to turn back when she put away her flame and sighed. "I can't avoid her through the journey. We are of one team. I may as well take the time aboard the ship to speak with her now. Once the storm and mist come I will be one of the few who can help with my magick." He walked up beside her and stood, looking out at sea. He then turned to her and stared, thinking over his words carefully. "M'lady, if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know. Since we are going to be a part of the same team, I believe it best to understand and help each other. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask." He looked at the vastness of water in front of them. He felt calm at the presence of water around him, yet something was bothering him and he could not understand what. It was like a constant buzzing in his head similar to the sound of waves crashing on a beach. It grew louder and louder till it suddenly ebbed away. He looked away instantly, looking back at Maya.

[Sutoratosu]

Maya only glanced at Karn as he stood there. It honestly struck her as a bit odd that the man would just up and approach her out of the blue like this, not to mention ironic... "I've no questions for you, ser..." she said simply, returning her gaze to the waters, then turning them up to the perpetually eclipsed sun overhead, studying the colors of the sky around the Lunamancer's sorcery. She could feel a familiar sensation in her mind after a few moments, an interference almost, like a haze that in truth was always there, lurking, but only ever felt when she looked up at it's cause. She knew perfectly what it was, had been taught about all occasions in which White Fire had weakened during events like the one forever stuck up in the sky now. And that brought something else to her mind...

"On second thought," she began, not taking her eyes off the dark shape high above. "I do have a question... how did you acquire your power over water?"

[Yash]

"I do have a question... how did you acquire your power over water?"

Karn looked at her, thinking how best to explain it. "I was trained to control it after my parents were killed. My teacher, Gaern, is a hermit. He was a close friend of my father. It can be considered a type of sorcery. I can feel the presence of water around me, and will it to move. I don't have complete control however, something which I intend to change. Gaern showed me things I never thought water could do, and someday I hope to replicate it." He noticed her staring at the eclipsed sun. Looking up, he said "It has changed my power. The presence of the sea, and the moon make my abilities stronger, but I will more often than not loose control. The power of the moon over the water is strong." He sighs, feeling the power of the ocean and the turmoil in his mind. "If I may, m'lady, could you please tell me of your order and abilities?"

Edited January 23, 2015 by Yash

[Sutoratosu]

"We're known as The Order of The White Flare, " Maya said, glancing at him. "Sworn servants and adherents of the Teachings of Ryder, the Phoenix Lord. Our own records can't even trace our history back to it's exact beginning, but the scriptures say that Ryder himself founded and led the first incarnation of it himself when he still walked the earth as a magus and a healer, with his apprentices going on to eventually spread his knowledge and establish the order in it's modern form..." She held up a hand, fingers beginning to crackle and dance with a bit of flames the color of fresh snow fall, flickering to and fro in the air.

"Our sacred text say that Ryder started in his journey in order to save his wife from her deathbed," She continued. "He traveled across the land, high and low, looking for a cure at every point he could, not caring whether it was magic or not. Eventually he had gone to all four corners of the world looking for the answer, and had been rewarded for his efforts...with nothing. They say that it was then that in despair, every bit of magic he knew having proved useless and thinking his wife surely dead by then, Ryder sunk to his knees and gazed to the heavens, gazed to the sun itself, broken and defeated and weeping. And they say he asked the heavens why she must die so young, why he could not find a way to save her and their unborn child. And they say he even tried to beseech the sun itself to aid in him, one final, desperate plea... to the only light in his life that Ryder could still see in his grief. And then he gave into his exhaustion, and faded into unconsciousness, and gradually the hands of death began to encroach upon him... but he had a dream."

She willed for the Snow Fire to die around her hand and returned it to the ships railing, gazing back out over the ocean. "And in this dream, he saw the sun, bold and pure white above him. And he saw a light break off from it's outer reaches, a fire, bright as the star itself. And he saw it descend through the heavens, a bolt of hope. And he dreamed that light came to him, was drawn to him... and then he awakened. And there hovering above his unconscious form was the very same light he had seen, and he could make it out to in fact be a glorious fire, burning the color of platinum. And then he looked to the sun, and he saw it still bold and white in the sky before it shrank away and returned to as it had been before. And he knew... that his plea had been answered, he knew not exactly how, or by who or what... but he didn't care either." She took her attention off the swells and the waves of the endless expanse of blue, actually gazing fully at Karn for the first time in the entire conversation. "He took this White Fire, and it became one with him, a part of his very being. And then he returned home as fast as his feet would take him... only to find that his wife and their unborn son in her womb had died not even a day after he had departed..."

[Ragnar]

As the others take their places in the vessel, Raven decided to went straight at the bow of the ship, just to admire the view of the ocean. The treasure hunter takes a deep breath as he basks at the ocean's breeze that flows through his face. the feeling was ecstatic, for a moment, he didn't think of his worries nor his problems. whether it's his cursed hand nor how he will face the dangers ahead, it doesn't matter to him. He was pretty calm at the moment and was optimistic about this journey. The heart of an adventurer beats in the young man as Raven just stood by the railings, watching the waves go by, thrill to set on another adventure in search of fortune and fame.

Edited January 24, 2015 by typhlosionrulez

[Yash]

Karn looked at her, unsure of how to respond at first. Something about her story unsettled him. "The gods like to play their jokes on us. It is one of our worst curses to be subject to the whims of those who cannot be held accountable. I can understand how he must have felt. The loss of family is a terrible feeling. What happened to him after that? How is it that he came to create an order as prestigious as yours, especially after an unfortunate tragedy like that? What magic did the White Fire grant him and how is it that you have that Fire flowing in you, m'lady?" Curiosity began to wash away his reservations.

That was when he properly saw her face, noticing the freckles on her nose, her deep blue eyes with the golden green flecks. He could see the emotion in her eyes after her narrative. It felt as if she was gazing into his soul. He tried to ascertain what she was thinking, trying to understand her better. The little information he could gather about his comrades the previous night, told him that her life had been similar to his.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Yash

[Sutoratosu]

"The malady that had claimed his wife and unborn son did not die with them," Maya continued, turning back to the ocean and leaning on the ship's rail. "for her death was simply the first of a great epidemic, by the time Ryder was home, he found the entire village nearly razed from whatever plague had stolen his loved ones behind his back. Young and old, both strong and weak, it seemed that no one was safe from becoming the next victim... the dying lay lingering in hastily dug pits and some even still in their homes, no one bold enough to dare try to give the body a proper resting place. But Ryder...Ryder was safe from this infection, it seemed. For after being told by his neighbor of how his wife had been the first to die, he was also told that the man's own family lay approaching their final hours as well, as did many others. And even though he still grieved the death of his own kin, Ryder went to see them... and with the power of the White Fire he had been apparently gifted by the sun, he healed every single person in the household, burned away the sickness at it's roots and had each and everyone of them up out of their beds by nightfall that evening." there was a bit of sadness in her cobalt eyes, dark and tumultous as the sea itself it seemed... but she merely shook her head, carrying on.

"And then Ryder went to all the other households over the next several weeks... and he healed all those who were still living upon his arrivals. Those who had already been cured by the fires showed no signs of relapse, and soon He and the other denizens of the Village were able to arrange for the retrieval of the dead still in their beds... and he gathered them all in the square and burned them in a funeral blaze. And he did the same thing to all those who had been tossed into pits. People hailed him as hero, a savior even... his name was sung in the streets and his neighbors even advocated for him to become the leader of the community for his actions. And Ryder... Ryder saw the good he had done, saw the lives and the people he had saved... and even though his own wife had fallen to the malady, he knew that his journey had not been for nothing; that his travels had not been in vain. He knew... that he needed to share the power of the White Fires of the sun with the world. And so he chose to take with him seven boys who had been orphaned by the plague, and with them, the Lord Ryder, already called the Phoenix Lord because of his sparking of the funereary pyres marking the rebirth of the village, left on a long and colorful journey with his seven adopted sons. They went to ends of the earth, just as Ryder had done before to discover White Fire, and everywhere they went, Ryder healed the sick and the lame, and during this time he gained another title; The White Wanderer. Eventually his seven sons learned from him and their experiences at his side about the world and about his powers, they learned his ways and his philosophy, and they overtime took them to heart.

And then there came the day when Ryder had grown old and withered, finding his body weak and wearied like he had when he had been gifted his power, he had his sons end their journey after some forty years and countless healings. And they carried him home, to the village they had all left behind, Rygale. And it was there that Ryder was hailed one last time as a hero... but Ryder did not stay. Knowing the end to be near for him, he traveled to the mountain peak overlooking the town. And the Scriptures say that he taught to his disciples there everything he knew, made his wisdom theirs to carry on and propagate... and then he died... and then his body disappeared, in it's place, a small fire of pure white that would not die and would not falter. A fire that grew strong and fierce before the eyes of his disciples, but restrained at the same time. And they approached this great fire on the mountain top... and they emerged unharmed, each of them bearing a fire of their own in their hearts... bearing fire burning Platinum."

She returned her gaze back at Karn, the sadness that had held her eyes earlier gone now, unreadable... "That was how my order began. Ryder's disciples carried on his ways, to cure the ill and heal the lame whom they come across, to support the common man, to make sure that the White Fire burned strong and bright. They had entered into Ryder's heart blaze, the last thing that was left behind after his death, and they survived it's flames and emerged with forged flames of their own... and so it has been that every servant of Ryder has acquired his power, we enter into his Heart Blaze atop the mountain's peak, if we are worthy, we emerge unharmed bearing his powers as our own, if we are not though..." She shook her head again, looking back to the sea. "Let's just leave it at this; I myself saw several die within the mountain's blaze when me and Freyl were sent inside, and freyl saw countless more be rendered to nothing by ash, the Fires lashing out at the vice in their souls and destroying them from within when it entered their hearts. We are all connected to it, Ryder's fire, for a small shard of his Heart Blaze is what gives life to our Heart Blazes, we are all countless branches of a massive tree, connected by Ryder's spirit itself. When it is strong, we are all strong... but when it weakens, then we all weaken. This eclipse was the reason Me and my brother were sent on our mission; to find an end to it, to unblock the sun and make Ryder's fire strong again... to make us all strong again."

[Yash]

"It seems to be a great burden to place on the shoulders of just your brother and you. It seems that they place great faith in your abilities, m'lady. I am glad that we have someone as well respected as you with us. It will surely be beneficial to our goals." Karn then noticed that Raven was standing a little away from them, seemingly deep in thought. He called out, "Raven, why don't you come here and join us. We should get to know each other better. It will undoubtedly help us to learn off each other's lives, since we are going to be working together." He then looked around to find the final member of their party, the cocky Kryst. Spotting him lazing around at the bottom of the mast Karn shouted out, "Care to join us, Kryst?"

[Aurorix]

"No, not really," Kryst replied to Karn before yawning, "We've got a good three weeks of a sea until we hit land, plenty of time. Besides, I just got comfortable here." He said carelessly closing his eyes as he continues laying under the mast.

[Ragnar]

Raven derail his thoughts as soon as he heard Karn's voice rang through his ears. Raven looks away from the ocean as he turns his attention to the water bender. "where i came from is irrelevant my watery friend." he started and approach the group. "what matters now is the future, our future! Like I said, I'm a professional treasure hunter and fate has brought me here to seek the Lunamancer. I've been in countless impossible raids, disable traps more than you can imagine, and fought people and supernatural creatures alike. I live and thrive for adventure and that's all you need to know.." Raven said. "as for our partnership, I have trust issues. All I know is as long as you guys benefit me, I will help you and we will have no problem." Raven said to Karn.

[Yash]

Karn heard both their replies, clearly unhappy with their indifference. "Very well sers, if that is how you wish it to be." He then turned towards the sea and said, "You needn't trust me my light fingered friend. I am only interested in surviving long enough to reach the Lunamancer. I have a few question for him, that is all. That is why I wanted to know about you, rather your skills in battle. While we know what each of us can do, just that knowledge will not be enough for us. I suggest training together. We have little else to do on this ship till the storm begins anyways."

[Red'sCharizard]

Richter was on the deck, standing a little behind the barrier between ship and sea. He didn't lean on it, of course, if there was a rogue wave, he'd fall in for sure. However, so far, the sea was calm. He felt the fresh breeze over his face, and took a deep breath. For an inexperienced sailor such as himself, he was quite glad that he didn't fall to sea sickness yet. He could faintly see the other ship sailing with them with its own members. He looked back over the ship he was on, and saw that everyone was, in some way, occupied with some business. Asgall was at the helm, for one, maintaining the boat's passage. Richter wondered how long it would be before they would embark on land to gather information about the Leviathan, and further wondered when the battle would happen. Well, it's do or die, he thought, and turned back to face the sea.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Red'sCharizard

[Sutoratosu]

"Very well," Maya said, still looking out at the sea. The man had a point; they would all be here for a while, and there wasn't much else for them to do to occupy themselves until things started, unless of course, one intended to help with the maintenance and labor on the ship... but that was what the crew was for, afterall. "What do you have in mind for this 'Training' exactly?"

[Yash]

Karn was glad that the lady was taking this seriously. He thought about the best way to train and then said, "It depends on these two as well. We can practice fighting with one another. If all of us are training together we can practice using our techniques in sync with each other. Not only can this be combat training, but if required even survival training. We may have the Lord with us, but there is no guarantee that he will have any standing in Sigeto. We should be prepared to receive little to no help, and in such a case we may need to survive in the wild." Saying this he turned towards Raven, suddenly coming up with an idea. "My friend, do you know the limitations of your ability? Just how much gold can you make at any given time? Even if the lord has little standing, we may still manage to bribe and buy our way into the good graces of the locals if we have sufficient gold."