RPG
Introduction
It is a common misconception, but a misconception nonetheless, that the threads of Fate affect only heroes and kings. Even the lowliest of cutthroats and Free Traders are subject to Fate's whims.
--Captain Evander Augustine
DISCLAIMER: This RP is intended for mature roleplayers, and will likely contain content objectionable to younger members. For the sake of realism, there are no rules restricting language or violence within the roleplay, though in keeping with Roleplay Gateway's rules, explicit sexual content is to be taken elsewhere. Please see the site's rules about sexual content if you are unsure whether your post violates the rules or not.
Story
A little over one year ago, a familiar ship sailed into Puerto Del Sol, expecting a warm welcome and a place to repair their battered ship in the harbor town where their captain had been born. What they were met with, however, was a full scale military assault by Her Majesty's Royal Navy, and hampered as the ship was, she stood no chance of escape. On suspicion of piracy, the crew was taken captive and the captain put to death, a warning to those that might have followed in his footsteps. The ship now lies at the bottom of the ocean, rotted and irredeemable, a symbol of the dreams the Free Traders who manned it had lost.
The death of Captain Augustine and the disbanding of the Torch's veteran crew served just as the Navy had intended: many merchants and sailors resigned from the Free Trader's Guild, bringing about its collapse. While some still fly the colors of the Guild, the only resistance to Her Majesty's absolute restriction of trade is that of an anarchist band of privateers known as the Sea Wolves, whose tactics are both morally and psychologically questionable.
After years of toil by Her Majesty's Navy, piracy is as good as dead in the world of A'erlon. However, there are those who would see it revived, if only they could come up with the crew and capital to do so. Many crewmen from captured Free-Trader vessels still walk free, though most of them remain under surveillance by Her Majesty's Navy. The wizard-laden kingdom of Aristos has given refuge to a handful of native born Free Traders, including the Guild's founders, but the majority of these are wanted men the moment they step outside of their sanctuary.
A few brave souls looking to bring the spirit of the Free Traders back to life have found themselves in Puerto Del Sol, and must form a rag-tag alliance that will either make or break the resurrection of the pirate way of life in A'erlon.
Characters
Nina Augustine -- Daughter of Evander Augustine, profile available soon. Omega_Pancake
Available Characters
For those of you that don't feel like creating a character especially for this roleplay, you may want to consider the characters below.
- *Fleet Admiral Edwin Marius -- Father of the Marius boys, currently in his late thirties. His character is open for interpretation.
- *Evan Marius -- Seventeen years old, this young soldier was present for the hanging of Captain Augustine one year ago. He is an idealist, and would like to be able to say he was a munitions-expert, but his chosen profession has been expressly forbidden by his father in favor of a more subservient and military-minded career.
- *Ethan Marius -- The youngest son of Fleet Admiral Marius at fifteen years of age, this boy spent several months aboard Captain Augustine's ship, getting to know the crew and fishing out the truth of the ship's activities. Unlike his idealist older brother, Ethan is ruthless and cold, following in the footsteps of his father. It was on his testimony that Captain Augstine was hanged.
- Fenton Knobell -- A disfigured man of around forty years, Fenton spent several years as the weapons master on Evander's ship. His face is burned and scarred in places from his years as a blacksmith on land, as well as from injuries he's taken over the years. Despite his gruff exterior, the captain's daughter (his only pupil in swordplay) often thought of him as a second father-figure.
- Maria Aliberti -- At fifty four years of age, Maria was the second-oldest member of Evander's crew, second only to her husband, Valetin. She served as the navigator for nearly thirty years before the ship's sinking, and took on the task of mothering Captain Augustine's daughter after her mother's death.
- Valetin Aliberti -- An aging doctor in his early sixties, Valetin was the oldest member of the ship's crew before its sinking, and provided both advice and medical assistance when either was required. While he is a good man at heart, his compassion is sometimes overcome by his curiosity at the science of things.
* These characters will likely not come in for another year or so in game.
The Story So Far
Not available, as the roleplay hasn't started.
Resources
There will be a map, links to extended character profiles, links to character journals, and any other material players would like to provide, as soon as this information comes up. PM Omega_Pancake and your link, should it prove relevant, will be posted.
Rules
Rules
- Perhaps the most important of all rules on any roleplay is the following: play fair. That means no god-modding, power-playing, auto-hitting, or anything along those lines that I may have left out. When making judgment calls, I will treat these matters very strictly--if there is not a suitable explanation for the behavior in a previous post or in your character sheet (for example, if your character pulls out a gun and there is no indication that s/he owns one at all), then your action is null and void. In some circumstances, the opposing character will get a free hit in on your character, because I'm sadistic. But if you play fair, you won't have to worry about that.
- Against my better judgement, I'm not requiring sample posts with your character applications. However, it is my intention that this be a more serious, long-term roleplay, even if it moves a little slower than less serious stories elsewhere. A decent level of grammatical aptitude is to be expected!
- Average word count minimum of around 350, please and thank you. Yes, I did say average--I'm not crazy. I know that not every good roleplayer can come up with a 350+ word response every time they post, so if you turn out a couple of shorter posts, so long as you average out to around 350 (I'm not going to be doing the math, just eyeballing), there will be no problem.
- Please be realistic with your characters. If your orphaned pirate princess doesn't have deep psychological issues, then you're doing something wrong. Tragic back-stories should not produce well adjusted characters, and normal backgrounds should not produce psychotic characters, etc..
- While there are many clichèd ideas that are perfectly realistic in execution, I try to strain as many of them out of my roleplays as possible, simply out of caution. If you feel that your character might be mistaken for an evil clichè monster, but are confident in their development, you may send me a PM with a sample post, and that should clear up any misconceptions.
- To keep up the pace, individuals who are leaving indefinitely or for prolonged periods of time should make arrangements for their characters, either by conveniently misplacing them within the roleplay or arranging for one of their friends to take them up in their absence.
- In order to balance the characters properly, fewer pirate characters will be approved than navy characters, and everyone will be expected to contribute to the NPC pool (which will be available with a brief description in the forthcoming OOC thread!). If you're still reading, place three consecutive asterisks somewhere in your character sheet.
- I'll probably decide to allow other ships before long, which will be specified in the locations tab. If you would like your own ship, let me know, but don't be terribly ridiculous about it--if there are already fifteen ships on the ocean, I'm not going to add more unless we have insane amounts of players, which I we will.
- Be respectful, have fun, and do something incredibly stupid!
Reviews
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View All »Characters
Deathshot Warren played by Frostfire14
Warren is a longtime buccaneer, a fan of sailing long hours into the night and enjoying a good drink. He's rather off his rocker and prone to fits of sadistic violence.
Ryan James Collins played by Ameryln
An artistic, dreaming boy of fifteen who wants to live life in the sea.
Roderick Glover played by Kroenan
An unfortunate beggar turned crook, hopes to branch out and leave his home island looking for his calling in life.
A markedly biting and terse pirate lass, with an edge of sadism about her - she isn't the type to tear the wings off of butterflies, but she might just enjoy stabbing people a bit too much.
Visit »The Orphanage
These poor, unfortunate souls were once a part of this great world, but have been abandoned. Why don't you consider viewing their profiles and making a decision on whether or not you can roleplay them accurately?
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Places in Threads of Fate
2 postsA'erlon
Welcome to A'erlon. If you wish to leave, the dagger is that way.
3 postsPuerto Del Sol
Welcome to the Port of the Sun! If the sun's not out, neither are you--by order of the Royal Navy.
0 postsThe Kingdom of Aristos
A wizard-laden land filled with magic and demons. A refuge for a handful of pirates who have nowhere to go since the collapse of the Free Trader's Guild.
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Activity
- 5 posts here • Page 1 of 1
OOC Notes
Since I Botched This Post, A Bit Of History
Her Majesty, Queen Iordis II of Arlon, falls into the same category as many absolute monarchs—corrupted by power, she desires as much of it as she can attain. Arlon's resource-rich lands and seas, as well as its bustling economy, allowed her mother power and influence to increase, but as a modestly sized coastal country, she had little chance of expanding her influence within her borders. Rather begin a needless war with the surrounding countries, she pumped all of her funds into the nation's Navy, and basically assumed the role of international police as a token gesture to larger countries whose naval forces are considerably less influential.
Iordis I offered protection from both piracy and natural dangers, as well as reimbursment for goods up to a certain amount, to all ships willing to pay a small yearly fee. In addition to this fee, large ships from countries allied with Arlon militarily are required to serve a one to three year term during wartimes, assuming that their homeland has not passed specific edicts of neutrality.
Discontent with this system brought about the initial incarnation of the Free Trader's Guild, a coalition of ships and crews (pirate or otherwise) which either refused to serve under the Queen's Navy under any circumstance or did not want her intrusion in their "trading" affairs. Free Traders were not hunted by the Queen's Navy, but were not given protection the protection of other ships in the Merchant Marine.
The Sea Wolves were also formed around this time, though they were far more aggressive than the Free Trader's Guild in their opposition to Iordis's Navy, attacking Navy-employed privateers freely and openly. Many ships that enlist with the Sea Wolves function only as pirate ships, and will attack even other Sea Wolf ships if the goings get tough. Even in the days of Iordis I, any ship flying Sea Wolf colors was to be attacked or apprehended on sight.
Thirty years ago, after the death of Iordis I and the rise of her only daughter to power, Arlon's Royal Navy grew considerably more agressive towards piracy, going so far as to attack Free Trader ships without due cause on simple suspicion. With increasing violence being done upon them, the Free Traders changed tactics and resorted more often to arming their ships and pirating ships enlisted with the Merchant Marine as an act of rebellion. Though piracy has always existed on A'erlon, it grew far more prominent in the first twenty years of Iordis II's reign.
Ten years before our story begins, nearly every ship in the Free Trader's Guild was a pirate vessel, either by choice as an act of rebellion or by force of circumstance, as scrupulous transactions were made increasingly harder by the persecution of Her Majesty's Navy. Those that had not gone pirate had likely relented and enlisted with her Merchant Marine. This was the peak of piracy on A'erlon and the beginning of a vigorous battle against it, culminating in the death of the prominent Free Trader captain Evander Augustine.
Her Majesty, Queen Iordis II of Arlon, falls into the same category as many absolute monarchs—corrupted by power, she desires as much of it as she can attain. Arlon's resource-rich lands and seas, as well as its bustling economy, allowed her mother power and influence to increase, but as a modestly sized coastal country, she had little chance of expanding her influence within her borders. Rather begin a needless war with the surrounding countries, she pumped all of her funds into the nation's Navy, and basically assumed the role of international police as a token gesture to larger countries whose naval forces are considerably less influential.
Iordis I offered protection from both piracy and natural dangers, as well as reimbursment for goods up to a certain amount, to all ships willing to pay a small yearly fee. In addition to this fee, large ships from countries allied with Arlon militarily are required to serve a one to three year term during wartimes, assuming that their homeland has not passed specific edicts of neutrality.
Discontent with this system brought about the initial incarnation of the Free Trader's Guild, a coalition of ships and crews (pirate or otherwise) which either refused to serve under the Queen's Navy under any circumstance or did not want her intrusion in their "trading" affairs. Free Traders were not hunted by the Queen's Navy, but were not given protection the protection of other ships in the Merchant Marine.
The Sea Wolves were also formed around this time, though they were far more aggressive than the Free Trader's Guild in their opposition to Iordis's Navy, attacking Navy-employed privateers freely and openly. Many ships that enlist with the Sea Wolves function only as pirate ships, and will attack even other Sea Wolf ships if the goings get tough. Even in the days of Iordis I, any ship flying Sea Wolf colors was to be attacked or apprehended on sight.
Thirty years ago, after the death of Iordis I and the rise of her only daughter to power, Arlon's Royal Navy grew considerably more agressive towards piracy, going so far as to attack Free Trader ships without due cause on simple suspicion. With increasing violence being done upon them, the Free Traders changed tactics and resorted more often to arming their ships and pirating ships enlisted with the Merchant Marine as an act of rebellion. Though piracy has always existed on A'erlon, it grew far more prominent in the first twenty years of Iordis II's reign.
Ten years before our story begins, nearly every ship in the Free Trader's Guild was a pirate vessel, either by choice as an act of rebellion or by force of circumstance, as scrupulous transactions were made increasingly harder by the persecution of Her Majesty's Navy. Those that had not gone pirate had likely relented and enlisted with her Merchant Marine. This was the peak of piracy on A'erlon and the beginning of a vigorous battle against it, culminating in the death of the prominent Free Trader captain Evander Augustine.
OOC Notes
It was a tough town the seedier side of society, with a navy-enforced curfew for youngsters half an hour before sundown and a strict lights-out policy in effect two hours before midnight. There weren o brothels to speak of, and even the local taverns served their last drink in plenty of time for their patrons to arrive home safeuly by the witching hour. The careful eye of the night watch nearly always caught the first sign of trouble, and only seconds afterwards, sailors-turned-policemen arrived on the scene to end whatever it was the watch had spotted and return the offending individuals to their homes. The port town was being punished by the monarchy for refusing service to Her Majesty's Navy, though the reasons the residents had been given were a dog-and-pony show of false suspicions, hair-brained conspiracy theories, and ill-rememberd rumors overheard by drunken sailors. A popular rumor as of late, now that the first anniversary of the town's most infamous hanging was only days away, seemed to indicate that Her Majesty suspected the Port of the Sun of harboring pirates, which was ironically the least ridiculous but the most ridiculed.
The oppressive heat of the black June night was hardly enough to deter the watch's ever-vigilant eye, but that didn't stop the town's underground from stirring at the first sign of darkness. It was just the same tonight as it was with any other night, a slow adjustment from one set of curtains to another before the lights within flickered to life, invisible to the eyes watching from the street. In the year since the occupation, the less savory members of the port's society had learned to make do, and the old meetinghouse, which had been boarded up indefinitely, made a perfect marketplace for goods they could not pedal in broad daylight, especially with the navy's presence so widely spread. One had a better chance of committing murder and getting away with it in this town than they had of selling contraband--and the chances for that were slim to none, with Slim having just bought the last ticket out of town. Still, they managed somehow, shipping themselves from the town's inns to the meetinghouse and then back again through the emergency tunnels that had been built during the country's last war. It was a remarkably efficient system, and so far, they had not been caught.
Among the crowd now gathered in the meetinghouse was a young woman who found her way into it nearly every night. There was nothing she could buy or sell—her occupation as a dock-hand for fishing ships left her land-bound and nearly penniless, and after the monthly cost of her room and board, she was lucky if she had enough money saved up at the end of the year to pay for the clothes on her back. She did, however, profit tremendously from the gossip swarming the place, even if it wasn't all what she wanted to hear. There was little that Nina did want to hear these days, and whatever pleasing bits of gossip did reach her ears, they were few and far between. Optimism told her that hte people she wanted to hear from were avoiding this port until things settled down; realism, however, told her that there was simply no favorable news to bring.
"My father's ship?" she mumbled to a familiar sailor, who looked down at her and blinked.
"Oi, lass, for th'last time, that bit o'wreckage's been sittin' at th'bottom of th'harbor for a good ten months. There's nothin' t'be found from it, 'cept maybe a scrap of rotted wood, and what good is that gonna do ye? Besides, it en't like a scrap of yer mam's old jewelry is goin to bring either of them back from the dead, is it?" He watched the girl's face drop, and then morph into a discontent scowl, and he amended his statement with a sigh. "I don't know what yer dad did to deserve the rope, lass, but I tell ye this: yer better off livin' yer life than ye are chasin' after Daddy's lost dream, or whatever it is yer doin'."
Silence settled between the two of them, and their conversation was soon consumed by the bustling of the market around them. She slipped through the crowd in search of other familiar faces, but found none—no one from her father's crew had dared show their face around Puerto Del Sol since his death, even in the shadows. Yet again, the pessimism recent events had taught her gave her an overpowering sense that this would be the case for a very long time. After all, what reason did they have to return to a place like this, especially while it was occupied?
She heard at least a dozen other rumors throughout the next hour, several of which seemed to imply that the Navy was leaving the port town within the next month, and several more that seemed to indicate at least another year's worth of occupation. As for her own opinion, she wasn't sure what to believe, though the likely answer was that none of the rumors were correct. The navy would leave on Her Majesty's time, no matter how long that took.
The oppressive heat of the black June night was hardly enough to deter the watch's ever-vigilant eye, but that didn't stop the town's underground from stirring at the first sign of darkness. It was just the same tonight as it was with any other night, a slow adjustment from one set of curtains to another before the lights within flickered to life, invisible to the eyes watching from the street. In the year since the occupation, the less savory members of the port's society had learned to make do, and the old meetinghouse, which had been boarded up indefinitely, made a perfect marketplace for goods they could not pedal in broad daylight, especially with the navy's presence so widely spread. One had a better chance of committing murder and getting away with it in this town than they had of selling contraband--and the chances for that were slim to none, with Slim having just bought the last ticket out of town. Still, they managed somehow, shipping themselves from the town's inns to the meetinghouse and then back again through the emergency tunnels that had been built during the country's last war. It was a remarkably efficient system, and so far, they had not been caught.
Among the crowd now gathered in the meetinghouse was a young woman who found her way into it nearly every night. There was nothing she could buy or sell—her occupation as a dock-hand for fishing ships left her land-bound and nearly penniless, and after the monthly cost of her room and board, she was lucky if she had enough money saved up at the end of the year to pay for the clothes on her back. She did, however, profit tremendously from the gossip swarming the place, even if it wasn't all what she wanted to hear. There was little that Nina did want to hear these days, and whatever pleasing bits of gossip did reach her ears, they were few and far between. Optimism told her that hte people she wanted to hear from were avoiding this port until things settled down; realism, however, told her that there was simply no favorable news to bring.
"My father's ship?" she mumbled to a familiar sailor, who looked down at her and blinked.
"Oi, lass, for th'last time, that bit o'wreckage's been sittin' at th'bottom of th'harbor for a good ten months. There's nothin' t'be found from it, 'cept maybe a scrap of rotted wood, and what good is that gonna do ye? Besides, it en't like a scrap of yer mam's old jewelry is goin to bring either of them back from the dead, is it?" He watched the girl's face drop, and then morph into a discontent scowl, and he amended his statement with a sigh. "I don't know what yer dad did to deserve the rope, lass, but I tell ye this: yer better off livin' yer life than ye are chasin' after Daddy's lost dream, or whatever it is yer doin'."
Silence settled between the two of them, and their conversation was soon consumed by the bustling of the market around them. She slipped through the crowd in search of other familiar faces, but found none—no one from her father's crew had dared show their face around Puerto Del Sol since his death, even in the shadows. Yet again, the pessimism recent events had taught her gave her an overpowering sense that this would be the case for a very long time. After all, what reason did they have to return to a place like this, especially while it was occupied?
She heard at least a dozen other rumors throughout the next hour, several of which seemed to imply that the Navy was leaving the port town within the next month, and several more that seemed to indicate at least another year's worth of occupation. As for her own opinion, she wasn't sure what to believe, though the likely answer was that none of the rumors were correct. The navy would leave on Her Majesty's time, no matter how long that took.
OOC Notes
"This land, all that I survey, is named in honor of the great Morgenstern. May his ceremonial ballads of festooned women play forever more!" With his arms spread wide, Warren looked out across the town, shouting with great integrity. For all his misgivings, perhaps this port would yield some vague interests. There was a valuable piece of information associated with this town, and that was something that he desperately sought. Why else would a man of his caliber, and, my, did he have a caliber all his own, come to a mere military-choked port town like this? The answer to that question lay in the… being… arms… bosom, yes, bosom, perhaps, of a young madame down in the town. She was a bit young for the sickly looking “privateer,” but she had potential, and all that the youth meant was that she had yet to be truly saddled. Saddled? No, that was the wrong word. Youth had an innocence that appealed to dear Warren and his stealthy pursuits of entertainment.
Making with the sneaking motions methodically down towards the port town, he slipped in with little trouble from the military-run guardhouse. All that was necessary was a little bit of negotiating with the dear guard. He lacked proper entrance papers to prove that he was a merchant with need to sell his wares there, but the silver-tongued devil would not be swayed from his destination. He decided that if he would not be allowed in for lack of papers, perhaps they would let him inside in return for his vocal gifts. Thus, Warren, the Deadeye Pirate of Captain Augustine’s vessel, began a badly sung and poorly tuned ballad about his life as a child. He related in no uncertain terms how he was born to a man who sat by the sea, making his fortune through fishing and merchant activities. He regaled the lot of guards with stories of his youth and fighting off bullies and enjoying the small times he got with his father and the fishing trips they made. Finally, the guards were so completely irritated with the poor singing being done outside their gatehouse that they let him in on a promise that he would never again attempt to speak to them or look at them at all.
Once inside the gates of the port town, Warren set himself to looking for the lovely maiden he once served aboard Augustine’s vessel. The unfortunate bit of information that he was lacking that made such investigations worthwhile was perhaps the most important bit of information that could be required of seeking a young woman in the midst of a rather large town, what she looked like. As an alternative, he began a search by approaching every woman who seemed of age in sight and judging their identity based on their reaction. Because his initial pick-up line was “Say, have I seen you on a ship at sea before or are you just here because the meals are hot?” he figured that the person he was looking for had ought to appear before him at some point and that she would recognize his words in some fashion. Warren was, in fact, fairly insane most of the time.
Making with the sneaking motions methodically down towards the port town, he slipped in with little trouble from the military-run guardhouse. All that was necessary was a little bit of negotiating with the dear guard. He lacked proper entrance papers to prove that he was a merchant with need to sell his wares there, but the silver-tongued devil would not be swayed from his destination. He decided that if he would not be allowed in for lack of papers, perhaps they would let him inside in return for his vocal gifts. Thus, Warren, the Deadeye Pirate of Captain Augustine’s vessel, began a badly sung and poorly tuned ballad about his life as a child. He related in no uncertain terms how he was born to a man who sat by the sea, making his fortune through fishing and merchant activities. He regaled the lot of guards with stories of his youth and fighting off bullies and enjoying the small times he got with his father and the fishing trips they made. Finally, the guards were so completely irritated with the poor singing being done outside their gatehouse that they let him in on a promise that he would never again attempt to speak to them or look at them at all.
Once inside the gates of the port town, Warren set himself to looking for the lovely maiden he once served aboard Augustine’s vessel. The unfortunate bit of information that he was lacking that made such investigations worthwhile was perhaps the most important bit of information that could be required of seeking a young woman in the midst of a rather large town, what she looked like. As an alternative, he began a search by approaching every woman who seemed of age in sight and judging their identity based on their reaction. Because his initial pick-up line was “Say, have I seen you on a ship at sea before or are you just here because the meals are hot?” he figured that the person he was looking for had ought to appear before him at some point and that she would recognize his words in some fashion. Warren was, in fact, fairly insane most of the time.
OOC Notes
This was depressing.
Serewyn sat herself upon a barrel towards the side of the room, observing the occupants with a level of disdain. She had always detested this part of pirating, the selling and the buying, the bartering and the shouting, everything so very jolly but at the same time ready to collapse in on itself with the drop of a hat. This was by no means because of some idealogical crap about pirating being for the good of the world, rather than for personal profit.
In Serewyn's opinion, personal profit was the best kind of profit.
No, her dislike for this part of the business was that it was nothing if not godly boring. She did not enjoy raucous social situations, yelling and bantering and jeering - that was for others to do, and her to be snooty about somewhere off in the middle distance, thank you very much. This was perhaps one reason why she wasn't getting very far in finding any of her old crewmates. She had yet to talk to anyone about it.
While Serewyn was perfectly capable of extracting information from a rowdy tavern, blending in with the standardless whores who wandered amongst them regularly, looking to draw the eye of a pretty sailor lad, or a hulking midshipman, she disdained every moment of it, and it took a degree of mental preparation. At the moment, what was keeping her, was simply a degree of laziness. It was quite comfortable here on this barrel, see, and rather a large number of steps and personality shifts before she could get over there.
Maybe in the back of her mind she was hoping that there would come over to here. That was unlikely though, most people seemed rather too absorbed in their personal haggling to pay any mind to a lone young wo...
"Oi oi, what've we got 'ere lads?"
Oh joy. The brains of the operation had arrived.
"What's a pretty little lass like you doing in a place like this, eh?" the rather burly and ugly man questioned, a broad grin upon his face as well as that of his companions.
Serewyn sighed, and turned toward him. "Look, dears. I don't know if you're the type for literature or theatre, but I think perhaps that there are two things you can draw on from them that can help you in this situation. Firstly, the moody looking maiden in the corner is never the vulnerable and fragile little feather that by all rights she should be, and secondly more often than not she ends up stabbing a mob of generic unpleasant men within the first page or two. Please, note the ample amount of bladed implements about my person - the crossbow pistol, the torn cloak and leather armour. I am not a pretty little thing wearing a white dress and a hat with a freaking bow in it." she said, her voice coated with disdain and irritation.
"Now... what was it you were saying?"
The man looked rather dumbstruck for a few moments, trying to put two and two together and failing spectacularly. "I fink we've got ourselves a feisty o-"
"Oh, do shut up." Serewyn interjected. "Honestly, I feel like I'm in some overdone play. Begone with you, or the pointy end of this here sword-" here the woman drew her rapier from its sheath, brandishing it at the man "-is going into your throat. Understand?"
At last, the man seemed to, and he and his buddies backed away carefully. Once again, Serewyn had triumphed over clichéd opening sequences, and saved the lives of a group of ill-cast nobodies, who really weren't that bad in the long run, and didn't deserve to be slaughtered just to prove that someone was badass. The lead man, whose name was in fact Eric, would later go onto have a happy family with a nice barmaid called Sally, and have several children, to whom he was a great father, until he died quietly in his old age, leaving a modest inheritance to them from his days as a scourge of the seven seas.
Settling back down onto her barrel after shaking the feeling that she had come dangerously close to breaking some wall or another -- and there it was again! -- Serewyn once more turned her eye to the goings on. This would likely last for a while, her idle observation, until such a time as she decided she could be bothered to move.
Laziness was a luxury amongst pirates, and so Serewyn took every chance to evidence it that she could. It meant that nobody was trying to kill her at the moment, after all.
Serewyn sat herself upon a barrel towards the side of the room, observing the occupants with a level of disdain. She had always detested this part of pirating, the selling and the buying, the bartering and the shouting, everything so very jolly but at the same time ready to collapse in on itself with the drop of a hat. This was by no means because of some idealogical crap about pirating being for the good of the world, rather than for personal profit.
In Serewyn's opinion, personal profit was the best kind of profit.
No, her dislike for this part of the business was that it was nothing if not godly boring. She did not enjoy raucous social situations, yelling and bantering and jeering - that was for others to do, and her to be snooty about somewhere off in the middle distance, thank you very much. This was perhaps one reason why she wasn't getting very far in finding any of her old crewmates. She had yet to talk to anyone about it.
While Serewyn was perfectly capable of extracting information from a rowdy tavern, blending in with the standardless whores who wandered amongst them regularly, looking to draw the eye of a pretty sailor lad, or a hulking midshipman, she disdained every moment of it, and it took a degree of mental preparation. At the moment, what was keeping her, was simply a degree of laziness. It was quite comfortable here on this barrel, see, and rather a large number of steps and personality shifts before she could get over there.
Maybe in the back of her mind she was hoping that there would come over to here. That was unlikely though, most people seemed rather too absorbed in their personal haggling to pay any mind to a lone young wo...
"Oi oi, what've we got 'ere lads?"
Oh joy. The brains of the operation had arrived.
"What's a pretty little lass like you doing in a place like this, eh?" the rather burly and ugly man questioned, a broad grin upon his face as well as that of his companions.
Serewyn sighed, and turned toward him. "Look, dears. I don't know if you're the type for literature or theatre, but I think perhaps that there are two things you can draw on from them that can help you in this situation. Firstly, the moody looking maiden in the corner is never the vulnerable and fragile little feather that by all rights she should be, and secondly more often than not she ends up stabbing a mob of generic unpleasant men within the first page or two. Please, note the ample amount of bladed implements about my person - the crossbow pistol, the torn cloak and leather armour. I am not a pretty little thing wearing a white dress and a hat with a freaking bow in it." she said, her voice coated with disdain and irritation.
"Now... what was it you were saying?"
The man looked rather dumbstruck for a few moments, trying to put two and two together and failing spectacularly. "I fink we've got ourselves a feisty o-"
"Oh, do shut up." Serewyn interjected. "Honestly, I feel like I'm in some overdone play. Begone with you, or the pointy end of this here sword-" here the woman drew her rapier from its sheath, brandishing it at the man "-is going into your throat. Understand?"
At last, the man seemed to, and he and his buddies backed away carefully. Once again, Serewyn had triumphed over clichéd opening sequences, and saved the lives of a group of ill-cast nobodies, who really weren't that bad in the long run, and didn't deserve to be slaughtered just to prove that someone was badass. The lead man, whose name was in fact Eric, would later go onto have a happy family with a nice barmaid called Sally, and have several children, to whom he was a great father, until he died quietly in his old age, leaving a modest inheritance to them from his days as a scourge of the seven seas.
Settling back down onto her barrel after shaking the feeling that she had come dangerously close to breaking some wall or another -- and there it was again! -- Serewyn once more turned her eye to the goings on. This would likely last for a while, her idle observation, until such a time as she decided she could be bothered to move.
Laziness was a luxury amongst pirates, and so Serewyn took every chance to evidence it that she could. It meant that nobody was trying to kill her at the moment, after all.
OOC Notes
It was a typical night in Puerto Del Sol, a particularly hot and boring one at that. Worst of all, for him at least, Roderick Glover was almost out of mead.
"Ahh, Gods why hast thou forsaken me?" Roderick cried theatrically to himself. Shouldering his mead skin and making his way towards the bustling bidding floor.
The crowded meeting houses of Puerto Del Sol were often full of people who couldn't afford what was on offer. The same was true for Roderick Glover, who may as well have been a ghost for all the attention he was attracting. It was always the same now, same people, same places, same routine. He hated it but maybe, just maybe he'd strike lucky tonight. Passing through the crowd Roderick made his way to the bidding floor; pirates were shouting jovially, it disgusted him. Why they would waste their money on such useless contraband when there were poor and needy pirates, scrounging for a living. Hopefully however he would be able to liberate a few of the richer buccaneers of some loot tonight and be able to find some mead somewhere.
Quietly walking, making sure not to push or shove anyone, Roderick's eyes darted about the room. There were a few targets tonight, but also a few people to watch out for, among them a woman propped up against the barrel who seemed to be conversing with some brigands. The woman quite frankly scared him and he felt much safer avoiding her side of the room altogether. Now, time to find a target, a task which didn't take Roderick long. Years on the street had taught him to look for conspicuous people as possible targets. In this case it took the form of an expensive looking man facing the bidding floor and laughing merrily, distracted, vulnerable. Easy Pickings. As his hand extended to start carefully untying the man's money sack, he caught the view of the woman in the corner of his eye and froze.
"Enough dawdling idiot, start stealing" He thought angrily, wondering why he couldn't quite get her out of his mind. There was something about her; she gave an air of not being the kind of lady to cross; a statement which was readily enforced by the presence of the 4 brigands. Who seemed to be looking more and more imposing by the minute, or trying at least. Roderick scalded himself again, snapping himself out of his statue-like state. His hands worked fast, despite the leather gloves, years of practise had made him proficient in tying and more importantly untying all manners of knots and chains. A few seconds passed until he finally managed to open the bag, from it he scooped a few coins from it and left without the man being any the wiser.
Darting away from the crowd, he quickly counted his coins which roughly totalled the amount of a refill of his skin or courtesan, plus change.
"Fate you fickle friend!" Roderick cackled, trying to keep a lid on his happiness. This warranted a drink, but a man should never drink alone, and the poor company of these pirates simply wouldn't satisfy him. No he would need to find a woman to share the evening with before the night was over. Scanning the edges of the room he found a boyish, brown haired woman looking disappointed, sad and most of all bored. Again, she looked like an easy target. But there was something more to her, the sunken eyes, and gaunt cheeks screamed that she had a need for mead, at least she looked like that to Roderick.
Trying to muster as much of a strut as he could, Roderick managed to navigate over to the lady, tapping her on the shoulder and shaking the ale skin.
"You look troubled m'girl, it seems to me you need a drink. Come join me! A problem shared is a problem halved you know!" Roderick said, rather fast and as confidently as he could. There was something strange about this lady, she would be different, he could tell.
"Ahh, Gods why hast thou forsaken me?" Roderick cried theatrically to himself. Shouldering his mead skin and making his way towards the bustling bidding floor.
The crowded meeting houses of Puerto Del Sol were often full of people who couldn't afford what was on offer. The same was true for Roderick Glover, who may as well have been a ghost for all the attention he was attracting. It was always the same now, same people, same places, same routine. He hated it but maybe, just maybe he'd strike lucky tonight. Passing through the crowd Roderick made his way to the bidding floor; pirates were shouting jovially, it disgusted him. Why they would waste their money on such useless contraband when there were poor and needy pirates, scrounging for a living. Hopefully however he would be able to liberate a few of the richer buccaneers of some loot tonight and be able to find some mead somewhere.
Quietly walking, making sure not to push or shove anyone, Roderick's eyes darted about the room. There were a few targets tonight, but also a few people to watch out for, among them a woman propped up against the barrel who seemed to be conversing with some brigands. The woman quite frankly scared him and he felt much safer avoiding her side of the room altogether. Now, time to find a target, a task which didn't take Roderick long. Years on the street had taught him to look for conspicuous people as possible targets. In this case it took the form of an expensive looking man facing the bidding floor and laughing merrily, distracted, vulnerable. Easy Pickings. As his hand extended to start carefully untying the man's money sack, he caught the view of the woman in the corner of his eye and froze.
"Enough dawdling idiot, start stealing" He thought angrily, wondering why he couldn't quite get her out of his mind. There was something about her; she gave an air of not being the kind of lady to cross; a statement which was readily enforced by the presence of the 4 brigands. Who seemed to be looking more and more imposing by the minute, or trying at least. Roderick scalded himself again, snapping himself out of his statue-like state. His hands worked fast, despite the leather gloves, years of practise had made him proficient in tying and more importantly untying all manners of knots and chains. A few seconds passed until he finally managed to open the bag, from it he scooped a few coins from it and left without the man being any the wiser.
Darting away from the crowd, he quickly counted his coins which roughly totalled the amount of a refill of his skin or courtesan, plus change.
"Fate you fickle friend!" Roderick cackled, trying to keep a lid on his happiness. This warranted a drink, but a man should never drink alone, and the poor company of these pirates simply wouldn't satisfy him. No he would need to find a woman to share the evening with before the night was over. Scanning the edges of the room he found a boyish, brown haired woman looking disappointed, sad and most of all bored. Again, she looked like an easy target. But there was something more to her, the sunken eyes, and gaunt cheeks screamed that she had a need for mead, at least she looked like that to Roderick.
Trying to muster as much of a strut as he could, Roderick managed to navigate over to the lady, tapping her on the shoulder and shaking the ale skin.
"You look troubled m'girl, it seems to me you need a drink. Come join me! A problem shared is a problem halved you know!" Roderick said, rather fast and as confidently as he could. There was something strange about this lady, she would be different, he could tell.
- 5 posts here • Page 1 of 1
Threads of Fate: Out Of Character (OOC)
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Threads of Fate (Always Accepting)
by Omega_Pancake on Sun Apr 25, 2010 2:25 pm
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on Tue May 11, 2010 3:56 pm
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Threads of Fate (Always Accepting)
Most recent OOC posts in Threads of Fate
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate (Always Accepting)
Thank you kindly!
Alright, dudes, we're ready to start whenever you are. I'm going to start PMing people this weekend if I have to.
And when I PM people, I do so with the big stick.
We're still accepting, though, to anyone reading this far. Which I doubt anyone has bothered to do. :P
Alright, dudes, we're ready to start whenever you are. I'm going to start PMing people this weekend if I have to.
And when I PM people, I do so with the big stick.
We're still accepting, though, to anyone reading this far. Which I doubt anyone has bothered to do. :P
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate (Always Accepting)
The IC is open, even though I haven't finished Nina's sheet up yet. I haven't posted again yet because I get so distracted that if I did so before anyone else had gotten a chance to post, Frosty and I would probably run off and have a roleplay of our own on accident. And that wouldn't be cool for anyone but us, now, would it?
I'll finish up Nina's sheet as soon as possible and get back to work on everything else. Life has been rather hectic as of late.
I'll finish up Nina's sheet as soon as possible and get back to work on everything else. Life has been rather hectic as of late.
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate (Always Accepting)
Is the IC open now or are we waiting for Pancake to finish up her Character sheet before we begin properly?
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate
That is entirely up to you--so far, some of the characters, such as Nina and Warren, do know each other, where as I don't believe that Serawyn is familiar with any of them. The common factor at present is that we're all in the same place, with vaguely the same interests (be those revenge or the resurgence of piracy on A'erlon). Even that's going to change as more people join, but that's what's setting the plot in motion right now.
EDIT: Also, after the ship was captured, all the crew was taken captive, then the Torch was sunk. Most of the crew was set free after the collapse of the Free Trader's Guild, 'sides from the Captain, who was already dead at this point.
EDIT: Also, after the ship was captured, all the crew was taken captive, then the Torch was sunk. Most of the crew was set free after the collapse of the Free Trader's Guild, 'sides from the Captain, who was already dead at this point.
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate
I would like to post a character if yall have room. I have a question though I need to ask (might be a stupid one). Our characters know each other right? And were they on the ship that sunk but they survived?
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate
Character is up and ready. :D
Also, on weekends I tend not to get up till noon anyway, so no real clashing issue there >8D
Also, on weekends I tend not to get up till noon anyway, so no real clashing issue there >8D
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate
Working on that presently, as soon as I get this thing taken care of with my roommate, it shall be done. I can't make any promises as to when that will be, but it will happen, I promise.
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate
No problem, I'll be on to check tomorrow afternoon! Gods, it's nearly noon where you are when I first get up. I'll have to work my head around this.
Demented-tiger, that's will be perfectly fine.I'm sort of waffling, hence the fantasy world--but any changes you have to make will probably be things that won't come up until later on in the roleplay anyway.
I should finish my character sheet.
Demented-tiger, that's will be perfectly fine.I'm sort of waffling, hence the fantasy world--but any changes you have to make will probably be things that won't come up until later on in the roleplay anyway.
I should finish my character sheet.
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate
I'm only asking because I'm not sure which character to put in. I'm a fan of historical fantasy anyway. If you don't care, I'll assume this is the 1600s. This is merely for geopolitical purposes anyway.
Re: [OOC] Threads of Fate
It's actually set in a fantasy sort of setting, so as not to be constrained by the possibility of historical inaccuracies.
[OOC] Threads of Fate (Always Accepting)
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Threads of Fate"
DISCLAIMER: This RP is intended for mature roleplayers, and will likely contain content objectionable to younger members. For the sake of realism, there are no rules restricting language or violence within the roleplay, though in keeping with Roleplay Gateway's rules, explicit sexual content is to be taken elsewhere. Please see the site's rules about sexual content if you are unsure whether your post violates the rules or not.
Story
A little over one year ago, a familiar ship sailed into Puerto Del Sol, expecting a warm welcome and a place to repair their battered ship in the harbor town where their captain had been born. What they were met with, however, was a full scale military assault by Her Majesty's Royal Navy, and hampered as the ship was, she stood no chance of escape. On suspicion of piracy, the crew was taken captive and the captain put to death, a warning to those that might have followed in his footsteps. The ship now lies at the bottom of the ocean, rotted and irredeemable, a symbol of the dreams the Free Traders who manned it had lost.
The death of Captain Augustine and the disbanding of the Torch's veteran crew served just as the Navy had intended: many merchants and sailors resigned from the Free Trader's Guild, bringing about its collapse. While some still fly the colors of the Guild, the only resistance to Her Majesty's absolute restriction of trade is that of an anarchist band of privateers known as the Sea Wolves, whose tactics are both morally and psychologically questionable.
After years of toil by Her Majesty's Navy, piracy is as good as dead in the world of A'erlon. However, there are those who would see it revived, if only they could come up with the crew and capital to do so. Many crewmen from captured Free-Trader vessels still walk free, though most of them remain under surveillance by Her Majesty's Navy. The wizard-laden kingdom of Aristos has given refuge to a handful of native born Free Traders, including the Guild's founders, but the majority of these are wanted men the moment they step outside of their sanctuary.
A few brave souls looking to bring the spirit of the Free Traders back to life have found themselves in Puerto Del Sol, and must form a rag-tag alliance that will either make or break the resurrection of the pirate way of life in A'erlon.
Rules
Characters
Nina Augustine -- Daughter of Evander Augustine, profile available soon. Omega_Pancake
Available Characters
For those of you that don't feel like creating a character especially for this roleplay, you may want to consider the characters below.
* These characters will likely not come in for another year or so in game.
The Story So Far
Not available, as the roleplay hasn't started.
Resources
There will be a map, links to extended character profiles, links to character journals, and any other material players would like to provide, as soon as this information comes up. PM Omega_Pancake and your link, should it prove relevant, will be posted.
It is a common misconception, but a misconception nonetheless, that the threads of Fate affect only heroes and kings. Even the lowliest of cutthroats and Free Traders are subject to Fate's whims.
--Captain Evander Augustine
DISCLAIMER: This RP is intended for mature roleplayers, and will likely contain content objectionable to younger members. For the sake of realism, there are no rules restricting language or violence within the roleplay, though in keeping with Roleplay Gateway's rules, explicit sexual content is to be taken elsewhere. Please see the site's rules about sexual content if you are unsure whether your post violates the rules or not.
Story
A little over one year ago, a familiar ship sailed into Puerto Del Sol, expecting a warm welcome and a place to repair their battered ship in the harbor town where their captain had been born. What they were met with, however, was a full scale military assault by Her Majesty's Royal Navy, and hampered as the ship was, she stood no chance of escape. On suspicion of piracy, the crew was taken captive and the captain put to death, a warning to those that might have followed in his footsteps. The ship now lies at the bottom of the ocean, rotted and irredeemable, a symbol of the dreams the Free Traders who manned it had lost.
The death of Captain Augustine and the disbanding of the Torch's veteran crew served just as the Navy had intended: many merchants and sailors resigned from the Free Trader's Guild, bringing about its collapse. While some still fly the colors of the Guild, the only resistance to Her Majesty's absolute restriction of trade is that of an anarchist band of privateers known as the Sea Wolves, whose tactics are both morally and psychologically questionable.
After years of toil by Her Majesty's Navy, piracy is as good as dead in the world of A'erlon. However, there are those who would see it revived, if only they could come up with the crew and capital to do so. Many crewmen from captured Free-Trader vessels still walk free, though most of them remain under surveillance by Her Majesty's Navy. The wizard-laden kingdom of Aristos has given refuge to a handful of native born Free Traders, including the Guild's founders, but the majority of these are wanted men the moment they step outside of their sanctuary.
A few brave souls looking to bring the spirit of the Free Traders back to life have found themselves in Puerto Del Sol, and must form a rag-tag alliance that will either make or break the resurrection of the pirate way of life in A'erlon.
Rules
- Perhaps the most important of all rules on any roleplay is the following: play fair. That means no god-modding, power-playing, auto-hitting, or anything along those lines that I may have left out. When making judgment calls, I will treat these matters very strictly--if there is not a suitable explanation for the behavior in a previous post or in your character sheet (for example, if your character pulls out a gun and there is no indication that s/he owns one at all), then your action is null and void. In some circumstances, the opposing character will get a free hit in on your character, because I'm sadistic. But if you play fair, you won't have to worry about that.
- Against my better judgement, I'm not requiring sample posts with your character applications. However, it is my intention that this be a more serious, long-term roleplay, even if it moves a little slower than less serious stories elsewhere. A decent level of grammatical aptitude is to be expected!
- Average word count minimum of around 350, please and thank you. Yes, I did say average--I'm not crazy. I know that not every good roleplayer can come up with a 350+ word response every time they post, so if you turn out a couple of shorter posts, so long as you average out to around 350 (I'm not going to be doing the math, just eyeballing), there will be no problem.
- Please be realistic with your characters. If your orphaned pirate princess doesn't have deep psychological issues, then you're doing something wrong. Tragic back-stories should not produce well adjusted characters, and normal backgrounds should not produce psychotic characters, etc..
- While there are many clichèd ideas that are perfectly realistic in execution, I try to strain as many of them out of my roleplays as possible, simply out of caution. If you feel that your character might be mistaken for an evil clichè monster, but are confident in their development, you may send me a PM with a sample post, and that should clear up any misconceptions.
- To keep up the pace, individuals who are leaving indefinitely or for prolonged periods of time should make arrangements for their characters, either by conveniently misplacing them within the roleplay or arranging for one of their friends to take them up in their absence.
- In order to balance the characters properly, fewer pirate characters will be approved than navy characters, and everyone will be expected to contribute to the NPC pool (which will be available with a brief description in the forthcoming OOC thread!). If you're still reading, place three consecutive asterisks somewhere in your character sheet.
- I'll probably decide to allow other ships before long, which will be specified in the locations tab. If you would like your own ship, let me know, but don't be terribly ridiculous about it--if there are already fifteen ships on the ocean, I'm not going to add more unless we have insane amounts of players, which I we will.
- Be respectful, have fun, and do something incredibly stupid!
Characters
Nina Augustine -- Daughter of Evander Augustine, profile available soon. Omega_Pancake
Available Characters
For those of you that don't feel like creating a character especially for this roleplay, you may want to consider the characters below.
- *Fleet Admiral Edwin Marius -- Father of the Marius boys, currently in his late thirties. His character is open for interpretation.
- *Evan Marius -- Seventeen years old, this young soldier was present for the hanging of Captain Augustine one year ago. He is an idealist, and would like to be able to say he was a munitions-expert, but his chosen profession has been expressly forbidden by his father in favor of a more subservient and military-minded career.
- *Ethan Marius -- The youngest son of Fleet Admiral Marius at fifteen years of age, this boy spent several months aboard Captain Augustine's ship, getting to know the crew and fishing out the truth of the ship's activities. Unlike his idealist older brother, Ethan is ruthless and cold, following in the footsteps of his father. It was on his testimony that Captain Augstine was hanged.
- Fenton Knobell -- A disfigured man of around forty years, Fenton spent several years as the weapons master on Evander's ship. His face is burned and scarred in places from his years as a blacksmith on land, as well as from injuries he's taken over the years. Despite his gruff exterior, the captain's daughter (his only pupil in swordplay) often thought of him as a second father-figure.
- Maria Aliberti -- At fifty four years of age, Maria was the second-oldest member of Evander's crew, second only to her husband, Valetin. She served as the navigator for nearly thirty years before the ship's sinking, and took on the task of mothering Captain Augustine's daughter after her mother's death.
- Valetin Aliberti -- An aging doctor in his early sixties, Valetin was the oldest member of the ship's crew before its sinking, and provided both advice and medical assistance when either was required. While he is a good man at heart, his compassion is sometimes overcome by his curiosity at the science of things.
* These characters will likely not come in for another year or so in game.
The Story So Far
Not available, as the roleplay hasn't started.
Resources
There will be a map, links to extended character profiles, links to character journals, and any other material players would like to provide, as soon as this information comes up. PM Omega_Pancake and your link, should it prove relevant, will be posted.
