Prepare for the #LodanRespawn2024 Existing characters may choose to be displace from/have memories of different timelines, thereby allowing returning members the option to retcon their whole character. These changes are the result of the "Unnatural Fog" plot device that is running between now and the Respawn. The plot is simple: no matter where your character is, that place is shrouded in a thick fog that suspends time, but not thoughts or memories, so even if they're repeating the same day over and over again, they continue to remember, so each time feels like a new day. For those retconning OCs; this is where new versions of themselves have the opportunity to replace the old versions. Official lore and tree updates will be announced asap
Post by Caitlin Cockfoster on Jan 17, 2015 1:18:55 GMT
OPEN TO RUFFIO AND THE BOR Caitlin had told the new recruit to meet her on the skydocks, but when he arrived she'd be the last person he'd find. Instead, she was located somewhere in the depths of the borderland forest, dressed in her typical steam-pirates gear, leaving the prim and proper baroness in the city. Out here it didn't matter how she looked. In her hand she carried a set of binoculars. Her sword was out and she along with her handful of bandits were swinging away at the vines and cutting through the thickets toward "the spot". Tonight's test was for more than just one of her rogues. She bit her bottom lip and pressed on. This was more than their typical run-of-the-mill trials. She was risking a lot more in this task.
"I see them now," her firstmate, Juniper stated, pointing skyward. The sun was sinking, the clouds bathed in a weird reddish orange light. Caitlin lifted her binoculars and took a closer look at the speck floating in their direction above the canopy of trees.
"Calypso, right on time." She whispered. "Levi should be meeting with Ruffio now on the skyharbor. Then, the show will begin...." She handed her binoculars to Rava to give the girl a look too. They would stand by, waiting, and watching. Caitlin chewed her lip again. She could lose two of her assets tonight. Not to mention every man or woman on them. But she'd come into a new acquisition and it needed a captain. And her recruit needed a trial. Two birds: one stone. under her breath she prayed they both knew how to fly.
She sat her glass down next to the decanter and leaned back. This was nice... like falling into a vat of marshmallow fluff. Calm, muffled, the rest of the world blocked out by the closed door to his cabin, and here they were safe inside. Safe from reality, safe from their own complicated lives. Safe from duty. Safe from context. Just. Safe. --Caitlin
Levi's has been giving the privilege of flying one of Caitlin's airships, and it wasn't without the threats of the Queen herself. "AND IF IT DOESN'T COME BACK!" blahblahblah, he thought to himself with a smirk. It's been a breeze gliding through the clouds, his hat tucked down to keep wind from his face, and his coat blowing in the wind. He drops the lock on the wheel, and exits the cockpit to rapidly down the small flight of stairs. He yells out to a few crew members "Find me the new recruit!" As he approaches starboard side. He puts his hands on the rails and leans forward, looking down at the trees below. He wiggles his nose and brings up a spot of flem before spewing it over the side. He waits until the male comes up beside him. He offers him a once over and raises his eyebrow. "Ya' aint ever been on an airship before? Ah, who cares. Not I." Says the catboy. He gestures with one arm towards the orange tinted clouds. "Caity told me to look over you for the day. She says ya' are the new blood, and you've got some trials coming up." He scowls and his facial muscles move the metal studs, causing them to glint from the sunlight. He stands up right and looks at the long haired boy next to him. "She calls me Levi, you call me Captain." He extends a young hand to him and waits for his response.
Watching the young individual talking to him Ruffio stands, his eyes do not blink as he quietly takes in the young lad with his peripheral so as not to break contact. With a disarming smirk Ruffio says "Captain is it? I'm supprised m'lady does not just cut to the chance and say boy....?" Ruffio turns to take in the open sky and continues to speak "M'lady knows me only as Ruffio... but you may call me YOUR challenge" Ruffio knew he was playing a dangerous game turning his back on this lad, but getting a strong sense of Levi's character he continued to stand and wait for his response.
Rava took the binoculars that Caitlin gave to her to look through, this was going to be a long night , maybe longer then her own trial as far as she know. she handed back Caitlin's binoculars "so this new guy?" she asked as she made sure that her 2 matchlock pistols where loaded "what do we expect?" Rava asked as she look at the Bandits that where joining them , they looked new and fresh off training ,was this the result from the knowledge of her grandfather's Codex since they looked like they where copying a lot of stuff? Rava was not sure, however she did have to be on guard for monsters that could come the ruin the moment.
she made sure her leather armor was ok as she know this was her second time they could be doing a big old fight. and she made sure she was ready beyond normal.
Levi's face splits into a grin. We've got a hard-arse, eh? He would've done the same thing. He drops his hand and walks past Ruffio, pushing him with a shoulder as he passes. "I've never had a challenge, Kiddo. I don't ask, I take." He ascends the steps and takes position behind the wheel before dropping his hand down to his waist. He pulls out an eye-glass and rotates the golden-trim around the end, zooming into the distance. Levi scrunches his face as a piece of steel breaks the clouds. He continues watching until the blimp his shown. He snaps the instrument shut and steps around the wheel so he can look over the board of his ship. "The time is nigh' gents! We got a flyer dead ahead!" He calls out to the men below him, who momentarily stopped to look and listen. Levi steps around to his captain's position and lifts the lock from the wheel. He grabs a spindle with one hand and throws it to the right and uses his free hand to pull the knob under the glass tube, causing steam to slowly leak out of it and cause the pointer to drop indicating them lowering in height. He turns to his co-pilot and nods at him. "Get the crew ready, we'll aim guns at them. Hold fast, for we fire second. We'll hide in the clouds until they get close. Have flares set up and ready to go." Levi grabs the wheel and spins it to the left to hold the ship in a linear motion. He grabs the lever that's to the left side of him and pulls it back, the metal giving a heavy grind until a satisfying thunk is heard and the forward propeller's power cuts, killing some noise and effectively keeping them still as they descend into the clouds below. He turns to Ruffio. "Alright loser, ya' want a challenge?" Levi whips a pistol from his belt and tosses it to the man knowing damned well he can't use it himself. "Don't lose your head." Levi lowers the lock and pushes in the knob after reaching an acceptable height. He pulls out his spyglass and watches, marking out their distance to the best of his abilities.
Ruffio catches the gun in hand and gives a slight chuckle and says to himself "2 nicknames, he must like me..." Casually Ruffio tucks the pistol into his belt on his back. He lifts his head up and looks out to the ship in the distance getting closer, he then speaks loudly in the direction of Levi "Finally some excitement, I was beginning to think you didn't know how to have fun"
Post by Caitlin Cockfoster on Jan 17, 2015 2:53:52 GMT
Caitlin paced. The team behind her took up post. Some in trees, some in shadows. Some NOT in shadows, but staring at them with fearful eyes. Sure they were away from the dangers in the sky by staying on the ground. But the ground was crawling with its own dangers - after the sun set, there would be nothing but the sparks of exchange of fire to warn them if a shadow beast were about to pounce.
"His name is Ruffio, he's a bit egotistical from what I've seen, but then again - most of us are." She gave a slight smile to Rava. They all had their own challenges to face when they joined the guild, and most of them discovered the biggest hurdle to face was usually themselves.
Caitlin met a pair of glowing eyes, waiting in the darkness, watching like the rest. They had a job to do too - but it would come later. Until then, they had to keep themselves safe - and alive - for the encore.
Inside Calypso's airship, holed up in Navigation she called out orders, and caressed her blaster in her arms like a small puppy. "Don't be shy dungheaps - give 'em hell! On her ladyships orders - and mine!" Her grin was malicious, never before had the queen of rogues given them license to use each other for target practice. This was one of her favorite games to play - the do what ever the frak I want and get away with it game. She couldn't stand by and watch the glory from inside, Calypso turned on her high heeled boots and headed for the door. She wanted to hang from the rigging lines and fire the gatling gun herself!
"Maddie," She coo'd sweetly to a ginger haired man. Her smile stretched even wider. "Want to test your skills against mine? I'll take starboard, you take port!" then laughed as she bounded out the door, heading for the arsenal, pulling the goggles down low over her eyes.
She sat her glass down next to the decanter and leaned back. This was nice... like falling into a vat of marshmallow fluff. Calm, muffled, the rest of the world blocked out by the closed door to his cabin, and here they were safe inside. Safe from reality, safe from their own complicated lives. Safe from duty. Safe from context. Just. Safe. --Caitlin
Post by Mad Rook Madiggan on Jan 17, 2015 3:20:14 GMT
Mad Rook Madiggan grinned and spat the toothpick from his mouth. Showtime! "Well, dearest Captain, let's go catch me a ship!" He stood up from his slouched seat and headed for his bunk. Time to gear up and get ready. "Hey Vark, how many of my little firecracker's did you finish?"
Vark, a brown man of middle height and hefty weight grinned from a work bench set up deeper in the ship. "Got twenny for ya. Gonna be flappin' ya liddle birdie wings den?" The man stuffed the last of a series of small round grenades into a satchel and offered them to Rook.
"Yeah. I'm hopin' if I wreck this brat then I'm hopin' I can make that ship mine. You gonna come with me if I do?"
"No, liddle birdie. My place be wit Calypso. She been good ta me." Vark removed a shotgun from beneath his work table and made his way towards the deck of the ship. "Ya be needin' ta really make'a mark if ya t'inkin' ya gonna take dat ship."
Rook shook his head and grinned. As Vark left, he opened up his weapons chest, where he kept all of his toys, and began filling up. "Let's see... some of these, a couple of those... two or three of these... oh! Lots of these..." Rook spoke to himself as he loaded up his bomb satchel with his supplies. Two bundles of ten sticks per bundle dynamite, five preserved firebombs that were little more than specialized molotovs, three gas bombs, and a heaping twelve shrapnel grenades. This'd be fun. He quickly traveled topside and looked at the weapons platforms he had available. On the port side there were two heavy gatlings, one flamethrower, and two heavy cannons. After some not so careful deliberation, Madiggan placed himself on the fore gatling gun and readied the weapon. He grinned and clenched the weapon's firing mechanisms in his hands while he waited. "So, Cap, when's the rat gonna show his sorry face? I wanna say hello with a nice warm boom."
Levi looks over at Ruffio, his blood-lust showing in his eyes. "Listen here, boy. If you want to give me a run for my money, you sure as hell better show me what you can do." He throws an accusing finger up at the man and directs him upstairs, above the railing Levi stood on. "I'm gonna need you to take orders once in your life." Levi calls to him with a grunt as he snaps the lever out of position, and sets the boost-fan in a slow whirling motion, the sound of chopping air coming to life. "It ain't hard, any dolt could do it! Just do what I yell!" And with that, Levi has disappeared down the steps in a brown-coated flash.
Levi sets up one of the craziest blokes on what he dubbed 'The Masquerade.' The gun it's self is a rotary-barrel styled cannon of sorts able to give off a blaze of glory into the sky. He mats the mate on the shoulder. "You hold your finger until you're told to." He says with a nod before grabbing a Gizmo and Geo and setting them on the Gatling-Gun sitting next to The Masquerade. Gizmo was a big fella' with an eye-patch, though one crack shot. Geo wasn't anything but a few sticks taped together with ligaments. "I want you boys to give them hell when I give the word. Geo, keep those bets fed, Gizmo, I want you to melt that damned barrel!" Levi comes back up to his post after checking the forward mounted weaponry is in check after giving his port-side a run down. He pays no mind to the recruit and looks up to the Ace Machine above his post. "I've seen you shoot before, and I ain't want you doing nothing funny just because I'm the pilot today!" He says with his face distorting into a snarl. The man pats the beast on what could be considered the stock of the weapon. It's a long-shot rifle, firing rounds bigger then what could be fired out of a normal rifle....way bigger. Levi never understood something of that sort, but hey.
Levi climbs back into position and slowly pushes the lever forward, giving the ship forward boost, just enough to keep them sailing forward at a nice pace.
With a half serious salute Ruffio turns calmly around and heads towards the railing. Standing there Ruffio turns his right wrist in circles and then quickly sticks his hand into his pocket and pulls out his coin. "Heads we live, tails we die" With short quick flip the coin goes up and just as quick Ruffio snatches the coin. Opening his hand he see looks at the coin "Heads, of course...." His gaze goes up to the incoming ship and his normal bright playful gaze turns calm... cold... and quite serious.... He whispers "Wakened, the winged and winsome wind wandered westerly while whistling witchery. It waltzed whimsically within woodlands - whooshing, then whipping willows. Worn, it waned. . . whispering wistfully..."
Post by Caitlin Cockfoster on Jan 17, 2015 5:07:01 GMT
Calypso couldn't hear the redheads remark over the hum of the engines or the wap wap wap of the rotating turbines. Instead she answered him by getting into her turret and setting her sights on the approaching vessel. Queenies acquisition. A ship Calypso HELPED acquiest. Which meant she had the honor of tearing it to shreads a second time. Her face hurt from smiling so hard. She lined up the cross hairs on her scope and let off a burst of fire.
She fired the first shot.
There was a brief moment of silence as disbelief hung in the air... time stood still and even the engines and the turbines noise faded into the background. Then the moment was past and everything rang out with a loud Roar!
"FIRE!!!" the ship rocked with acceleration as the pilot still in the navigation chamber pushed the lever and urged them to full tilt. the game was afoot
She sat her glass down next to the decanter and leaned back. This was nice... like falling into a vat of marshmallow fluff. Calm, muffled, the rest of the world blocked out by the closed door to his cabin, and here they were safe inside. Safe from reality, safe from their own complicated lives. Safe from duty. Safe from context. Just. Safe. --Caitlin
as they took up there places Rava watched the skies as the ships took fire on each other , this was the 1st time she has seen that was not on the sea, never the less considering what was happening it sounded a lot like the training she did when they did combat back in her younger years. she turned to her friend commander and asked "hay Cait? have you been using the codex for training these bandits? they feel like my pass family the way they are moving. and the way they are holding there weapons" she had to know just in case they where for something .
Turning towards Levi Ruffio shouts "So what is the plan el capitan? I would hope that you have something more fun than "wait till the whites of your eyes" in store for taking on our adversaries..." Ruffio continued, "I would like to think that m'lady allowed you the right to call yourself captain for a reason better than pitty..." With a playful smirk Ruffio allowed those last few words to drift into the air with jest as turned back to face the oncoming ship with a hearty laugh.
Ikuze had been asked to keep an eye on the ship that the new recruit was being tested on, as well as other another member of the crew. Since she had next to none in terms of know how for ships, air or otherwise, she'd kept herself in the crow's nest, or whatever the hell it was called on an Airship, and out of everybody's way. The thief strummed idly away on her guitar, going over the events of the last few days and finding herself feeling a little... disjointed. On the one hand, she'd not had to undergo the ritual of marriage to someone she had barely met and knew, thus giving Stephen and Danielle another shot at things... but on the other hand, after all she and Stephen had been through, the blue haired thief had found herself growing... actually quite fond of the cat-loving, mismatched eyes killer... She sighed as she recalls that if she had not said a thing to either Danny that night, or told Stephen that Danielle was there at the wedding... But of course if they'd been discovered for what they truly were...
Her thoughts were interrupted as the sound of a cannon firing reached her ears. When the ship shook from the impact, the blue haired guitarist looked over from her perch down to the "Captain" and the recruit. "YOU TWO GONNA ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING, OR ARE WE JUST TO BE TARGET PRACTICE FOR THE OTHER BOAT EH?!" she shouted down. "AND DON'T TRY ANYTHING WITH ME AND ORDERS "CAPTAIN"! I'M JUST HERE AS AN OBSERVER!"
Post by Caitlin Cockfoster on Jan 19, 2015 5:02:13 GMT
Caitlin looked up, everyone did, shots had been fired. Calypso fired first - go figure.
She sighed, gripped the hilt of her sword, and drummed her fingers on the grip. She answered Rava in muted tones, without taking her eyes off the sky.
"Not really, we've been doing things this way for a long time - since before your indoctrination - the standard method that got us through the war with the assassins guild..." The same war that started a civil war among all the guilds. It had begun, back in the early days, with a two way feud between pirates and assassins, ages ago when there were ten guilds and not just the five. "Our approach has always been to throw a big net, trap all the little birdies in the middle, and close the gaps from every angle." She shrugged. "We have the manpower, the resources, no sense in not covering all our bases. The real magic is how we handle spontaneity, how we think on our feet, move with the flare pirates, rogues and thieves are best known for."
Caitlin had read the codex though, and though she despised the Stag Beetle bandits, she couldn't argue against their tactics. But she wasn't about to trade hers out for theirs, when it was her own tactics that had bested the Stag Beetles in their own territory, and eradicated the never-ending mutiny that spanned generations of Rava's bloodline. In all honestly, after reading all that there was to read in the codex, she was shocked they'd gotten away with the same repetition for so many generations and against the same family. Rava too - had fallen prey to the disgusting ritual. Rava still had the scar across her torso from it. Caitlin wasn't going to point that out though. Would be rude to remind her.
She sat her glass down next to the decanter and leaned back. This was nice... like falling into a vat of marshmallow fluff. Calm, muffled, the rest of the world blocked out by the closed door to his cabin, and here they were safe inside. Safe from reality, safe from their own complicated lives. Safe from duty. Safe from context. Just. Safe. --Caitlin
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