When two halves make a whole in dire straits,
An empire long dead is now reborn,
And serpents’ venom shall seal all our fates,
A scaly boot to crush all with its scorn,

But lion’s pride and noblesse meets the foe,
On battlefields of wood in seas of blue,
With claws and teeth of iron it will show,
That weapons through a serpent’s scales strike true.

And as these titans meet beneath the sun
The scavengers of seas begin to prowl
They pillage, rape and plunder for their fun
In wake of battles, deeds are done most foul

But a fourth force has taken to the sea,
A force not lion, scavenger or snake,
Before their wake the enemies do flee,
The colours that they fly do the nerves shake.

They fight for noble deeds and just rewards,
These dauntless Heroes on a Sea of Swords.

- Sonnet of the Water War, by Ahmis Rothan.

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The Midnight Mirage sits at dock in the bustling port of Muarzibet, the City of God. The crew are busy readying the ship for when next her famous indigo sails unfurl, since they'll be hoisting anchor in a day or two.

On deck, Captain Shaur al-Farid stands with her First Mate, the comically piratical lizardfolk Caal One-Eye, her Quartermaster, the mysterious Kalam Delat, and her six Hunters. The Dervish of Adimas, Kihtsah Darimil; the Living Swarm Mage, Amirah; the Captain's Warforged Bodyguard, Medinah; the ship's eccentric Alchemist, Rahman Shamis; the ship's Medic and cleric of Daq, Teshiq; and her new Cadre Mage, Hakhpur gar Mubrak.

Alright, Hunters, you lot have the day off. You too, Medinah. I'm off to the Sultan's Palace to get our snake-man hunting license. Caal is coming with me - Kalam's in charge while I'm gone. You're free to leave the ship and roam the city, see the sights. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Don't kill anybody, unless they really deserve it. That's all. Have a nice day. explains the half-marid captain, grinning her sharp-toothed grin.
I shall follow your lead, Captain, adds the lizardfolk with the eyepatch, and barring any questions from her Hunters, the Captain leads her First Mate onto the pier and into the city proper.

Kalam smiles. Well, you whelps best have fun while you can. With all those snakes out there fer us to kill, you might not get a chance to enjoy the city like this for quite some time. Don't worry, I can... ah... how is it said in the Common tongue? Ah, yes, "hold down the fort", here. Run along, says the sleek-furred Gnoll with his typical cynical derisive tone.