the Crimson Gale IC

[Vox Clamantis]

'Call her 'the Gale' and treat her fancy.'
- Captain Meroveus' formula for welcoming new hands

It was a bitter cold winter, with frequent storms to freeze the rigging and slick her deck with frost any ship who chanced a voyage. Few merchantmen would dare to sail far from land in such weather, and few pirates would dare to berth too long for fear of the bounty upon their heads. So the pirates froze and starved at sea and the sailors of the merchant marine grew fat and disorderly in seaside taverns, each yearning for the end of the season and the resumption of their turbulent affair with the sea.

The Crimson Gale, her crew more daring than most, settled into a smuggler's cove and let anchor for the duration. There she sat with a skeleton crew in her hold while the remainder enjoyed the respite and counted their shares. Some took their chances on the open road and were caught and hung, while others made their way in from the coast to barter and trade in the cities that knew nothing of piracy. Members of the crew came and went at whim, there being no contract to honor or break. A pirate sails for his own reasons and at his own discretion.

Throughout it all, the Captain stayed aboard ship, locked in his cabin or taking his ease upon the polished deck, eager to make for open waters. A quarter century at sea had conditioned him too well to the roll of the waves and the salt of the sea breezes. Dry land was foreign to him, and upon it he trespassed infrequently and with strange formality.

---

The end of the season has come, and what members of the crew intend to set sail again are returning to the hidden berth of the Crimson Gale. A shallow inlet protects the Gale from coastal currents, and a small shack with a trap door under the rug has enough room in its basement for supplies and several long tables. It is customary for pirates to decide matters of a voyage ashore, where the captain holds no authority. 'Tis morning of the day before you've agreed to meet, but only the captain and a handful of the crew have yet returned.

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Introduce yourselves by making an appearance in what manner and at which time you deem fitting. If you have never sailed with this crew before, include some reference to how you discovered the location of the secret cove.

[Polymath]

Alluvial

The old Illumian grinned with satisfaction, snapping his compass shut and stowing it in his pack with a practiced motion. It had taken more than a month of research, rumor-mongering, and exploration, but at last the winter port of the near-legendary Crimson Gale was before him--the fact that it had been so difficult for even one so well-versed in legend and lore to find was a testament to the crew's clever choice of a hiding spot, a fact which the scholar took as a favorable portent for the voyage to come. He started down the steep sandy path leading from the ridge to the beach below, carefully using his staff to probe the steps just ahead of him for stability, then levering himself down the slope with surprising agility.

Of course, the tale of Captain "Lighthouse" and the Crimson Gale was well known even to those with a passing interest in such stories, but this hidden cove's location had been significantly more difficult to discern; Alluvial had never been one to shy from an exploratory challenge, though, and now his research had paid off. The thought that the Gale's crew might not welcome him as an addition never even crossed his mind; aside from the matter of the heritage shared by him and the captain (a fact which mattered little to Alluvial and, he suspected, just as little to the veteran pirate), the old man was possessed of an unshakable confidence in his own worth that was born of long years of self-sufficiency on the road. He had used the time of his search to absorb all he could about the ways of the sea, devouring tome and treatise alike until he felt comfortable enough with the necessary skills (at least in abstract).

He crossed the beach toward the small cabin (and great ship beyond), leaving an odd, three-legged trail of step-limp-staff in the sand behind him. The faintly glowing Illumian sigils danced their slow waltz around his head, their soft gray light matching the slate color of the pounding, late-winter sea almost exactly. Another few minutes of slogging through the deep sand, and Alluvial found himself at the door to the abandoned-looking shack.

Seeing the shack empty so far, he eased himself down on the sand, propped his staff up against the wall of the shack, and waited for an existing member of the crew to come along. His search for the lost civilization of Truenamers--their island having vanished from the seas almost 1,000 years ago, so the legends whispered--had been decades long, and another few hours would not make the difference. Besides, the idea of bursting uninvited into a pirate gathering did not particularly appeal to him; he had far too much work left to do to have it all ended at the point of a cutlass. Removing a wicked looking tangle of knotted rope from his bag, he set about untangling and retangling it, idly waiting for someone with the authority to invite him below to happen by...

[DJDeMiko]

Renato

Renato flew through the air borne aloft by what looked like a great cloak of darkness and carefully watched the night. As he approached the cove he slowed and landed softly in a large tree. He pulled a weathered looking glass from a pouch at his waist and scanned the boat, shack and sou rounding area. While the dark landscape was lit only by the moon, his keen eye was able to pick up enough detail for him to feel safe. He carefully placed the looking glass back into his bag and jumped back into the air.

Renato dropped low, only a few feat above the swells and hurtled towards the ship. It will be good to be back, he thinks as he pulls one of the many permanently lit objects he carries from the pouch at his waist. The small item, shaped like a baseball cut in half, emits light only from the flat side. As he flies towards he boat he begins flashing the light, covering and uncovering it with his hand in a series of long and short flashes that would let anyone watching on the boat know that he was one of their own.

He alofts softly on the boat, nods to the few on watch who call out "Ho Renato" and exchanges hand shakes and small jokes with them. one of the men calls out "Quit wasting time Renato, where's the loot you promised us."

Renato laughs and reaches into his bag. he begins to hand out the items he had promised those stuck caring for the boat. The items are small and basic, but for each man represent a luxury that they had long ran out of. Chocolates for one, a pack of letters for another, a dirty picture book for another and so on. Each thank him and he exchanges a few words with them and calls out "Now get back on watch before the captain notices and skins my hide for distracting you all."

Renato heads to his bunk and stows his gear, happy to be back home. The first ship he had been on in years that did not shun him as demon spawn just because of his abilities.

[AmberVael]

Asuya

Surprisingly enough, Asuya is one of the first to return, a whirring of air and huge leathery wings announcing her arrival at the designated shack. As she lands, the magic that allowed her flight fades, the wings merging into her back smoothly. She has a happy grin on her face and a haversack over her shoulder, and overall looks like she has recently had the time of her life. With a careless flick of her hand she brushes her teal hair back, then starts moving towards the building before her with long strides.

She gives Alluvial a curious glance as she approaches, certain that she didn't recognize him from any previous venture... but then again, a crew always needed new hands, so it wasn't completely surprising to see someone there. Without much more thought on the matter, Asuya greets him with a wave, and when she's close enough to where she won't have to raise her voice too much, she addresses him.

"Hello there! Not many venture to this cove who have not seen it before; are you joining the crew, or have you some other purpose for being here?"

Asuya's words and voice are curious. There is a hint of a sailor's accent to them, but the majority of her speech seems influenced more by the speech of nobility, even if it was less flowery. Though Asuya has had kinship and had spent the majority of her life with the common folk and the men who sailed the sea, her childhood was longer than most, and the noble influence impacted her to an extent that might not be entirely unexpected. Still, it is no doubt strange to hear among pirates, especially if one does not know her past.

The sorceress moves the rest of the way to the shack and pauses, looking down at Alluvial. Her smile is friendly enough, and after but a moment she offers her hand to him in an amiable fashion.

"Asuya, Master Gunner of the Crimson Gale. Beautiful ship, isn't she?" Asuya remarks, glancing back at where the vessel is anchored.

[DJDeMiko]

Renato

The next day Renato heads up to the shack to meet the others and finds Asuya and Alluvial.

"Ho Asuya," he says pleasantly. "It's good ta see ya again. I hope ya enjoyed ya winter travels."

He looks to the man with the staff, "And who is this newcoma?"

[Polymath]

Alluvial

Looks up from his knot as Asuya's figure emerges over the hilltop, watching with bright eyes as she glides gracefully to a landing in front of him. He accepts her outstretched hand readily, and leverages himself up with her help and support from the wall behind him. Taking his staff in hand, he looks her over, nodding.

Going places that few have seen is something of a hobby of mine; you might call me a collector of experiences, I suppose. Your powers of reason quite astute: I am indeed here to seek a position aboard the Crimson Gale.

He affects a shallow bow, grimacing as a few of his joints pop with stiffness from the cold morning air and his long sit.

I am called Alluvial, and like yourself I intend to seek my fortune on the open ocean. Perhaps less like you--though I shall not presume to make assumptions as to your motivations--the fortunes I seek are less material and more insubstantial. To use the popular parlance, I am a scholar, a seeker of knowledge. Your speech patterns mark you as one of noble heritage, or at least formal education; I shall admit that I am surprised and delighted to be first introduced to a sailor with something of a pedigree--I have harbored a secret fear for some time now that my more complex locutions might go uncomprehended.

He turns with Asuya to look on the Gale, nodding with appreciation.

Beautiful, yes. A masterful piece of craftsmanship. I am something of a boatwright myself--no more than a hobbyist really--but I can certainly appreciate the depth of skill that was required in its construction. A fine ship, yes.

Alluvial turns back to Asuya, and gives her a quizzical, searching look for a moment, then with characteristic open curiosity asks

If I may be so bold, that display there he nods toward the sky suggests that you may be of partially draconic heritage. It was a wyrm who gave me this scar--Alluvial thumps his left leg with his staff--though rest assured that I bear your ancestors no generalized malice, if indeed I am correct in my assessment. The gunner you say? Marvelous! Might I ask the constitution of your cannon powder? I have read that sulfur is the common reagent used for its synthesis, yet such material has intrinsically corrosive properties that make its long term storage problematic; I shall be quite intrigued to see how you have solved this problem.

Alluvial continues to chatter in this vein, following Asuya without prompting if she continues into the shack, otherwise simply continuing to speculate aloud to himself.

[Whiplord]

Lucivar

Lucivar walked down the forest path at a slow and measured gait, taking his time to reach his destination. As his feet tapped out there natural rhythm on the dirt path, small whirlwinds and clouds of dust rose up just as his feet fell. Some might have considered it an annoyance, for assuredly, his boots and clothes were now covered in the stuff, but Lucivar took a certain pleasure from it.

Only weeks earlier, there would have been no dust, as the ground would have been too frozen, or too damp. Lucivar despised the Winter season above any other. On the island where he had been born, snow was so rare as to be non-existent, and having never been conditioned to the frozen droplets of water, he wasn't about to try and start now.

Although it was not the snow that bothered Lucivar most about the Winter. It was the bone biting chill that came with it. So cold as to make one's very bones ache from it. It made any sort of thinking or planning a very difficult task indeed.

But now, spring was here at last, and he could get back to a normal routine. The smile became slightly wider as he thouht on just what exactly his normal routine was now. If someone had told the young boy in the temple of Fharlangn that he would be one of the most formidable pirates on the sea when he grew up, he would have laughed in their face.

Or, considering the boy in the temple, he would have respectfully honored their opinion, and then ask if they wished to see Father Ryan. Father Ryan was most skilled at dealing with disease of the mind.

Lucivar spit over his shoulder. The gesture had a dual meaning. One was an expression of distaste for the naive boy he had been, and the other a superstitious warding of bad luck he had picked up from one of his crewmates.

It was silly, and yet it made him feel better. His thoughts returned to the present as the path opened up to a small inlet beach. He sighted the Crimson Gale out on the water, and then his attention shifts to the small shack with it's impromptu gathering of people out front.

He allowed himself another small grin as he teleported the remaining distance to the group, and clapped his sister on the shoulder. "Good to see you again Asuya, Renato." He looked over at the rambling old Illumian. "And you would be...?" He trailed off leaving the question plain in his speech, not bothering with any sort of formalities.

Lucivar had always loathed formalities and the intricate dance of speech that many performed in circles around their speech. Better to get to the point. If he offended someone, it wasn't his problem.

His speech, like that of his half-sister carried more than a small trace of the nobility to which he had been born too. Although he had left that life at a very early age, some combination of childlike nostalgia, and an adolescent arrogance had led to him keeping it. He had barely any trace of a common brogue to his elocution, and still remained somewhat proud of this fact.

Although he considered himself a pirate, Lucivar couldn't quit bring himself to adopt many of the habits of speech and behavior that many of his comrades had.

He gave his half-sister a brief one armed squeeze that might have been his idea of a hug, and then relinquished his grip, waiting for answers to his questions and greetings.

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You might say he expressively enunciated with elusive elegance.

He approached by walking close and then using Abrubt Jaunt to cover the final distance. If that doesn't work, we'll say he used Dim Door spontaneously from Travel domain.

[AmberVael]

Asuya

Asuya listens to Alluvial with what appears to be a bemused smile- though not an unkindly or distant one. Indeed, Alluvial may sense that her amusement stems from familiarity with his personality... and if he doesn't, he'll no doubt understand her amusement soon enough. With a soft chuckle, she remarks on his fears.

"Scholarly learning and knowledge are not areas of expertise for me, but I am not unused to them. Blame it on my brother- he's the scholar between us."

Asuya turns to Lucivar and gives him a full hug which makes his gesture look pathetic in comparison. She reaches up and ruffles his hair- which looks really quite odd. It's the type of thing one might do to a younger sibling that one teased, but considering that Lucivar was no less than three inches taller and looked to be about ten years older than his sister, it seemed out of place. Perhaps it was just Asuya's personality coming into play.

"It's been a little while! Didn't get yourself into too much trouble without me, I hope?" Asuya winks at him, knowing that Lucivar's trouble could never compare to hers.

After greeting her brother, the half dragon grins down at Alluvial and makes a gesture that displays her form, which may lead to a little staring, considering her exotic and yet beautiful nature. She doesn't seem to have any shame over it, but instead just draws attention to the various vestiges of draconic heritage on her- scales, strange eyes and hair, claws...
...a large, obvious tail.

"As for your observation, you don't need to see me summon wings to realize that more than a little draconic blood in me."

She nods and waves a greeting to Renato pleasantly enough.

"Renato, Lucivar- this is Alluvial. Apparently he's looking to join our crew." Asuya smiles, apparently not thinking it the least unusual that a strange, random scholar would show up and try and gain a place aboard the Crimson Gale. Or, if she does, she's not showing it.

Asuya leans up towards Lucivar to whisper in his ear.
"He's a scholar- maybe you two would have things to talk about and discuss during our voyages? That would be a change of pace for you."

[Whiplord]

Lucivar

Caught slightly off guard by Asuya's exuberant display of affection, Lucivar stiffened at first, but relaxed a second later.

Lucivar turned back to the jabbering scholar, and looked him carefully up and down once again, paying closer attention this time.

He bent slightly downwards so as to whisper back to Asuya. "What discussion? It would be me listening to him run his mouth."

[KevLar]

Shael

Sheal nears the cove in an obviously good mood, humming a tune and gazing at the sea, taking deep breaths of the morning breeze and seeming to burst with pride as soon as the Gale's sails come into view.

It was a long winter and a long wait, but she hadn't wasted a minute of it. She had swam in refreshingly cold waters, explored the northern coasts, discovered an underwater cave, and made friends with a venerable sea-turtle who had seen a lot in her life. She had also ventured inland, usually disguising herself as a fey who looks much like a handsome young man, stocked up supplies, learned a dozen tales, spread two dozen more, learned the usual gossip, and narrowly escaped capture - a night she forgot herself and her disguise ended while she was in the wrong, wrong company. Perhaps she should be cautious to not spread tales of her own deeds from now on, but it was too tempting. All in all, she couldn't complain. But she wouldn't stand another week on dry land either.

Now the nixie treads softly on the sand, and waves when she spots her shipmates from afar. There's the siblings and Renato...and an old man she's certain she's never seen before. From a distance, he doesn't look like a sailor.

"Way-hey there! Delighted to see y'all here." she says cordially as she approaches. "Oh I know the likes of you, I bet you can't wait to set sail again. Well neither do I!" she adds, smiling like a maniac, and then turns to the newcomer. Now that she's close to him, he still doesn't look like a sailor.

"And hullo, young man!" she exclaims, and stares thoughtfully at the sigils circling his head. "Hmm... now, you wouldn't be another o' the Captain's offspring by any chance, would you?"

She grins broadly.

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@polymath: All aboard the Crimson Vale! That's actually an ingenious ship name. If you can't beat them, confuse the hell out of them.

[Polymath]

Alluvial

The old man grins widely, seeming not to notice the aside between the two siblings.

Your brother! Yes, fantastic--the quintessential sibling team! Wonderful! Excellent teleportation trick there; quite an expedient way to move around, I'd say. You shall have to teach me how you pull it off when we are underway. He bows his stiff little half-bow again to the two newcomers, the tip of his forehead passing through the symbols circling his head, which vanish momentarily with a small puff of smoke, then reappear as he straightens again.

I am Alluvial, as your gunner here indicated, and I am quite pleased to become acquainted with all of you. It has been quite some time since I had any interlocutors, and I think ever so much better aloud than in my own head.

He turns to Lucivar, still grinning widely, and obviously pleased at the prospect of another scholar aboard.

Ah, another intellectual; it has been far too long. Tell me, what is your area of specialty? Are you familiar with Barnard's Beasts of the Briney Deep? I studied it extensively in preparation for the voyage, but I would be quite keen to hear an account first hand.

Alluvial looks up, his sharp eyes darting over yet another newcomer.

A nixie! This is shaping up to be even more of a fascinating voyage than I hoped for. Offspring of the captain you say? No, no, in fact I am several years his senior; I take it from your phrasing that there is a first offspring aboard? My sources never indicated a child--interesting. Your captain and I share a heritage, which I would be happy to go into further, you see..


He stops, blinking behind his spectacles, and looks around at the growing crowd.

I do not intend to expedite this happy reunion, but might we move indoors? This cold wet air wreaks havoc on my rheumatism, and it seems counterintuitive to remain out doors when we have such a clearly hospitable meeting place at hand.

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Haha! I didn't even notice that I'd done that! Thanks--though I think that sounds like a damn good policy :D

[Whiplord]

Lucivar

Lucivar sighed inwardly. He may as well try and get used to the prattling. On board the Gale it would be impossible to distance himself completely from the incessant stream of speech.

"Barnard? He's a hack. I think there was perhaps one correct item in there, concerning the movement habits of certain fish, but the rest was entirely drivel." His lip had curled up slightly in a sneer, expressing his distaste just as well as his statement itself did.

"As for my own studies, I am primarily concerned with the nature and study of magic, and similar such phenemona. Regardless, I imagine we will have many...exhaustive conversations."

At the mention of going inside, Lucivar nodded. "I suppose there is a slight chill in the air... I see no reason why we can't migrate." Saying so, he grasped the handle of the shack's door and pulled, entering in first, and giving the door a gentle shove with the heel of his hand so it would stay open enough for the next person.

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@polymath: I love your character.

[AmberVael]

Asuya

"Lucivar! Be nice." Whispers Asuya to her brother reprovingly. She gestures for Alluvial to enter first, then she will follow after, taking up the conversation again since Lucivar has proven himself incapable of being sociable with others. Again. One of these days, Asuya swears to herself, one of these days she'd find someone for the man to talk to besides herself.

"The Captain's daughter is his pride and joy, and the crew loves her too. But you say you're related to the Captain?" Asuya eyes Alluvial, finding that rather difficult to believe. "Distantly, perhaps?" A cousin perhaps, she could see. But not anyone very close to him- the Captain was far more serious, terse, and commanding than this man was. If they were closely related, then Asuya bet they had very different upbringings. The thought leads her to glance at her brother before she looks back at Alluvial, realizing that maybe there was a possibility after all.

[KevLar]

Shael

Shael has no idea who this Barnard is, but is pretty sure that he and his ilk wouldn't know to tell head from tail if they ever saw a "beast of the deep" up close. Not to mention they'd soil their pants.

She also wants very much to know how often, if at all, this Alluviar fellow has sailed in the past, and what exactly he could do on the Crimson Gale. But is afraid to ask. We'll sort it out later.

Before entering the shack, Shael tugs Renato's sleeve.
"Love, I have a proposal for ya. If we end up with'im on the Gale, find somethin' else to occupy yourself on your watch, and we assign him to be the lookout. We may all die horribly in a surprise attack, but it's worth the risk, eh?"
And she's doing the grin thing again.

Once inside, she goes straight to the trap door and raises her voice. "Come on, come on! We have plans to make, a course to set, jobs to assign! Hop in! Young man, you too!" And with that, she disappears to the basement.

[UglyPanda]

Vinnie

"Love of mine, someday you will die
but I'll be close behind.
I'll follow you, into the dark.
No blinding light or something something Argh."

"How was that, big guy? Am I even near the start of a new song?"

A halfling carrying a baroque guitar enters the cove. He is wearing a straw hat with a fur parka and fur pants. He is followed by a spiky reptile with a collar and a young troll carrying his personal effects.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Performing tonight for your enjoyment is everyone's favorite entertainment duo, Vincent Nolast and Krag!"

[Polymath]

Alluvial

Reshouldering his small leather pack, Alluvial follows the group inside, nodding in thanks to Asuya.

Why thank you, young lady--and to think they say pirates lack manners. Ha! When this is all over, I shall have to publish a treatise on my experience, and I will endeavor to correct this misconception of course!

The Illumian is visibly distressed at Lucivar's reprobation of Barnard.

Do you really say so? Oh dear, oh dear--I do wish the peer review process for such texts was more rigorous, I've been saying that for years. There's far too much room for fabrication.

He considers for a moment, then seems to brighten, a smile once more gracing his lined and weathered face.

Ah well, I suppose it is just one more error that I shall have to set right in my own account of the ocean's dangers. I shall have my work cut out for me, it seems.

Falling into step beside Asuya, he pauses for a moment to consider before answering her question.

Illumian society is...rather unusual. Your Captain Meroveus and I share a cabal--what your might consider a very extended family--in common, though we both have long since left it behind. In fact, I had long since struck out on the road to continue my studies in a more practical setting by the time he was born. Undoubtedly we share an ancestor several generations back, but that is all--still, there are few of my people, and I must confess that it warms my hear to know that the Captain has produced an heir.

Alluvial looks down the ladder for a moment, seeming to consider his options. He nods to himself and, without any further hesitation, drops his staff down through the hole. In the same fluid motion, he lowers himself onto the ladder, braces his hands and feet against the sides, and slides rapidly to the bottom, catching his staff neatly as he lands.

So then, what business must we attend to?

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There's no DC for sliding down a ladder that I can find, but Alluvial can take 10 on the climb check for a total of 26--that seems like it would be enough to do it.

Whiplord - Thanks, I like him too. Everyone seems to have a great character here.

[Copacetic]

Denomer


Denomer floated in midair, His spectral wings hidden with the rest of his body by the ring around his finger. Oh, how he enjoyed the ability to disappear and appear at will. It gave him a rush of power, a thrill of excitement to vanish from sight. He glanced at the pirates below, their lanterns and cave quite obvious from a hundred feet up and over the sea. But not that anyone else had his unique vantage point.

Soaring silently, he swiftly droppped from the sky, leveling out only a few feet from the dark ocean. Gliding towards the motley sailors, he spotted quite a few individuals amoung, promanently a Mix of dragon and man, and a glowing man with sigils around his head holding a cane. Floating over the heads of the ignorant seamen, he landed behind the the group, and slpped behind them as they entered the shack.

Taking this chance to speak, he very softly whisered. Pirates. I wish to join your voyage. Answer.

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Yay IC thread. Also, Polymath, love your character. Keep in mind Denomer is invisible when replying.

[GrassyGnoll]

Krag

"Real prutty, dat 'un," Krag nods over a cradle of instrument cases. The troll has a haversack slung across his back and a rhythm to his step. On the halfling's stage call he takes a modest bow.

[UglyPanda]

Vinnie

"Yeah, but I'm not going for pretty. I'm trying to go for creepy. I can't do 'V, Lord of the damned' without some creepy depressing song with idealistic undertones. In other words, it's supposed to be scary."

"No cheers for your navigator over here? I've been with you guys for years!"

OOC:
Vincent is a halfling. He was originally a gnome, but I changed it a day after the chart was made and it wasn't updated.

[Polymath]

Alluvial

The old man's eyes widen as the invisible speaker makes his presence known. With a speed that belies his age (and limp) he is on his feet, staff in hand.

Fyaruchia-ta'alzaitanizath-duorzeinp!

The words ring even in the small shack, seeming to come from almost everywhere at once, and resonating with a deepness that Alluvial's normal tone lacks entirely. His eyes glow brightly golden for a moment, then fade to his normal emerald green again. He looks around again, eyes finally locking on Denomer.

It would seem we have a visitor--an air goblin, if his appearance does not deceive, and rather adept in The Art. While I am not one to eschew caution, I would suggest that your optical occlusion is not altogether necessary here--these pirates have shown themselves to be far more genial than rumor might have it.

He looks to Shael, then back to the goblin again, waiting for the already-enlisted crew members to respond to the newcomer as they see fit.

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Taking 10 on the truespeak check for Vision Sharpened. That yields a 56, which is more than enough for him to affect himself (DC 41 for the first time today). He gains the ability to see invisible creatures for 30 seconds.

[Whiplord]

Lucivar

Although the man's constant stream of consciousness is without a doubt annoying, he can't help but smile slightly at the Illumian's clear enthusiasm. He quickly smooths his face though.

As the voice sounded from out of nowhere, Lucivar instantly snapped to a state of extreme alertness. With a split second of concentration he saw the location and identity of the speaker. Making eye contact, he speaks. "Reveal yourself this instant before I incinerate you where you stand. Has no one told you the proper way to make an introduction?"

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Burn 5 PP to manifest Psionic True Seeing.

[Copacetic]

Denomer makes no notice of their easy piercing of his illusion. With a mental command Opaqueness spreads from his ringed hand.

You

Denomer points a long finger at Alluvial.

Shut up. You

Denomer shifts his finger to Lucivar

You have not answered. May I join your crew.

[Whiplord]

Lucivar

Lucivar gave a sneer that could only be described as ugly. And then he laughed. Doubled over, in fact. "It is not my place to accept or deny you. And for that you should be thankful, because if it was I'd boot you out on your behind this very instant."

He attempted to quell his laughter which had started up again. "I can tell you right now your rudeness and your petty, useless tricks have done nothing to help your chances."

[Copacetic]

Denomer stands stock still, his face expressionless.

You are intresting. Now, if you are feeling up to it, could you tell me where the captain is, Please?

The Sarcasm in his voice is subtle, but noticable.

[Whiplord]

Lucivar

Lucivar stares right back. "No."

Turning to the others, "What arrangements still need to be made?"

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I'm not going overboard (pardon the pun), am I? I don't want to portray him as a complete jerk, but it seems like what the situation calls for.

[AmberVael]

Asuya

Asuya sighs and raises her hands to try and gain a little attention from the group, deciding they needed to be called back to civility and reason. "Quiet now- the Captain decides who comes on board, and if our opinions matter to him, he'll ask for them. I advise we keep our tempers, as the last thing we need to do is start off a voyage with bloodshed; do you think that would be a good omen?"

She raises an eyebrow and looks over them, then looks towards the vague direction Denomer is in. "Now, you're making a rather poor impression here, and I have no doubt that if you repeat this performance the Captain will be most unimpressed. Posturing cannot gain his respect.
"However, as he isn't here yet, you still have a chance. Reveal yourself and join us respectfully and you may save a little face."

Asuya's tone isn't demanding, just reasonable and logical, calling them all to think sensibly.

[Polymath]

Alluvial

Alluvial's sharp, birdlike green eyes search Denomer's face intently as he listens to the exchange; he seems to be trying to take a measure of the goblin. He nods intently as Asuya speaks.

Our lady dragoness is quite correct, in my assessment: while I am admittedly a novice vis a vis the practicalities of seafaring, my years on this plane have imparted on me at least a few lessons--one of those lessons is that while caution is often warranted, one must show a willingness to trust before one asks for the trust of another. In other words, endeavoring to become the trusted companion of a group to which you will not reveal yourself seems a rather quixotic task.

The old Illumian gently lowers himself to his seat once again, removing his spectacles and polishing them with his linen shirt. He holds them up to the light, nods in satisfaction, and replaces them on his nose.

Now, I suggest that we begin this conversation anew, as we are now on more equitable perceptual terms--we can all see each other.

[GrassyGnoll]

Krag

The troll looks between Vincent and Lucivar quizzically. He settles on the familiar and addresses the halfling.

"Oy Vinnie, wot 'bout Vino da Wil' Boy un Vin-Vine da bloind un Viksta da Tricksta?"

[UglyPanda]

Vinnie

With a tip of his hat, Vinnie turns into the guise of Joseph Vanderhouse, cut-throat talent agent.

"We have to pay attention to the trends. We've oversaturated the market with these 'nice guy' acts. Now people just want to feel bad about themselves and wear dark colors. Are you any better at juggling knives yet? We need a literal and figurative edge if we want to beat the competition."

[DJDeMiko]

Renato

Renato spots Denomer when he is about 60 feet away and watches in curiosity as he approaches the group.

He chats quietly with some of those present until he hears' Denomer's comments.

Renato steps towards Denomer and extends a hand in a friendly manner. "The captain oft be lookin for new crew after a winter such as this, though like the others I can't speak for him, but I must warn ya friend, he is not the type to take people who so obviously would cause dissension among the crew. We aren't a family, but we are tight with each other. I know how it is, round a new group of people, ya feel your nerves, ya feel ya gots to show us how tough ye is. Ya don't need to worry bout it, if ya good enough for the captain then yas good enough for us."